It has been 12 years since Griffith's ruptured Achilles at age 39 ended her Hall of Fame playing career, and it is about time she is inducted. She is the only player in WNBA history to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors as a rookie, a feat she accomplished with the Sacramento Monarchs as 1999's No. 2 pick.Los Angeles Lakers Rugs

''When we were in the bubble, I thought it was the highest level I'd ever seen, just as far as like intensity, effort, teams again playing at just a ridiculous level,'' Stevens said. ''And I just think the playoffs brings that out of people every year, and so I anticipate the playoffs will be great.''Indiana Pacers Rugs

The Celtics secured seventh place in the East because Charlotte lost to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Pacers lost to Milwaukee on Thursday. Even if the Celtics lose out and the Hornets, Pacers or Wizards win out and all four teams finish with 35-37 records, the Celtics own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the three teams.

“We’ve got a young team and it’s been a grueling season but no excuses,” he said. “This is why you prepare all year. This is why you work in the gym all summer. This is where you want to be. There are no excuses. You got to be up for this.Dallas Mavericks Rugs

Biggest concern along their playoff path Miami found magic during its bubble run last fall thanks to the push it got from veteran guard Goran Dragic and young sharpshooters Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. This season, Herro missed several weeks with a foot injury before getting healthy for the playoffs and has struggled at times to find his shot -- as evidenced by a cold April in which he shot just 35.5% from the field over 14 games.Miami Heat Rugs

However, that’s kind of the point: This young team needs to get to the point where it’s comfortable with one of its franchise cornerstones being on the floor in big moments, especially during games with postseason implications. The long-term benefits of getting guys like Jackson, Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks and the others legitimate playoff experience cannot be understated, as JV said himself.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons' Troy Weaver, Dwane Casey wrap-up: Live updates