龙凤楼论坛-上海1314龙凤鲜花坊-夜上海论坛社区

The ending of the Indiana Pacers 133-131 win over the Boston Celtics saw a controversial overturned call in the final seconds of the game and social media users were vocal about it — including LeBron James.

Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown was pulling up for a potential game-winning jumper with four seconds remaining when he was fouled by Buddy Hield. However, the Pacers challenged and overturned the initial call to a clean block. At that point the score was tied 131-131, so Brown missed the chance of giving his team the lead with two free throws. Brown himself called for an investigation. He had put up a season-high 40 points by going 17-for-26 from the field.

Jaylen Brown said referee James Williams told him he was sure that Brown did not get hit in the head. Buddy Hield told Joe Mazzulla what everyone can see, which is that he did in fact do so.

Brown said there should be an investigation into this game.pic.twitter.com/ETHznGoJgU

— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) January 9, 2024
The next morning, James also gave his two cents on officials overturning that foul call and defended Brown — after all, this was a familiar feeling for him. Just a little over a week ago on his birthday, James was frustrated with a call in his own game. The Lakers star hit what appeared to be a game-tying 3-pointer against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but officials ruled it a 2-pointer instead and the Lakers lost 108-106. James was visibly upset about it.

“See what I’m saying! JB clearly got hit in the back of the head,” James wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “They reviewed the play, just to reverse it and say he didn’t. MAN WHAT!! Good ass game to have an ending like that. And yall see why I be going (apeshit) out there when it happens.”

Eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter also appeared shocked at the referees’ decision on Brown. While watching live in a stream with Quentin Richardson, he screamed and laughed in disbelief. Richardson said it looked like a Buffalo Wild Wings commercial in which officials purposely made a game go into overtime. Brown himself also mentioned BWW on social media.

Despite the loss, the Celtics still have the NBA’s best record at 28-8. They’ll play again on Wednesday as they host the Timberwolves at 7 p.m. ET.

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown said a controversial overturned call in the final seconds of his team’s 133-131 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night “doesn’t make any sense” and “should be investigated” by the NBA. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, and the scored tied at 131-131, the Celtics, who were playing without Jayson Tatum, put the ball in Brown’s hands and let him go to work.

He drove baseline and tried to pull up for a a jumper, but was fouled by Buddy Hield — at least according to the initial call on the floor. That would have given him two potential go-ahead free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining in the contest. Take a look:

The Pacers challenged, however, and after a review, the call was overturned to a clean block. And because the Pacers had imminent possession, they were awarded the ball. On the ensuing play, Bennedict Mathurn was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made two of his three attempts at the line to give the Pacers the win.

Everyone on the Celtics’ side was furious at how the game ended, both in real time and after the fact. Brown appeared to mouth “that’s bullshit,” on the court, while Celtics announcer Brian Scalabrine lost his mind on the broadcast. Replays show that while Hield did hit the ball, he also hit Brown in the back of the head.

The explanation given by crew chief James Williams at the time was “after review, the backside defender, Buddy Hield, hits the ball, therefore the call on the floor has been overturned.”

Jaylen Brown — and an irate Scal — have a legit gripe. This was a foul on the floor. You can’t watch that video and see clear grounds to overturn pic.twitter.com/jUE95m5Y5c

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) January 9, 2024
There was no pool report conducted after the game, but Brown, who finished with a season-high 40 points, didn’t need one. Here are his extended thoughts on the situation:

“I think he obviously hit me in the head. I think they definitely need to do some investigation, that’s all I’m going to say. I think that was an obvious one. I’ve never heard of head, part of the ball. It doesn’t make any sense to me.

“I went up and asked like, ‘Did I get hit in the head?’ [The official] looks me straight in the face and he says, ‘No, you didn’t get hit in the head.’ I’m like, ‘OK.’ Then you come down on the other end, that cost our team the game. Then you expect us not to be frustrated. We’re trying to build good habits. We’re trying to win as many games as possible, and we just dropped one because of that.

“I feel like we have the right to be upset. The league should understand. Of course, we’re going to say something about it after the game. So I don’t think there should be any fines. But I definitely think that one should be investigated.”

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t go as far as Brown, but he noted that even the Pacers knew the call was wrong.

