The Association: Dallas Mavericks

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2017 NBA All-Star Weekend Recap

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The East All-Stars have defeated the West All-Stars, 85-80, in an unusually low-scoring, tight game. Paul George was voted the All-Star MVP, finishing with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 6 steals. LeBron James double-doubled with 10 points and 13 boards.

All, but one star, could not suit up for the game as Jimmy Butler continued to nurse a shin injury that has sidelined him for the past few weeks. As a result, Jeremy Lin was selected as his replacement, making his first ever appearance, but only played 5 minutes in the game.

Anthony Davis was the leading man for the West All-Stars as he posted a double-double with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 steals.

The West All-Stars struggled mightily from the three-point line for much of the game, knocking down only 2 shots from 18 attempts. Despite the high turnovers from both teams, shooting contributed to the low scoring game, with the West shooting 36% while the East shot 42% from the field.

Box score

Spoiler

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The Rising Stars Challenge saw the Elites defeating the Stars, 113-91. Jahlil Okafor was named the MVP with 22 points on 10-13 shooting. For the Stars, D'Angelo Russell was the leading scorer with 22 points and 8 assists while Ben Simmons showed why he was last year's number one pick, racking up 14 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

Box score

Spoiler

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Dubbed the Finals rematch (Three-pointer edition), the contest saw the Warriors, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry, battle against the Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith, as well as featuring home-crowd, Buddy Hield.

In the end, it was Steph Curry that was the last man standing, earning his second trophy to his everlasting collection.

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In a replay of last year's Slam Dunk Contest Finals as well as featuring some exciting leapers in Andrew Wiggins and Marquese Chriss, it was Zach LaVine who was victorious, earning his third win and joining Nate Robinson as the only three-time champions in the history of the contest.

[vtcha]

Spurs remain undefeated, records 10 straight wins

February 23, 2017 | by NBA News

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Despite acquiring All-Star point guard, John Wall, at the trade deadline, it made no difference as the Spurs cruised past the Mavericks, 115-99, earning their 10th straight win and maintaining the best record in the league.

Dallas had no answers for San Antonio's hot shooting, led by Kawhi Leonard with 21 points, to go with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Pau Gasol posted a double-double with 20 points and 13 boards while Tony Parker facilitated the Spurs' offense, notching up 13 assists.

For Dallas, new acquisition, John Wall, led the team scoring with 20 points however it was evident that he still needed time to gel, with only 6 assists whilst turning over the ball 6 times. With limited practices as a result of the All-Star break, Rick Carlisle expects Wall to be much better next time. "Definitely a tough time for him but it was expected with the lack of practice we've had. He still needs time to learn our plays and understand where some of the guys like to catch the ball", Carlisle said after the game.

Box Score

Spoiler

[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Holy God on toast -- FOUR 1st rounders for John Wall? JOHN WALL?

I'm beside myself, this was an incredibly short-sighted move by Dallas (and, technically, they're not allowed to trade back-to-back team owned 1st rounders due to the Stepien Rule, but that's not enforced in the game). Wall is good -- hell, very good -- but, at best, he was worth their 2017 1st rounder unprotected and, maybe, a future first.

Dallas has gone all in on Wall but where is he getting help? The draft is a lost cause at this point with no picks, the roster is laden with veterans, Dwight Powell was traded away in this (underrated youngish-big) and your best young players are Barnes, Anderson (maybe? If he develops), and now Wall.

This trade could go down in history as one of the all-time great robberies; the Wizards won this hands down and even the T'Wolves didn't suffer too much.

Serious questions moving forward for the organization.

[GodOfNugget]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Four first round picks? That's so Mark Cuban that it's perfect. I bet it was finalized in a club or something.

I'm most excited to see how this trade looks in 2020 once all of the picks play out. That final trade map with four top talent young players heading to Washington and a 30-year old John Wall on Dallas will look interesting to say the least.

