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New York Knicks acquire Brooklyn Nets’ Mikal Bridges in blockbuster trade ahead of NBA Draft, free agency new,york,knicks,acquire,brooklyn,nets,mikal,bridges,in,blockbuster,trade,ahead,of,nba,draft,free,agency,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis,nba-rumors-news

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Boom. In the quiet, with less than 24 hours before the start of Wednesday’s 2024 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks have pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Knicks are shipping out four future unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks, an unprotected swap, a second-rounder and Bojan Bogdanovic for Mikal Bridges.

In a follow up tweet, Woj added: “The Knicks pay a steep price to land one of the league’s most coveted trade assets and the Nets get a massive haul to replenish assets and embark on a rebuild with mass cap space and future draft picks.”

With Jalen Brunson, fresh off his first All-Star bid, the All-NBA Second team, and having finished fourth in MVP voting, along with Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, Bridges will now round out the Villanova Knicks.

The Nets once depleted their draft warchest for James Harden, who they then traded for Ben Simmons back in 2022. So this allows Brooklyn, who has reportedly turned down numerous other offers for the quintessential 3-and-D stud in the past, to restock and then some.

The next major question for the Knicks is what this could mean, if anything, for OG Anunoby’s future?

The former Raptor recently opted out of his one-year player option. And all insiders seem to agree that he’s all but certain to re-sign in New York. Would adding Bridges, someone who essentially plays the same small forward position as OG, change the equation? Could this be a form of “insurance” should Anunoby somehow walk? There have at least been rumors that OG’s camp was not satisfied with the extension offers he received from Knicks’ President Leon Rose — fueling rumors out of Philadelphia, a team named by numerous sources as having interest.

But there is still plenty of room to keep him around in New York if they trim in other places.

According to Yossi Gozlan, previously with Hoops Hype, the Knicks are now hard-capped yet could still theoretically retain both Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Where would they cut costs then? We’ve already seen rumors that Mitchell Robinson could be on the move, with the Wizards being one team named.

Another former All-NBA Second Teamer, Julius Randle, also has a hefty salary, and should offer back some value if the Knicks looked to move the former Lakers and Pelicans power forward too. If they truly want to avoid the hard cap, then it makes sense why SNY’s Ian Begley had this to add:

As far as the Sixers are concerned, well, you can figure out the bad news rather quickly. Not only does Bridges’ name go off the trade market, he lands with the very team that just knocked Joel Embiid and the squad out of the playoffs back in May.

In many ways, Mikal would have made a perfect fit playing alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — and it doesn’t make things any easier to swallow remembering the Sixers once drafted the rangy wing before quickly trading him on Draft Day 2018.

As for Paul George? Well, the Knicks were one team that had been rumored to potentially have interest in PG should the nine-time All-Star opt in to his one-year player option. Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein and other reporters had previously named the Knicks as a team to watch should the Clippers’ former All-NBA forward pass up the chance to hit free agency — where Daryl Morey and the Sixers would almost certainly have a $212M max four-year deal waiting for the Palmdale native… assuming they don’t surprise us between now and July 1 like the Knicks just did.

With this move, George may lose one option he may have had in an opt-in and trade scenario. That is likely the one part of this move that Morey will — at least momentarily — enjoy. But the Golden State Warriors have already been named as another team to keep close watch on if PG doesn’t wind up hitting free agency but rather seeking trade from his native L.A.

The Athletic’s Fred Katz has been reminding fans that Anunoby is likely re-signing with the Knicks. And with this news bomb, Katz doesn’t appear to be changing his tune much:

Same goes for SNY’s Ian Begley:

If the Knicks really started to feel a cap crunch, in the instance they do keep Anunoby on a deal somewhere in the (rumored) $35M annual-range, perhaps Hartenstein would ultimately become New York’s casualty of this Bridges blockbuster.

The Nets were not done either.

More fro Woj on X:

“Another massive deal: Brooklyn has a deal with Houston to return the Nets’ 2026 first-round pick for a 2027 Phoenix Suns first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Rockets also acquire 2025 right to swap Houston/OKC first for 2025 Suns first-round pick. More details coming on picks deal.”

So not only do the Nets “make up” for some of the picks they lost in that Harden deal by moving Bridges to the Knicks, they recouped some of their own picks they once moved in 2020-2021.

