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ballwzrd · 1 year

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Nikola Jokic

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sportsunfolded · 2 years

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youtube

#youtube #sports #podcast #nba basketball #nba #nba players #basketball #nba western conference #nba eastern conference #nba finals #nba mvp

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lkimp05 · 2 years

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Golden State one step away from title

Led by a great Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors won 104-94 against the Celtics last night at the Chase Center in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. They lead 3-2 and will have the opportunity to conclude on Thursday. The Warriors 48 minutes from a seventh title. Carried by a superhuman Stephen Curry on Friday, during Game 4, Steve Kerr’s men mainly relied on their defense to dispose of Boston (104-94) on…

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aniss055 · 2 years

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Golden State one step away from title

Led by a great Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors won 104-94 against the Celtics last night at the Chase Center in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. They lead 3-2 and will have the opportunity to conclude on Thursday. The Warriors 48 minutes from a seventh title. Carried by a superhuman Stephen Curry on Friday, during Game 4, Steve Kerr’s men mainly relied on their defense to dispose of Boston (104-94) on…

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freethrows · 5 days

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Luka Dončić is your 2024 Western Conference Finals MVP

May 30, 2024

#hehe #luka doncic #dallas mavericks #nbasource

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golden-knights-of-the-realm · 15 days

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The Canucks lose game seven and the Oilers will advance to the Western Conference final. I’m not sure what the Canucks could have done to improve their game. Some bounces and shots didn’t go our way (like Mikheyev being unable to finish a shot with Skinner down in the crease due to Skinner’s pad blocking the shot.)

There were some passes that connected sloppy but when you are trying to rush your game these things happen.

I think the most worrying part of this game was our power play and I just wish we could have gotten the scoring started a little earlier in the game.

Thank you Garland and Hronek for scoring and not letting the Oilers get the satisfaction of closing this series out with a shutout.

I am proud of the boys and I am proud that they got this far into the playoffs, this loss does hurt but atleast we can say we went down fighting.

The MVP of our playoff run this year has to be our breakout star Silovs, I mean a lot of Canucks fans were worried when Demko went out, no one was sure that we would even make it out of the first round. Then Desmith goes out as well and Silovs really fought hard to keep us going. He’s an amazing goalie and well deserved of the title of NHL level goalie.

Yes this was a bittersweet ending but I really do think the guys need some rest, some of our players just haven’t looked like their regular season selves as of late (I really think Hughes got hurt in the series against the Predators).

I wish our season wasn’t ending so soon but I want to thank the Canucks for a wonderful season (I mean we were top of the Pacific division!) and I hope we can come back swinging next season and go even further!

Go Canucks!💚💙🤍

#nhl hockey #hockeyblr #nhl #ice hockey #hockey #nhl players #hockey players #Canucks #Canucks hockey #Vancouver Canucks #Canucks lb #Vancouver Canucks lb #stanley cup playoffs 2024 #stanley cup playoffs #nhl playoffs 2024 #nhl playoffs #vancouver canucks vs edmonton oilers

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msmargaretmurry · 11 months

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🐀 + 4

4 - where it hurts.

The Western Conference locker room is buzzing when Matthew ducks into it after the All-Star Game. There are some Central players still hanging around, trading sticks and jerseys, chatting with friends, but mostly it's Pacific guys, fresh off their win, cold beers in hand. After his past two all-star experiences, Toronto, where Matthew is a side character at best, has almost felt like an actual break.

Leon is sitting in a stall at the far side of the room, half-dressed, one leg propped up on the bench. Matthew heads straight for him, but—

"Hey, Chucky!"

He's been spotted. Not like he's trying to hide or anything. He literally just walked into the room. Trevor Zegras, buoyant with victory, slaps him heartily on the back. Matthew doesn't know Zegras that well, but little brother's best friend's little brother's best friend counts for something. Quinn is already in the other locker room getting bullied by Brady over the eyesore of an MVP car he's stuck with.

"Hey, congrats, man," Matthew says, skirting neatly around a couple of giggling blond toddlers as they barrel past.

"You want a beer?" Matty Beniers offers — sure, Matthew takes the beer, but he also cranes to look across the room again. Leon is obscured by a small group of Swedes, but Matthew manages to catch McDavid's eye. He raises both eyebrows; McDavid shrugs and gestures for him to come on over.

"I'm being summoned by McJesus," says Matthew, and taps his Bud Light to each of Trevor's and Matty's as he extracts himself. "You kids enjoy the win, yeah?"