This also pretty much forces Dallas to swim in free agency or sink. Could this be a potential landing spot for Demarcus Cousins when he's up in 2018?

[vtcha]

I'm beside myself, this was an incredibly short-sighted move by Dallas (and, technically, they're not allowed to trade back-to-back team owned 1st rounders due to the Stepien Rule, but that's not enforced in the game). Wall is good -- hell, very good -- but, at best, he was worth their 2017 1st rounder unprotected and, maybe, a future first.

Oh damn, I was not aware of that rule - definitely will factor in for future reference!

It was so hard to trade for Wall even when I offered the picks, the CPU still declined despite setting the trade negotiation difficulty to 0. Anyway, I felt like I had to overpay in order to compensate for overriding the trade. Perhaps a bit overboard but considering Cuban's mentality of buying a team rather than building one, it felt somewhat right lol

This also pretty much forces Dallas to swim in free agency or sink. Could this be a potential landing spot for Demarcus Cousins when he's up in 2018?

You're absolutely right. With the lack of depth and limited trade assets, the success of the franchise will lay solely in free agency. Fortunately we do have some cap space to chase after guys as a result of trading away Powell as well as Dirk's contract coming off the books next season, but it definitely won't be a walk in the park.

[vtcha]

Hammons shines in Mavericks win over the Suns

March 9, 2017 | by NBA News

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The Dallas Mavericks might have found something in rookie, A.J. Hammons, who had a huge breakout game against Phoenix, helping the Mavs to a 106-102 victory.

Hammons, who was drafted 46th in the 2016 NBA Draft, saw extra minutes as a result of Dallas trading away Dwight Powell to Minnesota. He played down the stretch, even taking over starter, Andrew Bogut who also played well. Hammons had a career night with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. John Wall led the Mavs with 28 points and made some crucial steals late in the fourth, however, turnovers continue to be a problem as he accumulated 7 whilst only dishing out 6 assists. Future retiree, Dirk Nowitzki also hit two huge three-pointers to seal the deal and Dallas to their third win of the season.

For Phoenix, they simply could not stop fouling, finishing with 25 team fouls and sending Dallas to the line 44 times. Brandon Knight provided a spark off the bench with 21 points, and although Bledsoe dished out 12 assists, he simply did not have it going for him tonight, only shooting 4/17 from the field.

Box Score

Spoiler

[vtcha]

Kings come from behind and steal one on the road

March 16, 2017 | by NBA News

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Despite trailing for much of the game, Sacramento was able to hang in and sneak a victory, defeating the Mavericks, 104-101.

Rudy Gay was the leading scorer with 28 points. DeMarcus Cousins struggled in the first half but turned it on in the second half, scoring 16 of his 26 points, to go with 16 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

John Wall was much more effective in this game, posting his first double-double in a Mavs uniform, with 23 points, 12 assists and 3 turnovers. A.J. Hammons continued his impressive play, coming off the bench with 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. But it was Dallas' offense that let them down in the clutch as they started settling for jumpers and was ice cold, despite taking very make-able shots.

Box Score

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[vtcha]

Mavericks too hot to handle, defeat Trail Blazers, 115-103

March 23, 2017 | by NBA News

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Dallas came into the game as if their lives were at stake, knocking down 3 consecutive shots from three-point territory and led by double-digits after the first quarter.

John Wall was extremely efficient, making 10-12 shots whilst also containing Damian Lillard to just 12 points (5-19 FG). Rookie, A.J Hammons continued his stellar play, going perfect with 7-7 shooting, finishing with 19 points and 15 rebounds. It's looking more and more like the Mavs have found a gem in the young center, with owner, Mark Cuban comparing Hammons' development to Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat. Rick Carlisle also praised Hammons' efforts after the game, "He's still very raw, but at the same time, he's getting better with every game played. Our veterans have done a nice job honing the kid and we believe he is going to be a special kind of player."