That means… wait for it… you guessed it… the Nets can finally tank and “improve” their own picks — something they couldn’t do back when the Boston Celtics possessed Brooklyn’s lottery picks — helping Danny Ainge and subsequent execs like Brad Stevens begin building the current 2024 champs back in 2016.

On the Rockets side of things, Woj had this to add:

So now Morey and co. can keep watching the clock hoping that there isn’t a news bomb that PG has opted in; unless of course the Sixers have one of these shockers brewing themselves.

And oh right, maybe Kevin Durant could be available too, I guess? Add Durant to your wish list along with PG, Jimmy Butler, Anunoby and Brandon Ingram.

Must be nice….

2024 NBA Draft: Philly native Justin Edwards struggled with consistency, but is he worth a flyer? nba,draft,philly,native,justin,edwards,struggled,with,consistency,but,is,he,worth,a,flyer,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is Kentucky’s Justin Edwards.

Justin Edwards was named Pennsylvania’s Mr. Basketball in 2023 after leading Imhotep to a second straight state championship. The Philadelphia native, joined by Camden’s D.J. Wagner, was part of yet another impressive recruiting class for Kentucky. Though Edwards was one of the top recruits in the country, he had an inconsistent lone season with the Wildcats.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 32 games, 21.4 minutes, 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, 48.6% FG, 36.5% 3P, 77.6% FT

Team: Kentucky

Year: Freshman

Position: Wing

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’6” | 209.4 lbs

Born: December 16, 2003 (20 years old)

Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

High School: Imhotep

Strengths

Edwards has legitimate NBA wing size at 6-foot-6 and a 6-10 wingspan. His lefty stroke is smooth. He has a quick and high release with the ability to shoot over defenders. After a slow shooting start, he hit over 46% from deep over his last 18 games (albeit on just 2.6 attempts a game). Though he didn’t test great at the combine, he looks athletic on the court. He showed legitimate slashing ability and good touch around the rim. He also displays decent instincts as a cutter and off-ball mover.

He showed flashes as an off-ball defender, getting into passing lanes and racking up deflections. His point-of-attack defense looked good in certain matchups, using his length well to bother smaller opponents.

Weaknesses

For such a high recruit, there was a lot of inconsistency from Edwards. It’s fair to wonder if it was a product of Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham — both projected to go high in the first round — outshining him or a bigger issue. Either way, he got lost in the shuffle a lot last season. He’s very left-hand dominant on drives and there wasn’t much as far as playmaking for others.

Defensively is where you wonder if that lack of elite athleticism will show up. While he did have moments as an on-ball defender, he did look stiff against shiftier players. It’s something that could potentially improve, but he’ll have to work at it.

Positional Fit

Edwards is clearly a wing. What type of wing remains to be seen. His shooting stroke should allow him to stick in the NBA. How he develops the rest of his game — ball handling, playmaking, defense — will determine his role at the next level.

Draft Projection

Second round

This does sort of feel like the type of player Daryl Morey would draft. His draft record suggests he won’t take players because of positional fit or whether they can help right away. He’s going to take the best player available, likely with the highest upside. Edwards is a guy you can talk yourself into because big wings that can shoot will likely never go out of style in the NBA.

2024 NBA Draft: Dillon Jones might be the most unique player in the entire draft nba,draft,dillon,jones,might,be,the,most,unique,player,in,the,entire,draft,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is Weber State’s Dillon Jones.

Dillon Jones was a dominant force in the Big Sky, taking home the conference’s Player of the Year award in 2023-24. His usage rate and overall efficiency improved in all four of his collegiate seasons at Weber State. His versatility makes him one of the most unique prospects in this year’s draft.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 31 games, 37.0 minutes, 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.1 blocks, 48.9% FG, 32.4% 3P, 85.7% FT

Team: Weber State

Year: Redshirt Junior

Position: Forward

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’4.5” | 236.8 lbs

Born: October 9, 2001 (22 years old)

Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina

High School: Sunrise Christian Prep

Strengths

Jones is built like a tank and appears ready for the NBA from a physicality standpoint. What’s impressive is how smooth he is with the ball in his hands at that size. He possesses a strong handle and wide-ranging bag. He’s able to finish through and around defenders while looking mighty comfortable pulling up in the midrange. He’s a below-the-rim player, but has a quick first step which showed when he crushed the shuttle run at the combine. While he didn’t shoot it well from three, his success inside the arc and elite free throwing shooting make him a projectable threat to stretch the floor.

