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Renck vs. Keeler: CU or CSU men’s hoops? Which team has best shot to reach Sweet 16?

Renck vs. Keeler: CU or CSU men’s hoops? Which team has best shot to reach Sweet 16?

19/03/2024, USA, Basketball, NBA (Basketball), Article # 31686592

Keeler: You ready for a little Madness? Over the last 13 NCAA men’s hoops tournaments, on 11 occasions, a team that was sent to the First Four in Dayton went on to win at least one more game in the Big Dance. Five times in 13 tourneys, a team flipped that little junket to southern Ohio into at least two more victories and a Sweet 16 berth. History says somebody’s coming out of Dayton and busting brackets this weekend. Why can’t it be Tad Boyle’s Buffs or Niko Medved’s Rams? CU’s one of the hottest teams in the country, winner of eight of its last nine, thanks to Tristan da Silva, Luke O’Brien, and that killer outside-inside combo of KJ Simpson and Eddie Lampkin Jr. For the Rams, the fact that Isaiah Stevens is a guard with five years of starting experience makes him, by precedent, one of the most dangerous players in all of Bracketville. So of our “Big Two” men’s hoops programs, which one do you think is most likely to use Dayton as a launching pad to the second weekend of The Dance?

Renck: Entry into the Big Dance was supposed to be a celebration, but morphed into frustration Sunday night. Because of five bid stealers — sounds like a “Realtors Gone Wild” DVD — the Buffs and Rams landed in the First Four. It’s an insulting term given their status as the last four teams invited. CSU got a sushi raw deal. Still, I like CU more than the Rams to make a run for two reasons: Simpson is a star who can create his own shots, and the Buffs are facing a team in Boise State that has never won a tournament game. As in ever (0-for-9). The Buffs are 2-5 in the tournament under coach Tad Boyle. This is his most talented team — he has three NBA-level players in Cody Williams, Simpson and da Silva. No excuses. The Buffs face an angry Boise squad — the Broncos don’t just have a chip on their shoulder, more like the entire can of Pringles. But the Buffs are simmering. They need to win this game or it will be hard to frame this as anything other than a disappointing season.  As for the next game, well …

Keeler: For all the love that Simpson’s gotten for carrying this offense for long stretches, CU’s at its best when it gets handsy defensively. The Buffs are 12-2 in the 14 games this season in which they’ve collected seven steals or more. Matchup-wise, Boise State might play straight into Ralphie’s happy hooves — in their last 17 games, the Broncos are averaging 10.11 turnovers per tilt, committing 12 or more giveaways five different times (and posting a 2-3 mark in the process). Boise heads into Bracketville ranked No. 132 in the country in turnovers per 100 plays (14.1). Florida, which awaits the winner of Buffs-Broncos, checked in at No. 156 nationally (14.5).

Renck: I have a simple question. Were the Mountain West games past the committee’s bedtime? The Rams deserved a No. 8 seed, but the lone team that received any respect was San Diego State. I have no doubt that this slight will motivate CSU. The problem is not with emotion, but the matchup. Virginia is a gear-grinding team. Its mascot is a Cavalier. Except in basketball, it’s a sloth. The Rams played in the mud vs. Air Force, but Virginia is a different animal. A sloth.

Keeler: CSU is due for a run, and the team that kicked so much tail in late November and December is in there, somewhere, just waiting to break out. But much as I love the 6-foot Stevens’ game, his moxie, his clutch gene and his guts, I don’t love his length. Virginia’s got a senior point man of its own in Reece Beekman, who stands 6-3. The average height of the Cavaliers’ top seven guards is 6-5. You can just about picture coach Tony Bennett throwing the biggest defenders in his arsenal at Stevens to try and smother the metaphorical head of the snake. The Rams’ offense is painful to watch during its infamous cold-shooting stretches, and if there’s one thing a Bennett team loves to do, it’s accelerate and amplify pain.

