Headlines
Cramping Forces Cavs’ Irving to Exit Game
Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving exited Thursday night’s 124-118 win over the Boston Celtics in the final minute with cramping in his right hamstring, and he had to watch from the sidelines as Cleveland eked out a nail-biter after his team led by 18 points to start the fourth quarter.
“Just tightened up, that’s all,” Irving said after the game. “I took a spill with [LeBron James] in the first half. I threw a pass to Tristan [Thompson] in the middle [of the] lane, and me and Bron bumped knees. Then my calf started getting tight and my hammy started to get tight. I felt better coming out of the second half. Then when I did that last layup, it started to cramp up. That’s all.”
Source: Dave McMenamin of ESPN
Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has withdrawn from consideration for the Phoenix Suns head coaching job, league sources tell ESPN.
Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has withdrawn from consideration for the Phoenix Suns head coaching job, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 20, 2018
Sources: Among the coaching candidates the Suns are still considering: Interim coach Jay Triano, David Fizdale, Steve Clifford, Kevin McHale, Frank Vogel.
Sources: Among the coaching candidates the Suns are still considering: Interim coach Jay Triano, David Fizdale, Steve Clifford, Kevin McHale, Frank Vogel. https://t.co/m55OviqGWH
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 20, 2018
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter
Former Lakers coach and star Byron Scott, for one, said this week that he believes the team has targeted this summer for a quick jump-start rebuild, suggesting that LA will wind up with both Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James this summer.
Around the league, front-office sources agree with at least half that assessment.
“I think they go in hard for Leonard once the season is over and once the dust settles in San Antonio,” one executive told Sporting News. “[Leonard] wants to go to LA. There probably won’t be public demands on that, but he has leverage. He is going to be a free agent [in 2019]. He’s an LA guy and he can just let teams know he won’t re-sign next year with anyone but the Lakers.”
Source: Sean Deveney of Sporting News
Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy have set a meeting for next week to discuss Van Gundy’s future with the franchise, league sources told ESPN.
The two had initially planned to sit down late this week, but the meeting was pushed back, leaving the Pistons organization to await word on how, if at all, the franchise’s structure could be altered.
Most of Van Gundy’s front-office staff, including general manager Jeff Bower, are in the final year of their contracts and are operating without clarity on whether they’ll be employed beyond the spring.
The Pistons were 39-43 in an injury-plagued season that ended with Detroit missing the playoffs for the third time in four years under Van Gundy’s watch. Nevertheless, Van Gundy inherited a franchise stranded in the lottery with few assets on the roster. He is 152-176 with Detroit, where he was hired after eight seasons as head coach of Orlando and Miami.
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN
