Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Three-and-a-half years removed from being the big acquisition in a bold trade from Chicago for All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic, Wendell Carter Jr enters Year 7 with a shiny $59m contract extension set to kick in next season as part of a youthful Orlando core hoping they can bridge the gap among their Eastern Conference rivals from plucky overachievers to genuine title contenders. Continue reading “Orlando lock up their immediate future after Carter Jr gets three-year, $59m deal”
12-year veteran guard Ricky Rubio has today retired from NBA basketball after announcing a break last August for mental health reasons. Golden State were dealt another untimely blow as a key rotational piece is sidelined for a few weeks, while top draft pick Victor Wembanyama is unhappy with his minutes restriction in San Antonio as the struggling Spurs chug along. Read more below. Continue reading “NBA news: Rubio retires, Payton II injury, Wemby’s minutes restriction plus more”
Cleveland find themselves without two of their key starters in Darius Garland (jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee) likely until February and naturally, the microscope will focus on four-time All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell – whose long-term future with the franchise isn’t certain. How will they fare? Continue reading “Mitchell motivated to keep ship afloat as Cavs duo Garland, Mobley out indefinitely”
Under-the-radar teams often swoop in with a surprise, and that was the case last week when news emerged announcing the Philadelphia 76ers had agreed a one-year deal with free agent forward Kelly Oubre Jr. The deal was made official yesterday, and the championship contenders will hope the 27-year-old can produce more efficiently than a commendable year in Charlotte last term. Continue reading “Kelly Oubre Jr’s one-year 76ers deal now made official – a shrewd move for both”
Donovan Mitchell led the Cleveland Cavaliers in scoring for the fifth consecutive game, while his backcourt partner Darius Garland supplemented the charge with 17 points and eight assists en route to a comfortable double-digit victory against the unpredictable Utah Jazz – where Mitchell played 384 games over five seasons after being drafted #13 by the franchise in 2017. Continue reading “Cavaliers 122-99 Jazz: Garland, Mitchell combine for efficient 40-piece against latter’s former ball club”
Donovan Mitchell’s trade situation is now finalised, after news broke last night confirming the Cleveland Cavaliers – not the New York Knicks – have acquired the three-time All-Star guard, sending three players, a trio of first-round picks and two swaps to Utah in return. All things considered, how will this deal impact both sides and more besides? Continue reading “Cavs acquire Donovan Mitchell in surprising summer trade, what does this mean?”
The 24-year-old big man, a first-time All-Star selection last year, recently spoke to the media about his eagerness to get back to work with his teammates in Cleveland after an injury-plagued season saw an impressive campaign dwindle as the Cavs narrowly missed the playoffs, losing in the play-in vs. the previous year’s surprise package in the Atlanta Hawks. Continue reading “Full steam ahead: Jarrett Allen excited before second full year with Cleveland Cavaliers”
Mere moments after the Lakers’ season-ending overtime win vs. the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, news leaked surrounding Frank Vogel’s impending sacking – just 18 months after leading LA to a title following another injury-hit campaign. Alvin Gentry won’t remain Sacramento’s head coach, while there are updates on Luka Doncic (calf) and Gregg Popovich among others. Continue reading “NBA news digest: Head coach movement, injury updates and more as playoffs inbound”
A 12-game slate overnight kickstarts a manic week across the league, as teams and their star players look to solidify strong playoff seeding. Phoenix have long tied up top spot in the West, but what about the other contenders? In a rapidly-changing East, which of the top four teams will ultimately rule the roost? Which teams will avoid the play-in, going straight to the playoffs?
Continue reading “NBA: Storylines intensify as playoff permutations remain for multiple teams in final week”
30 months sidelined. 941 days, 942 if we’re counting the intricacies of BST time difference between America and Europe (and we are). Finally making his highly-anticipated return from separate ACL and Achilles injuries, All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson scored 17 points in 20 minutes, helping the Golden State Warriors earn a 96-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Continue reading “After 942 days out, Klay Thompson scores 17 points as Warriors win in triumphant return”
In what has quickly developed into one of the league’s most highly-anticipated storylines, Golden State Warriors’ shooting guard Klay Thompson could be poised to make his first appearance in an NBA game for 942 days this weekend against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Continue reading “Report: Warriors’ All-Star guard Klay Thompson could return this weekend vs. Cavs”
The 20-year-old big man was one rebound shy of recording his fifth double-double of the campaign and was key down the stretch as the Cleveland Cavaliers recovered from a seemingly improbable 19-point deficit to sting the struggling Boston Celtics in the early hours on Sunday. Continue reading “Cavs’ rookie center Evan Mobley sets milestone, just 14 games into NBA career”
Mo and Sports 