NBA: Wembanyama gets warm welcome in first practice with Spurs

WASHINGTON -- Top NBA Draft pick Victor Wembanyama said Friday he felt good after his first practice with the San Antonio Spurs and received a warm welcome that excited him for actual games.

The 19-year-old Frenchman, considered the greatest NBA prospect since four-time Most Valuable Player LeBron James, joined his new teammates ahead of next week's start of Summer League contests.

"Felt really good," Wembanyama told reporters after the workout. "I had a warm welcome with the guys and I just can't wait."

The 7-foot-4 (2.24m) center will join the Spurs in Las Vegas, where they are set to face the Charlotte Hornets next Friday and the Portland Trail Blazers on July 9.

That would send Wembanyama against second overall pick Brandon Miller of Charlotte and third selection Scoot Henderson of Portland.

Wembanyama said he expects to play one or two games in Las Vegas.

He's coming off a run to the French league finals that ended earlier this month and a decision not to play for France in the Basketball World Cup later this year.

Wembanyama said he felt even better about his selection by the Spurs after getting some time with other players on the court.

"I was told beforehand there was a good dynamic with the team on and off the court and I started to feel it already," Wembanyama said.

"It just makes me even more certain that this is a good environment."

Wembanyama is just getting to know Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the 74-year-old Hall of Fame legend who is the longest-tenured head coach in American sports after guiding the Spurs since 1996.

"I thought I would experience the yelling a bit earlier, but I haven't yet," Wembanyama said.

Popovich, a five-time NBA champion who guided US NBA stars to Tokyo Olympic gold, has mentored star big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan as well as French guard Tony Parker in their adjustments to the NBA.

"He works out more than I thought. Every morning he's there, running on the treadmill, lifting weights," Wembanyama said of Popovich.

"Other than that, he really communicates a lot with me and he doesn't want me to make -- he wants to take care of me and wants me to avoid making some mistakes."

It has been a whirlwind arrival from France for the teen superstar, who was hailed in San Antonio by fans and the focus of attention for days at last week's NBA Draft in New York.

"Every day has been different ever since I stepped in the States," said Wembanyama. "I think I've spent more time with the media than on the court. I'm glad it's beginning to settle down a little bit."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Rock-star welcome as Wembanyama arrives in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO -- Hundreds of San Antonio Spurs fans braved sweltering temperatures to greet Victor Wembanyama on Friday as the French basketball prodigy and newly minted No.1 NBA Draft pick touched down in Texas.

Around 300 excited fans gathered at San Antonio Airport in ferocious 38-degree Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) heat as a private jet carrying Wembanyama touched down.

While media were allowed near the airport tarmac to report on Wembanyama's arrival, fans equipped with parasols and drinks coolers were kept behind a fence.

Cheers greeted the plane's arrival and a huge roar went up from fans when Wembanyama's brother Oscar appeared from within the plane, mistaken momentarily for his sibling.

When Wembanyama finally appeared he was greeted with more cheering before being hugged by San Antonio's team mascot, a coyote.

Wembanyama then obliged his fans by posing for selfies and giving autographs before shaking hands with police escort riders.

Wembanyama, who will be formally presented by the Spurs at an event in San Antonio on Saturday, was then whisked away as fans continued to cheer.

The teenager's selection by San Antonio at the draft in Brooklyn has sparked huge excitement in the Texas city, with Spurs fans hoping he will lead a revival of the club's fortunes.

The 7ft 4in (2.24m) forward is widely regarded as a once-in-a-generation talent, the most sought-after No.1 draft pick since LeBron James entered the NBA in 2003.

Agence France-Presse

Wembanyama chosen by Spurs with No. 1 pick in NBA Draft

NEW YORK -- France's Victor Wembanyama was chosen with the top pick in the NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, sparking wild celebrations as the Texas club reveled in landing the gifted teenager seen as a once-in-a-generation talent.

The 7-foot-4 19-year-old hugged family members as the Spurs confirmed a decision which had been a mere formality ever since San Antonio were handed the No. 1 selection in the Draft last month.

"Just accomplishing something that I've been dreaming about my whole life," Wembanyama said after his No. 1 status was announced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver at the Barclays Center in New York.

"Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver, I've dreamed of it so much -- I've gotta cry," he added.

Wembanyama is widely regarded as a transformational talent, who arrives in the NBA as the most coveted No. 1 pick since LeBron James entered the league in 2003.

In San Antonio, Spurs fans packed into the team's 19,000-capacity AT&T Center to watch the draft ceremony on a giant screen and roared with delight as Wembanyama's selection was confirmed.

Celebrations also erupted in the streets of the Texas city, with fans honking car horns in celebration of Wembanyama's selection.

"My message to them is I'm going to give 100 percent, make all that's in my power to make this franchise win, to have impact on the franchise and the fan base and the community," Wembanyama said.

Wembanyama has cut a relaxed figure since arriving in the United States earlier this week, brushing off the soaring hype that has surged in the build-up to the draft.

On Thursday, the Frenchman, wearing a dark green suit, happily signed autographs for fans in the minutes before the draft ceremony got under way.

In an interview with ESPN before his selection, Wembanyama said he was relishing the challenge of being a star both on and off the court.

More than basketball 

"I know I can bring so much more than just basketball to a franchise," Wembanyama said.

"My goal is always going to be to win titles, obviously. But also to the community, the franchise, to the fan base I know I can bring so much more."

