Basketball Intelligence for 4/18/2023
Today's Best Reporting and Analysis
PLAYOFFS
BKN 84, PHI 96
Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey lift Sixers to 2-0 series lead
Derek Bodner, The Daily Six
Enjoyable passing, valuable defense, and a bit of mischief in Embiid's Game 2
Noah Levick, NBC Sports
“Only three blocks? I probably need the Memphis scorekeeper,” he said, referencing a strange conspiracy theory about Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. receiving an edge at home.
Nets blow double-digit lead in disastrous Game 2 loss to 76ers
Brian Lewis, New York Post
GSW 106, SAC 114
Fox, Mitchell come up big as Kings take 2-0 series lead over Warriors
Frankie Cartoscelli, Sactown Sports
‘Big time for us’: Fox and Mitchell are the scorer and the stopper in Kings’ playoff win
Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee
Kings-Warriors: Golden State ‘licking wounds’ after falling behind 2-0 in playoff series
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee
[The Warriors have] never lost the first two games of a series since Curry has been in the NBA. “That’s exciting, right?” Green said. “A new challenge. After the game, I was actually thinking about that — like ‘Man, this is one we haven’t seen yet.’ And we’ve conquered all the rest of them, so why not go conquer this one? It’d be a lot of fun. A lot of fun.”
Warriors collapse under pressure, Kings play like experienced playoff vets in bizarre Game 2 role reversal
Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports
The Warriors Are in Uncharted Territory and the Pressure Is Rising
Zach Kram, The Ringer
LEAGUEWIDE STORIES
1 stat explaining every playoff series so far
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
Minnesota had one of the worst shooting games in league playoff history; with all of those brick, the Wolves could’ve built some houses that not even they could’ve blown down.
Sunday marked the 20th time since the 3-point era started in 1979-1980 that a team had 37/31/56 percent shooting splits or worse in the postseason. In 19 of those cases (including this one), that team lost the game.
NBA news: Doubling Joel Embiid, Draymond’s stomp, Grizzlies without Ja
Ian Levy, The Step Back