2017 NBA Trade Deadline: 10 Early Predictions
January 11th, 2017 by Dan Favale No comments »
Never let anyone tell you it's too early to dream about the intrigue and bedlam that await at the NBA's trade deadline.
More than a month stands between us and the league's Feb. 23 cutoff. A lot can and will change that zero hour. New rumors will arise. Unreported trades will go down. Injuries could incite unexpected selling and buying.
We already know enough to take an educated stab at what will unfold in the coming weeks.
Established rumors will be our guide, but gut feelings are allowed. Specific deals will be proposed wherever applicable, and predictions are limited to realistic scenarios.Begin Slideshow
B/R Weekly Rushdown: Miami Heat Buy Slice of Misfits, Dota 2 Rosters Locked
January 11th, 2017 by Steven Rondina No comments »
Teams buying in, teams selling out and teams backing down. It was quite the week in esports. With the Counter-Strike universe gearing up for the ESL Pro League, the Dota 2 world officially on the road to the Kiev Major and a tidal wave of League of Legends action starting up in a week and a half, there would've been plenty to talk about as is.
This week, however, saw a massive amount of business-end news steal the show. So what possibly could have been big enough to take over the Weekly Rushdown? Read on and find out.
Dota 2 Rosters Locked
Dota 2 teams are packed up and driving on the road to the Kiev Major. The first stop came on Monday with the major registration "roster locks" occurring, determining which teams will be eligible for invites to the tournament. Naturally, a lot of interesting news came out surrounding this. Here's the abridged version:
The North American scene added ...
Heat vs. Warriors: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
January 11th, 2017 by Scott Polacek No comments »
The Golden State Warriors struggled to put away the overmatched Miami Heat for most of Tuesday's game at Oracle Arena but used a strong second half to finish a 107-95 victory.
Golden State outscored Miami by 13 after halftime and closed the contest on an extended 22-13 run after leading by just three at 85-82 with less than seven minutes left. The Warriors moved to 33-6 overall and 17-3 at home, while the Heat dropped to 11-29 and 1-9 in their last 10 games.
The Warriors announced they were without guard Klay Thompson because of rest, which meant they needed their other stars to carry the load.
Kevin Durant responded with 28 points and eight rebounds, while Stephen Curry nearly tallied a triple-double with 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds despite shooting just 8-of-21 from the field. Draymond Green added 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks, and the Warriors as ...
James Harden vs. Hornets: Stats, Highlights and Reaction
January 10th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
James Harden's MVP resume got another boost Tuesday night when the Houston Rockets combo-guard extraordinaire tallied 40 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his team's 121-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets at the Toyota Center.
Harden has now posted triple-doubles in consecutive games, and he joined Russell Westbrook, Pete Maravich and Michael Jordan as the only players to record back-to-back triple-doubles with 40 points in each contest, according to Elias Sports (via the NBA on ESPN).
On a more macro level, the 27-year-old has 11 triple-doubles in 40 games this season, and the Rockets improved to 31-9—tied for second in the Western Conference with the San Antonio Spurs—by virtue of Tuesday's win.
All told, Houston was won nine straight dating back Dec. 26.
"As long as I play the right way and be unselfish and we win games, all that is going to come," Harden said after the game, per the Associated Press' ...
Celtics vs. Raptors: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
January 10th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The Toronto Raptors (25-13) put on a clinic in late-game execution Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics (23-15), and the end result was a 114-106 come-from-behind win at Air Canada Centre.
DeMar DeRozan was exceptional in crunch time and finished with a season-high 41 points (16-of-29 shooting) after he mustered 10 in the first half, and he received strong support from Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas on a night when his All-Star campaign received a major lift.
NBA TV on Twitter relayed video of DeRozan nailing a clutch turnaround jumper with 1:30 remaining to give the Raptors a four-point lead:
Lowry added 24 points and nine assists, while Valanciunas dominated the interior in the second half and totaled 18 points to go with a career-high 23 rebounds. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Valanciunas joined Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside and DeAndre Jordan as the only players with at least 18 points and 23 boards in a game this season.
TSN's ...
