Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Mavericks avoided getting swept with a Game 4 win in Dallas versus the Celtics

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The Dallas Mavericks lapped the Boston Celtics in Game 4, preventing a sweep in the Finals. Luka Dončić was relentless on offense, cared to defend and yapped considerably less to the referees. Kyrie Irving consumed inside protections. And the hosts outrebounded the Celtics by 21.

Early, the Mavericks’ defense permitted two of nine 3-pointers. But Jayson Tatum got loose, making a 3-pointer against drop coverage and scoring on three rim attacks.

For the Mavs, Dončić was unrestrainable, dribbling to his spots in the middle for jumpers plus floaters and going low for layups while also making three freebies. Irving maneuvered into the lane for two shots and a layup, swished a triple in Jaylen Brown’s face and finished at the rim on a transition pick-and-roll set with Daniel Gafford. And Dereck Lively’s impact was like a sledgehammer to rotting wood, slamming a lob, canning his first-ever tray (in the corner), and blocking Xavier Tillman’s shot under the rim.

The Mavericks led 34-21 through 12 minutes.

The hosts followed up in the second quarter, contesting the Celtics’ jumpers and rim attacks on time, holding them to three of 16 field goals.

On the attack, Dante Exum provided a jolt off the bench, dribbling into the square for a layup and making a right-wing trifecta, set up by Dončić’s drive-and-kick on the left side. And Dončić scored four more times at close range and downed a step-back jumper from 17 feet out.

The Mavericks were on top 61-35 at halftime and ahead on the glass by 16. Additionally, the team had 34 paint points, three on the break, 10 via second chances, nine off turnovers and 19 from the bench.

The Celtics had 12 interior marks, two in the open court, none on extra tries, six off turnovers and six from the reserves.

Subsequently, Gafford was like a mobile stick of dynamite in the third quarter. He blocked Tatum’s jumper on the wing, rejected Brown’s baseline attack at the rim and slammed a lob on the break, assisted by Dončić at mid-court. Irving also got involved, recording five of six attempts in the frame.

The Mavericks were up 32 at the start of the fourth quarter.

The rest of the match was no contest- not one Maverick and Celtic starter played a minute of the fourth quarter. Still, the hosts reached a 48-point lead with six minutes left.

The Mavericks won 122-84. On top of that, the group had 60 paint points, 11 on the break, 16 via second chances, 17 off turnovers and 54 from the bench.

Dallas’ double-digit scorers were Dončić (29), Irving (21), Tim Hardaway Jr. (15), Lively (11) and Exum (10),

The Celtics tallied 26 interior marks, six in the open court, two on extra tries, nine off turnovers and 40 from the reserves.

Boston’s double-digit scorers were Tatum (15), Sam Hauser (14), Payton Pritchard (11), Jrue Holiday (10) and Brown (10).

Dončić handled the on-court interview. When asked about carrying momentum to Boston, he said, “We got to play the same way. We know how tough it is to play there…”

At the postgame presser, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said, “It was this or we go on vacation… our role players stepped up and made some threes and that’s what we needed tonight.”

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Around the WNBA on Thursday, June 13

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Pity those who missed out on Thursday’s Commissioner’s Cup action.

The Indiana Fever got their fourth win (4-10). Jackie Young went ballistic in the second quarter of the Aces’ dub over the Mercury. And the Storm countered Arike Ogunbowale’s production with six triples and 13 points on the break in their victory.

Let’s review what happened…

Aliyah Boston returns to form + Kelsey Mitchell’s big night in the Fever’s win:

First-quarter foul trouble sat Boston down for a few minutes, but she was confident and hungry, leading her team to a victory against the Atlanta Dream. She threw her weight around setting on plus off-ball screens, powered through the post, recovered five extra possessions and protected the lane well.

Her best spurts came in the second and fourth quarter. During the former sequence, Boston nailed two free throws, made a putback, and scored on Tina Charles twice at close range on post and face-up plays. In the latter interval, she bailed out the squad after the offense fell apart, bludgeoning the square on drives and a putback to outduel Rhyne Howard.

After the game, Fever coach Christie Sides said Boston was undeniable. “She played extremely well, really physical, didn’t back down and finished great, great shots at the rim tonight.”

Boston finished with 27 points on 12 of 21 tries, with 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a turnover. Ten of her points came in the fourth quarter.

And Mitchell detonated for 24 points on seven of 14 shots. She was explosive off the dribble and connected on a mid-range shot plus three trays, including fumbling up one from the left corner to end the first half. Subsequently, Mitchell scored on a broken play at close range with 45 seconds left and earned multiple trips to the line, burying six freebies.

The Las Vegas Aces go on tour, beating the Phoenix Mercury:

A’ja Wilson carried her group to start, scoring 10 of their first 12 first-quarter points by converting two mid-range and two turnaround jumpers in the paint and scoring a putback. The rest of the Aces registered zero of 11 buckets partly because Brittney Griner was causing havoc as a low help defender. Kelsey Plum logged the team’s other two points at the line, yet the squad fell behind by 16 points to end the frame.

