Day: May 9, 2023

The Miami Heat own a 3-1 series lead over the New York Knicks as they’ve continued win on hustle plays in particular. The Heat outrebounded the Knicks 44-35 and had seven offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter.

“Maybe they want it more,” Julius Randle said. “I don’t know. That’s been who we are all year and we got to find a way to step up and make those plays, keep the season alive.”

“I think that we found the value in the grind of a regular season,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “In the grind and the struggle. I’ve said that repeatedly. We found a beauty in that struggle, but without that struggle where we didn’t have to find different solutions to win and different guys stepping up so that they had the confidence for these kind of moments. If we didn’t have a regular season, then you have zero chance to be able to do that in the playoffs.”

“My mindset I think going forward, we’re on the brink of elimination, so [give] everything you got,” Jalen Brunson said. “That should be the mindset of everybody. No matter what you do, no matter what you have to do, you just got to go out there and give it your all and keep your confidence. I know it’s kind of easy to say, but it’s a big thing to keep your confidence.”

The Golden State Warriors trail the Los Angeles Lakers 3-1 in their second round series, which is what they also trailed the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2016 Western Conference Finals that they came back and won. The Warriors went on to have a 3-1 lead against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, which they ultimately squandered.

“We made history before. The goal is to win one at home. We know we are capable of taking care of home court. It’s about staying present and not looking ahead,” Klay Thompson said.

“It’s fun to reflect on the past and learn from it and take that same competitive energy that brought us back in the past to today.”

The Warriors are on the brink of elimination ahead of an offseason of major potential change.

“It feels like what it is,” Steve Kerr said. “You go home and you take care of business. You get a win. And the momentum is right back in your favor. That’s all it is. Someone has to win four times. That’s why you play it out.”

Jordan Poole played just 10 minutes in the Golden State Warriors’ Game 4 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers. Poole had his third straight poor game and didn’t register a point.

Poole has

“I really can’t tell you,” Poole said when asked what has changed. “I wish I had answers for you. I wish I had one.”

Poole had a strong Game 1, but his long three-point attempt in the closing seconds was controversial. He has since struggled in the series.

“He didn’t have it going,” Steve Kerr said when asked about Poole’s second-half minutes. “It’s a game where you’re going possession by possession, and we had other guys who were playing well… We just went to other guys. That doesn’t mean Jordan can’t come in and play a big role in Game 6 or Game 5.”