Carmelo Anthony Reportedly ‘Went on Tirade’ After Knicks’ Loss vs. 76ers
January 14th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Carmelo Anthony vented publicly after the Philadelphia 76ers stunned his New York Knicks 98-97 on Jan. 11, but a report from the New York Daily News' Frank Isola indicated Anthony also had harsh words for his team behind closed doors.
Citing a source close to Anthony, Isola reported the 32-year-old "went on a tirade after the shocking loss, admonishing his teammates for blowing a 10-point lead in the final 2:30 to the inexperienced 76ers."
Furthermore, Isola reported Anthony "was also upset that he was frozen out on the Knicks' final possession, a sequence that ended with Kristaps Porzingis shooting an air ball from the corner, which led to Philadelphia's fast break."
That final transition push resulted in Philadelphia point guard TJ McConnell finding the ball on the baseline. He proceeded to convert a turnaround jumper over Anthony at the buzzer:
During his postgame meeting with reporters, Anthony called the loss "very, very disappointing," and he didn't stop there, according to ESPN.com's ...
Lakers vs. Clippers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
January 14th, 2017 by Adam Wells No comments »
The NBA's battle for Los Angeles went to the Clippers on Saturday, as they knocked off the Lakers by a final score of 113-97 to earn their sixth straight victory.
The Clippers had no problems controlling the Lakers, carrying a 58-39 lead into halftime and going on cruise control in the second half to remain within shouting distance of the Golden State Warriors in the Pacific Division.
DeAndre Jordan created a lot of problems for the Lakers on Saturday. The star center had a double-double by the end of the first half and finished with 24 points, 21 rebounds and this terrific highlight with an assist from Chris Paul, via the Clippers:
The Clippers pointed out that Jordan's latest 20-20 game was one for the record books:
The size difference between the Clippers and Lakers was apparent throughout the game, including on this block from Marreese Speights that led to an easy transition basket for Brandon Bass, via NBA.com:
There's ...
John Wall, Jae Crowder Fined for Altercation: Latest Comments, Reaction
January 14th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The NBA announced Saturday that Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder was fined $25,000 for his role in a postgame altercation with Washington Wizards point guard John Wall following his team's 117-108 win at TD Garden on Jan. 11, according to the Washington Post's Candace Buckner.
Wall was fined $15,000, but his punishment wasn't as substantial as Crowder's because the league determined Crowder attempted to "escalate the situation after exiting the playing court."
According to the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, "there was another confrontation in the hallway that separates the teams' locker rooms in the bowels of TD Garden" after the initial spat between Wall and Crowder on the court.
At that point, police offers reportedly had to be summoned to keep the two sides from engaging in another tiff.
"It started during the game, a lot of disrespectful talk from his side that led to that," Crowder said, per Himmelsbach. "I think it's been ...
NHL Teams Most in Need of Rebuilds
January 14th, 2017 by Lyle Richardson No comments »
Approaching the midpoint of the 2016-17 NHL season, several struggling clubs face the need to rebuild their rosters. Some are near the bottom of the league standings. Others are struggling to remain in playoff contention.
These teams have various roster weaknesses that are hampering their respective performances this season. Some lack scoring, some need defensive depth and some need help throughout their rosters.
This slideshow lists the NHL teams most in need of rebuilds. We'll examine their current statuses and explain why they must rebuild, including the key areas that must be addressed. You can express your views on this topic in the comments section. Begin Slideshow
Adam Silver Says NBA Will Consider Ways to Shorten Games
January 14th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Adam Silver has been proactive in his attempts to enhance the quality of the NBA's product during his time as commissioner, and he indicated on Thursday that the competition committee will examine ways to speed up games when the offseason rolls around.
Speaking to reporters in London prior to the Denver Nuggets' 140-112 throttling of the Indiana Pacers, Silver explained why the league wants to take a "fresh look" at how long it takes for a game to be completed, according to USA Today's AJ Neuharth-Keusch:
It’s something that I know all of sports are looking at right now, and that is the format of the game and the length of time it takes to play the game. Obviously people, particularly millennials, have increasingly short attention spans, so it’s something as a business we need to pay attention to. ... When the last few minutes of the game take an extraordinary amount of time, sometimes ...