"Kids," Trevor scoffs in the background, but Matthew is already halfway across the locker room. Leon is engrossed in his phone and doesn't notice Matthew's approach until McDavid nudges him.

"Hey," Leon says warily, setting the phone down next to an open beer on the bench.

"Hey." Matthew gestures at Leon's leg. He's barefoot, his underarmor rolled up to the knee with his calf resting on a large, soft ice pack. "Just wanted to make sure I didn't cause any permanent damage."

"It's fine," Leon says in that automatic way. Matthew kneels to investigate anyway. If it's maybe an excuse to touch him, so what.

"I mean, that's what you get for blocking shots at the All-Star Game," McDavid says.

"Hey, we won, didn't we?" Leon asks, then winces as Matthew lifts his leg to get a look at the red, fresh bruise. He takes a swig of beer and says, pointedly: "Ow."

"Toughen up, it's not that bad." Still, Matthew is careful as he rotates Leon's lower leg just a little to get a better look. The slapshot caught him in the meaty part of his calf, so it really isn't that bad, but it does look like it stings.

"We were up by three," McDavid says. "You could have let him have one."

"He already had two," Leon says. "So no, I couldn't."

Matthew grins up at McDavid. "Sounds like he's gonna be fine to me."

"Thanks, Dr. Chucky," McDavid says dryly. Across the room, someone calls his name. He and Leon exchange a look that says something about being very ready for a vacation.

"Duty calls," Leon says.

"Be nice," McDavid says.

"I always am," Leon calls after him, with a conviction that suggests it's absurd to suggest otherwise. When he turns back to Matthew's skeptical face, he grins. "Well, most of the time."

Matthew snorts softly and traces his fingers over the cold patch of Leon's skin where it's been pressed to the ice. There's a memory there: kneeling in front of a hotel bed, easing the brace off Leon's swollen ankle. Now, once again, Leon with the injury and Leon with the victory. This is nothing like that, though, and Matthew's had a year and a half to get over it.

"Well," he says. "I'd apologize, but Connor's right. You were the one blocking shots in the All-Star Game."

"One shot," Leon says. "And it's not that bad."

It took a lot of Florida sun and a Stanley Cup Final for Matthew to get over it. Once that wound stopped hurting every time he prodded it, turns out there were some things he missed.

"Yeah, you'll be fine." He bends to kiss the side of Leon's shin, near the edge of the bruise, then thumbs at the kissed spot, immediately self-conscious after the impulsive moment has passed. It's not that there are people around. There's weirder shit happening in the locker room right now. It just turns out it's really hard to say out loud, hey, I'm over it now, if you're still interested.

"Chucky!" Zegras's voice cuts through the room. Even from the floor, Matthew can spot the top of Brady's dumb head near the entrance. He sighs. Leon laughs, and when Matthew turns back to him, the corners of his eyes are crinkled with a smile.

"Go," he says. "Thanks for the first aid."

YOLO, Matthew thinks. "Text me later?"

Leon smirks and picks his phone back up. Matthew gets a text before he's even out the door.

#writing meme #matthew and leon #hockey for ts

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stromer · 1 year

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“this is really something huh? seeing eichel skating off, going to the western conference finals… to see that familiar look on connor mcdavid’s face. he’s gotten everything… won his fifth scoring title, nominated for mvp.. and he skates off AGAIN with a loss” ????????? WHO SAYS THATTTT ?????????

#guys IM SICKKKKKK #WHY DID THE ANNOUNCER SAY IT LIKE THIS

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yakusha-yukihime · 2 years

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Reminder that in the 2022 season, wardell Stephen curry the second did all this

Breaking the three point record for most threes made at Madison square garden, surpassing ray Allen and Reggie Miller.

All star game MVP with 16 made threes

Fourth championship in 8 years.

The first western conference finals MVP

Hosted the ESPYS

Graduated from Davidson as a sociology major and got a massive one man graduation in a sold out arena

Got his jersey AND NUMBER retired by Davidson athletics

Is now considered an UNDISPUTED top 10 player of all time (he was already top 10 before don't get it twisted)

And got the key to the city of Charlotte.

