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*NBA (2)*

National Basketball Association
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Jokic ties Wilt with 3rd triple-double on perfect FG shooting

Nikola Jokic was perfect from the field and free throw line, finishing with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets posted their highest point total of the season in a 142-105 win over the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. Jokic was 11-for-11 from the field, hit his only 3-point try and went 3-for-3 from the line. The performance followed another near-perfect outing after he converted all 18 free throws Monday in a 120-114 win over the Golden State Warriors.

It was Jokic's third career triple-double on 100% field goal percentage -- matching Wilt Chamberlain for the most such games all-time, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He also equaled Chamberlain's shot clock-era record of twice recording a 25-point triple-double with 100% field goal shooting, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Overall, it was the 116th regular-season triple-double of Jokic's career, and that ranks fourth in NBA history and 22 behind Magic Johnson for third place. Russell Westbrook tops the list with 198, and Oscar Robertson has 181.

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2023-24 NBA Standings | Conference
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Leaders
Eastern Conference
No.1: Boston | 26 - 6
No.2: Milwaukee | 24 - 8
No.3: Philadelphia | 22 - 10
No.4: Miami |19 - 13
No.5: Orlando | 19 - 13
No.6: Cleveland | 18 - 14
No.7: Indiana |17 - 14
No.8: New York |18 - 15
No.9: Brooklyn | 15 - 18
No.10: Chicago |15 - 19

Western Conference

Leaders
No.1: Minnesota | 24 - 8
No.2: Oklahoma City | 22 - 9
No.3: Denver | 23 - 11
No.4: LA Clipper | 19 - 12
No.5: Sacramento | 19 - 12
No.6: Dallas | 19 - 14
No.7: New Orleans | 19 - 14
No.8: Phoenix | 17 - 15
No.9: Los Angeles Lakers | 17 - 17
No.10: Houston | 15 - 15

2023-24 NBA Standings | Division
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Leaders
Eastern Conference
Atlantic: Boston | 26 - 6 | #1
Central: Milwaukee | 24 - 8 | #2
Southeast: Miami | 19 - 13 | #4...Orlando | 19 -13 | #5

Western Conference

Leaders
Northwest: Minnesota | 19 - 12 | #1
Pacific: LA Clippers | 19 - 12 | #4...Sacramento | 19 - 12 | #5
Southwest: Dallas | 19 - 14 | #6...New Orleans | 19 - 14 | #7
 
NBA Stat Leaders | Players | 2023-24
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Offensive Leaders
Points: J. Embiid, Philadelphia | 35.0 ppg
Assist: T. Haliburton, Indiana | 12.8 apg

3-Pointers Made: S. Curry, Golden State | 4.7 3pmpg

Defensive Leaders
Rebounds: N. Jokic, Denver | 12.7 rpg
Blocks: V. Wembanyama, San Antonio | 3.1 bpg
Steals: S. Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City | 2.6 spg

NBA Stat Leaders | Team | 2023-24
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Offensive Leaders
Points: Indiana | 126.6 ppg
Field Goal %: Indiana | 50.9
Points Differential: Boston | +10.5


Defensive Leaders
Points Allowed: Minnesota | 107.4 papg
Rebounds: Boston...Golden State | 47.3 rpg
Blocks: Oklahoma City...Indiana - 6.6 bpg
 

Draymond Green ejected again for flagrant 2 on Jusuf Nurkic

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from Tuesday night's 119-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns after receiving a flagrant foul 2 for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the head. The ejection is his third of the season, and he now will have to await a league review for the possibility of another suspension. Green was ejected with 8:23 left in the third quarter after he swung and hit Nurkic in the head while defending him. At first, while Green's back was turned to Nurkic, he repeatedly held Nurkic off him. Eventually, Green turned and hit Nurkic in the head with his hand. Officials deemed the foul a flagrant 2 after a video review.



Green's three ejections are tied for his most in a season. His first came after he picked up two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 11. His second came against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 14 when he put Rudy Gobert in a headlock. The NBA suspended Green for five games after the latter incident, with the league citing Green's history as a repeat offender for the length of the suspension.