Wembanyama will begin his NBA career under the watchful eye of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the widely revered 74-year-old who has led San Antonio to five NBA Championships since taking over in 1996.

"We're thrilled that we're able to bring Victor on board," Popovich said at a press conference in San Antonio on Thursday.

"Anybody would be excited about getting the number one pick. I'm very excited. You don't want me to jump and down, or put on a show do you? I'd do a somersault but I'd be out for three months."

Popovich, meanwhile, brushed off invitations to compare Wembanyama with some of the greats of NBA history.

"I don't compare players, that'll never happen," Popovich said. "He's Victor -- and that's who I want him to be, and that's who myself and my staff will coach."

Wembanyama meanwhile earned a congratulatory message from France's President Emmanuel Macron.

"You're already making us dream...no doubt about it: you'll change the game," Macron wrote on Twitter.

With his potentially dominant blend of size and skill, Wembanyama has already drawn a legion of admirers across the NBA before even setting foot in the league.

LeBron James says Wembanyama's skillset makes him less a "unicorn" and "more like an alien."

"No one has ever seen someone as tall as he is and as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor," James said last year.

"He's for sure a generational talent."

If Wembanyama manages to live up to the hype, he could conceivably be one of the faces of the NBA for years to come, with the likes of stars such as James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant all well into the final phase of their playing careers.

NBA officials, meanwhile, say there is already evidence of a "Wembanyama effect," citing spikes on streaming platforms and social media.

"Victor is an incredibly promising young player who seemingly has all the attributes of a true game-changer," NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said.

Agence France-Presse

Legendary 'Coach Pop' to oversee Wembanyama's NBA start

NEW YORK -- Victor Wembanyama's early NBA days will be overseen by one of the league's most legendary coaches, outspoken Gregg Popovich, who helped transform another French teen, Tony Parker, into a superstar.

Popovich, the 74-year-old son of a Serbian father and Croatian mother, is the longest-tenured coach in any major American sports league, having guided the Spurs since 1996.

With discipline and priorities formed while at the US Air Force Academy in the 1960s, Popovich has become a five-time NBA champion head coach, a three-time NBA Coach of the Year and in August will be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

"What makes a great coach is getting a lot of young men and helping them become men, adding to their life," said NBA guard Dwyane Wade. "Coach Pop has done an amazing job of helping young men become grown-ass men."

Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who won two NBA titles playing under Popovich, praised his impact.

"He's amazing," Kerr said. "There are just so many people like me whose lives have been impacted so dramatically and so positively by Pop. One of the most influential people ever in my life. I owe him so much."

Popovich mentored top draft pick Tim Duncan in 1997 and Parker when he came to the NBA in 2001.

"I loved playing for Pop," Parker said. "Pop was huge. I always trust Pop's judgment."

Popovich accepts the challenge of a new generation with Wembanyama, the most talented prospect since LeBron James with size like Duncan and Parker-esque skills.

"He has still got it. He can do this for a lot longer," said Kerr. "One of Pop's great abilities has been his willingness and eagerness to adapt.

"He really understood what was happening around the league with speed, pace and ball movement. He was ahead of the curve all the time."

The Spurs, who made the playoffs 22 straight years under Pop, have missed the playoffs for four seasons, going 20-62 this past campaign.

A grizzled, gritty and sometimes grumpy Popovich will try to teach Wembanyama to maximize his unique talents as he did with Parker.

"At one of (Parker's) first practices, I brought a few guys to get in his face," Popovich said. "I wanted to see what he had in the belly. I was impressed with him. So I told him, 'The ball is yours, find solutions, I'll love you and yell at you at the same time.'"

Popovich embraced global talent early, bringing more than 40 players from beyond US borders onto the Spurs roster, and made Becky Hammon the NBA's first female assistant coach.

Popovich passed Lenny Wilkens to become the NBA's all-time winningest coach in 2019 with his 1,413th career triumph in playoff and regular-season games.

In 2022, he won an NBA record 1,336th regular-season game, accepting the feat with sarcasm.

"What I could do in my retirement, what kind of wine I could drink, all these things become bland when I think about the number of victories I have," Popovich deadpanned.

Humor is one of the ways Popovich measures people, saying in 2015 that those "who don't appreciate funny moments won't be able to give their all for a group."

- Social justice champion -

Popovich, a noted wine collector, is also outspoken on social justice.

Popovich spoke out about reparations for Black people in 2020, saying protests helped "get all the way to the reparations discussion and not just wait for legislation and laws."

Last July, Popovich ripped "rampant" US racism, saying, "I had no idea it was to this level... it pisses me off, it hurts me, it confounds me."

After 21 people were killed in a Texas elementary school shooting, Popovich railed against officials sending "thoughts and prayers" without changing gun laws.

"They're the same statements after every massacre," he said. "They think we're stupid so they'll keep bringing it up, but they'll listen to us if we're angry enough and we're committed enough."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Tatum scores 34 as Celtics hold off Spurs, Doncic leads Mavs

LOS ANGELES -- Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, including a go-ahead basket with 33.7 seconds remaining on Saturday as the Boston Celtics escaped San Antonio with a 121-116 victory over the tenacious Spurs.

While the Celtics followed up a dominant victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, the Mavs bounced back with a 127-117 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans with the help of a triple-double from Luka Doncic.