And this was actually a down year for him

#this man is unreal #imagine doing all this in a historically bad year for you #doing all this in your worst year gotta feel good #genuinely alien like #no reason for him to be this good #mind you hes doing this in a field thay favours taller people #david slaying goliath describes Steph's entire career #he's the only one who gets such intense expectations put on him #hope he's less stressed going into next season #fifth ring incoming #steph #steph curry #stephen curry #nba

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internetnewsworldblog · 7 days

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Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 https://www.merchant-business.com/mavs-vs-timberwolves-predictions-odds-betting-advice-and-player-prop-bets-for-game-4-on-tuesday-may-28/?feed_id=3970&_unique_id=6656ee9f23660 Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 Google News This betting preview includes: Best bet against the spread Top Over/Under Bets Highest Value Player Prop Today’s Odds Board Updated NBA Playoff Bracket The Mavericks will have a chance to sweep the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT).SlingThe Sporting News betting team identified several high-stakes bets.BetMGMIt’s worth locking in before the action. Luka Doncic is a finalist for this season’s MVP award, having scored over 32 points in each of the first three games of this series while shooting 46.4/40.6/87.5 from the field. Combined with Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 27.7 points per game on 52.5% shooting and 42.8% from 3-point range, this backcourt looks unstoppable. Meanwhile, Minnesota has struggled offensively: Anthony Edwards has looked worn down for much of the series, Karl-Anthony Towns is shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and 13.6 percent from 3-point range, Rudy Gobert is also having trouble scoring, and their defense outside the lane has been questionable at best. More from the Conference Championships: Luka’s stunning goal against Gobert in Game 2 | Kyrie’s defining playoff performances The Timberwolves are currently struggling at 3-0 on the road and the Mavs know Boston has 10 days of rest before the NBA Finals. Minnesota is only worth 1.5 points against Dallas tonight and BetMGM has Dallas as a -125 money line favorite. As always, Sporting News Best Bets are based on value and enhanced by statistics and trends. Rise to the top BetMGM Value bets for Game 4 of the Mavs vs Wolves series, including the best spread, over/under and player prop bets. Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top ATS Picks Mavericks -1.5 vs. Timberwolves (-110) Let’s be honest, Dallas would love to end this series on their home court tonight; a loss at the American Airlines Center would mean another flight to Minneapolis and another tough game at Target Center (the Mavs won Game 1 by three points and Game 2 by one). It would also give the Celtics, who already have home-court advantage in the Finals, a significant rest advantage over Dallas. Simply put, expect the Mavericks to come storming back tonight just like Boston did to Indiana on Monday. Dallas has had the advantage in just about every aspect of the game: shooting, passing, hustle and even defense. But Doncic and Irving know how exhausting the trip to Minnesota and back is, and they know how much of a disadvantage it will be heading to Boston next week with little rest. Jason Kidd’s team doesn’t need to change anything. KAT and Gobert are so underpowered offensively that Timberwolves coaches Chris Finch and Mika Noli might not even know what to do offensively at this point. Edwards had his first good game of the series on Sunday, but with little help from his colleagues, the Timberwolves lost by nine points. The biggest problem Minnesota has faced is defensively. Ant-Man is exhausted trying to chase Irving. Luka is unstoppable, especially in the high screen-and-roll. KAT can’t stop the fouls and is just not good enough to contain the Mavs’ very efficient lob game. The Mavs often look like they’re playing with their food and should pull off the sweep on Tuesday night. Predicted final score:Mavs 111Timberwolves 105 — Dallas wins (-125) and a spread of -1.5 (-110), and the game ended up well above the projected total of 210.5 (-110). buy now: Cheapest Tickets to the 2024 NBA Finals Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top Over/Under Bets The Mavs’ team total was over 105.5 against the Wolves (-120) Sporting News

has successfully predicted three OVER bets so far in this series and is expecting a clean sweep tonight. The Mavericks have easily exceeded that over/under in four straight games, averaging 112.5 points per game during that stretch, including 116 points in Game 3 and 115 points in a regular-season home game against the Timberwolves in January, for a total of 117.2 points at home since the start of the 2023-24 NBA season. As mentioned in our previous best bet, Dallas is not going to let up in Game 4. Jason Kidd’s team seems to think this is a game they must win if they want to have a truly competitive NBA Finals series against the Celtics. This is fantastic value and an even better bet than Dallas -1.5. Predicted final score:Mavs 111Timberwolves 105 — Dallas wins (-125) and a spread of -1.5 (-110), far exceeding the team’s predicted total of 105.5 points (-120). Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top Player Prop Bets Naz Reid scores: 12.5 (-115) Karl-Anthony Towns has been so brutal in this series that it’s questionable whether Minnesota will be able to acquire him for 75 cents on the offseason trade market. The Wolves are relying on Naz when it counts, and with their backs against the wall in Game 4, it would make sense for them to start the Sixth Man of the Year instead of KAT. Either way, Reed is expected to take a hard hit and be used heavily. He’s shot 22 of 39 in Minnesota’s past four games and made 11 of 20 3-pointers in this series. Why on earth isn’t Finch and company begging Mike Conley and Edwards to let the guy take more than 10 shots? The Na’s have cleared the over/under in three straight games and six total games this season (four on the road) despite not having more than 14 field goal attempts in any game this season. They are averaging 17.3 points in this series and should easily surpass 12.5 points tonight. Google News Tonight’s NBA playoff bets and spreads: full oddsboard All odds are BetMGMWe are an NBA-certified game operator. game time Money Line Spread the word O/U @Mavs Wolf 8:30pm (TNT) DAL -125; Min 105 Dal -1.5 (-110) 210.5 Google News Latest NBA Playoff Bracket Source of this program “I love WordPress plugins because they’re so cute!!” “The Sporting News betting team dives into Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Mavs and Wolves to bring you the best bets, top player picks and final score predictions…” Source: Read more Source link: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/mavs-timberwolves-prediction-odds-betting-advice-player-prop/7f8fcc54a2a3cff0c9c517f9 The post Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 appeared first on Merchant Business News. Buy, Sell, Get Informed, Negotiate and Be Happy! Global, GoogleNews

