The final Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament game is set, as the Miami Heat will host the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. The winner will claim the No. 8 seed and advance to face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, while the loser will head to the lottery.
Miami is here after blowing a 14-point lead to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday, and will be without star forward Jimmy Butler (knee) and key guard Terry Rozier (neck). Chicago is coming off a convincing win over the Atlanta Hawks in their first Play-In Game, and will be shorthanded as well. Defensive specialist Alex Caruso sprained his ankle against the Hawks and may join Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams among those unavailable for the Bulls.
Ahead of Friday’s showdown, here’s everything you need to know:
Heat vs. Bulls Date: Friday, April 19 | Time: 7 p.m. ET Location: Kaseya Center — Miami, Florida TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (try for free) Odds: Heat -1.5; O/U 205.5 Storylines Heat: The Heat were a few wins away from avoiding the Play-In Tournament all together. Now, they’re a few losses away from their first trip to the lottery since 2019. As if blowing a double-digit lead to the Sixers in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game wasn’t bad enough, the Heat learned they’ll be without Jimmy Butler, who suffered a knee injury in Philadelphia, and Terry Rozier for Friday’s matchup with the Bulls. The Heat were a bottom-third offensive team this season, and now, will be without two of their primary scorers and creators. For the season, they had a plus-5.5 net rating with Butler on the court and a minus-2.0 net rating without him.
Bulls: All season, there were calls for the Bulls to blow things up and tank for a high draft pick. Suddenly, they’re one win away from an improbable trip to the playoffs. They went 36-46 this season, and with the obvious caveat that the Play-In Tournament didn’t exist until 2020, that would be the fewest wins for an Eastern Conference playoff team in an 82-game season since the Celtics earned the No. 8 seed in 2004 with the same number of victories.
Prediction Picking against the Heat at home in a one-game situation is risky, but losing Butler and Rozier feels like too much to overcome. I’ll ride with the hot hand of Coby White. Pick: Bulls +1.5
The Miami Heat will look to take a similar path to the 2024 NBA playoffs as they did last year as they try to earn the East’s eighth seed when they battle the Chicago Bulls in a 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament matchup on Friday. The Bulls (39-43), who advanced with a 131-116 win over Atlanta on Wednesday, are 19-22 on the road, including 1-1 at Miami. The Heat (46-36), who were also an eighth seed last season but reached the NBA Finals, dropped a 105-104 decision to the 76ers on Wednesday. Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck) are out for Miami, while Ayo Dosunmu (quad), Alex Caruso (ankle) and Andre Drummond (ankle) are questionable for Chicago.
The game from the Kaseya Center in Miami will tip off at 7 p.m. ET. Chicago is averaging 112.3 points per game, 22nd-best in the NBA, while Miami averages 110.1, 26th-best. The Heat are 1.5-point favorites in the latest Bulls vs. Heat odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 206. Before making any Heat vs. Bulls picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 88-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,600. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bulls vs. Heat and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Heat vs. Bulls:
Bulls vs. Heat spread: Miami -1.5 Bulls vs. Heat over/under: 206 points Bulls vs. Heat money line: Chicago +104, Miami -123 CHI: The Bulls had a minus-1.4 point differential during the regular season MIA: The Heat were 32-20 against Eastern Conference foes in 2023-24 Bulls vs. Heat picks: See picks at SportsLine Why the Heat can cover Center Bam Adebayo registered a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia. He has reached double-digit scoring in 18 of his last 19 games, including 12 double-doubles in that span. In 71 games, all starts, he is averaging 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 34 minutes. He has played well against the Bulls throughout his career. In 18 games against Chicago, he is averaging 15.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.5 minutes.
