THE PLAYOFFS
- Biggest Surprises (from Shaun Powell, NBA.com): https://www.nba.com/news/6-surprising-stories-from-2022-nba-playoffs
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ROUND TWO:
- Daily Results (from Zach Harper, The Athletic): https://theathletic.com/3287993/2022/05/01/nba-playoffs-daily-results-bucks-warriors-win/
- GSW 117, MEM 116:
From Tim Kawakami, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/3288344/2022/05/01/kawakami-the-fury-pride-and-playoff-righteousness-of-the-warriors-back-in-absolute-full-force/
From Fred Katz, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/3288731/2022/05/02/ja-morant-grizzlies-warriors/
From Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/3288379/2022/05/01/klay-thompson-gets-redemption-game-1/
From Steve Aschburner, NBA.com:https://www.nba.com/news/5-takeaways-from-warriors-game-1-western-conference-semifinal-victory-vs-grizzlies
From Kendra Andrews, ESPN: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33839330/inside-jordan-poole-ascension-golden-state-warriors and https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33839583/golden-state-warriors-draymond-green-ejected-vs-memphis-grizzlies-flagrant-2-foul
From Candace Echols, Daily Memphian: https://dailymemphian.com/article/28414/mama-bears-kyle-anderson-mother-advice-nba-player
From Anthony Slater, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/3287730/2022/05/01/warriors-draymond-green-ejection/
From Monte Poole, NBC Spots: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/steph-currys-stellar-defense-secures-warriors-game-1-win-over-grizzlies
From Shayna Rubin, Mercury News: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/05/01/back-off-the-bench-jordan-pooles-playmaking-lifts-warriors-to-thrilling-win-in-memphis/
From Joe Mullinax, Grizzly Bear Blues: https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2022/5/2/23052580/report-card-grizzlies-let-one-slip-away-against-warriors-memphis-golden-state-nba-playoffs-morant
From Joe Viray, Golden State Of Mind: https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2022/5/1/23052576/warriors-grizzlies-game-1-steph-curry-jordan-poole-klay-thompson-ja-morant-film-breakdown
From Parker Fleming, Grizzly Bear Blues: https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2022/5/1/23052306/recap-grizzlies-lose-game-1-against-the-warriors-117-116-memphis-golden-state-jackson-nba-playoffs
From Tania Ganguli. NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/sports/basketball/golden-state-warriors-memphis-grizzlies.html
From CJ Holmes, SF Chronicle: https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/How-Klay-Thompson-made-the-two-biggest-plays-in-17140681.php
From Dalton Johnson, NBC Sports: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/warriors-observations-jordan-poole-leads-chaotic-game-1-win-over-grizzlies
From Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/warriors-vs-grizzlies-jordan-pooles-enhanced-playmaking-proves-vital-after-draymond-greens-game-1-ejection/
-MIL 101, BOS 89:
From Eric Nehm, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/3288029/2022/05/02/bucks-celtics-giannis-antetokounmpo-game-1/
From Jay King, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/3288546/2022/05/01/celtics-bucks-giannis-tatum-game1/
From Jared Weiss, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/3288151/2022/05/01/giannis-antetokounmpo-dominates-celtics-defense-game-1/
From Shaun Powell, NBA.com: https://www.nba.com/news/5-takeaways-from-celtics-bucks-eastern-conference-semifinal-game-1
From Souichi Terada, Mass Live: https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/05/boston-celtics-fall-to-milwaukee-bucks-101-89-in-game-1-of-nba-playoffs-lose-home-court-advantage.html
From Jamal Collier, ESPN: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33839950/giannis-antetokounmpo-second-career-playoff-triple-double-leads-milwaukee-bucks-game-1-win-boston-celtics