On the other side, Diana Taurasi hit a baseline jumper in transition, flared into the lane for a layup, scored against drop coverage at the cup and canned a right-wing trifecta, totaling 10 points through 10 minutes. Sophie Cunningham chipped in with seven points on three of four attempts.

Then Jackie Young dribbled into five triples between the top of the key and left side and burst into the lane in transition, making a bucket with contact. She had 21 points in the second quarter, and the Mercury tallied 23.

In the second half, Wilson and Young combined for 30 of the Aces’ 49 points on 45% accuracy. Young’s jumper in the paint over Kahleah Copper gave the Aces a four-point edge with 46 seconds left.

Wilson had 32 points on 10 of 17 attempts, with 15 rebounds (six on offense), two assists, one steal, two blocks and three turnovers. And Young notched 34 marks on 47.8% accuracy, with eight rebounds (four on offense), four assists, one steal and three turnovers.

Seattle Storm shoot down the Wings in Dallas:

For the Wings, Arike Ogunbowale made a left-corner banger, banked in a half-court heave, and dribbled past Jewell Loyd to the cup for a left-handed layup. And Teaira McCowan and Maddy Siegrist kept the understaffed Wings in the first half, scoring off-ball and recording four fastbreak points.

But the Storm were up 48-40 at halftime, led by Loyd’s 15 points and Skylar Diggins-Smith’s dozen. Additionally, the visitors had 16 points off turnovers and two via an extra try.

Next, Ogunbowale scored 14 second-half points, making one freebie plus two mid-range shots and recording three trifectas. Kalani Brown added four of five baskets. And McCowan made three offerings at close range.

But it wasn’t enough.

Defensively, the Storm forced seven turnovers in the second half. On offense, the group supplied seven points on the break between Sami Whitcomb, Jordan Horston and Diggins-Smith. Diggins-Smith hit a floater on the baseline and another in the paint on a pick-and-roll set with Ezi Magbegor as well. And Nneka Ogwumike connected on a 3-pointer, putback, two layups and two free throws. Ogwumike’s freebies came with under two minutes left, putting the Storm ahead by nine points.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Celtics go up 3-0 in the Finals with Game 3 win

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The visiting Celtics took control and nearly gave away the match in the second half, snatching a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals minus their backline protector, Kristaps Porziņģis. Jaylen Brown dispensed 30 points and a career-high eight Playoff helpings plus outplayed Luka Dončić, who was also disqualified with six fouls in the last four minutes. Jayson Tatum sliced the interior. And the Mavericks failed to protect the three-point line again.

Jaylen Brown handled the on-court interview. He said, “We (the Celtics) kept our poise… we found a way to win.”

The Mavericks pounced on the Celtics, taking a 9-2 edge in the first two minutes behind Kyrie Irving and Dončić’s drive-bys, plus the latter’s pull-up triple in Tatum’s face.

Tatum responded for Gang Green with 13 points, including a fastbreak dunk to end the interval. Brown supplied four marks and set up three teammates with four dimes. And the guests struck gold with Sam Houser’s two trays, one coming as Dončić was late to tag him in transition because he was complaining to a ref.

Then both squads tightened their defense in the second quarter. Yet Irving made three of Dallas’ four second-quarter threes without missing and maneuvered into the paint for a floater. And Boston’s Tatum swished a top-of-the-key triple, dribbled past Tim Hardaway Jr. into the paint for a layup and scored on the break.

At halftime, the Celtics were behind 50-51 and down on the glass by six. Additionally, the squad had 16 paint points, 10 on the break, two via second chances, four off turnovers and nine from the bench (Hauser).

The Mavericks had 30 interior marks, seven in the open court, six on extra tries, five off turnovers and seven from the bench.

Subsequently, the Celtics started the third quarter by making seven consecutive baskets by Brown, Tatum, and Jrue Holiday. Next, Brown continued, burying a corner triple, nailing a step-back mid-range shot over Maxi Kleber and dunking powerfully off a pick-and-roll set to end the frame to lead by 15 points.

For the Mavericks, Dončić broke into the box, finishing thrice, and Irving made three shots at mid to long-range. The rest of the group converted two of seven ventures.

The fourth quarter began with the Celtics up 85-70.

Dončić then committed a turnover/offensive foul 13 seconds into the period by illegally dribbling into Brown at the post, pushing with the off arm. Yet the Celtics climbed to a 21-point lead a minute in. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd followed up with a timeout.

A 19-3 Maverick stampede ensued, sparked by the defense contesting shots on time and staying in front of the ball. Afterward, Irving’s three straight freebies cut Dallas’ deficit to three points. But Dončić made one of five baskets and had three more fouls, reaching six and disqualifying him with four minutes left.

The Celtics answered with Brown’s tip-in and mid-range jumper over Hardaway, Derrick White’s 3-pointer and Tatum’s dunk through the center.

