Erik Spoelstra, Heat Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction
December 30th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The Miami Heat have thrived under Erik Spoelstra's leadership ever since he was hired in 2008, and the team is banking on that trend continuing in the years ahead.
According to the Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman, the Heat confirmed on Friday that Spoelstra's contract was extended over the summer. The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on June 28 that the two sides were close to striking a new deal.
However, terms of the agreement have not been made public. Rather, the Heat merely said Spoelstra's deal runs beyond this season.
"I would like to thank the Arisons and Pat [Riley] for their continued confidence in me and my staff and are humbled in their trust in me as head coach," Spoelstra said in a statement, per Winderman. "It has been an incredible 22 years being part of the Miami Heat family, and we will look to continue our goal of winning NBA championships."
Once a video ...
World Junior Hockey Championship 2017 Results: Friday Group Scores, Reaction
December 30th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Preliminary action at the 2017 World Junior Championship continued Friday with a pair of clashes, and the action certainly didn't lack for drama.
The evening's first showdown featured a high-scoring showdown between Denmark and Switzerland in Montreal, while the second clash saw Latvia and Slovakia duke it out following slow starts to the tournament.
Below, you'll find a rundown of the two group-stage games as well as updated standings for the tables through Friday's action.
Group A: Switzerland def. Denmark 5-4 (Shootout)
Denmark led 4-1 just 28 seconds into the second period, but Switzerland refused to go away in a thriller that needed a shootout to decide things after the Swiss scored three unanswered goals to force overtime.
Yannick Zehnder got the Swiss' rally started when he cut the deficit to 4-2 midway through the second frame, and Nando Eggenberger answered the call a few minutes later when he started to make Denmark sweat with ...
Jaroslav Halak Waived by Islanders: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction
December 30th, 2016 by Mike Chiari No comments »
Following a poor showing Thursday night, goalie Jaroslav Halak was waived by the New York Islanders Friday.
The team announced the move on its official Twitter account.
The 31-year-old veteran was in the midst of his third season with the Isles.
Halak has struggled this season to the tune of a 6-8-5 record, 3.23 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 21 appearances.
He has been outperformed by Thomas Greiss and with a third goalie in Jean-Francois Berube also on the roster, Halak became expendable.
Halak's agent, Allan Walsh, was critical of the Islanders' goaltending situation earlier in the season and their decision to utilize a rotation:
The Slovakia native was never able to find a groove despite a great showing for Team Europe in the World Cup during the offseason and a strong 2015-16 campaign that saw him go 18-13-4 with a 2.30 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
Halak enjoyed previous stints with the Montreal Canadiens, ...
Kevin Love: 1st Player with at Least 30 Pts, 15 Rebs, 5 Threes in ’16-’17 Season
December 30th, 2016 by Daily Facts No comments »
Fact: Kevin Love had 30 points, 15 rebounds and six three-pointers in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 124-118 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. Love is the first player in the NBA this season with 30 or more points, 15 or more rebounds and five or more threes in a game.
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
Kosta Koufos Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation Surrounding Kings C
December 30th, 2016 by Joseph Zucker No comments »
The Sacramento Kings have no shortage of frontcourt options at the moment, so Kosta Koufos could be used as a trade chip ahead of the Feb. 23 deadline.
Continue for updates.
Rockets Show Interest in Koufos
Friday, Dec. 30
ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Friday that the Houston Rockets have set their sights on Koufos as they look to add to their depth at center.
Trading for Koufos would be a sensible addition for the Rockets. According to NBA.com, Houston is 26th in points allowed in the paint (45.7 points per game). The team is also allowing opposing teams to shoot 63.4 percent inside five feet, which is 28th.
Although he doesn't offer a lot of value on the offensive end, Koufos is a solid rim protector. The Kings are allowing four fewer points per 100 possessions when he's on the court, per NBA.com.
Below is a look at how shooters have performed when matched up against the 27-year-old, courtesy of NBA.com's player tracking data:
Acquiring Koufos would ...
