Nikola Jokic notched another triple-double with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists but the Denver Nuggets barely held off the visiting Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Jokic had his third straight triple-double and sixth of these playoffs, while Jamal Murray added 31 points for the Nuggets, who led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter before the Lakers stormed back, with Denver ultimately holding on for a 132-126 win.

Los Angeles pulled within three twice in the fourth quarter, once on Austin Reaves' 3-pointer at 124-121 with 3:23 remaining and again on LeBron James' two free throws that made it 129-126 with 72 seconds to play.

After sinking two from the line and seeing Murray make a huge steal on James with 18 seconds left, Jokic sank another free throw, effectively ending the Lakers' comeback.

Anthony Davis had 40 points and 10 rebounds, James fell just shy of a triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists and Reaves keyed the late charge with 11 of his 23 points coming in the final quarter.

Jokic became the first player since at least 1997 to have a dozen or more boards and at least five assists in any quarter of an NBA playoff game.

Game 2 takes place on Thursday in Denver, where the top-seeded Nuggets are 7-0 in the playoffs.

Doc Rivers became the latest coaching casualty after his team underachieved in the playoffs.

The Philadelphia 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday, two days after the team's Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics, which saw them blow a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Overseeing a talented roster led by 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid, Rivers had coached the 76ers for three seasons and only the Phoenix Suns (160) and Milwaukee Bucks (155) racked up more regular-season wins than Philadelphia (154) over that time.

Each of those Sixers' seasons, however, ended with an exit in the conference semis.

Sunday's ouster was the second time Philadelphia was eliminated with a Game 7 loss, in addition to 2021, when the top-seeded 76ers lost to the Atlanta Hawks.

Rivers is 6-10 all-time in Game 7s. No other NBA coach has more than five such defeats.

In Sunday's 112-88 loss, Philadelphia was outscored 57-36 in the second half and managed just 10 third-quarter points to tie an NBA playoff record for fewest points in a quarter in the shot clock era.

This came after the Sixers were outscored 24-13 in the fourth quarter of a 95-86 home loss in Game 6.

Rivers joins Mike Budenholzer, the 2019 coach of the year and 2021 title-winner with the Bucks, and Monty Williams, the 2022 coach of the year with the Suns, to be fired in the last two weeks after their teams were knocked out of the playoffs.

Rivers won the NBA title as coach of the Celtics in 2008, and was named coach of the year with the Orlando Magic in 2000.

He also coached the Los Angeles Clippers and has amassed a 1,097-763 (.590) record in the regular season over his 24 seasons as a coach.

Despite his regular-season success, he has not coached a team past the conference semifinals since 2012.

Jayson Tatum scored a playoff career-high 51 points – the most ever in a Game 7 in NBA history – to lead the Boston Celtics to a 112-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday to return to the Eastern Conference finals.

After his 16 point fourth-quarter performance rallied the Celtics to a Game 6 victory, Tatum was hot from the start in the winner-take-all Game 7, going 17-of-28 from the field – including 6 of 10 from 3-point range – while grabbing 13 rebounds to help Boston advance to face the Miami Heat in the East finals for a second year in a row.

The series will begin Wednesday in Boston.

Jaylen Brown added 25 points and Malcolm Brogdon scored 12 off the bench for the Celtics, who broke the game open in the third quarter.

With the game tied at 55 early in the third, Boston went on a 28-3 run while holding the 76ers without a point for 6:20 to build an 83-58 advantage.

Tatum scored 17 of Boston’s 33 third-quarter points as the 76ers were limited to just 10 points in the period – tied for the lowest-scoring quarter by a team in a playoff game in the shot clock era.

While Tatum’s point total surpassed Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry’s 50-point mark set just two weeks ago against the Sacramento Kings for the most in a Game 7 in league history, MVP Joel Embiid and James Harden combined for just 24 points.

Embiid finished with 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting and eight rebounds and Harden scored just nine while misfiring on 8 of 11 shots.

The 76ers lost in the conference finals for the third year in a row and fifth time in six seasons.

The Memphis Grizzlies suspended Ja Morant from all team activities on Sunday after the All-Star point guard appeared to again be holding a gun during a social media video.