Renck: There is nothing like March Madness. And the Buffs and Rams have forced us to pay attention to something besides are own office brackets. But it feels like March Sadness is on the way. I don’t see either team making a run. The Rams deserved better than the 68th pole position. This where my conflict exists. I like CU more to win its first game, but I believe CSU has a better chance to upset Texas if the Rams advance. Florida is a challenge for the Buffs. The Gators reached the SEC title game before coughing up fumes. Yes, they are vulnerable. They lost center Micah Handlogten to a broken leg on Sunday, compromising their depth. A CU upset depends solely on the inside-out game of Lampkin and the guards, and the Gators clanking 3s like they did in their last game (1-for-13). That happens in Boulder, but is unlikely in Indianapolis.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/18/renck-keeler-cu-csu-march-madness-debate/
Clippers were simply bad in blowout loss to Atlanta Hawks

Clippers were simply bad in blowout loss to Atlanta Hawks

18/03/2024, USA, Basketball, NBA (Basketball), Article # 31685546

Poor shooting and even worse defense doomed the Clippers in a 110-93 loss to an unimpressive Atlanta Hawks team.



https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2024-03-17/clippers-lose-atlanta-hawks-nba-game-recap
Tyronn Lue questions Clippers' struggles after bad loss to Hawks: 'Maybe it's me'

Tyronn Lue questions Clippers' struggles after bad loss to Hawks: 'Maybe it's me'

18/03/2024, USA, Basketball, NBA (Basketball), Article # 31685664

Following the Clippers' blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Clippers star Paul George laments about the team's lack of identity amid playoff race.



https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2024-03-17/clippers-lose-atlanta-hawks-nba-game-recap
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets react to Kyrie Irving buzzer beater hook shot in Dallas: “That’s the beaut

DALLAS — Thirteen times in 13 games since the All-Star break, the Denver Nuggets have held a lead in the last 30 seconds of regulation.

They’ve only lost two of those games because of three shots by three of the best shot-makers in the world.

Kyrie Irving’s 21-foot hook shot with his off hand (the left) to beat Denver would be the most miraculous buzzer-beater of the 2023-24 NBA season, if Max Strus hadn’t happened to swish a full-court heave three weeks earlier. With that in mind, the Nuggets locker room wasn’t particularly troubled by the 107-105 loss Sunday, even if players shared a stunned admiration of Irving and his well-established talent for ambidextrous circus shots.

“If somebody can make that shot, it’s definitely him,” Nikola Jokic said. “I’m kind of surprised, kind of not. He’s the guy who can make that shot for sure.”

Jokic was the defender contesting Irving’s game-winner from behind the right elbow. The low-percentage shot was a result of respectable defense by Denver on the final out-of-bounds play, which could have gone to Irving or Luka Doncic. Both Dallas guards started in a cluster of bodies on the left wing, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope fronted Doncic effectively enough and long enough to force the ball to Irving. He was coming around a screen down on the baseline. Jokic recognized it and reacted.

“It was the same action that they run, and then the continuation is probably Kyrie coming with a pin-down from the corner,” Jokic said. “Me and (Aaron Gordon), we switched it, and I mean, Kyrie made a really tough shot.

“I think I was there. I was contesting the shot.”

Michael Malone was displeased by the result but content with how Denver guarded the play. From the visiting bench, however, the Nuggets still felt a collective sense of dread once the ball got over Jokic’s reach. Reggie Jackson, who was in the same draft class as Irving, had a feeling it was going in.

“One of the most gifted, skilled players to ever play our game,” Jackson said.

“I (freaking) hate Ky,” joked  DeAndre Jordan, Irving’s former teammate.  “I love him. He’s extremely talented. So if anyone’s gonna make that shot, it’s probably him.”

Doncic had tied the game with 24.2 seconds left on a deep 3-pointer, which Dallas also generated using a sideline out-of-bounds play. Gordon had gotten stuck underneath a screen, and his contest was too late at the top of the key. (Doncic deflected credit, marveling about Irving’s buzzer beater instead: “I don’t think people realize how tough that shot is.”)

