NBA News Roundup: Klay Thompson backs Warriors to win it all, five-time champion lauds Steve Kerr and the Dubs for their championship pedigree, and more - May 23rd, 2022
The Golden State Warriors have dominated NBA news coverage on Monday after taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals on Sunday. Stephen Curry is expected to lift the Magic Johnson Finals MVP trophy if the Warriors close the series out in Game 4.
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, on the other hand, are in a close series that could go to seven games. Jayson Tatum struggled in Game 3 and the Heat had a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4 at Boston on Monday night.
The LA Lakers are still without a head coach while trade rumors surround their stars. The Charlotte Hornets are also eyeing the same candidates as the Lakers for their head coaching search. Meanwhile, the other 26 teams are already gearing up for next season.
ClutchPoints suspends famous NBA reporter after old derogatory tweets surface
Mark Haynes, who works for ClutchPoints, is a famous Warriors reporter who has been active on Twitter, especially in the Dub Nation community. He was caught insulting Stephen Curry, suggesting the two-time MVP was "front-running" in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. Dub Nation took offense to his statement, and started a campaign against him on social media.
In the process, many users discovered several old derogatory tweets from Haynes, some of which were alarmingly sexist and racist. ClutchPoints has placed him on "indefinite leave" while they assess the situation. Haynes has since deleted his Twitter account and has not made any comment.
https://t.co/hAN4m7bAnV
Klay Thompson believes the Golden State Warriors can win the NBA title
Klay Thompson isn't shy of suggesting that the Golden State Warriors can win it all. He believes his team has what it takes to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy this year. The Warriors are one win away from making the NBA Finals and will have homecourt advantage over either Eastern team.
Thompson spoke about the Warriors' championship credentials after game 3, saying:
"Yeah, I'm not gonna say anybody else. ... We have home court, if we were to win the next game, come the Finals. So, I mean, we got championship DNA, we got some great young talent and we're just meshing at the right time."
Klay still believes the Dubs are the favorites to win the NBA Finals š¤ https://t.co/ZIIIx9SuPd
Luka Doncic envious of Andrew Wiggins' athleticism after getting posterized in Game 3
Luka Doncic got posterized in Game 3 by Andrew Wiggins in one of the major highlights of the playoffs. The dunk was initially whistled as an offensive foul because Doncic flopped midair despite no contact. But coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors successfully challenged the call, so Wiggins was rewarded the basket.
AIR WIGGINS!!!2. š AIR WIGGINS!!!
(The call was overturned and the dunk counted)
https://t.co/igW28tWKRu
Doncic praised Wiggins' athleticism after Game 3, wishing he could have the latter's verticality:
"That was impressive. Iām not going to lie. I saw the video again, and I was like, 'Ooof.' I wish I had those bunnies.'"
Ja Morant believes his health got in the way of the Memphis Grizzlies' first NBA title
The fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks haven't been posing much of a challenge to the third-seeded Golden State Warriors. Many believe the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies were the tougher matchup for the Dubs.
Memphis leader Ja Morant suffered an injury during the Western Conference semifinals and was sidelined for the rest of the playoffs. Many analysts are under the impression that a healthy Grizzlies team would have defeated the Warriors and then went on to win the championship.
A Grizzlies fan expressed the sentiment on Twitter, and Morant quote-tweeted the post with a "100" emoji, suggesting he agrees with the hot take.
twitter.com/GrizzHooping/sā¦
šÆ twitter.com/GrizzHooping/sā¦
Magic Johnson showers praise on Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors after they take a 3-0 WCF lead
NBA legend Magic Johnson has been in a pundit role on social media, often tweeting after games and sharing his expert opinion on a player or team. After Golden State took a 3-0 lead against the Mavericks, Johnson tweeted in support of coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors. He tweeted praise for Kerr's gameplans and adjustments:
"Golden State Coach Steve Kerrās game-plan against Dallas has been terrific! His switching from zone to man-to-man has kept Dallasās offense off balance."
The three-time MVP then praised Stephen Curry and Kevon Looney for their production:
"Another Warrior player playing the best basketball Iāve ever seen him play is Kevon Looney! He had 9 points and 12 rebounds in tonightās win...Steph Curry is continuing his phenomenal play with 41 points and 11 assists in tonightās game."
Andrew Wiggins is playing the best basketball Iāve ever seen him play!! He had the dunk of the year over Doncic and his Playoff high 27 points and 11 rebounds tonight in the Warriors 109-100 victory.