From Brian Sampson, Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansampson/2022/05/02/milwaukee-bucks-defense-reminds-us-why-they-are-reigning-champions/?sh=1f8e3e42a7cb
From Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2022/05/01/bucks-beat-celtics-game-1-eastern-conference-semifinals/9609193002/
From Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/01/sports/celtics-get-hard-reminder-defending-champion-bucks-game-1-loss/ and The Celtics faced a whole new challenge in the Bucks’ defense in Game 1 loss, and other observations - The Boston Globe
From Gary Washburn, Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/01/sports/jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-must-rise-semifinals-occasion-if-celtics-have-any-hopes-turning-series-around/
From Chuck McMahon, Boardroom: https://boardroom.tv/grant-williams-boston-celtics-contract/
From Brad Botkin, CBS Sports: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/celtics-vs-bucks-brook-lopez-plays-superhero-and-milwaukees-defense-scores-a-round-one-knockdown/
From Marc Berman, NY Post: https://nypost.com/2022/05/02/giannis-antetokounmpo-playing-at-mvp-level-gives-bucks-chance-to-repeat
From Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nba/2022/05/02/giannis-bucks-break-through-boston-defense
From Sam Quinn, CBS Sports: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/bucks-vs-celtics-score-takeaways-giannis-helps-defending-champions-win-game-1-steal-home-court-from-boston/live/
From Bobby Krivitsky, Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/what-stood-out-from-the-celtics-loss-vs-bucks-in-game-1-boston-caught-off-guard-by-milwaukees-physicality-in-series-opener
From Cameron Tabatabaie, USA Today: https://celticswire.usatoday.com/lists/nba-boston-celtics-5-takeaways-g1-r2-2022/
From Will Bjarnar, Celtics Blog: https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/5/1/23052088/boston-celtics-milwaukee-bucks-nba-playoffs-eastern-conference-second-round-game-1-recap
From Adam Spinella, Celtics Blog: https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/5/2/23052530/how-milwaukee-bucks-game-1-defense-built-to-stop-jayson-tatum-boston-celtics-giannis-antetokounmpo
From Lesley Suter, Celtics Blog: https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/5/2/23053349/punched-in-the-mouth-10-takeaways-from-boston-celtics-milwaukee-bucks-game-1
From Darren Hartwell, NBC Sports: https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/how-bucks-elite-defense-stymied-jayson-tatum-celtics-offense-game-1
From Brian Robb, Mass Live: https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/05/celtics-make-history-with-poor-shooting-vs-bucks-in-game-1-four-takeaways-from-the-loss.html
From Mark Murphy, Boston Herald: https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/05/01/celtics-go-cold-in-101-89-game-1-loss-to-milwaukee/ and https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/05/01/0501-bh-s-celtsnotes/
From Dalton Sell, Behind The Buck Pass: https://behindthebuckpass.com/2022/05/02/takeaways-milwaukee-bucks-thrilling-game-1-win-boston-celtics/
- DAL-PHO:
From Dalton Trigg, Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/dallas-mavs-phoenix-suns-luka-doncic-deandre-ayton-igor-kokoskov-playoffs
From Tyler Watts, The Smoking Cuban: https://thesmokingcuban.com/posts/dallas-mavericks-keys-suns-2022-playoffs
From Brad Townsend, Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2022/05/02/how-reggie-bullocks-arduous-journey-helped-form-gritty-resolve-on-full-display-in-mavs-playoff-run/
From Callie Caplan, Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2022/05/02/he-likes-the-challenge-luka-doncic-will-face-elite-defense-from-suns-but-he-says-mavs-are-ready/
From Jasmyn Wimbish, CBS Sports: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/mavericks-vs-suns-playoff-preview-three-keys-to-series-as-dominant-phoenix-team-faces-underdog-dallas-squad/
From Grant Afseth, Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/dallas-mavs-phoenix-suns-playoffs-deandre-ayton-rudy-gobert-jazz-jason-kidd-jabs
