Giannis Antetokounmpo is prepared for "bumps in the road" as the Milwaukee Bucks build foundations they hope will help them succeed when it really matters.
Antetokounmpo scored 38 points - becoming the first Milwaukee player to have 35 or more in three straight games since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1973 - as the Bucks prevailed in a close encounter with the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
The victory makes it four in a row for Milwaukee, who had lost five on the spin prior to the start of their current winning run.
For the two-time MVP, however, the focus in the regular season is working out methods that will serve them well when it comes to the playoffs.
"We won in the two previous seasons, we know how to," Antetokounmpo told the media, with the Bucks now owning a 20-13 record after the 129-125 result against New Orleans.
"It's obviously a new group and we have to figure out how to win with this group, but we know how to win, know what it takes and how hard you have to go out there to win.
"There will be bumps in the road, for sure. This season is different. Being able to go on a five-game losing streak and then come out with a four-game winning streak - I don't remember the last time that happened.
"It's good, it's good that we learn how to play when we're down, when we're not feeling good about ourselves, when we think things are not working.
"This is when we get better. This is what is going to help us."
The Bucks have finished top in the East for the previous two years, winning a combined total of 116 games. However, they failed to get out of their Conference in the postseason on both occasions.
Antetokounmpo highlighted how, considering those issues in previous campaigns, there was a need to become more versatile.
"We are trying new things that we haven't done in the past," he said. "We are a team that can adjust, and it's good to have that habit that when things don't go the way you want them to, adjust and find a different way.
"I feel in previous seasons we had our own way - and it worked. Then, at the end, when it didn't work, we didn't have plan B, plan C.
"It's good that we are trying things out. Obviously, it's not going to always look great, at times it's going to be ugly. But we are learning. We are going to create good habits and, hopefully, when it matters, we are good to go."
Once again without guard Jrue Holiday, who missed out on going up against his former team due to health and safety protocols, Milwaukee saw Donte DiVincenzo have a career-high 24 points.
"He was really good tonight, he was calm and collected," Antetokounmpo said of DiVincenzo. "He was getting to his spots and making his right plays. He was aggressive, going downhill, finding guys. He was unbelievable.
"He's a big part of who we are. We need him every single night and he had an unbelievable game."
Randle to be evaluated after exiting Knicks win with ankle sprain
Julius Randle will undergo evaluation on Thursday after exiting the New York Knicks' 101-92 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday with a left ankle sprain.
Randle was hurt after his left leg landed on Heat center Bam Adebayo's left foot as he pulled down a rebound with 2:40 remaining in the second quarter.
The Knicks forward was helped up and initially stayed in the game but was visibly incapable of playing on and ruled out at half-time.
"It'll be evaluated tomorrow," Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "It's a sprain, that's about the extent of it. We'll see where he is tomorrow."
Thibodeau was unable to clarify the extent of the injury when asked if trainers thought it was a high ankle sprain.
Randle will be a key part of the Knicks' upcoming playoffs campaign, averaging 25.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season. The All-Star produced a career-best 57 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
The Knicks are in the five seed slot in the Eastern Conference with a 44-33 record, with the playoffs due to starton April 15.
"It's all part of it, injuries happen," Thibodeau said. "When you have a guy who's averaging 24/10/4, we're not going to replace him with one player.
"What we can do is work hard as a unit to come together and work to replace him."
Randle is a two-time All-Star, who won the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2021.
Sinner advances to maintain excellent Miami Open form, evening session cancelled due to rain
Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner downed Emil Ruusuvuori to secure his berth in the Miami Open semi-finals along with bringing up his 20th win of the season on Wednesday.
Sinner, who dropped only one point on first serve, won 6-3 6-1 over the Finn in one hour and 16 minutes.
The 21-year-old Italian will face either top seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or 2022 Indian Wells winner Taylor Fritz in the last four. Sinner lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals a fortnight ago.
Alcaraz and Fritz's Miami quarter-final was postponed to Thursday with persistent rain forcing the evening session in Miami to be cancelled.
The other quarter-finals between 14th seed Karen Khachanov and 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo along with fourth seed Daniil Medvedev and qualifier Christophr Eubanks were also re-scheduled for Thursday.
The Sinner-Ruusuvuori clash was also impacted by a two-hour rain delay, but the Italian prevailed to maintain his perfect record in Miami, having not dropped a set.
"We both played well today but I won the important points," Sinner said. "It's never easy when you are up and you get interrupted, but I came back and played well."
Sinner's run to the Miami semi-finals has seen him drop the fewest games (23) since Rafael Nadal (21) and Novak Djokovic (23) in 2014.
The Italian became the seventh male to reach the semi-finals at both Indian Wells and Miami in a single year before turning 22, joining an elite list in Andre Agassi (1990), Jim Courier (1991), Djokovic (2007), Andy Murray (2007 and 2009), Nadal (2008) and Alcaraz (2022).
Sinner's 2023 record is now 20-4, bettered only by Medvedev (26-3) and Cameron Norrie (21-5).
NBA commissioner Adam Silver hopeful new CBA can get done before Friday deadline
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is hopeful a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and players can be approved before Friday's deadline.
If not, he said the league's plan would then be to opt out of the current CBA.
The NBA and National Basketball Players Association are negotiating ahead of a deadline set for midnight on Friday that would allow either side to opt out of the current CBA on June 30.
The current CBA expires at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
"I certainly can foresee one getting done and I hope we do get one done," Silver said on Wednesday during his news conference at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the league's Board of Governors.
The sides have already extended the deadline on two previous occasions – once in December and another time in February – and Silver said the league won't extend it again if there is no deal by Friday night.
"If we don't have a deal by this Friday night and nothing else were to happen, yes, it would be our intention to opt out of the current deal," Silver said.
The two sides have been negotiating a new CBA for more than a year with spending limits and player health being specific issues, and Silver said progress has been made.
"I think both sides understand that this is a window of opportunity that we should try not to miss," Silver said. "Because, if we don't have the deal done this Friday, the next real deadline is June 30, but that's the very end of the season.
"The whole idea behind these early deadlines (is) to try to avoid going right up to the line."
While Silver said the league would exercise the opt-out option if a deal isn't reached by Friday, NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said the players don't intend to opt out.
"The March 31 deadline is an important benchmark, and we are doing everything in our power to reach an agreement with the league," Tremaglio said in a statement.
"If we don't have a deal and the league decides to opt out, it will be disappointing considering all the work both sides have put into the negotiations, and the fair nature of our requests. As far as our fans are concerned, it will be business as usual. Games will continue uninterrupted."
Although there is a midnight Friday deadline, Silver said if progress is being made and the two sides are close, it is possible the deadline could be pushed back a few days.
"I could imagine if it came midnight Friday night, and we were having a productive discussion and somebody said, ‘We could use a few more days,' we would agree to a few more days," Silver said. "But that's more of a hypothetical."
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