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blogbusinesswebsite · 7 days

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Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 - #Global #GoogleNews https://www.merchant-business.com/mavs-vs-timberwolves-predictions-odds-betting-advice-and-player-prop-bets-for-game-4-on-tuesday-may-28/?feed_id=3969&_unique_id=6656ee9e90abd Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 Google News This betting preview includes: Best bet against the spread Top Over/Under Bets Highest Value Player Prop Today’s Odds Board Updated NBA Playoff Bracket The Mavericks will have a chance to sweep the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT).SlingThe Sporting News betting team identified several high-stakes bets.BetMGMIt’s worth locking in before the action. Luka Doncic is a finalist for this season’s MVP award, having scored over 32 points in each of the first three games of this series while shooting 46.4/40.6/87.5 from the field. Combined with Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 27.7 points per game on 52.5% shooting and 42.8% from 3-point range, this backcourt looks unstoppable. Meanwhile, Minnesota has struggled offensively: Anthony Edwards has looked worn down for much of the series, Karl-Anthony Towns is shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and 13.6 percent from 3-point range, Rudy Gobert is also having trouble scoring, and their defense outside the lane has been questionable at best. More from the Conference Championships: Luka’s stunning goal against Gobert in Game 2 | Kyrie’s defining playoff performances The Timberwolves are currently struggling at 3-0 on the road and the Mavs know Boston has 10 days of rest before the NBA Finals. Minnesota is only worth 1.5 points against Dallas tonight and BetMGM has Dallas as a -125 money line favorite. As always, Sporting News Best Bets are based on value and enhanced by statistics and trends. Rise to the top BetMGM Value bets for Game 4 of the Mavs vs Wolves series, including the best spread, over/under and player prop bets. Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top ATS Picks Mavericks -1.5 vs. Timberwolves (-110) Let’s be honest, Dallas would love to end this series on their home court tonight; a loss at the American Airlines Center would mean another flight to Minneapolis and another tough game at Target Center (the Mavs won Game 1 by three points and Game 2 by one). It would also give the Celtics, who already have home-court advantage in the Finals, a significant rest advantage over Dallas. Simply put, expect the Mavericks to come storming back tonight just like Boston did to Indiana on Monday. Dallas has had the advantage in just about every aspect of the game: shooting, passing, hustle and even defense. But Doncic and Irving know how exhausting the trip to Minnesota and back is, and they know how much of a disadvantage it will be heading to Boston next week with little rest. Jason Kidd’s team doesn’t need to change anything. KAT and Gobert are so underpowered offensively that Timberwolves coaches Chris Finch and Mika Noli might not even know what to do offensively at this point. Edwards had his first good game of the series on Sunday, but with little help from his colleagues, the Timberwolves lost by nine points. The biggest problem Minnesota has faced is defensively. Ant-Man is exhausted trying to chase Irving. Luka is unstoppable, especially in the high screen-and-roll. KAT can’t stop the fouls and is just not good enough to contain the Mavs’ very efficient lob game. The Mavs often look like they’re playing with their food and should pull off the sweep on Tuesday night. Predicted final score:Mavs 111Timberwolves 105 — Dallas wins (-125) and a spread of -1.5 (-110), and the game ended up well above the projected total of 210.5 (-110). buy now: Cheapest Tickets to the 2024 NBA Finals Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top Over/Under Bets The Mavs’ team total was over 105.5 against the Wolves (-120)