Morant previously served an eight-game suspension that was handed down by the NBA for being seen holding a gun live on Instagram while at a club when Memphis was playing in Denver in early March.

In the latest video, Morant is in a vehicle and appears to have a gun in his hands while someone else filmed him and broadcast it live on Instagram.

“We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.

The Grizzlies said Morant is suspended “pending league review.”

The NBA suspended Morant earlier this season for “conduct detrimental to the league.”

“Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement in March. “It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him.”

Morant announced that he was stepping away to seek help after the first video went viral, and he later did an interview with ESPN during his suspension.

“I don’t condone any type of violence,” Morant told ESPN. “But I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a bad mistake and I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes.

“But in the future, I’m going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I’m about and change this narrative.”

Morant was named to the All-Star team for the second straight season in 2022-23 and averaged 26.2 points while setting career highs with 8.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Memphis went 51-31 to win the Southwest Division and earn the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but the Grizzlies were ousted in six games in the first round by the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.

The P.H.A.S.E 1 Academy is set to commence try-outs for Jamaican men’s and women’s tour teams on today, Sunday, May 14, from 12 pm-3 pm and 3 pm-6 pm respectively, at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

The try-outs are open to all aspiring basketball players seeking to take their game to the next level and pave a path towards professional basketball careers.

The women will be participating in the upcoming H.E.R. Time is Now Pro Tour and the Men in the Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball League (E1CBL) Men’s Pro Showcase. Both events with be held on August 1-6 at Montego Bay Community College in St. James.

This extraordinary opportunity serves as a gateway to success by offering participants the ability to compete against other local talents in an effort secure professional contracts with E1CBL teams for the upcoming fall season.

"We believe in the power of basketball to transform lives and provide a pathway to success," said Dave Black, director at P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy, while expressing the team's vision for the tryouts.

"P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy is committed to nurturing talent and providing young players with the opportunity to develop their skills, compete against other basketball talent and potentially secure professional contracts. This is an exciting moment for Jamaican basketball, and we can't wait to witness the remarkable talent that will emerge from these try-outs.

The E1CBL is dedicated to nurturing talent and providing a platform for aspiring male and female basketball players to play professionally on a global stage. With a robust travel schedule that spans from June to October this year, chosen players will have the unique opportunity to go head-to-head with top-tier local and international opponents, gaining invaluable experience and exposure in the process.

The tryouts will be overseen by a panel of seasoned coaching staff with extensive experience in the basketball world. Participants are encouraged to bring their A-game, showcase their talent, athleticism, and teamwork to impress the panel. Registration for the try-outs is will be onsite at GC Foster College. Interested players are encouraged to arrive early to secure their spots, as availability is limited.

Participants may also contact Wayne Dawkins at (876)-289-3912 for more information.

Monty Williams has enjoyed a good run of success as coach of the Phoenix Suns but his inability to lead the team to a championship has cost him his job.

The Suns fired Williams on Saturday, two days after they were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

"I take that personally, not having our team ready to play in the biggest game of the year," Williams said following the loss.

"That’s something that I pride myself on and it just didn’t happen. That’s something I have to take a deep look at, everything I’m doing."

Williams just completed his fourth season as Phoenix’s coach, finishing his tenure with a 194-115 record, including a trip to the 2021 NBA Finals, which the Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.

He was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2022 after guiding the Suns to a league-best 64-18 record.

A second straight blowout loss at home in an elimination game was likely the biggest factor in Phoenix’s decision.

Last season, the Suns lost 123-90 to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 of the conference finals and were routed by the Nuggets 125-100 in Game 6 again on Thursday. Phoenix trailed by 30 at the half in both games.

The Suns join the Toronto Raptors and Bucks as teams currently without head coaches. Toronto fired Nick Nurse after he won the 2019 NBA title and Milwaukee fired Mike Budenholzer, the coach who beat the Suns in the 2021 finals.

LeBron James led five players in double figures with 30 points and the Los Angeles Lakers continued their late-season surge with a 122-101 rout of the Golden State Warriors on Friday to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Austin Reaves scored 23 points, D'Angelo Russell added 19 and Anthony Davis showed no ill effects from a head injury in Game 5 with 17 points and 20 rebounds.