The Celtics improved their league-best record to 28-12 as they finished up a 2-2 road trip -- but it looked harder than it needed to be against a rebuilding San Antonio squad.

Jaylen Brown added 29 points, and Malcom Brogdon scored 23 off the bench, his contribution gaining importance after Marcus Smart exited early with an injury.

Robert Williams scored 10 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked four shots for the Celtics, who led by 11 midway through the fourth quarter.

The scrappy Spurs -- who had 18 points apiece from Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Josh Richardson - tied it up at 116-116 on Richardson's three-pointer with 37.4 seconds remaining.

Tatum's step-back basket -- off a pass from former Spur Derrick White -- restored Boston's lead, and three Celtics free throws sealed it.

"There's obviously a lot of stuff tactically we can work on," said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who nevertheless insisted he was happy to see his team work through adversity to get the win.

"We needed a game like this, to where it's back and forth, things aren't going our way, they are going our way -- you don't get a lot of those."

"It's easier to say that because we won," he acknowledged. "But I'm happy the game went the way it did because we got to execute some stuff."

Boston had opened their four-game road-trip with defeats at Denver and Oklahoma City before routing the Mavericks in Dallas on Thursday on the back of Tatum's second career triple-double.

In Dallas, Doncic rebounded from one of his worst games of the season -- a 23-point performance on seven-for-23 shooting against Boston -- with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Slovenian star notched his 55th career triple-double and his ninth this season, one behind the league-leading 10 of Denver's Nikola Jokic. 

No one else has more than three triple-doubles so far this season.

Center Jonas Valanciunas scored 25 points to lead the Pelicans, who were without injured Zion Williamson and Malcolm Brogdon and resting CJ McCollum.

- Magic down depleted Warriors -

The NBA champion Golden State Warriors, still without injured Stephen Curry and with Klay Thompson sitting out with a sore knee, suffered a rare home defeat, falling 115-101 to the Orlando Magic.

Rookie Paolo Banchero scored 25 points to lead five Magic players in double figures.

Anthony Lamb led Golden State with 26 points off the bench, but the Warriors coughed up 16 turnovers and connected on just 33 of 88 shots from the field -- including just 18 of 58 three-point attempts.

Franz Wagner added 24 points for the Magic, who won on Golden State's home court for the first time since December of 2012.

The Warriors lost back-to-back games at home for the first time this campaign, their fourth defeat at the Chase Center dropping them to 20-20 for the season.

In Chicago, DeMar DeRozan scored 36 points and Zach Lavine added 35 to lead the Bulls to a third straight victory, 126-118 over the Utah Jazz.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: VanVleet's 33 powers Raptors past Spurs

Fred VanVleet scored 24 of his 33 points in the first half and had seven assists as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting San Antonio Spurs 129-104 Tuesday night.

VanVleet, who was 7 of 14 in 3-point attempts, has scored more than 30 points in the past three games as the Raptors improved their record to .500 for the season at 17-17.

Pascal Siakam added 18 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for the Raptors, who have won three straight. Gary Trent Jr. contributed 21 points, OG Anunoby and Justin Champagnie each scored 14 points, Scottie Barnes had 11 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Precious Achiuwa had 10 points.

Former Raptor Jakob Poeltl scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Spurs, who have lost four in a row. Devin Vassell and Joshua Primo each scored 15 points, Joe Wieskamp tallied 13 points and Derrick White scored 12.

San Antonio has four games remaining on a seven-game road trip. Toronto finished a four-game homestand with a 3-1 record.

The Raptors, who had a 16-point advantage after three quarters, started the fourth quarter on a 9-3 surge to bump the margin to 22 points.

Toronto led 30-29 after one quarter.

The Raptors used a 9-0 run to take a 14-point lead with 4:09 remaining in the second quarter. Siakam's 3-pointer stretched the margin to 16 with 1:43 left. Toronto led 68-53 at halftime.

VanVleet's 3-pointer gave Toronto a 17-point lead with 10:51 left in the third quarter. The Spurs cut the lead to 13, but the Raptors pulled ahead by 18 on Siakam's dunk.

Jock Landale's cutting layup with 3:22 remaining in the third quarter trimmed the lead to 10s. Toronto responded with a 9-0 run that was capped by Chris Boucher's free throw. White finished the third-quarter scoring with a dunk and foul shot to cut the lead to 97-81.

The Spurs were without Devontae Cacok, Doug McDermott and Lonnie Walker because of health and safety protocols, and Dejounte Murray (return to competition reconditioning).

Toronto was without Yuta Watanabe and Svi Mykhailiuk because of COVID-19 protocols.

-reuters-

NBA: Gordon Hayward pours in 41 as Hornets rout Spurs

Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 41 points for the visiting Charlotte Hornets, who built a 21-point lead in the first quarter and romped to a 131-115 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

The Hornets never trailed, enduring a San Antonio surge in the second quarter before taking a 16-point advantage to the half. The Spurs never got closer that 10 points after halftime, and Charlotte led by as many as 30 points while waltzing to the finish.

Hayward shot 15 of 19 from the floor, 5 of 6 from beyond the arc and finished three points shy of his career high. Cody Martin added 21 points for the Hornets, with Miles Bridges hitting for 19, Jalen McDaniels contributing 15 points, Terry Rozier scoring 13, and P.J. Washington tallying 12 points in the win.

The Hornets have won two of their past three games and are 1-1 to open a six-game road trip.