Also giving Miami valuable minutes is guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. In Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia, Jaquez came off the bench and played more than 22 minutes, scoring 15 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out two assists. He has reached double-figure scoring in three consecutive games, including a 20-point and nine-assist effort in a 125-103 win over Toronto on April 12. For the season, he has played in 75 games, including 20 starts, and is averaging 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal in 28.2 minutes. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Bulls can cover Small forward DeMar DeRozan powers Chicago’s offense. In 79 games, all starts, DeRozan has been dominant, averaging 24 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals. In his last four regular-season games, he scored no fewer than 30 points, including a 39-point performance in a 127-105 win at Detroit on April 11. In four games against the Heat this season, he is averaging 22 points, four rebounds, 4.5 assists and one block.
Point guard Coby White has been effective of late, scoring a career-high 42 points in Wednesday’s win over the Hawks. In Sunday’s regular-season finale at New York, he scored 26 points, while dishing out four assists in a 120-119 overtime loss. He had 20 points, four rebounds and four assists in a 129-127 win at Washington on April 12. In 79 games, including 78 starts, he is averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 36.5 minutes. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Heat vs. Bulls picks SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 217 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can only get the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Bulls vs. Heat, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that’s 88-58 on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
When the dust settled on a wild final day of the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks had dropped to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Indiana Pacers were left clinging on to the last guaranteed spot at No. 6. This is somehow just the third time that the two Central Division foes will meet in the postseason, and the first since 2000.
After all that transpired between the two teams this season, perhaps a playoff matchup was always pre-ordained. Ahead of what should be a fascinating series, regardless of when or if Giannis Antetokounmpo returns from his calf injury, here is a brief history of this season’s best feud.
Nov. 9: Giannis drops 54, Griffin ejected in Pacers’ comeback win Nothing controversial happened in this game, but the dramatic and competitive nature set the tone for what would transpire in the coming months. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 54 points, but former Bucks coach Adrian Griffin was ejected before they blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
Dec. 7: Haliburton steals Lillard’s celebration, Lillard issues a warning, Bucks have locker room spat A month after their first game, an extra meeting was added to the schedule when the two teams squared off in the semifinals of the league’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. Once again, the Bucks were in front in the fourth quarter, but Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers on a stunning comeback. He sealed the win with a step-back 3-pointer over Brook Lopez, then broke out Damian Lillard’s “Dame Time” celebration.
Lillard largely took the taunt in stride, but did issue the rising star a warning.
“When you are having your moment, it’s important to be careful, to be humble in your moments because you just never know how the tables are going to turn or when they are going to turn,” Lillard remarked. “I learned as a kid, when you dish it out, you’ve got to be willing to take it. For as many times as I’ve done it to people, I can’t be upset when somebody else does it, you know what I mean. I think that’s also a sign of respect and acknowledgment for knowing my history and knowing what I do.”
If that wasn’t enough drama, Bobby Portis reportedly called out Griffin and his teammates in the locker room over their lack of composure and execution down the stretch. Neither Portis nor Griffin would comment on the situation in the coming days.
Dec. 13: Ballgate When the two teams squared off again a week later, the Bucks were ready to send a message and the resulting contest was one of the most absurd in NBA history. There was a flagrant foul, multiple technical fouls, an ejection, career-and-franchise-records for Antetokounmpo, a mystery over the game ball and an alleged assault of the Pacers’ general manager.
Antetokounmpo ran up the score in the closing seconds of the Bucks’ comfortable win to finish with 64 points, and then chased the Pacers down the tunnel at the final buzzer in search of the game ball. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said later that the team’s GM, Chad Buchanan, was elbowed in the ribs by a Bucks player during the hallway scrum, though that was never confirmed. Upon returning to the court, Antetokounmpo then had words for Haliburton, who didn’t seem to understand what was going on.
Later that night, it seemed the issue had been resolved after video showed a Bucks security staffer grabbing the game ball at the final buzzer. The Pacers had a reserve ball that they wanted to give to rookie big man Oscar Tshiebwe in honor of scoring his first official points. Antetokounmpo, however, inflamed matters again by saying while he had a ball, he didn’t think it was the real one.