Los Angeles improved to 6-0 at home in these playoffs and is back in the West finals for the first time since beating Denver en route to the 2019-20 NBA title. The seventh-seeded Lakers will visit the top-seeded Nuggets on Tuesday.

The Lakers scored the game's first basket and never trailed, leading 56-46 at halftime. The Warriors got as close as 91-80 early in the fourth quarter before the Lakers reeled off the next 11 points to essentially put the game away.

Defending champion Golden State shot just 37.9 percent from the field and missed 35 of 48 from 3-point range. Stephen Curry scored 32 points on 11-of-28 shooting, while Klay Thompson struggled again with eight points on 3 of 19 from the field. The duo combined to shoot 6 of 26 from beyond the arc.

The Lakers haven’t lost back-to-back games since March 17, and have won 11 of their last 12 at home.

Heat book return trip to East finals

Jimmy Butler scored seven of his 24 points down the stretch and the Miami Heat again earned a spot in the Eastern Conference finals with a 96-92 win over the New York Knicks in Game 6 on Friday.

Bam Adebayo had 23 points and nine rebounds and Max Strus chipped in 14 points for Miami, which returns to the East finals for the third time in four years and 10th time overall.

Miami became the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to make the conference finals - joining the 1999 Knicks. The Heat will visit Boston or Philadelphia in Game 1 on Wednesday. The Celtics and 76ers play Game 7 of their series Sunday.

Jalen Brunson was stellar again for New York with 41 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range. He sank two free throws following a flagrant foul on Gabe Vincent and Josh Hart's layup four seconds later drew the Knicks within 92-90 with less than a minute remaining.

New York had a chance to tie after Butler missed a jumper, but Kyle Lowry picked off Brunson's pass and that led to two free throws by Butler with 14 seconds left. Strus closed the scoring with a pair from the line four seconds later.

The Knicks got little offense from Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, who combined for 26 points on 4-of-24 shooting and 1 of 10 from long range.

Nikola Jokic scored 21 of his 32 points in a dominant first half and notched another triple-double as the Denver Nuggets punched their ticket to the Western Conference finals with a 125-100 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

Jamal Murray had 26 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21 as the Nuggets became the first team in the series to win on the road. They return to the West finals for the second time in four seasons after losing to the Lakers in the Florida bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-20.

Denver essentially put the game away with a dominant first quarter, using a 23-2 run to take a 44-26 lead into the second. Caldwell-Pope had nine points during the surge and Jokic added eight. Phoenix never got closer than 15 points for the duration of the second half.

With 10 rebounds and 12 assists, Jokic earned this third triple-double in this series and 11th in his postseason career. Only LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Russell Westbrook have more.

Cameron Payne led the Suns with 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting as Kevin Durant (23 points) and Devin Booker (12) were never factors in a must-win scenario.

Phoenix played without injured starters Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul. Ayton sustained a rib contusion in Tuesday’s Game 5 while Paul has been out the past four games with a strained left groin.

Tatum bounces back late to keep Celtics' season alive

Jayson Tatum erased a dismal shooting night with four late 3-pointers and the Boston Celtics forced Game 7 with a 95-86 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

After missing his first six 3-point attempts, Tatum keyed a late 14-3 run by making four of his final five from deep, including two on consecutive possessions to give Boston an 87-83 lead with 3:35 to play. He sank another long-range shot with under two minutes left and his final 3 with 38 seconds remaining put the Celtics up 95-84.

Tatum, who missed 14 of his first 15 shots, finished with 19 points on 5-of-21 shooting with nine rebounds and six assists. He outscored the 76ers alone in the fourth quarter, with 16 points to Philly's 13.

Marcus Smart scored 22 points, Jaylen Brown had 17 and Malcolm Brogdon added 16 to help the Celtics avoid a third straight loss and send the series back to Boston for Game 7 on Sunday.

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers, while James Harden struggled again with 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting, missing all six 3-point attempts. Tobias Harris was a non-factor with two points on 1 of 7 from the field in 42 minutes.