76ers on a 3-Game Win Streak for the 1st Time Since ’13-14 Season
January 14th, 2017 by Daily Facts No comments »
Fact: With their 102-93 win over the Hornets on Friday night, the 76ers have now won three games in a row. It is Philadelphia's first winning streak of at least three games since the 2013-14 season when they won four straight games.
Bleacher Report will be bringing sports fans the most interesting and engaging Cold Hard Facts of the day, presented by Coors Light.
Source: B/R InsightsRead more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
After Puzzling Slump, Spurs’ Danny Green Is NBA’s Top 3-Point Shooter
January 14th, 2017 by Mike Monroe No comments »
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green has risen back to the top of the league's most accurate three-point shooters as the NBA regular season is roughly at its midpoint.
The 29-year-old from the University of North Carolina is back on track after what can only be described as an aberration in 2015-16. Last season, he made only 33.2 percent (116-of-349) from beyond the arc.
Green's value as one of the NBA's better perimeter defenders masked his slump. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich values defense above all else. So, Green's spot in the starting lineup was never threatened, nor did the Spurs shop him at the trade deadline. They were on their way to the best regular season in franchise history (67-15).
Still, Green's issues were cause for concern, as a reliable cog in San Antonio's machine was suddenly misfiring badly.
Now, in his sixth full season with the five-time NBA champions, ...
The Hottest and Coldest NHL Teams Right Now
January 14th, 2017 by Carol Schram No comments »
In the National Hockey League this season, streaks have made some of the biggest headlines.
The Columbus Blue Jackets flirted with history when they won 16 straight games, but since the Washington Capitals broke the spell January 5, John Tortorella's team has been a rather pedestrian 2-3-0.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Vancouver Canucks racked up nine straight losses earlier this season, but a six-game post-Christmas winning streak has pulled them back into the thick of the playoff race.
Columbus and Vancouver have both trended strongly this season, but right now neither team is among the hottest or the coldest in the league.
Most teams have put together at least some solid stretches of play this year, which has led to a logjam around the playoff cut lines. Not many teams have been ice cold for sustained periods of time.
With two weeks to go before the All-Star break, here's a look ...
Celtics vs. Hawks: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
January 13th, 2017 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
Isaiah Thomas' fallaway jumper with 2.4 seconds left lifted the Boston Celtics to a 103-101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night form Philips Arena.
Boston's triumph snapped the Hawks' seven-game winning streak, but it was dangerously close to being one of its most demoralizing losses of the season. The Celtics narrowly escaped blowing a 20-point third-quarter deficit after Atlanta came all the way back to tie the game with 25 seconds left.
Thomas scored a game-high 28 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, as he continued to stake his claim as the league's best player in the fourth quarter.
CSN New England showed his game-winner:
Friday marked the first time Celtics big man Al Horford returned to Atlanta as an opponent. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Hawks, garnering four All-Star appearances.
In his return, he posted 10 points, six rebounds and six assists on the night, ...
Cavaliers GM David Griffin Says Team Is Looking to Trade for Playmaker
January 13th, 2017 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
The Cleveland Cavaliers already acquired Kyle Korver in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks, but don't expect them to stop scouring the trade market.
On Friday, Cavaliers general manager David Griffin told the media the team isn't finished trying to improve its roster and find help for stars Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.
"It's something where we're all pretty keenly aware that it would help take some burden off of Kyrie and LeBron as our primary playmaker, so if we could get somebody else that could do it," he said, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "And it really doesn't even have to be a point guard; it's just we need playmaking."
Entering Friday night's game against the Sacramento Kings, the Cavaliers lost three of their last five games, where opponents exposed a thin backcourt behind Irving at times.
In the midst of that streak, shortly after the Cavs acquired Korver on Jan. 7, James told ...