Sporting News has successfully predicted three OVER bets so far in this series and is expecting a clean sweep tonight. The Mavericks have easily exceeded that over/under in four straight games, averaging 112.5 points per game during that stretch, including 116 points in Game 3 and 115 points in a regular-season home game against the Timberwolves in January, for a total of 117.2 points at home since the start of the 2023-24 NBA season. As mentioned in our previous best bet, Dallas is not going to let up in Game 4. Jason Kidd’s team seems to think this is a game they must win if they want to have a truly competitive NBA Finals series against the Celtics. This is fantastic value and an even better bet than Dallas -1.5. Predicted final score:Mavs 111Timberwolves 105 — Dallas wins (-125) and a spread of -1.5 (-110), far exceeding the team’s predicted total of 105.5 points (-120). Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top Player Prop Bets Naz Reid scores: 12.5 (-115) Karl-Anthony Towns has been so brutal in this series that it’s questionable whether Minnesota will be able to acquire him for 75 cents on the offseason trade market. The Wolves are relying on Naz when it counts, and with their backs against the wall in Game 4, it would make sense for them to start the Sixth Man of the Year instead of KAT. Either way, Reed is expected to take a hard hit and be used heavily. He’s shot 22 of 39 in Minnesota’s past four games and made 11 of 20 3-pointers in this series. Why on earth isn’t Finch and company begging Mike Conley and Edwards to let the guy take more than 10 shots? The Na’s have cleared the over/under in three straight games and six total games this season (four on the road) despite not having more than 14 field goal attempts in any game this season. They are averaging 17.3 points in this series and should easily surpass 12.5 points tonight. Google News Tonight’s NBA playoff bets and spreads: full oddsboard All odds are BetMGMWe are an NBA-certified game operator. game time Money Line Spread the word O/U @Mavs Wolf 8:30pm (TNT) DAL -125; Min 105 Dal -1.5 (-110) 210.5 Google News Latest NBA Playoff Bracket Source of this program “I love WordPress plugins because they’re so cute!!” “The Sporting News betting team dives into Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Mavs and Wolves to bring you the best bets, top player picks and final score predictions…” Source: Read more Source link: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/mavs-timberwolves-prediction-odds-betting-advice-player-prop/7f8fcc54a2a3cff0c9c517f9 The post Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 appeared first on Merchant Business News. Buy, Sell, Get Informed, Negotiate and Be Happy! Global, GoogleNews BLOGGER - #Global #GoogleNews

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lkimp05 · 2 years

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led by a Curry of (very) great evenings, Golden State equalizes in Boston

Winners at TD Garden on Friday (97-107), the Warriors come back to 2-2 before Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday in their hall in San Francisco. Signed Stephen Curry. Author of a line of stats at 43 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, with 14/26 on shots and 7/14 from afar, the best shooter in history guided Golden State to victory on Friday in Boston (97 -107), during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.…

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aniss055 · 2 years

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led by a Curry of (very) great evenings, Golden State equalizes in Boston

Winners at TD Garden on Friday (97-107), the Warriors come back to 2-2 before Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday in their hall in San Francisco. Signed Stephen Curry. Author of a line of stats at 43 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, with 14/26 on shots and 7/14 from afar, the best shooter in history guided Golden State to victory on Friday in Boston (97 -107), during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.…

