Here’s a fun story from Sam Amick of USA Today on that game, and Golden State’s star guard Steph Curry: “Seth Curry hadn’t come all this way to see his older brother sit in street clothes. No, the former Duke star who flew in to the Bay Area on Friday morning was here to see the Golden State Warriors’ last hope, his sharpshooting sibling Stephen, who would have to carry this day against the Denver Nuggets and so many more to come with David Lee on the shelf. As for all this talk about a left ankle sprain that might have caused him to miss what turned out to be the defining game of his four-year NBA career? Seth, who played most of his senior season with a right leg injury that required surgery two weeks ago in which a metal rod was inserted into his shin area, wasn’t having it. “I told him to suck it up,” Seth Curry told USA TODAY Sports after the Warriors downed the Nuggets 110-108 at Oracle Arena to take a 2-1 series lead. “He knows I played all year with an injury. It’s a different situation, but I knew he’d do whatever it takes to play.”
- The winner of that Nuggets-Warriors series will advance to face either the Rockets or Thunder, who for the first time ever face life without Russell Westbrook. Here’s John Rohde of the Oklahoman with some quotes on what Westbrook could be looking at with his knee injury: “If the meniscus is torn, doctors could have to sew the tear back together and recovery time would take several months. Geier said Westbrook’s doctors at this point “probably don’t know” the extent of the injury. “The MRI is notoriously bad at predicting one or the other,” said Geier, an orthopedic surgeon and director of MUSC Sports Medicine in Charleston. He has served as orthopedic consultant for the U.S. women’s soccer team. Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin recalled he was able to return six days after surgery on his meniscus while playing collegiately at Oklahoma, but his did not have to be repaired. “As long as you’re not repairing, you can come back pretty quickly,” Griffin said. “But you’re a step slow. It takes a little bit to get that feeling back and to get the swelling completely out and all that.”
- Thunder announce Saturday that Russell Westbrook has undergone surgery and will miss remainder of 2013 playoffs.
@blazersedgeBen Golliver
- Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Metta World Peace will likely sit out Game 4 of the Lakers’ first-round series with the Spurs: “Calling his play “bummish” and “noneffective” in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-89 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, Metta World Peace said he “probably” will not play in Sunday’s Game 4. “I was the weak link tonight,” World Peace said after going 0-for-6 from the field with no rebounds and one assist in 17 scoreless first-half minutes and not playing in the second half. World Peace said his sitting out will give the Lakers a better chance to extend the series and give himself more time to get healthy. “Then these guys will be at full strength,” World Peace said. “We’ll win on Sunday.” World Peace had approximately 20 CCs of liquid drained from a popliteal cyst in his left leg Friday morning. The cyst was unrelated to the left knee surgery World Peace underwent in late March, according to a team spokesman.”
- Splitter out indefinitely with ankle sprain, Pop says. Could return for Round 2.
@JMcDonald_SAENJeff McDonald
- It’s been a tough season for the Celtics, but even though they’re on the brink of elimination, Kevin Garnett isn’t throwing in the towel. Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com writes: “If the C’s want anything beyond another short-lived diversion on Sunday, they need more than Garnett’s ever-beating heart, which manufactured 12 points and 17 rebounds on a tough shooting night (5-13 FG). “I’m going to play until it’s over,” said Garnett, who contributed 35 minutes in the loss. “I’m not usually broken. It’s always been my mentality. It always probably will. That’s what it is. I’ve been to the bottom before. I know what it is. I’m a fighter at the end of the day, but it takes more than one person.” Actually, it’ll take every person to avoid a sweep. Three Knicks again did the damage — Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith combining for 56 points — and the C’s lacked the firepower to respond. Jeff Green and Paul Pierce committed 10 turnovers, and everyone else was worse. Garnett’s guts only get them so far. “He was fantastic,” said a nostalgic Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “It’s why you love him. I got the sense that he was getting frustrated, because he wanted them to be him. In the same spirit. But he just kept chugging along. He didn’t change. He didn’t change his demeanor. He’s as competitive a human being as I’ve ever been around.”
- One player who hasn’t made much of an impact in the Knicks-Celtics series is Tyson Chandler. Marc Berman of the New York Post explains why: “Tyson Chandler told The Post he lost 10 pounds because of flu-like symptoms he sustained late in the regular season while he was rehabbing his neck injury. Chandler played below par in the first two games of the Knicks’ first-round series against the Celtics, and coach Mike Woodson blamed that on Chandler’s weight loss. Last night, Chandler had six points and eight rebounds in the Knicks’ 90-76 victory, which gave them a 3-0 series lesd. “The fact he was off — he’s a lost a little weight — and we’re trying to get his strength back up,’’ Woodson said.”
- The Knicks will be without J.R. Smith today in Game 4 against Boston after the NBA suspended the Sixth Man of the Year for a flagrant elbow. The incident, for which Smith was assessed a Flagrant Foul Two and ejected, occurred with 7:06 remaining in the fourth quarter of New York’s 90-76 win over Boston on Friday night, at the TD Garden.
- Talked to a league exec about Giannis Adetokunbo, the intriguing 6'9 Greek PG that the Pistons are scouting this week. Quote on the flip
@vgoodwillVincent Goodwill
"He's a project, not long-term like Darko. Watched him practice. He's a ways away. 2 or 3 years from playing minutes. Still 1st rd pick."@vgoodwillVincent Goodwill
- Adecotumbo is completely missing today. Got the impression that there is too much pressure on him today. Scared of taking the ball.
@jondelapresaJon de la Presa
In the last 25 minutes, Adecotumbo just made two shoots. Haven´t had much more touches tho. Physical set of course impressive.@jondelapresaJon de la Presa
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Dan Malone is a third-year journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He blogs, edits and learns things on the fly for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.
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