Bryn Forbes paced the Spurs with 25 points. Keldon Johnson while racked up 21, Derrick White scored 18, and Doug McDermott, Dejounte Murray and Devin Vassell hit for 10 points apiece. San Antonio finished a 2-3 homestand.

The Hornets flew out of the gate, going up 44-23 before setting for a 46-31 advantage after 12 minutes of play. Charlotte scored 30 of its points on 3-pointers in the period.

Charlotte's advantage was whittled down to eight after the Spurs opened the second quarter on a 13-6 run. However, most of San Antonio's work to climb back in the game was answered by the Hornets over the final six minutes before the break. Charlotte ran off a 15-3 run of its own to take a 71-51 edge with 1:54 to play in the half.

The Hornets led 73-57 at the break behind 20 points from Hayward, 13 each from Bridges and Martin and 10 by McDaniels off the bench. Charlotte outshot the Spurs 60.4 percent to 46.7 percent in the half and canned 13 shots from beyond the arc to just five by San Antonio.

Forbes paced the Spurs with 13 points for the Spurs in the first half.

For the game, Charlotte outshot San Antonio 59.3 percent to 43.3 percent.

-reuters-

NBA: Suns hold off Spurs for 13th straight win

Devin Booker scored 23 points, and Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 14 rebounds, as the visiting Phoenix Suns had just enough in their tank to outlast the San Antonio Spurs 115-111 on Monday to win their 13th consecutive game.

The Suns' streak is their longest since the 2006-07 season when they won a franchise-high 17 straight.

The Suns (14-3), playing the second game of a home-road back-to-back, pulled away from San Antonio early in the second quarter, and led by 13 points at halftime. Phoenix never let the Spurs closer than three points in the second half despite running out of gas in the final minutes.

Dejounte Murray's steal and running layup brought the Spurs to within 114-111 with 15.2 seconds to play but Booker hit a free throw with 9.3 seconds left and Phoenix was able to hold on.

Cameron Payne added 20 points for the Suns, with JaVale McGee scoring 14, Chris Paul 12 and Landry Shamet 11.

Derrick White led the Spurs with 19 points while Murray had a triple double (18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds), Devin Vassell hit for 17 points, Jakob Poeltl had 15 and Lonnie Walker IV 11.

San Antonio (4-12) has lost a season-high five straight games and is off to its worst start since the 1996-97 season, when it finished 20-62.

The Suns used a late first-quarter run to tie the game at 20, then pushed their lead to a dozen after a McGee turnaround jumper at the 8:11 mark of the second period. Phoenix built its lead to as many as 15 points on Jae Crowder's 3-pointer with 3:49 to play in the quarter and took a 57-44 advantage into the break.

Ayton led all scorers with 14 points at halftime. Phoenix outshot the Spurs 50 percent to 43.2 percent and made 7 of their 14 shots from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes.

Vassell paced the Spurs with 10 off the bench in the first half. San Antonio, which is 29th in the league in free throw percentage (69.4 percent) was just 4-for-11 from the line in the half.

-reuters-

NBA: Hornets knock off Spurs to end 3-game skid

Gordon Hayward scored 27 points and Terry Rozier added 24, 17 of those in the second half, as the visiting Charlotte Hornets held on for a 100-97 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

The Hornets led by 10 points at the half and by five heading into the fourth. San Antonio rallied to tie the game on DeMar DeRozan's three-point play with 1:45 left, but Rozier answered with a 3-pointer that put the Hornets back on top with 1:26 to play.

The Spurs' Derrick White canned two free throws with 22.4 seconds remaining. Rozier then made two free throws with 18.4 seconds left and the lead was back to three.

DeRozan's dunk with 9.2 seconds remaining cut the Charlotte lead to one point again, but Hayward promptly hit two free throws to force San Antonio into a last-second 3-point attempt, which

Patty Mills missed with 6.7 seconds left.

Malik Monk and Bismack Biyombo added 11 points each for the Hornets, who ended a three-game losing streak, and P.J. Washington finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

DeRozan ended up with 28 points for San Antonio. White scored 21, and Mills and Rudy Gay hit for 10 apiece. Jakob Poeltl paced the Spurs with 11 rebounds.

The Hornets led for all but the opening minutes of the game and rolled to a 31-21 lead at the end of the first period. San Antonio cut that advantage to one point with 8:33 left in the second period, but Charlotte responded and led 55-45 at halftime.

Hayward led the Hornets with 13 points in the half, while Washington added 10 points and seven rebounds. White and DeRozan had eight points apiece to lead San Antonio at the break.

Monday's contest was the first of a season-long nine-game homestand over the next two weeks for the Spurs.

-reuters-

DeMar DeRozan helps Spurs pull away from Kings

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida — DeMar DeRozan scored 17 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help the San Antonio Spurs pull away and beat the Sacramento Kings 129-120 on Friday night.


“He understands the important parts of the game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He feels it.”


Before the game, Popovich and assistant Becky Hammon stood for the national anthem while the remainder of the coaches and players for both teams knelt. Popovich talked at length after the game about the importance of keeping the focus on racial injustice and inequality, but did not explain why he chose not to kneel.

“Everybody has to make a personal decision,” he said. “The league’s been great about that. Everybody has the freedom to react any way they want. Whatever reasons I have, I reacted the way I wanted to.”