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Draymond Green Attends LeBron James' Birthday Party Amid Indefinite Suspension
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LeBron James enlisted his most famous friends like Jay-Z, Beyonce and Anthony Davis to celebrate his birthday in Los Angeles on Monday ... but there was one guy on the guest list who was a bit of a surprise -- suspended Warriors star Draymond Green. The King -- whose special day was on Dec. 30 -- hosted his buds at Hyde Sunset for his 39th trip around the sun and there appeared to be a fun theme for the night, as A.D. and Draymond showed up in flashy outfits. Green -- who hasn't played since his Dec. 12 incident with Phoenix Suns center Jusef Nurkic appeared to be in great spirits as he entered the venue alongside Davis, who was rocking an iconic 'fro. Of course, Draymond is getting help during his time away from the team ... with reports saying he is seeking counseling before suiting up for the Dubs again. Other big names in attendance included Don Cheadle, 2 Chainz and Bronny James ... so we're sure it was a night to remember.

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Ricky Rubio ends NBA career; Cavs agree to buyout, sources say


After stepping away from the franchise to address his mental health, guard Ricky Rubio announced Thursday that he is ending his 12-year NBA career. Rubio, 33, addressed his decision in a post on social media, writing that July 30 -- shortly before he first put his playing career on hold -- "was one of the toughest nights of my life" but adding that he is doing better. Rubio missed most of the past two seasons recovering from a torn ACL -- the second of his career. He played 33 games last season, joining the team at midseason and averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 assists per game. He played professional basketball as a teenager in Spain, where he became the youngest player in the history of the prestigious Spanish ACB League at 14 years old. Rubio was the fifth pick in the 2009 NBA draft, by the Timberwolves, and he played for Minnesota the first six years of his career.

For his career, Rubio averaged 10.8 points and 7.4 assists per game, and he built a reputation as one of the favorite teammates of several star players, including Kevin Love and Donovan Mitchell.

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LeBron, Giannis both top 2 million to lead All-Star voting


Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the first round of All-Star voting in results released by the NBA on Thursday afternoon.

Joining Antetokounmpo atop the East frontcourt voting was Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (1.84 million votes) in second and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (1.77 million) in third. They had a commanding lead over Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (767,913) in fourth and Celtics forward Javin Brown (426,589) in fifth.

Joining James in the Weat was, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (1.81 million) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (1.64 million) being the conference's only frontcourt players with more than 1 million votes. Lakers center Anthony Davis (988,255) was fourth, while LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (669,320) was fifth.

The next round of All-Star voting will be released Jan. 11. Earlier this season, the NBA announced that it would be going back to the old format of East vs. West for the All-Star Game, scrapping the format of captains picking teams it has used since 2018.

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sources: draymond green to rejoin warriors on sunday after reinstatement
Green will return to the Warriors' practice facility Sunday after being away from the team while serving the suspension, sources said.The league proposed that the path toward reinstatement be centered around counseling after a string of on-court incidents involving Green. A few weeks before hitting Nurkic, Green put Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold. Green lost a total of just under $2 million while serving the suspension, saving Golden State nearly $9 million on their projected luxury tax bill, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.


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The Warriors have gone 7-5 during Green's 12 games away from the team. Overall, Golden State is 10-10 this season when Green hasn't been available (due to injury or suspension) and is 7-8 in his 15 games played.
 
nba power rankings: clippers and kawhi surge, as knicks make run in east
We're about a month away from the 2024 NBA trade deadline (Feb. 8, 3 p.m. ET), and things are starting to heat up around the league. As trade deadline rumblings start to get louder throughout the month'

Top-5
No.1: Boston (28-8)

