DENVER — Nikola Jokic said he doesn’t have a strategy against Anthony Davis.

But it didn’t take long for the Los Angeles Lakers to see the blueprint for Jokic in Game 1 on Tuesday night. The Denver Nuggets’ superstar came out more aggressive, reintroducing himself to LeBron James and Davis in the Western Conference Finals, but this time with the two-time MVP at the top of his game.

Jokic compiled his third straight triple-double in the third quarter and finished with 34 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists and two blocks to help the Nuggets to a 132-126 victory at the Ball Arena.

“He does [look] “Very simple,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon Jokic said of taking whatever the defense gives him.[But also] He sees it as miraculous at the same time. It sounds ridiculous.”

Jokic was a force, especially on the glass, as he had six offensive rebounds in the first quarter alone. The Lakers totaled six rebounds in the quarter as a team. At halftime, Jokic outscored the entire Lakers team, 16-13.

On offense, he looked as aggressive as ever, putting the ball on the floor and driving hard and fast at Davis and other Lakers defenders. He posted Davis, spun left and drove baseline to dunk on the Lakers’ big man.

“When he felt he was in one-on-one coverage, I thought about coming to the basket in the opposite, [Jokic used] He showed the athleticism to finish in traffic. It was good to see,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.

“He’s going to continue to do that at a high level. But he bounced back early and I think there was a point in this game, I think it was 22-3. It’s going to be on the glass.”

By the end of the third quarter, Jokic had 31 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists to help Denver lead as much as 21 points. He gave the Lakers just how dominant he was in the second round when he averaged 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists while shooting 59.4% from the field against the Phoenix Suns.

“Bron can jump higher than Jokic,” said Nuggets guard and former Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope when asked about the difference between Jokic and James’ versatile triple-double games. “That’s the only difference I can see. I love playing with Jokic, the willing passer, the dominant big man. Watching him do what he does makes everyone else go.”

Jokic buried a 28-foot step-back 3-pointer in Davis’ face at the third-quarter buzzer.

“Oh, sometimes luck is on our side,” Jokic said. “It was definitely a crazy shot. It’s not something I work on, but I’m glad it went in.”

Jokic made 12 of his first 15 shots, but his team was too hot. Denver shot 56% from the field and 12-for-24 from 3 through three quarters.

However, the Lakers struck back. Coach Darwin Hamm put Rui Hachimura over Jokic, and Davis roamed the paint defensively instead of doing the full Jokic job. After trailing by 14 with 6:33 remaining, the Lakers cut the deficit three times in the final 2:18.

But Jokic drove past Caldwell-Pope (21 points) and scored on a finger roll with 1:53 left. When the Lakers got back within three, Jamal Murray (31 points) had a steal and Jokic hit four free throws to seal the game.

Davis struggled against Jokic, finishing with 40 points and 10 rebounds. And James just missed his own triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

According to research by ESPN Stats & Information, Jokic is the first player in NBA postseason history to record multiple 30-point triple-doubles from 70% from the field. He has now done that in his last two games.

Jokic should be even better in Game 2 after how the Lakers bounced back in Game 1.

“I’d much rather clean things up after a win than lose in the Western Conference finals,” Malone said. “So we’ll take it, but there’s a lot of work to be done.”

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) – Democratic President Joe Biden and top Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy sat down on Tuesday to make progress on a deal to raise the U.S. government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and stave off economic disaster.

They have some time to come to an agreement. The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday warned again that it may lack the money to pay all its bills by June 1, triggering a default that economists say could trigger a sharp economic downturn.

On Tuesday, House Speaker McCarthy told reporters that his party, which controls the chamber by a 222-213 margin, would only agree to a spending-cutting deal.

“We can raise the debt ceiling in the future if we control what we’re going to spend,” McCarthy told reporters.

Both sides agreed that urgent action was needed. A White House meeting on Tuesday that will include Biden, McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell and top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT).

Over the past week, staffers from both parties have debated a range of issues, including spending caps, new work requirements for some benefit programs for low-income Americans and replacing energy in exchange for votes to raise the cap. In colloquialisms.

“Time is running out. Every day that Congress doesn’t act, we have higher economic costs that could slow the U.S. economy,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told a group of bankers. “No time to waste.”

A similar 2011 stance led to a historic downgrade of the U.S.’s credit rating, which spurred a selloff in stocks and drove up the government’s borrowing costs.