The Celtics won 106-99 but were outrebounded by seven. On top of that, the squad had 36 paint points, 12 on the break, six via second chances, 13 off turnovers and 12 from the bench.

Brown had 30 points on 12 of 22 shots, with eight rebounds, eight career-high Playoff dimes, one block and three turnovers. Tatum had 31 points on 42.3% accuracy, with six rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two turnovers. And White logged 16 points, making four of 10 attempts, with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a turnover.

The Mavericks had 52 interior marks, 12 in the open court, 14 on extra tries, 12 off turnovers and 16 from the reserves.

Irving had 35 points on 13 of 28 tries, with three rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. Dončić produced 27 marks on 40.7% shooting, with six rebounds, six assists, one steal and three turnovers. The other double-digit scorers were P.J. Washington (13) and Dereck Lively II (11).

At the postgame presser, Mazzulla spoke on the approach for Game 4. He said. “We’re just as vulnerable, if not more vulnerable than they are.”

Tatum told the press that he told Brown he was proud of him after the game.

 

 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Celtics outdid the Mavericks in Game 2 of the Finals

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The Boston Celtics conquered the Mavericks in Game 2 of the Finals, taking a 2-0 lead. Dallas’ Luka Dončić was inexorable, and the visiting defense protected the arc. But Gang Green was overruling in the second half, and their supporters periodically chanted, “Kyrie [Irving] sucks.”

In act one, the Mavericks’ defense permitted one of nine trifectas. On offense, Dončić logged 13 digits, one assist and three turnovers. He picked on Jayson Tatum by dribbling past him to the rim and canning a turnaround jumper in his face. He also made a fader over Derrick White, swished a pull-up transition triple on the right side plus registered two freebies. His partner, Kyrie Irving, maneuvered into the square thrice and downed a long two inside the ring wing.

But Kristaps Porziņģis supplied eight points off the bench for the Celtics, backing down Maxi Kleber for a jumper, firing over Irving at mid-range, and nailing four freebies. Brown, Holiday and Horford helped him out, connecting on five of nine offerings, while Tatum was a playmaker.

The Mavericks led 28-25 through 12 minutes.

In act two, Holiday pounded the Mavericks’ interior defenses on and off the dribble. Brown got to the line, scored in transition and ripped up the baseline for a dunk.

On the Mavericks’ side, Dončić’s mid and long-range jumper produced four baskets. Derrick Jones Jr. provided seven points in the frame, cutting back door, beating the Celtics in transition and finishing the lob, set up by Dončić’ up top. The rest of the guests recorded three of 12 shots in the interval.

At halftime, the Celtics led 54-51, were up on the glass by two, and had two fewer turnovers while making 20% of hoisted 3-pointers. Furthermore, the group had 26 paint points, six on the break, two via second chances, 11 off turnovers and 12 from the bench.

The Mavericks had 26 interior marks, five in the open court, 10 on extra tries, 10 off turnovers and four from the reserves. The Mavericks missed six freebies in the first half.

In act three, Dončić lost the ball three times but tallied six points, firing from mid and long-range and setting up four teammates for six assists. Yet, Irving misfired on all three attempts because Tatum, White and Porziņģis contested his shot on time.

The hosts responded with efficient spurts from Tatum, Brown and Holiday, totaling eight of 14 baskets on drive-bys and one triple.

The fourth quarter started with the Celtics ahead 83-74.

The Celtics opened the period making seven of 15 shots. Yet in the last three-and-a-half minutes, the Mavericks sprayed nine unanswered points- Jones’ rim roll plus two freebies, Washington’s free throws and Dončić’s and-one around Horford- to cut the home lead to five points. But that was as far as they went.

In the last minute, Tatum dribbled to the cup but was rejected by Jones, with the rebound going to P.J. Washington, who took off on the break. Then White blocked Washington’s shot with 50 seconds left, two feet from the rim. Brown’s left-handed finish through the lane with Kleber on his back hip closed the curtains.

The Celtics won 105-98, snatched two more rebounds and committed five fewer turnovers. On top of that, the crew had 46 paint points, 15 on the break, 10 via second chances, 21 off turnovers and 17 from the bench.

Holiday had 26 points on eight of 14 looks, with 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Brown totaled 21 points on 53% shooting, with four rebounds, seven assists, three steals and six turnovers. The other double-digit scorers were Tatum (18), White (18) and Porziņģis (12).

The Mavericks had 54 interior marks, seven in the open court, 13 on extra tries, 12 off turnovers and nine from the reserves. The Mavericks missed eight free throws in Game 2.

Dončić logged 32 points, making 57.1% of attempts, with 11 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and eight turnovers. Washington had 17 marks on six of 13 shots, with seven rebounds, one assist, one block and a turnover. The other double-digit scorers were Irving (16), Gafford (13) and Jones (11).

At the postgame presser, Brown spoke on Holiday’s impact. He said, “Jrue [Holiday] has been an example of excellence…He’s just a hell of a player, hell of a person, great teammate, and I credit the victory to him tonight.”