“I’m not bothered,” Mazzulla said after the loss. “Just, Buddy Hield told me that he fouled [Jaylen Brown].”

Hield, for his part, admitted as much, though he said it’s ultimately up to the refs to make the call.

“I mean, I told Joe what I told Joe,” Hield explained. “But they have three refs out there and they had the replay center, and that’s what replay is for, I guess. I was thinking I might have hit [Brown] a little bit, but they have three refs out there and they have cameras and they slow down the angles of it. I felt like it was not excessive contact. I know I touched the ball, I maybe nicked Brown in the head a little bit. I’m not too sure.”

Lakers superstar LeBron James chimed in on the call Tuesday morning, saying Brown “clearly got hit in the back of the head.”

See what I’m saying! 🤦🏾‍♂️. JB clearly got hit in the back of the head. They reviewed the play, just to reverse it and say he didn’t. MAN WHAT!! Good ass game to have an ending like that. And yall see why I be going 🦍 💩 out there when it happens

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 9, 2024
Despite the loss, the Celtics, now 28-8, still have the best record in the league. As for the Pacers, who improved to 21-15, they have bigger things to worry about than the call or the result. Tyrese Haliburton injured his hamstring against the Celtics and is expected to miss at least two weeks.

We’re just over a week into 2024 and the markets for some future bets have shifted quite a bit since 2023. Are you looking to find value as the back half of the season approaches? We’ve got you covered with one player-based award prop and two team bets worth considering.

It’s unclear what it takes to win this award, as SGA is the odds-on favorite despite being nowhere close to where De’Aaron Fox was in terms of volume scoring in the clutch en route to winning this honor in 2022-23. Kyrie Irving led the league in fourth-quarter points last season and finished outside the top 10 while Fox racked up 91 of the 100 first-place votes as the league’s top clutch scorer.

Stephen Curry (+500) leads the league in clutch points now and could be worth watching, but SGA has a much better outlook right now. The Oklahoma Thunder guard is averaging 3.1 points on 63.3 percent shooting in the clutch and will have opportunities to go on a big shot-making spree in the back half of the season to seal the deal. He went on a ridiculous run last season and could do so again in a season where there have been just three game-winning buzzer-beaters. Another dark horse worth considering is Tyrese Haliburton (+1500) should his hamstring strain not hinder him too much moving forward. These odds for this award are available at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Eastern Conference winner: Boston Celtics (+130)
The Boston Celtics suffered an overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday but still have a league-high 28 wins on the year. The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are the two teams that could give the Celtics a run for their money. Joel Embiid has been dominant, but his team is 2-6 without him this season and it’s unlikely that he’ll play every game for the rest of 2023-24. The Bucks are looking to clean things up defensively but have lacked consistency on that end since swapping Jrue Holiday out for Damian Lillard. Boston’s plethora of scorers and capable defenders makes this bet seem like free money at this point.

New Orleans Pelicans to make play-in tournament: (+100)
The Pelicans are a respectable 22-15 and rank seventh in the Western Conference. Zion Williamson has been relatively healthy and Trey Murphy III is back in the mix after suffering a knee injury ahead of the season. But knocking off more than one team down the home stretch will be challenging. The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are looking to climb up while the new-look Phoenix Suns are finally getting to work on making their big three mesh. New Orleans appears destined to finish seventh or lower with teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and piping-hot Los Angeles Clippers directly ahead of them.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been reinstated by the NBA after being issued an indefinite suspension following a flagrant foul against Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic. He revealed Monday via his podcast how “pissed” he initially was when former Warriors teammate Kevin Durant said he hoped Green “gets the help he needs” in the aftermath, but has since gotten over it. Durant insists he didn’t mean to offend his former Golden State teammate.

“I’m glad he’s back. I’m glad he can move past that. Draymond is an incredible teammate.” Durant told reporters on Monday. “He got his times where he loses temper, but everybody has those times and I’m sure they all [are] happy to have him back. But I didn’t mean no ill will by what I said. I know some people look at me as this malicious snake, passive-aggressive. I know how people feel about me sometimes, so when I say shit, I don’t mean no harm by nobody. I don’t mean to disrespect him or his family if he felt that way. I’m just glad he’s back on the court.”

Durant thinks the public and Green could’ve misunderstood his response and provided clarity on his thought process.

