NBA playoffs: Spurs' Wembanyama named top rookie; champion Nuggets down 2-0
Victor Wembanyama had a year like no rookie in NBA history.
Others scored more points, others grabbed more rebounds, others had more blocks, others made more steals. But never had there been a player who, in Year 1 of his career, posted all these averages – at least 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
Until now.
The long-expected result became reality on Monday, when the Spurs' star from France was announced as the NBA's rookie of the year. He's the third San Antonio player to win the award, joining David Robinson in 1990 and Tim Duncan in 1998 – both of whom, like Wembanyama, were No. 1 overall picks and instantly anointed as centers who would lead the Spurs to greatness.
Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren and Charlotte's Brandon Miller were the other finalists for the award.
“Leading rookies in most categories and leading the league in blocks, I’m pretty proud of this,” Wembanyama said when the season ended.
Wembanyama became the first international winner of the award since Dallas’ Luka Doncic in 2019 and the fifth such winner in the last 10 seasons. Andrew Wiggins (Canada) won in 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic) won in 2016, Ben Simmons (Australia) won in 2018 and Doncic followed the next season.
Wembanyama became just the fourth player, and first rookie, to finish a season with at least 1,500 points, 250 assists and 250 blocked shots. The others: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it five times, Hakeem Olajuwon did it twice and Robinson did it twice. Nobody had done it since 1993-94, when Olajuwon and Robinson both had such a season.
The rookie award may be the start of a big week for Wembanyama, who will be in the top three finishers for Defensive Player of the Year as well. That award gets announced Tuesday, with Minnesota's Rudy Gobert and Miami's Bam Adebayo the other finalists.
The NBA will reveal the MVP – either Denver's Nikola Jokic, Dallas' Luka Doncic or Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – on Wednesday.
NBA rookie of the year award
2024 — Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio
2023 — Paolo Banchero, Orlando
2022 — Scottie Barnes, Toronto
2021 — LaMelo Ball, Charlotte
2020 — Ja Morant, Memphis
2019 — Luka Doncic, Dallas
2018 — Ben Simmons, Philadelphia
2017 — Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee
2016 — u-Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota
2015 — Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota
2014 — Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia
2013 — u-Damian Lillard, Portland
2012 — Kyrie Irving, Cleveland
2011 — u-Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers
2010 — Tyreke Evans, Sacramento
2009 — Derrick Rose, Chicago
2008 — Kevin Durant, Seattle
2007 — Brandon Roy, Portland
2006 — Chris Paul, New Orleans
2005 — Emeka Okafor, Charlotte
2004 — LeBron James, Cleveland
2003 — Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix
2002 — Pau Gasol, Memphis
2001 — Mike Miller, Orlando
2000 — Elton Brand, Chicago, and Steve Francis, Houston
NBA champ Nuggets down 2-0
Denver — The Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, overpowered the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in a stunningly efficient 106-80 thrashing of the reigning but reeling NBA champions.
“We’ve had some really good defensive efforts this year,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said after his team took a surprising 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. “That has to be right up there with the best of them."
The Wolves held Denver to an ugly 29-of-83 shooting night, and the most impressive thing about that was the absence of their best defender, 7-foot-1 center Rudy Gobert, who was back in Minneapolis for the birth of his son.
Gobert's fingerprints were all over this masterpiece, Finch suggested.
“Rudy's driven the defensive culture here. I think it's a testament to his impact, his presence and what he's infused into the team of how important defense is and how great it can be when we play it," Finch said. “That aside, we expect to win no matter who's with us and who's not.”
Towns and Edwards both scored 27 points as the Wolves improved to 6-0 in the playoffs and gave themselves a chance to close out the fuming Nuggets with wins Friday night and Sunday in Minneapolis.
So flustered were the Nuggets by the second quarter that coach Michael Malone threw a fit at an official and scuffling point guard Jamal Murray threw a heat pack onto the court in frustration as Towns was about to score on a layup.
Malone said he had no idea it was Murray who tossed the heat pack, saying, “I knew a heating pack was on the floor, but it was not in my field of vision."
Nor did the officials see him throw it, added crew chief Marc Davis.
“We weren’t aware it had come from the bench. If we would have been aware it came from the bench, we could have reviewed it under the hostile act trigger. The penalty would have been a technical foul,” Davis told a pool reporter.
Finch said he knew only that the heat pack had come from the Nuggets' bench.
