<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image_2021-06-14_140814.png"></figure><h1>Chris Paul’s perfect clapback at doubters after Suns complete sweep of Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T23:08:40-07:00">June 13th, 11:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T23:08:40-07:00">June 13th, 11:08pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Chris Paul has heard it all. The Phoenix Suns All-Star is indeed getting long in the tooth, but after tonight’s closeout performance in an elimination game, he let his play remind everyone that he’s still got it.</p><p>The Suns point guard also <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1404270600554565637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1404270600554565637%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">said it out loud</a> for a bit after the epic Game 4 showing:</p><blockquote>“A couple of years ago they were writing me off. This ain’t about me. It’s about us.”</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“A couple of years ago they were writing me off. This ain’t about me. It’s about us.” <a href="https://twitter.com/CP3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@CP3</a> spoke with <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@ChrisBHaynes</a> after the Suns advanced to the WCF. <a href="https://t.co/vI8Pnhyb2k" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/vI8Pnhyb2k</a></p><p>— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1404270600554565637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Two seasons before joining the Phoenix Suns, the 16-year NBA veteran was considered by many to be damaged goods. The guard just couldn’t stay healthy anymore, and it cost him a shot at a title in two years with James Harden and the Houston Rockets. The narrative on CP3 after getting traded from Texas was that he was toast. The fact that they gave up draft picks with Paul to get Russell Westbrook should tell you what his value was even around the league.</p><p>But you know who else heard all that slander? Chris Paul. After what felt like a bounce back year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, CP3 is back to leading a contender to the top of the mountain. He even posted the quote on his Instagram story, in case anymore missed it live:</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-14-at-1.55.22-PM.png"></figure><p>Chris Paul and the Suns are now <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/phoenix-suns/records">four wins away</a> from a trip to the NBA Finals. You just love to see it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chris Paul’s perfect clapback at doubters after Suns complete sweep of Nuggets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Chris-Paul-Suns-Monty-Williams-Nuggets.jpg"></figure><h1>Chris Paul gets extra emotional after advancing to Western Conference Finals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T22:41:04-07:00">June 13th, 10:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T22:41:04-07:00">June 13th, 10:41pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For all his greatness, Chris Paul’s career has been tainted by his failures in the NBA Playoffs. Prior to their sweep of the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, Paul has only been to the Western Conference Finals once, losing to the Golden State Warriors in seven games in 2018.</p><p>Year after year, the disappointments piled up for the veteran playmaker. But in his first season with the Suns, it seems Paul has erased past stigmas. But what makes it even more special for him is that he has Suns coach Monty Williams by his side.</p><p>After their Game 4 win against the Nuggets, Paul couldn’t help but feel extra emotional for what he and Williams have achieved together (via <a href="http://espn.com/video/clip?id=31628133">ESPN</a>).</p><blockquote>“Mont has been through things in his life that a lot of people don’t necessarily come back from. The mental stamina, who he is as a person. Basketball aside, he means so much to me and my family. To be on this journey with him, and to see it paying off, is nice and we are a lot alike. We stay locked in.”</blockquote><p>Paul and Williams spent two years together <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/chris-paul/a53c094a/stats">with the New Orleans Hornets</a> and had a very close relationship. When Williams’ wife died in a tragic car accident in 2016, Paul offered his full support. Williams went on a long hiatus as he couldn’t bring himself to coach. But with the help of his family and the encouragement of CP3, he made a successful return.</p><p>Now, like something straight out of a sports movie, Chris Paul and Monty Williams are just a series away from the NBA Finals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chris Paul gets extra emotional after advancing to Western Conference Finals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Genius_-Jae-Crowder-reveals-harsh-reality-he-faced-after-signing-with-Phoenix.jpg"></figure><h1>‘Genius’ Jae Crowder reveals harsh reality of signing with Suns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T22:30:24-07:00">June 13th, 10:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T22:30:24-07:00">June 13th, 10:30pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When Jae Crowder chose to leave the Miami Heat to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-jae-crowder-agrees-to-3-year-deal-with-phoenix/" rel="noopener">join</a> the Phoenix Suns last November 2020, he apparently received several messages questioning his decision. After all, he left the reigning Eastern Conference champions to join a team that hasn’t make the playoffs in 10 years at the time.</p><p>However, look who’s a genius now and having a good laugh: Yes, it’s the same Crowder.</p><p>Speaking to the media after helping the Suns sweep the Denver Nuggets and punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals, Crowder opened up about his free agency and the harsh reality he faced when he made that decision.</p><blockquote>“I know I look like a genius with my decision. When I made the decision, you should’ve seen how many text messages I got like, ‘What am I doing? Why are you going to Phoenix?’ They haven’t made the playoffs in 10 years,” Crowder shared, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1404282700337385474" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype</a>.</blockquote><p>Jae Crowder surely has every right to brag. Besides, not every team can say they were able to beat the reigning NBA champions and sweep the MVP in back-to-back series. also, it’s not like Crowder was carried as well since he is playing a crucial starting role for the Suns.</p><p>In Game 4 on Sunday against the Nuggets, Crowder was actually really phenomenal as he recorded nine points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.</p><p>Obviously, the confidence of Crowder and the Suns are at an all-time high. Sure, the job is far from over. It’s not like Phoenix has already won the championship. But hey, let’s give them this moment to enjoy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

‘Genius’ Jae Crowder reveals harsh reality of signing with Suns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Devin-Booker-reaches-rarefied-air-with-Michael-Jordan-esque-playoff-record.jpg"><figcaption>June 13, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>Devin Booker reaches rarefied air with Michael Jordan-esque playoff record</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T22:23:08-07:00">June 13th, 10:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T22:46:35-07:00">June 13th, 10:46pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Devin Booker has been a close-out killer for the Phoenix Suns in his postseason debut. After two impressive performances in the Suns’ two wins to close out their first two series, Booker has now propelled himself to be in the conversation with the GOAT, Michael Jordan.</p><p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears/status/1404299075319525377">Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated</a>, Booker’s combined 81 points in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers and Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets now puts him in elite company. The only player with more points in his team’s first two closeout wins in a single postseason is none other than the Chicago Bulls icon. How’s that for impressive?</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Suns guard Devin Booker has scored 81 points in the Suns' closeout wins this postseason. The only player with more points in his team's first two closeout wins of a single postseason is Michael Jordan. <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@ESPNStatsInfo</a> <a href="https://t.co/DnPbxoFQ4d" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/DnPbxoFQ4d</a></p><p>— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears/status/1404299075319525377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The 24-year-old has had one heck of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/devin-booker/b19d09ab/gamelog">playoff debut</a>. Despite this being his first playoff run, Booker has actually thrived under the spotlight for Phoenix and has been absolutely magnificent, especially when his team needed him most.</p><p>The two-time All-Star dropped 34 points and 11 boards on Sunday to close out the Nuggets in a four-game sweep. He did this after dropping a 47-piece against the Lakers just last week to eliminate the defending champions.</p><p>Booker is slowly proving to everyone that he belongs on basketball’s biggest stage. He’s been fantastic all season long for the Suns, but he has managed to elevate his game in his first-ever playoff appearance. With a vet like Chris Paul in his ear, Booker is developing into a legitimate superstar in front of the entire world.</p><p>He’s now making it a point that he heeds the late Kobe Bryant’s call for him to “Be Legendary”.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Devin Booker reaches rarefied air with Michael Jordan-esque playoff record