The current stance has spooked investors, sent the cost of insuring US government debt to record highs, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday showed three-quarters of Americans fear a default on their families. .

“No one should use default as a hostage,” Schumer said in a Senate speech Tuesday. “The consequences would be catastrophic for America.

‘Too many cooks’

Some observers have expressed concern that the five-party talks are too far from progress.

No. 2 Senate Republican John Thune told reporters there appear to be “too many cooks.”

“As we’ve said all along, it’s Biden and McCarthy,” Thune said. “So people who can actually speak on behalf of the president need to come into the room and get McCarthy’s best people in there and do it.”

McCarthy himself said he wanted to talk one-on-one with Biden.

“If the president comes to an agreement, the Democrats in the Senate will vote on it. If we all agree, the House will pass it,” McCarthy said. “Why are we wasting so much time going around and around without solving any of the real problems? I think you’re putting the country at risk when you do that.”

Adding to the challenge of striking a deal, McCarthy agreed to when he took office as speaker earlier this year is a change in House rules that allows only one member to call for his ouster as chamber leader, giving more power to hardliners than the roughly three dozen members of the House Freedom Caucus.

Reporting by David Morgan and Jared Renshaw, additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Richard Cowan and Moira Warburton; Editing by Scott Malone and Rosalba O’Brien

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

It’s been over a month since Jamie Foxx’s “medical issue” and details about the actor’s condition have been scarce. However, a new report suggests that the actor is working on physical rehabilitation following a long hospitalization.

TMZ Jamie’s loved ones, including daughters Corinne Foxx, 29, and Anelise Bishop, 14, received photos as they visited him at an unnamed facility in Chicago. The city is home to many Best physical medicine and rehabilitation centers in the countryAccording to US News. TMZ cites a source close to the Oscar winner as saying he is “recovering well.” (A rep for the actor did not return Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment.) It’s unclear when Jamie arrived, but in an update last week, Corinne said her father “has been out of the hospital for weeks.”

On April 11, aged 55 Back in action The star was hospitalized in Atlanta after an undisclosed medical emergency. It was widely reported that he remained there for more than four weeks. While his health remains shrouded in mystery, some publications have speculated about his health. A statement said loved ones were “preparing for the worst,” which prompted Corinne to speak out on Friday.

“It’s sad to see how the media is running wild. My dad has been in the hospital for weeks and is recovering. In fact, he was playing pickleball yesterday! Thanks for everyone’s prayers and support,” she shared on her Instagram story. “There’s an exciting job announcement coming up next week, too!”

Hours before TMZ’s report surfaced on Monday, Fox announced that Jamie and Corinne would host We are a familyThe music-centric game show is slated to premiere in 2024. The series features relatives of non-celebrities singing duets with hidden famous family members.

Jamie’s immediate work commitments have been canceled or postponed. Earlier this month, Fox announced that Nick Cannon would host the sixth season Beat Shazam While Foxx recovers. Kelly Osbourne is taking over as the DJ for Corinne’s show. Meanwhile, Universal Pictures pushed back the release date of Jamie go astray from From June 9 to August 18.

SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during a conversation with renowned game designer Todd Howard (not pictured) at the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles, California, June 13, 2019.

Mike Blake | Reuters

Tesla CEO Elon Musk lost an appeal in 2018 to withdraw parts of a consent decree he and the automaker entered into with the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle civil securities fraud charges.

Monday’s ruling by a federal appeals court affirms an earlier decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which issued an initial denial.

Musk has been in litigation with the SEC for years, which was amended in 2019 after the SEC accused Musk of making “false and misleading” statements in his August 2018 “financial security” tweets. The Tesla CEO said he had found a buyer for the automaker at $420 a share, which a federal judge later found to be false.

Tesla required a “pre-authorization” agreement for Musk’s tweets containing information, and that extended to “certain senior executives,” according to the ruling.

A February letter from Musk attorney Alex Spiro called the terms of the consent decree, as amended in 2019, an “unconstitutional” violation of his free speech rights.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected those claims, writing that “there is no evidence to support Musk’s contention that the SEC consent decree was conducted in bad faith and harassed his protected speech.”

The court noted that the SEC has opened “three investigations” into his tweets since 2018: his “financially protected” tweet, a tweet misrepresenting Tesla’s annual production numbers, and a Twitter poll where Musk proposed selling 10% of his Tesla shares. , according to court filings.