“We tried to impress upon (the officials) that there's probably not many fans in the building that have a heat pack. So, it probably had to come from the bench, which they found logical," Finch said. "But yeah, it's inexcusable and dangerous.”
Murray, who has shot 9 for 32 in this series, left Ball Arena without comment for the second straight game. He is likely to be fined by the NBA for his actions.
Aaron Gordon led Denver with 20 points, Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 16 rebounds but their third-leading scorer was sub Justin Holliday with 13 points. Murray scored eight points on 3-of-18 shooting.
Knicks 121, Pacers 117
New York — Jalen Brunson doesn't go into a game aiming to score 40 points more consistently than anyone in the postseason since Michael Jordan.
He only cares about winning games, so a late defensive stop is just as important to him as any of his shots.
“The little things can go a long way,” Brunson said. “So yeah, the 40 points are cool and all, but it’s the little things that help us win games like that. So I’m just happy to have the group of guys that I do.”
And the New York Knicks are sure thrilled to have him.
Brunson scored 43 points, becoming the fourth player in NBA history with four straight 40-point games in the postseason, and the Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 121-117 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Brunson had 21 in the fourth quarter, rallying the Knicks after they trailed by nine early in the period, and joined Hall of Famers Jerry West, who had six consecutive 40-point games in the postseason, and Michael Jordan and Bernard King (both with four). Jordan did it in the 1993 NBA Finals.
Donte DiVincenzo hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining and scored 25 for the Knicks, who opened the second round with the type of close finish that their first-round victory over Philadelphia was full of.
The Pacers then cut it to one, but Myles Turner was called for an offensive foul when DiVincenzo ran into him.
“I just think the way they work, they’ve invested a lot into this season and they put a lot into each and every day,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So, when you make that commitment to each other, you’re not going to give in, you’re going to keep fighting. And that’s the great fight. We know we’re short-handed. So, that’s our way.”
Josh Hart added a playoff career-high 24 points and added 13 rebounds and eight assists.
The No. 2-seeded Knicks will host Game 2 on Wednesday.
Celtics the team to beat
One of the things Celtics forward Jaylen Brown remembers about his time inside the NBA’s Florida bubble in 2020 during the pandemic was his random sightings of Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell, then with the Utah Jazz, seemed to pop up in the common spaces of the bubble at the same time as Brown. It led to humorous fodder on social media between the pair and helped form a friendship between the young stars that continues today.
But none of that is on Brown’s mind this week as the East’s top-seeded Celtics prepare to open their second-round series with Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Ain’t no friends in the playoffs,” Brown said. “You’ve just got to get ready to play. That’s all I have to say on that.”
Mitchell, who also calls Boston All-Star Jayson Tatum a friend, said he stopped talking to them when the bracket was finalized.
“It’s all competition and I expect nothing but the best from them and vice versa,” he said. “And we got to go out there and take care of business in a hostile environment. … It’s going to be fun. And I’m excited.”
After dispatching the Miami Heat in five games in the first round, Boston will open Game 1 of its series with Cleveland on Tuesday night as heavy favorites, according to BetMGM.
The Celtics will be getting a Cavaliers team playing on just a day’s rest following a Game 7 win over Orlando in which they rallied from an 18-point deficit to advance.
That game saw Mitchell score 39 points, boosting his scoring average to 28.7 points this postseason. It includes a 50-point performance in Game 6 against the Magic. After not seeing Miami’s Jimmy Butler in the opening round, Mitchell will be the first dynamic scorer Boston has faced this postseason.
Cleveland's resiliency came on the heels of a regular season that saw the Cavs have a 23-5 stretch before the All-Star break before finishing the season 12-17. It featured a swath of injuries, including a nagging left knee issue for Mitchell. Starting center and defensive anchor Jarrett Allen also missed the final three games of the Magic series with a painful rib injury.
Before getting hurt, Allen had been arguably Cleveland’s steadiest and most durable player since November. He missed five games to open the year before playing in 77 straight while averaging a career-high 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
Allen is questionable for Game 1, with reserve big man Dean Wade ruled out with a sprained right knee.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes he saw his team’s true identity during their Game 7 win over Orlando.
“This group in particular has been through so much this year, a group who’s been left for dead multiple times by a lot of people this year,” he said. “For them to come together in this moment and figure it out, it’s more about the group than me. We’re most proud of that, but we’re not done."