Holiday said, “I’m a utility guy. I’ll do whatever.”

On the losing side, Dončić said his turnovers and missed free throws (4) cost the Mavericks the game.

‘I need to win one’: Paul Maurice wants his Stanley Cup and his best chance is now

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After stepping down on his own accord from his position with the Winnipeg Jets in December 2021, Paul Maurice didn’t know if he’d coach again.

 

24 seasons behind an NHL bench and no Stanley Cups to his name, Maurice’s chance to win the greatest prize in hockey looked to be behind him.


That was until Bill Zito called.

 

“I had four phenomenal days of fishing — and this is the absolute truth. My phone rings and it’s a number I don’t know so I never answer that,” Maurice said. “ Then I get a text from somebody that says ‘answer your phone’.” 

 

Maurice obviously picked up his phone. 

 

“Bill and I get on the phone and it starts there. It starts with just a conversation and it’s not even really about the job, it’s just the interest level I had and I was good — then we start talking hockey and that was it.”

 

Content may not be the best word to describe it, but Maurice said a few times “he was good”, as he looked back at the half a year he was away from the game.

 

But something about Florida was right. 

 

“It’s the connection between two people and you feel it or you don’t — and I was good. I had given all that I thought I had to give, certainly been fortunate in the game and received far more than I gave,” Maurice told the media as he reminisced on his first conversation with Zito. “But there’s just these strange little things that meant Florida was right and it was where I was supposed to be next.”

 

Zito was able to convince Maurice to step away from his cottage on the lake and make his way over to South Florida. Now nearly two years later they are trying to finish off this historic journey together as the Panthers are set to take the ice in their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final.

 

Maurice, 57, has an extensive and impressive coaching record — one that will make him go down as one of the most recognizable coaching figures in the game’s history.

 

After starting his NHL career as a youngster back in 1995-96 with the Hartford Whalers, Maurice sits atop most of the all-time coaching records, including Fourth most wins with 869 and second most games coached at 1,848. 

 

The one thing that’s missing from his potential Hall of Fame career is the biggest achievement in the game — a Stanley Cup. 

 

The question of legacy was brought up and if Maurice believes you need to win if you want to go down as an all-time great. Unsurprisingly, the ever straightforward Panthers coach was clear in what he believed the answer was for himself.

 

“I need to win one.”

 

“That’s the truth, that’s how I feel. I’m 30 years into this thing, I wouldn’t mind winning one — how about that,” Maurice laughed after answering. “When it’s over, because I thought it was… I understand what it feels like to feel like it’s over and you didn’t win. I know coaches that feel the opposite. Maybe it’s a function of I think I carry the losses and that goes back to starting very very young. I’m going to know when this thing’s all over — either how good I got or how good I was. I won’t need somebody else to tell me that or to value my career. I’m not saying I’m going to value it really high, I’m not telling you where I’ll value it. I have a pretty good idea of the job I’ve done when it’s over. Ya, I’d really like to win one man.”

 

The 26 season NHL veteran said that every coach is different when it comes to if they need a cup or not for legacy. Losing twice in the finals, once back in 2002 with Carolina and then last year with Florida, the good ole Canadian boy from the Sault is looking to hoist Lord Stanley’s prize over his head. 

 

”Every coach is different. It seems to me as you age you get a different perspective on life and what’s important, and valuable,” he added. “I need to win one. It’s not going to change the section of my life that’s not related to hockey at all.”

 

Just two years into his tenure, Maurice is already the most successful coach in Florida Panthers history. His 25 postseason wins is 12 more than the man in second place — and he’ll hope that number is at 29 once the summer rolls around. 

 

When the puck drops just after 8 p.m. ET on Saturday for Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, both Maurice and the franchise — who entered the league around the same time (Panthers two years prior to Maurice)  — will start the final step of the journey, in hopes of winning their first Stanley Cup.  

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Celtics mowed down the Mavericks in Game 1 of the Finals at TD Garden

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The Mavericks hung around for 10 minutes, courtesy of Luka Dončić’s early burst of action, but the hosts doubled up their output midway through the second frame and continued to ravage them in the last two quarters at TD Garden. The guests refused to cover the arc, and their main two, Kyrie Irving and Dončić, were outperformed by Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis.

Early, Dončić was defended by Brown before the switch. He dribbled to the nail, hitting a 12-foot shot, breaking a double team to finish an acrobatic layup between four Celtics and connected on a step-back triple over his old teammate, Porziņģis.

Irving helped out, canning two mid-range jumpers on the right side, yet the rest of the Mavericks downed four of 12 baskets in the interval.

For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum was operating as an unsteady setup man, picking up three dimes and three turnovers on drives plus poor passes. The Celtics made seven of 15 trays in the period, but the tide shifted when Porziņģis checked in for Al Horford. The visitors were then overwhelmed by Gang Green as KP blocked two shots and tore up mismatches with his mid-range jumper. He also posted up Dereck Lively II and turned the corner on him to get inside for a dunk, and swished a trailing trifecta on the left side.

