Once Considered Soft, Dirk Nowitzki Was Ahead of His Time
December 29th, 2016 by Kevin Ding No comments »
Let's go back 15 or so years to when Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki were best-bud Dallas Mavericks teammates establishing their excellence in the NBA and always hanging out to shoot in the gym together at night.
For lunches, they would swing through Eatzi's Market & Bakery, the ahead-of-its-time semi-supermarket that, at the turn of the century, gave Dallas cultured, ready-made, healthy eating—and even cultured classical or opera music playing inside its glass doors.
Not exactly the stereotypical NBA hotspot.
But Nash and Nowitzki have long since proved how they transcend stereotypes.
Nash reluctantly retired in 2015. He didn't go kicking and screaming, if only because it's not his style—and his broken-down body wouldn't allow such gyrations anyway.
Nowitzki, 38, is at that doorstep now.
And while he's still playing, it's time to appreciate how—same as Nash—Nowitzki has changed us and our game more than we and our game changed him.
What it boils down to is ...
Wednesday NBA Roundup: Even in Victory, Warriors Have Questions They Must Answer
December 29th, 2016 by Grant Hughes No comments »
Thanks to that immortalized blown 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals and the more recent Christmas collapse, we may never get away from judging the Golden State Warriors on the basis of how they perform against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But maybe that's not how it should be.
Because what we saw in the Dubs' 121-111 win over the Toronto Raptors at Oracle Arena suggests the hangups, matchup issues, mental hurdles and other Golden State trouble spots we ascribe to the Warriors-Cavs dynamic don't have all that much to do with Cleveland, specifically.
They showed up against the Raptors too.
Sure, you can get into the idea of whether the Cavs have Golden State "shook," and there's that looming factor of LeBron James' being the best player alive. But when so much of what doomed the Warriors against those mighty Cavs recurs against other quality opponents—like the Raptors—you have to wonder: Is this ...
World Junior Hockey Championship 2017 Results: Wednesday Group Scores, Reaction
December 28th, 2016 by Joseph Zucker No comments »
The 2017 World Junior Hockey Championship entered in to its third day on Wednesday, with two games on the docket north of the border.
Fans in attendance were treated to plenty of scoring Tuesday. The Czech Republic and Switzerland combined for seven goals, while Russia dropped nine goals on Latvia. Host Canada also pitched a 5-0 shutout of Slovakia.
Slovakia had an opportunity against the United States on Wednesday to rebound from that defeat. The Swiss, meanwhile, looked to continue their momentum against Sweden.
Below is an overview of Wednesday's scores and the group standings, followed by a brief recap of the action.
Wednesday Scores
Group Standings
Wednesday Recap
The Swedes overpowered Switzerland en route to a 4-2 victory. Sweden outshot the Swiss 46-15, matching Switzerland's entire output through the first period.
Switzerland put up a good fight through the first two periods, though, proving an efficient attack can be just ...
Carmelo Anthony Ejected for Striking Thabo Sefolosha’s Head in Knicks vs. Hawks
December 28th, 2016 by Rob Goldberg No comments »
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony was ejected from Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena after hitting Thabo Sefolosha in the head during a rebound attempt.
Bleacher Report captured the altercation:
Anthony received a flagrant-2 foul, which resulted in an automatic ejection. It's possible he'll receive some punishment from the league for his continued action after the whistle.
Sefolosha earned a technical foul for his response.
Anthony had scored 10 points with five rebounds in just 14 minutes before his removal from the game. He entered the day averaging 22.7 points per game and had scored at least 29 points in three of the last four contests.
This is the second ejection of the year for the 32-year-old, who played just 12 minutes before being tossed in a Nov. 11 game against the Boston Celtics.
Per ESPN Stats & Info, he has been among the most ejected players in the NBA:
Anthony has five technical ...
Damian Lillard, Terry Stotts Respond to George Karl’s Comments on Blazers Star
December 28th, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
Former NBA coach George Karl continues to make headlines for verbally attacking current players, including Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard:
Karl was discussing what has troubled the 14-20 Trail Blazers this season, but Lillard's coach, Terry Stotts, defended his playmaker Wednesday, per Casey Holdahl of the team's official website:
Lillard also responded on his Twitter page and hinted that Karl is still trying to remain relevant ever since the Sacramento Kings fired him after he posted a 44-68 mark from 2015 to 2016 with the franchise:
"I'm confused at how that even came up," Lillard added on Thursday, per Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. "I've never met him or spoken to him. I don't have anything to say about him or the situation, but I'm comfortable knowing the people I work with every day know exactly who I am and how I operate."