“You got to look at it from my perspective, like before I had made those comments, [people were] saying Draymond’s going to therapy and shit,” Durant said. “Like what am I supposed to think? They say somebody going to therapy, I’m hoping he gets better from that, and hope he learned from whatever he feels like he needs to learn from going to therapy.”

Green said that though he was initially “pissed,” Durant’s comments helped him have a “breakthrough.”

“I was like maybe you shouldn’t hear ‘help’ so negatively,” Green said. “Like maybe you’re listening to the word ‘help’ with the same mindset that the word ‘help’ meant when you were 15 years old. So maybe you shouldn’t hear that negatively, so negatively, and maybe he’s not saying that as negatively as you’re taking it. And even if he was, I made a decision in that moment that I wasn’t going to take it that way.”

Green’s one-week ramp-up could help him return to the hardwood as early as Saturday for a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tuesday’s NBA slate will feature five games, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Several key players have suffered injuries since the weekend, so fantasy managers should be on the lookout for who’ll increase value in the coming weeks.

Are you looking to sort through all the options on DraftKings and FanDuel? We’ve got you covered. Here’s who you should keep an eye on as you look to build optimal lineups on both sites:

Stud: Julius Randle
Randle has been on an absolute tear since the New York Knicks sent RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that brought OG Anunoby to the Big Apple. The big man is averaging 30.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists in January. Randle took at least 23 shots in three of those contests and should look to take advantage of his physicality in a head-to-head matchup with Portland’s Jerami Grant. Fantasy managers should be salivating over Randle’s bump in shot volume.

Mid-tier: Marcus Smart
The Memphis Grizzlies lost Ja Morant to a season-ending shoulder injury, so Smart is set to serve as the full-time starting point guard. The former Boston Celtics floor general didn’t have spectacular numbers before Morant returned from suspension but has tallied 27.0 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds over his previous two outings. He also erupted for 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the team’s previous matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, whom the Grizzlies play tonight. Derrick Rose is dealing with a thigh injury that should help Smart see a very healthy workload.

Value: Chris Boucher
Boucher’s productivity for the Toronto Raptors is up and he could be in for another boost while Jakob Poeltl is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. Boucher has totaled 31 points and 18 rebounds off the bench in his previous two outings and could move into the starting lineup for the Raptors’ Tuesday meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’ll have a tough matchup against Anthony Davis, but Toronto’s options are limited. Boucher and Jontay Porter will likely split most of the backup center minutes if the Raptors don’t just opt to go small.

Six NBA games are set to tip off on Tuesday. The action will begin at 7 p.m. ET and the final game of the night will begin at 10:30 p.m. ET. Are you looking to find an edge on sportsbooks ahead of the action? We’ve got you covered with three plus-money rebounding props worth considering here.

Pascal Siakam over 7.5 rebounds (+100)
Jakob Poeltl is out indefinitely with an ankle sprain so Siakam will have to step up and play big against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Toronto Raptors forward is averaging less than 7.0 rebounds per game for the first time since 2019-20, but will have no choice but to help out heavily on the glass in a matchup that’ll feature Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Chris Boucher and others will split center minutes, but bettors should expect Siakam to stay on as a small-ball center as well for stints. He’s tallied at least nine rebounds in four of his previous meetings with James.

Jalen Duren over 11.5 rebounds (+102)
Duren has been on a tear without Isaiah Stewart and has snared at least 12 rebounds in five of his last seven games. The Detroit Pistons big man grabbed just five boards against Nikola Jokic his last time out and will face a prolific rebounder in Domantas Sabonis on Tuesday. However, the second-year big man posted 14 rebounds in his first-ever matchup with the Sacramento Kings center. I’ll keep rolling with him as he continues to hold down his team’s frontcourt.

Jalen Brunson under 3.5 rebounds (+110)
Brunson’s playmaking is up since the OG Anunoby trade and his rebounding is down. The New York Knicks point guard is averaging just 3.9 rebounds per game and has grabbed three boards in his previous three games. Isaiah Hartenstein has carried a heavy workload and has racked up 54 rebounds in four games for the new-look Knicks. If he continues to dominate the center minutes so heavily, it’ll be hard for Brunson to make an impact on the glass.

Caitlin Clark has officially established herself as the all-time leading scorer for the Iowa Hawkeyes. On Sunday, Clark broke the previous record of 2,804 points set by Megan Gustafson in 2019.