He will certainly be able to handle guarding bigger forwards thanks to his sturdy frame and 6-11 wingspan. He showed excellent off-ball instincts, recording two steals a game last season. He’s also an outstanding rebounder, averaging double-digit boards in two of his four seasons.

Weaknesses

As mentioned, Jones is not an elite athlete. While he might have enough craftiness and skill to overcome that on the offensive end, it might be tough for him to hang with quicker wings and guards. And while his shot from deep is projectable, it’s just that — a projection. The 32.4% from three he hit last season was easily a career high.

The bigger issue with evaluating Jones is going to be the level of competition he played against. Once upon a time, Damian Lillard starred at Weber State, became a top-10 pick and is now a future Hall of Famer. Outside of Lillard, there aren’t really any success stories out of that school.

Positional Fit

Jones will likely be a combo forward at the next level, but a very unique one. If he can improve his shot and guard smaller players, he has the makings of an extremely versatile player on both ends of the floor.

Draft Projection

Second round

Jones is fascinating player. I’d be leery of the small school factor, but he is just good at basketball. Players that can dribble, shoot and pass at that size don’t grow on trees. His long wingspan could help him overcome some of the athletic deficiencies at the next level. He feels like a player that could fit on just about any team, including the Sixers — if he can make threes consistently.

2024 NBA Draft: Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II could be the exact type of combo big the Sixers need nba,draft,dayton,s,daron,holmes,ii,could,be,the,exact,type,of,combo,big,the,sixers,need,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II.

In his sophomore year, DaRon Holmes II built upon an excellent freshman season by becoming the focal point of Dayton’s offense. In his junior year, he dominated for the Flyers and was named the Atlantic 10’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and a Consensus All-American.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 33 games, 32.5 minutes, 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 2.1 blocks, 54.4% FG, 38.6% 3P, 71.3% FT

Team: Dayton

Year: Junior

Position: C/PF

Height & Weight: 6’8.75” | 236.2 lbs

Born: August 15, 2002 (21 years old)

Hometown: Goodyear, Arizona

Strengths

Standing over 6-foot-9 with shoes and boasting an impressive 7-1 wingspan, Holmes has ideal NBA size. He’s built solidly at over 236 pounds and his strength shows on the court. When you couple that with Holmes’ improving skill, you have an intriguing prospect.

The two biggest improvements in Holmes’ offensive game were his shooting and court vision. After attempting just 26 shots from deep in his first two seasons, Holmes hoisted up 83 threes in 2023-24 with impressive results (38.6%). His post-up game was once again strong, but he showed better feel as his usage rate went up and he saw constant double teams. He was outstanding in the pick-and-roll, both rolling to the rim and popping for threes.

Holmes also features a face-up game and ability as a straight line driver. He was able to line up opposing post players and either hit midrange jumpers or short fadeaways over them. He uses long strides, a nasty spin move and his strength to get downhill and finish at the rim. It’s this type of versatility that makes you see why NBA folks believe he can play the four.

Holmes was the anchor of Dayton’s defense, taking home the A-10’s Defensive Player of the year last season. He’s an outstanding rim protector, reads the pick-and-roll well and flashes a little switchability.

Weaknesses

It’s easy to see why Holmes is rising up draft boards. There really aren’t many holes in his game and there’s intriguing upside.

But his age will be a factor — he’ll turn 22 before next season begins. While there is belief he can succeed as a four at the next level, he’ll need to prove his shooting uptick wasn’t a fluke and improve his handle a bit.

Respectfully, it’s also worth noting that the A-10 isn’t exactly a powerhouse, but Holmes did play well against Nevada and Arizona in the NCAA Tournament.

Positional Fit

Holmes is definitely an NBA five. He has the size and proper skillset to succeed at that position. What’s more intriguing is envisioning him playing minutes at the four. A player like the Timberwolves’ Naz Reid is an interesting comp. Holmes is a different player from the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, but both players provide legit combo big versatility.

