Basketball Intelligence For 3/9/25
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
Mazzulla-ball starts with defense
Azad Rosay, Celtics Blog
TEAM-SPECIFIC
ATL: Trae Young broke his free throw streak with his best shot yet
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation
Trae Young is one of the NBA’s best free throw shooters. The Atlanta Hawks guard has made 87.2 percent of his free throws for his career, which is a top-10 active mark in the league. Young has been particularly good at the charity stripe lately: he was on a streak of 47 consecutive made free throws as he stepped to the line to ice the win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night with under one second left.
Young sank the first free throw to give Atlanta a two-point lead. With 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock, he knew it wasn’t beneficial to make the second one, which would allow Indiana to take a timeout, advance the ball to halfcourt, and try to get off a shot at the buzzer to tie the game.
For his second free throw, Young put up a comically high-arcing shot that just barely grazed the rim. The buzzer sounded, and the Hawks won
BKN: After Memphis failure, Nets’ Ziaire Williams making the most of his second chance in the NBA
CJ Holmes, Daily News
BOS: Forget what Joe Mazzulla said, and look at how he coached: Celtics-Lakers was something special
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe
BOS: Mazzulla-ball starts with defense
Azad Rosay, Celtics Blog
BOS: Horford, the 'ultimate connector,' hailed after Celtics' win
Tim Bontemps, ESPN
BOS: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum embrace burden on offense and defense in win over Lakers
Jay King, The Athletic
BOS: Celtics-Lakers lives up to hype
Zack Cox, Boston Herald
BOS: Normalize celebrating a corny dad who supports women and plays the right way
Jeff Clark, Celtics Blog
According to the interwebs, Jayson Tatum is the corniest player in the NBA. He can’t be the face of the league because he doesn't have the “aura” that other great players have. He doesn’t have that “it” factor that makes kids spam the All-Star ballot for. He’s mid. He doesn’t have rizz. He lacks main character energy. He’s just not that guy.
Allow me to a moment to stand on a hill and say this with my full chest.
GOOD!!!
So much has been made about what he isn’t. Let’s take a moment and appreciate the man he is.
CHI: 4 takeaways from the Bulls’ comeback win over the Heat, including Tre Jones playing hero
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune
DAL: Brandon Williams, Naji Marshall Deliver Career Nights as Mavericks Lose to Grizzlies
Grant Afseth, Dallas Hoops Journal
DAL: With no clear No. 1 option, what approach will Mavericks use going forward?
Mike Curtis, Morning News
DEN: MVP contenders Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander set for 'dynamic duo duel'
Woody Paige, Denver Gazette
DEN: Aaron Gordon's at-home gym a part of career-best shooting season
Vinny Benedetto, Denver Gazette
DEN: Comparing Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of MVP showdown
Bennett Durando, Denver Post
DEN: Kevin Durant on Nikola Jokic
Bennett Durando, Denver Post
Consider Kevin Durant an undecided voter in the MVP race.
But whichever way he ends up leaning — Nikola Jokic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — he just hopes the outcome is based on the 2024-25 NBA season and nothing else. The past is the past, in Durant’s always-candid view.
“I don’t think that’s fair at all, like, voter fatigue,” the former league MVP said Friday night when asked his thoughts about awards voters taking historical context into account. “If a guy’s balling out, he’s balling out, you know what I’m saying? I’m glad I don’t have to make that decision, between (Jokic) and Shai. But it’s only good for our league when you see guys like that, you know — (when) you don’t see a clear-cut MVP. So I don’t think there should be voter fatigue at all.”
DET: Malik Beasley on verge of joining Steph Curry in rare 3-point shooting feat
Omari Sankofa II, Free Press
DET: Steph Curry, Draymond Green too much for Pistons in 115-110 loss to Golden State
Omari Sankofa II, Free Press
GSW: The Warriors beat the Pistons to open a seven-game homestand
Cam Inman, Mercury News
“It was physical. It was testy. A lot of pushing and shoving,” Kerr said. “To win a game like that, when clearly we were tired and trying to get our legs underneath us coming off that trip, it was a big-time win.”
It was their 11th win in 13 games since Butler’s Feb. 8 debut, via a trade that Kerr again commended general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. for making.
“A month and a half ago, we would have lost that game,” Green said.
“This is part of the Jimmy dynamic. He is built for these kinds of games,” Kerr said. “He’ll get us a shot, he’ll get to the line, and he’ll take big shots. Playoff Jimmy is a real thing, and in some ways that felt like a playoff game with the physicality.
“It was kind of a rock fight, frankly,” Kerr added. “Guys like Jimmy thrive in games like this.”
Added Curry: “It’s pretty clear as day the difference, not just the record but how we’re playing and how we’re winning and his impact.”
GSW: Draymond Green hits huge 3, Steph Curry scores 32 to lift Warriors past Pistons
Ron Kroichick, SF Chronicle
LAL: Lakers’ plan after LeBron James injury: ‘Play hard and play defense’
Jovan Buha, The Athletic
LAL: Lakers’ 8-game win streak ends in Boston, LeBron James exits late with injury
Khobi Price, OC Register
LAL: Lakers get a painful reminder: Their dream of contention rests on the body of a 40-year-old legend
Vincent Goodwill, Yahoo Sports
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