Basketball Intelligence For 5/7/25
The Warriors prove they don't need The Chef to cook, the Cavs get roasted late by Haliburton, Chris Finch simmers over Ant's poor game one, and more...
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
George Karl, Hall of Fame coach, wonders: Does his voice still matter to the NBA?
Jason Quick, The Athletic
THE BASKETBALL INTELLIGENCE NETWORK
Report Cards
Ray and Nick give their report cards for every significant rotation player for the Sacramento Kings this season, breaking down how they graded each of them on a curve against their expectations for the players heading into the season. Also, Ray and Nick open the episode by talking about the recent news that former NBA player and agent B.J. Armstrong has…
TEAM NEWS
BOS: 10 takeaways from the Knicks’ deal with the devil to steal Game 1
Azad Rosay, Celtics Blog
BOS: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
Paul Flannery, Hoopology
BOS: How a 6-foot-4 guard became one of the most feared defenders in the NBA
Baxter Holmes, ESPN
CLE: Game 2 Observations: Dissecting Heartbreak, Wasting a Legendary Game and a Season on the Brink
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot
CLE: Cleveland Cavaliers Suffer Crushing Loss to Indiana Pacers
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot
CLE: Cavaliers waste 'heroic' Donovan Mitchell performance with late-game collapse, fall down 2-0 vs. Pacers
James Herbert, CBS Sports
CLE: Donovan Mitchell has a calf strain? What all these Cavalier injuries mean for Game 3
Joe Vardon, The Athletic
BI: This Cleveland team, which had considerably better health luck during the season, is now facing another playoff run in which they have been stricken by untimely injuries
CLE: Cavs were more physical than Pacers until they weren’t. And now the pain lingers
Jason Lloyd, The Athletic
CLE: 14 Takeaways from Cavs heartbreaking Game 2 loss to Pacer: Donovan Mitchell deserved better
Jackson Flickinger, Fear The Sword
DEN: The Burgeoning Mythology of Jokic vs. SGA
Danny Chau, The Ringer
DEN: The ‘We Believe’… Nuggets? How Denver’s late-season overhaul sparked a mantra’s revival
Sam Amick, The Athletic
“We Believe,” they read.
It’s unoriginal, to be sure, but the messaging is proving quite prophetic of late. Interim coach David Adelman, who spent the past eight seasons as an assistant under former coach Michael Malone, has received rave reviews from players who had grown weary of his predecessor’s abrasive style. Interim general manager Ben Tenzer, who has been with the organization for 16 years and spent the last four as vice president of basketball operations, is taking the selfless, supportive route after the departed Calvin Booth paid the price for his “cold war” with Malone.
GSW: Explain: Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield carry Steph-less Warriors to upset over Wolves in Game 1
Eric Apricot, Dub Nation HQ
GSW: How did Warriors win Game 1 after Steph Curry injury? With depth and toughness
Anthony Slater, The Athletic
GSW: Warriors shock Timberwolves in Game 1 — now they wait for Stephen Curry and what comes next
Vincent Goodwill, Yahoo! Sports
HOU: How do Houston Rockets take next step: continuity and growth of current roster or make a change?
Danielle Lerner, Houston Chronicle
IND: Deja vu! Pacers pull off another playoff miracle with another Tyrese Haliburton game-winner
Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star
IND: (PODCAST) Tyrese Haliburton snatches victory from the jaws of defeat once again
Caitlin Cooper, Basketball, She Wrote
IND: Tyrese Haliburton’s dream playoff run continues for Pacers: ‘That boy cold, man’
Shakeia Taylor, The Athletic
IND: At the Buzzer: R2G2 — Pacers 120, Cavs 119
Scott Agness, Fieldhouse Files With Scott Agness
Just as it felt like the game was slipping away, the Cavs up 119-112 with 57.6 seconds to go, then were outscored 8-0 the rest of the way. Haliburton will get the attention for the game-winning 3 after Myles Turner (23 points) tipped the rebound to him, then Haliburton’s memorable celebration — but this was a total team win.
That’s who they are. That’s how they were built.
LAC: James Harden’s patterns are familiar, so what’s there to talk about?
Law Murray, The Athletic
MIN: Golden State Warriors shut down Timberwolves offense, steal Game 1 99-88
Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune
MIN: Anthony Edwards gets called out after Wolves’ Game 1 dud: ‘It starts with Ant’
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic
Edwards did not score until he made one free throw with 1:04 to play in the first half. He didn’t make his first field goal until he scored on a driving layup with 8:02 to play in the third quarter. He finished the night with 23 points on 9-of-22 shooting but missed his first 10 shots of the game and also had three turnovers and only two assists.
MIN: Chris Finch challenges Anthony Edwards after Timberwolves' Game 1 loss
Dave McMenamin, ESPN
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