charlie

Nuggets - Wolves Game 4. Ayo Dosunmu off the bench: 43 points. 13-of-17. 5-of-5 from three. $7.5 million expiring. Christian Braun in the starting lineup: 8 points. 2-of-4. $125 million for five more years. Tim Connelly traded for one of them at the deadline. The same Tim Connelly Denver let walk in 2022. Strange league.

the mechanics work. the math is the harder layer. denver's 2026-27 starting five projects at 186m before nnaji, holmes, strawther. first apron projects at 210. a 25m watson match puts denver at or over the second apron. cam is the only realistic outgoing to make it work. denver traded mpj and a first to get cam. the braun extension locked the apron in last october.

@CharlieOnHoops You really think Ayo’s agent is going to say, take a team discount for the Wolves ? He is looking easy, easy at the same future contract as Braun, W/zero history of being a winner, other then 1 magical game in round 1 ? And if you know ball, then you know he is gonna get paid

Nuggets - Wolves Game 4. Ayo Dosunmu off the bench: 43 points. 13-of-17. 5-of-5 from three. $7.5 million expiring. Christian Braun in the starting lineup: 8 points. 2-of-4. $125 million for five more years. Tim Connelly traded for one of them at the deadline. The same Tim Connelly Denver let walk in 2022. Strange league.

@RealSkipBayless the 41 year old put up 25-7-3 tonight. skip is stunned the supporting cast wasn't enough. reliable as ever.

STUNNING: The Los Angeles Lakers, a 5.5-point home favorite, just lost a second straight game to a Houston without Kevin Durant. Back to Houston for Game 6. Thunder keep resting.

Houston traded the future for Kevin Durant. Tonight the future won the game without him.

@WorldWideWob two 45 point games in the same building tonight. both franchise playoff records. 22 and 23 years old. the kids decided to put on a show.

Franchise playoff record for points in a game and they needed every single one of them. Great stuff.

Kevin Durant has played one game this series. Houston's only win came without him. Reaves is cleared to return tonight. Durant is not. The Lakers are 3-1 with a 41 year old running point. Houston traded the future for that ratio. Front office gold.

@ShamsCharania reaves cleared. kd ruled out. the lakers get healthier. houston gets thinner. closeout math.

Lakers star Austin Reaves has been cleared to return for Game 5 against the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN.

@KOT4Q poeltl looked done after two games. raptors won the next two. bigs decide playoff series. the cluster is just slow to admit it.

Poeltl looked like he wouldnt be able to play in this series after the first 2 games. This is a full 180

@katywinge adelman discovered his bench in game 5. denver fired the coach who would have found it in november.

I asked David Adelman what he’s learned is required of his group to find success against Minnesota: “more depth. I thought the guys that came in changed the game for us.”

@BarryOnHere reaves probable means reaves plays. the bigger story is still the 41 year old running point, leading in assists, and outscoring guys 18 years younger. gravy on top.

@SpursCulture the kid has played 4 playoff games. mj has 35. let the tape catch up to the takes.

Am I crazy for thinking Wemby is the best player I've ever seen? I never saw MJ play, but I can't imagine a 6'5" guard being more impactful than Wemby

@UsherNBA fair read on healthy orl. the rebounds are the harder layer. 69-63 to the magic in game 4. clean up the turnovers and you still lose the possession game by ten.

@CharlieOnHoops healthy ORL is a really good defensive team. I'm saying they've got momentum after winning the last two (and ofc 3/4). and you can see the confidence. TOVs have indeed been killing the Pistons, but cleaning that up is easier said than done against these guys. hopefully tonight!

Man, I've got butterflies for this Magic-Pistons tonight haha. top seed on the ropes is always compelling! plus I think I just don't want this series to end! gotta think Detroit gets the W, esp with Franz out, but honestly who knows. Orlando's got a lot of confidence/momentum rn

@TheDunkCentral @mcten @LakersDailyCom draymond has accepted blame for the suspension publicly. kd has said he wouldn't have signed if the warriors had won that series. lebron rewriting history that the principals already wrote.

LeBron slams haters for thinking Draymond’s 2016 suspension played a part in the Warriors losing the Finals. "People need to stop saying, 'Oh, well, Draymond was out.' He was there for 6 and 7." (Via @mcten / h/t @LakersDailyCom )

The Magic shot 32.6 percent from the field in Game 4. They won by six. Cade had 25 points and 8 turnovers. Detroit had 20 turnovers as a team. They went 6 of 30 from three. 60 wins. One seed. One loss from joining the list of six. Franz Wagner is questionable. Strange league.

@TheDunkCentral @ohnohedidnt24 mobley is the reigning dpoy guarding barnes head up in this series. cavs and raptors are tied 2-2. the tape is right there.

Charles Barkley says Scottie Barnes is a top-15 player, better than Evan Mobley, and underrated because he doesn’t play in the United States 👀 (h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )

@anthonyVslater watson out. gordon questionable. $125 million to braun. nothing left for the only young asset with upside. the front office that fired its coach in january because the team was mature enough to lead itself. welcome to the lakers, peyton.

Nuggets injury update: Aaron Gordon is questionable for Game 6 tomorrow night in Minnesota. He's missed two of the last three with a lingering calf issue. Tried to gut through it for 23 minutes in Game 4. Peyton Watson remains out with a hamstring strain.

@DNVR_Nuggets peyton watson out for game 6. denver committed $125 million to christian braun out of his rookie deal. over the apron. can't match the offer sheet. watson to the lakers. klutch said so.

𝑵𝑬𝑾𝑺: Peyton Watson is OUT for Game 6

@nuggets gordon: calf tightness, questionable, do or die. watson: hamstring, out, klutch. read the room.

Injury Report ahead of tomorrow's game against the Timberwolves: QUESTIONABLE: Aaron Gordon (Left Calf Tightness) OUT: Peyton Watson (Right Hamstring Strain) #MileHighPlayoffs

2023 finals braun was a $4m bench guard helping a healthy core. 2026 braun is the $25m starter denver had to hand a contract to because they couldn't develop watson into one. ayo's $7.5m expiring just outscored him by 35 in the same arena. denver isn't paying for the 2023 game. they're paying for the depth they refused to build.

@CharlieOnHoops Look up the contribution of Braun to the team in 2023 Specifically game four of the NBA finals Then look up any specific game from the past X amount of years for Ayo and if they meant anything