The Celtics closed the first quarter on a 24-7 run and led 37-20 at the end of it.

Subsequently, Brown targeted Dončić twice, dribbling left to the rim for a basket and blowing by a double team, resulting in a vicious dunk. His other two scores in the sequence were a corner banger and dunk after stripping Dončić at midcourt. Brown didn’t miss in the second quarter.

Porziņģis added three of four buckets, bringing his output to 18 points on 78% accuracy in the first half.

On the Mavericks side, making three of nine attempts to start the quarter had them behind 29 points with four minutes left until intermission. But Dončić and P.J. Washington sliced the deficit to 21 to end the half.

At the break, the Celtics were up 63-42 and ahead on the glass by eight. Additionally, the group had 22 paint points, eight in the open court, two via second chances, nine off turnovers and 24 from the bench.

The Mavericks had 24 interior marks, four in the open court, six on extra tries, six off turnovers and four from the reserves.

Next, the Mavericks came out of the break making nine of 17 shots through seven-and-a-half minutes. Irving tallied six points, including an impressive blow by Horford on the baseline. And Dončić dribbled to the cup twice past Tatum and Horford and swished two step-back triples to cut Boston’s lead to eight points. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla followed up with a timeout.

Defensively, the Celtics locked up the visitors for the rest of the quarter, allowing two points from the line and forcing eight consecutive misses. In that span, Brown had three blocks, denying Derrick Jones Jr.’s lob, then his follow-up dunk and swatting away Irving’s layup as the low help protector. And on offense, Porziņģis, Tatum, Brown and Horford scored 14 points.

The fourth quarter began with the Celtics on top 86-68.

The hosts went on a 14-7 run through nearly seven minutes. It compelled coach Jason Kidd to surrender, subbing out Dončić and Irving for Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum.

The Celtics won 107-89 and outrebounded the Mavs by four. Furthermore, the Celtics racked up 28 paint points, 10 on the break, 10 via second chances, 18 off turnovers and 32 from the bench.

Brown had 22 points on seven of 12 looks, with six rebounds, two assists, three steals, three blocks and two turnovers. Porziņģis tallied 20 marks on 62% shooting, with six boards and three denials. The other double-digit scorers were Tatum (16), White (15), Jrue Holiday (12) and Horford (10).

The Mavericks had 46 interior points, six in the open court, 16 on extra tries, 13 off turnovers and 20 from the reserves.

Dončić put up 30 points on 12 of 26 tries, with 10 rebounds, one assist, two steals and four turnovers. Washington logged 14 points on 45% accuracy, with eight boards and one dime. The other double-digit scorers were Hardy (13) and Irving (12).

Tatum handled the on-court interview. He said the team’s job was to suppress the players around Dončić. The other Mavericks made 39.6% of shots.

At the postgame presser, Porziņģis was asked about coming off the bench for the second time in his career. He said, “From day one, I came here (Boston) and said I’ll do whatever it takes to help this team win… I stepped into that role and embraced it and had a good game.”

Mazzulla was asked about the Mavericks cutting the Celtics’ lead to eight points in the third quarter. He said he was pleased with how his group handled the burst. “That’s going to happen. You’re not going to stop that. We just have to have the poise and toughness to work through it. I thought our guys did that.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Indiana Fever early season observations

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The Indiana Fever are a rebuilding outfit with nice pieces, but they have been a major disappointment for a quarter of the season. The effort on defense is not adequate. Caitlin Clark’s teammates have not reached the same court wavelength as her. Players miss open looks. The bench is inefficient, logging 16.1 points on 39.6% shooting per game. And Aliyah Boston, last campaign’s top rookie, hasn’t been herself.

But they have the tools to change the narrative.

Let’s review the story through approximately 28% of the season…

The defense isn’t sharp:

The Fever are last in the WNBA in defensive rating (111.8), eleventh in opponent paint marks (38.2) and concede the third-most second-chance points (14.5).

One of the weakest areas of protection is the 3-point line because defenders overreact to a pass or drive and don’t guard snipers closely enough.

Kristy Wallace and Aliyah Boston have been terrible:

Wallace has wasted open looks. But more concerning is Boston being a shell of the powerhouse she was last season.

Boston is recording 4.5 attempts in the restricted area yet converting 49% of tries. In 2023, she shot 5.9 times at zero to three feet, making 65.8% nightly.

Boston hasn’t looked as fluid around the paint, is fouling slightly more than last season and she is recovering two fewer rebounds. As a result, she’s had her minutes slightly gashed (3.5).

When Boston rediscovers her game, the Fever will have an easier time scoring in the half court.

 

Kelsey Mitchell’s impact is greater than her field goal percentage:

Mitchell is logging decent numbers on an inefficient field goal percentage- 15.1 points on 37.8% shooting, with 1.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists – but this production doesn’t do her justice. She is the second-best option the Fever has off the dribble and no.2 in dependability this season.

