Three Things To Know is NBC’s five-days-a-week wrap-up of the night before in the NBA. Check out NBCSports.com every weekday morning to catch up on what you missed the night before plus the rumors, drama, and dunks that make the NBA must-watch.
1) Draymond Green is honest, “Our defense isn’t very good”
In the four years the Warriors won the NBA title, their defense was ranked first, second, 11th (but they were first in the playoffs, four points per 100 better than the regular season), and first.
This season the Warriors are 21st in the league in defense.
While injuries to Stephen Curry and others have certainly held the Warriors back this season (as has a championship hangover that doesn’t have them as focused during parts of the regular season), the fact of the matter is they have not defended near the level of NBA contenders. That includes Tuesday night, when the Warriors fell to the Clippers 134-124. After the game, Green was honest about the Warriors’ defense and what it needs to be to get them back to contender status, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
“It’s now or never.”
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 15, 2023
Draymond explains how crucial it is for the Warriors to collectively play good defense following the All-Star break pic.twitter.com/at11zQIwz4
“Our defense isn’t very good. It’s kind of been the story all year and you got to do something to fix it,” Green said. “It has to come from within, defense is all about a will, a want to defend. Defense isn’t fun, you just got to want to do it if you wanna win, and we haven’t.”
Green was also honest about the Warriors turning things around and his role in that.
“It’s not just gonna come. Do I think we’re capable of doing it? Yes, but I don’t think it’s coming. You can go get it, but it’s not just coming…" Green said.
“I’m always gonna try on that side, but I can be better. I’m just as much of a culprit as anyone else, you know, so I’m not going to point the finger at anyone at a point by blame anyone else. If you’re a leader at something and you’re failing at it, it’s your fault, you don’t need to look any further so I’ll take that.”
Is this the Warriors needing to flip the switch?
“I don’t think it’s that. I don’t think it’s a championship hangover,” Green said. “It’s a will to want to defend, and you’re not hungover at .500 60 games into the season. You’re loser if you’re still hungover at that point, so there’s no hangover it’s a will to defend and stop and guards a man, and sink when you can help, and trap the box, and rotate. As defense are one to two steps extra. I’m gonna take that extra step to get there or not. And that’s all I will. And we don’t have that as a team.”
Something to watch with the Warriors after the All-Star break: What are the defensive numbers? Do they improve? Is the focus there? Because if they are not defending at a top-10 level in the second half of this season, they are not going to snap their fingers and do it in the postseason, they will not be sudden contenders to win it all.
2) Bucks win in overtime, but it was a good night for the Celtics
Joe Mazzulla will say, “there are no moral victories in the NBA.” But sometimes there are.
The Celtics lost on the road in overtime to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, 131-125. Jrue Holiday matched a career-high with 40 points and made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 25.2 seconds left in overtime to get the Bucks their 11th straight win.
🔥 40 points (ties career high)
— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2023
🔥 8 threes (career high)
🔥 3 steals
🔥 Game winner@Jrue_Holiday11 was DOMINANT and CLUTCH in the @Bucks 11th consecutive win! #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/PWuXK6oSmr
However, the Celtics hung in this game despite Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Marcus Smart all sitting out — four-fifths of the Celtics’ starting rotation was in street clothes. But the rest of the guys stepped up, they defended Giannis Antetokounmpo well in the second half and OT, when he shot 6-of-18 (the Celtics did a good job of fouling him in the second rather than giving up easy buckets to him).
And when Boston needed a bucket, there was Sam Hauser.
CLUTCH HAUSER HITS THE 3 pic.twitter.com/m51ELo5Yvp
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) February 15, 2023
“We expected to win that game,” the Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon, (who scored 26) said postage, via the Associated Press. “We went into that game like we were going to win, like we were supposed to win. We believe we are the best team on the floor every single night.”
Boston may have lost that game, but they looked like the best team in the NBA.
3) All-Star Saturday night participants announced
It was getting pretty close, just five days out from the event, but the NBA announced the participants in the All-Star Saturday Night events.
Headlining the Skills Challenge will be Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers, Thanasis and Alex, who form one of the three teams in the contest, along with Team Jazz and Team Rookies.
Your 2023 #KiaSkills Challenge participants! ⭐️️
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 15, 2023
TEAM ANTETOKOUNMPOS:
Alex Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
TEAM JAZZ:
Jordan Clarkson
Walker Kessler
Collin Sexton
TEAM ROOKS:
Paolo Banchero
Jaden Ivey
Jabari Smith Jr. pic.twitter.com/7Z4PzqGWRO
Next up is the highlight of the night — the 3-Point Shootout. This contest is stacked
Your 2023 #Starry3PT Contest participants! ☔️
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 15, 2023
️
Tyrese Haliburton
Tyler Herro
Buddy Hield
Kevin Huerter
Damian Lillard
Lauri Markkanen
Anfernee Simons
Jayson Tatum pic.twitter.com/ZgfgJwlzis
The Dunk Contest caps off the night, and there were no surprises in the foursome:
Your 2023 #ATTSlamDunk Contest participants! 🔨
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 15, 2023
Kenyon Martin Jr.
Mac McClung
Trey Murphy III
Jericho Sims pic.twitter.com/53U7qY9kUm
The Trail Blazers Shaedon Sharpe dropped out of the event, then on Tuesday night reminded everyone why we wish he were still in it.
Special elevation from Shaedon. https://t.co/7yIjn1csD7 pic.twitter.com/uYS4veTuDL
— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2023
All-Star Saturday night festivities begin at 8 Eastern and are broadcast on TNT.