Robinson makes eight 3s, Heat top Hawks 115-91 in Game 1
Duncan Robinson set a Miami playoff record with eight 3-pointers, and the Miami Heat forced Trae Young into matching the worst-shooting game of his career on the way to a 115-91 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series Sunday.
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Suns turn away late Hawks rally for a 117-110 victory
Atlanta Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari (8) fouls Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)PHOENIX – Devin Booker scored 21 points, Dario Saric added 20 and the Phoenix Suns held on in the final minutes to beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-110 on Tuesday night. The Suns have won six of their past seven games, while the Hawks have dropped four of five. “We got a rhythm, got some stops and got back into the game,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. Saric added a perfect baseline bounce pass to a cutting Torrey Craig, who dunked to put the Suns ahead 98-90 a few minutes later.
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LaMelo Ball becomes youngest NBA player with triple-double
Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) fouls Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – LaMelo Ball isn't wasting any time making an impact in the NBA. “I live my life and I know what I’m capable of, so stuff like doesn’t move me like that," Ball said. “I know that's supposed to happen.”Ball replaced Markelle Fultz as the youngest NBA player to record a triple-double by 177 days. He became only the fifth rookie in NBA history to record a triple-double and the first Hornets player to do it coming off the bench.
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Bucks lose 2022 2nd-round pick over early Bogdanovic talks
The trade fizzled as the NBA announced it was investigating whether the move had been agreed upon earlier than league rules allow. Bogdanovic, a restricted free agent, ended up signing with Atlanta when Sacramento chose to not match the Hawks’ four-year, $72 million offer sheet. Ilyasova was waived, but DiVincenzo and Wilson remain with the Bucks. NBA officials said they took into account several factors in the decision: the Bucks’ cooperation with the investigation; the Bucks ultimately not signing Bogdanovic; and the lack of evidence of an impermissible early agreement on contract terms. "We were fully cooperative with the league and we look forward to our season beginning on Wednesday,” the Bucks said Monday in a statement.
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'Explosive' Durant scores 15 in 1st preseason game with Nets
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) passes during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in New York. Durant played just under 24 minutes as Brooklyn beat the Washington Wizards 119-114 on Sunday night in its preseason opener. Durant scored 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting during that stretch while Irving scored 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting to help the Nets take a 30-18 lead. Late in the first half, Irving threw a long pass to Durant, whose reverse layup gave the Nets a 58-35 lead. Danilo Gallinari added 17 points and De’Andre Hunter added 15 for Atlanta, which made 17 3-pointers.
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Coaching can wait: Rondo plots future, but stays in present
For the first time in his long career, Rondo is the oldest guy on the team. “To be honest, I’ve been doing that for the last five or six years of my career,” Rondo said. I've been working to understand young talent, understand the (collective bargaining agreement). This is a young team with so much upside and versatility. ... We're on the the upswing for great things here in the city of Atlanta.”His future career can wait.
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AP Source: Bucks getting Holiday to play with Antetokounmpo
The Pelicans are getting Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and a package of future first-round draft picks from the Bucks, the person told The Associated Press. The Pelicans are getting Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and a package of future first-round draft picks from the Bucks, the person told The Associated Press. The trade of Holiday was the second blockbuster involving a point guard since the league allowed transactions to begin again Monday. Holiday is due to earn $25.4 million this season and holds a $26.3 million player option for next season. And it’s now almost certain that the Bucks will have to fill out their roster for this season with several minimum-salary players, since they’ll owe about $86 million to just Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday this season.
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Into the unknown: NBA teams face concerns outside of bubble
The other six clubs exit World Disney World the same way as tourists who normally pack the place. Now its back to the real world, and the real world in 2020 is an unsettling place. Uncertainty awaits at the end of every season for teams that miss the playoffs. The coronavirus pandemic forces teams to wonder whether they will be safe, and when or where they might be back together again. NBA teams have been shielded for a little while, but the Pelicans, Kings and Wizards, and soon more teams, have lost that now.
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Bogdanovic's career-high 35 lead Kings past Pelicans 140-125
The Kings shot 54%. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram each scored 24 points for the Pelicans. JJ Redick scored 18 points and Jrue Holiday added 17 for the Pelicans, who shot 57%. The Kings pulled even with the Pelicans in the standings and now are 2 1/2 games behind eighth-place Memphis with four games remaining. Kings: Shot 78% in the first quarter.

Team USA loses again at FIBA World Cup
With the loss, Team USA can finish no better than seventh -- making it the worst finish for the country in international tournament history. The previous worst was finishing sixth in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. It also assured the US men won't medal at a major international competition for this first time since the 2002 FIBA World Championship. But the Americans did that without many of the biggest NBA stars, as several of the top players in the league opted out of playing for the FIBA World Cup this summer. Team USA's final game in this year's World Cup will take place Saturday against either Poland or the Czech Republic in Beijing.