“I have a ball, but I don’t know if it’s the game ball,” Antetokounmpo said. “It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me. It feels like a brand new ball. I can tell, I’ve played 35 minutes today, I know how the game ball felt. The ball that I have, which I’ll take and give to my mom for sure, but I don’t know if it’s actually the game ball.
“I knew they had the game ball. I didn’t think they had the game ball, I knew they had the ball. I don’t know how it works, but I assume I cannot just walk into any arena I play in and just take the ball.”
Jan. 1: Pacers pull off another comeback In the lead-up to the fourth matchup, both teams traded comments in the media. “People didn’t see the way Indiana acted that night,” a Bucks source told ESPN. “You come into our house and take our stuff. Screaming, ‘F-you. F-you.’ Yeah, how’s a guy going to react?”
“It was unnecessary, it was blown out of proportion,” Myles Turner added. “They had the ball the whole time. I think that was obvious. So I’ll just leave it at that.”
“We kind of bullied them that game,” Portis said. “I think they felt that presence. When a team beats you twice, you don’t want to let them beat you three times because now they think they can play with you. We played with a sense of urgency. We were more physical, we were hitting them. I don’t think they liked that.”
While that may have been true, the Pacers were ready this time around. After trailing early, they stormed back in the second half and pulled away down the stretch for their third win of the season over the Bucks.
“This is a game that everybody was prepared for and everybody was ready for,” Haliburton said. “Again, I think their words were ‘We weren’t ready for them physically.’ I think we were ready for them today.”
Jan. 3: Pacers win again behind Haliburton Just two days later, the teams met for a fifth time in Indianapolis. This one was all Pacers, as they cruised to an 18-point win with a dominant second half. Tyrese Haliburton was once again unstoppable, finishing with 31 points and 12 assists. Over the five games versus the Bucks, Haliburton averaged 27 points, 5.8 rebounds and 11 assists on 53.2% shooting from the field. Even more impressive, he had just seven total turnovers in 176 minutes.
Jan. 5: Beasley promises revenge Shortly after the Pacers secured a 4-1 record in the season series, Bucks guard Malik Beasley did an interview with Chris Haynes and was asked about the rivalry between the teams. He predicted a playoff meeting and promised revenge.
“I think it comes down to, for us, how they got our number, there’s certain teams that just [have] your number,” Beasley said. “We’re still trying to figure that out because I know we’re gonna play them in the playoffs and, boy, it’s not gonna be pretty. It’s not gonna be pretty for them.
“This reminds me of Memphis-Minnesota, Lakers-Memphis, we played them four, five times a year, and then we played them in the playoffs. The way the league’s shaping up right now, I think we’re gonna play them in the playoffs at 2-7 or 1-8. So we’ll see.”
Luka Doncic was not at his most efficient on Wednesday night in the Dallas Mavericks’ 104-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, which was much closer than it should have been thanks to a disastrous fourth quarter by Doncic and Co. His poor shooting stretch continued with a 10-of-26 outing, including 1 of 6 in the final frame.
He was, however, perhaps at his most spectacular en route to 30 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists — the fourth of which might go down as the assist of the season. Not just for Doncic, but the entire league.
Early in the second quarter, Doncic took a pass from Josh Green in the corner and began driving towards the middle of the floor. The Lakers sent multiple defenders his way, and he seemed to be stuck as he picked up his dribble near the elbow. Then, suddenly, he whipped the ball across the court to Green in the opposite corner, but did so by skipping it between LeBron James’ legs.
No one on the court save for Doncic could believe the pass. Not Green, who bobbled the ball and took a few seconds to recover. Nor the Lakers, who despite Green’s momentary lapse still did not chase him down in the corner to contest his shot.
Here’s a few alternate angles from the Mavericks’ broadcast, which show how precise Doncic had to be. The second one, in particular, is stunning.
More 📐 s#MFFL | @dallasmavs on @BallySportsSW 📺 pic.twitter.com/dKPy9OvRhn
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) November 23, 2023 Doncic’s pass would have gone down as an instant classic no matter who he nutmegged, but the fact that it was James makes it that much more memorable.
