Herro injured his shooting hand in the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks and had to undergo surgery. It was believed that this would mean the end of the season for the guard, as nobody had Miami embarking on a deep playoff run.

However, with the Heat being on the verge of making it to the NBA Finals, holding a 3-1 lead against the Celtics, we might see Herro on the court again. The 27-year-old player had the surgery on April 21 and was ruled out for at least six weeks. If correct, this timeframe would have him ready for Game 2 of the finals.

“He is starting the process,” Spoelstra said of Herro. “So there’s no timetable. But he does have the brace off, and he’s able to do some ball-handling and shooting.”

Tyler Herro has been Miami’s second-best scorer during the regular season. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

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This will be the first trip to the NBA Finals for the Nuggets. They previously lost four Western Conference Finals series, with three of those losses coming against the Lakers.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists triple-double. This was Jokic’s eighth triple-double in the 2023 NBA Playoffs which is the most by any player in a single postseason run in NBA history. The 28-year-old Serbian ended up receiving the Western Conference Finals MVP award, named after Lakers’ legend Magic Johnson, for his stellar performance.

Entering Game 4 with their backs against the wall, the Lakers actually looked like they could extend the series. They led by 15 points at the half and were the better team throughout the first two quarters.

However, the Lakers collapsed in the third quarter, losing their entire lead, and found themselves trailing five points ahead of the final period. The LA team made one final push to stay alive but couldn’t find enough offense to turn things around.

The Lakers’ superstar LeBron James had a chance to send the game to overtime in the final seconds but had his shot blocked.

The Denver Nuggets will now get some well-deserved rest while they await to see who will come out from the East. The Miami Heat currently hold a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals.

The post Nuggets Sweep the Lakers, Advance to the NBA Finals appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Heat managed to overcome a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter of the game to get the win and take a massive 2-0 lead in the series. They benefited from another clutch performance from Butler, who said after the contest that Williams’ trash talk was what fueled the final run.

“He hit a big shot, started talking to me. I like that. I’m all for that. It makes me key in a lot more,” said Butler when asked whether he got some extra motivation from Williams. “It pushes that will that I have to win a lot more. It makes me smile. It does. When people talk to me, I’m like, OK, I know I’m a decent player if you want to talk to me out of everybody that you can talk to.”

The exchange happened after Williams hit a three-point to give his team a 96-87 lead with less than seven minutes left on the clock. The Celtics’ forward said something to Butler after the basket, and the two began going back and forth.

After the incident, Butler immediately responded by making a basket and drawing a foul from Williams for a three-point play. 

Butler scored nine points to close out the game and finished the night with 27 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Williams, on the other hand, had nine points for the whole night.

“I do respect him, though,” said Butler of Williams. “He’s a big part of what they try to do. He switches. He can shoot the ball. I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to.”

The post Jimmy Butler Credits Grant Williams’ Trash Talks for Heat’s Win Over the Celtics appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Celtics are back in the conference finals for the third time in four seasons. There, they will face the Miami Heat, who previously beat the New York Knicks in six games in the other East semifinals matchup.

Tatum previously struggled in must-win Game 6, shooting 5-of-21, but had his teammates step up to extend the series against the 76ers. On Sunday night, however, it was Tatum who took charge, with his 51 points being the most in Game 7 in NBA Playoffs history. He also added 13 rebounds and five assists without committing a single turnover.

“I was really excited just for the moment, to be able to come out and play today,” Tatum said after the game. “It definitely was on my mind that I had played as bad as it could get for 42, 43 minutes. We have a saying, ‘It’s only up from here.'”

The Boston Celtics also had Jaylen Brown score 25 points, and Malcolm Brogdon add 12 points off the bench. No other Celtics player was in double digits.

The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, saw their star players struggle to make an impact. Joel Embiid, who was named NBA MVP for the 2022-23 season, finished the night with 15 points and eight rebounds. His fellow All-Star James Harden managed just nine points and shot the ball 3-out-of-11.  

The Celtics play their next game on Wednesday night, welcoming the Heat in their TD Garden.

The post Jayson Tatum Scores 51 Points to Send the Celtics Back to Eastern Conference Finals appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Despite playing a must win-game, the Suns couldn’t keep up with the Nuggets without their two key players in Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul. Denver, on the other hand, managed to set the tone with a 44-26 first-quarter lead and spent the rest of the game keeping their opponents at bay.

Nikola Jokic produced another impressive performance for the Nuggets, finishing the game with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Jamal Murray had 26 points and four assists, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21 points and five rebounds.

“When we defend, when we rebound, when we run, when we share the ball, we believe we’re the best team in the NBA,” said the Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone after the game. “And tonight, we showed it.”

The Nuggets have now got their revenge over the Suns, who swept them in the semifinals during the 2020–21. And they will get an opportunity to continue their revenge campaign in the Western Conference Finals regardless of whether the Los Angeles Lakers or the Golden State Warriors go through.