With the Playoffs now out of the picture for Dallas, they still have one more game left in the season with all eyes on their longest serving tenured player, Dirk Nowitzki, who will play his last game at home when they host Oklahoma City. "It's going to be every emotional. I mean, from where I started you know, a scrawny 19 year old kid from Germany to playing 19 years in the NBA. I've never been more happy with how my career has played out and I'm going to try savor every moment as possible", Nowitzki addressed the media after the Portland game.

Dallas' season finale game will be on April 6 as Mavs Nation and fans around the league say farewell to Dirk Nowitzki.

Box Score

Spoiler

[The Ole Ball Coach]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

This is good stuff man! Keep it going!

[vtcha]

OKC spoils Nowitzki's final game, come back to win 102-94

April 6, 2017 | by Fran Blinebury

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There was no fairy-tale ending here as Russell Westbrook was having none of it, defeating the Dallas Mavericks and securing the number two seed in the West.

Despite only shooting 12-30 from the field, partly thanks to John Wall's suffocating defense, Westbrook was a thief tonight with 7 steals and coming big in the clutch. But he was not alone this time, with Steven Adams playing a huge part from letting the game get out of hands. He finished with 15 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 blocks, as the Thunder made a monstrous comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Mavs, 37-24.

For Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki started the game red hot, scoring 20 of his 29 points in the first half. The Thunder then made some adjustments in the second half, double-teaming Dirk whenever he touched the ball and basically forced him to some careless turnovers. With the game going right down to the wire, the game was settled with 15 seconds left on the clock. It was at that moment, the disappointment in fans turned into loud, roaring cheers and chants, as Dirk Nowitzki checked out of the game for the last time. Everyone was at their feet, including the entire OKC Thunder coaching staff and players.

For Dirk and Mavs fans, it wasn't more so about the win tonight, but rather, an appreciation and celebration of what Nowitzki has done for the city. It was a sellout crowd, yet again, at the American Airlines Center, with fans showing their support and gratitude.

Despite not going out on a win, Dirk was struggling to keep his emotions in check all night. "Yeah, definitely disappointing to not get the win but coming out every night to these fans, man, it's truly a blessing, and I'm so glad to have spent half my life in front these people. It really makes me appreciate what I have and how amazing and supportive these fans have been, I'm very grateful."

Nowitzki concludes his career with averages of 22.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, and 1353 games played, spanning over just 19 years in the league. He leaves behind an illustrious career full of achievements and awards:

• 1x NBA Champion
• 1x MVP
• 1x Finals MVP
• 13x All-Star
• 4x 1st Team All-NBA
• 5x 2nd Team All-NBA
• 3x 3rd Team All-NBA

Asked what he will do now that his basketball career is over, Nowitzki jokingly replied, "Oh man, perhaps now I can finally start living and be a normal person without all these crazy travelling schedules. But I'll definitely take an extended break for now. Who knows, maybe I'll be back in the NBA taking over Cuban's job."

Box Score

Spoiler

[LopaKa]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

It's going to be a sad day in real life when he hangs up his sneakers. Glad to see him drop nearly 30 in his final game. Excited to see what's next for Dallas, hopefully that trade won't come back to bite you.

[vtcha]

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2016-17 End of Season Report

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Division Standings

SOUTHWEST	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
San Antonio Spurs	12	2	0.0	4-0	12-2
Memphis Grizzlies	9	5	3.0	2-2	9-5
New Orleans Pelicans	7	7	5.0	3-1	7-7
Houston Rockets	6	8	6.0	1-3	6-8
Dallas Mavericks	4	10	8.0	0-4	4-10

