Michael Singer: Paul Millsap on wild sequence to end th…
March 1, 2021 | 6:21 am EST Update
Buddy Hield mulling NBA 3-point shootout contest invite
That even goes for Buddy Hield, who has an NBA 3-point shootout title to defend, although he was non-committal about the even. “Do you think I should go defend it?” Hield asked reporters when talking about the event. “I don’t know yet, to be honest, I’ve been having mixed emotions, you know, cover rules and especially I don’t have no time with my family. Just trying to see how the COVID rules and the boundaries are set up. No clear cut yes yet, I’ll just see in the next couple of days.” According to Hield, he received an invitation from the league to join the festivities, but he is still mulling it over.
“It was a play for me or P.J.,” Monk said. “I told [Ball] to pass it to P, and he was like, nah. I had to make something happen.” Hield, who finished with 30 points, missed a desperation heave from beyond midcourt as time ran out. Earlier Sunday night, he became the fastest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career 3-pointers, doing so in his 350th career game. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was the previous fastest at 369 games.
Knicks standing pat?
Knicks general manager Scott Perry has been on a G-League mission presumably looking at center pieces. If the Knicks signed a free agent center they’d have to cut a player to make room. One team in contact with the Knicks said they want to hold down the fort with what they have for now.
Center DeMarcus Cousins, whose stock is low, is still a free agent after being unceremoniously waived by Houston. “That’s a Leon question,’’ Thibodeau said before the game. “We have more than enough on the roster so we’ll figure out a way. We have guys that can play multiple positions and then we’re going to have to take care of the rebounding, gang rebound. Everyone has to contribute in that area.’’
Ryan Ward: Kyle Kuzma on Damian Jones’ Lakers debut: “I think he’s got a shot to be here” if he continue to do what he did tonight.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo now has the same number of career games with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists as Michael Jordan did in his career. (via @ESPNStatsInfo)
“It was individual pride,” Antetokounmpo said of joining teammate Khris Middleton in taking on the Clippers’ All-Star duo of Leonard and Paul George. “It is pride. It is an ego thing. Personally, I love that going down the stretch. “I feel like it’s greatness,” Antetokounmpo added. “When you go against the best in the world down the stretch and you are trying to get a stop and they are trying to score on you to win the game, it’s greatness developing at that moment.”
“As a team, I don’t feel like we’re there yet,” said Leonard, who remains positive about the Clippers building toward where they want to be. “We’re looking to the sideline for plays. I feel like our pace has pretty much slowed down. “You gotta give them credit though. They locked in and tuned in on us, and they got stops when they needed it. So just for us to get better, I feel like we gotta have a better stride, open the floor, just getting down and getting into a play. I felt like we got stagnant a little bit.”