The history-making moment happened at a sold-out McLeod Center during the third quarter against Northern Iowa. Clark tied the record on the free throw line less than two minutes after the break. She broke it a few minutes later with a spin and a bank shot.

That’s the record breaker. Caitlin Clark is Iowa’s all time leading scorer, passing Megan Gustafson. pic.twitter.com/o99yszgvcq

— Mark Woodley (@MarkWoodleyTV) November 12, 2023
Iowa’s new 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐫. @CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/bM64Bwu3Qk

— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 12, 2023
The NCAA women’s basketball all-time record still belongs to WNBA star Kelsey Plum with 3,527 points during her time in Washington.

Iowa was last season’s top offensive team in Division I college women’s basketball with Clark being the second most consistent scorer in the nation by averaging 27.8 points per game via 47.3% shooting from the field. This season, the 6-foot guard continued that momentum and tipped off her senior season with 28 points against FDU and 44 points against No. 8 Virginia Tech.

Clark’s potential has been quite clear for a while, and even Gustafson herself said she saw this new record coming years ago.

“As soon as I saw her play as a freshman, I thought, ‘Yeah, this record isn’t going to last long at all,'” she said in March, as reported by The Gazette. “I love it.”

Iowa made it to the program’s first-ever championship game last season, and Clark was the biggest key to success. She put up historic numbers during the NCAA Tournament, including the first 40-point triple-double in the tournament — men’s or women’s.

Unranked NC State stunned No. 2 UConn 92-81 on Sunday. This became the first time since 1998 that the Wolfpack defeated the Huskies.

NC State junior guard Saniya Rivers led the way with 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, along with 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals.

“Everybody said we couldn’t do it. We had nothing to lose,” Rivers said on the broadcast. “We just gave it our best, left it all on the court and we just made history.

“We did it. We did it,” Rivers said.

LITTY pic.twitter.com/DqbMynDifi

— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) November 12, 2023
This dominant performance by Rivers wasn’t exactly something many saw coming, but she believed in herself. She appeared in 31 games last season (12 as a starter), averaging 8.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Her previous career high was 22 points. Rivers was eventually named the 2023 ACC Sixth Player of the Year, but she felt this season it was her turn to shine brighter than ever.

“Support from my teammates, they believed in me,” Rivers said when asked what it took to lift her team with the best stat line in the Wes Moore era. “I wanted this to be my breakout game and I did it. The fans, they are here for me. I just couldn’t do without them and my teammates.”

Saniya Rivers with the steal and TOUGH finish 😮‍💨 @PackWomensBball pic.twitter.com/xmbo9zgmay

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 12, 2023
As a whole, NC State shot 52.5% from the field. Aziaha James, Zoe Brooks and Madison Hayes joined Rivers in the double-figure club.

Per ESPN, the 92 points are the most given up by UConn in a non-overtime game since Feb. 1, 2001– when the Huskies gave 92 points in a loss to then-No. 3 Tennessee.

UConn star Paige Bueckers led her team with 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting on Sunday, while Aaliyah Edwards added 21 points. The Huskies had managed to enter halftime with a one-point lead, but head coach Geno Auriemma was not happy with the lack of movement he was seeing from his offense.

The Huskies did not make enough corrections after the break, while NC State saw an opportunity and took off running with it. The Wolfpack outscored the perennial powerhouse 50-38 in the second half. They also won the rebound game 41-29 and had a 28-14 advantage in fast break points.

Next up, NC State is hosting Elon on Wednesday. Meanwhile, UConn will have to shake this one off before taking on No. 14 Maryland on Thursday.

No. 6 South Carolina is looking strong as ever after a 114-76 win over No. 14 Maryland. This is officially the first time in program history the Gamecocks have scored 100 points in each of their first two games.

The 114 points the Gamecocks scored against Maryland also became the most points ever scored by South Carolina against a ranked opponent.

“We are going to be who we are. Seriously, we are going to be who we are…” head coach Dawn Staley said during the postgame press conference. “Just proud of the team, proud of who we are. We’ve come a long way. If you could’ve seen June, July, August, if you could’ve seen that, you would be sitting where I’m sitting where it was unimaginable for us to even think about what we were able to do the first two games of the season.”