Conference Standings

WESTERN CONFERENCE	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
1. San Antonio Spurs	12	2	-	4-0	12-2
2. Oklahoma City Thunder	11	3	1.0	4-0	11-3
3. Los Angeles Clippers	11	3	1.0	4-0	11-3
4. Golden State Warriors	11	3	1.0	2-2	11-3
5. Memphis Grizzlies	9	5	3.0	2-2	9-5
6. Portland Trail Blazers	8	6	4.0	2-2	8-6
7. New Orleans Pelicans	7	7	5.0	3-1	7-7
8. Houston Rockets	6	8	6.0	1-3	6-8
9. Denver Nuggets	6	8	6.0	1-3	6-8
10. Los Angeles Lakers	5	9	7.0	1-3	5-9
11. Phoenix Suns	4	10	8.0	2-2	4-10
12. Sacramento Kings	4	10	8.0	1-3	4-10
13. Dallas Mavericks	4	10	8.0	0-4	4-10
14. Minnesota Timberwolves	4	10	8.0	2-2	4-10
15. Utah Jazz	3	11	9.0	1-3	3-11

EASTERN CONFERENCE	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
1. Chicago Bulls	10	4	-	4-0	10-4
2. Cleveland Cavaliers	10	4	0.0	1-3	10-4
3. Detroit Pistons	9	5	1.0	3-1	9-5
4. Boston Celtics	9	5	1.0	2-2	9-5
5. Toronto Raptors	8	6	2.0	2-2	8-6
6. Washington Wizards	8	6	2.0	4-0	8-6
7. Brooklyn Nets	7	7	3.0	2-2	7-7
8. Milwaukee Bucks	7	7	3.0	1-3	7-7
9. Atlanta Hawks	7	7	3.0	2-2	7-7
10. Charlotte Hornets	6	8	4.0	2-2	6-8
11. Indiana Pacers	6	8	4.0	1-3	6-8
12. Orlando Magic	5	9	5.0	2-2	5-9
13. New York Knicks	5	9	5.0	3-1	5-9
14. Miami Heat	4	10	6.0	0-4	4-10
15. Philadelphia 76ers	4	10	6.0	1-3	4-10

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Team Statistics

FGM

FGA

FG%

3PM

3PA

3P%

FTM

FTA

FT%

OREB

DREB

REB

AST

TO

STL

BLK

PF

PTS

+/-

35.0

73.3

47.8

7.9

24.5

32.4

22.5

29.4

76.5

10.9

33.6

44.5

24.3

13.2

7.7

6.9

12.6

100.4

-7.6

27th

30th

3rd

14th

11th

23rd

1st

1st

16th

26th

29th

30th

23rd

26th

13th

21st

30th

13th

25th

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Player Statistics

Dallas Mavericks
Player	GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Harrison Barnes	14	34.2	47.1	79.4	2.4	5.8	2.3	0.8	0.8	21.0
John Wall	14	32.6	52.0	83.8	1.2	3.6	10.3	3.1	0.8	19.9
Dirk Nowitzki	13	29.3	48.7	87.1	0.7	6.6	2.3	1.2	0.9	19.7
J.J. Barea	14	21.1	37.7	80.0	0.6	0.7	5.0	0.8	0.1	8.4
A.J. Hammons	8	14.0	77.4	60.9	0.0	6.8	1.5	0.6	1.5	7.8
Deron Williams	2	28.5	23.8	100.0	1.5	3.0	6.0	0.5	0.0	7.5
Seth Curry	14	21.1	37.6	60.0	1.4	1.4	1.8	0.2	0.1	6.6
Andrew Bogut	14	24.6	73.8	45.5	0.0	6.6	0.6	0.9	1.8	5.5
Justin Anderson	14	22.9	43.1	83.3	0.3	3.1	0.9	0.7	0.6	5.3
Devin Harris	13	17.3	40.5	68.8	0.5	1.9	3.7	0.8	0.0	4.0
Salah Mejri	5	6.0	66.7	00.0	0.0	2.0	1.0	0.2	0.6	2.4
Dorian Finney-Smith	14	11.3	42.3	80.0	0.0	2.4	0.5	0.2	0.1	1.9
Jonathan Gibson	2	4.0	50.0	00.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	1.0
Nicolas Brussino	2	3.5	00.0	50.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.5
Daniel Ochefu	1	1.0	00.0	00.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