Even better for Doncic is that the Mavericks were able to hold on for the win despite blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter. With the victory, the Mavericks snapped a two-game skid and got their mini two-game road trip to Los Angeles off to a strong start. Now 10-5 on the season, the Mavs are tied for third place in the Western Conference with the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ five-game winning streak came to an end on Wednesday with a 119-116 defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Though the final score indicates a close game, the Bucks were down by as much as 21, and spent much of the night trailing by double digits before mounting a desperate comeback attempt.
It was a frustrating evening for everyone in the Milwaukee contingent, especially Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was limited to 21 points on 7 of 20 from the field. In addition to posting his worst shooting night of the season, he appeared to have an odd mid-game argument with head coach Adrian Griffin.
In the middle of the third quarter, Antetokounmpo was called for a palming violation, and Griffin subbed him out of the game. That seemed to upset the two-time MVP who never went to the bench, but instead sat at the scorer’s table having a contentious conversation with the first-year head coach. Antetokounmpo then checked back into the game at the next dead ball.
Post-game, Griffin downplayed the incident.
“He wanted to stay in, I wanted to give him a breather. That’s all it was,” Griffin said. “And then I told him to stay at the table for one possession, and he got right back out there.”
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, refused to discuss it.
“No,” was all Antetokounmpo offered when asked for his point of view.
In a vacuum this isn’t a big deal. Players and coaches have impassioned discussions and debates all the time throughout the course of a season, and the Bucks were in the middle of a difficult night.
It is probably worth filing this moment away, however, given Griffin’s tumultuous start with the Bucks and the pressure the team is under to compete for a championship this season. Veteran coach Terry Stotts quit during the preseason after an incident with Griffin during a shootaround, and the Bucks players had to have an intervention to convince Griffin to change his defensive scheme.
Despite the team’s 10-5 record, there have now been more than a few warning signs about Griffin’s ability to handle this responsibility.
Here’s the good news for the Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young, who has struggled to find his 3-point shot for most of the season, might be starting to cook a little bit. Over his last two games, Young has posted 81 points while making 13-of-24 3-pointers.
After putting up 38 points against Indiana on Tuesday, Young hit the Nets for 43 on Wednesday. Over that span, the Hawks scored a total of 299 points.
The bad news is they gave up 302.
The net result was a 1-1 record: A 157-152 loss to the Pacers, and a 147-145 overtime victory against the Nets. You might not see two wilder games this season, and Atlanta played in them both, on back-to-back nights.
After hitting some huge shots down the stretch on Tuesday, Young again came up huge in clutch time on Wednesday. It was dicey; he missed his first free throw with one second to play and the Hawks down by one, but he managed to make the second to send it to overtime, where he scored 14 points that included the ultimate game-winner.
The winning sequence:
Trae’s step-back jumper followed by a clutch block by Big O pic.twitter.com/HfucH1M3yP
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2023 How about the stones to pull from the logo in a two-point game in overtime?
LOGOvertime TRAE 🥶 pic.twitter.com/EY7cJozJ3O
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2023 Here’s the full slate of Young’s buckets.
SEASON-HIGH POINTS FOR TRAE YOUNG 🗣️
43 PTS, 9 AST, 8 3PM
Hawks got the W in an OT thriller 🔥 pic.twitter.com/48IZFfdjyp
— NBA (@NBA) November 23, 2023 While Young was efficient from 3 against the Nets (8-for-16), he did require 31 shots to get his 43 points, which goes down as his season high. Along with Dejounte Murray, Atlanta’s backcourt pumped up 52 shots.
Hey, they’ll take it. The Hawks, now 7-7 on the season, are a water-treading team if you’ve ever seen one. Playing this kind of defense is not a sustainable model, but wins are wins in the short term. Long term, the hope is that Young stays hot from 3 for an extended stretch.