Lillard's agent, Aaron Goodwin, reacted to Karl's critical words and said ...
The Top NHL Storylines to Follow in 2017
December 28th, 2016 by Allan Mitchell No comments »
There are so many NHL storylines for 2017 the mind struggles to comprehend them all. Bottom feeder teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets and Edmonton Oilers are finally turning north, while Sidney Crosby has apparently decided this is the year he will fill the net with goals.
It is also a season where the balance of power has shifted in a major way. The Pacific Division and the Central Division were previously dominant, but this year the entire league is watching the Metropolitan Division with shock and awe.
A stunning Calder race is also on display, and the Stanley Cup Finals have no clear favorite from either conference. For many hockey fans, the summer will bring a new experience, another expansion draft, as the Vegas Golden Knights will compete for the championship in 2017-18.
Here are 10 notable hockey stories worth following in 2017.Begin Slideshow
Post to Post: What If Jaromir Jagr Never Left the NHL?
December 28th, 2016 by Jonathan Willis No comments »
Jaromir Jagr’s career has been one of the finest in NHL history. Just before Christmas he moved into second on the NHL’s all-time points list, and he’s unquestionably headed for the Hockey Hall of Fame whenever he eventually retires.
The crazy thing is there was room for him to achieve even more. Even if we ignore the three separate lockouts that cost him games over his career, Jagr took a three-season detour to the KHL before returning to the NHL in 2011. What if he had spent those years in North America instead of Europe?
Obviously, there’s an element of path dependence to that question. We can’t know how playing three years overseas has affected Jagr’s career. There’s a big difference between playing 50-odd games in those larger KHL rinks than there is playing 82 contests per year in the close quarters of North American hockey. Injury and/or earlier retirement are real ...
Artemi Panarin, Blackhawks Agree to New Contract: Details, Comments, Reaction
December 28th, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
The Chicago Blackhawks seem to have ensured one of their most productive pieces will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Blackhawks reportedly inked winger Artemi Panarin to a contract extension Wednesday. The team is expected to announce the deal Thursday, per CSN Chicago's Charlie Roumeliotis.
Bob McKenzie of TSN provided some details on the contract, "it's believed to be a two-year bridge deal in the $6M AAV neighborhood."
Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote Panarin was looking to sign a six- or seven-year deal during the upcoming offseason for more than $6 million or $7 million a year.
Panarin leads the team with 37 points this season in just his second year in the NHL. He won the Calder Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 2015-16 behind 77 points (30 goals and 47 assists) and frequently skated alongside Patrick Kane, who won the Hart Trophy ...
Paul George, Nate McMillan Fined for Comments Toward Officials
December 28th, 2016 by Tyler Conway No comments »
The NBA fined Indiana Pacers forward Paul George and coach Nate McMillan $15,000 and $10,000, respectively, Wednesday for their criticism of officiating after the team's Dec. 26 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
George issued a strident rebuke of the NBA's officiating, telling reporters Pacers players don't get calls because they are the "little brother" of the NBA:
I’ve been vocal to the point where the league issues [a statement], ‘Hey, we missed a call. Hey, we missed that.’ Officials do it during games [saying], ‘I missed that call, I missed this call. We’re sorry. We’re sorry.’ It’s getting repetitive. They see it, they know what’s going on. They know what’s a foul. They know what’s not a foul. It comes down from somewhere else how these games are going, I believe...Since I’ve been in this jersey we’ve always fought this battle. Ever since I’ve been playing, ever since I’ve been in this ...
Celtics Can’t Join Eastern Elite Without Making a Statement Against Cavs
December 28th, 2016 by Michael Pina No comments »
The Boston Celtics are starting to look like the pseudo-contender most projected they'd be, and a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night—their seventh in eight games—could go a long way in shaping how they're perceived around the league. And maybe even how they perceive themselves.
Not that any of that would matter to the Cavs. But it at least would do the Celtics some good.
Boston is finally healthy, with the sixth-best net rating and a top-10 defense over its last seven games. Isaiah Thomas is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Marcus Smart is getting to the free-throw line and knocking down threes, Al Horford is more aggressive with the ball, and it's safe to say this group has never looked better.
In other words, the timing could not be more ideal for a road test against the defending champions.
Cleveland won't have J.R. Smith for Thursday night's showdown and is a ...