Draft Projection

SB Nation mock draft: No. 16, Sixers

I can hear the collective groans at the idea of the Sixers selecting a center at 16, but Holmes feels like a unique player. If you look at the way Chris Finch — a close coaching friend of Nick Nurse — utilized Reid, there could be a similar path for Holmes with a team like the Sixers. With Joel Embiid on the floor, Holmes could space the floor in the corner or hang in the dunker spot where he can catch lobs and crash the offensive glass. When Embiid is off the floor, Holmes — who excelled as both a roller and popper last season — provides an intriguing pick-and-roll partner for Tyrese Maxey while also providing strong rim protection on the other end.

Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. acquires new agent with CAA Basketball sixers,kelly,oubre,jr,acquires,new,agent,with,caa,basketball,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-news-basketball,76ers-news

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There’s a host of possible outcomes for the Sixers in free agency this summer. They have the flexibility to create $60+ million in cap space to go spending and star hunting, plus a bunch of players on expiring contracts ready to hit free agency.

This includes Kelly Oubre Jr., fresh off a strong year where he more than proved his value. Now, he seems to be getting ready to make the most of his chance to land a big raise by acquiring new representation: he’s officially joined CAA Basketball.

Oubre’s agent was Torrel Harris for a few years, but Oubre parted ways with him before joining the Sixers and representing himself for a while.

Oubre’s entering free agency at just the right time after the quality season he turned in. With his on-ball scoring and driving ability, off-ball cutting, some improved passing, athleticism, and defensive ability against guards and forwards (which lapsed at times but was rock solid at others, especially later in the season), he showed he can be a genuinely good player after he went unsigned for so long in free agency just one year ago. He had plenty of games where he was one of the Sixers’ best three or four players on the floor. Getting that kind of production from a player on a minimum deal was incredible value.

There’s no doubt the Sixers should look into bringing Oubre back if they can. But as one of the better wings on the free agent market this summer, he may well have played his way out of the Sixers’ budget and will look to cash in elsewhere.

We’ll see soon enough if a K9 return is possible.

How the Sixers could get creative with Paul Reed’s contract this offseason how,the,sixers,could,get,creative,with,paul,reed,s,contract,this,offseason,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis

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Because the Sixers didn’t win a playoff series this year, Paul Reed’s future is now up in the air.

The offer sheet that Reed signed with the Utah Jazz last offseason stipulated that his $7.7 million salary for the 2024-25 season would only become guaranteed if his team advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Instead, the New York Knicks and Joel Embiid’s case of Bell’s palsy helped ensure Reed’s contract would remain non-guaranteed through Jan. 10.

The Sixers could waive Reed this offseason and be left without a dead cap hit, which they’d likely consider if they land a third max-contract player. Cutting him would be their path to still having meaningful cap space, along with the $8.0 million room mid-level exception once they were capped out. But they don’t have a nearby deadline by which they have to make a decision. They can see how the offseason plays out and proceed accordingly.

Since Reed’s full contract is non-guaranteed, he’d count as $0 in outgoing salary in trades unless the Sixers guaranteed some or all of his deal. But as long as they stay under the salary cap after a trade, they don’t need to worry about salary-matching rules. If anything, they could leave him non-guaranteed to sweeten a trade offer, allowing his next team to decide whether to keep him as depth, re-route him or waive him for cap relief.

The Sixers could also manipulate their offseason order of operations to take advantage of Reed’s contract in a creative way. If they keep him on their books and guarantee his full salary, they could flip him to acquire a much higher-paid player even if they’re over the cap at the time.

Under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, trades involving two teams below either apron have looser salary-matching rules than they once did. Teams that send between $7.25 million and $29 million in salary can take that amount of salary back plus $7.5 million. In other words, a team could trade a $7.5 million contract for a $15 million contract, or a $29 million contract for a $36.5 million contract.

With Reed set to earn $7.7 million next season, the Sixers could flip him for a player earning as much as $15.2 million as long as they stay below the first apron after the trade. They would then be hard-capped at the first apron for the remainder of the league year. Depending on how the rest of their offseason shakes out, that could be their best chance to round out their roster and add more depth.

For instance, let’s say they sign Paul George for his full max salary of $49.4 million. They could have as much as $16.7 million in cap space if they waive Reed and Ricky Council IV, trade the No. 16 overall pick, turn down their team option on Jeff Dowtin Jr. and renounce the rights to all of their free agents. They’ll likely wind up having less than that because they keep Reed, don’t trade the pick or re-sign some of their own players.

