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Jaren Jackson Jr. is so excited about heading to the Memphis Grizzlies as the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft that he doesn’t care where he plays.

”It could be the 5 http://www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-avonte-maddox-jersey , the 4, the 3, the 2, the 1,” Jackson said Thursday night in a conference call with reporters. ”Realistically, the 5 or the 4. Whatever coach can put me in, I’m all for it.”

Well, the Grizzlies have a veteran at center in Marc Gasol. But they do need plenty of help coming off their worst season in nearly a decade. The power forward from Michigan State became Memphis’ pick after pre-draft reports that the Grizzlies might trade out of the franchise’s first lottery pick since 2010.

But the Grizzlies stayed put Thursday night and selected Jackson.

There also were reports the 6-foot-11 Jackson wasn’t initially excited about the projections putting him in Memphis. Jackson said he got a call from Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Wednesday, a conversation that put him at ease. Jackson also said scheduling conflicts was the bigger issue with him not visiting Memphis before the draft.

”I’m excited to get going,” Jackson said. ”The team they’ve got in place right now is spectacular.”

In his lone year at Michigan State, the forward averaged 10.9 points Authentic Rasmus Dahlin Jersey , 5.8 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. Jackson has good defensive skills with quickness that allows him to keep pace with smaller players.

The fourth pick was the highest for the Memphis franchise since picking Hasheem Thabeet with the second overall pick in 2009. The previous time the Grizzlies had the fourth overall pick was in 2007 when they chose point guard Mike Conley from Ohio State.

Standing alongside the new Grizzly at the draft were his father, Jaen Jackson Sr., a former NBA player and coach, and his mother, Terri, who was wearing a championship ring from Jackson’s time with the San Antonio Spurs.

With Jackson, and the selection of point guard Jevon Carter out of West Virginia with the 32nd overall pick, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said Memphis took a step back to the defensive style of its successful run over seven straight playoff appearances.

”We got two exceptional defensive players,” Wallace said. ”We got the best shot-blocker in the draft in Jaren Jackson, got the best perimeter defender in Jevon Carter. Got two great intangible guys with a lot of room to grow.

”I think we got a shot at grit-n-grind back tonight.”

Jackson joins a franchise coming off an ugly season that featured a coach firing with Bickerstaff given the job May 1 for good after replacing David Fizdale in late November. With a rash of injuries http://www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jonathan-cooper-jersey , the Grizzlies went only a 22-60 for the second-worst record in the NBA behind Phoenix.

The poor record didn’t help Memphis in the lottery drawing with the Grizzlies landing in the fourth spot. Still, it was the first time the Grizzlies had a lottery pick since selecting Xavier Henry out of Kansas with the 12th overall pick. The choice of Henry was part of run of unproductive choices for Memphis over the years.

Owner Robert Pera predicted last week that with the right pick – someone to complement Conley and Gasol – Memphis could consider a 50-win season.

Conley welcomed Jackson to Memphis on Twitter soon after the selection .

The personable Jackson joked with the local media about being a rib-lover and showed off his knowledge of Memphis hip-hop artists like You Gotten and Young Adolph. He also expects to come in ready to contribute.

”I know that I’m young, and there’s always growing to go,” Jackson said. ”Any player has to go through a lot of learning curves. I think with the vets they’ve got there, it will help me speed up the process.”

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The Indiana Pacers will force LeBron James to go the distance to remain unbeaten in first-round series.

Behind Victor Oladipo’s 28 points and first career postseason triple-double, the Pacers sent the series back to Cleveland and pushed the defending Eastern Conference champions to the brink of an early exit and a possible summer of unrest with a 121-87 rout on Friday night.

”I just went out there and played. I did everything with confidence. I just played read and react,” Oladipo said. ”This game is over. It means absolutely nothing right now.”

If he can play that way one more time, the Pacers could reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2014.

History does not bode well for the Pacers. James is 12-0 all-time in first-round series and home teams have a major advantage in Game 7.