Instead of “bad faith,” the court wrote, “Each tweet clearly violated the terms of the consent decree.”

Musk’s lawyers made an argument under Rule 60(b), which allows a party to reopen their case if the law or situation has changed substantially. Musk’s legal team argued that the SEC’s enforcement methods made compliance “significantly more stringent.”

But the court rejected that argument as well, saying Musk should consult with Tesla’s general counsel or an in-house defense attorney.

Musk’s Twitter activity has come under scrutiny from the SEC and shareholders. A securities fraud investigation in February found Musk “irresponsible” for his “financially protected” tweets. Musk is fending off a lawsuit related to the public promotion of cryptocurrency Dakai.

The court added that if Musk was concerned about SEC oversight of his “right to tweet without even limited internal oversight,” he could have defended himself against the SEC’s charges or negotiated a different settlement. “But he is chose It should not be done,” the court insisted.

“Having made that choice,” the court concluded, Musk’s team “could not argue that the final judgment should be reopened in parallel because he has now changed his mind.”

“We will seek further review and continue to focus on the government’s core issue in the speech,” Musk’s lawyer, Spiro, said in a statement to CNBC.

Read the judgment below:

BANGKOK, May 15 (Reuters) – Thailand’s two main opposition parties agreed on Monday to form a governing coalition after defeating military-backed rivals in weekend elections.

The Move Forward Party and opposition heavyweight Phu Thai dominated Sunday’s vote in a stunning rout of military-backed parties, but they face challenges in mustering enough support as parliamentary rules created by the military after a 2014 coup were bent in favor of its allies.

Their alliance is to ensure that the bicameral 750-member assembly will vote for the prime minister and its efforts to form a new government with a pro-conservative record will not be blocked by a junta-appointed Senate. Parties led by generals.

Pita Limjaronrath, the 42-year-old leader of Move Forward, proposed a six-party coalition that would capture 309 seats, with him as prime minister. He will fall short of the 376 seats required to ensure his election to the top post.

Asked about the Upper Senate, he said all parties should respect the election result and there is no point in going against it.

“I’m not worried, but I’m not careless,” he told a news conference.

“If anyone thinks about rejecting the election result or forming a minority government, it will be a very big price.”

Pew Thai, which is controlled by the billionaire Shinawatra family, said it agreed with Pita’s proposal and wished him success in his bid to become prime minister.

The party won more seats in every election this century, including twice in landslides, but faced competition from Move Forward as it came close to a sweep of the capital Bangkok and won some Bu Thai and conservative strongholds.

There is no other alliance

“Pyu Thai has no plans to form any other government,” President Sonlanan Srikaev told a press conference.

[1/4] Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaronrat attends a press conference following the general election at the party’s headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, May 15, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Asked about the possibility of their coalition being overturned by the upper house, he said: “In principle, senators should respect the voice of the people.”

While the results may seem like a hammer blow to the military and its allies, with parliamentary rules on their side and some influential power brokers behind them, they can decide the shape of a new government.

Move Forward was fueled by waves of enthusiasm among young people with its liberal agenda and promises of bold changes, including breaking up monopolies and reforming the law that insults the monarchy.

The party has added a new dimension to the battle for power centered on the polarizing Shinawatra family and the pro-military establishment for years, bringing two decades of on-and-off turmoil.

Pita said it would move forward with its plan to amend tougher les majeste laws against insulting the monarchy, which critics say have been used to stifle free speech. Thailand’s palace has not commented on the law or its application.

Hundreds of people face charges, some of them in pre-trial detention.

Bida said Parliament would be the right forum to seek amendments to the law or Section 112 of the Penal Code.

“We will use Parliament to ensure that there is a mature and transparent debate on how we should move forward in terms of the relationship between the monarchy and the people,” he said.

Asked if Pheu Thai would support it, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, one of its main candidates, said it could be debated in the legislature.

“Pew Thai has a clear position that we will not abolish 112 but can debate the law in Parliament,” he said.

(This story has been reprinted to correct the spelling of ‘alliance’ in the title)

Reporting by Panarat Thepgumbanad, Sayut Chetpoonsarng and Banu Wongcha-um; Written by Martin Petty; Editing by Robert Birzel

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

ISTANBUL, May 14 (Reuters) – Neither Tayyip Erdogan nor rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu cleared the threshold for outright victory on Sunday, pushing Turkey to a second presidential election despite Erdogan doing better than expected in the battle to extend his 20-year rule.