The Los Angeles Lakers expect to have Anthony Davis on the court as they again attempt to close out the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of their Western Conference semi-final series on Friday.

After exiting Wednesday’s 121-106 loss with a head injury, Davis apparently is not in the concussion protocol, according to reports, and should be ready to play.

The league’s concussion protocol prohibits a player diagnosed with a concussion from playing in a game that same day or the next calendar day.

An official injury report will be released later Thursday.

Davis’ availability appeared murky after he was inadvertently hit in the head and was reportedly feeling woozy and required a wheelchair to go to the locker room.

Immediate tests after the game were encouraging, however, according to Lakers coach Darvin Ham.

“He seems to be doing really good already,” Ham told reporters after the game.

Davis was injured with 7:43 to go in the fourth quarter when Kevon Looney’s elbow hit him in the head as the two were converging under the basket on D’Angelo Russell’s driving layup.

The 6-foot-10 superstar stayed in the game until the Lakers’ next possession before taking a seat on the bench.

Prior to leaving, Davis was in the midst of another solid game, totalling 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting to go with nine rebounds and three assists. However, he did fail to block a shot for a second straight game after blocking 11 shots in the first three games of the series.

Leading 101-88 when Davis exited, the Warriors remained in control the rest of the way to keep their season alive and cut the Lakers’ advantage in this best-of-seven series to 3-2.

The series now shifts back to Los Angeles, where the Lakers are 5-0 this postseason.

Joel Embiid may have finally been named as NBA's MVP but winning the championship with the Philadelphia 76ers would push his legacy to "new heights".

That was the message from Embiid's former team-mate Perry Ellis, who played with the 76ers star during his one-year stint of college basketball at the Kansas Jayhawks.

Embiid finished runner-up to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the previous two seasons but claimed the MVP award this time around after leading the league with a 33.1 points-per-game average.

The six-time NBA All-Star now has his sights on a first championship of his career, attempting to end the 76ers' long-awaited road to glory since last triumphing way back in 1983.

Philadelphia lead the Boston Celtics 3-2 in their second-round playoff series and Ellis believes success for the 76ers would represent a landmark moment in Embiid's already illustrious career.

"It'll be huge for them for, legacy wise, and just for him, mentally, mindset wise, to say you got past that stage," Ellis told Stats Perform.

"We're moving forward, we're pushing to new heights, and I think that would be big for his career. And overall, mentally, I think that'll take him to the next step.

"He's an MVP now but it's even more, just taking it to another step. So I think that's what it could do."

Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo were the other two frontrunners for the MVP award this year, although Embiid's late-season exploits propelled him to the individual accolade.

Doc Rivers declared the MVP race "over" after Embiid scored 52 points against the Celtics in the last week of the regular season, with Ellis revelling in his former teammate's exploits.

"Before he was so close, over the last couple of years," Ellis added. "And this year, he finally got it. I was just so excited for him, he was a teammate of mine for a year.

"Just from that little stint, I could see how much he was growing as a player and he only started playing basketball at maybe 15 years old or so.

"Everybody could see how good he can be. So I had no doubt that someday he could be that type of player."

Embiid hit 30 points for a third straight game in the last outing against the Celtics, offering the 76ers the chance to secure their first NBA Finals appearance since 2001 with victory in the next meeting on Thursday.

Stephen Curry led a balanced attack with 27 points and the Golden State Warriors notched a season-extending 121-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday.

Facing elimination, the defending champion Warriors took the lead late in the second quarter and never trailed again to force the series back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Friday.

Andrew Wiggins had 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Draymond Green had his best game of the series with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, nine boards and four assists.

Gary Payton II (13 points), Jordan Poole (11) and Klay Thompson (10) also reached double figures for Golden State.

The Warriors led by as many as 17 in the third quarter, but the Lakers trimmed the deficit to 104-95 on Austin Reaves' 3-pointer with 5:25 remaining. Curry, however, sank a jumper and a three to put Golden State up 14.

LeBron James scored 25 points and Anthony Davis had 23 and nine rebounds before he left in the fourth quarter after taking what appeared to be an inadvertent elbow to the head from Golden State's Kevon Looney. Davis grabbed his head grimacing before going to the locker room late in the game.
 