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merchant-business · 7 days

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Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 https://www.merchant-business.com/mavs-vs-timberwolves-predictions-odds-betting-advice-and-player-prop-bets-for-game-4-on-tuesday-may-28/?feed_id=3968&_unique_id=6656ee9e04a53 Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 Google News This betting preview includes: Best bet against the spread Top Over/Under Bets Highest Value Player Prop Today’s Odds Board Updated NBA Playoff Bracket The Mavericks will have a chance to sweep the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT).SlingThe Sporting News betting team identified several high-stakes bets.BetMGMIt’s worth locking in before the action. Luka Doncic is a finalist for this season’s MVP award, having scored over 32 points in each of the first three games of this series while shooting 46.4/40.6/87.5 from the field. Combined with Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 27.7 points per game on 52.5% shooting and 42.8% from 3-point range, this backcourt looks unstoppable. Meanwhile, Minnesota has struggled offensively: Anthony Edwards has looked worn down for much of the series, Karl-Anthony Towns is shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and 13.6 percent from 3-point range, Rudy Gobert is also having trouble scoring, and their defense outside the lane has been questionable at best. More from the Conference Championships: Luka’s stunning goal against Gobert in Game 2 | Kyrie’s defining playoff performances The Timberwolves are currently struggling at 3-0 on the road and the Mavs know Boston has 10 days of rest before the NBA Finals. Minnesota is only worth 1.5 points against Dallas tonight and BetMGM has Dallas as a -125 money line favorite. As always, Sporting News Best Bets are based on value and enhanced by statistics and trends. Rise to the top BetMGM Value bets for Game 4 of the Mavs vs Wolves series, including the best spread, over/under and player prop bets. Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top ATS Picks Mavericks -1.5 vs. Timberwolves (-110) Let’s be honest, Dallas would love to end this series on their home court tonight; a loss at the American Airlines Center would mean another flight to Minneapolis and another tough game at Target Center (the Mavs won Game 1 by three points and Game 2 by one). It would also give the Celtics, who already have home-court advantage in the Finals, a significant rest advantage over Dallas. Simply put, expect the Mavericks to come storming back tonight just like Boston did to Indiana on Monday. Dallas has had the advantage in just about every aspect of the game: shooting, passing, hustle and even defense. But Doncic and Irving know how exhausting the trip to Minnesota and back is, and they know how much of a disadvantage it will be heading to Boston next week with little rest. Jason Kidd’s team doesn’t need to change anything. KAT and Gobert are so underpowered offensively that Timberwolves coaches Chris Finch and Mika Noli might not even know what to do offensively at this point. Edwards had his first good game of the series on Sunday, but with little help from his colleagues, the Timberwolves lost by nine points. The biggest problem Minnesota has faced is defensively. Ant-Man is exhausted trying to chase Irving. Luka is unstoppable, especially in the high screen-and-roll. KAT can’t stop the fouls and is just not good enough to contain the Mavs’ very efficient lob game. The Mavs often look like they’re playing with their food and should pull off the sweep on Tuesday night. Predicted final score:Mavs 111Timberwolves 105 — Dallas wins (-125) and a spread of -1.5 (-110), and the game ended up well above the projected total of 210.5 (-110). buy now: Cheapest Tickets to the 2024 NBA Finals Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top Over/Under Bets The Mavs’ team total was over 105.5 against the Wolves (-120) Sporting News

has successfully predicted three OVER bets so far in this series and is expecting a clean sweep tonight. The Mavericks have easily exceeded that over/under in four straight games, averaging 112.5 points per game during that stretch, including 116 points in Game 3 and 115 points in a regular-season home game against the Timberwolves in January, for a total of 117.2 points at home since the start of the 2023-24 NBA season. As mentioned in our previous best bet, Dallas is not going to let up in Game 4. Jason Kidd’s team seems to think this is a game they must win if they want to have a truly competitive NBA Finals series against the Celtics. This is fantastic value and an even better bet than Dallas -1.5. Predicted final score:Mavs 111Timberwolves 105 — Dallas wins (-125) and a spread of -1.5 (-110), far exceeding the team’s predicted total of 105.5 points (-120). Google News Best NBA Playoff Odds and Picks: Top Player Prop Bets Naz Reid scores: 12.5 (-115) Karl-Anthony Towns has been so brutal in this series that it’s questionable whether Minnesota will be able to acquire him for 75 cents on the offseason trade market. The Wolves are relying on Naz when it counts, and with their backs against the wall in Game 4, it would make sense for them to start the Sixth Man of the Year instead of KAT. Either way, Reed is expected to take a hard hit and be used heavily. He’s shot 22 of 39 in Minnesota’s past four games and made 11 of 20 3-pointers in this series. Why on earth isn’t Finch and company begging Mike Conley and Edwards to let the guy take more than 10 shots? The Na’s have cleared the over/under in three straight games and six total games this season (four on the road) despite not having more than 14 field goal attempts in any game this season. They are averaging 17.3 points in this series and should easily surpass 12.5 points tonight. Google News Tonight’s NBA playoff bets and spreads: full oddsboard All odds are BetMGMWe are an NBA-certified game operator. game time Money Line Spread the word O/U @Mavs Wolf 8:30pm (TNT) DAL -125; Min 105 Dal -1.5 (-110) 210.5 Google News Latest NBA Playoff Bracket Source of this program “I love WordPress plugins because they’re so cute!!” “The Sporting News betting team dives into Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Mavs and Wolves to bring you the best bets, top player picks and final score predictions…” Source: Read more Source link: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/mavs-timberwolves-prediction-odds-betting-advice-player-prop/7f8fcc54a2a3cff0c9c517f9 The post Mavs vs Timberwolves predictions: odds, betting advice and player prop bets for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 28 appeared first on Merchant Business News. Buy, Sell, Get Informed, Negotiate and Be Happy!