Additionally, Mitchell is second in the WNBA in fast break points (31), catching passes from Kristy Wallace, Erica Wheeler, Temi Fagbenle, Katie Lou Samuelson, Boston, and Clark in the open court. Some of the Fever’s best offense is outletting to Mitchell.

In the half court, she works well getting open off-ball on cuts and has an explosive first step with the rock.

Considering how Clark is relentlessly blitzed up top, the Fever should consider running more pick-and-roll sets with Mitchell as her screener. Despite Mitchell shooting 31.8% from long range, she’ll have quality looks because of Clark’s gravity for a jumper, or she can use the space to get to the rim.

Mitchell is also ninth in marks off turnovers (33).

NaLyssa Smith’s strong play:

Smith had some tough outings to start the year but elevated her game. She is the Fever’s top rebounder (7.1) plus the leader in efficiency, and she is a developing shooter, making 57.1% of above-the-break triples on 1.3 attempts per game.

Smith had her best showing of the season in the Fever’s win over the Sky in the first Commissioner’s Cup game, putting up 17 points on seven of 12 looks, with nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. The next night, she and Mitchell, again, were the Fever’s strongest performers despite getting blown out by the Liberty.

Clark is LEGIT

Clark’s been plagued by inefficiency- averaging 15.6 points on 35.7% accuracy, including 29.7% from deep, with 5.1 rebounds and 6.4 dimes- but she catches a high volume of defensive schemes. To boot, she is eighth in usage percentage, counting players who have registered at least six matches.

Being a deep threat is a large part of her game, as 63.6% of her shots are from behind the arc. But some of the trifectas she hoists are tough off the dribble. For example, unsuccessfully shooting over DiJonai Carrington and Moriah Jefferson from the logo against the Connecticut Sun, bricking a pull-up three with Carrington all over her, and misfiring a step back, facing the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, who stuck close to her.

Yet, of her 27 made threes, 18 have been off the dribble, and nine were catch-and-shoot. Clark likes to stop on a dime and fire, but her team needs to look for more ways to get her open off-ball through staggers, flares and misdirection.

Her other correctable problem so far has been that she is a turnover machine. She makes bold passes in the open court, but some are picked off, and blitzes have given her trouble.

Her top strength is her vision. Even when she shoots poorly, CC impacts the game as a playmaker or decoy.

 

‘There’s 27 of you, everybody’s important’: Panthers bonds play big factor in reaching Stanley Cup Final

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Before walking out of the room following their second consecutive Eastern Conference Final win, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice left a message for his team. 

 

“You’re all f*ing brilliant, I love every one of ya.”. 

 

The Panthers are set to open the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at home on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers and they’ll have 13 returnees from the 2023 team that fell short in the Final to Vegas. 

 

After retooling in the offseason to make a deeper and stronger team, the Panthers have shown they have a special group of players in Sunrise. But it’s not just the on-ice product. 

 

This year’s Panther team is as close of a group as you’ll see in professional sports. They ride and die together and it has been that way all season.  

 

“It starts at day one of training camp when Mo (Maurice) sets the standard of how hard things are gonna be,” Steven Lorentz said on when the team started to get close. “It’s not always going to be the most fun, but when you see a group of guys buy in, it doesn’t matter what your background is or where you’re coming from, where you played before. As long as you got that number of guys — whether it’s 20-25 guys — pulling on the same rope, eventually you’ll come together, and you form bonds and friendships that last a lifetime.”

 

Before Game 5 of the ECF in New York, the Panthers group were their usual selves at morning skate. 

 

The team was loose; they laughed, cheered and joked around while taking their line rushes. 

 

They weren’t in an easy situation — tied in the series, on the road at Madison Square Garden. Yet the calmness of the team was backed up by a message that the team has made clear all season.

 

“We really like each other,” Gustav Forsling said after the Game 5 morning skate. “[We] like to hang out with each other, we care about each other. So I think that goes on the ice too.”


Forsling was right. The bond they have clearly shines on the ice and it has elevated as the playoffs continue. 

 

Playing on the road isn’t easy, especially in the postseason. But Florida truly hasn’t seen a drop off in their play when they leave Sunrise, if anything, they’ve been even better away from home.. 

 

Winning six out of eight road games over this playoff run — compared to a 6-3-0 record at home, the Panthers haven’t strayed away from their game when they leave the sunshine state and a lot of that can be relayed back to the team’s closeness. 

 

Between the chartered flights, team meals and most importantly, the poker games, the guys love being on the road together. 

 

“One of my favorite things to do is just play poker in the team suite and on the plane. I think about those times being the things that I’ll remember most about my time in the NHL,” said Aaron Ekblad, the second longest tenured Panther. “Especially on runs like this and last year where you’re together so much. Those moments are definitely one’s I’ll never forget.”

 

What jumped out to me the most and what I believe truly ties this group together is when Niko Mikkola awarded Jonah Gadjovich the game puck following their Game 5 win over the Rangers. 

