The hidden side of Russell Westbrook: NBA's most hostile interview is also its kindest teammate | Sporting News No player in the NBA may be more different behind the scenes than he is with the media than Russell Westbrook.

Reporters call him contemptuous. His teammates call him the most genuine superstar ever.

From $8k tips for housekeepers to gifting a teammate the bracelet off his wrist, here is the side of Russell Westbrook that he hides from fans and media:

www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/sacra...

Thought: If it gets time to punish the Clippers for salary cap circumvention and there are not enough draft picks left to take away, you could also give them less (none) protection rights in an upcoming expansion draft.

NBA teams are crashing boards like never before. A call to New Zealand got things started You may not know Paul Henare, but if you've watched games recently, you've seen a beloved strategy of his in action.

You often hear that tactics in sports are cyclical. Broadly, there's some truth to that.

But dig deeper into stuff like this from @fredkatz.bsky.social, and you realize it's less that old tactics return and more that they get infused with new principles.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...

The Miami Heat's new offense is weird. Does it work? Breaking down what they're doing, how it's working, and where it's vulnerable

No pick-and-rolls! One-on-one everywhere! Three-point-shooting galore! And a bizarre lack of off-ball movement!

The Miami Heat’s new offense is weird. I look into what makes it tick, whether it’s working, and whether it can sustain here:

www.basketballpoetry.com/p/the-miami-...

Here's a more legible version, my b

187/200
Mir fehlten aber im Endeffekt nur vier Spieler und natürlich auch welche, wo man sich die Hand vorn Kopf schlägt.

Doncic limbed about half the quarter, but scored 22 points anyway.
SLO leads 28:11 vs. Italy after Q1

Germany down 31:32 vs. Portugal.
Ice cold from downtown (1/18 3P).
Struggled to get into their run and gun game due to lack of forced turnovers.
After timeout in Q2 the defensive intensity stepped up with 3 forced TOs late in Q3.
Portugal already went 11 deep. Franz already with 17 minutes.

All tie-breaking scenarios for Groups C and D at #EuroBasket:
In Group C GEO and BIH play for the last spot in the knockout round, but there can even be some 4 way ties to break.
In Group D all 4 teams for the knockout stage are locked in. But FRA and ISR can still finish 1st through 4th.

Seeding scenarios for Groups A and B at #EuroBasket before the last gameday:

Group A is easy: Winner of Serbia vs. Türkiye wins the group. Loser gets 2nd.
Latvia is 3rd regardless. Winner of Portugal vs. Estonia gets 4th.

Group B is more complicated.
Even GBR still has a chance.

Luka Doncic just completed a triple double vs. Belgium.
Why is this news worthy?
In EuroBasket history this has been accomplished only 5 times including today and Luka was not part of the list until now.

Bitter für Serbien: nachdem ihn gestern auch die Teamärzte der LA Clippers untersuchten steht fest, dass Bogdan Bogdanovic für den Rest dieser #EuroBasket ausfällt.
Deutschland avanciert zum klaren Top-Favoriten auf den Titel.

Play-Type Stats des DBB-Teams beim Erfolg über Litauen. Daniel Theis ist alleine für die Effizienz der Roll-Men verantwortlich (nun 11/11 FG im Turnier). Zum vierten Mal im neunten Spiel des Sommers ist Transition meistgenutzte Abschlussart. 32 Possessions nach Isos im Turnier: nur ein Ballverlust!

Schröder and Wagner lead Germany in all 3 games so far, with both players scoring 20+ points in all 3 games. Germany always keeps one of them on the floor. They get also a lot of help from their teammates. There is not really a dropoff in bench heavy units.

Theis benefited most from the reduced minutes yesterday.
23 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 3 3PM on 100% shooting.
Valanciunas played just 10 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble and finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block.
This matchup was a clear win for Germany.

Massive impressive win by Germany.
Scored 107 points against defensively strong Lithuanian team.
Made 19 3 pointers on 54% 3P% (5 players made multiple 3s).
Just 7 turnovers and getting transition offense off 14 steals added to their offensive efficiency.

Germany vs. Lithuania is such a great high intensity game so far.
Both teams equipped their flamethrowers and shot the lights out.
Best game of #EuroBasket so far.

Tomorrow all 4 groups will play, so here is your slate of games:
10:30 B LTU - GER
11:45 A CZE - EST
12:00 C ITA - GEO
12:00 D ISL - BEL
13:30 B GBR - SWE
15:00 A LAT - SRB
15:00 D FRA - SLO
15:15 C CYP - GRE
17:30 B MNE - FIN
18:15 A TUR - POR
18:30 C ESP - BIH
18:30 D POL - ISR
all times UTC

Play-Type Stats des DBB-Teams beim Erfolg über Schweden. Individuell loaded: Dank Franz (2,00 PPP), Schröder (1,50 PPP), Lo (2,50 PPP), Tristan (1,33 PPP) sehr effizient in der Isolation. Bemerkenswert: Kontrolle mit 59 Punkten in der ersten Hälfte, obwohl dort nur zwei FGA aus dem Spot-up-Bereich.

In anticipation of playing each other tomorrow in a back-to-back game for likely the group win, both Germany and Lithuania played their starting centers Theis and Valanciunas just 13 minutes in their wins today.

Germany's offense is clicking.
71% from 2
50% from 3
89% FT%
and just 3 Turnovers result in 59 first half points and a +17 lead vs. Sweden.

Bonga starts for Germany.
Sweden is missing Birgunder and his replacement is struggling with the pace of Germany.
8-0 lead after 3 minutes

Johannes Voigtmann will not play today. Issac Bonga is available after leaving the opening game in Q4 with a knee issue.
Germany vs. Sweden tips-off in 27 minutes.

Germany "Head Tap" Breakdown A great Horns set with Ghost/Flare action from the 2025 EuroBasket.

Video by @halfcourthoops.bsky.social about Germany's Horns set with a Ghost/Flare action:
halfcourthoops.substack.com/p/germany-he...

I guess I'm too late to catch anything important in Serbia vs. Estonia.
Looking at the boxscore Serbia starters destroyed their opponents.
In Avramovic's 11:28 minutes SRB outscored EST by 31. O_o

Sweden vs. Finland is a really fun game with a lot of shot making.
tied at 70

Play-Type Stats des DBB-Teams beim Erfolg über Montenegro. Wie schrieb mir Bryce Taylor gestern? „Monster in transition!“ True. Wichtig: Die Ballhandler im Pick-and-Roll (Dennis Schröder mit 1,44 PPP stark) und Optionen aus dem Spot-up viel effizienter als in der Vorbereitung.

Germany wins 106:76 against Montenegro after dominant second half.
Nobody played more than 24 minutes.
Only downside Isaac Bonga left the game early in Q4 with a knee injury.
Vucevic with 23/10/5 and -30.
Wagner had 22/8.
Schröder had 21 points.
Obst with 18 points (5/6 from 3)

Germany extends lead to 24 in Q3 behind Obst catching fire (4 3PM in the quarter) and improved defense.

Germany 46:43 Montenegro at the half.
Biggest difference is the 3pt shot so far:
GER: 4/18
MNE: 6/11 (Kyle Allman 3/3)
Schröder led a strong German run early in Q2.
Schröder and Vucevic are the leading scorers with 14 points each.