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><source type="image/webp"></source><img src="https://cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image_2021-06-14_131536.png"></figure><h1>2 best trades Cavaliers can make in the offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T22:16:18-07:00">June 13th, 10:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T22:16:18-07:00">June 13th, 10:16pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers once again ended another season as one of the bottom feeders of the league. Safe to say the second post-LeBron era hasn’t panned out just yet. The good thing about the Cavaliers is that they’ve gone a good job accumulating great prospects from the draft. Amid the Cavaliers’ mediocre season, the likes of Colin Sexton and Darius Garland have raised eyebrows with their play. As always, young players have apparent weaknesses in their game. But there’s no question about Sexton and Garland’s searing potential.</p><p>The running joke is that nobody wants to play or live in Cleveland. Is it the city itself or the team? No one really knows. The good thing is that the current NBA landscape seems to be in favor of the Cavaliers. Several teams, given their subpar seasons, are expected to head to the free agency and trade market to fix their roster. For Cavs fans, they might be witnessing the stars aligning just for them. There are two best trade scenarios that the front office can make. And this will likely pull them out of the rut in an instant.</p><h2><b>Cavs’ 2 best offseason trades</b></h2><p><b>CJ McCollum</b></p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CJ-McCollum-Blazers.jpg"></figure><p>The Trail Blazers parting ways with coach Terry Stotts could be a sign of things to come. While there are whispers that the team is about to press the reset button, the reality is that a lot can still be salvaged with their current roster. As such, the popular belief now is the Blazers will likely make some little tweaks to their team.</p><p>After all the success CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard have achieved, maybe this is the right time to part ways. In this scenario, McCollum is the one to leave. He’s always been the second fiddle in Portland. If he heads to Cleveland, then this will be the first time he’ll be given the keys to the car. Not only will he be the team’s primary scorer, but we may also see other aspects of McCollum’s game develop. And of course, we cannot discount the fact that McCollum is an Ohio native. We’re all familiar with NBA stars who have gone home to play for their hometown.</p><p>As mentioned, the Cavs have done a good job at getting top prospects and developing them into potential stars. Collin Sexton, their eighth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, averaged a stellar 24.3 points per game on 47.5 percent from the field. It’s pretty evident that the Young Bull will become one heck of an offensive weapon in the coming years. The thing is, the Cavaliers also have Darius Garland coming up. The Cavaliers will fall into a tough spot as after Sexton, Garland will be due a hefty, long-term deal. The only way to escape this ordeal is to trade Sexton away, who’s been stuck in the rumor mill anyway.</p><p> </p><p><b>Kristaps Porzingis</b></p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Mavs-news-Dallas-gives-cloudy-update-on-Kristaps-Porzingis-injury.jpeg"></figure><p>As soon as the Dallas Mavericks bowed out of the first round, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/mavericks-kristaps-porzingis-frustrated-next-to-luka-doncic-but-trade-interest-is-minimal-per-reports/">rumors surrounding</a> center Kristaps Porzingis started heating up. All the hype after his acquisition in 2019 seems to have died down. His inconsistent play is not an indication that he’s a bad player. Perhaps the Latvian simply doesn’t fit into Rick Carlisle’s system as well as Luka Doncic’s play style.</p><p>This is where the Cavaliers can enter, particularly with Kevin Love in their back pocket. Doncic himself has admitted that LeBron James is his idol and he patterned his game after the Los Angeles Lakers star. And we all know how the James-Love connection worked wonders for the Cavs years ago. Though Love seems to go back to his roots of posting up, camping from deep, and knocking down 3-pointers all game long will be a welcome and easy adjustment for him. He’s been making mad money in Cleveland over the past several years. However, we cannot ignore that Love is an intense competitor at heart. He might want to win another ring before he exits his prime.</p><p>For the Cavs, a frontcourt duo of Kristaps Porzingis and Jarret Allen is very workable. They will essentially have a dual-threat on offense. Allen can do the work of a traditional big man while Porzingis stretches the floor. On defense, taller teams will always have the advantage. When you have two athletic seven-footers on your squad, then you have the advantage almost by default. A straight-up Love-Porzingis swap won’t likely work. The Cavaliers may have to insert Darius Garland, another player, and some picks into the trade package. This isn’t a lot for acquiring a 7-foot-3 shooter who’s probably <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cleveland-cavaliers-trade-deadline-primer/">hungry as ever to win.</a></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 best trades Cavaliers can make in the offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Devin-Booker-Suns-Nuggets-Chris-Paul.jpg"></figure><h1>Devin Booker takes fired-up shot at haters after Suns sweep Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T21:54:32-07:00">June 13th, 9:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T22:41:22-07:00">June 13th, 10:41pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns are off to the Western Conference Finals, but star guard Devin Booker is anything but done. For most of his career, Booker has been chided for not winning meaningful games. While his scoring exploits have been truly impressive, he wasn’t getting the respect he was due.</p><p>Then this season happened.</p><p>After the Suns made waves in the NBA Bubble last year, Booker made sure the momentum they built won’t go to waste. With Chris Paul joining him in the backcourt, the former Kentucky standout elevated his game to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/devin-booker/b19d09ab/stats">more well-rounded one</a>. It’s clear everything has paid off, as the Suns are now just a series away from an improbable NBA Finals run. And Booker is all hyped up during his postgame interview with <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1404273092742893568%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">NBA on TNT</a>.</p><blockquote>“I feel really good. I’ve been waiting for this for a really long time. A lot of people have been saying I haven’t played meaningful basketball and I’m not ready for that. It’s my time to prove it. The whole team’s having fun with it.”</blockquote><p>If that doesn’t fire up Suns fans, nothing will.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I’ve been waiting on this for a really long time.” <a href="https://twitter.com/DevinBook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@DevinBook</a> checked in with <a href="https://twitter.com/SHAQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@SHAQ</a> after sweeping the Nuggets. <a href="https://t.co/U4ZtwS8wWH" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/U4ZtwS8wWH</a></p><p>— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1404273092742893568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>While Booker has been largely instrumental in their sweep of the Denver Nuggets, he deflected much of the credit to Paul, as he continues to gush about the leadership of the savvy floor general.</p><blockquote>“You can ask anybody on this team how has Chris developed your game and everybody’s going to have a lengthy answer because he cares.”</blockquote><p>Devin Booker is a man on a mission.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Devin Booker takes fired-up shot at haters after Suns sweep Nuggets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/suns-news-chris-paul-gets-ultimate-praise-that-will-shock-even-magic-johnson.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns guard Chris Paul gets ultimate praise that will shock Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T21:50:27-07:00">June 13th, 9:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T21:50:27-07:00">June 13th, 9:50pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When talking about the greatest point guards of all time, the first names that come to mind are Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry. After all, they have revolutionized the position in their own ways. However, if you’re going to ask Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone now, that honor should be given to Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul.</p><p>Malone was full of praises for Paul after the Suns swept and eliminated his Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. CP3 was pivotal for Phoenix all series long, and he even saved his best  performance in the closeout Game 4 where he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/boxscore/phoenix-suns-denver-nuggets-6-14-2021/c15caa0d-cf45-4300-be6b-f4ec22101d29" rel="noopener">put up 37 points</a>, three rebounds, seven assists and two steals with just two turnovers.</p><p>After such incredible performance, Malone couldn’t even hate to see greatness unfold right in front of his eyes as he delivered the ultimate compliment for the veteran Suns playmaker.</p><blockquote>“Chris Paul could arguably be the greatest point guard of all time,” the Nuggets coach said, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1404282700337385474" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype</a>.</blockquote><p>Those are certainly big words to say, but it is not completely without merit. Besides, when it comes to being the best “pure” point guard in the NBA, one could argue that Chris Paul is on top of that list.</p><p>If one needs further proof of Paul’s winning impact, then look no further at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-chris-paul-winning-impact-summarized-in-incredible-stat/" rel="noopener">improvements of his teams</a> when he joined them. Aside from the Suns, remember when the 36-year-old guard joined the Oklahoma City Thunder and led them to the 2020 playoffs?</p><p>Of course, the only counterargument to his case is his lack of NBA titles. Nonetheless, should the Suns win it all this 2021, then CP3 could certainly make a strong case as the GOAT PG.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns guard Chris Paul gets ultimate praise that will shock Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/suns-news-the-surprising-reason-behind-chris-pauls-incredible-form-over-the-past-few-seasons.jpg"><figcaption>June 13, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>Chris Paul’s massive transformation after vegan diet will surprise you</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T21:41:17-07:00">June 13th, 9:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T23:17:32-07:00">June 13th, 11:17pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Call it coincidence but Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul has been different ever since he switched up his diet and went all-in on the plant-based lifestyle. The 36-year-old has been on a full-vegan diet since 2019 and his on-court performance has been incredible ever since the drastic change.</p><p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1404270189349249028">StatMuse</a>, the 11-time All-Star’s transformation since going vegan has been insane. After averaging career lows in his last season with the Houston Rockets in 2018-2019, Paul switched to a plant-based diet and things have looked way different. Since progressing to a more sustainable diet, the Suns’ 16-year vet has been on an absolute tear.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chris Paul was averaging career-lows in 2018-19.</p><p>— 15.6 PPG<br>— 42/36/86%<br>— 17.0 PPG in playoffs<br>— 45/27/84% in playoffs</p><p>Then he went vegan.</p><p>— 17.0 PPG<br>— 49/38/92%<br>— 18.0 PPG in playoffs<br>— 50/39/90% in playoffs<br>— Led OKC to playoffs after Russ/PG left<br>— Led Suns to WCF <a href="https://t.co/hYoUQC7hUf" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/hYoUQC7hUf</a></p><p>— StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1404270189349249028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Are we ready to call CP3 the Meatless Mamba?</p><p>Since 2019, Paul has been one of the many NBA superstars that have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-chris-paul-explains-how-a-plant-based-diet-impacts-him-at-age-34/">proponents of having a healthier</a>, more sustainable diet. The Suns veteran <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/chris-pauls-net-worth-in-2021/">invested in a plant-based food company</a> called Beyond Meat alongside other NBA stars like JaVale McGee of the Denver Nuggets and DeAndre Jordan of the Brooklyn Nets.</p><blockquote>“I do feel really good right now. I think the biggest change for me is the aches and pains of the season. I started working out and training and I got to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and I thought, am I not lifting hard enough? Am I not training hard enough? Why am I not achy? I ain’t trying to say you have to stay with it, but give it a try.” Paul said back in 2020, a few months after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-chris-paul-explains-how-a-plant-based-diet-impacts-him-at-age-34/">making the switch.</a></blockquote><p>With the way things are going, it’s hard to argue against the Suns’ court general. The Plant-based Point God has been on an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/chris-paul/a53c094a/splits">absolute tear this postseason</a>. Paul has now successfully led his young Suns franchise to the WCF after munching on the Denver Nuggets.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chris Paul’s massive transformation after vegan diet will surprise you