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basketballsimstories · 9 days

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[Basketball GM] An Speculative Analysis of Piotr Cieślak's Game (2023-'24)

In the 2023-'24 season, the Dallas Mavericks led the league in margin of victory, led the league in netRtg, and finished as second in ortg, and second in PPG-- all while being constructed in a heliocentric fashion reminiscent of the early to late 2000s. This combination of a star scoring foward complemented by elite role players served to be an effective in creating an elite offense, finishing with 57 wins on the season, and an eventual championship in 7 games against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The centerpiece of these Mavericks was the 6-7, 225 All-League forward and FMVP Piotr Cieślak. In the 2023-'24 season, he would go on to finish 2nd in MVP voting, only behind Magic FC James Abrams. In 73 games, he averaged 28.2/6.5/4.8 on 48.8% FG/ 41.5% 3PT/ 89.7% FT (64.0% TS). As far as key one number advanced statistics, he ranked 6th in win shares (13.0 WS), 2nd in WS/48 [of players that qualify for awards in the NBA] (.264 WS/48), and first in both OBPM and BPM (10.4 OBPM, 12.5 BPM).

All impact metrics above come to the consensus that Cieślak's 2023-'24 season would have been one of the greatest single season peaks in NBA history.

Much of Cieślak's on court impact and playstyle can be derived and interpreted through the analysis of various advanced metrics. For simplicity, I have defined playstyle as the following : shot diet, on ball activity, off ball activity, playmaking, and defense.

SHOT DIET

Cieślak's shot diet is primarily skewed towards perimeter play-- 52.8% of his shots come from beyond the arc (10.4 3PA), 25.3% from mid-range (5.0), 12% from the low post (2.3), and 10.1% being drives at the rim (2.0). This is similar to the shot profiles of players like 2017-'18 Paul George (19.6% from 0-3 ft /9.1% from 3-10 ft /25.6% from 10-3P /45.4% from beyond 3P) and 2021-'22 Khris Middleton (10.4% from 0-3/14.0% from 3-10/ 33.8% from 10-3P/42.5% from beyond 3P), though they both take a higher percentage of drives in those respective seasons. His shot diet is most likely influenced by his physical attributes-- despite his lengthy frame at 6-7, he appears to have a negative wing span (48.5 raw hgt rating, 43 true hgt rating) and average to below average speed and verticality (63 spd, 58 jmp) for a star.

Cieślak's playstyle and shot diet seems to be optimized for modern NBA offenses-- he recorded elite averages in relation to the rest of the league in all 4 shot categories accounted for in BasketballGM; +1.9% at the rim (67.8%), +9.4% in the low post (51.8%), +7.1% in the midrange (55.0%), and +5.0 from 3 (41.5%). This amounts to a +6.4 TS% (64.0% TS) and +6.7 eFG% (59.8% eFG). In terms of free throw rate and efficiency in relation to the league, he recorded 5.1 FTA with a rate of 0.256 for each FG attempted, which ranks as 24th and <100th respectively.

ON BALL

Despite Cieślak's 30.7% USG rate, his role on the team is to be the tertiary ball handler behind Mavericks rookie Quentin Trent, and contemporary star PF Michal Stehlík-- implicating a more off ball role, however, it is heavily implied his on ball game is lethal in similar respects. Julius Randle's is often lauded for the fact that he is both stronger than positions 1 through 3, and faster than positions 4 and 5, leading to a perpetual mismatch on the ball-- given Cieślak's build, the similar things can be said for his on ball game. That combined with above average to elite footwork (19.8 FGA to 1.3 BA) led to playoff series in which he was able to take control of games offensively, like the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

In this series his matchup was the 6-5, 225 All-League and All-Defensive SF Tomaž Mlakar with the primary big being Jan Varga, an All-League and All-Defensive talent himself; in 5 games, Cieślak's put up 31/6/4 on 11/21, 43/4/9 on 14/29, 30/9/4 on 11/23, 28/7/5 on 11/30, and 19/5/8 on 6/14. During the series he was taking advantage of the size mismatch, getting to his spots in the mid-range and low post, shielding the ball on drives, bumping defenders off their spots, and using his footwork to shift the defense and create advantages in a similar fashion to mid-range and three point greats like Paul Pierce (2005-'06) and Reggie Miller (1996-'97).

