Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Friday night’s blockbuster three-team trade has now been finalised on the eve of pre-season, after the moving parts were agreed upon in a surprising move for cross-conference sides keen to improve wherever possible following deep postseason runs last term. New York already look much different than last term, but will their summer splash prove decisive in their championship charge?
Continue reading “Stunning three-team trade official, Towns is NY-bound as Randle has a new home”
Powered by Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and a second season with Rudy Gobert after their oft-criticised blockbuster trade, Minnesota exceeded expectations en route to a Western Conference Finals finish, having knocked out the defending champion Denver Nuggets – where president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was lured away from – no surprise they want more.
Continue reading “Timberwolves prez of basketball ops Tim Connelly: Proud but must keep growing”
The future is promised to no-one, but both Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton are tipped for longevity at the international level as the only USA players from last summer’s World Cup squad called up to feature in Olympic play later this month as part of a stacked club under Steve Kerr. Naturally, this serves as more invaluable experience.
Continue reading “Olympics: Edwards-Haliburton duo rightly take pride, leading way for USAB in future”
24 hours after Boston recovered from another deficit to snatch a commanding 3-0 series lead out East, Dallas’ determined defensive efforts down the stretch proved decisive as they joined Joe Mazzulla’s ball club in being one game away from punching their ticket into this season’s NBA Finals – powered by star backcourt Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving alongside an inspired Daniel Gafford. Continue reading “Gafford’s inspired late showcase on both ends typifies another frenzied Mavs win”
On the night he received his third MVP award from league commissioner Adam Silver, Nikola Jokic again showed why he’s the NBA’s best player – slicing through the Minnesota Timberwolves’ various defensive schemes to slow him down, producing an inspiring masterclass as the defending champion Denver Nuggets now stand on the brink of a return to the Western Conference Finals. Continue reading “After collecting his third MVP, Jokic does it all as Denver skilfully erase series deficit”
Anthony Edwards picked up where he left off in Phoenix and posted a new playoff career-high 43 points, inspiring the Minnesota Timberwolves to snatch a gritty road win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Defensive length and a purposeful collective start helped as Chris Finch’s side begun what promises to be an intriguing playoff series with a morale-boosting victory.
Continue reading “Edwards’ 43-point night sees Minnesota draw first blood in frantic Denver series”
Once you strip away the off-court controversy he has needlessly courted over recent seasons, as well as the persistent questions over his health, Zion Williamson spoke intently in press this week as he knows there’s ample room for personal growth. How long this latest storyline lasts, only time will tell – but you can’t help but feel the clock is ticking for the 2019’s #1 draft pick. Continue reading “The duality of Zion Williamson continues to frustrate, but can’t last for much longer”
Minnesota Timberwolves’ All-Star guard Anthony Edwards led the charge for team USA during their final warm-up game before the FIBA World Cup, scoring 34 points as they recovered from a 16-point deficit to beat Germany – a side stacked with NBA-level talent. Steve Kerr has declared the 22-year-old ‘the guy’, and it’s no surprise off the back of a successful third season in the league. Continue reading “Anthony Edwards stars as team USA go 5-0 in FIBA World Cup prep – it’s no surprise”
Empty stats on a struggling side, or genuine numbers to help build his standing as a young All-Star with leaps and bounds still to make? That’s the question Charlotte and critics are piling on LaMelo Ball, after the 21-year-old guard inked a five-year, $260m extension this offseason. What’s next, only he can decide. Continue reading “Perhaps they don’t know yet – LaMelo Ball’s extension kicks off clock in Charlotte”
After a 52-game absence through injury, Minnesota Timberwolves star big man Karl-Anthony Towns marked his return with a storybook ending: scoring 22 points, including the go-ahead free throws in the final seconds, helping them overwhelm the Atlanta Hawks with a 125-124 victory last night. Continue reading “Karl-Anthony Towns relishes big impact on his return as Timberwolves beat Hawks”
February 9 is now in the rearview mirror, with All-Star weekend almost upon us. After the Kyrie Irving move to Dallas opened up a series of trades – both small and significant – I take a look at them in this piece, assessing where that leaves some ball clubs as well as specific players who’ll find themselves in differing situations over the coming months – like the pair above in Brooklyn. Continue reading “NBA trade deadline day – a week on: A look at moves, winners and losers plus new season projections”
The February 9 trade deadline is just a week away, and Rui Hachimura’s surprise trade move to the LA Lakers last month – January 23 – hasn’t exactly caught fire as far as opening the floodgates for moves across the league. That much should change though before long, so here’s a round-up of the latest news and chatter, including the Clippers’ search for a guard. Continue reading “NBA: Clippers linked with VanVleet, Kings monitoring Thybulle, two teams want Olynyk reunion and more”
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