Brunson goes distance as Knicks force Game 6

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and the New York Knicks kept their season alive with a 112-103 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Brunson played all 48 minutes, shot 12 of 22 from the field and hit 4 of 10 3-pointers while adding nine rebounds and seven assists.

RJ Barrett added 26 points, including four free throws in the final two minutes to preserve the lead, and Julius Randle scored 24 with four threes to get New York within 3-2 in the series.

Jimmy Butler led Miami with 19 points and Bam Adebayo had 18 and eight boards. Duncan Robinson scored 17 points and hit three of his five 3s in the fourth quarter as the eighth-seeded Heat nearly came all the way back after trailing by 19 in the third quarter.

Miami got the deficit down to 103-101 before Isaiah Hartenstein slammed home a follow dunk with 2:07 left. Barrett followed with a pair of free throws and hit another two after Adebayo's dunk to make it 109-103 with under a minute remaining.

The fifth-seeded Knicks will try to force the series back to New York with a road win in Game 6 on Friday.

Joel Embiid can add an All-NBA First Team selection to his resume.

A week after being voted as the league’s most valuable player for the 2022-23 season, the Philadelphia 76ers center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career after being selected to the All-NBA Second Team four times.

The All-NBA teams were announced Wednesday, and joining Embiid on the first team is guards Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.

The second team consists of guards Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, forwards Jaylen Brown of the Celtics and Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

The third team features Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and a pair of Sacramento Kings teammates in guard De’Aaron Fox and center Domantas Sabonis.

This marks James’ third time named to the All-NBA Third Team to go with three selections to the All-NBA Second Team and 13 selections to the All-NBA First Team. James’ 19 total selections are the most in NBA history and four more than his closest challengers – Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Antetokounmpo, who won the league MVP in 2018-19 and 2019-20, is on the All-NBA First Team for the fifth time, while Jokic, the league MVP the past two seasons, is on the All-NBA Second Team for the second time after being named to the All-NBA First Team three times.

Doncic’s on the All-NBA First Team for the fourth straight season, Tatum’s on it for the second year in a row and Gilgeous-Alexander is included on an All-NBA team for the first time in his five-year career.

Antetokounmpo was the only unanimous selection, appearing on all 100 ballots, while Tatum received 92 first-team votes. Embiid earned 87, Gilgeous-Alexander got 63 and Doncic 60.

The All-NBA teams will have a different look next year, as the teams will no longer be broken down by the traditional positions of two guards, two forwards and a center.

Embiid was a victim of the position breakdown the past two years, as he was a runner-up to fellow center Jokic in MVP voting but saddled on the All-NBA Second Team.

Jokic was on the short end of the voting this year, as he finished second to Embiid in the MVP race and ended up on the All-NBA Second Team.

Embiid, the league’s scoring leader at 33.1 points per game, received 73 first-place votes for MVP.

Nikola Jokic scored 17 of his 29 points during the decisive third quarter and the Denver Nuggets gained the upper hand in their Western Conference semifinal series with a 118-102 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

Jokic followed his 53-point performance in Game 4 with another stellar display, adding 13 rebounds and 12 assists for his 10th career playoff triple-double, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for most by a center in NBA history.

Bruce Brown scored 25 points, one shy of his playoff career high, and Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray added 19 apiece as Denver improved to 6-0 at home this postseason for a 3-2 series lead.

The Nuggets turned a 52-49 halftime lead into a 91-74 advantage with a dominant third quarter in which Jokic made seven of eight shots, while Devin Booker scored three points on 1 of 8 from the field.

Booker finished with 28 points but missed 11 of 19 shots, Kevin Durant had 26 points and Deandre Ayton added 14. No other Suns player reached double figures.

Denver can earn a trip to the west finals with a win at Phoenix on Thursday in Game 6.

Visiting 76ers cruise past Celtics

Joel Embiid scored 32 points and Tyrese Maxey added 30 with six 3-pointers to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a surprisingly easy 115-103 victory over the Boston Celtics and a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Philadelphia led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter as the home fans showered the Celtics with boos.