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League Leaders

POINTS		PPG	REBOUNDS		RPG
	1. Kyrie Irving	30.1		1. DeAndre Jordan	17.1
	2. Kevin Durant	29.1		2. Andre Drummond	13.3
	3. Stephen Curry	28.0		3. Hassan Whiteside	13.0
	4. Russell Westbrook	27.5		4. Karl-Anthony Towns	12.1
	5. C.J. McCollum	27.0		5. Anthony Davis	12.0
ASSISTS		APG	STEALS		SPG
	1. Russell Westbrook	11.1		1. Russell Westbrook	4.4
	2. John Wall	10.3		2. Chris Paul	3.9
	3. Chris Paul	9.4		3. John Wall	3.1
	4. Mike Conley	9.3		4. Dwyane Wade	2.7
	5. Kyrie Irving	9.1		5. Mike Conley	2.6
BLOCKS		BPG	FIELD GOAL		FG%
	1. DeAndre Jordan	3.0		1. Steven Adams	61.1
	2. Andre Drummond	2.5		2. DeAndre Jordan	57.6
	3. Hassan Whiteside	2.3		3. Kevin Durant	56.8
	4. Jusuf Nurkic	2.1		4. Dwight Howard	56.1
	5. Serge Ibaka	2.1		5. Blake Griffin	55.4
3 POINT FIELD GOAL		3P%	PLUS/MINUS		+/-
	1. E'Twaun Moore	51.4		1. Russell Westbrook	12.6
	2. Klay Thompson	50.7		2. DeAndre Jordan	12.5
	3. Ty Lawson	48.9		3. Kawhi Leonard	12.2
	4.Raymond Felton	48.4		4. Kevin Love	11.3
	5. Karl-Anthony Towns	47.2		5. J.J. Redick	10.9

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Injury Report

Injury Report
Pos	Player	Injury Note
F	Chris Bosh	Collapse Lung (Season)
C	Nikola Pekovic	Torn Left ACL (Season)
G	Tyler Johnson	Dislocated Right Patella (8-10 weeks)
F	Corey Brewer	Severe Left Ankle Sprain (6-8 weeks)
G	Deron Williams	Ruptured Left Achilles (4-6 weeks)
F	Mike Dunleavy	High Left Ankle Sprain (4-6 weeks)
G	Dwyane Wade	Broken Right Leg (4-6 weeks)
G	Kemba Walker	Right Hand Fracture (4-6 weeks)
F	Joe Johnson	Broken Right Ankle (Day-to-Day)
G	Khris Middleton	Torn Right Hamstring (Day-to-Day)

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Transaction Report

TRADES

Feburary 16, 2017	To Dallas Mavericks	To Washington Wizards	To Minnesota Timberwolves
	John Wall	Ricky Rubio	Wesley Matthews
	Daniel Ochefu	Gorgui Dieng	Dwight Powell
		Shabazz Muhammad	Kelly Oubre Jr.
		Dallas' 2017 1st Round
		Dallas' 2018 1st Round
		Dallas' 2019 1st Round
		Dallas' 2020 1st Round

SIGNINGS

• Bulls re-sign Nikola Mirotic to 3yr/$18.07M deal
• Thunder re-sign Andre Roberson to 2yr/$18.74M deal
• Timberwolves sign Lance Stephenson to 1yr/$2.48M deal
• Mavericks sign Jonathan Gibson to 1yr/$1.30M deal

WAIVINGS

• Mavericks waive Quincy Acy

COACHING CHANGES

• 26/03/2017 | Knicks fire Jeff Hornacek & hire Kevin McHale (1yr/$3.74M)
• 28/03/2017 | Kings fire David Joerger & hire David Blatt (1yr/$3.63M)
• 29/03/2017 | Jazz fire Quin Snyder & hire David Joerger (1yr/$4.35M)

