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Thibodeau: I’m Not Selling Our Team Short
Before Wednesday’s 96-86 win over San Antonio to start a six-game West Coast trip, (Coach Tom) Thibodeau was not only asked about the criticisms from outside the organization, but the ones from the inside. Specifically, Board Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf calling the team “mediocre’’ in a recent television interview.
“Jerry owns the team so he’s entitled to say whatever he wants,’’ Thibodeau said. “If that’s the way he feels … and the way I feel about our team is this: It’s that I’m really proud of them and we can do even better. So I’m not selling them short.’’
“We’re not going to respond to every rumor and things that this guy says and that guys says,’’ Thibodeau said. “The only thing that really matters is what we think. So we’re going to make the best decisions for our organization, the things that we feel gives us the best chance to have success.’’
It appeared a fitting beginning to Carmelo Anthony’s next chapter, a 3-pointer on his first possession with the Thunder, playing against his former team. Then he missed his next seven shots.
Like the rest of the Thunder, it was a slow burn as Anthony revved up in the second quarter and into the third, scoring 22 on 8-of-20 shooting in a 105-84 win over the Knicks on opening night. In their first regular-season game, there were some rough patches for the Thunder’s new big three, with Paul George missing a number of open looks and Anthony going cold at times, but in the end, talent prevailed. George finished with 28 on 9-of-23 shooting, and Russell Westbrook picked right up where he left off in his historic MVP season notching the first triple-double of this season with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists.
Source: Royce Young of ESPN
LeBron James says his left ankle feels strong enough to play in Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s the rest of his body that needs work.
“I just want to get to where I should be,” James said after participating in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ practice Thursday. “The ankle and the foot injury just kind of kept me out and set me back further than I would like, but I got some time now along the course of these games that we got. We got two back-to-backs coming up, so that’s going to help and we have some opportunity to get some practice time in as well.”
Source: Dave McMenamin of ESPN
Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin has been diagnosed with a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee and will miss the entire 2017-18 season, the team announced Thursday. Lin sustained the injury during Wednesday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers.
Source: Brooklyn Nets