With 96% of ballot boxes counted, Erdogan was leading with 49.44% and Kilicdaroğlu with 44.86%, according to state-owned news agency Anadolu.

But both sides disputed the figures, saying they were ahead and cautioning against any premature conclusions in a deeply polarized country at a political crossroads.

The vote, seen as a verdict on Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian path, would hand his ruling coalition a majority in parliament, giving him a chance at a May 28 runoff vote.

Pre-election polls indicated a very tight race, but gave Kilicdaroglu, who heads a six-party coalition, a slight lead. Two polls on Friday also showed him above the 50% mark.

The presidential vote will determine not only who leads NATO-member Turkey of 85 million people, but also whether it will return to a more secular, democratic path; how it will deal with its acute cost-of-living crisis; and manage key relationships with Russia, the Middle East and the West.

“Erdogan will have an advantage in the second poll after his coalition performs better than the opposition coalition. I expect a lot of currency volatility in the next two weeks,” said Hakan Akbas, managing director of political consultancy Strategic Advisory Services. .

A separate vote count released by ANKA showed 99% of ballot boxes counted, with Erdogan getting 49.26% and Kilicdaroglu 45.04%.

Still, the opposition said Erdogan’s side was delaying the full results by filing objections while officials issued results in an order that artificially inflated Erdogan’s tally.

Kilicdaroglu, in his first appearance after midnight, said Erdogan’s party was “destroying the will of Turkey” by objecting to the 1,000 ballot box count. “You cannot stop what happens with objections. We will never let this happen,” he said.

A senior official from the opposition coalition said: “It seems unlikely that he will win the first round. But our data indicates that Kilicdaroglu will take the lead.”

Meanwhile, supporters from both sides celebrated.

Thousands of Erdogan supporters gathered at the party’s headquarters in Ankara, blasting party songs from loudspeakers and waving flags and Erdogan posters. Some danced in the street.

“We know it’s not exactly a celebration yet, but we hope to celebrate his victory soon. Erdogan is the best leader we’ve had for this country and we love him,” said Yalcin Yildirim, 39, a textile factory owner.

He said Erdogan raised Turkey’s value in the world arena.

[1/12] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets supporters as he leaves his residence in Istanbul, Turkey on May 14, 2023. Handout by Murad Sedinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/REUTERS

Fayez Balcu, 23, a cyber security engineer, said: “We accept that the economy is not in good shape now, but Erdogan will improve it.”

Supporters waved flags and beat drums of Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk at the CHP party headquarters in Kıldıröğlu.

May 28 runoff

The choice of Turkey’s next president is one of the most important political decisions in the country’s 100-year history and will reverberate far beyond Turkey’s borders.

A defeat for Erdogan, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most important allies, would worry the Kremlin but comfort the Biden administration and many European and Middle Eastern leaders who have had troubled relations with Erdogan.

Asked by a reporter if he had any comment on the Turkish election and the dispute between the two sides over early results, US President Joe Biden said: “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

Turkey’s long-serving leader has turned NATO member and Europe’s second-largest country into a global player, modernizing it with mega projects like new bridges and airports, and building an arms industry sought after by foreign nations.

But his erratic economic policy of low interest rates, a cost-of-living crisis and inflation, made him the target of voter ire. His government’s slow response to a devastating earthquake in southeastern Turkey that killed 50,000 people added to voters’ dismay.

Kilicdaroglu has pledged to restore democracy after years of state repression, return to orthodox economic policies, empower institutions that have lost autonomy under Erdogan’s tight grip, and rebuild fragile ties with the West.

If the opposition wins, thousands of political prisoners and activists could be released.

Critics fear that Erdogan will rule even more autocratically if he wins another term. The 69-year-old president, the oldest of a dozen electoral victories, says he values ​​democracy.

A third nationalist presidential candidate, Sinan Ogan, received 5.3% of the vote. Who he decides to support in the next round could be crucial.

Parliamentary decisions

Turks also voted for a new parliament. Erdogan’s People’s Coalition, which includes the Islamist-rooted AKP and the nationalist MHP and others, fared better than expected and edged toward a majority.

With 93% of the votes counted, Erdogan’s coalition would win 324 seats in the 600-seat parliament. Kilicdaroğlu’s National Alliance of six opposition parties, including his Secular Republican Party (CHP), founded by Atatürk, is guaranteed 211 seats.

The Labor and Freedom Alliance, led by the pro-Kurdish Green Left party, won 65 seats.