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets-Cameron-Payne.jpg"></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic’s honest reaction on flagrant foul against Cameron Payne</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T21:25:22-07:00">June 13th, 9:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T21:25:22-07:00">June 13th, 9:25pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the camera zoomed in on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/nikola-jokic/9a2908b3">Nikola Jokic</a> on the bench—his eyes empty, his thoughts possibly in a smoky haze, and pangs of regret slowly creeping in—it became clear that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets">Denver Nuggets</a> were finished.</p><p>Jokic stood up and dejectedly walked towards the tunnel in what could be the defining image of the Nuggets’ season. As their main man saw a dark end to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/nikola-jokic/9a2908b3/stats">his stellar season</a>, so did their chances of advancing to the Western Conference Finals.</p><p>Jokic was uncharacteristically ejected in Game 4 against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/phoenix-suns">Phoenix Suns</a> on Sunday after a hard hit on guard Cameron Payne in the third quarter. While it clearly was a heavy-handed foul, many were left wondering if it merited an ejection. Against the MVP, no less. After the game, in a clearly somber mood, Jokic explained he never meant to hurt Payne (via <a href="http://espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401332966">ESPN</a>).</p><blockquote>“I didn’t want to injure him or hit him in the head on purpose.”</blockquote><p>The referees, however, saw otherwise. The 26-year-old Jokic was tossed out of the game, bringing an anticlimactic finish to what has been an eventful campaign. With the Nuggets fighting for their life against the Suns, the guy who gave them life all season long was suddenly gone.</p><p>Knowing Jokic’s personality, it’s not hard to believe him. He has never been known to be a dirty player. In fact, before he exited the game, he approached Payne and apologized for his hard foul. It was a classy move that should only earn the well-beloved big man more admirers.</p><p>The Nuggets put up a valiant stand in the final quarter against the Suns, but the loss of Nikola Jokic was just too much to overcome.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic’s honest reaction on flagrant foul against Cameron Payne

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image_2021-06-14_121234.png"></figure><h1>Suns’ Devin Booker sounds off on heated dust-up with Nikola Jokic after hit on Cam Payne</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T21:23:01-07:00">June 13th, 9:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T21:23:01-07:00">June 13th, 9:23pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns have secured their spot in the Western Conference Finals, the first team to etch their name into the season’s final four. But things got a little testy before they officially ended the series, as All-Stars Devin Booker and Nikola Jokic got into a heated spat in the middle of their closeout game.</p><p>Check out the <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1404254032919552002?s=20">moment tempers flared</a> during Nuggets-Suns Game 4:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Things get testy in Denver 😱</p><p>Nikola Jokic gets ejected then gets into it with Devin Booker! <a href="https://t.co/TTVD2u3BtW" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/TTVD2u3BtW</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1404254032919552002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Suns guard spoke out about the fracas, noting that it was basically water under the bridge.</p><p>Via Suns beat reporter Gerald Bourguet:</p><blockquote>Devin Booker on getting in Nikola Jokic’s face: “That’s all I said, just, ‘What are you doing?’ I don’t think he meant any harm by it.” Noted that he’s played Jokic many times, doesn’t think he’s a malicious player and that he apologized to Cam Payne after.</blockquote><p>Knowing the kind of lovable, soft-spoken guy that Nikola Jokic appears to be off the court, it seems highly unlikely that he was intending anything malicious. Booker himself knows that, acknowledging that he probably wasn’t out to hurt his Suns teammate Cameron Payne.</p><p>It’s also probably easier to forgive and forget when you’re about to head on a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/phoenix-suns/schedule">week-long break</a> before the Western Conference Finals. Devin Booker and the Suns have finished the job in four games, and now have time for some well-deserved rest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns’ Devin Booker sounds off on heated dust-up with Nikola Jokic after hit on Cam Payne