We’ve got another exciting 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament matchup on Friday’s NBA schedule as the Memphis Grizzlies host the Phoenix Suns. Memphis is 3-11 overall and 0-6 at home, while Phoenix is 9-6 overall and 5-2 on the road. These teams split their four meetings last season, also splitting their two games played in Memphis. The Suns are 2-1 in the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament standings, while the Grizzlies are 0-3.
Tip-off is at 5 p.m. ET at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. Phoenix is favored by 7.5 points in the latest Suns vs. Grizzlies odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 222 points. Before entering any Grizzlies vs. Suns picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 5 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 82-46 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Grizzlies vs. Suns. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Suns vs. Grizzlies:
Grizzlies vs. Suns spread: Grizzlies +7.5 Grizzlies vs. Suns over/under: 222 points Grizzlies vs. Suns money line: Grizzlies: +260, Suns: -333 Grizzlies vs. Suns picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Grizzlies On Wednesday, Memphis lost to Houston on the road by a decisive 111-91 margin. The Grizzlies have now taken an ‘L’ in back-to-back games. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. led the losing side with 23 points apiece, but the other three Memphis starters combined for just 18 points.
The Grizzlies have been decimated by injuries this year which is a big reason why they are the only winless team at home (0-6). Seven players are listed as out for Friday, while Bane (foot) is questionable. Memphis’ offense is among the worst in the league, ranking in the bottom three in field goal percentage, 2-point percentage, 3-point percentage, points per game and offensive rating. See which team to pick here.
What you need to know about the Suns Meanwhile, the Suns entered their tilt with the Warriors with four consecutive wins but they’ll enter their next game with five. Phoenix walked away with a 123-115 win over Golden State on Wednesday. The Suns’ success was spearheaded by the efforts of Kevin Durant, who scored 32 points along with eight rebounds, and Devin Booker, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 10 assists.
Durant is averaging 31.4 PPG, which would be his highest average in a decade. Meanwhile, Booker has embraced the full-time move to point guard as he’s averaging 9.3 assists to go along with 28.1 points, both of which are career-highs. While Phoenix’s offense gets most of the attention, the team is also bringing it on the other end by leading the NBA with 7.0 blocks per game. Bradley Beal (back) remains out for Phoenix. See which team to pick here.
How to make Grizzlies vs. Suns picks The model has simulated Grizzlies vs. Suns 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits almost 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
We’ve got another exciting NBA In-Season Tournament 2023 clash on Friday’s NBA schedule as the Miami Heat visit the New York Knicks. New York is 8-6 overall and 3-2 at home, while Miami is 10-5 overall and 6-4 on the road. The Heat defeated New York in six games in last season’s playoffs, but the Knicks have won four of the last five regular-season matchups. Miami sports a 2-0 record in the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament standings, with New York at 1-1.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Knicks are favored by 5.5 points in the latest Heat vs. Knicks odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 212 points. Before entering any Knicks vs. Heat picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 5 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 82-46 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Heat. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Heat vs. Knicks:
Knicks vs. Heat spread: Knicks -5.5 Knicks vs. Heat over/under: 212 points Knicks vs. Heat money line: Knicks: -224, Heat: +181 Knicks vs. Heat picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Heat On Wednesday, Miami made easy work of Cleveland and carried off a 129-96 victory, which made it back-to-back wins for the Heat. Kyle Lowry was the offensive standout of the match as he went 7 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 28 points and three assists. It tied for the most points Lowry’s scored in a Heat uniform and his most since May 2021.
The Heat are 9-1 over their last 10 games, despite only having Tyler Herro (ankle) for the entirety of those first two games. Herro remains out while Bam Adebayo (hip) and Duncan Robinson (thumb) are questionable. However, Jimmy Butler, and his 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists, will be on the floor, as will UCLA rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. The No. 18 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft hasn’t had a steep learning curve in the pros as he’s averaging 13.4 points and 4.2 rebounds, while shooting 57% from the field and 50% on 3-point attempts during the last 10 games. See which team to pick here.