Even after a couple of close losses to the Thunder and Pacers in the past two weeks, Boston still ranks second in the league in offense and defense and has a healthy lead in net rating at plus-10.4 points per 100 possessions. All the while, the Celtics have had a rotating cast of characters in and out of the lineup because of injuries. The next week sees Boston host its counterparts atop the West in the Timberwolves, as well as the return of former coach Ime Udoka with the Rockets on Saturday.
No.2: Denver (26-12)
When Nikola Jokic does something eye-popping, it's typically some statistical feat that hasn't been done since Wilt Chamberlian's playing days. On Sunday, Jokic took just three shots and scored only four points but had 16 assists and five blocks, becoming just the third player with at least 15 assists and five blocks in a game since blocks became an official stat in 1973-74, joining Jamaal Tinsley and Jalen Rose. Denver has won 12 of its past 15 games but will play on the road in six of its next eight, including a five-game East Coast swing. The Nuggets' record is just 11-8 away from Denver. -- Youngmisuk
No.3: Minnesota (26-10)
The Timberwolves remain atop the West with the second-best record in the NBA, but their lead over the Thunder and Nuggets has dwindled to one game. The Wolves dropped three of their past five games heading into a back-to-back against a pair of Eastern Conference contenders. After defeating the Magic on Tuesday night, they'll have a showdown with the Celtics on Wednesday
No.4: Oklahoma City (24-11)
Chet Holmgren had his third 30-point performance of the season in Monday's win over the Wizards, and he has shot better than 60% from the floor in all of them. Holmgren has surprised many scouts and coaches around the league by instantly establishing himself as an efficient and effective scoring complement to MVP candidat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Holmgren is averaging 17.8 points while shooting 55.1% from the floor and 40.9% from 3-point range. No rookie has ever averaged that many points with an effective field goal percentage as high as Holmgren's (62.4)
No.5: Milwaukee (25-12)
Milwaukee has dropped four of its past five games, avoiding a losing streak with a narrow victory over San Antonio last week. The Bucks' defense ranks 25th since the start of the month, causing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to blast the team's effort on that end after a loss to the Rockets over the weekend. The next three games will be a test, as the Bucks host Boston, Golden State and Sacramento.
 
2023-24 NBA Standings - Conference
Leaders
Eastern Conference
No.1: Boston (28 - 8)
No.2: Milwaukee (25 - 12)
No.3: Philadelphia (23 - 12)
No.4: New York (22 - 15)
No.5: Miami (21 - 15)
No.6: Indiana (21 - 15)
No.7: Cleveland (21 - 15)
No.8: Orlando (21 - 16)
No.9: Chicago (17 - 21)
No.10: Brooklyn (16 - 21)
Western Conference
No.1: Minnesota (26 - 10)
No.2: Oklahoma City (24 - 11)
No.3: Denver (26 - 12)
No.4: LA Clippers (23 - 13)
No.5: Sacramento (22 - 14)
No.6: New Orleans (22 - 15)
No.7: Dallas (22 - 16)
No.8: Houston (18 - 17)
No.9: Phoenix (19 - 18)
No.10: Los Angeles Lakers (19 - 19)

2023-24 NBA Standings - Division

Leaders
Eastern Conference
Atlantic: Boston (28 - 8)
Central: Milwaukee (25 - 12)
Southeast: Miami (21 -15)
Western Conference
Northwest: Minnesota (26 - 10)
Pacific: LA Clippers (23 - 13)
Southwest: New Orleans (22 - 15)
 
NBA Stat Leaders (Players): 2023-2024
Offensive Leaders
Points: J. Embiid, Philadelphia - 34.6 ppg
Assist: T. Haliburton, Indiana - 12.5 apg
3-Pointers Made: S. Curry, Golden State - 4.6 3pmpg

Defensive Leaders
Rebounds: D. Sabonis, Sacramento - 12.8 rpg
Blocks: V. Wembanyama, San Antonio - 3.3 bpg
Steals: S. Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City - 2.4 spg

NBA Stat Leaders - (Team): 2023-2024

Offensive leaders
Points: Indiana - 127.0 ppg
Field Goal %: Indiana - 51.0
Points Differential: Boston - +10.4 pdpg
Defensive Leaders
Points Allowed: Minnesota - 107.2
Rebounds: Boston- 47.6 rpg
Blocks: Oklahoma City - 6.5 bpg
 

Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James lead NBA All-Star voting


Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James continue to lead All-Star voting ahead of next month's All-Star Game, as the two stars were atop the second round of voting that was released Thursday by the NBA. Like last week, Antetokounmpo and James also were way ahead of the rest of the field. Antetokounmpo was the leading vote-getter overall, with over 3.4 million people voting for the Bucks star, while James was the only other player to top more than 3 million votes.

Joining Giannis Antetokounmpo atop the East frontcourt voting for a second straight week were 76ers center Joel Embiid (2.975 million votes) in second and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (2.939 million) in third. Jimmy Butler and Jaylen Brown remain a distant fourth and fifth, respectively. It was a similar story out West, with LeBron James, followed by Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (2.777 million) and Suns forward Kevin Durant (2.773 million), nearly double the vote totals of Anthony Davis and newly extended Kawhi Leonard, who remained fourth and fifth.