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/suns-news-chris-paul-has-tear-jerking-moment-with-his-mom-after-suns-complete-sweep-of-nuggets.jpg"><figcaption>June 13, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>VIDEO: Chris Paul has tear-jerking moment with his mom after Suns complete sweep of Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T21:17:49-07:00">June 13th, 9:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T21:17:49-07:00">June 13th, 9:17pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Phoenix Suns superstar Chris Paul showcased his inner-Mama’s boy and jumped on the opportunity to give some love to his mom and the rest of his family after a huge series-clinching win against the Denver Nuggets in Game 4. The 36-year-old made sure he balled out in front of his family and fans who made the trip all the way to Denver just to witness Paul and his team eliminate the Nuggets after just four games.</p><p>After his post-game interview, Paul went to the stands and gave a huge hug to his mom and the rest of the Paul family that were in attendance on Sunday night. CP3 is a real one for <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1404277890800263168">this</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chris Paul loving the support from family and fans.</p><p>He has proven a lot of doubters wrong. Put some major respect on <a href="https://twitter.com/CP3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@CP3</a> 's name 😤 <a href="https://t.co/k15sNwKdAZ" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/k15sNwKdAZ</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1404277890800263168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>I guess it’s safe to say that Paul was extra inspired in Game 4 with his family in the building. The Point God had another exceptional game against Denver and led the way with 37 huge points alongside seven assists with just two turnovers.</p><p>Paul played an incredible four-game <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/chris-paul/a53c094a/gamelog">series</a> against the Nuggets. In 144 game minutes, the 11-time All-Star had a total of 41 assists while turning the ball over just a handful of times. He also averaged 25.5 points per game in the series. Not bad for a 36-year-old who people had counted out a few seasons ago, huh?</p><p>The veteran’s arrival in The Dessert has been nothing but huge for the franchise. With a young squad behind him with the likes of Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, Paul is spearheading the attack and is making sure that this Suns team doesn’t go unnoticed. Phoenix is now just four wins away from making it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Chris Paul has tear-jerking moment with his mom after Suns complete sweep of Nuggets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Stephen-Curry-welcomes-Nikola-Jokic-in-unwanted-MVP-record.jpg"></figure><h1>Stephen Curry welcomes Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in unwanted MVP record</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T20:38:06-07:00">June 13th, 8:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T20:38:06-07:00">June 13th, 8:38pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nikola Jokic’s 2020-21 campaign was pretty historic for the NBA and the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, the 2020-21 NBA  MVP found himself on the wrong end of history with Stephen Curry following his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/video-nikola-jokic-ejected-devin-booker-charges-him-after-hard-hit-on-cameron-payne/" rel="noopener">ejection</a> in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1404267108222046209" rel="noopener">ESPN Stats &amp; Info</a>, Jokic is only the second MVP in the last 25 playoffs to be ejected in a postseason game. As mentioned, the last MVP to be on the receiving end of that was Curry in the 2016 NBA Finals when the Golden State Warriors star was <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2016/story/_/id/16269479/stephen-curry-golden-state-warriors-ejected-final-minutes-game-6" rel="noopener">tossed out</a> for throwing his mouthpiece into the stands and hitting a fan.</p><p>Furthermore, the Nuggets All-Star is only the fifth MVP to be swept in a playoff series. It was so rare that the  last one to suffer such fate was Magic Johnson way back in 1989 against the Detroit Pistons.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic is the 5th MVP to be swept in a playoff series, and 1st since Magic Johnson in the 1989 Finals vs the Pistons.</p><p>Jokic is also the 2nd MVP to be ejected in the last 25 postseasons (Steph Curry in 2016). h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/EliasSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@EliasSports</a> <a href="https://t.co/rQVOHhvCI4" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/rQVOHhvCI4</a></p><p>— ESPN Stats &amp; Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1404267108222046209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>This is certainly a huge lesson learned for Nikola Jokic. No matter how frustrated he may be, he should never allow his emotions get the best of him and make the whole team suffer. The Nuggets needed him the most in the do-or-die Game 4, but he lost his composure as the Suns completed the sweep.</p><p>Jokic can only improve and mature from the incident, for sure. At just 26 years old, he is set to dominate the league in the years to come.</p><p>The Nuggets enter the offseason with a lot of optimism. After all, besides from a still-improving MVP player, they have a young core that should only get better following another playoff experience.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Stephen Curry welcomes Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in unwanted MVP record

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Monty-Williams-declares-undying-love-for-Chris-Paul-after-wining-series-vs-Nuggets.jpg"><figcaption>June 13, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>Suns news: Monty Williams declares undying love for Chris Paul after wining series vs Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T20:31:24-07:00">June 13th, 8:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T20:31:24-07:00">June 13th, 8:31pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams had nothing but praise and admiration for his point guard Chris Paul after an epic series against the Denver Nuggets. After sweeping the Nuggets in Game 4, Williams had to tip his hat to the 11-time All-Star after turning the hands of time and spearheading the way for the Suns as they’re set to return to the WCF for the first time in 11 years.</p><blockquote>“For me to coach him in my first year and then he went on to a different team, for us to be together again and be in that moment and know that we can accomplish more is pretty cool,” Williams said after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-chris-paul-and-monty-williams-get-emotional-after-series-win/">hugging it out</a> with his long-time point guard after the final buzzer sounded in Game 4 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/GeraldBourguet/status/1404271945105874945">Gerald Bourguet of The Step Back</a>).</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Monty on his moment with Chris Paul: "For me to coach him my first year and then he went on to a different team, for us to be together again and be in that moment and know that we can accomplish more is pretty cool."</p><p>— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeraldBourguet/status/1404271945105874945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The relationship between these two has gone full circle. After initially linking up for the New Orleans Pelicans way back in 2010, Williams and Paul have now reunited in The Valley and are poised to make an incredible post-season run more than a decade after.</p><blockquote>“Chris has meant so much to my career,” Williams added (via <a href="https://twitter.com/kfitz134/status/1404272488893218817">Katherine Fitzgerald of AZ Central Sports</a>). “The darkest moment of my life, Chris was right there. And one of the highlights of my career, he’s right there.”</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Chris has meant so much to my career, he’s meant so much to my life. … The darkest moment of my life, Chris was right there. And one of the highlights of my career, he’s right there.” — Monty Williams on Chris Paul</p><p>— katherine fitzgerald 🌵🗞 (@kfitz134) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfitz134/status/1404272488893218817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s not every day that you get a chance to have this type of chemistry between your head coach and your court general. If it’s still not clear, the Suns have something special here and things are about to get more special as they try and make history and go all the way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns news: Monty Williams declares undying love for Chris Paul after wining series vs Nuggets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image_2021-06-14_104356.png"></figure><h1>VIDEO: Suns star Chris Paul’s nasty cut dribble makes joke out of Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T20:22:44-07:00">June 13th, 8:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T20:24:31-07:00">June 13th, 8:24pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nikola Jokic was ejected in a wild spat that resulted in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/video-nikola-jokic-ejected-devin-booker-charges-him-after-hard-hit-on-cameron-payne/">heated moment</a> with Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. But before the Denver Nuggets big man was tossed, Chris Paul made sure to make him look foolish on the defensive end.</p><p>Check out the Suns point guard’s saucy cut dribble that had the Joker <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1404252248008531969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1404252248008531969%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">caught in no man’s land.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"HE IS HOUDINI."</p><p>6-6 in the 3Q. 24 PTS in the game. </p><p>Chris. Paul. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThatsGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#ThatsGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/nQdxUuPEkH" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/nQdxUuPEkH</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1404252248008531969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>We see you, CP3. The Suns star had Nikola Jokic looking a tad wobbly as he was backpedalling in the shaded lane. Chris Paul even left one of his teammates stunned after that dazzling display of playground skills in-game.</p><p>Chris Paul was definitely not going home without a win in Game 4. The Suns’ point god scored 37 points on an insane 14-for-19 shooting clip. What makes it extra wild is that he did so while attempting zero three-pointers. Paul made up for it by going to the line nine teams, sinking every single one of them.</p><p>The Suns have now punched their ticket early for the Western Conference Finals. CP3 makes his second trip to the penultimate series after falling just short with the Houston Rockets back in the 2017-18 season. After leaving the Rockets riddled with injuries, you love to see Chris Paul bounce back with a chance to cap his career off with a title.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Suns star Chris Paul’s nasty cut dribble makes joke out of Nikola Jokic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/suns-news-chris-paul-and-monty-williams-share-emotional-moment-after-huge-game-4-win.jpg"><figcaption>June 13, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>Chris Paul shares heartfelt moment with Monty Williams after punching WCF ticket</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T20:05:26-07:00">June 13th, 8:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T20:38:02-07:00">June 13th, 8:38pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul and his head coach Monty Williams shared an emotional moment as soon as the final buzzer made their series win over the Denver Nuggets official. The 36-year-old court general hugged it out with his long-time mentor as these two all-time greats have now successfully spearheaded a young Phoenix squad all the way to the Western Conference Finals.</p><p>This moment was absolutely special (via <a href="https://twitter.com/Suns/status/1404272514616881154">Phoenix Suns</a>):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is for YOU, Phoenix!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RallyTheValley?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#RallyTheValley</a> <a href="https://t.co/SpQBZqXjeW" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/SpQBZqXjeW</a></p><p>— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) <a href="https://twitter.com/Suns/status/1404272514616881154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>You got to give it up to these two, man.</p><p>It’s been a long and tough journey but the Suns are now one step closer to their ultimate goal of getting to the NBA Finals. Believe it or not, Phoenix is just now eight wins away from lifting their first-ever Larry O’Brien trophy and they wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for these two.</p><p>Since being assigned as the head coach at the start of last season, Williams has slowly changed the atmosphere in The Valley which was highlighted by their incredible run in last season’s bubble where they went on an impressive 8-0 run. Acquiring <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/chris-paul/a53c094a/gamelog">11-time All-Star</a> in Paul during the off-season was huge for the team and now, it’s all beginning to pay off.</p><p>But, both Paul and Williams know that the job’s far from being finished.</p><p>The Suns will have a few days off as they wait for the winner between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz. Look for Paul and the rest of this young Phoenix squad to be ready for battle as they try to make franchise history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chris Paul shares heartfelt moment with Monty Williams after punching WCF ticket