 

Gadjovich, who was a fairly consistent face in the lineup when healthy during the regular season, hasn’t appeared in a playoff game to this point. He was away from the team for pretty much the entirety of the Conference Final as his partner was giving birth to twins. On the night that he returned, he was presented the game puck from his teammate,

 

In Paul Maurice’s nearly minute long post ECF win speech, he told the team there’s two things that he takes away from that part of the journey (the ECF) they are on.

One takeaway was their great third period to clinch their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final berth, the other was when Jonah Gadjovich was given that puck. 

 

“There’s 27 of you, everybody’s important,” Maurice said to his team after the ECF. “Everybody’s a lead dog, we’re all part of the pact.”

 

From captain  to the 27th skater that hasn’t touched the ice — everyone in that room is treated the same. 

 

The Panthers have created something special in Sunrise and this team won’t go down without a fight. 

 

And if that fight becomes a war when the Stanley Cup Final rolls around later this week, you better believe they are fighting that war together. 

Three Stars from the 2024 Eastern Conference Final

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As the Florida Panthers celebrate their Eastern Conference championship and the more important Stanley Cup Final berth, let’s take a step back and appreciate the great series saw.

 

In the six games of the ECF, three straight went to overtime, five were one-goal games and the road team won three times.

 

The series was tight, fast, physical and most importantly — highly entertaining. 

 

Here’s my three stars — from each team — in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final. 

New York Rangers 

 

3. Vincent Trocheck 

 

The former Florida Panthers was a scary force to go up against this postseason. 

 

Trocheck finished the series with six points in six games, playing over 20-plus minutes a night. 

 

He was noticeable all over the ice, not just in the offensive zone. The centerman was 56.9% in the faceoff circle (70/123) and was great off the puck.

 

Trocheck finished the postseason with 20 points (8G, 12A) in 16 games. 

 

2. Alexis Lafreniere 

 

The first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft had a disappointing run in the 2022-23 postseason, going pointless in seven games. He completely changed the narrative this year. 

 

Lafreniere was a thorn in the Panthers’ side, scoring four goals of the series — with a two-goal night in Game 3. 

 

The 22-year-old was flying every time he came through the neutral zone and he scored a few unbelievable, highlight-reel goals because of it.

 

 Lafreniere is barely old enough to drink, but he sure can show up in the playoffs. 

 

1. Igor Shesterkin

Shocker, I know. Igor Shesterkin wasn’t just the best Ranger on the ice, he was probably the best player in the series.

 

The majority of the games were close in the ECF, but don’t get it twisted, Florida heavily outplayed New York. The Panthers outshot the Rangers in all but one game, and dictated the flow of play in the later stages of nearly every game.

 

The only reason the series went six games is because of Shesterkin’s play. The Russian goaltender did everything he could to will his team throughout the series, but the offensive support just wasn’t enough. 

 

Shesterkin had a .930 save percentage in the six games against the Panthers — stopping 186 of the 200 shots he faced.

 

Panthers head coach had a lot of praise for the Rangers goalie, saying he hasn’t “seen a series by a goaltender like that since Jose Theodore in 2002.” 

 

Goaltending isn’t the reason New York lost, it’s the reason why they weren’t going home earlier. 

 

Florida Panthers 

 

3. Anton Lundell 

 

There’s a few players from the Panthers that are well deserving to have this  spot.Aleksander Barkov had a few big games in the series, Gustav Forsling should be in contention for the Conn Smythe the way he’s been playing and obviously Carter Verhaeghe was very good. 

 

But, the third star must go to the youngest player on the Panthers’ playing roster — Anton Lundell. 

 

The 22-year-old had three points in the series,which doesn’t jump out compared to some of his teammates, however his offensive contributions were beyond clutch — possibly series saving. 

 

He scored the ‘de facto’ game winner in Game 5 at MSG — putting the Panthers up 2-1 in the third, which set up the opportunity for Sam Bennett’s empty net game winning goal./ 


In Game 6, he set up Vladimir Tarasenko’s eventual series clinching goal by blocking a shot at the point, chipping the puck into the Rangers before feeding a cross crease pass through three defenders to hit Tarasenko. 

 

Within the South Florida media circle, we’ve been calling the young Finn ‘Baby Barkov’, and it’s true.  

 

“I have absolutely no idea how good he can be,” Paul Maurice said of Lundell after Game 5 in New York. “But we’re going to find out, it’s just going to take a little while.”

 

He plays a 200-foot game that guys with a decade of NHL experience could only dream of and he’s only in his third season. 

 

2. Sam Bennett 

NO. 9 has been a wrecking ball all postseason long for the Cats and the Eastern Conference Final was his best showing yet. 

 

The Panthers missed Sam Bennett when he was out with an apparent hand injury after absorbing friendly fire from Brandon Montour in Game 2 of the first round against Tampa. Once he made his return in the second round against Boston, playoff Sam Bennett was on full display. 