The Sixers could still have as much as $10.2 million in cap space along with the $8.0 million room MLE with a George max deal, Reed and Joel Embiid’s contracts and Tyrese Maxey’s cap hold on their books. Once they spent that cap space, they could flip Reed for a higher-paid player to upgrade that spot without having the cap space to fill it otherwise. They’d effectively be turning $7.7 million of cap space into $15.2 million, except they could only spend that on trades.

The Sixers would still be slightly out of range salary-wise on Lu Dort ($16.5 million), Deni Avdjia ($15.6 million) and P.J. Washington ($15.5 million) on the off-chance that any of them became available this offseason. However, they could squeeze Dorian Finney-Smith ($14.9 million), Luke Kennard ($14.8 million team option) or Naz Reid ($14.0 million) in with the salary-matching buffer on Reed’s contract. Larry Nance Jr. ($11.2 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.0 million) and Maxi Kleber ($11.0 million) could be slightly less expensive options.

In some respects, the Jazz did the Sixers a favor in the way they structured Reed’s contract. If he had a team or player option instead of a non-guaranteed salary, he’d have his contractual fate determined by late June either way. Instead, the Sixers can keep him on their books heading into July and pivot as needed from there.

If the Sixers land a third max-contract star, it wouldn’t be surprising if they just waive Reed outright. If they snag someone on a slightly smaller deal—Brandon Ingram, Donovan Mitchell or Mikal Bridges, for instance—they might have enough cap space to round out their roster even with Reed’s contract still on their books. From there, they could evaluate their options at backup center without him and explore the trade market for him as well.

There’s no guarantee that the Sixers will waive Reed right as the offseason begins, though. In fact, it would behoove them to maintain their optionality with his contract for as long as possible, unless they needed his $7.7 million of cap space to sign a free agent.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

2024 NBA Draft: KJ Simpson looks like a Nick Nurse point guard nba,draft,kj,simpson,looks,like,a,nick,nurse,point,guard,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is Colorado’s KJ Simpson.

KJ Simpson was already an All-Pac-12 performer, but he took a huge leap during a stellar junior campaign. The Buffs point guard saw a steady increase in efficiency in each of his three seasons, making him a possible first-round pick.

Profile

2023-24 Stats: 37 games, 35.1 minutes, 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.1 blocks, 47.5% FG, 43.4% 3P, 87.6% FT

Team: Colorado

Year: Junior

Position: PG

Height (without shoes) & Weight: 6’0.25” | 187 lbs

Born: August 8, 2002 (21 years old)

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

High School: Chaminade College Prep

Strengths

Simpson had an outstanding junior year. He’s a quintessential lead guard, putting his teammates in their proper place and distributing the ball. He’s also a great scorer for a point guard, using a strong handle and plenty of craftiness around the rim. He took a huge leap as a shooter, knocking down 43.4% from three. What gives you confidence that the improvement is real is that he also made 87.6% from the line. That’s an elite number. His efficiency grew across the board without sacrificing playmaking for others.

Despite his size, Simpson is a strong point-of-attack defender because of his strength, athleticism and absolute bulldog mentality. He’s strong off-ball as well, averaging over 1.5 steals the past two seasons. He’s also an excellent rebounder for his size, averaging nearly six a game last season.

Weaknesses

If Simpson were 6-foot-4, you’re probably talking about a lottery pick. The shooting improvement looks real, he has a high basketball IQ and he tested extremely well athletically at the combine. His height will be the only thing that scares teams off.

Positional Fit

Simpson is a pure point guard. There’s a chance he’ll be able to guard up because of his strength and athleticism, but that will probably take time.

Draft Projection

Late first, early second round

Again, the only real knock on Simpson is size. With Tyrese Maxey already locked in as the Sixers’ starting point guard, it’s fair to wonder if Simpson makes sense. Then again, Simpson looks every bit like a Nick Nurse point guard. Might as well call him KJ VanLowry. He would be tough to pass up in a trade back scenario or if he somehow falls all the way to 41.

