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League-Wide Stories
What's behind the NBA's new focus on traveling, and how players and teams are adjusting
Tim Bontemps, ESPN
McCutchen says the free-flowing nature and spacing of the modern NBA has provided an opportunity for referees to focus on players shifting their pivot foot when attacking defenses, adding that the league has studied data that shows missing such calls leads to additional defensive fouls because it creates an advantage for offensive players to exploit.
Team-Specific Stories
ATL: Tensions rise between Hawks star Trae Young and coach Nate McMillan in Atlanta: Sources
Shams Charania/Sam Amick, The Athletic
Since the face of the Hawks’ franchise was deciding not to take part in shootaround, McMillan ultimately presented him with two options for that night’s game, sources said: Play off the bench — or do not show up to the arena. Young responded by saying he would not be playing against the Nuggets, and the team ruled him out while citing right shoulder soreness.
CHA: Do the Charlotte Hornets have time to turn their season around? Here’s what they think
Roderick Boone, The Charlotte Observer
CHI: Bulls have to balance development of young players with winning games
Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times
CHI: Rookie Dalen Terry sits and waits while Bulls struggle with consistency
Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times
CHI: Bulls Files: Poor Attention To Detail On Defense Shows Up On Chicago’s Road Trip
Michael Walton II, Chicago Bulls Confidential
CHI: LaVine, DeRozan vow to rally Bulls as losses pile up
K.C. Johnson, NBC Sports
CLE: Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell has ‘filled a void’ during his career-best start
Kelsey Russo, The Athletic
CLE: Cleveland Cavaliers struggling to find ‘juice’ on the road, as away-game issues crystallize in New York
Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com
In 11 homes games -- with 10 of those being wins -- the Cavs are averaging 115.6 points on 49.3% from the field and 39.9% from 3-point range while outscoring opponents by an average of 12.3 points. On the road, they’re averaging just 107.7 points on 46% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc.
DET: Inside Pistons’ Jalen Duren’s goofy shot-contests: ‘It’s hustle’
James L. Edwards III, The Athletic
The only other person who regularly has a variation of this type of shot distraction is Boston’s Luke Kornet, who has garnered some publicity with his standstill jumps as a player launches a jump shot. The biggest difference between the contests of Duren and Kornet, though, is that Duren will make an effort to close the gap on the shooter before stopping in his tracks, while Kornet just jumps from inside the paint to confuse shooters.
GSW: Thompson: Jordan Poole’s new test — life as a known commodity in the NBA
Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic
IND: Insider: Pacers struggling on defense, missing shots on rough road trip
Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star
MEM: 'She’s got this ultimate care factor': How Niele Ivey made an imprint with the Grizzlies
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
MIA: Heat’s Haywood Highsmith making gains in a season when little was guaranteed
Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
MIA: The temptation and tease of Victor Oladipo may soon provide a Heat payoff
Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
MIL: Milwaukee Bucks Notebook: Dictionary, Middleton’s Return, and Blocks
Brian Sampson, Dairyland Express
NOP: Jose Alvarado has improbably become 'X-factor' for streaking New Orleans Pelicans
Christian Clark, Nola.com
OKC: Thunder Journal: The JDub Break Out
Brandon Rahbar, Daily Thunder
PHI: Sixers quarter-season report cards: Every player’s grade
Christopher Kline, The Sixer Sense
PHI: How James Harden's return from foot injury impacts Joel Embiid, 76ers
Kyle Irving, The Sporting News
POR: Embattled but bruised, Blazers barrel toward preseason expectations
Austin White, Portland Tribune
POR: Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard makes strong return, helps get season back on track: ‘He was pretty crisp’
Aaron Fentress, The Oregonian
SAC: Sacramento Kings off to their best start since 2004-05 after ‘ugly’ win over Chicago Bulls
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee
SAC: Kings win 3rd in a row
Ray LeBov, Basketball Intelligence
TOR: O.G. Anunoby is your favorite player's worst nightmare: The stats driving the Raptors forward's early Defensive Player of the Year case
Scott Rafferty, The Sporting News
Jimmy Butler, who has earned five All-Defensive selections in his career, and Patrick Beverley, who has three All-Defensive selections, are the only other players [besides Anunoby] in the top 20 in both matchup difficulty rating and versatility rating.
WAS: Gafford leaned on support system to overcome slow start
Chase Hughes, NBC Sports
WAS: Wizards face a defining stretch: ‘We’re not going to let go of the season’
Josh Robbins, The Athletic
Last Night’s Games
DEN 106, NOP 121
3 takeaways from Nuggets' loss to New Orleans Pelicans
Vinny Benedetto, The Gazette
Jose Alvarado, the NBA’s best underdog story, leads Pelicans to 121-106 victory over Nuggets
Oleh Kosel, The Bird Writes
PHO 133, SAS 95
5 takeaways from Suns' destruction of Spurs after upset loss to Rockets
Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
Suns Hand Spurs 11th Consecutive Loss in Major Blowout
Grant Afseth, Inside The Spurs
BOS 103, BKN 92
Nets show there’s work to be done, losing 103-92 to Celtics
Matt Brooks, Nets Daily
Boston finally wins with defense, and the timing could hardly be better
John Karalis, Boston Sports Journal
7 takeaways as Jaylen Brown, Celtics beat Nets for the eighth-straight time
Tom Westerholm, Boston.com
MEM 122, DET 112
Pistons fall flat in last game of homestand, lose 122-112 to Grizzlies
Mike Curtis, The Detroit News
Report Card: Memphis finds its groove in Motown
Francis Carlota, Grizzly Bear Blues
CLE 81, NYK 92
Takeaways from a raggedy Cleveland Cavaliers 92-81 loss to the New York Knicks
Jackson Flickinger, Fear The Sword
Knicks stifle Cavaliers to end four-game skid in one of season’s best wins
Zach Braziller, New York Post
LAL 130, WAS 119
Anthony Davis towers over the Wizards, who lose Bradley Beal early
Ava Wallace, Washington Post
‘Playing like the MVP’: Anthony Davis scores 55 in Lakers’ win over Wizards
Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times
CHI 101, SAC 110
10 observations: LaVine breakout wasted in loss to Kings
Rob Schaefer, NBC Sports
Kings fend off furious Bulls comeback, win third straight
Jordan White, Sactown Royalty
Kings Win Third In A Row
Ray LeBov, Basketball Intelligence
IND 100, POR 116
A Tremendous Third Quarter Results in Big Blazers’ Win
Dave Deckard, Blazer’s Edge
Four Observations: With two point guards out, Pacers drop third straight
Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star
NBA Draft
NBA Draft Q&A: Matt Babcock on early takeaways from scouting trail
Ethan Fuller, BasketballNews
5 Deep Sleeper Prospects in College Basketball
Adam Spinella, The Box And One