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Jalen Brunson led the way with 38 points as the New York Knicks earned a 129-122 win over Milwaukee, while Denver were victorious behind their Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic tandem once more against the unpredictable Golden State Warriors. Now then, follow the rest of the Christmas Day schedule with me live! Continue reading “Relive the action as Luka Doncic’s 50-point showing caps Christmas Day slate in NBA”
Bradley Beal is having to exercise patience, easier said than done. Phoenix made a big offseason splash to acquire the three-time All-Star guard, who has only managed to suit up for three games with his new ball club this season and will be unavailable a little while longer as he recovers from a lower back strain – just one of the physical issues that he’s been dealing with since training camp. Continue reading “Bradley Beal injury update: Suns guard sidelined until December with back strain”
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s insistence he won’t agree terms on another multiyear extension in Milwaukee next summer, unless he feels everyone’s on the same page and still in championship contention, is another timely reminder that star players’ title window can quickly be rendered finite. The franchises and fans they play for, are more than aware of that – but navigating this is a tricky task. Continue reading “Giannis’ honesty sheds light on an insatiable goal NBA stars continue battling”
Deandre Ayton has been a predictable scapegoat for the Suns’ shortcomings as they trail Denver 3-2 in their Western Conference semis matchup before Game 6 tips off tonight. Having played through a rib injury Wednesday sidelining him from contention for their first elimination game now, what happens next? Continue reading “Deandre Ayton played through Game 5 pain, but now Suns must look within”
Russell Westbrook masked a rough 3-of-19 shooting night with an expert defensive display throughout, culminating in a clutch block-and-deflection to thwart Devin Booker down the stretch as the Los Angeles Clippers earned a frantic Game 1 victory away against Phoenix overnight. Kawhi Leonard led all players with 38 points, including 13 in the fourth – they needed every basket. Continue reading “Clippers 115-110 Suns: Westbrook’s clutch defence proves key as LA snatch Game 1”
Absorbing knowledge from Chris Paul and Devin Booker in Phoenix, a stunning trade has offered Mikal Bridges the opportunity to show what he’s learned offensively – accompanying his brilliant defensive skills – and he’s flourished thus far among new teammates in Brooklyn. Given recent uncertainty surrounding the franchise, that bodes well for the Nets’ long-term future. Continue reading “Mikal Bridges exceeding expectations in Brooklyn is refreshing, as Nets plot rebuild”
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”
It’s NBA trade season, so speculation is predictably in full flow as teams – whether championship contenders, pretenders or rebuilding teams – are all involved between now and the Feb. 9 deadline. Will any team satisfy Toronto’s big expectations in an OG Anunoby trade? What about Bojan Bogdanovic in Detroit, or the silence coming from the Suns about wantaway wing Jae Crowder? Read about all of that and more, with some free agent chatter to finish. Continue reading “NBA news round-up: Anunoby, Bogdanovic, Crowder and more as trade season hots up”
After a promising season ended with a forgettable postseason collapse on May 16, the cloud hanging over Deandre Ayton’s long-term future in Phoenix appears to be clearing this summer: multiple teams are readying themselves with lucrative max contract offers for 2018’s no. 1 pick. Continue reading “Atlanta, Detroit and Portland all early suitors in Deandre Ayton sweepstakes”
With their Game 1 clash vs. the Miami Heat set for tip-off in a few hours’ time, here’s a quick refresh: Boston Celtics, armed by a new career-high display from Grant Williams, overcame a 3-2 series deficit to knock out the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Hours later, Dallas did similar but in enemy territory, stunning the Phoenix Suns in a historic blowout win. Continue reading “Conference Finals set after Celtics, Mavericks dominate their respective Game 7 duels”
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”
A few weeks removed from the All-Star break and now into the home straight for another eventful NBA season, I spoke to LA Clippers fan and NBA expert Jack Brown earlier this month – discussing multiple topics including: under-the-radar players, intriguing offseason storylines, the MVP race as well as why he has a surprise team emerging from the West come playoff time. Continue reading “NBA Q&A: Big questions answered, predictions made as 21-22 season into business months”
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