During this series and by extension the rest of the season, Cieślak would likely have stagger screens, pin downs, or ghosts to gain a step on defenders like Mlakar who are athletic enough to cut off driving options and stunt possesions with his aggressive perimeter defense (2.6 STL during reg. season, 2.9 STL during playoffs (11 games)).

OFF BALL

Cieślak's off-ball game appears to be his greatest strength. Given the Mavericks' personnel of lengthy wings and bigs, as well as Cieślak's prolific 3-point shooting, he was likely the beneficiary of a variety of off-ball actions - including screens, handoffs, flares, and floppy screens. Some optimal offensive sets for leveraging Cieślak's off-ball skills could include plays like Hammer - Open (Golden State), Loop (Golden State), 1 3 Double Rip (Dallas), UCLA - STS (Dallas), and Fist 5 Out 3 (Milwaukee) - all of which feature the 3 running through various screening actions to get open looks from the perimeter.

Cieślak has shown an elite ability to maximize these off-ball scoring opportunities, posting a Shot Quality (SQ) rating of 82.50 - which would rank 19th in the NBA today, slotting him just above Kevin Durant (82.20) and just below Anfernee Simons (82.60). This exceptional off-ball movement, combined with his off-the-charts efficiency as a perimeter scorer, makes Cieślak a lethal offensive threat that opposing defenses must account for at all times.

PLAYMAKING

Despite his role on the team, playmaking appears to be one of his biggest strengths. Though Cieślak averaged 4.8 APG on the season, various other passing related statistics argue that he would rank as a top 30 passer if he were in the league today. The key metrics used to evaluate Cieślak's elite-level playmaking were Offensive Load, Box Creation, and Passer Rating. In the 2023-24 season, Cieślak maintained an Offensive Load of 53.39, which is comparable to the workloads of stars like Devin Booker (54.8) and Tyrese Maxey (50.7). While this Offensive Load metric doesn't directly measure playmaking ability, it provides valuable context around the distribution of Cieślak's offensive responsibilities. Alongside this high Offensive Load, Cieślak also achieved a Box Creation rating of 15.94 per 100 possessions and a Passer Rating of 8.0. These advanced passing metrics would rank him just below established facilitators such as Kelly Olynyk and LeBron James, both of whom posted a Passer Rating of 8.1. This would place Cieślak 25th overall in the league for playmaking impact, ahead of players like Dennis Smith Jr.

COMPARISONS

Cieślak's build and situation are unique in the sense that not many true contenders in modern NBA history are built around shoot first wings that seem to have low to average playmaking value at a glance (4.8 APG to 1.8 TOV). However, I still do believe that there are valuable comparisons to Cieślak.

3. Khris Middleton (2021-'22) : Very similar shot selection and distribution of on and off ball usage. (He's also the first player that came to mind when making comps)

2. Paul Pierce (2005-'06) : Similar in the sense that they both have fundamental elements of their game like footwork and positioning down-- also they are just about the same size!

1. Reggie Miller (1996-'97) : Extremely similar roles, same height, and elite 3 point shooting!

Here's his page if you want to see for yourself :

#basketball #nba #simulation #computer

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lboogie1906 · 17 days

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Kevin Maurice Garnett (born May 19, 1976) is a former basketball player who played for 21 seasons in the NBA. Nicknamed KG by his initials, and the “Big Ticket” for his emphatic dunking and athleticism, is considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time. He is one of five NBA players to have won both the NBA MVP Award and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

He was a 1995 McDonald’s All-American at Farragut Career Academy and won a national Player of the Year award. He entered the 1995 NBA draft, where he was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves and became the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years. He made an immediate impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves, leading them to eight consecutive playoff appearances. He led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and won the NBA MVP Award. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2007–08).

In 2007, after 12 seasons with the Timberwolves, he joined the Boston Celtics. He helped lead them to the 2008 NBA Finals while finishing in third place for the MVP award. In 2013, he was included in a second headline trade that sent him to the Brooklyn Nets. In 2015, he was traded back to Minnesota. He announced his retirement from professional basketball in September 2016. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

He was named to 15 All-Star Games, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2003. He was named to the All-NBA Team nine times and to the NBA All-Defensive Team 12 times. He holds several Timberwolves franchise records.

He made his feature film debut, playing a fictionalized version of himself, in the 2019 film Uncut Gems.

He was born in Greenville, South Carolina to Shirley Garnett and O’Lewis McCullough.

He married his longtime girlfriend Brandi Padilla (2004-2018) and the couple has two daughters. He is the brother of former basketball player Louis McCullough. Another basketball player, former Los Angeles Laker Shammond Williams, is his cousin. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

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