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Season Awards

Players of the Month

Rookies of the Month

Most Valuable Player

	#0 Russell Westbrook | PG University of California, Los Angeles
	Height: 6'3"	Age: 28
	Weight: 200 lbs	Drafted: 2008 (1st Rnd, 4th by SEA)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 8 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2016-17 Season 14 42.0 46.0 86.0 8.9 11.0 4.4 0.6 27.5
Summary Almost nearing a triple-double for the season, Westbrook carried the OKC Thunder to a 11-3 record (#2 in the West), clinching the Northwest Division. He was voted to his 6th All-Star appearance as a starter. Season highs: Points (47) | Three Pointers Made (7) | Rebounds (14) | Assists (17) | Steals (7) | Blocks (4) | Minutes Played (44)

Rookie of the Year

	#3 Kris Dunn | PG Providence College
	Height: 6'4"	Age: 23
	Weight: 205 lbs	Drafted: 2016 (1st Rnd, 5th by MIN)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 1 year
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2016-17 Season 14 27.7 45.3 72.1 3.1 4.9 1.9 1.0 13.0
Summary Despite starting the season slow, playing backup to Ricky Rubio, Dunn's performance took a major spike after the All-Star break when the starting point guard job was his for the taking. He averaged over 15 PPG and was the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, December, and April. Season highs: Points (23) | Three Pointers Made (4) | Rebounds (7) | Assists (11) | Steals (4) | Blocks (3) | Minutes Played (31)

Sixth Man of the Year

	#15 Greg Monroe | C Georgetown University
	Height: 6'11"	Age: 26
	Weight: 265 lbs	Drafted: 2010 (1st Rnd, 7th by DET)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 7 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2016-17 Season 14 29.1 51.3 56.7 11.2 2.3 0.9 1.2 12.8
Summary Monroe averaged career highs in rebounding this season despite coming off the bench. He was instrumental with a 5.1 plus/minus, helping the Bucks to a 7-7 record and securing the #8 seed. Season highs: Points (22) | Rebounds (23) | Assists (5) | Steals (4) | Blocks (3) | Minutes Played (33)

Defensive Player of the Year

	#6 DeAndre Jordan | C Texas A&M University
	Height: 6'11"	Age: 28
	Weight: 265 lbs	Drafted: 2008 (2nd Rnd, 35th by LAC)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 9 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2016-17 Season 14 35.8 57.6 34.5 17.1 0.4 0.1 3.0 12.1
Summary An absolute beast this season, Jordan posted careers highs in rebounds, blocks, and minutes played. He averaged an impressive 12.5 plus/minus per game and anchored the Clippers with the 6th best defense in the league at 94.6 points allowed. Season highs: Points (21) | Rebounds (24) | Assists (2) | Steals (1) | Blocks (7) | Minutes Played (40)

Most Improved Player of the Year

	#7 Jeremy Lin | PG Harvard University
	Height: 6'3"	Age: 28
	Weight: 200 lbs	Drafted: 2010 (Undrafted)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 7 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2016-17 Season 13 34.7 36.9 82.1 4.6 6.8 1.6 0.8 17.4
Summary Linsanity is back in full-effect in New York as Lin posted career highs across the board in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. Lin was also voted into his first ever All-Star game as a reserve and helped the Brooklyn Nets lock up the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 7-7 record. Season highs: Points (25) | Three Pointers Made (4) | Rebounds (9) | Assists (12) | Steals (5) | Blocks (2) | Minutes Played (38)

Coach of the Year

	Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors
	W-L: 11-3	Home: 7-0
	Road 4-3	PPG: 111.3
	PAPG: 98.2	Point Differential: 13.1

