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2015–16 Oklahoma City Thunder Season
The 2015–16 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 8th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 50th in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the first under head coach Billy Donovan. After coming just short of making the playoffs the previous season, the Thunder won the Northwest Division and clinched the third seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the First Round, and the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Semifinals (which was also Tim Duncan's final NBA game) before reaching the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in a span of six seasons, but were eliminated by the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in seven games after leading the series 3–1. After almost pulling what would've been one of the biggest upsets in professional sports history over the 73–9 Warriors, the Thunder missed out on what would’ve been their first Finals appearance since 2012. The Warrio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Donovan
William John Donovan Jr. (born May 30, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He has served as head coach of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since September 2020 after previously coaching the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015 to 2020. Before moving to the NBA, he served as the head basketball coach at the University of Florida from 1996 to 2015, and led his Florida Gator teams to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, as well as an NCAA championship appearance in 2000. Donovan was born and raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York, where he played basketball at St. Agnes Cathedral High School. He was the starting point guard for Rick Pitino's Providence College squad and led the Friars to the 1987 Final Four. As such, he is one of only four men (Dean Smith, Joe B. Hall and Bobby Knight being the others) to appear in the NCAA Final Four as a player and win the NCAA national championship as a coac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Center (basketball)
The center (C), or the centre, also known as the five or the pivot, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well. In the NBA, the center is typically close to tall. They traditionally play close to the basket in the low post. Centers are valued for their ability to protect their own goal from high-percentage close attempts on defense, while scoring and rebounding with high efficiency on offense. In the 1950s and 1960s, George Mikan and Bill Russell were centerpieces of championship dynasties and defined early prototypical centers. With the addition of a three-point field goal for the 1979–80 NBA season, 1979–80 season, however, NBA basketball gradually became more perimeter-oriented and saw the importance of the center position diminished. The most recent center to win an NBA Most Valuable Player Award was Nikola Jokić, win ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dakari Johnson
Dakari Naeem Johnson (born September 22, 1995) is an American professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the University of Kentucky. High school career Johnson first attended St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. After the 2010–11 school year, when coach Kevin Boyle left for Montverde Academy, Johnson followed his coach, where he had to sit out the 2011–12 season due to the transfer. Because of his excellent grades, Johnson decided to reclassify, thus making the 2012–13 season his final and senior season at the high school level. He ended up averaging 17.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game as a senior. His senior year he garnered USA Today All-American Second-Team for his success. He subsequently earned selection to the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game and Jordan Brand Classic. Considered a five-star recruit by ESPN.com, Johns ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murray State Racers Men's Basketball
The Murray State Racers men's basketball program represents Murray State University in intercollegiate men's basketball. Murray State completed a 74-season run in the Ohio Valley Conference, a part of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), in 2021–22, and moved to the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 2022. The Racers have played home games at the CFSB Center on their campus in Murray, Kentucky since 1998. Murray State made its 18th appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2022. Five times the Racers advanced in the tournament, most recently by defeating the University of San Francisco in 2022. In 1988, Murray State defeated NC State in the first round but lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat Vanderbilt and lost to eventual runner-up Butler in the second round. Venues Murray State's first basketball venues were Wilson Hall (1926–27); Lovett Auditorium (192 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Point Guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time. Above all, the point guard must understand and accept their coach's game plan; in this way, the position can be compared to a quarterback in American football. They must also be able to adapt to what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game. A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. Their primary job is to facilitate scoring opportunities for their team, or sometimes for themselves. Lee Rose (basketball), Lee Rose has described a point guard as a coach on the floor, who can handle and distribute the ball to teammates. This typically involves setting up plays on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cameron Payne
Cameron Payne (born August 8, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Murray State, and was selected 14th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2015 NBA Draft. After playing two seasons for the Thunder, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2017, where he played for three seasons before being waived in 2019. After being waived, Payne played for the Cleveland Cavaliers on 10-day contracts before heading overseas to play with the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Payne returned to the NBA and signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2020, where he revitalized his career by becoming a key player off the bench, helping the team reach the NBA Finals in 2021. High school career Payne attended Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew from 5'5' as a freshman to 6'0 as a senior. Despite leading Lausanne Collegiate to a 2013 Division II ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cameron Payne (cropped)
Cameron Payne (born August 8, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Murray State, and was selected 14th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2015 NBA draft. After playing two seasons for the Thunder, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2017, where he played for three seasons before being waived in 2019. After being waived, Payne played for the Cleveland Cavaliers on 10-day contracts before heading overseas to play with the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Payne returned to the NBA and signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2020, where he revitalized his career by becoming a key player off the bench, helping the team reach the NBA Finals in 2021. High school career Payne attended Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew from 5'5' as a freshman to 6'0 as a senior. Despite leading Lausanne Collegiate to a 2013 Division I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scott Brooks
Scott William Brooks (born July 31, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the top assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played point guard at San Joaquin Delta College and Texas Christian University before playing his last two years at the University of California, Irvine. He was inducted into UCI's Hall of Fame in 2001. Early life and college Born in French Camp, California on July 31, 1965, Brooks graduated from East Union High School at Manteca, California in 1983. As a freshman, he played college basketball at Texas Christian University for a season and then transferred for his sophomore year to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California, about 10 miles from his parents' home in Lathrop, California. One highlight of his year at TCU was being assigned the task of "fronting" Akeem Olajuwon. After only being offered a walk-on spot by nearby University of the Pacific, he declin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2014 NBA Playoffs
The 2014 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2013–14 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Kawhi Leonard was named NBA Finals MVP. For the first time since 1984, the NBA Finals were played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format (the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4, and 6). They were also the first playoffs overseen by Commissioner Adam Silver. The Spurs continued the longest active playoff streak in the NBA at 17 straight appearances. The Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards made their first playoff appearances since 2008, while the Charlotte Bobcats, in their final playoff appearance before renaming themselves the Hornets, returned after a four-year absence. All three teams from Texas made the playoffs for the first time since 2009. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2014–15 NBA Season
The 2014–15 NBA season was the 69th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA draft took place on June 26, 2014, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where Andrew Wiggins was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The regular season began on October 28, 2014, when the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs hosted the first game against the Dallas Mavericks at AT&T Center in San Antonio. The 2015 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 15, 2015, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with the West defeating the East 163–158. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook won the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. The regular season ended on April 15, 2015 and the playoffs began on April 18, 2015 and ended with the 2015 NBA Finals on June 16, 2015, after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to win their fourth NBA title and first since 1975. The Charlotte Bobcats played their first official game as the Charlotte Hor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2014–15 Oklahoma City Thunder Season
The 2014–15 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 7th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 48th in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Thunder would suffer from injuries, mainly to Kevin Durant, who underwent surgery and was shut down for the rest of the season. Despite this, the Thunder remained in playoff contention, but a four-game losing streak at the beginning of April cost them as they finished 45–37 tied with the New Orleans Pelicans and were eliminated on a head-to-head matchup tie breaker. The Thunder missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009, resulting in Scott Brooks's firing 1 week after the conclusion of the regular season. Previous season The Thunder finished the 2013–14 season 59–23 to finish in first place in the Northwest Division, second in the Western Conference and qualified for the playoffs. Last season featured Kevin Durant being named the 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player. Durant earned MVP honors after averaging a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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