The 5-0 closing run by the Mavericks snapped a five-game win streak for Denver, mirroring Kevin Durant’s late game-tying three that forced overtime and broke up a six-game surge earlier in March.

The sheer audacity of Irving’s shot coupled with the statistical anomalies that cost the Nuggets the game from a more holistic perspective were enough to alleviate concern in the minds of team leaders. The Mavericks out-rebounded Denver 59-37 for a 23-6 edge in second-chance points. In the 2024 calendar year so far (34 games), it was the first time the Nuggets lost a rebounding battle by double digits and the fourth time they lost a rebounding battle by five or more — as opposed to seven games during that stretch in which they’ve out-rebounded the opponent by double digits.

Then there was Jokic’s 6-for-16 game, his sixth-worst shooting percentage of the season. And Murray’s 7-for-20 clip, his third time this season shooting 35% or worse on 20 or more attempts.

“You look at the wins, bro,” Murray said. “We’ve been winning, and two losses, trying to find a common denominator, like, bro hit a left-handed floater from the top of the key going away from the basket. It’s an amazing shot. And we played terrible up until the last couple minutes, so we’re fighting and we were just happy to be in that position, the way we played throughout the game.”

Jokic summed up the Nuggets’ fate on a memorable afternoon in Texas more succinctly:  “That’s basketball. We made a couple tough shots. Jamal made a big three. They made a big three. That’s the beauty of basketball.”

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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/17/kyrie-irving-buzzer-beater-nuggets-react-nikola-jokic-beauty-basketball/
CSU Rams to face Virginia in First Four of NCAA Tournament in Dayton

CSU Rams to face Virginia in First Four of NCAA Tournament in Dayton

18/03/2024, USA, Basketball, NBA (Basketball), Article # 31685205

The CSU Rams are headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years — just barely.

Two days after falling to New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament, the Rams are headed to Dayton and the First Four. The 10th-seeded Rams will take on fellow No. 10 seed Virginia on Tuesday night for the right to face No. 7 seed Texas in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday in the Midwest region of the men’s basketball bracket.

The Rams were listed as the last team in the bracket by the tournament selection committee, two spots behind Colorado, which will also be in Dayton to face Boise State as part of the First Four. It was a curious placement given that the Rams actually beat the Buffs earlier this season in Fort Collins.

This will be the Rams’ second trip to the Big Dance in six seasons under head coach Niko Medved, who is now 190-116 during his time in FoCo, and first appearance in the First Four.

Medved’s first tourney trip with the Rams, in 2022, ended after just one game with a loss to No. 11 seed Michigan in the opening round. The Wolverines advanced to the Sweet 16, while the Rams lost David Roddy to the NBA draft.

Senior point guard Isaiah Stevens and junior guard Jalen Lake were both a part of that squad. Now they will get a chance to deliver the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2013 under Medved’s predecessor, Larry Eustachy.

CSU (24-10, 10-8 MW) had an impressive run through its nonconference schedule, scoring wins over Boston College, Creighton, Colorado, Washington and Saint Mary’s as part of a 12-1 start to the season.

The Rams lost four of five near the end of the regular season to fall into a tied for sixth in a deep Mountain West, then won a pair of games at the conference tournament before falling to the Lobos in the semis. New Mexico went on to win the tournament to earn the conference’s automatic bid into the tourney.

A total of six Mountain West teams are in the NCAA Tournament bracket.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/17/csu-rams-ncaa-tournament-opponent/
Kyrie Irving buries buzzer beater after Luka Doncic clutch 3 to erase Nuggets’ comeback

Kyrie Irving buries buzzer beater after Luka Doncic clutch 3 to erase Nuggets’ comeback

18/03/2024, USA, Basketball, NBA (Basketball), Article # 31685126

DALLAS — In a make-or-miss league, the Nuggets missed too much and the Mavericks made the last two shots.

Luka Doncic tied it with a 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining, and Kyrie Irving buried a long two over Nikola Jokic’s contest at the buzzer to hand Denver a 107-105 loss Sunday afternoon.