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/LeBron-James-Anthony-Davis-Lakers-Kyle-Kuzma-Rob-Pelinka.jpg"></figure><h1>LeBron James, Anthony Davis to ‘of course’ help decide roster moves in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T20:04:04-07:00">June 13th, 8:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T20:04:04-07:00">June 13th, 8:04pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s a done deal. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will completely be involved in the offseason moves of the Los Angeles Lakers. When we say involved, they’re gonna help decide <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/roster">who should stay</a>. You reading this, Kyle Kuzma?</p><p>Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka recently confirmed that LeBron and Davis will be sought for comments by team brass over crucial decisions. He said it’s only right for their two superstars to be included in the critical discussions to help them move forward (via <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2021/6/13/22532208/lakers-rob-pelinka-2021-nba-free-agency-plans-lebron-james-anthony-davis-frank-vogel?fbclid=IwAR1Y8gb1DtmquZvlXvDVoD4_vqT3F6Sa1F4Y9R_ZRug-IreYNi8ywJQz_CA">Silver Screen and Roll</a>).</p><blockquote>“I think when it comes to roster building, you guys know we’ve been very collaborative. Anthony Davis and LeBron James are championship pillars of this franchise for years to come and of course, they’re going to be involved in how we build our roster and how we have built our roster. (They are) both great basketball minds, and Frank (Vogel) as well.”</blockquote><p>It’s no secret that LeBron has been involved in roster decisions for most of his career. He has been responsible for bringing over players to help him win championships. But one could argue that this offseason could be his most crucial, especially coming off the heels of the Lakers’ first round exit in the NBA Playoffs. Guys like Kuzma, Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, and Talen Horton-Tucker are being tossed in trade rumors.</p><p>Pelinka said this only underscored the importance of having collaborative efforts.</p><blockquote>“I think the cohesiveness in making these decisions between your star players, your head coach and the front office is really important and that will continue to be our process going forward.”</blockquote><p>Obviously, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have tough decisions ahead of them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James, Anthony Davis to ‘of course’ help decide roster moves in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/nuggets-news-nikola-jokics-mvp-move-right-after-blowup-with-devin-booker.jpg"></figure><h1>VIDEO: Nikola Jokic’s MVP move right after blowup with Devin Booker in Suns-Nuggets Game 4</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T20:01:07-07:00">June 13th, 8:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T20:17:54-07:00">June 13th, 8:17pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic had a not-so-MVP like moment that led to his ejection, but he made sure to exit the right way.</p><p>After being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/video-nikola-jokic-ejected-devin-booker-charges-him-after-hard-hit-on-cameron-payne/" rel="noopener">assessed with a flagrant 2 foul</a> for his hit on the face of Cameron Payne, Jokic took the time to talk to the Suns guard and <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1404261147700654080" rel="noopener">show his regret and apology</a> for the incident.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nikola Jokic showed true sportsmanship right here. 🤝<a href="https://t.co/qgISOX7hol" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/qgISOX7hol</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1404261147700654080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Now that’s a real MVP move!</p><p>Sure enough, Nikola Jokic’s aggression was only caused by his frustration. The Joker is generally known as a fun guy who loves to makes jokes, but going down 3-0 against the Suns and trailing all series long had probably gotten him irritated. It was quite clear as well when he confronted Devin Booker and almost got into a scuffle with him.</p><p>Unfortunately, that is not a reason to hit an opponent on the face, even in the playoffs where things getting physical and defense being intense are quite common. While some may argue that a flagrant 2 call and an ejection might be too much, the fact of the matter is the Serbian big man attacked someone with force.</p><p>Jokic and the Nuggets can only learn from this experience after another playoffs heartbreak. While they failed to advance to the Western Conference Finals, the team should look forward to a brighter and a more positive future ahead. With an MVP in Jokic in the fold, the return of Jamal Murray, and the development of Michael Porter Jr. as an offensive threat, Denver looks to contend for many years to come.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Nikola Jokic’s MVP move right after blowup with Devin Booker in Suns-Nuggets Game 4

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image_2021-06-14_103554.png"></figure><h1>5 best trades Magic can make in the offseason after the departure of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T19:37:30-07:00">June 13th, 7:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T19:37:30-07:00">June 13th, 7:37pm</time><address><a>Ben Cooper</a>16-year-old junior in high school with hopes of becoming a sports analyst</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Orlando Magic have entered a full rebuild and this offseason will be key in building the future. They <a href="https://tv5.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31133908/orlando-magic-trade-nikola-vucevic-chicago-bulls-sources-say">traded away</a> Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, and Evan Fournier at the deadline entering full rebuild mode. Look for an eventful offseason for the Magic as they start to acquire pieces that could be a part of their future.</p><p>When you are in a rebuild the trades you make shouldn’t be major moves to strip your team of assets. The Magic are going to want to acquire young talent in any trade they make or draft picks.</p><p>Here are the 5 best trades the Magic can make on the offseason after the departure of Vucevic and Gordon.</p><h2>5. Guard Romeo Langford</h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Romeo-Langford-%E2%80%98had-no-clue%E2%80%99-Boston-was-going-to-pick-him.jpg"></figure><p>Boston Celtics guard Romeo Langford hasn’t had much opportunity throughout his young career but has potential. He needs a new situation and on the Magic he could develop into a solid role player for them. The Celtics are looking to retool the roster so a trade for Langford wouldn’t be overly difficult.</p><p>This trade would be a low risk and potential high reward for the Magic and they should look to make the deal.</p><h2>4. Forward Jarrett Culver</h2><p>Jarrett Culver has had a disappointing start to his career after high expectations as a top pick. He was the 6th pick in the 2019 draft but has not progressed and the Minnesota Timberwolves may be ready to move on. Culver is still the defensive player that everyone expected but his offensive game is subpar.</p><p>He averaged 5.3 points per game this season on 41.1 percent from the field and 24.5 percent from 3. Culver did this in about 15 minutes per game and will need to improve the offensive production. The Magic should take a chance on Culver as it is another low risk and potential high reward player for the team.</p><h2>3. Forward Brandon Clarke</h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Brandon-Clarke-out-2-weeks-with-quadriceps-injury.jpg"></figure><p>Brandon Clarke has been a solid player for the Memphis Grizzlies but isn’t the best fit. He is an above average scorer that could be a solid player especially around Jonathon Issac. Issac is a great defending wing and with Clarke they could make a great forward duo.</p><p>He could be a starter or a bench player for the Magic and become an impact player of the young core. If the Magic can pull off, this trade they will not regret it.</p><h2>2. Guard Collin Sexton</h2><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers are rumored to have guard Collin Sexton on the trade block and he could be a vital piece of the core of the Magic. Sexton averaged 24.8 points per game last season on 47.5 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three.</p><p>He is a great scorer and could be the scorer that the Magic build around. If the Magic are able to pull off a trade for Sexton the core will be one step closer to complete.</p><h2>1. Forward/Center Marvin Bagley III</h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/bagley.jpg"></figure><p>Marvin Bagley III is another player that is rumored to be dealt in the offseason. This trade may not cost a ton as the Sacramento Kings are interested in signing for the long term. Bagley III averaged 14.1 points per game along with 7.4 rebounds.</p><p>He is a versatile big man that can stretch the floor and would fit well with center Wendell Carter Jr. who was traded to them at the deadline. Bagley III could play the power forward or center position for the Magic and would be a great addition in Orlando</p><p>Look for the Magic to make many moves this offseason and trades like these would <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/orlando-magic/roster">help build the young core.</a></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

