Klay Thompson dares you to underestimate him 10:35 AM ET During a timeout with 4:54 left in the second quarter of Game 6 of the Western Conference finals and the Thunder leading Golden State by 11, Luke Walton sensed that the Warriors' dream season had reached its moment of truth -- that someone had to deliver an uncomfortable message. Walton shouted into the huddle that both Games 3 and 4 in … [Read more...]

Magic: My 'Showtime' Lakers would beat Warriors 12:57 PM ET ESPN.com news services The Golden State Warriors may have set the record for wins in a season and are two games away from capturing a second straight NBA championship, but don't tell Magic Johnson they could beat his "Showtime" version of the Los Angeles Lakers. And that especially goes for Warriors guard Klay Thompson and … [Read more...]

NBA Fantasy Trends: Stats: It's a Love Thing You don’t need to see the Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy movie 48 Hours to know 48 is associated with two full days. Well, now 48 is also associated with the two full games of the 2016 NBA Finals so far because the Warriors set a record for the biggest point differential in Game 1 and 2. After demolishing the Eastern Conference with a record of 12-2, … [Read more...]

J.R. Smith is crowdfunding a reality TV show during the NBA Finals Have you thought to yourself, "Hey, I know J.R. Smith has made $44 million in his NBA career, but if he ever decides to launch a reality show, I'd really like to help fund the venture for him." Well, you're in luck. On Sunday, the day his Cleveland Cavaliers fell into a 2-0 NBA Finals series hole with a blowout loss to the … [Read more...]

Shaq: Cavaliers need more from Irving, Love 9:00 AM ET Associated Press NEW YORK -- Shaquille O'Neal played on the last team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the NBA Finals, so he knows what it takes. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, he thinks it starts with better play from Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, who he said is being "punked" by Draymond Green. Shaquille O'Neal played on the last team to … [Read more...]

Phil: Knicks a playoff team with triangle tweaks 9:51 AM ET NEW YORK -- New York Knicks president Phil Jackson thinks the team can make the playoffs in a weak Eastern Conference, but suggests the club may need to tweak the spacing in its triangle offense to adapt to the modern NBA. Jackson offered his bullish stance on the Knicks' playoff chances in an interview with WNBC-TV. He was asked by the … [Read more...]

The Warriors dominate LeBron like no team has before 10:00 AM ET Brian WindhorstESPN Senior Writer Close ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books OAKLAND, Calif. -- LeBron James once destroyed the promising core of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison by beating the Washington Wizards three years in a row in the playoffs. He ended … [Read more...]

Rotoworld Podcasts: NBA Pod for June 6 Monday, June 06, 2016 Hey, so the Cavs are in some trouble. We talk about what the Cavs need to do with LeBron James, how Kyrie Irving needs to get better, and what coach Ty Lue has to do -- it's a lot. There's also the Kevin Love (concussion) dilemma, so we break that down. If he can't play, the Cavs may have some rotation questions. There isn't much … [Read more...]

Kevin Love cleared for travel to Cleveland after Game 2 head injury As if the start of the 2016 NBA Finals wasn't going poorly enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers, they lost star forward Kevin Love midway through Sunday's Game 2. And his status for Game 3 is not yet known. [Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball] Love went down hard after taking an elbow to … [Read more...]

Video: Stephen Curry was awfully excited for his Warriors teammates The unanimous MVP has been scintillating for the Golden State Warriors all year, and he was brilliant in limited Game 2 action, but this time it was Stephen Curry's effort on the bench that was so impressive. While he scored 18 points on 11 shots, adding nine rebounds and four assists in 24:43 on Sunday, Golden State's … [Read more...]