The Nuggets (47-21) had erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter and briefly led when Jamal Murray drained a three with 26 seconds left. He missed a jumper from the elbow that set up the Mavericks’ last-shot opportunity with 2.8 seconds to go.

Sitting in the front row of American Airlines Center next to ABC’s broadcast table was Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs quarterback who, the narrative goes, shouldn’t have been given the second chance to score in Super Bowl overtime.

The defending NFL champion had a close-up view as the defending NBA champions gave up a mountain of second chances. Dallas won 21-6 on the offensive glass and outscored Denver 23-6 on second chances as the Nuggets fell a half-game behind Oklahoma City for the Western Conference lead with 14 games to go.

Two minutes into the fourth quarter as the Nuggets were trying to conjure more second-unit magic, Luka Doncic clanked a 3-pointer but chased down his own rebound in mid-air behind the baseline, chucking it off an unsuspecting opponent then out of bounds. Dallas missed two more shots during the possession before finally scoring a fourth-chance put-back. Nuggets coach Michael Malone responded with a rage timeout, shouting at his team to get a (bleeping) rebound. The deficit was 88-79.

Five Mavericks players had three or more offensive boards. Doncic scored 37 points on 27 shots.

Michael Porter Jr. buoyed the Nuggets for most of the day with 20 points, seven rebounds, a pair of steals and a pair of blocks. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray had rare coinciding duds, especially from a shot-making standpoint. They combined for 39 points on 13 of 26 shooting from the field.

They were 4-for-18 for 17 points at halftime — Jokic had two made shots at three turnovers — but Denver led 61-58 anyway. Not a team that usually excels by getting to the foul line, the Nuggets attempted 18 free throws in the half, nearly reaching their per-game average (19.9) for the season.

They only attempted four more free throws in the second half.

In a game of playoff-caliber physicality, especially from the Mavericks’ post defenders, Malone made a point to stand up for Jokic late in the first quarter by parading across the floor to earn a technical foul right in front of Dirk Nowitzki’s court-side seats. Reggie Jackson was handed a matching technical. Throughout the second, the pendulum swung, and Dallas grew increasingly frustrated with calls. Derek Lively II got his third foul before halftime.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/17/nuggets-lose-mavericks-kyrie-irving-buzzer-beater/
Nuggets Journal: Denver’s film session zags and a key NBA Finals example

Nuggets Journal: Denver’s film session zags and a key NBA Finals example

17/03/2024, USA, Basketball, NBA (Basketball), Article # 31684336

AUSTIN, Texas — Every sports fan adores the premise of a galvanizing team meeting. There might not be a more universally beloved trope than the players and coaches of your favorite team coming together in a time of adversity to lift up one another — as long as it turns the tide of a high-stakes game or series.

What was the biggest story (not directly involving Taylor Swift) in the last 24 hours before this year’s Super Bowl? Travis Kelce’s emotional speech to the Chiefs the night before the game. And that one was actually a slight anomaly; media reports of these behind-the-scenes Hollywood moments tend to surface in hindsight after a win, and only a win.

Think Jeff Green hosting the Nuggets for dinner at his South Florida house after the team’s Game 2 loss in the NBA Finals last summer. Or Andrew Cogliano calling a players-only meeting after the Avalanche lost a potential Stanley Cup clincher the year before. (When I was on the Avs beat, I was working on a profile of coach Jared Bednar’s tenure and asked him about that meeting, along with another one that Bednar called himself during the second round. “We had meetings in the Vegas series too, you know,” he wryly pointed out, referring to the 2021 playoff series in which Colorado blew a 2-0 lead.)

Neither the Nuggets nor Avs faced particularly dangerous obstacles en route to their championships — both avoided any elimination games during 16-4 playoff runs — but the urge for there to be A Turning Point is insatiable nonetheless.

So here’s another new example.