DeRozan shot 10 of 13 and had 10 assists for the Spurs, who shot 53.3 percent from the field.

Derrick White matched a career high with 26 points in San Antonio’s first game of the restart. The Spurs needed to find offense because LaMarcus Aldridge, the team’s No. 2 scorer, had shoulder surgery in April and will not play in the restart.


“He’s expanded his game,” Popovich said. “He’s one of our top defenders. Maybe even the top. He contests threes, he takes charges. He’s really developed into a fine player.”

DeRozan supported Popovich and Hammon.

“It’s all out of a positive side of their hearts,” DeRozan said. “Same way we kneel. Don’t away take nothing from those guys. Pop speaks up. When it comes to Becky, she’s there on the front line fighting for equality.”

De’Aaron Fox scored a career-high 39 points.

“We put a lot on him, but he shows in games like tonight what he’s capable of,” Kings coach Luke Walton said.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 24 for the Kings, who are trying to break a 13-year playoff drought.

The teams flipped positions in the standings, with the Spurs moving a half-game ahead of the Kings. Both are in the cluster chasing the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings led 65-64 at halftime behind 20 points from Fox. The Kings shot 57 percent before the break. White scored 15 points in the first half.

San Antonio led 114-112 before DeRozan scored 10 points in the final 2:23 to help put the game out of reach.

“We knew he was coming, but we weren’t able to stop him,” Walton said.

TIP-INS
Kings: Announced Friday that Harrison Barnes and his wife Brittany are donating more than $200,000 to nonprofits that were created by the families of victims of police brutality and gun violence. … Were assessed a technical foul for delay of game in the third quarter.

Spurs: Rudy Gay scored 19 points and Lonnie Walker added 16. … The Spurs got assists on 32 of their 48 baskets.

DENTAL WORK
White took five charges and has a chipped tooth to show for it.

Popovich appreciated White’s effort.

“It’s hard for a coach to say, ‘Don’t take that charge.’ He’s a big guy. He’s OK.”


DeRozan joked that White was complaining about the tooth after the game.

“I’m pretty sure he can buy some new teeth,” DeRozan said.

YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS
San Antonio’s young players showed up. Keldon Johnson, a rookie wing player out of Kentucky, played a season-high 30 minutes and scored eight points. Guard Quinndary Weatherspoon, a rookie from Mississippi State, played in just his fourth NBA game. Both played most of the season with the Austin Toros, the team’s G League affiliate.

INJURY REPORT
Spurs guard Marco Belinelli left the game in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. Popovich did not have an update after the game.

UP NEXT
Kings: Play the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

Spurs: Play the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

-Associated Press

Basketball: Bryant, Duncan, Garnett headline Hall of Fame class

NBA legends Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett headline the star-studded group selected to the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class announced Saturday.

The trio, who combined for 11 NBA championships, are among nine people scheduled to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Aug. 29.

Also selected were Tamika Catchings, a 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist, coaches Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich, Barbara Stevens and Kim Mulkey, and longtime FIBA executive Patrick Baumann.

"The Class of 2020 is undoubtedly one of the most historic of all time and the talent and social influence of these nine honorees is beyond measure," said John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame.

"In 2020, the basketball community has suffered the unimaginable loss of iconic figures Commissioner David Stern and Kobe Bryant, as well as the game itself due to COVID-19. 

"We have also banded together like never before in appreciation of the game and those who have made it the uniting force it is today. Today we thank the Class of 2020 for all they have done for the game of basketball and we look forward to celebrating them at Enshrinement in August."

-Field Level Media/Reuters-

NBA: Nuggets escape 23-point hole, down Spurs

Jamal Murray scored 26 points, Paul Millsap had 22 points, and the host Denver Nuggets rallied from a 23-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs, 127-120, on Monday night.

Nikola Jokic had 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds, Monte Morris added 16 points off the bench, and Torrey Craig had 11 points and seven rebounds to help the Nuggets win their third straight and their eight in 10 games.

LaMarcus Aldridge led all scorers with 33 points, Derrick White scored 15, Dejounte Murray and Bryn Forbes scored 14 each, and Rudy Gay had 13 for the struggling Spurs. San Antonio has lost five straight and eight of 10.

It was the first meeting between the teams since the first round of the 2019 playoffs. Denver, the second seed, prevailed in a Game 7 on its home court. The Spurs scored just 86 points in that elimination game, but they had matched that total with 6:49 left in the third quarter Monday.

Aldridge scored 15 of the first 28 San Antonio points and had 17 in the first quarter. The Spurs went 7-for-9 from the 3-point arc in the opening period and led 40-30 after one.

They continued that hot shooting at the start of the second, going up, 47-32, in the first 1:09. Denver cut the deficit to 51-43, but a 9-0 run gave San Antonio a 17-point lead.

The Spurs led, 67-53, at halftime. Aldridge hit a 3-pointer and a couple of baskets as the Spurs increased their lead to 86-63 midway through the third quarter.

Denver came storming back, using a 26-7 surge in the last 6:33 of the period to cut the deficit to four. The Nuggets drained a trio of 3-pointers to end the third, and then Millsap and Murray hit two more to tie the game at 95 with 11:16 left.