Monthly NBA Awards: Selecting the December Winner in Every Category
December 30th, 2016 by Dan Favale No comments »
The NBA doesn't hand out monthly versions of year-end awards, but for the sake of imaginations everywhere, let's pretend it does.
Winners will be picked based solely on their performances during the month of December. Big-picture anecdotes and stats will be used to add context, but they won't matter nearly as much as recent efforts.
To preserve the importance of adequate sample sizes where necessary, candidates must have played at least 10 games and averaged 25 or more minutes per outing to be considered.
The 10-contest appearance benchmark will be lifted and the minutes minimum lowered to 15 for Rookie of the Month honors. First-year roles are fluid, often inconsistent and demand more flexibility.
Remember: This is not a predictive exercise. We are only singling out December's superheroes in every category.Begin Slideshow
Bold Predictions for the NHL in 2017
December 30th, 2016 by Steve Macfarlane No comments »
It's easy to get caught up in awards when writing a prediction piece with a little more than half an NHL season to play. Picking Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid as the Art Ross Trophy winner, Carey Price or Devan Dubnyk as the Vezina winner or someone like Sergei Bobrovsky or Nick Foligno as the ultimate hoister of the Hart Trophy might make a decent read, but we're going for a little more bold than that.
As the calendar turns to 2017, we're examining some big storylines that could play out in the coming months, both on and off the ice. Big names could get traded, big decisions—like participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics—loom and more than a few firings could take place (we're looking at you, Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders).
So without further delay, here is a look at 10 bold predictions for the NHL in 2017. Save it for a ...
Mavericks vs. Lakers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
December 30th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The Los Angeles Lakers led by as many as 11 points at one point on Thursday night, but they collapsed during a dreadful second half and fell to the Dallas Mavericks 101-89 at Staples Center.
The Lakers dropped to 12-24 in defeat and closed December 2-14 following a 9-8 showing in November. The Mavericks, on the other hand, improved to 10-23 overall and are 7-9 in December following a 3-14 start to the season.
Harrison Barnes helped pace the Mavericks with 17 points (6-of-17 shooting) and nine rebounds, and he's now hit double-figures in 33 straight games. According to Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed, Barnes owns the Mavericks record for consecutive games with at least 10 points to start his tenure with the team.
Wesley Matthews added 20 points (6-of-14 shooting, 4-of-9 from three) and six boards, while Devin Harris posted 14 points off the bench.
Although it wasn't clear later, the Lakers were sharp throughout the first half. They rode balanced production ...
NBA Power Rankings: How Each Team Stacks Up to Start 2017
December 29th, 2016 by Grant Hughes No comments »
A new year brings major changes to the latest edition of NBA Power Rankings, as a fresh No. 1 rises to the top and a consistent top-five staple falls all the way out of the top 10.
Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards continue their climb from the bottom third of the league to hit their highest spot of the season. We won't spoil exactly how high here, but suffice it to say, a climb like this felt impossible just two weeks ago.
As always, rankings are based on win-loss records, advanced stats, head-to-head meetings and health. The goal is a hierarchy of the league based on each team's current strength, so injuries have to factor in. Sorry, Los Angeles Clippers.
Recent performance matters most, but we're getting deep enough into the season now that a loss or two in a week might not outweigh a larger body of work.Begin Slideshow
Thursday NBA Roundup: Don’t Sleep on Kevin Love’s Value to Cavs Big 3
December 29th, 2016 by Adam Fromal No comments »
Remember, the Cleveland Cavaliers' Big Three is comprised of three stars: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
Though it's easy to remember the first two as they rack up highlights and post gaudy box-score figures, Love can often fly under the radar. But every once in a while, he explodes, as he did while helping spark a 124-118 victory over the resilient Boston Celtics.
Irving will inevitably get a lot of love in the coming days for his performance against Avery Bradley's pestilent defense and Isaiah Thomas's attempts at defense. He finished with 32 points, five rebounds and 12 assists on 12-of-17 shooting. He also produced the highlight below and came up with a number of clutch buckets after Boston clawed its way back from a 20-point deficit.
James, as always, will get attention. Even though he struggled with his jumper and dealt with turnover issues throughout the night, he recorded 23 ...