Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Jimmy Butler had 35 points, seven assists, six steals and five rebounds – armed with clutch plays late on – as the Miami Heat swiftly erased a nine-point half-time deficit en route to a surging Game 1 East Finals victory on the road against Boston, who began well but finished with a whimper at TD Garden overnight.
Continue reading “Heat 123-116 Celtics: Jimmy Butler burns bright as Mazzulla’s men stumble late on”
Often in recent years, there has been a sense of intrigue surrounding the no. 1 draft pick and who will be selected, with conceivably as many as four teenagers touted to go #1. Not this year: French teenage phenom Victor Wembanyama appears San Antonio-bound after the Spurs won the draft lottery overnight.
Continue reading “Spurs win draft lottery, as Wembanyama lauds Texas in celebratory interview”
Houston have longed for a leader with championship credentials and after the news broke they were hiring Ime Udoka earlier tonight, it’s a timely update for fans to get excited about – someone to build around for multiple years to come. Continue reading “Houston’s Ime Udoka hire only boosts their standing as a budding contender again”
Trae Young led the way with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Atlanta Hawks started fast and finished assertively en route to a double-digit road win in Miami during the league’s maiden play-in tournament matchup of the season overnight. The result secures their standing as the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed, and Boston [2] await them in Game 1 this weekend. Continue reading “Hawks 116-105 Heat: Young silences trade noise as Snyder’s men stun Miami to secure playoff berth”
As is often the case come playoff time, there are many storylines and prospective scenarios that can play out a variety of ways over the postseason – with subsequent front office decisions often riding on the success or failure of a franchise or specific players in certain areas. This year is no different. Continue reading “As playoffs near, multiple dominos waiting to fall in NBA’s head coaching carousel”
Two-time regular season MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting, alongside 14 rebounds and six assists in a dominant display against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, taking them closer to securing the East’s #1 seed. Yet the franchise feel voter fatigue is stopping their star from getting the MVP recognition he deserves, yet again. Continue reading “Bucks lament voter fatigue in MVP race, after another big Giannis showing”
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”
Fans and critics alike were surprised upon hearing the news of Atlanta’s latest move overnight, tying up sharpshooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic to a long-term $68m extension – ignoring injury concerns and much more, including their Kevin Huerter trade decision that hasn’t exactly aged well, eight months on. Continue reading “Stupid or smart? Confusing extension? Atlanta agree four-year, $68m Bogdanovic deal”
They were down eight against an imposing Raptors side for large stretches of an exciting fourth quarter, but Denver refused to decelerate in their attempts to secure a morale-boosting comeback win and did just that. When you have a two-time MVP in full flow, games are rarely over until the final buzzer sounds. Continue reading “Nuggets 118-113 Raptors: Jokic jolt, Murray momentum see Denver earn comeback win”
Luka Doncic led all scorers with 39 points but in the battle of two All-Star birthday boys, Tyrese Haliburton had the last laugh. The 23-year-old reeled off an efficient 32-point display, complete with seven rebounds, six assists and a sneaky block on Kyrie Irving – who missed a go-ahead stepback three late, as the Mavs were resigned to an alarming fifth defeat in their last six games. Continue reading “Mavericks 122-124 Pacers: Missed crunch-time shots prove costly as Haliburton ascends”
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”
Lakers star forward LeBron James made history in the early hours on Wednesday, breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38-year record as the league’s highest points scorer of all-time. A recurring foot issue saw him sidelined late on but didn’t dampen the mood on a celebratory night, despite what proved a narrow 133-130 home defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Continue reading “Lakers 130-133 Thunder: OKC hold firm away as LeBron breaks Kareem’s 38-year scoring record”
Mo and Sports 