Kevin Love was delighted to finally get back to doing what he loves after making his return for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Love was back on court for the Cavs for the first time since December 27. Initially, it was hoped a right calf injury would only keep him out of action for three to four weeks, but he ended up missing 33 games.
His comeback was brief due to a restriction on playing time; he contributed four points and a defensive rebound in a 10-minute cameo as Cleveland were beaten 116-82 by the New Orleans Pelicans.
However, the five-time NBA All-Star was not interested in the box score so much as having the chance to experience playing in a competitive situation.
"It just felt great to feel like I was playing meaningful basketball again," Love told the media after his return. "[I've had] a lot of time off and just happy more than anything to be out there.
"I could have shot 0-for-50 and I’d have been fine with it, just playing basketball is what I love to do.
"It's so much a part of me, so to have it taken away last year, then be super unlucky with the injury, just more than anything I'm really happy to be back out there.
"It will probably take me a couple of weeks to feel like myself, but I just wanted to get out there and get up and down the floor more than anything."
The Cavaliers won in Love's previous two appearances earlier this season, though the heavy loss to the Pelicans leaves them with a 14-23 record in the Eastern Conference.
Love - the fifth overall pick in the 2008 draft - hopes he can help improve the team's fortunes, having overcome a psychological barrier following such a lengthy spell out of action.
"This thing has become more of a mental hurdle, than anything else," he said, having gone one-for-three from beyond the arc.
Asked about how he can make an impact on his team-mates, Love replied: "Being out there with the guys and playing significant minutes, finding a rhythm not just for myself but also being out there and finding a rhythm with them."
Larry Nance Jr. also returned from a fractured finger for the Cavs, contributing 11 points and four rebounds in his 28 minutes of action.
Brandon Ingram led the way for the Pelicans with 28 points, while Zion Williamson had 23.
Raptors reportedly hiring Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic as head coach
The Toronto Raptors have found their successor to Nick Nurse, hiring Memphis Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic to be their head coach.
The news was first reported Saturday by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Rajakovic will become the 10th coach in franchise history and was picked over Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee, according to Wojnarowski.
A native of Serbia, Rajakovic has been an NBA assistant coach since 2014, serving on the Grizzlies' staff the last three seasons.
His first coaching job in the NBA was with the Oklahoma City Thunder and after six seasons there he spent the 2019-20 season with the Phoenix Suns before becoming Taylor Jenkins' top assistant on the Memphis bench.
The last three seasons with Rajakovic on the staff, the Grizzlies have won a pair of Southwest Division titles while making the playoffs each time. They've compiled a .614 winning percentage - fifth best among all NBA teams in that span.
Rajakovic replaces Nurse, who led the Raptors to the franchise’s only title in 2019, but was fired on April 21, nine days after losing 109-105 to the Chicago Bulls in their play-in game.
Nurse, who was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers on May 29, led Toronto to a pair of Atlantic Division titles, however, the team finished last in the Atlantic this season with a 41-41 record to miss the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.
Rajakovic's hiring fills the final open coaching vacancy in the NBA.
Nuggets beat Heat to get within one win of franchise's first NBA championship
Aaron Gordon provided a huge lift with 27 points and the Denver Nuggets received contributions from several sources in a 108-95 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday to get within one win of the franchise’s first NBA championship.
Nikola Jokic worked around foul trouble to tally 23 points and 12 rebounds and Bruce Brown scored 11 of 21 points down the stretch to help the Nuggets take a 3-1 lead in the series. Denver can wrap up the title at home in Game 5 on Monday.
Jamal Murray scored 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting but had 12 assists. His shooting struggles were offset by Gordon, who was 11 of 15 from the field with six rebounds and six assists. Brown connected on 8 of 11 field goals and his third 3-pointer of the night with 1:21 left pushed the advantage to 108-91.
Jokic went to the bench with 9:24 to play after he committed his fifth foul with Denver holding a 10-point lead. He checked back in just over five minutes later with the Nuggets leading 96-87.
Jimmy Butler scored 25 points and Bam Adebayo added 20 with 11 rebounds, but the Heat had their final lead at 23-20 early in the second quarter. They cut the deficit to 94-87 midway through the fourth before Brown scored Denver’s next eight points to make it 102-91.
Miami appears to be wearing down with its sixth loss in eight games since taking a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.
Denver Nuggets with one hand on NBA trophy after taking 3-1 finals series lead
The Denver Nuggets are within one game of claiming their first NBA championship after dismantling the Miami Heat 108-95 in the fourth game of the NBA finals.
The Nuggets return to Denver for game five of the seven-game series, where they will aim to win the franchise’s first Larry O’Brien trophy in their 56-year history.
Nikola Jokic again proved a mismatch for Miami, wthe Serbian posting 23 points and 10 rebounds.
He was ably supported by Aaron Gordon, who finished with a game-high 27 points in one of the best performances of his career.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined for 45 points for the Heat, who were ultimately let down by another poor shooting effort from three.
Miami shot just 32 per cent from deep, while the Nuggets drained half of their three-point attempts.
The Heat kept pace with the Nuggets early, maintaining just a four-point deficit at the half.
But Denver exploded for 31 points in the third quarter, claiming an advantage which, despite a rally late in the fourth, Miami were ultimately unable to overcome.
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