It was tied at 99 when Millsap gave Denver its first lead with a 3-pointer, but San Antonio responded with eight straight points to retake the lead. Murray scored eight Denver straight points, Gary Harris and Craig hit 3-pointers, and Murray had another from deep to cap a 17-2 run and make it 119-109.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hype real? Zion Williamson earns lavish praise in NBA debut

New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson flashed some brilliance in his long-awaited NBA debut Wednesday, but the San Antonio Spurs spoiled the party at Smoothie King Center with a 121-117 victory over the Pelicans.

Williamson, who was the No. 1 overall draft pick in June, offered a tantalizing glimpse of what's to come in his career when he exploded for 17 points in little more than three minutes in the fourth quarter.

The 19-year-old sensation had been sidelined since arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on the eve of the Pelicans' season-opener in October.

He made a tentative start, scoring just five points with four rebounds, one assist four turnovers in less than 12 minutes on the floor over the first three quarters.

With 8:52 remaining and the Spurs up 99-91, Williamson connected with a three-pointer from the top of the key that ignited the crowd of 18,365.

He followed up with an alley-oop layup, fed by Lonzo Ball, drained a trey and put back his own miss with a spinning layup before adding two more three-pointers.

The crowd was chanting "M-V-P!" as he capped the burst with a free-throw, but he was soon subbed out of the game as Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry stuck to the plan of playing Williamson only in short bursts.

"I think what you saw there is a taste," Gentry said. "There's a lot of potential there."

He said he'd counseled Williamson at halftime to be more aggressive, and he was pleased to see him deliver.

"I think there's a really, really high ceiling that he can reach, and he can reach it soon," added Gentry, who nevertheless was impervious to the cries of "We want Zion" from fans late in the fourth quarter.

"It was very hard," Williamson acknowledged of coming out of the game just as he had found his rhythm. "I'm 19. Honestly, in that moment I'm not thinking about longevity I'm thinking about winning that game.

"So it was very tough," added Williamson, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

The Spurs, who led by as many as 15 and by 12 to start the fourth quarter, were up 109-108 when Williamson departed and quickly pulled away again.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 32 points and DeMar DeRozan added 20 for a San Antonio team holding down the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

Williamson, who admitted on Tuesday he wasn't sure just how much sleep he'd get on the eve of his debut, said that as the pre-game introductions were made he just told himself to "be calm."

- 'Great stuff' -

He said it wasn't just Gentry who urged him at halftime to defer less but also teammates including Jrue Holiday.

"I think he did well," Holiday said, commending the teenager's poise.

"We're almost in February and he hadn't played a game yet, so for him to come out and do that his first game is pretty elite."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was pleased to have a courtside seat for Williamson's debut.

"Oh, yeah, it's great stuff, I'm glad he’s back, a talent like that," Popovich said. "He's a great guy on top of it all. So it's good for the Pelicans. It's good for basketball. He's quite a package as a player and as a person."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Huerter lifts Hawks over Spurs for second straight win

Kevin Huerter poured in the decisive 3-pointer with seven seconds to play and Trae Young scored 31 points as the visiting Atlanta Hawks rallied in the final two minutes to stun the host San Antonio Spurs 121-120 on Friday.

The Spurs led by 11 points after a huge third quarter, but Atlanta clawed back to within 120-118 on a basket by Young with 48 seconds to play, setting up Huerter's game-winner.

DeMar DeRozan had a chance to win the game for San Antonio but he missed a last-second fadeaway jumper, allowing the Hawks to win their second straight game but just their fourth in their past 19 outings.

Cam Reddish added 22 points for Atlanta, with John Collins and Huerter hitting for 18 points each and Vince Carter adding 14. Collins led the Hawks with 10 rebounds, and Young finished with nine assists.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 30 points to lead the Spurs, who lost their second straight and third in their last four.

DeRozan scored 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor to stretch his streak of scoring 20 or more points and shooting 50 percent or better from the floor to 13 straight, breaking a tie with Michael Jordan for the most such games in a row in the last 35 seasons.

Patty Mills scored 15 points and Dejounte Murray added 13 points and 12 rebounds for San Antonio, which also got 10 rebounds from Trey Lyles.

Young paced Atlanta with 19 points in the first half on 7-of- 9 shooting, including 4 of 5 on 3-pointers, while Carter and Collins added 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the Hawks led 67-58 at halftime.

Aldridge led the Spurs with 14 points in the first half, with DeRozan contributing 10.

The Spurs roared back -- and ran past -- Atlanta in the third quarter, forging a 22-3 run over a 4-and-a-half-minute stretch that ended with a jumper by Lonnie Walker IV at the 2:05 mark of the period.

DeRozan scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in the surge, and Mills added seven of his points as San Antonio posted a 94-79 lead and then a 99-88 advantage heading to the final 12 minutes.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Kevin Love lifts Cavs over Spurs in OT

Kevin Love scored a season-high 30 points, including a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, and pulled down 17 rebounds as the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the San Antonio Spurs 117-109 on Thursday.

The Cavaliers snapped an eight-game losing streak on the second night of a home-road back to back.

It was the third straight overtime game for the Spurs.

San Antonio trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter and by 83-80 with 8:04 to play before forging an 11-3 run behind nine points from DeMar DeRozan to pull in front 91-86.

Patty Mills hit a pair of free throws to give the Spurs a 103-98 lead with 20.1 seconds to play in regulation before Collin Sexton responded with a layup.

DeRozan then missed two free throws with 14 seconds left, giving Cleveland the chance to tie the game, which Love accomplished with a 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds remaining. DeRozan then missed a 15-footer at the buzzer to force overtime.