The Lakers knocked out the Nuggets in the West finals during 2019–20, while the Warriors beat them in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

The post Nuggets Clinch the West Finals Spot After Blowout Win Over the Suns in Game 6 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The game was much more closely contested than the result indicates. The Suns actually entered the final period with a three-point lead but ended up falling apart when it mattered the most, being unable to find an answer for the reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Jokic delivered a huge performance for the Nuggets, finishing the night with 39 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists. And Denver needed all of it, considering that his teammates struggled to get going and only three had double digits in scoring.

“Man, no hesitation from him,” said Jamal Murray, who was 3-of-15 from the floor and missed all of his nine three-point attempts. “Just dominating down low and from 3, both ways. Staying aggressive all game, uplifting us during timeouts, just full belief in us the whole time while he’s taking over and picking up everybody’s slack.”

With two wins on their home court, the Nuggets now seem like they are in control of the series. The Suns showed the same growing pains that hampered them in the first round against the LA Clippers and will have to dig deep in order to turn things around. 

The series resumes on Friday with Game 3 in Phoenix’s Footprint Center.

The post Nuggets Beat the Suns 97-87 in Game 2 of the West Semi-Finals, Take a 2-0 Lead appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Embiid got hurt in Game 3 of the first-round series versus the Brooklyn Nets and was originally diagnosed with a Grade 1 LCL sprain. However, further tests have shown that his knee is in worse condition and could keep him out of Game 1 of the Celtics series.

As Charania points out, Embiid has a history of playing through injuries, so there is still a chance that he could push to play versus Boston, considering how important every game is expected to be.  

Speaking with reporters last week, Philly’s head coach Doc Rivers also hinted that Embiid wouldn’t be on the court for Game 1.  

“I’ll say this, but if I was a betting man, I would probably say doubtful for at least Game 1. But we’ll see,” said Rivers.

Embiid is the favorite to walk away with the NBA MVP award after averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists during the regular season. He had a slow start to the postseason but still managed to do enough to help the 76ers sweep the Nets in the first round.

The post Joel Embiid’s Knee Injury is More Serious Than 76ers Expected appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Many believed that the Cavs would find a way to prolong the series, facing a 1-3 deficit in the series and playing in front of the home crowd. However, the Knicks were the more aggressive team from the get-go, building a 10-point lead at the half.

Cleveland attempted a comeback on several occasions in the third and fourth quarters, but each time the Knicks found ways to make stops at the right moment or responded offensively to keep the lead intact.

Jalen Brunson delivered another great performance, scoring 23 points and adding four rebounds and four assists. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley added 21 points and 19 points, respectively.

Donovan Mitchell had 28 points, seven boards, and five assists for the Cavaliers, but struggled from beyond the arc, going 3 of 12. Darius Garland followed with 21 points and four assists.

The New York Knicks will now face the Miami Heat in the semi-finals, possibly doing so without one of their main players. The Knicks’ star forward Julius Randle rolled his ankle late in the first half and didn’t return to the game after. The full extent of his injury remains unknown. 

The post NY Knicks Make the East Semi-Finals for the First Time Since 2013 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jimmy Butler proved to be a standout player on the night, scoring 42 points to secure a 128-126 overtime win for Miami in Game 5 of the first-round series. This comes after the small forward scored a colossal 56 points in Game 4.

Miami proved to be on the back foot for much of the game, and while the team managed to control more of the ball than it did in Game 4, the team had to claw their way back from a 22-6 deficit in the fourth quarter.

The Heat is set to face the New York Knicks in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 takes place on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

The post Miami Heat Sends Milwaukee Bucks Crashing Out of NBA Playoffs appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Warriors trailed at the half of Game 4 by four points but delivered their signature third-quarter barrage that saw them build a 10-point lead to start the final period. The Kings made a strong comeback effort in the fourth, and got within one point with 30 seconds left on the clock thanks to a curios mistake by Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

Curry called a timeout after being double-teamed, forgetting that head coach Steven Kerr used all of his timeouts. Sacramento’s Malik Monk made the technical free-throw before De’Aaron Fox drilled a three-pointer for 125-126.

The Kings played great defense on the following possession to get the ball back and set themselves up for a potential game-winning shot. Still, they couldn’t seal the deal as Harrison Barnes missed his three-point attempt as the clock expired.

The Warriors were led by the “Splash Brothers,” seeing Curry score 32 points and Klay Thompson go for 26. Fox had 38 points for the Kings while rookie Keegan Murray added 23 points and seven rebounds.

The series now returns to Sacramento for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The post Warriors Survive Kings Comeback Attempt in Game 4 to Tie the Series at 2-2 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Herro injured his shooting hand in the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks and had to undergo surgery. It was believed that this would mean the end of the season for the guard, as nobody had Miami embarking on a deep playoff run.