James Harden had 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, Tobias Harris chipped in 16 points and 11 boards and little-used Danuel House Jr. contributed 10 points and five rebounds.

The 76ers can close out the series and advance to the East finals for the first time since reaching the NBA Finals in 2000-01 with a win at home in Game 6 on Thursday.

Jayson Tatum had 36 points but missed all five of his first-quarter attempts and made 11 for 27 from the field. He was part of a poor shooting effort by the Celtics, who shot under 40 percent overall and misfired on 26 of 38 from long range.

Boston cut the deficit to 92-81 with under 10 minutes remaining but Maxey and Embiid responded with consecutive 3s. After Jaylen Brown hit a layup, baskets by House Jr. and Maxey stretched Philadelphia's advantage to 104-88, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback.

Three weeks after being named the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. is the leading vote-getter to headline the NBA All-Defensive first team.

The league announced the All-Defensive first and second teams on Tuesday, and joining Jackson on the top team is Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jackson, who boasted an individual defensive rating of 106.6 – the best among all full-time starters – received the most first-team votes with 96, followed by 94 for Holiday, 85 for Lopez, 50 for Caruso and 49 for Mobley.

The 23-year-old Jackson just completed his fifth professional season, and this is his second time selected to the All-Defensive first team.

Jackson’s former Memphis teammate Dillon Brooks was named to the All-Defensive second team, along with Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Toronto Raptors forward O.G. Anunoby and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.

Jackson’s inclusion on the All-Defensive first team comes after he was announced the winner of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on April 17.

Blocking an astounding 9.58 per cent of all opponent shot attempts, the 6-foot-11 Jackson averaged an NBA-best 3.0 blocks per game.

Lopez was the runner-up in voting for Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 193 blocks, an average of 2.5 per game – the highest mark of his 15-year NBA career.

LeBron James and Lonnie Walker IV sparked a furious second-half rally as the Los Angeles Lakers put the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors on the brink of elimination with a 104-101 win Monday in Game 4 of the teams’ Western Conference semifinal series.

James finished with 27 points and Walker scored all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter as the seventh-seeded Lakers overcame a 12-point third-quarter deficit and grabbed a 3-1 series lead.  

Led by Stephen Curry’s 31-point, 14-assist, 10-rebound triple-double, Golden State looked poised to even the series after building a 77-65 lead with four minutes left in the third quarter.

Los Angeles then outscored the Warriors 21-7 over the next seven minutes, with James scoring seven points during the run that Walker capped with a layup that put the Lakers up 86-84 with 9:27 remaining.

The Warriors answered and took a 99-96 lead on Klay Thompson’s 3-pointer with three minutes left, but the Lakers scored the next six points before Curry’s layup brought Golden State within 102-101 entering the final minute.

Curry missed two shots in the final 30 seconds, however, and Walker hit two free throws to extend the Lakers’ lead to three before the Warriors turned the ball over in the waning seconds.

Anthony Davis added 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who will try to clinch the series in San Francisco in Wednesday’s Game 5, while Austin Reaves contributed 21 points to the victory.
 

Heat handle Knicks again to take 3-1 series lead

Jimmy Butler had 27 points and 10 assists and the Miami Heat moved a win away from a return trip to the Eastern Conference finals with a 109-101 victory over the New York Knicks.

Bam Adebayo added 23 points and 13 rebounds to help the Heat take a 3-1 series lead and move closer towards becoming only the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to reach the conference finals. The Knicks accomplished the feat in 1999 and ultimately reached the NBA Finals before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

Miami, which upset East No. 1 seed Milwaukee in five games in the first round, can advance to its third conference final in four years with a win in New York in Wednesday’s Game 5. 

Adebayo had 16 first-half points to spur Miami to a 56-48 lead at intermission and the Heat held a 90-81 advantage entering the fourth quarter. They shot just 27.3 per cent in the final period, but the Knicks never got closer than six points down and were further hampered when All-Star Julius Randle fouled out with 3:08 left.

Jalen Brunson led New York with 32 points and 11 assists, while RJ Barrett finished with 24 points and Randle had 20 points and nine rebounds before exiting.