5 best trades Magic can make in the offseason after the departure of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Dennis-Schroder-Lakers-Rob-Pelinka-LeBron-James-Anthony-Davis.jpg"></figure><h1>Dennis Schroder situation gets crucial update from Lakers VP Rob Pelinka</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T19:36:35-07:00">June 13th, 7:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T22:58:51-07:00">June 13th, 10:58pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It has been some sort of waiting game for Dennis Schroder if he will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has hinted previously that he still has unfinished business after they fell short in the NBA playoffs in his first season with the squad. Rumors, however, have swirled that he’s on his way out.</p><p>But based on the most recent remarks of Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, it looks like Schroder is here to stay. Pelinka showered praises on the feisty point guard from Germany when asked about his good qualities (via <a href="https://lakersnation.com/rob-pelinka-lakers-value-dennis-schroder-competitive-nature/2021/06/13/?fbclid=IwAR3_0uCNKuJPqhuEcLSZ0V1XUtR3RXWn9BNuC-HWZ5DXf71UuCD_fWxi8vk">Lakers Nation</a>).</p><blockquote>“I think all of us can look at Dennis’ body of work and he is an extreme competitor and that’s on both sides of the ball. He’s hounding guys, picking up players full court, diving for loose balls, bringing that energy on the defensive end, and then of course has the ability to score at the point guard position. So we value just those qualities in him,”Pelinka shared.</blockquote><p>The 27-year-old Dennis Schroder plugged in right away with the Lakers, serving as the team’s third scorer behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When his two All-Star teammates were out for a long stretch, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/dennis-schroder/a2f008e4/stats">Schroder was instrumental</a> in helping keep the Lakers afloat.</p><p>When asked about bringing Schroder back, Pelinka was a little restrained, but he did offer a positive hint.</p><blockquote>“August is August and free agency is a couple months away and there’s a lot of different things we’ll have to evaluate there but Dennis is an attractive player to us just because of what he brings to the table,” Pelinka added.</blockquote><p>It looks like it’s gonna be more waiting time for Dennis Schroder.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dennis Schroder situation gets crucial update from Lakers VP Rob Pelinka

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Ja-Morant-reacts-to-stunning-ejection-call-on-Nikola-Jokic-that-riled-up-Devin-Booker.jpg"><figcaption>June 13, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>Ja Morant reacts to stunning ejection call on Nikola Jokic that riled up Devin Booker</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T19:30:36-07:00">June 13th, 7:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T19:30:36-07:00">June 13th, 7:30pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was just one of many people who were left confused after Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was thrown out of Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns after being called for a flagrant foul penalty two in the third quarter. The newly crowned MVP was tossed after a frustration foul on Cameron Payne that grazed the face of the Suns’ back-up guard.</p><p>Morant was clearly livid after the officials’ decision and went off on social media. The 21-year-old put out a series of <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1404253087729061896">tweets</a> expressing his utter disappointment regarding the call.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">league soft ..</p><p>— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1404253087729061896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">playoffs. elimination game. give him a flagrant 1 and play ball man .</p><p>— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1404253493649682435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>With the Nuggets playing for their season, The Joker had to show some grit and add a little spice to his demeanor to hopefully inspire his squad. Unfortunately, things took a sour turn when the center took out his frustrations with his team down by eight with under four minutes to go in the third quarter.</p><p>To be fair to the MVP, he barely hit Payne on the play but the wind-up and just the mere optics of it all caused him to be ejected as well as fired up Devin Booker. Both Jokic and Booker got face-to-face after the play and had to be separated by their respective teammates. Watching the <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1404254032919552002">play</a> again, you could definitely sense where Morant was coming from in saying that a flagrant foul penalty one was probably the right call in this situation.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Things get testy in Denver 😱</p><p>Nikola Jokic gets ejected then gets into it with Devin Booker! <a href="https://t.co/TTVD2u3BtW" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/TTVD2u3BtW</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1404254032919552002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s been a frustrating <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/nikola-jokic/9a2908b3/splits">series</a> for The Joker, to say the least. After winning an impressive six-game series against the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the playoffs, the Nuggets were stunned by the red-hot Suns as the second-seeded team in the West mounted a 3-0 series lead. With him out of Game 4, the Nuggets will have a mountain to climb without their leader.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ja Morant reacts to stunning ejection call on Nikola Jokic that riled up Devin Booker

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/x-bold-sixers-hawks-predictions-for-game-4.jpg"></figure><h1>3 bold Sixers-Hawks predictions for Game 4</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T12:05:32-07:00">June 13th, 12:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T12:06:49-07:00">June 13th, 12:06pm</time><address><a>Nick Andre</a>Basketball Enthusiast</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers are up 2-1 on the Atlanta Hawks after three games of their <a href="https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2021/east-semifinal-1" rel="noopener">second-round series.</a> The Sixers have momentum on their side ahead of Monday night’s matchup after two consecutive wins. The Hawks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-adjustments-hawks-must-make-to-bounce-back-vs-sixers/" rel="noopener">will need to make the necessary adjustments</a> to tie the series on their home floor.</p><p>The Hawks jumped out in Game 1 by putting the Sixers on the ropes early. They shared the ball on offense and got plenty of open opportunities from beyond the 3-point line. Despite Philadelphia’s late rally in the second half, Atlanta was able to hold them off thanks to 35 points from Trae Young along with 21 points each from John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic.</p><p>Sixers head coach Doc Rivers made sure to make the adjustments necessary to tie the series before heading to Atlanta. One of the top priorities for Rivers’ defense was to slow down Trae Young. The Hawks as a team tend to get their momentum based off Young’s shot creation and decision-making.</p><p>With the Sixers’ defense becoming a top priority, the offense has taken care of itself. Joel Embiid has continued to be a monster, averaging 35.3 points per game so far in this series. The Sixers have also continued to get contributions from others in Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and others, though Danny Green is now out for the series with an injury.</p><p>Game 4 will be a close matchup that will determine the trajectory of this series. Can Philadelphia take a commanding 3-1 series lead or will Atlanta tie things up? Here are a few bold predictions for this pivotal Sixers-Hawks Game 4.</p><h2><b>1. Ben Simmons triple-double</b></h2><p>The Sixers are close to unstoppable when both of their stars are playing at a high level. Ben Simmons has not had a monster-scoring game this series, but he continues to impact the game from different areas of the floor. In Game 3, Simmons was a leading factor with 18 points, seven assists and was a plus-14 on the floor for his team.</p><p>Not only should Simmons have a big scoring night, but his ability to facilitate and crash the boards will also be important. Not to mention his perimeter defense against Trae Young and Atlanta’s perimeter scorers will continue to be clutch. Simmons will need to set the tone for his team by continuing to provide effort on both ends in order for another Sixers victory.</p><h2><b>2. Bogdan Bogdanovic a monster performance</b></h2><p>Atlanta’s wing shooters have been excellent throughout this postseason. The ability to knock down 3-point shots helped tremendously in the first round and in Game 1. One of the key shooters who will need to have a big game is Bogdan Bogdanovic. The sharpshooter has been solid in the first three games of the series, but he will need to elevate to help Atlanta tie the series.</p><p>The Sixers’ main priority on defense will once again be to slow down Trae Young. The opportunity will allow Bogdanovic to come up huge on the offensive end. Bogdanovic is one of the most trusted players for Nate McMillan because he isn’t afraid to come up big in clutch situations. He did so in Game 1 by knocking down a big-time 3 late in the game.</p><p>Coach McMillan should look to get Bogdanovic open looks early in the offense. His 3-point shooting could provide a spark for the rest of the role players. Bogdanovic having an efficient night will be crucial for Atlanta to tie the series.</p><h2><b>3. Joel Embiid vs. Trae Young will determine winner</b></h2><p>Joel Embiid and Trae Young have been two of the top players in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. One of these stars will need to outshine the other in order for their team to get a win.</p><p>Can Embiid have another monster double-double performance? Or how about Young having the ability to initiate the offense and break this Sixers defense? Both of these players have capabilities of taking over games when needed to. As these two approach Game 4, they both understand that they will need to become more than great with so much on the line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 bold Sixers-Hawks predictions for Game 4