However, with the Heat being on the verge of making it to the NBA Finals, holding a 3-1 lead against the Celtics, we might see Herro on the court again. The 27-year-old player had the surgery on April 21 and was ruled out for at least six weeks. If correct, this timeframe would have him ready for Game 2 of the finals.

“He is starting the process,” Spoelstra said of Herro. “So there’s no timetable. But he does have the brace off, and he’s able to do some ball-handling and shooting.”

Tyler Herro has been Miami’s second-best scorer during the regular season. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

The post Heat’s Tyler Herro Cleared for Basketball Activities appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

This will be the first trip to the NBA Finals for the Nuggets. They previously lost four Western Conference Finals series, with three of those losses coming against the Lakers.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists triple-double. This was Jokic’s eighth triple-double in the 2023 NBA Playoffs which is the most by any player in a single postseason run in NBA history. The 28-year-old Serbian ended up receiving the Western Conference Finals MVP award, named after Lakers’ legend Magic Johnson, for his stellar performance.

Entering Game 4 with their backs against the wall, the Lakers actually looked like they could extend the series. They led by 15 points at the half and were the better team throughout the first two quarters.

However, the Lakers collapsed in the third quarter, losing their entire lead, and found themselves trailing five points ahead of the final period. The LA team made one final push to stay alive but couldn’t find enough offense to turn things around.

The Lakers’ superstar LeBron James had a chance to send the game to overtime in the final seconds but had his shot blocked.

The Denver Nuggets will now get some well-deserved rest while they await to see who will come out from the East. The Miami Heat currently hold a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals.

The post Nuggets Sweep the Lakers, Advance to the NBA Finals appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Heat managed to overcome a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter of the game to get the win and take a massive 2-0 lead in the series. They benefited from another clutch performance from Butler, who said after the contest that Williams’ trash talk was what fueled the final run.

“He hit a big shot, started talking to me. I like that. I’m all for that. It makes me key in a lot more,” said Butler when asked whether he got some extra motivation from Williams. “It pushes that will that I have to win a lot more. It makes me smile. It does. When people talk to me, I’m like, OK, I know I’m a decent player if you want to talk to me out of everybody that you can talk to.”

The exchange happened after Williams hit a three-point to give his team a 96-87 lead with less than seven minutes left on the clock. The Celtics’ forward said something to Butler after the basket, and the two began going back and forth.

After the incident, Butler immediately responded by making a basket and drawing a foul from Williams for a three-point play. 

Butler scored nine points to close out the game and finished the night with 27 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Williams, on the other hand, had nine points for the whole night.

“I do respect him, though,” said Butler of Williams. “He’s a big part of what they try to do. He switches. He can shoot the ball. I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to.”

The post Jimmy Butler Credits Grant Williams’ Trash Talks for Heat’s Win Over the Celtics appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Celtics are back in the conference finals for the third time in four seasons. There, they will face the Miami Heat, who previously beat the New York Knicks in six games in the other East semifinals matchup.

Tatum previously struggled in must-win Game 6, shooting 5-of-21, but had his teammates step up to extend the series against the 76ers. On Sunday night, however, it was Tatum who took charge, with his 51 points being the most in Game 7 in NBA Playoffs history. He also added 13 rebounds and five assists without committing a single turnover.

“I was really excited just for the moment, to be able to come out and play today,” Tatum said after the game. “It definitely was on my mind that I had played as bad as it could get for 42, 43 minutes. We have a saying, ‘It’s only up from here.'”

The Boston Celtics also had Jaylen Brown score 25 points, and Malcolm Brogdon add 12 points off the bench. No other Celtics player was in double digits.

The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, saw their star players struggle to make an impact. Joel Embiid, who was named NBA MVP for the 2022-23 season, finished the night with 15 points and eight rebounds. His fellow All-Star James Harden managed just nine points and shot the ball 3-out-of-11.  

The Celtics play their next game on Wednesday night, welcoming the Heat in their TD Garden.

The post Jayson Tatum Scores 51 Points to Send the Celtics Back to Eastern Conference Finals appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Despite playing a must win-game, the Suns couldn’t keep up with the Nuggets without their two key players in Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul. Denver, on the other hand, managed to set the tone with a 44-26 first-quarter lead and spent the rest of the game keeping their opponents at bay.

Nikola Jokic produced another impressive performance for the Nuggets, finishing the game with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Jamal Murray had 26 points and four assists, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21 points and five rebounds.

“When we defend, when we rebound, when we run, when we share the ball, we believe we’re the best team in the NBA,” said the Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone after the game. “And tonight, we showed it.”