All-NBA Teams

Award	Player	Pos	Team
All-NBA 1st Team
All-NBA 1st Team	Russell Westbrook	G	OKC
	Kyrie Irving	G	CLE
	Kevin Durant	F	GSW
	LeBron James	F	CLE
	Karl-Anthony Towns	C	MIN
All-NBA 2nd Team
All-NBA 2nd Team	Chris Paul	G	LAC
	John Wall	G	DAL
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	F	MIL
	Blake Griffin	F	LAC
	DeMarcus Cousins	C	SAC
All-NBA 3rd Team
All-NBA 3rd Team	Damian Lillard	G	POR
	Dwyane Wade	G	CHI
	Kawhi Leonard	F	SAS
	Anthony Davis	F	NOP
	Andre Drummond	C	DET
All-Defensive 1st Team
All-Defensive 1st Team	Russell Westbrook	G	OKC
	Chris Paul	G	LAC
	Paul George	F	IND
	LeBron James	F	CLE
	DeAndre Jordan	C	LAC
All-Defensive 2nd Team
All-Defensive 2nd Team	Jimmy Butler	G	CHI
	Nicolas Batum	G	CHA
	Kawhi Leonard	F	SAS
	Anthony Davis	F	NOP
	Andre Drummond	C	DET
All-Rookie 1st Team
All-Rookie 1st Team	Kris Dunn	G	MIN
	Buddy Hield	G	NOP
	Brandon Ingram	F	LAL
	Domantas Sabonis	F	OKC
	Joel Embiid	C	PHI
All-Rookie 2nd Team
All-Rookie 2nd Team	Caris LeVert	G	BKN
	Jaylen Brown	F	BOS
	Marquese Chriss	F	PHX
	Dario Saric	F	PHI
	Dragan Bender	F	PHX

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Playoffs Bracket

[LopaKa]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

love the fact that you made the playoffs 1 game do or die. It will be interesting to see who can upset who. My prediction for the Finals: Thunder vs Cleveland, with the Cleveland winning again

[vtcha]

First-Round Recap

April 13, 2017 | by NBA News

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(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Houston Rockets

A modern-day Texas showdown, it was the Spurs that started the game red hot, outscoring the Rockets 41-28 in the first quarter. And while the Rockets made a valiant effort in the second quarter, the Spurs came out the second half much like the first, scoring 43 points, and by then, it was all but over. The Spurs comfortably won, 140-103.

Kawhi Leonard was the leading scorer with 24 points whilst LaMarcus Aldridge was not far, with 23 points.

Box Score

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(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) New Orleans Pelicans

Well if you thought Russell Westbrook was unstoppable during the regular season, you were clearlywrong. Beastbrook, aka the reigning MVP, was on a whole different level as he racked up a monstrous 51 point triple-double to propel the Thunder to a dominating 124-82 victory. Westbrook even hit more three-pointers (8) than the entire Pelicans team (5). Wow!

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(3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

A replay of last year's first-round match-up, but only this time, the Clippers have a healthy squad so you know they were coming with vengeance. And boy, did they, with CP3 notching a 20-20 stat line as they edge past the Trail Blazers, 110-103.

Damian Lillard struggled mightily, partly due to Paul's incredible defense, limiting him to just 9 points (3-14 FG).

It won't be an easy task as the Clippers now face the one-man wrecking crew in Russell Westbrook and the OKC Thunder.

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(4) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies

Don't let the seeding fool you. Despite ranked #4, the Warriors are still, well the Warriors, as they comfortably defeat the Grizzlies, 111-101 despite the late push from Memphis in the fourth.

Kevin Durant was the high man with 39 points whilst Draymond Green double-doubled with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Warriors will now go on to face the Spurs in what was anticipated as the Conference Final match-up of last season.

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(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Milwaukee Bucks

Despite losing Dwyane Wade for the remainder of the Playoffs, the Bulls were still able to defeat the Bucks, convincingly 122-90.

Jimmy Butler scored a game high, 31 points while Rajon Rondo racked up a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists.