Before that well-documented dinner at Green’s, the Nuggets first convened for an atypical, “very honest” film session upon arrival in Miami, coach Michael Malone recalled Wednesday.

“I really felt that was so impactful,” he said. “Because that film session was not me — I picked 17 clips — not me (talking through them). I gave each player a clip, and I said, ‘You tell me what you see and what should have happened.’ And all the players took ownership. We learned from it, which is what film sessions are for. It’s not a blame game.”

“I think everybody realized our mortality,” said Reggie Jackson, a film session participant despite not being in the rotation. “We hadn’t lost at home at the time in the playoffs, so I think after that one, being 1-1, knowing that you’ve got five games left to be the last one standing, you could tell. Everybody kind of put it out there, and I think you could hear it in their voices why it meant so much. … It was a great film session.”

Malone and the Nuggets have been spraying themselves with nostalgia repellant all season. Ring night was the last hoorah. Since then, they’ve been mostly disinclined to engage in any questions associated with 2023 playoff memories. That’s the past.

But this was their first time back at Kaseya Center since winning Games 3 and 4 to all but wrap up the Finals. Flashbacks were human instinct on this trip.

Plus, there might actually be some legitimate ongoing relevance to that meeting.

Most of Malone’s film sessions aren’t formatted that way. But sometimes when the Nuggets need a jolt, they’ll zag.

“I know sometimes Coach does do that, where he wants (players) to walk through the film,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “If he did that last year, I’m sure we probably needed it.”

The standard routine involves Malone or an assistant coach (often offensive specialist David Adelman or defensive specialist Ryan Saunders) presenting film and leading the session. But Malone credits Jeff Van Gundy, and by extension Pat Riley, for passing down the concept of interactive film.

“Asking your players questions, quizzing your players — what does that show you?” Malone said. “One, it keeps them on their toes. Are they paying attention? Do they know what they should know? And two, it shows me this: Have I done my job? If they don’t know the answers, I’ve failed as a coach. So quizzing guys and having interactive film sessions has always been beneficial for us. … I’ll ask somebody to tell me about this clip — they’re not even in the game (during the clip) — I want you to tell me what’s wrong or what’s right with this clip. Because if we’re trying to get our guys to communicate on the court, you’ve also gotta get them to talk to each other off the court.”

Players were hard-pressed to remember their own specific clips from the NBA Finals session, but they echoed the sentiment that it’s important for players to feel they have a voice in analyzing possessions.

“We’ve had one of those this year, too,” Christian Braun said. It was around the All-Star break. “Just talking it out, making sure we’re on the same page. Making sure everyone has the principles.”

In a seemingly more competitive Western Conference, it almost feels inevitable that a 2024 championship run would require more adversity. Maybe a Game 7 this time, or at least a series deficit.

Whatever the scenario, more communal film work seems equally likely if the Nuggets need a remedy for a playoff setback. But whether the next session becomes known is probably dependent on its success.



https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/17/nuggets-film-session-strategy-nba-finals-michael-malone/
Shot-clock craziness and an Anthony Davis injury plague Lakers' loss to Warriors

Shot-clock craziness and an Anthony Davis injury plague Lakers' loss to Warriors

17/03/2024, USA, Basketball, NBA (Basketball), Article # 31683906

Anthony Davis leaves the game after sustaining an eye injury and LeBron James' 40-point effort can't save Lakers from a loss to the Golden State Warriors.



https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2024-03-16/anthony-davis-lebron-james-lakers-warriors-recap
Nikola Jokic gave Victor Wembanyama tutorial on “what not to do on defense” during Nuggets-Spurs

AUSTIN, Texas — It doesn’t matter in the playoffs when every game is meant to be treated as a must-win, but Michael Malone’s self-aware coaching flaw in the regular season is his occasional over-dependence on Nikola Jokic.

Fortunately for Malone, his superstar player is almost always game for it. Jokic officially became MVP-eligible Friday night by playing his 65th game for the ninth consecutive season. He was expecting to return in the fourth quarter of a tight game.

