Celtics vs. Cavaliers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
December 29th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
For three quarters, the Cleveland Cavaliers (24-7) bullied the Boston Celtics (19-14).
Then the fourth quarter rolled around, and the defending NBA champions came unglued.
Although they led by 18 points through 36 minutes, the Cavaliers' lead shrunk to a single point down the stretch, and they had to scratch and claw for every bucket in the fourth quarter to secure a 124-118 win at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday night.
LeBron James finished with 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, but he wasn't the focal point of the Cavs offense on a night when he nearly recorded his fourth triple-double of the season.
That designation belonged to Kyrie Irving—who recorded a game-high 32 points and 12 assists. Irving also bailed out the Cavs with a couple of clutch driving layups over the final 90 seconds of regulation.
Kevin Love added 30 points on 10-of-22 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds, and he ...
Russell Westbrook Ejected vs. Grizzlies: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction
December 29th, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook didn't reach the fourth quarter of Thursday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies announced the guard was ejected in the third quarter after receiving two technical fouls. He had 21 points, five rebounds and two steals before the ejection.
ESPN Stats & Info noted it was a historical ejection for the playmaker:
The Thunder, who trailed 61-45 at the time of the ejection, could have used his league-leading fourth-quarter scoring, as NBA.com illustrated:
According to Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman, official Brian Forte handed Westbrook each of his technical fouls. Dawson noted Westbrook appeared to be arguing that the shot clock should not have reset after Memphis big man Marc Gasol missed the rim on a shot attempt. JaMychal Green drew a foul, as well as Westbrook's ire.
"Westbrook—who had appeared frustrated several times during the game—persisted as Green went to the foul line," Dawson wrote.
Next up for Westbrook and the ...
LeBron James Comments on Similarities to Michael Jordan Style of Play at Age 32
December 29th, 2016 by Joseph Zucker No comments »
LeBron James will never be able to escape the comparisons to Michael Jordan, but that didn't stop the Cleveland Cavaliers star from explaining what he believes to be the differences in playing style between him and MJ.
"No. He was much more of a scorer, at that point [age 32] did a lot of post work, but our games are just different," James said to reporters at practice Thursday, per the Cavaliers' official website (via Pro Basketball Talk's Kurt Helin). "His body is different; my body is different than his. You recognize the dominance in someone at that age, but there’s no similarities in our game at all."
James, who will turn 32 on Friday, also discussed how his jump shot doesn't resemble Jordan's technique: "Our shots are different. He had much more lift in his fadeaway than mine. That was definitely a go-to move of his, but our games are completely ...
Best Potential 2016-17 NBA Trade Deadline Targets for Houston Rockets
December 29th, 2016 by Kelly Scaletta No comments »
The Houston Rockets keep winning as the calendar year closes. They are doing so with a tremendous amount of chemistry and cohesiveness as James Harden and head coach Mike D’Antoni have been a beautiful fit.
Because of that, general manager Daryl Morey is less likely to make a midseason trade than he usually is.
The only credible “rumor” involving the Rockets came in the wake of Clint Capela’s broken fibula. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported via Twitter: “Sources: With loss of Capela, Rockets probing trade market on available bigs. Most likely scenario: Turning minutes to Nene and [Montrezl] Harrell.”
That was over a week ago.
As the saying goes, don’t fix what isn’t broken. But who says you can’t tweak it? Since there aren’t rumors, we’re going to speculate.
For clarification, a “rumor” means there are reports of actual conversations—or at least interest—linked to a front office. Speculation is just a writer saying, “Hey, wouldn’t that be neat.”Begin ...
Karl-Anthony Towns Becomes Youngest in Timberwolves History with Triple-Double
December 29th, 2016 by Bleacher Report Milestones No comments »
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns finished Wednesday's 105-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
In doing so, Towns became the youngest player in Timberwolves history to notch a triple-double, per ESPN Stats & Info. Kevin Garnett previously held the mark as the franchise's youngest player to achieve the milestone, but Towns was 186 days younger than Garnett when he posted his first triple-double Wednesday.
The 2015 first overall pick has dominated his first two seasons in the NBA. Thus far, Towns has averaged a double-double in each campaign and has added more than two assists and 1.5 blocks per contest early in his pro career. While he's not overly proficient from the outside, Towns has also expanded his range beyond the three-point line this season, scoring more than once per game from behind the arc.