But the Pacers have defied the odds all season and this series has been no exception.

Their Game 1 victory, in Cleveland, ended James’ record-setting, 21-game winning streak in the first round.

In Game 6 http://www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-su_a-cravens-jersey , Indiana handed the Cavs their first loss in a closeout game in 14 tries dating to 2009 and ended James’ 11-game winning streak in closeout games.

It wasn’t even close.

While James finished with 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds, coach Tyronn Lue opted to keep four of his five starters including James on the bench for the entire fourth quarter because Cleveland trailed by 25.

”They just took it to us (in the third),” James said. ”They made shots. We missed shots. We didn’t counter what they were doing defensively or offensively and it just turned the game wide open.”

Indiana did it by playing old-school postseason basketball – hard, aggressive and relentless.

It showed.

Kevin Love hurt his left wrist on a hard fall midway through the second quarter and wound up scoring just seven points while shooting 3 of 10 from the field. Lue provided no injury update after the game.

James took a shot, too, cutting the side of his left eye when he ran into Thaddeus Young’s elbow on a drive late in the first half. No foul was called. James continued to play with a large bandage and needed stitches after the game to close the gash.

”I thought they really played fast and tried to attack us early,” Lue said. ”I don’t even remember (what happened to start the second half). I really don’t. It happened so quickly.”

But the biggest difference was Oladipo, who had struggled mightily against the Cavs’ relentless defense the previous four games.

This time, he relaxed and got his teammates back in sync on a night he finished with 13 rebounds, 10 assists http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kyle-lauletta-jersey , went 11 of 19 from the field and 6 of 8 on 3s.

It was enough to keep the Pacers in charge most of the game.

”This was probably the most complete game we’ve played,” Lance Stephenson said. ”We got the lead and they never got back into a groove. We played smart basketball. We played lockdown defense, and I think the biggest part was we fed off their mistakes.”

The Cavs never led after the Pacers used a 12-2 run to erase a 22-17 first-quarter deficit.

They led 57-47 at halftime, extended the margin to 92-67 after three and led by as much as 36 before closing it out.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: The 34-point margin was Cleveland’s worst playoff loss since James returned for his second stint with the team. … Cleveland has only lost eight playoff games against the East since 2015 – three in this series. … Jeff Green scored 13 points and Rodney Hood had 12 as the Cavs committed 15 turnovers and were 12 of 38 on 3s.

Pacers: Have not lost three straight games since snapping a five-game skid in early January. … Indiana has been eliminated by James’ teams in four of its last six playoff appearances. … The Pacers produced their highest point total in the series Friday. … Seven players scored in double figures: Domantas Sabonis had 19, Darren Collison had 15, Stephenson had 12 and Bojan Bogdanovic and Young each had 10.

FINAL CHAPTER?

James was asked after the game if he had given any thought to the possibility Sunday’s game could be his last in Cleveland.

”No, no,” James said. ”The thought that if we don’t play well this will be my last game of the year, that will probably hit my mind. But, um, I haven’t thought about (the future).”

James is expected to become a free agent this summer and many believe he could leave his hometown team for the second time in his career.

CALL IT AS THEY SEE IT

Pacers coach Nate McMillan artfully dodged a pregame question about whether he thought James generally received the benefit of the doubt on most close calls.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett did not.

Hogsett signed an executive order declaring that ”unlike some cities Phillip Gaines Color Rush Jersey , goaltending remains an illegal action in the game of basketball – for all players, on all teams, without exception.” The proclamation continued: ”Indiana is the center of the basketball universe, and sometimes that means we have an obligation to stand up and defend the basic rules of the game.”

It was an obvious shot at the call the NBA acknowledged was missed with 3 seconds left in Game 5.

HILL’S BATTLE

Cavaliers point guard George Hill missed his third straight game but does appear to be on the mend. He participated in the Cavs’ morning shootaround, with a wrap around his injured back. And he participated in a pregame workout before he was deactivated.

Just 90 minutes before game time, Lue still did.
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