Written by Alexandra Hudson Editing by Frances Kerry

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Early results in Turkey’s national election show President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a solid lead after nearly 20% of ballot boxes have been counted, Turkey’s state-run news agency said.

According to Anadolu Agency, Erdogan won 55% of the vote, compared to 39% for main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the winner will be determined in a May 28 run-off. Polls show the increasingly authoritarian Erdogan entered a bid for re-election on Sunday, fending off a challenger for the first time.

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This is a breaking news update. AP’s previous story is below.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and much of the world waited Sunday to learn whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan survived his strongest election challenge in two decades. Leading a NATO member state mired in economic turmoil and the erosion of democratic checks and balances in recent years.

Voting in the national elections ended in the afternoon after nine hours of polling That could give the 69-year-old Erdogan another five-year term or be ousted by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a reinvigorated opposition leader who campaigned on a promise to return Turkey to a more democratic path.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the winner will be determined in a May 28 run-off. Opinion polls show the increasingly authoritarian Erdogan has fended off a challenger for the first time and entered his bid for re-election.

Erdogan has ruled Turkey as Prime Minister or President since 2003.

Under Turkey’s electoral practice, news agencies were barred from reporting partial results until the ban was lifted at 9pm (1800 GMT). No polls were conducted.

Voters also elected lawmakers to fill Turkey’s 600-seat parliament, which lost its legislative powers under Erdogan’s executive presidency. If his political coalition wins, Erdogan will be able to continue ruling without much control. The opposition has vowed to return Turkey’s system of government to a parliamentary democracy if it wins both the presidential and parliamentary ballots.

Pre-election polls gave Klikdaroglu a slight lead, 74, backed by a six-party opposition coalition. He heads the center-left, secular Republican People’s Party, or CHP.

More than 64 million people, including 3.4 million foreign voters, are eligible to vote in the election, which marks the centenary of the country’s founding as a republic — a modern secular state born from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. .

Voter turnout in Turkey has traditionally been strong, reflecting citizens’ continued confidence in democratic voting.

Yet Turkey has seen a crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly under Erdogan, and it has been wracked by a steep cost-of-living crisis that critics blame on the government’s mishandling of the economy. Contrary to restrictive economic theory, the president believed that low interest rates would control inflation and pressured the Fed to reflect his view.

The latest official figures showed inflation at around 86% to 44%, although independent experts believe that costs continue to rise at a higher rate. The cost of vegetables became a campaign issue for the opposition, which used the onion as its symbol.

Turkey is also reeling under the effects of a powerful earthquake It devastated 11 southern provinces in February, killing more than 50,000 people in unsafe buildings. Erdogan’s government has been criticized for its slow and staggered response to the disaster, as well as lax enforcement of building codes. It increased casualties and misery.

Internationally, the elections are being watched closely as a test of a united opposition’s ability to oust a leader who has concentrated almost all state power in his hands.

In 2016, Erdogan survived a military coup attempt he blamed on supporters of his former ally, US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The move sparked a large-scale crackdown on Gulen’s supporters and other critics, including pro-Kurdish politicians, for alleged links to terrorist groups.

In this election campaign, Erdogan used state resources and his dominant position over the media to woo voters. He accused them of colluding with “terrorists”, “drunkards” and championing LGBTQ+ rights, which he portrayed as threatening traditional family values ​​in the majority Muslim country.

In an effort to win support from citizens hit hard by inflation, he has raised wages and pensions and subsidized electricity and gas bills while touting Turkey’s domestic security and infrastructure projects.

He also extended the political coalition of his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, to include two nationalist parties, a small leftist party and two fringe Islamist parties.

Kilicdaroglu’s six-party Nation coalition pledged to abolish the executive presidency in a 2017 referendum.. The opposition coalition pledged to restore the independence of the judiciary and the central bank, as well as roll back crackdowns on free speech and other democratic setbacks under Erdogan.

The coalition includes the nationalist Good Party, led by former interior minister Merel Aksener, a smaller Islamist party, and two breakaway parties from the AKP.

The country’s main Kurdish political party, currently Turkey’s second-largest opposition group, is backing Kilicdaroglu in the presidential election. Erdogan’s government has targeted party leaders with arrests and prosecutions in recent years.

At the polling stations, many voters tried to fold the bulky ballots – which represent 24 political parties vying for parliamentary seats – and fit them into envelopes along with the presidential ballot.