For the Celtics, 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis is also out for the series opener as he continues to rehab from the strained right calf that caused him to miss the finale of the Heat series.
While Allen seems likely to return at some point in this series, Porzingis could be out most, if not all, of this round.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said his team is ready to adjust as needed, just like it did to close out Miami.
“It really doesn’t matter what situation we’re in, what matters is making sure we’re ready to play,” Mazzulla said.
Thunder, Mavs feature matchup of MVP finalists
Two young MVP finalists will square off when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and No. 1 seed Oklahoma City face Luka Doncic and No. 5 seed Dallas in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The series matching the high-scoring 25-year-olds begins Tuesday.
Doncic led the league in scoring this season at 33.9 points per game. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound guard averaged 29.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.5 assists in six first-round games against the Los Angeles Clippers.
He also has way more playoff experience than Gilgeous-Alexander, having led the Mavs to the Western Conference finals two years ago. The Thunder are coming off their first playoff series win since 2016.
“He is who he is for a reason,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “No one guy slows him down.”
Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort, one of the league’s best defensive wing players, will guard Doncic most of the time. While Doncic often overpowers opponents, Dort is solid at 6-4 and 220 pounds.
“He plays hard at all times,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “Dort is one that’s going to compete when he’s on the floor. That’s how he came in the league, and that’s how he’s still playing. Until he leaves the league, he’s going to play hard. He understands his defense has caused a problem in this league. He plays hard for the time that he’s out on the floor. … He knows no other way.”
Jalen Williams and rookie Cason Wallace also likely will get some of the work guarding Doncic. Rookie Chet Holmgren, a 7-1 center, will be waiting to help. Those players helped the Thunder finish the season fourth in the league in defensive rating and third in opponent field goal percentage.
“We have some some dogs that we have a lot of confidence in and we have a team behind those guys," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “They’re not on an island against a player like him. … We all have to be locked in. But we’re going to depend on our guys.”
Gilgeous-Alexander finished third in the league at 30.1 points per game, and he shot 53.5% from the field. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 27.3 points in the Thunder's first-round sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans.
“He’s one of the best young players in this league and so he puts a lot of pressure on your defense,” Kidd said. “Everyone’s going to get a chance to guard him.”
Gilgeous-Alexander attacks the paint relentlessly, often finishing at awkward angles in traffic. Dallas center Dereck Lively II said the goal is to make him uncomfortable.
“It’s just going to be able to try to show him a crowd, trying to make sure we know his spots and trying to get him off of his spots,” Lively said. “He’s going to make tough shots. He’s going to make crazy shots.”
Dallas center Daniel Gafford said slowing Gilgeous-Alexander will require discipline and teamwork.
“Don’t fall for pump fakes and stay out of foul trouble,” Gafford said. “Trying to do our best trying to protect the basket against guys that predominantly always go down to the basket, try to finish around the rim. Communication is key.”
Mavs extend coach Kidd's contract
Jason Kidd found a groove with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving a season after a chaotic ending to the first two months together for the Dallas superstars.
The Mavericks coach has his team advancing in the playoffs for the second time in his three years in charge, and the 51-year-old now has a contract extension to go with it.
Kidd signed a multiyear deal Monday, the day before Dallas opens a second-round playoff series against Oklahoma City. The Mavs moved on by beating the Los Angeles Clippers in six games.
A year ago, Dallas missed the playoffs after reaching the 2022 Western Conference finals in Kidd's debut as coach for the team he helped win a championship as a point guard in 2011.
The blockbuster trade for Irving in February 2023 wasn't the catalyst the Mavs hoped for another postseason run. Instead, the team tanked at the end of the regular season to try to preserve a draft pick, even when there were still mathematical hopes of qualifying for the play-in tournament.
Kidd was the front man for all the tough questions in the final days of the regular season, and got a vote of confidence from then-owner Mark Cuban. Dallas kept the draft pick, and first-rounder Dereck Lively II had a significant impact as a rookie center.
“Last year, we learned a lot about character, about the team,” Kidd said. “At the time, everyone had their opinion. But understanding what the plan is internally, I thought we executed the plan. Being calm and not losing your mind or being offended of what others say turned out to be the right thing.”
