On the docket, we have lots of teams playing the second night of a back-to-back, so it will be interesting to watch how they perform after the fatigue of play and travel. Of course, the matchup of the day is in Houston, where the Milwaukee Bucks will play the Houston Rockets for the first time this year. It will be a battle of the #1 and #2 players in the MVP race, and it will definitely be an entertaining game to watch....
In a game they had to win, the Pacers finally showed grit. George put the Pacers ahead 86-85 with a jumper beyond the arc, and West hit another trey with 1:33 remaining. MORE: Spurs at Mavericks | Pacers-Hawks details | Scoreboard | Playoff images Atlanta had a chance after Kyle Korver was fouled in the corner and knocked down three free throws. But George pulled down an offensive rebound to set up George Hill's driving shot with 56 seconds left....
This shot will serve as the lasting image of the Haws' 98-85 Game 3 win over the Indiana Pacers, a win that helped Atlanta capture a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. Teague had yet another great game, posting 22 points, 10 assists and one MJ shrug. MORE: George scoreless in first half | Perkins sits on top of Miller | East playoffs in photos [GIF via Ben Golliver]
During the pregame pep rally, general manager Masai Ujiri let fans know how he felt about his team's opponents. MORE: Live blog | Playoff schedule | “We The North”
Harden had a double-double (38 points, 10 rebounds) to lead the Rockets to the 112-108 triumph, bringing the series even, 2-2. Kerr said it was clear what the reigning NBA MVP was capable of, but he backed the Warriors to improve against the Rockets star. “He’s always been pretty good. It’s hard for me to look back and compare from one year to the next because last year he was the MVP,” Kerr told reporters....
Indeed, there are just two series in this year’s first-round featuring a favorite that opened at less than 2-to-1. Nevertheless, we offer our thoughts and predictions for the opening round series, which you can read up on here (we're hesitant to call these picks since, again, there are heavy odds to lay). We do have picks, though, for this weekend’s eight Game 1s. Nets at Raptors (-2, 194), Saturday, 12:30 p....
Part of that should stand as a credit to the way Memphis defends, but it is also a pattern the Thunder sometimes get into, when it looks as though the gameplan is to either give it to Kevin Durant and let him force up a shot or give it to Russell Westbrook and let him force up a shot. Neither were particularly efficient in the first round. MORE: Playoffs schedule | Look back on first-round Game 7s | West in photos...
The Knicks were scheduled to host the Kings at Madison Square Garden, with the Nets playing the Trail Blazers in Brooklyn. Both games have been postponed, per reports by Kings broadcaster Grant Napear and Yahoo! Sports, respectively. MORE: Cancelled college basketball games | Howard trolls Lakers | Lance Stephenson trade rumor The Knicks-Kings game has been rescheduled for March 3, while Nets-Blazers will be played on April 6, the league announced....
While there is always the possibility of another major move before the start of the new season — hello, Ben Simmons! — it seems as though most front offices are rolling with their current rosters. There wasn’t a ton of cap space available around the league over the summer, which led to many general managers working around the margins rather than making big splashes. Still, a few notable names will be wearing new jerseys very soon....
The Kings have likely been the biggest surprise in the NBA this season as they currently rank third in the Western Conference with a 28-21 record. While Sacramento’s offense has been elite, ranking first in points per game and second in offensive rating, their defense has struggled. They are currently ranked 22nd in opponents points per game and 20th in defensive rating. Adding a player like Thybulle could tremendously help them on the less flashy side of the ball....
In case you didn’t know… Anthony is one of the most talented players of his generation and the 10-time All-Star has enjoyed successful spells with both the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. However, since departing New York two years ago, Anthony’s stock has drastically plummeted and many believe the veteran’s play style is no longer suited to the modern NBA. The heart of the matter Melo’s most recent stint with the Houston Rockets lasted just 10 games and the former All-Star has not played a competitive game since last November....
While many of the top picks, such as Zion Williamson or Ja Morant, don’t need to dazzle with highlights — Morant won’t even suit up for the Grizzlies as he recovers from knee surgery — the 10-day tournament in Las Vegas serves as a last chance for many former college standouts to make an NBA team or sign a G League contract. NBA DRAFT TEAM GRADES: Who passed with flying colors?...
There’s a lot of intrigue within the top 10 of the draft despite Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero seemingly locked in as the top three (in some order). As of right now, no one knows what the Kings will do with the No. 4 overall pick or if the Knicks will surprise everybody and move up in the draft. Below we are going to look at the best odds for the first player drafted by the Knicks, Bulls, and Cavaliers....
This year was no different. And looking back at my projections for the 2017 NBA Draft the day after the 2016 NBA Draft ended provided some illuminating details. NBA TRADE RUMORS: Tracking all the latest moves ahead of the NBA Draft First, let’s take a look at the prospect rankings in my final 2017 NBA Draft Big Board before we get into the analysis. NBA Draft 2017: Final prospect rankings Markelle Fultz, G, Washington 2....
The Bulls traded Butler to the Timberwolves, after barely making it to the playoffs in the 2016-17 season. He wanted to be more successful with the young, promising crew in Minnesota, but history repeated itself for Butler; a tough reach to the playoffs, followed by a first-round exit. That ignited rumors about him wanting out of Minnesota, supposedly because of the “nonchalant” attitude some of the young players of the team have, hinting at Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns....
The Hornets are signing Terry Rozier to a three-year, $58 million deal and will add him via a sign-and-trade, according to a report from The Athletic, which cites unidentified league sources. Rozier, 25, averaged 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for the Celtics in 2018-19. But, he was disappointed with his role playing behind Kyrie Irving, who is expected to sign with the Nets. “I sacrificed my talent the most,” Rozier said on ESPN’s First Take in May....
Both teams combined offered three NBA Finals MVP’s (James, Iguodala, and Durant) and a number of former and current All-Stars. Six months prior, LeBron James had completed in a losing effort for Cleveland, his eighth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals with two teams. Golden State was six months away from their fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance and hopefully their third consecutive title. Both teams disappointed themselves and their fanbase on Christmas Day as a James groin pull would ruin the Lakers chances of making the Playoffs and threatening Golden State’s grip on the Western Conference....
The Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors are among the teams currently missing star players through injury, and here we will take a look at the return dates of a number of stars from around the NBA. Victor Oladipo - Knee Injury - Out for Season One of the NBA’s biggest success stories of the last 12 months came to a screeching halt last week as Victor Oladipo suffered a serious injury during the Pacers game against the Toronto Raptors....
Boston Celtics GM, Danny Ainge also spoke today on Gordon Hayward’s trade and what the franchise is planning to do with a historic trade exception that they received through that deal. NBA Injury Update: Boston Celtics Kemba Walker Could Miss Up to a Month, Surgery Not Required Boston Celtics All-Star Kemba Walker will not be ready for the start of the 2020-21 NBA Season, according to team president, Danny Ainge....
EPSN suspended Adrian Wojnarowski for two weeks because he responded to an email from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) by dropping an F-bomb. Yet Wojnarowski’s profane riposte was a case of a reporter toeing the NBA party line about what constitutes acceptable political discourse. Hawley was trolling the league over the social justice slogans it is allowing to be displayed on team jerseys. The approved list includes some neutral expressions like “Freedom,” “Justice,” “Peace,” “Equality” and “Mentor,” as well as others that can be viewed as having a political meaning in the current context, like “Anti-Racist” or “Education Reform....