The Cavaliers never trailed in the extra period, moving to a 113-109 lead on Jordan Clarkson's reverse layup with 53.6 seconds to play. Sexton then nailed two free throws to cement the game.

Sexton added 28 points, with Clarkson hitting for 25 and Cedi Osman scoring 15 for Cleveland.

DeRozan led San Antonio with 21 points while LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points and took 10 rebounds, Derrick White poured in 17 points and Lonnie Walker IV and Mills added 10 each.

Cleveland led from the middle of the first quarter on, earning as much as a 10-point advantage through the first half on the way to a 53-43 lead at halftime. The Cavaliers outshot San Antonio 46.7 percent to 42.5 percent over the first 24 minutes and outrebounded the Spurs 26-16, including a 6-0 edge on the offensive glass.

Love had 19 points, on 8-of-12 shooting in the half and took eight rebounds in just 15 minutes of court time. Sexton added 10 for in the first half for Cleveland.

White paced San Antonio with 11 points while the Spurs got just eight combined points from DeRozan (6) and Aldridge (2) over the first two periods.

The two teams played an even third quarter before the Spurs picked up the pace in the fourth, pulling to within 81-80 in Walker's layup with 8:29 to play.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: LeBron leads surging Lakers past sagging Spurs

LeBron James poured 33 points and dished out 14 assists to push the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to a 114-104 victory over the struggling San Antonio Spurs on Monday in the Alamo City to win their eighth straight game.

The Lakers led by just four points heading to the final quarter but opened the period with a 12-3 run that features a pair of 3-pointers from James and was capped by his assist to JaVale McGee for a dunk. San Antonio never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Anthony Davis added 19 points, 13 of them in the second half, and 12 rebounds, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 14, Rajon Rondo hit for 13 points (3-for-3 from beyond the arc), while Troy Daniels and Kyle Kuzma pumped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lakers.

Los Angeles, whose only defeats this year have come to the crosstown-rival Clippers and Toronto, is off to its best start since the 2008-09 season. That was a championship season for the Lakers.

LaMarcus Aldridge paced the Spurs with 30 points, with DeMar DeRozan adding 24, Bryn Forbes scoring 13 and Derrick White hitting for 11 for San Antonio, which has lost nine of 10 games and four straight at home.

The Spurs led, 56-54, at the half as Aldridge, with 16 points, and DeRozan, with 12, paced San Antonio over the first two quarters. The Spurs outshot Los Angeles 53.3 percent to 45.8 percent in the first half.

James led the Lakers with 19 points in the first half, while Rondo poured in 10. Davis had just 4 points on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor.

The Spurs led, 77-76, with 2:42 to play in the third quarter before Los Angeles rattled off eight of the ensuing nine points and took an 86-82 advantage heading to the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles has already defeated the Spurs twice in the first quarter of the season, both times in San Antonio.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Celtics rout Spurs despite Hayward's injury

Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, and Kemba Walker added 26 as the Boston Celtics overcame a first-half injury to Gordon Hayward to reach a season high in points in beating the Spurs, 135-115, Saturday night for a rare victory at San Antonio.

Jayson Tatum had 19 points, Marcus Smart had 16 and Robert Williams III chipped in 11 as the Celtics won their seventh straight game -- and first at San Antonio since 2011. Boston had lost 14 of its last 15 to the Spurs overall.

DeMar DeRozan scored 22, and Patty Mills added 20 for the Spurs, who lost for the third time in four games. LaMarcus Aldridge was held to three points, taking just four shots from the field in 26 minutes.

Hayward fractured his left hand when he ran into Aldridge while guarding Dejounte Murray with 1:34 left before halftime. Aldridge was assessed an offensive foul, and Hayward quickly exited to the locker room.

The Celtics announced the diagnosis early in the third following an X-ray, and Hayward was ruled out for the remainder of the game. He will see a specialist Monday to determine if surgery is necessary, according to ESPN.

Despite the injury, Boston was up by 18 at the half and increased increased the margin to 20 on a pair of Smart free throws 12 seconds into the third. San Antonio battled back within 14 before the Celtics restored the 20-point margin, 88-68, on a Brown floater with 6:20 remaining.

The Spurs inched within 12, ultimately entering the fourth trailing, 104-91. Boston went up by as much as 24 the rest of the way to cruise to victory.

The Spurs opened the game on a 7-0 run before the Celtics blew past them with a 19-3 stretch. Boston's lead in the first reached as high as 15 as the Celtics ended the quarter up 39-30, their largest-scoring opening period of the season.

San Antonio fell further behind in the second, trailing by as much as 19 when a Javonte Green layup put Boston up 70-51 with 25.3 seconds to go. Brown led all scorers with 20 points as the Celtics entered the half up 72-54.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: LeBron's triple-double leads surging Lakers past Spurs

LeBron James produced his second straight triple-double, and Anthony Davis scored 25 points and took 11 rebounds as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 103-96 on Sunday to win their fifth straight game.

James finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. The Lakers went the entire 2018-19 season, James' first with the team, without winning five straight games.

Dejounte Murray single handedly kept the Spurs in the game, scoring 16 straight San Antonio points over a seven-and-a-half minute stretch of the fourth quarter. 