“If you could have seen us in June”

Sunday’s 114-76 win marked the first time in program history South Carolina WBB has scored at least 100 in the first two games of the season.

It’s a start that has even HC @dawnstaley told me has surprised her@GamecockWBB | @wachfox pic.twitter.com/XaVyztNWQp

— Matt Vereen (@MattVereen) November 12, 2023
Every single South Carolina player who stepped on the floor on Sunday scored at least three points, while seven reached double digits. Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao led the way with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Freshman Chloe Kitts reached a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins got one too with 13 points and 11 boards.

If this is a rebuilding year for South Carolina, it seems Dawn Staley didn’t get the memo because her non-conference schedule is anything but easy. After losing the most historic class in South Carolina history, including two-time national player of the year Aliyah Boston, Staley challenged other players to step up and that’s exactly what they did.

They started the season with a bang on Nov. 6 by defeating No. 10 Notre Dame 100-71 in the first college basketball game ever played on Parisian soil. On Sunday, they proved that was anything but luck.

South Carolina took the 2022 NCAA championship and made the Final Four earlier this year. However, the hype around the program wasn’t as loud during this preseason because of the key pieces the team had lost. Even Staley told CBS Sports the current roster lacks experience in virtually every position.

At the time of their national title, the Gamecocks were a well-known defensive powerhouse but they had an inconsistent offense. It improved during the 2022-23 season, but now it seems they really have no trouble in that area and could be more dangerous than ever.

“I actually think they’re better than last year’s team,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said.

South Carolina has now won 43 consecutive games at Colonial Life Arena, meaning they have gone 1,074 days without losing at home. Next up, the Gamecocks will be taking on in-state rival Clemson on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. ET.

Me’Arah O’Neal, the youngest daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, on Sunday signed a National letter of Intent to continue her career playing college basketball for Florida. She chose the Gators over her father’s alma mater, LSU.

The 17-year-old, listed as a 6-foot-3 post player from Episcopal High School in Houston, is ranked No. 33 overall in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.

Shaq, a four-time NBA champion, was a legend at LSU who has maintained a close relationship with the school. After taking over Reebok, Shaq’s first move was signing Tigers star Angel Reese to an NIL deal.

However, Me’Arah has chosen to go a different route than her father. The proud dad told ESPN he stayed out of her decision.

“What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted,'” he said, “because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience.”

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by ᴍᴇᴇᴢʏ. (@mearahoneal_)

The other teams that made the younger O’Neal’s top eight were Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee. For Me’Arah, who visited Florida in September, her decision came down to who she wanted as a coach.

“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged, and that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida,” she told ESPN. I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly [Rae Finely] more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me.”

Some of Shaq’s other children have also played college basketball. Shareef played for the UCLA men’s team before transferring to LSU and ultimately pursuing a professional career. Shaqir is currently a redshirt sophomore for the Texas Southern men’s team. Amirah, who is no longer playing, walked on to the LSU women’s team before she transferred to Texas Southern.

Me’Arah O’Neal, the youngest daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, on Sunday signed a National letter of Intent to continue her career playing college basketball for Florida. She chose the Gators over her father’s alma mater, LSU.

The 17-year-old, listed as a 6-foot-3 post player from Episcopal High School in Houston, is ranked No. 33 overall in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.

Shaq, a four-time NBA champion, was a legend at LSU who has maintained a close relationship with the school. After taking over Reebok, Shaq’s first move was signing Tigers star Angel Reese to an NIL deal.

However, Me’Arah has chosen to go a different route than her father. The proud dad told ESPN he stayed out of her decision.

“What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted,'” he said, “because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience.”

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by ᴍᴇᴇᴢʏ. (@mearahoneal_)

The other teams that made the younger O’Neal’s top eight were Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee. For Me’Arah, who visited Florida in September, her decision came down to who she wanted as a coach.

“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged, and that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida,” she told ESPN. I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly [Rae Finely] more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me.”

Some of Shaq’s other children have also played college basketball. Shareef played for the UCLA men’s team before transferring to LSU and ultimately pursuing a professional career. Shaqir is currently a redshirt sophomore for the Texas Southern men’s team. Amirah, who is no longer playing, walked on to the LSU women’s team before she transferred to Texas Southern.