What you need to know about the Knicks Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, the Knicks’ good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They took a hard 117-100 fall against Minnesota as New York found out winning isn’t easy when you don’t work as a unit and post 14 fewer assists than your opponent. Jalen Brunson put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 25 points along with six assists. Less helpful for the Knicks was Quentin Grimes’ abysmal 0-6 three-point shooting.
Outside shooting hasn’t been a big problem for the Knicks this season, but what they do inside the arc is a cause for concern. On offense, they rank last in the NBA in 2-point percentage (48.1%), and on defense, they also rank last in with 2.6 blocks per game. Despite the latter, New York still boasts the No. 2 scoring defense by allowing 105.8 PPG. Julius Randle is still finding his footing in the early season as he’s shooting just 37.8% from the field, which is the worst amongst 138 qualified players. See which team to pick here.
How to make Knicks vs. Heat picks The model has simulated Knicks vs. Heat 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Chris Paul was ejected from the Golden State Warriors loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday by Scott Foster in the latest incident in the long-running feud between the veteran point guard and referee. After the game, Paul said he had a “personal” problem with Foster related to something involving his son, though he would divulge no further details.
Paul was not the only one to have an issue with Foster on the night. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr received a technical foul during the game for complaining about Paul’s ejection, while Steph Curry had a conversation of his own with Foster in the aftermath. Following the game, Curry shared his thoughts on the matter.
Steph Curry reveals what he told Scott Foster after the Chris Paul ejection 👀 pic.twitter.com/F8Iz2JeB5i
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 23, 2023 “I mean, I think we were down double digits already. We obviously need [Chris Paul] and his leadership and the way he manages the game,” Curry said. “I don’t like and appreciate — I know there is history and all that, I know [Paul] talked about it, but when both the player and the ref engage in conversation, that has to kind of stay there. I told Scott [Foster] that after he ejected him.
“It’s like, there are certain situations where players overstep. That happens a lot. There’s times you kind of know you have to back off, but when both are engaging, I don’t like that. That’s the part that messed with me the most watching it. Just like two guys talking, speaking their truths. Let’s just play basketball.”
Foster is one of the league’s longest-serving referees, having started his career in 1994. Over nearly two decades, he has officiated 123 Warriors games, and the team is 60-63 in those contests, per Basketball Reference. But while there isn’t an issue between Foster and the Warriors, there is one between Foster and Paul.
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Yeah. They know what it is, he know what it is too. I had a meeting with him, my dad, Doc Rivers, Bob Delaney and all that. [When I was with] the Clippers. It was a whole thing, man. It’s been a thing for a while. I ain’t saying nothing to get fined. It is what it is at this point.”
All-time, Paul is 2-17 in playoff games officiated by Foster, including a 13-game losing streak at one point.
The Golden State Warriors struggled to stop the Phoenix Suns in their 123-115 loss on Wednesday night, and Steve Kerr suggested it might have something to do with the in-arena entertainment. In his postgame press conference, Kerr complained that the music in the Footprint Center caused some issues on the court.
Kerr was discussing cohesion amongst the Warriors, and he noted that “communication” is a huge part of success on the floor. The only issue when playing in Phoenix, according to Kerr, is that no one can hear anything because the music is so loud.
“It’s playing with force,” Kerr said. “It’s playing downhill. It’s playing with great communication. You can hear everybody talking defensively. Although, in this building, you can’t hear anything because it’s like a club. It’s like a South Beach club out there. What are we doing? I’m being dead serious. I couldn’t hear anything. It’s thumping techno club music. Can we just have a basketball game anymore? What the hell? Sorry for the rant.”
Golden State allowed Phoenix to hit 44.7% of its shots from the floor, including 39.3% of its shots from beyond the arc. Suns superstar Kevin Durant led all scorers with 32 points, and teammate Devin Booker wasn’t too far behind him with 25 of his own.
Maybe the friendly confines of the Chase Center will provide a better environment for the Warriors when they take on the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