‘Fun’ key to Mavs’ bid for unprecedented NBA Finals comeback

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Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after fouling out in the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on June 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.   (Getty Images via AFP)

LOS ANGELES – Dallas superstar Luka Doncic says the Mavericks must set aside the enormity of the task facing them in the NBA Finals and get back to having fun if they are to mount an unprecedented comeback against Boston.
The Slovenian fouled out with just over four minutes remaining in game three on Wednesday and could only watch from the bench as the Celtics thwarted the Mavs’ late rally for a 106-99 victory and a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.
Dallas head into game four on Friday knowing no team has come back from 0-3 down to win an NBA playoff series.
If they are to become the first, Doncic said, they must forget their frustrations with the officiating, forget history and play the freewheeling game that saw them cut a 21-point deficit to one in the fourth quarter in game three.
“Go back to playing fun,” Doncic said of the message after Dallas studied the game three film on Thursday.
“We talk about how we come back from (21) points in the fourth quarter in the Finals. We were having fun. We were defending. We were running. Our pace was great. Just taking good shots.”
Doncic fouled out for just the third time in his career and for the first time in the post-season, but he’s made a habit of appealing to and arguing with game officials throughout his NBA career.
He’s said before it’s a habit he should break, and he admitted again on Thursday that complaining to game officials — sometimes to the detriment of his attention on the game in progress — was counter-productive since officials will always “have the last word”.
“I just really want to win,” Doncic said. “Sometimes I don’t show it the right way, but at the end of the day, I really want to win. I’ve got to do a better job showing it a different way.”
Doncic has been outstanding offensively in the Finals, averaging 29.7 points, nine rebounds and six assists over three games despite playing with a longstanding right knee sprain and sore left ankle and a painful chest injury sustained in game one that reportedly required pain-killing injections to allow him to play.
In the fourth quarter, however, he’s averaging 2.7 points and shooting just 20 percent from the field.
But Doncic has been ineffective on the defensive end, his weaknesses showcased in his sixth, disqualifying foul on Wednesday when he was whistled for a blocking foul as he tried to defend Jaylen Brown.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Doncic needs to play smarter defensively and “understand that we’re there to protect him and help him if he does get beat.”
Star teammate Kyrie Irving — who won a title with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 — had the same message for first-time finalist Doncic.
“He’s not alone in this,” said Irving, whose shooting struggles in games one and two in Boston increased the load on Doncic. “He’s played as best as he can despite the circumstances, just injuries and stuff.
“He’s been giving it his all. It’s not all on him.”

San Miguel gets back at Meralco to tie series at 2-2

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San Miguel Beermen center June Mar Fajardo steers his team in Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: PBA Finals San Miguel vs Meralco

MANILA, Philippines–San Miguel Beer put the PBA Philippine Cup Finals back on level terms with a collective effort that defeated Meralco, 111-101, Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

June Mar Fajardo had 28 points and 13 rebounds on the night he was hailed the Best Player of the Conference, but there were many players who stepped up in putting the series at two games apiece.

“Credit to Meralco, not only for the way it’s defending me, but the whole team,” Fajardo said.

CJ Perez produced 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Marcio Lassiter knocked down 18 points on four threes, but among the vital reasons for San Miguel’s triumph was the decision to insert Terrence Romeo and Vic Manuel.

San Miguel Beermen guard Terrence Romeo suits up in PBA Finals Game 4.

San Miguel Beermen guard Terrence Romeo suits up in PBA Finals Game 4. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Manuel scored eight points in seven minutes while Romeo had seven points. Both players saw action for the first time in the PBA Finals.

Game 5 is set Friday at the same venue, with the winner gaining a 3-2 lead and closer to ending Season 48 with a championship.

The Beermen won despite allowing Bolts leader Chris Newsome to score a career-high 40 points.

Chris Banchero, Cliff Hodge and Brandon Bates also stepped up, but the lack of supporting cast hounded Meralco, which spent the Independence Day clash trying to catch up after trailing 23-9 at the start.

Allein Maliksi, Bong Quinto and Raymond Almazan struggled from the field.

Meralco’s closest gap was two during the third, but San Miguel had every answer to the Bolts’ resistance.

The scores:

SAN MIGUEL 111—Fajardo 28, Perez 22, Lassiter 18, Tautuaa 9, Trollano 8, Manuel 8, Romeo 7, Ross 6, Cruz 5, Brondial 0, Teng 0.

MERALCO 101—Newsome 40, Banchero 21, Hodge 17, Maliksi 9, Quinto 6, Bates 4, Almazan 2, Rios 2, Caram 0, Torres 0.

Quarters: 29-22, 51-40, 82-74, 111-101.