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pistons trade marvin bagley III to wizards
Bagley averaged 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds on 59.1% shooting in 18.4 minutes per game this season for the Pistons. He had been limited in his minutes under new coach Monty Williams but was productive during his opportunities. Detroit (3-36) and Wshington (7-31) are in the bottom two spots in the Eastern Conference standings.


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The Detroit Pistons traded forwards Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers and two future second-round draft picks to the Wasjington Wizards for Danilo Galinari and Mike Muscala, Washington announced on Sunday. The deal unloads $12.5 million in Bagley's guaranteed money for 2024-25 off the books for the Pistons. The Wizards land second-round picks in 2025 and 2026 to take on the salary.


sources: draymond green planning to return vs. grizzlies
Green missed 12 games while serving an indefinite suspension that began Dec. 13, and four more while he ramped up after his reinstatement Jan. 7. The Warriors went 8-8 during that span. After spending his entire suspension away from the team, Green returned to the Warriors' facilities last Sunday.
 

NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Can anyone keep up with Chet and Wemby?​


We're at the midpoint of the NBA season, which is typically when we hear about players starting to hit the fabled "rookie wall." However, the stars at the top of this year's rookie class show no signs of slowing down Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, recently recorded his first career triple-double, needing just 21 minutes of game action to do so. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft, is shooting 71.4% over his past three games, all Thunder wins. And they're not the only rookies making noise in January. All season, ESPN's Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton will be checking in on first-year players -- including Holmgren, who is eligible for Rookie of the Year after missing his first season in the NBA due to injury -- and ranking their top 10.

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pacers acquire pascal siakam in trade with raptors, pelicans
Siakam, who has spent all eight of his NBA seasons with Toronto, is averaging 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season.


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The Pacers, who are No. 6 in the Eastern Conference standings, are the NBA's highest-scoring team this season. Siakam is going from Toronto, which ranks first in the league in fast-break points per game, to Indiana, which is No. 2.

warriors game vs. mavs postponed after dejan milojević
Milojević, 46, died Wednesday in Salt Lake City after being hospitalized the night before when he suffered a heart attack. The Warriors' game scheduled for Wednesday against the Utah Jazz was also postponed prior to the announcement that Milojević had died. No date has been announced to make up either postponed game.[/size]

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Milojević was in his third season with the Warriors and was part of the team's 2022 NBA championship. He was a three-time MVP in the Adriatic League before coaching in Serbia,
 
nba's 65-game rule affect mvp race; it could also cost players milliona
The league's rule, put in place in early October as part of the push to curb load management, states players will be all but certain to be ineligible for major individual awards -- Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA honors among them -- if they fail to play in at least 65 games.



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The 65-game rule accounts for just under 80% of the 82-game regular season. Along with the in-season tournament and the larger player participation policy, it was designed to put more emphasis on the regular season and to encourage teams to play their elite players more often.
 

Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson suspended by NBA for 25 games​

Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson was suspended 25 games without pay by the NBA on Tuesday for violating the league's anti-drug policy. According to the league, Thompson, 32, tested positive for ibutamoren, which is a growth hormone, and SARM LGD-4033, commonly used by bodybuilders and weightlifters for muscle enhancement. Thompson will begin serving his suspension Wednesday when the Cavs play the first of two games in three days at the Milwaukee Bucks. He'll be eligible to return on March 16 against the Houston Rockets. The Cavs, who have won eight straight games, re-signed him as a free agent before this season. He's averaging 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12 minutes.

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lebron,curry, embiid headline u.s.player pool for olympics
Looking to win a fifth consecutive Olympic gold in Paris this summer, against maybe the best international competition ever assembled, USA Basketball is hoping to lean on veterans and an important newly naturalized American. Team USA finished out of the medals with a young team at the World Cup last summer.

bucks fire first-year head coach adrian griffen after 43 games
The Bucks are 30-13 and entered Tuesday night's games No. 2 in the Eastern Conference; that's the best winning percentage for a team that fired its head coach during a season since David Blatt with the Cavaliers in 2015-16. Griffin, 49, had spent 16 seasons as an NBA assistant, including the past five with the Toronto Raptors. That followed a nine-year NBA playing career.
 
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