His layup with 4:10 to play -- the 13th and 14th of those 16 points -- tied the game at 90. But the Lakers responded with a 9-2 run over the ensuing two minutes to hold off the Spurs and claim the win.

Avery Bradley added 16 points for Los Angeles (5-1), while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dwight Howard had 14 points each. Howard also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

Murray led the Spurs (4-2) with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Rudy Gay and Derrick White added 16 and 12 points, respectively, off the bench, with DeMar DeRozan scoring 14 points and Bryn Forbes hitting for 12 for San Antonio. 

The Spurs lost at home for the first time in four games this season.

Kyle Kuzma's 38-foot buzzer-beater allowed the Lakers to finish the second quarter with a 10-0 run and take a 56-43 lead at halftime. Davis paced Los Angeles with 15 points in the half, with James adding 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Bradley hitting for 10 points.

Los Angeles outshot the Spurs 51.1 percent to 33.3 percent over the first 24 minutes. Gay led San Antonio with eight points before the break.

The Lakers expanded their lead to as many as 19 points after a Davis layup at the 8:36 mark of the third quarter before San Antonio found some mojo, clawing back to within 71-65 five minutes later.

Gay's 3-pointer jumper from near half court at the end of the third quarter left the Los Angeles lead at 77-72 heading into the final period.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Leonard shines against former team in Clippers win

Kawhi Leonard delivered 38 points, Montrezl Harrell chipped in 24 and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated San Antonio 103-97 on Thursday to knock the Spurs off their undefeated perch.

Leonard, who did not dress for Wednesday's game at Utah so he could rest, also grabbed 12 rebounds for his first double-double this season.

"I have the heart of a champion and I just tried to stay focused," said Leonard, who played seven seasons with the Spurs from 2011 to 2018.

Leonard has now scored 30 or more points in three of his first five games with the Clippers, who he signed with as a free agent during the offseason.

DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points and Derrick White added 20 for the Spurs, who suffered their first loss of the young season dropping to 3-1.

After so much time with the Spurs, Leonard's relationship with the team eventually deteriorated. He was traded in July 2018 to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that sent DeRozan to Texas.

Leonard went on to lead the Raptors to their first NBA title last season in a six-game victory against the defending champion Golden State Warriors. But the title wasn't enough to keep Leonard in Toronto.

The Spurs were eliminated in the first round last year by the Denver Nuggets.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Leonard didn't develop into one of the best players in the league by accident. He is one of the hardest working players on and off the court in the NBA.

"From where he started from to where he is at now is amazing," said Rivers of Leonard who had 25 points in the second half. "Every young player who has a chance to see the work, should understand you don't get better without the work."

Los Angeles seized control of the contest with a 9-1 run to take a 64-55 lead with 6:55 remaining in the third quarter.

Leonard scored five of his 10 third-quarter points during the rally, including stealing the ball off DeRozan and going in for a dunk.

San Antonio got within five at the end of the third quarter before the Clippers scored 11 of the first 13 points in the fourth quarter. San Antonio clawed their way back to make it 97-93 late in the fourth but the Clippers held on for the win.

- Best rookie start -
Elsewhere, undrafted guard Kendrick Nunn scored a career-high 28 points to power the Miami Heat to a 106-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Nunn has exploded on the scene as an NBA rookie and is now the all-time leader for most points through the first five games for an undrafted player in league history with 112 points.

Connie Hawkins of the Phoenix Suns scored 105 points in his first five games of the 1969-70 season.

"It's surreal a little bit... All I needed was the opportunity," said Nunn, who scored 14 points in the third quarter. 

Nunn has scored at least 24 points three times in Miami's first five games, including a 24 point performance against Memphis in his opening game on October 23.

Also, Jahlil Okafor scored 26 points, Brandon Ingram dropped in 25 and the host New Orleans Pelicans beat the Denver Nuggets 122-107 for their first victory in five games.

gph/rbu

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Trump criticizes Kerr, Popovich for China reactions

US President Donald Trump strode into the NBA's China morass on Wednesday, denouncing the reaction of Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to the controversy.

The NBA is dealing with harsh reaction from its Chinese business partners to a since-deleted tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey related to protests in Hong Kong. The league subsequently apologized for the backlash to Morey's tweet but backed his ability to take a stand on the issue without speaking for the team.

Kerr and Popovich, both vocal critics of Trump's policies in the past, were asked in recent days for their response to the issue.

"He was like a little boy, he was so scared. ... He was shaking," Trump said of Kerr's reply. "He was shaking, 'Oh, I don't know' ... he didn't know how to answer the question, and yet he'll talk about the United States very badly."

On Monday, Kerr had said he didn't have a reaction to the NBA-China situation, adding, "It's a really bizarre international story, and a lot of us don't know what to make of it. So it's something I'm reading about just like everybody is, but I'm not going to comment further than that."

Popovich had praised NBA commissioner Adam Silver's response to the Morey tweet without specifically taking a stand on the issue.

Trump commented Wednesday, "I watched Popovich, sort of the same thing, but he didn't look quite as scared, actually. But they talk badly about the United States -- but when (they) talk about China, they don't want to say anything bad."

Warriors guard Stephen Curry, another longtime Trump critic, said Wednesday at the team's practice, "I just heard about the Trump thing. I gotta welcome Steve to the club."

In 2017, after Curry had announced that he would be opposed to the then-NBA champion Warriors celebrating their title at the White House, Trump tweeted, "Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!"

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com