Despite Towns' efforts, Minnesota—currently possessing a 10-22 record—is on pace for ...
DeMar DeRozan Passes Chris Bosh for Most Points in Raptors History
December 29th, 2016 by Bleacher Report Milestones No comments »
Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan's 29 points Wednesday evening against the Golden State Warriors pushed him past Chris Bosh for the most points in the franchise's history, per Raptors Media Relations.
DeRozan now owns 10,290 points as a member of the Raptors—15 more than Bosh's 10,275. However, DeRozan required 43 more games than Bosh to reach his output, per Sportsnet Stats. Bosh averaged 20.2 points per game in his 509 games with Toronto, while DeRozan has averaged 18.6 per contest over 552.
While the eighth-season player out of USC may not have per-game scoring numbers equal to Bosh over that span, his stats are a bit skewed due to his first NBA season. As a rookie, DeRozan averaged just 8.6 points over 77 games (65 starts). When removed from the equation, DeRozan would average approximately 20.3 points per contest—slightly higher than Bosh's career average in Toronto.
DeRozan's per-game season totals have topped Bosh's ...
LA Clippers’ Depth Getting First Real Test Amid Injuries to Stars
December 29th, 2016 by Josh Martin No comments »
LOS ANGELES — If you took last spring's six-game playoff loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and stretched it out over approximately 30 games, it would look a lot like the Los Angeles Clippers' 2016-17 season so far.
The hot start: The Clippers jumped out in that series with a pair of 20-point blowouts and began the current NBA campaign a league-best 14-2.
The road slowdown: L.A. lost Games 3 and 4 in Portland and dropped five of seven between late November and early December, including three in a row away from home.
The injuries: first Blake Griffin, then Chris Paul, with J.J. Redick limited by discomfort of his own.
"That's the sucky part of the game," Jamal Crawford recently said. "I think when we're all kids, we just want to go out there and play. You don't even think about injuries. But the reality of it is, it happens and we just have ...
LaMarcus Aldridge Is Learning to Be Selfish on the NBA’s Most Unselfish Team
December 29th, 2016 by Mike Monroe No comments »
SAN ANTONIO — It took only a few seconds for San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker to recognize the holiday gift the Chicago Bulls were hand-delivering to power forward LaMarcus Aldridge in the first quarter of Sunday's ABC game at AT&T Center.
When Aldridge stopped just left of the top of the key on San Antonio's very first possession of the Christmas Day game, Chicago defender Robin Lopez stayed in the paint, leaving him unguarded.
Parker's eyes widened like those of a kid finding a favorite toy inside a package on Christmas morning. He delivered a quick pass that Aldridge caught and immediately launched, a perfect 21-foot jumper.
A special day had begun for Aldridge—one that seemed like the latest point on an upward trend line for the most prominent (and expensive) free-agent signee in San Antonio history.
It took until 2:17 remained in the first half—and 10 more perfect shots—before he missed. By ...
DeMar DeRozan Passed Chris Bosh as All-Time Leading Scorer in Raptors History
December 29th, 2016 by Daily Facts No comments »
Fact: With 29 points against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, DeMar DeRozan passed Chris Bosh (10,275) to become the all-time leading scorer in Toronto Raptors franchise history.
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One New Year’s Resolution for Each NBA Team in 2017
December 29th, 2016 by Dan Favale No comments »
Normal people use the blank slate of each new year to renew commitments in diets they won't follow and workout regimens they don't have the stamina for beyond Jan. 2. But for NBA teams, calendar turns are a chance to shape the rest of the season using meaningful sample sizes.
Every squad has a concrete idea of where it stands and what it's capable of as the campaign nears the halfway point. Each New Year's resolution will be crafted in the eyes of these expectations.
What can every NBA team do to maximize the rest of its season? Which bad habits must be kicked? What lineup changes should be made? Who should be targeted before February's trade deadline?
Contenders will aim to entrench themselves in the championship pursuit. Rebuilding teams should accept their fate and focus on the big picture. And the fringe-postseason outfits have the option of chasing low-seeded playoff berths or ...