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/nba-playoffs-odds-suns-vs-nuggets-game-4-prediction-odds-pick-and-more-publish-on-6-13.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Playoffs odds: Suns vs. Nuggets Game 4 prediction, odds, pick, and more</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T12:42:58-07:00">June 13th, 12:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T12:43:48-07:00">June 13th, 12:43pm</time><address><a>Noam Bernstein</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns meet for perhaps the final time in the playoffs on Sunday night. It’s time to continue our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2021-nba-championship-odds/" rel="noopener">NBA Playoffs odds</a> series and make a Suns-Nuggets prediction and pick for Game 4.</p><p>The Nuggets are now 4-5 in the postseason after falling into an 0-3 hole in the series. Denver is 2-2 ATS when marked as favorites so far in its playoff run.</p><p>The Suns are 7-2 both straight up and against the spread in the playoffs. When marked as underdogs, Phoenix is 3-2 in the postseason.</p><p>Here’s how <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/basketball/nba" rel="noopener">sportsbooks</a> have set the Suns-Nuggets odds.</p><h2><b>NBA Odds: Suns-Nuggets Game 4 Odds</b></h2><p>Phoenix Suns -3 (-110)</p><p>Denver Nuggets +3 (-110)</p><p>Over 221 Points (-110)</p><p>Under 221 Points (-110)</p><h2><b>Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Nuggets have one last shot to make this a respectable series, and it comes on their home floor.</p><p>There were some bright spots in the Game 3 loss that Denver can focus on in its bid to avoid the sweep.</p><p>On the offensive side, the Nuggets finally got serious contributions from a player not named Nikola Jokic. Monte Morris broke out of a slump to give Denver 21 points off the bench. Will Barton has looked very solid since returning from an extended absence, and he gave the Nuggets 14 points and some spark-plug energy in Game 3.</p><p>From what we’ve seen in the first three games, the Nuggets aren’t winning without some serious help for Jokic. The MVP has been great (26.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists), but no one player is beating this Suns team. We saw some signs in Game 3 that the Nuggets could finally get some points out of a bench and backcourt that has been lacking.</p><p>Defensively, there have been few positives for the Nuggets. The Suns seem to get whatever they want whenever they want it on the offensive end in the series.</p><p>One sliver of light the Nuggets can look toward is the Suns are shooting the ball at a level that is impossible to keep up. Phoenix is hitting 43.9% of its 3-pointers in the series, a figure that should level off closer to the 37.8% the team shot in the regular season.</p><p>Obviously, it’s too late in the series for that number to drop significantly enough to give the Nuggets a shot at advancing. However, if the Suns show any sign of taking their foot off the gas pedal, Denver can take advantage and take at least one game.</p><h2><b>Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>Phoenix has absolutely dominated this series. A closer look at the numbers show just how badly the Nuggets have been overmatched through three games.</p><p>In the 96 minutes of Game 2 and Game 3, the Nuggets held a lead for exactly 41 seconds total. The biggest lead the Nuggets have held all series is 10 points.</p><p>Even in a Game 1 in which the Nuggets held a lead for an extended period, it felt like the Suns were destined to make a run. In every game in the series so far, Phoenix has ripped off a run that kills the Nuggets’ hopes.</p><p>Game 1 had a 19-2 run, Game 2 had a 12-1 run, and Game 3 had an 8-0 run to start the fourth that silenced the home crowd in Denver.</p><p>The Suns hold the advantage in nearly every facet. Phoenix shot better from the field and from 3 in all three prior games. They shot more free throws than Denver in two out of three games, including a 20-6 lopsided number in Game 1.</p><p>Thanks primarily to Chris Paul, the Suns averaged the third-most assists per game in the regular season. They have out-assisted the Nuggets in every game, and Paul has 34 assists by himself in the series.</p><p>Phoenix has capable scorers at all three levels. Devin Booker and the role players are shooting the lights out from beyond the arc. Chris Paul and Booker are more than capable of draining the mid-range jumper. Deandre Ayton is shooting 61.3% from the field on primarily lob dunks and post-ups while doing an excellent job containing Jokic.</p><p>Overall, the Suns are the deeper, more talented team, and the shorthanded Nuggets have shown an inability to answer.</p><h2><b>Final Suns-Nuggets Game 4 Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>The Suns have proven time and time again in this series they are the superior team. With the Nuggets on the ropes, it’s doubtful this team lets up. Phoenix has the advantage in nearly every category, and I expect them to shoot the Nuggets off the floor at some point in the game. It’s a shame Jamal Murray wasn’t healthy for this series, as Denver just doesn’t have the firepower to keep up with Booker and the Suns. Phoenix books a ticket to the Western Conference Finals with a win.</p><p><b>FINAL SUNS-NUGGETS GAME 4 PREDICTION &amp; PICK: PHOENIX SUNS -3: PHX 112, DEN 105</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Playoffs odds: Suns vs. Nuggets Game 4 prediction, odds, pick, and more

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Chris-Paul-Knicks.jpg"></figure><h1>The Knicks must go for absolute broke to sign Chris Paul</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T07:25:04-07:00">June 13th, 7:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T09:55:43-07:00">June 13th, 9:55am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks were arguably the best story of the 2020-21 NBA season. With their team eliminated from the playoffs so early, it’s easy to forget just how magical it was for them to actually just be there in the first place.</p><p>The <a href="http://fanatics.ncw6.net/qnWjdg" rel="noopener">Knicks</a> finished as the sixth-worst team in the entire Association a season ago, with no lottery luck to ease the pain of another bottom-feeder finish. One of the most shocking aspects of the Knicks’ turnaround is just how exactly they got there. New York has spent years striking out at signing some big fish free agents, famously spurned by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant for the rival Brooklyn Nets a season ago. But instead of finally hitting it big, they found their footing in-house by developing their players, putting better decision-makers in charge, and signing the right coach to steer the ship.</p><p>But as great as last season was, the honeymoon period is already over for the Knicks. They played with house money this season, with fans just happy to see some postseason action again. They won just one game, but that’s one more than anyone expected before the season began.</p><p>However, with success comes heightened expectations. Julius Randle went from city-wide darling to worrisome underperformer in a matter of five games against the Atlanta Hawks. Both Randle and the Knicks are expected to only get better, but the roster as it stands doesn’t have much of a ceiling beyond another first-round exit. That’s why the Knicks’ offseason moves become vital in ensuring their middling squad takes the next step.</p><p>Signing an All-Star player who has spent his entire career doing just that should be top priority.</p><h2>Knicks must go for broke on Chris Paul</h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/knicks-news-chris-paul-snubbing-new-york-in-free-agency-draws-hilarious-theory-from-tom-thibodeau.jpg"></figure><p>Yes, Chris Paul is playing some of the best basketball of his life with the Phoenix Suns, who are a stone’s throw away from a trip to the Western Conference Finals. But I’d argue that the more success he garners with the Suns this season, especially if he wins the whole damn thing, the more likely it is that he departs for greener, money-colored pastures.</p><p>He has a massive player option for a whopping $44.2 million on the final year of his deal that he signed with the Houston Rockets. But Chris Paul is also reportedly eyeing one more huge splash while he’s still playing at an elite level, one with more guaranteed money. That’s where the <a href="http://foco.vegb.net/4eaNV3" rel="noopener">Knicks</a> can possibly swoop in.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/SIChrisMannix/status/1403014832799064064">Via</a> Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:</p><blockquote>“The Chris Paul player option — $44.2 million — will be interesting to watch. Execs I’ve talked to peg CP in the three-year, $60 million-ish range on a new deal. Does Paul go for the most guaranteed money? Or does he pick up the option and bet he has another All-Star season?”</blockquote><p>While there are no guarantees that CP3 does actually opt out and leave that huge sum on the table, he’ll definitely feel out his options when the time comes, so New York must be ready to strike if he actually decides to look elsewhere. The Knicks <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/NYK.html">have just eight players</a> under contract next season, six of whom are still on their first contract with cap-friendly totals. That leaves them with a giant pile of money readily available to make a move for an All-Star. Wouldn’t it be just fitting for the Knicks to finally get the superstar signing they’ve yearned after all these years? It just took them putting the egg before the chicken to get there.</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/knicks-news-derrick-rose-schools-chris-paul-with-perfect-full-court-dime.jpg"></figure><p>Chris Paul would be an absolute godsend for the Knicks franchise. His no-nonsense approach to the game would fit in seamlessly with what the Knicks are trying to do under Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau. With Paul running the show, the peripheral stars like Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and fellow youngsters Mitchell Robinson and Immanuel Quickley can all fall in line and thrive in their roles.</p><p>CP3 did exactly that for a similarly despondent Suns franchise that’s now knocking on the door of their first championship in franchise history. He turned a surefire lottery team in the Oklahoma City Thunder a season ago into a playoff squad that was on pace for 50 wins had the season not gotten cut short.</p><p>The Knicks need Chris Paul to work his magic on their franchise next. They’ve built the perfect foundation for him to do just that, filling the team with young, talented players who can fill roles but also step up when need be. Now they just need Leon Rose to work his magic on the NBA star he’s had a long-standing relationship with. No pressure, though.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The Knicks must go for absolute broke to sign Chris Paul