 

“I started to feel a little bit more like myself as the series went on,” Bennett said of his play after returning from the injury. “It was nice to be able to stickhandle a little better than I was earlier. It feels good to be back to feeling right.”

 

Bennett, 27, had four goals and six points in the Eastern Conference Final — which is the most points he’s put up in a single playoff series in his career. Bennett scored in every single one of Florida’s wins, including a huge goal to tie Game 4 — with the Panthers trailing 2-1 in the series. He is currently riding a three game goal streak into the Stanley Cup Final.

 

 

1. Sergei Bobrovsky 

 

It was only right to put Bobrovsky first on this list. 

 

We spoke about how good Igor Shesterkin was in the Rangers net, but Sergei Bobrovsky also put forth an elite performance between the pipes for the Panthers.

 

Florida prides itself on being a defense first team, which is why they were able to keep Bobrovsky’s workload to under 30 shots for all but one game of the series. 

 

While he didn’t see as many pucks as Shesterkin, his play in the ECF shouldn’t be diminished because of that. 

 

The 35-year-old gave up two or fewer goals in all but one of the six games against the Rangers. In 17 games this postseason, he’s done that 13 times.

 

It’s remarkable. He’s been an absolute stud all year and especially in the biggest games,” Sam Bennett said of Bobrovsky. “That seems to be when he’s playing his best hockey, which is incredible.”

 

Florida’s netminder gave up just 12 goals on 151 shots in the series — posting a very impressive .921 save percentage and also picking up a shutout. 

 

Great goaltending can keep you in a series you probably shouldn’t be in, which was the case for the Rangers. While the Panthers were the force carrying most of the play in the Conference Finals, Bobrovsky was there to make the timely saves in these close games. 

 

He also gave up just one power play goal on 15 attempts to a Rangers team that entered the series with a 31.4% success rate on the power play.

Aleksander Barkov carries the Prince of Wales Trophy after the Florida Panthers earned a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Redemption is near, Panthers look to keep Prince of Wales Trophy in Sunrise

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Teams that lose in the Stanley Cup Final usually don’t get another chance for a long time, if ever.

 

But for the Florida Panthers, their second chance could come now.

 

Last year, Florida watched in heartbreak as the Vegas Golden Knights hoisted the Stanley Cup in front of them.

 

After a year of fighting like hell, the Panthers are back to where they were last season — playing for a spot in the final.

 

After defeating the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the ECF on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, the Panthers have put themselves in a position to win the Eastern Conference at home and get back to the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight year. 

 

‘REDemption’ is the playoff slogan for the current Panthers team and they can give themselves a chance to do that on Saturday night in Sunrise. 

 

“There’s no reason to be nervous,” Panthers forward Sam Bennett said. “We’ve been in a lot of situations like this, so it’s just business as usual, play our game and you on’t really think about all the outside, all the other stuff that’s going on… We got to win a hockey game, so that’s our focus.”

 

The opportunity for redemption is rare in today’s NHL. If the Panthers were to finish the job and win the Prince of Wales Trophy, they’d become the first team since the 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins to make the Stanley Cup Final after losing the previous season.

 

Pittsburgh ended up winning the Cup that year. 

 

Before speaking of the final, let’s circle back to May 24, 2023 — Game 4 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final.

 

The Panthers held a 3-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes and had a chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996, on home ice in Sunrise.

 

With the game tied in the dying seconds of regulation, Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk scored one of the most iconic goals in franchise history — beating Frederik Andersen with just 4.3 seconds remaining in the game to send his team to the Cup final.

 

While the Panthers Cinderella run would come to an end in just five games against the Knights, it helped shape the current team — which is far stronger on paper than the previous —  for what they need to do to finish the job.

 

“The summer was very very fast. I don’t know if sadness is the right word but we know how hard it is to get there and the missed opportunity,” said Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, who went 21 years between Cup Final appearances. “It was also somewhat peaceful because I don’t think there was anything left of our team.”

 

Maurice said the sadness of the loss was gone once he began prepping videos for training camp. The Panthers only used their playoff tape for the camp videos. That’s when Maurice said he “got in a good mood.”

 

“You start to remember the plays, the effort — all that. But the people,” Maurice said with a smile. “How to drive the net? Well that’s the Radko Gudas clip… I appreciated the year. All of my sense of loss was gone probably about the middle of to late August last year when I started going through the video of the season.”

 

The Panthers run last year was special. They learned how to win against the best, but more importantly, they learned how to take a loss and move on.  

 

Heading into Saturday’s potential series clincher, the Panthers say they won’t stray away from their game. And unlike the position they were in last year against Carolina, the series is 3-2, not 3-0.

 

“You got to treat it like a regular game. Especially with how tight the series is,” Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said. “This is a team (the Rangers) that’s on the brink of their season being finished so we expect their best. It’s going to be a nice, loud building for us and you’re going to get our best as well so it’s going to be a good game.

 

Their chance for retribution is just around the corner, all they have to do is take it — and they can on Saturday night in Sunrise.