Khris Middleton made his long awaited season debut after a torn hamstring ruled him out for the entire regular season. However, his return was short-lived as the Bucks carelessly turned the ball over 26 times which was a big factor in the loss.

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(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Brooklyn Nets

The Cavs defeat the Nets, 115-104, led by Kyrie Irving who scored 39 points and 12 assists. LeBron James missed on a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.

For the Nets, Brook Lopez was their leading scorer with 24 points. However, Jeremy Lin, who won the Most Improved Player award, only contributed with 6 points and was highly ineffective due to foul troubles.

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(3) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Washington Wizards

The Pistons defeat the Wizards, 120-105, with Ish Smith the unlikely hero, coming off the bench and dishing out a career-high, 18 assists. Tobias Harris was also very effective, scoring 29 points (12-15 FG).

For the Wizards, Bradley Beal was their top scorer with 22 points whilst Markieff Morris contributed 20 points. Recent acquisition, Ricky Rubio had 12 points and 8 assists but struggled with his shot, going 4-12 from the field.

The Pistons will now look to face the powerhouse Cleveland Cavaliers, in a rematch of last year's first-round match-up.

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(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Toronto Raptors

In what was suppose to be the match-up of the East in the first-round, the Raptors annihilated the Celtics, 115-80.

DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points, with Kyle Lowry chipping in 25 points.

The Raptors held Boston to just 32% shooting with Isaiah Thomas the leading scorer at 19 points (8-28 FG).

Hopefully it'll be more of a tight contest as the Raptors face the Wade-less Bulls in the Conference Semifinals.

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Conference Semifinals Preview

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Conference Semifinals Recap

April 16, 2017 | by NBA News

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(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (4) Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant is one step closer to what he envisioned during the summer of 2016 as his Golden State Warriors defeat the San Antonio Spurs, 110-106, in a battle that went toe-to-toe.

Durant was simply unstoppable with a game high, 36 points, to go with 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Steph Curry scored 20 points but was only 5-16 from the field while Draymond Green racked up another double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

For the Spurs, their main man just simply didn't have it tonight as Kawhi Leonard only managed to score 15 points (6-17 FG). In fact, the Spurs had 3 other players scoring 15 points (Tony Parker, Patty Mills, and LaMarcus Aldridge) however it seemed the deciding factor was second chance points. The Spurs allowed the Warriors to score 12 in total as well as 14 offensive rebounds.

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(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Cliipers

In a game that went right down to the wire, it was the Clippers that finally prevailed, winning 96-91.

In a heartfelt and emotional win, Chris Paul and the Clippers finally advance to the Conference Finals for the first time ever. Blake Griffin led the way with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists. Chris Paul had 12 assists and, uncharacteristically, 11 turnovers. How they still managed to pull a win? nobody knows..

For OKC, this abruptly ends the fairy-tale story for Russell Westbrook, in what has truly been a remarkable and historical season for him - definitely one for the ages. He finished with a triple double (19 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) however struggled mightily with his shot (4-20 FG) and also turned the ball over 7 times.

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(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) Toronto Raptors

The Six will get another crack to advance to the NBA Finals as they defeat the Bulls, 108-91.

Kyle Lowry was the leading scorer with 23 points, while both Jonas Valaniunas and DeMar DeRozan double-doubled with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 19 points, 10 asissts, respectively.

For Chicago, they could not stop turning the ball over and had a total of 21 compared to the Raptors, whom only had 11. Jimmy Butler was the leading scorer of the team with 19 points however he could not do it all, with his shots struggling, shooting only 7-23 from the floor.

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(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Detroit Pistons

In a replay of last year's feisty first-round matchup, it was much the same result as the Cavs blew the Pistons out of the water, winning 126-97.

Kyrie Irving looks locked in to make it back-to-back titles as he dropped a game high, 37 points along with 8 assists. LeBron James also notched a triple-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Cavs will face the Raptors in yet another rematch of last year's Playoff match-up.

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Conference Finals Preview