“It’s important for Turkey. It’s important for the people,” said Negati Aktuna, a voter in Ankara. “I’ve been voting for the past 60 years. I’ve never seen an election more important than this one.

The head of the Supreme Election Board, Ahmad Yener, said the polling ended without any “negative” incidents being reported.

“We all miss democracy so much. We all miss being together,” Klikdaroglu said after voting at a school in Ankara, where his supporters chanted “President Klikdaroglu!” They chanted.

“From now on, you will see spring in this country,” he said.

Erdogan said voting was going on “without any problems,” including in the earthquake-hit region.

“After the evening number … my hope is that there will be a better future for our country, our nation and Turkish democracy,” Erdogan said.

Sinon Ogan, a former academic backed by the anti-immigration Nationalist Party, is running for president. Another candidate, center-left politician Muharram Ince, dropped out of the race on Thursday. Following a significant drop in his ratings. However, the country’s election board has said that his withdrawal is invalid and his votes will be counted.

Some have expressed concern that if Erdogan loses, he will relinquish power. Erdogan told a dozen Turkish broadcasters on Friday that he had come to power through democracy and would act according to the democratic process.

Voting in 11 earthquake affected provincesThe fact that nearly 9 million people are eligible to vote has raised concerns.

About 3 million people have left the earthquake zone for other provinces, but only 133,000 have registered to vote in their new locations. Political parties and NGOs had planned to bus voters, but it was not clear how many returned.

Many of the earthquake survivors voted in makeshift polling booths set up in schoolyards.

In the earthquake-hit Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakır, Ramadan Akay arrived at his polling station early to cast his vote.

God willing it will be a democratic election, he said. “May it benefit the name of our country.”

___

Pilkinsoy reported from Istanbul. Mukahid Celan contributed from Diyarbakir, Turkey.

The Suns are parting ways with coach Monty Williams after four seasons, league sources said Athletic on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

• The Suns fell to the Nuggets in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals, losing Game 6 in a 25-point blowout.
• Phoenix made the 2021 NBA Finals following a season in which Williams led the team to a 17-win streak.
• The Suns went 194-115 in the regular season and 27-19 in the postseason under Williams.

AthleticInstant Analysis:

What went wrong?

The Suns are not going to win the title this season. Their bench is inadequate and their defense is questionable. Their health suffered. After all, they needed more time to develop chemistry with Kevin Durant. Still, none of that excused their Game 6 collapse, where they fell in the elimination game for the second year in a row.

Williams has done great things in Phoenix, snapping the Suns out of a 10-year playoff drought and leading them to the 2021 NBA Finals. But Phoenix’s recent postseason woes fall on him. The Suns were good enough to win the title in 2022, but lost to Luka Doncic and Dallas in the Western Conference semifinals.

This season, Williams had his starting five and rotation eight games before the playoffs. Then once he settled into something, he changed it in Game 1 of the first round. He played Durant and Devin Booker for several minutes. His rotation changed from game to game. Williams arrived in the desert just in time. He is what the organization needs. But sometimes, to reach higher ground, a new voice and direction is needed. — Haller

How Matt Ishbia’s tenure marks change

Mat Ishbia went from being a pawnbroker to a billionaire in the mortgage business. He calls it “being in the weeds.” This is his process, his path to success. He doesn’t know any other way. As a first-year NBA franchise, it’s no surprise he’s making changes. Upon introduction, Ishbia said she would take her time and observe.

But his close friend and former NBA coach and executive, Isiah Thomas, has been by his side throughout the playoffs and the basketball games are in the ratings. Durant was traded to help Phoenix win its first championship. It’s a bold move that comes with an expiration date. Although Booker is young, only 26 years old, Durant turns 35 in September. The Suns’ championship window won’t be open for much longer. Ishbia did not wait. — Haller

Backstory

A first-round pick of New York in 1994, Williams began coaching with the Spurs in the 2004–05 season after a nine-year playing career.

His first head coaching role came with New Orleans in 2010, leading to two playoff appearances in five seasons before he was fired.

He was hired by the Suns in 2019 on a five-year contract as Phoenix was coming off a 19-win season. In less than three years he led the Suns to a 64-win season as a franchise.

The Suns had championship aspirations after dealing Durant at the trade deadline. Phoenix also ended its 2021-22 season with a similar loss to the Mavericks in the semifinals.

Required reading

(Photo: Mark J. Repilas / USA Today)