But through a combination of factors — Jokic’s own dominance against Victor Wembanyama earlier in the game, the second unit’s steadying minutes with the lead in jeopardy, and of course, Malone’s self-restraint — Jokic was able to stay firmly planted on the bench. In a 117-106 win over San Antonio with two challenging matchups remaining in Denver’s road trip, that was the biggest win of all.

“It was hanging in the balance,” Malone said. “Do we get him in? Do we get him in? Do we get him in?”

Calling Jokic to the scorer’s table is Malone’s psychological defense mechanism, his physical reflex whenever his face starts to turn red during a poor stint from his bench.

Denver’s last two wins have been miracle work. First, he managed to keep Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to modest minutes in Miami thanks to clutch performances from Reggie Jackson and Christian Braun. It left him with only one ounce of guilt: “Somehow, someway, I’ve gotta get Nikola’s minutes down,” he said Wednesday.

Malone got his wish in Austin. Braun scored seven fourth-quarter points a second straight game. Justin Holiday was in double figures. A four-point lead late in the third got stretched to 20 without Jokic’s help. Jokic played 30:54, his fewest minutes in more than a month.

“For C.B., for Peyton (Watson), even for Zeke (Nnaji), for those guys to go out there and just to get more confident and more aggressive in their respective roles, with now 15 games to go … that’s been a big part of us being 11-1 out of the (All-Star) break,” Malone said. “We’re getting consistency and productivity from the bench. I’m really impressed with those guys.”

“I was always ready, but I appreciated not needing to get in,” Jokic said.

He had something to do with it, too. After Wembanyama blocked Jokic on the first possession of the game, the Nuggets navigated around the 7-foot-4 rookie with relative ease. They got clever by putting Aaron Gordon in the post and Jokic out on the perimeter several times. The two-time MVP could wait for Wembanyama to roam in Gordon’s direction, providing a clear lane and a running start to get floaters over the top of Wembanyama’s wingspan. Jokic perfected his timing and got shots off before Wembanyama could get his hands up.

“Nikola is like a savant,” Malone said. “‘OK, I see what he did there. How can I make sure that doesn’t happen again? How can I use my body?’ Get into him, collapse him a little bit, get that hook off a little bit further out.”

Other times, Jokic countered the rookie’s physical gifts by using his own. With brute strength, he shouldered the 20-year-old deep into the restricted area to generate space for one post-up hook shot. He drew fouls with his physicality.

“They didn’t back down,” Wembanyama said. “They weren’t scared of challenging me at the rim.”

During one dead ball as Jokic was piling up his 31 points, he even wandered over to Wemby to tell him something.

“Just some insights on what not to do on defense,” Wembanyama said, not wanting to go into detail. He did say it’s not very often that he receives in-game tutorials from opponents, though.

“At the same time, (Jokic is) somebody I want to compete against for years and give 100% against, but also someone I respect a lot, so I hope there’s gonna be great battles for the future,” he said. “They might go back-to-back this year, so the whole project is very, very nice.”

Jokic reiterated what he said months ago in Denver, that he believes patience is critical and that Wembanyama will “change the game” as he continues to develop. For now, though, Jokic has asserted himself as the dominant big man — enough to help earn himself a fourth quarter off.

Jokic on Aldridge

With Wembanyama representing perhaps the next generation of Hall of Fame centers behind Jokic, the generation that came before Jokic was also in attendance Friday. Chris Bosh and LeMarcus Aldridge were both court-side in San Antonio. Aldridge and his son were seated immediately next to Denver’s bench, sharing interactions with Jokic and Malone at various points during the game. Jokic accidentally stepped on Aldridge’s feet on his way to the scorer’s table at one point.

“It was cool,” Jokic said. “LeMarcus was a really tough player, and I played a playoff series against him when he was here in San Antonio. So it was cool to see him. When I was starting my career, I really looked up to him just because he has such a deadly simple game. It was really fun to watch him.”



https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/16/nikola-jokic-victor-wembanyama-talk-nuggets-spurs-game/
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