Ranking the Biggest Surprises from the 2017 NHL All-Star Game Rosters
January 10th, 2017 by Adrian Dater No comments »
The NHL last year finally found an entertaining format for its long-maligned All-Star Game, a three-on-three, round-robin tourney that was both entertaining and somewhat dramatic—and it didn't hurt that the game featured a 6'8" version of "Rudy" in the name of eventual most valuable player John Scott.
The league wisely chose to keep the format the same for this year's gala event, to be held Jan. 29 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Under the rules, each of the four divisions competes in three 20-minute games, with the winners of the first two games facing each other in the final.
Unlike last year, where fans could vote anybody in as a team captain, there will not be another repeat of the John Scott Story. It was a great story, but it would open itself up to becoming a farce before long.
The four captains for this year's game, as voted by the ...
Surreal Derrick Rose Saga Still Has More Questions Than Answers
January 10th, 2017 by Yaron Weitzman No comments »
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — On Tuesday, Derrick Rose stood before reporters at the New York Knicks' training facility and attempted to explain why he had mysteriously disappeared from the team the night before by skipping out on a home game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
"It was a family issue. It had nothing to do with the team or basketball," he said. "That's the first time I ever felt like that emotionally, and I had to be with my family."
Rose said he flew back to Chicago, his hometown, about two hours after the team's Monday shootaround, which he attended.
"I just had to get to my family," he said. "I talked to [the team] afterwards. Everybody's on the same page now. They understood right away after I explained myself to them."
Rose spoke to reporters for about eight minutes Tuesday; head coach Jeff Hornacek addressed the media as well. Both attempted to shed light ...
Rajon Rondo Comments on Bulls’ Decision to Bench PG
January 10th, 2017 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
Things are not well in Chicago with Bulls guard Rajon Rondo and management after the veteran's inability to get playing time in the last five games.
They aren't seeing eye-to-eye either. Rondo told the media, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, that the team was trying to "save him from himself."
That didn't fly with the 30-year-old, who said that he "thought it was bulls--t."
The explanation didn't come from Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg, as Rondo explained that he was told that by "another guy on the staff," per Johnson.
The lines of communication haven't necessarily been open, either, between the disgruntled guard and his head coach:
Rondo last appeared in a game for the Bulls on Dec. 30 against the Indiana Pacers. He played 10:50 that night and was a minus-20 in the process, which is what he attributed to "as part of the reason," for his lack of playing time since then.
In the 29 ...
Allen Iverson to Be Head Coach, Player in BIG3 League: Latest Details, Reaction
January 10th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
If you've ever dreamed of a world in which NBA Hall of Famer and Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson serves as a player-coach, you're in luck.
According to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, Iverson has agreed to a dual role as a player and head coach in the BIG3 three-on-three league that is slated to make its debut this summer.
The league confirmed the news with a post on Twitter:
Ian Begley of ESPN shared a photo of Iverson from a press conference on Wednesday:
Iverson will be joined by eight other retired NBA stars, each of whom will lead a team in a player-coach capacity. The other participants who have signed on include Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Kenyon Martin, Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson, Bonzi Wells and Jason Williams.
On Dec. 23, Wojnarowski reported Roger Mason, the National Basketball Players Association's deputy executive director, was leaving his post to serve as the commissioner and president of a ...
Derrick Rose Fined for Missing Pelicans Game, PG Comments on Absence
January 10th, 2017 by Joseph Zucker No comments »
The New York Knicks announced Tuesday they fined Derrick Rose an undisclosed amount after he no-showed their defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
ESPN.com's Ian Begley provided Rose's explanation for his absence Monday:
The New York Daily News' Daniel Popper shared a clip of Rose's press conference:
The Knicks initially gave no additional information when they announced the three-time All-Star failed to appear for Monday's game. The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the team, Rose's close associates and teammates were in the dark.
ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne followed up to report Rose informed the Knicks he had to deal with a family situation but had failed to remain in contact with the team after that.
On Tuesday, Rose said he needed his "space," so he decided against calling Knicks management, per Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
"That’s the first time I ever felt like that emotionally, and I had to be with my family," he said, per Basketball ...