From Marc J. Spears, Andscape: https://andscape.com/features/devin-booker-wants-his-due-but-not-as-much-as-an-nba-championship/
From Josh Bowe, Mavs Moneyball: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2022/5/1/23052413/nba-playoffs-preview-guide-dallas-mavericks-vs-phoenix-suns-david-vs-goliath
From Eddie Sefko, Mavs.com: https://www.mavs.com/luka-q-a/
From Kellan Olson, Arizona Sports: https://arizonasports.com/story/3126949/suns-mavericks-preview-pt-3-locating-dallas-edge-battle-on-3-point-line/
From Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic: https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2022/05/01/why-deandre-ayton-x-factor-dallas-mavericks-vs-phoenix-suns-series/9608266002/
- MIA-PHI:
From Rich Hofmann, The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/3288802/2022/05/02/sixers-heat-tobias-harris/
From Kevin O' Connor, The Ringer: https://www.theringer.com/2022/5/2/23053098/joel-embiid-injury-update-james-harden
From Jackson Frank, Liberty Ballers: https://www.libertyballers.com/2022/5/2/23052569/nba-playoff-previews-guide-philadelphia-76ers-miami-heat-joel-embiid-james-harden-jimmy-butler
From Bryan Toporek, Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryantoporek/2022/05/02/sixers-must-reinvent-themselves-against-miami-heat-until-joel-embiid-returns/?sh=676761312ea0
From Derek Bodner, The Daily Six: https://www.dailysix.com/sixers-vs-heat-preview/
From Keith Pompey, The Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/76ers-sixers-james-harden-miami-heat-joel-embiid-nba-playoffs--20220501.html
From Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article260962997.html and https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article260909312.html
From Kyle Neubeck, Philly Voice: https://www.phillyvoice.com/sixers-vs-heat-game-1-notebook-round-two-chance-james-harden-rewrite-his-rep/
From Gina Mizell, The Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-heat-paul-reed-joel-embiid-20220502.html
From David Murphy, The Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/sports/sixers-heat-joel-embiid-injury-status-doc-rivers-gameplan-20220502.html
From Couper Moorhead, HEAT.com: https://www.nba.com/heat/news/heat-76ers-series-preview-embiid-harden
From Matt Pineda, Hot Hot Hoops: https://www.hothothoops.com/2022/4/30/23049779/miami-heat-philadelphia-76ers-sixers-5-questions-nba-preview-series
From Christopher Kline, The Sixer Sense: https://thesixersense.com/2022/05/02/sixers-heat-3-players-step-up-joel-embiid-absence/
TEAM-SPECIFIC STORIES
- ATL: 10 Offseason Questions (from Chris Kirschner, The Athletic): https://theathletic.com/3287517/2022/05/02/trae-young-hawks-offseason-questions/
- DEN: Season Review: Monte Morris (from Ryan Blackburn, Denver Stiffs): https://www.denverstiffs.com/2022/5/2/23052920/denver-nuggets-season-in-review-monte-morris
- TOR: How The Raptors Rebuilt After Kawhi (from Drew Maresca, Basketball News): https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-masai-ujiri-and-the-toronto-raptors-rebuilt-after-kawhi-leonard
LEAGUE-WIDE STORIES
- 2022 Draft Prospect: Michael Foster, Jr (from Nathan Grubel, No Ceilings):
-6 Players Who Could Make The Leap Next Season (from Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report): https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2955739-6-nba-players-who-can-make-the-leap-next-season
- The Difference Between Flagrant 1 & 2 (from Nick Gray, Commercial Appeal): https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2022/05/01/nba-flagrant-foul-explained-flagrant-1-flagrant-2/9608382002/
From Ananth Pandian, Sporting News: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-flagrant-fouls-explained-difference-between-flagrant-1-and-flagrant-2-foul-player-suspension-rules/dxf5nn1gestscs2tj64ccpbg
FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY: from the BI archives: http://basketballintelligence.net/2018/05/02/todays-best-nba-reporting-analysis-5218/