The Nuggets have now got their revenge over the Suns, who swept them in the semifinals during the 2020–21. And they will get an opportunity to continue their revenge campaign in the Western Conference Finals regardless of whether the Los Angeles Lakers or the Golden State Warriors go through.

The Lakers knocked out the Nuggets in the West finals during 2019–20, while the Warriors beat them in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

The post Nuggets Clinch the West Finals Spot After Blowout Win Over the Suns in Game 6 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The game was much more closely contested than the result indicates. The Suns actually entered the final period with a three-point lead but ended up falling apart when it mattered the most, being unable to find an answer for the reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Jokic delivered a huge performance for the Nuggets, finishing the night with 39 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists. And Denver needed all of it, considering that his teammates struggled to get going and only three had double digits in scoring.

“Man, no hesitation from him,” said Jamal Murray, who was 3-of-15 from the floor and missed all of his nine three-point attempts. “Just dominating down low and from 3, both ways. Staying aggressive all game, uplifting us during timeouts, just full belief in us the whole time while he’s taking over and picking up everybody’s slack.”

With two wins on their home court, the Nuggets now seem like they are in control of the series. The Suns showed the same growing pains that hampered them in the first round against the LA Clippers and will have to dig deep in order to turn things around. 

The series resumes on Friday with Game 3 in Phoenix’s Footprint Center.

The post Nuggets Beat the Suns 97-87 in Game 2 of the West Semi-Finals, Take a 2-0 Lead appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Embiid got hurt in Game 3 of the first-round series versus the Brooklyn Nets and was originally diagnosed with a Grade 1 LCL sprain. However, further tests have shown that his knee is in worse condition and could keep him out of Game 1 of the Celtics series.

As Charania points out, Embiid has a history of playing through injuries, so there is still a chance that he could push to play versus Boston, considering how important every game is expected to be.  

Speaking with reporters last week, Philly’s head coach Doc Rivers also hinted that Embiid wouldn’t be on the court for Game 1.  

“I’ll say this, but if I was a betting man, I would probably say doubtful for at least Game 1. But we’ll see,” said Rivers.

Embiid is the favorite to walk away with the NBA MVP award after averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists during the regular season. He had a slow start to the postseason but still managed to do enough to help the 76ers sweep the Nets in the first round.

The post Joel Embiid’s Knee Injury is More Serious Than 76ers Expected appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Many believed that the Cavs would find a way to prolong the series, facing a 1-3 deficit in the series and playing in front of the home crowd. However, the Knicks were the more aggressive team from the get-go, building a 10-point lead at the half.

Cleveland attempted a comeback on several occasions in the third and fourth quarters, but each time the Knicks found ways to make stops at the right moment or responded offensively to keep the lead intact.

Jalen Brunson delivered another great performance, scoring 23 points and adding four rebounds and four assists. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley added 21 points and 19 points, respectively.

Donovan Mitchell had 28 points, seven boards, and five assists for the Cavaliers, but struggled from beyond the arc, going 3 of 12. Darius Garland followed with 21 points and four assists.

The New York Knicks will now face the Miami Heat in the semi-finals, possibly doing so without one of their main players. The Knicks’ star forward Julius Randle rolled his ankle late in the first half and didn’t return to the game after. The full extent of his injury remains unknown. 

The post NY Knicks Make the East Semi-Finals for the First Time Since 2013 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jimmy Butler proved to be a standout player on the night, scoring 42 points to secure a 128-126 overtime win for Miami in Game 5 of the first-round series. This comes after the small forward scored a colossal 56 points in Game 4.

Miami proved to be on the back foot for much of the game, and while the team managed to control more of the ball than it did in Game 4, the team had to claw their way back from a 22-6 deficit in the fourth quarter.

The Heat is set to face the New York Knicks in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 takes place on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

The post Miami Heat Sends Milwaukee Bucks Crashing Out of NBA Playoffs appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Warriors trailed at the half of Game 4 by four points but delivered their signature third-quarter barrage that saw them build a 10-point lead to start the final period. The Kings made a strong comeback effort in the fourth, and got within one point with 30 seconds left on the clock thanks to a curios mistake by Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

Curry called a timeout after being double-teamed, forgetting that head coach Steven Kerr used all of his timeouts. Sacramento’s Malik Monk made the technical free-throw before De’Aaron Fox drilled a three-pointer for 125-126.

The Kings played great defense on the following possession to get the ball back and set themselves up for a potential game-winning shot. Still, they couldn’t seal the deal as Harrison Barnes missed his three-point attempt as the clock expired.

The Warriors were led by the “Splash Brothers,” seeing Curry score 32 points and Klay Thompson go for 26. Fox had 38 points for the Kings while rookie Keegan Murray added 23 points and seven rebounds.

The series now returns to Sacramento for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The post Warriors Survive Kings Comeback Attempt in Game 4 to Tie the Series at 2-2 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.