Eastern Conference
Second round
Indiana vs. New York
(Knicks lead 1-0)
▶ Game 1: New York 121-117
▶ Game 2: Wednesday @ New York, 8
▶ Game 3: Friday @ Indiana, 7
▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Indiana, 3:30
▶ Game 5: May 14 at New York, TBA
▶ Game 6: May 17 @ Indiana, TBA
▶ Game 7: May 19 @ New York, TBA
Boston vs. Cleveland
▶ Game 1: Tuesday @ Boston, 7
▶ Game 2: Thursday @ Boston, 7
▶ Game 3: Saturday @ Cleveland, 8:30
▶ Game 4: Monday @ Cleveland, 7
▶ Game 5: May 15 @ Boston, TBA
▶ Game 6: May 17 @ Cleveland, TBA
▶ Game 7: May 19 @ Boston, TBA
Western Conference
Denver vs. Minnesota
(Timberwolves lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Minnesota 106-99
▶ Game 2: Minnesota 106-90
▶ Game 3: Friday @ Minnesota, TBA
▶ Game 4: Sunday @ Minnesota, TBA
▶ Game 5: Tuesday, May 14 @ Denver, TBA
▶ Game 6: Thursday, May 16 @ Minnesota, TBA
▶ Game 7: Sunday, May 19 @ Denver, TBA
Oklahoma City vs. Dallas
▶ Game 1: Tuesday @ Oklahoma City, 9:30
▶ Game 2: Thursday @ Oklahoma City, 9:30
▶ Game 3: Saturday @ Dallas, 3:30
▶ Game 4: Monday @ Dallas, 9:30
▶ Game 5: May 15 @ Oklahoma City, TBA
▶ Game 6: May 18 @ Dallas, TBA
▶ Game 7: May 20 @ Oklahoma City, TBA
Eastern Conference
First round
Milwaukee vs. Indiana
(Indiana wins 4-2)
▶ Game 1: Milwaukee 109-94
▶ Game 2: Indiana 125-108
▶ Game 3: Indiana 121-118 (OT)
▶ Game 4: Indiana 126-113
▶ Game 5: Milwaukee 115-92
▶ Game 6: Indiana 120-98
Boston vs. Miami
(Celtics win 4-1)
▶ Game 1: Boston 114, Miami 94
▶ Game 2: Miami 111, Boston 101
▶ Game 3: Boston 104, Miami 84
▶ Game 4: Boston 102, Miami 88
▶ Game 5: Boston 118-84
Cleveland vs. Orlando
(Cavaliers win 4-3)
▶ Game 1: Cleveland 97, Orlando 83
▶ Game 2: Cleveland 96, Orlando 86
▶ Game 3: Orlando 121, Cleveland 83
▶ Game 4: Orlando 112, Cleveland 89
▶ Game 5: Cleveland 104, Orlando 103
▶ Game 6: Orlando 103, Cleveland 96
▶ Game 7: Cleveland 106-94
New York vs. Philadelphia
(Knicks win 4-2)
▶ Game 1: New York 111-104
▶ Game 2: New York 104-101
▶ Game 3: Philadelphia 125-114
▶ Game 4: New York 97-92
▶ Game 5: Philadelphia 112-106
▶ Game 6: New York 118-115
Western Conference
L.A. Clippers vs. Dallas
(Mavericks win 4-2)
▶ Game 1: L.A. Clippers 109-97
▶ Game 2: Dallas 96-93
▶ Game 3: Dallas 101-90
▶ Game 4: L.A. Clippers 116-111
▶ Game 5: Dallas 123-93
▶ Game 6: Dallas 114, L.A. Clippers 101
▶ Game 7: Sunday @ L.A. Clippers, TBA
Denver vs. L.A. Lakers
(Nuggets win 4-1)
▶ Game 1: Denver 114-103
▶ Game 2: Denver 101-99
▶ Game 3: Denver 112-105
▶ Game 4: L.A. Lakers 119-108
▶ Game 5: Denver 108-106
Oklahoma City vs. New Orleans
(Thunder wins 4-0)
▶ Game 1: Oklahoma City 94-92
▶ Game 2: Oklahoma City 124-92
▶ Game 3: Oklahoma City 106-85
▶ Game 4: Oklahomas City 97-89
Minnesota vs. Phoenix
(Timberwolves win 4-0)
▶ Game 1: Minnesota 120-95
▶ Game 2: Minnesota 105-93
▶ Game 3: Minnesota 126-109
▶ Game 4: Minnesota 122-116