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Billy Donovan felt that he was ready to step away from the Florida Gators and jump to the professional ranks of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

But as one last thanks to his ‘Gator Nation’, Donovan published a full page letter of thanks, as he now ends his long, two decade chapter with the Gators and gets ready for his new challenge.

DRAGIC: HEAT MUST PLAY FASTER

Miami Heat’s resident Slovenian Goran Dragic believes that his side must play more up-tempo and be energetic if they want to be successful.

Dragic though is a upcoming free agent, as of July 1.

Via Miami Herald:

Heat guard Goran Dragic, an impending free agent, feels strongly that the Heat must play faster and has been assured that’s a key part of the Pat Riley/Erik Spoelstra master plan, according to an associate.

We’re told Dragic very much likes Spoelstra and Riley and nothing to this point has changed regarding the Heat’s status as front-runners to keep him. The Lakers, Knicks, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Sacramento are all expected to have interest.

WE’RE 0-2 DOWN, BUT WE’RE STILL BETTER THAN CAVS

That’s the “opinion” of Atlanta Hawks’ Kent Bazemore.

Not even two bad home losses to the Cavs can discourage Bazemore. The Hawks are now trailing 0-2 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he still thinks that the Hawks are the better team.

Via ESPN:

The Cavs won Game 2 emphatically 94-82, despite not having Kyrie Irving due to his knee injury. Bazemore, however, is staying confident and believes the top-seeded Hawks still have the better team.

“We played them in the regular season this year and got the best of them,” Bazemore said in reference to the Hawks’ 3-1 record against the Cavs this past season. “I still think we’re the better team. We just haven’t shown it yet.”

“The bright side is we haven’t played well the first two games. We still think we’re the better team. We’ll try to get two up in Cleveland,” Bazemore said. “We’ve got to play angry.”

“We got a little frustrated. We got a little rattled,” Bazemore said. “There’s a lot of basketball left. They came here and got two. No reason we can’t do the same thing up there.”