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/nba-playoffs-odds-nets-vs-bucks-game-4-prediction-odds-pick-and-more-publish-on-6-13.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Playoffs odds: Nets vs. Bucks Game 4 prediction, odds, pick, and more</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T10:25:51-07:00">June 13th, 10:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T10:29:25-07:00">June 13th, 10:29am</time><address><a>Josh Fisher</a>Bringing you daily picks with detailed analysis and the latest news.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks will host the Brooklyn Nets in a critical Game 4 of this best-of-seven playoff series. It’s time to continue our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2021-nba-championship-odds/">NBA odds</a> series and make a Nets-Bucks prediction and pick.</p><p>The Bucks picked up a huge win in Game 3 following two straight losses to open the series in Brooklyn. The Nets have been without James Harden through the first three games and will be without him again in Game 4. Despite the absence of the Nets superstar, this team led by Steve Nash still looks to be a juggernaut that won’t be stopped anytime soon. The Bucks are virtually in another must-win spot in this crucial Game 4 before the series shifts back to the Barclays Center.</p><p>Here’s how <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/basketball/nba">sportsbooks</a> have set the Nets-Bucks odds.</p><h2><b>NBA Odds: Nets-Bucks Odds</b></h2><p>Brooklyn Nets -2 (-109)</p><p>Milwaukee Bucks +2 (-111)</p><p>Over 227.5 Points (-110)</p><p>Under 227.5 Points (-110)</p><h2><b>Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Nets did a great job of taking control of this series through the first two games and went into Milwaukee up 2-0. Brooklyn struggled to get anything going in Game 3 and dropped just 83 points in the loss. This was nothing more than an off night for a club that scored under 100 points just four times during the regular season. They were averaging 122.4 points per game during the postseason before the loss as well.</p><p>Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been in charge of this series through the first three games, and it’s highly unlikely that they will be as inefficient as they were in Game 3. Irving and Durant collectively shot 20-of-50 from the floor in the loss, which is almost guaranteed not to happen in two straight games. With Joe Harris shooting just 1-of-7 from deep as well, this Nets team couldn’t buy a bucket from guys who are nothing less than a walking bucket.</p><p>Despite all of the struggles, Brooklyn still had a chance to win. With all of these negatives, the Nets only lost by three points, which is a testament to their defensive efforts. If they bring that energy into Game 4, the Nets should have no problem bringing a 3-1 lead back to Brooklyn.</p><h2><b>Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Bucks finally put a focus on slowing the Nets down in Game 3. Milwaukee’s offensive struggles are alarming to say the least, and it seems the only way to combat that is to add pressure on the other end. The Bucks have scored over 100 points just once through the first three games and should feel grateful to still have a chance in this series.</p><p>The Bucks score the majority of their points in the paint, and a lot of that is thanks to creating turnovers and getting out in transition. They are only scoring 9.7 points per game off of turnovers in this series, which they will have to improve on in Game 4. The top scoring team in the league this season has to find a way to exploit a bad defensive team in Brooklyn.</p><p>The Bucks got huge performances from Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 3, which is extremely promising to see. Middleton was really struggling to get anything going through the first two games, and his 35-point performance in Game 3 is what we’re used to seeing from him. These two guys accounted for 79% of their team’s offense in the win. If they can build on that, the Bucks will likely even the series.</p><h2><b>Final Nets-Bucks Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Although I want to believe that the talented Milwaukee Bucks will even the series and make things interesting down the stretch, I am not confident in their ability to do so. They have scored just 86 points twice in this series and have generally looked lost on offense. If they don’t improve on that end, they will get buried by the Nets. KD, Kyrie, and Joe Harris will bounce back in a big way in Game 4. Brooklyn will take a 3-1 series lead back home.</p><p><b>FINAL PICK: Brooklyn Nets -2 (-109)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Playoffs odds: Nets vs. Bucks Game 4 prediction, odds, pick, and more

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/X-Major-Changes-Raiders-Must-Make-If-They-Miss-The-Playoffs-in-2021.jpg"></figure><h1>2 major changes Raiders must make if they miss the playoffs in 2021</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-13T17:04:08-07:00">June 13th, 5:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-13T17:04:54-07:00">June 13th, 5:04pm</time><address><a>Kousha Kangarloo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the current state of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/las-vegas-raiders">their franchise in uncertainty,</a> the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/las-vegas-raiders">Las Vegas Raiders</a> currently find themselves in a tough place. They will have some serious changes to consider if they <a href="https://twitter.com/Raiders/status/1403419261117206532">fail to make the postseason</a> for a fourth straight year.</p><p>Currently possessing a roster that is loaded with young and talented stars, the Raiders have definitely underachieved over the past three seasons.</p><p>Having said all this, let’s take a look at the two major changes the Raiders will have to make if they miss the playoffs in 2021.</p><h2><b>Raiders Needs: Begin Searching For A New Quarterback </b></h2><p>The future direction of this team will very heavily depend on how well Derek Carr performs during the regular season and if his play will be strong enough to get them into the playoffs. Over the past few seasons he has had to battle through some serious injuries while working with a shaky offensive line that ranks as one of the worst in the NFL. However, the Raiders do possess a killer running game and a few stellar deep threats in Josh Jacobs, Henry Ruggs III, and Darren Waller.</p><p>With these offensive weapons in the fold for him, Carr should be able to provide the Raiders with more consistent and productive play. Otherwise, the team will have to start searching elsewhere for their long-term solution at quarterback. This would more than likely involve trading Carr for another quarterback and/or future draft picks.</p><p>There’s no question that lots of teams would be interested and see Carr as a welcome addition in potential trade scenarios. Another logical solution for them could be to promote Marcus Mariota to starting quarterback who did very well for them last season while Carr was out injured. At just 27 years old, Marcus Mariota still has plenty left in the tank and could be their long-term solution at quarterback.</p><h2><b>Find A Coaching Replacement For Jon Gruden </b></h2><p>On the other hand, they’ve got a seasoned head coach in Jon Gruden who also finds himself in a tough position after the Raiders failed to make the playoffs for a third straight season. At this point, it’s safe to say that Gruden does not have the same coaching touch as he did in first stint with the Raiders or as a super bowl winning coach with the Buccaneers.</p><p>After making a few questionable play calls down the stretch of a season defining game against the Dolphins that ended in a heart-breaking loss, it became apparent that “Chucky” Gruden did not have the same late-game coaching magic as he’s had in prior seasons. Granted, he could turn things around for them next season and revive this Raiders team that is on the verge of making a strong playoff push, but his recent coaching results might dictate otherwise. With all this in mind, the Raiders may need to move on from Gruden if they end up missing the playoffs for a fourth straight season.</p><p>There’s no knowing how the Raiders season will turn out, but with the competition in the AFC west spicing up each season things will definitely get harder for them if they continue to see the same results. After all, a fresh start may be just what this young Raiders squad needs to reach the playoff contention that they’ve been so close to for the past three seasons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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