World Junior Hockey 2017 USA Roster: 23-Man Team for Championships
December 24th, 2016 by Mike Chiari No comments »
USA Hockey finalized its 23-man roster for the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championships Saturday ahead of its tournament opener against Latvia in Toronto on Monday.
The final list includes Luke Kunin, who was drafted 15th overall by the Minnesota Wild in June, along with other top draftees Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins) and Colin White (Ottawa Senators).
Here is the complete roster, per USAHockey.com:
It was previously announced on USAHockey.com Dec. 18 that Kunin would serve as the captain for the Americans with White and McAvoy assisting as alternate captains.
Following that announcement, Team USA head coach Bob Motzko raved about the trio's leadership capabilities:
I couldn't be happier to have these three quality guys leading this locker room. We've been saying it every day that there's a pulse with this group. We know Luke, Charlie and Colin are at the center of that through their style of play and their tremendous amount of heart. We're fortunate to have them ...
Russell Westbrook Records 3rd 40-Point Triple-Double of 2016-17 Season
December 24th, 2016 by Daily Facts No comments »
Fact: Russell Westbrook had 45 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 117-112 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday night. It was his third 40-point triple-double this season. The rest of the NBA has zero such games this year.
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
NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Paul George, Goran Dragic and More
December 24th, 2016 by Andy Bailey No comments »
All 30 teams in the NBA may have Christmas Eve off, but you can bet the front offices will still be working the phones.
It's trade-rumor season, after all, and most of the players signed over the summer are now eligible to be dealt.
Only time will tell which rumors materialize into actual transactions. For now, it's just more chatter on the likes of Paul George, Goran Dragic and the Boston Celtics.
Is Goran Dragic Available?
The Miami Heat's Big Three era seems a lot longer ago than just three years. Not only is the team done competing for NBA titles for the time being, it's not even close to a playoff berth.
And because Miami has its own draft pick this summer, stacking up losses isn't necessarily a bad thing right now. Especially when you look at a draft class that includes the likes of Malik Monk, Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball.
One ...
2017 NBA Mock Draft: Final Ranking Heading into the New Year
December 24th, 2016 by Jonathan Wasserman No comments »
The 2017 NBA draft's first round is clearing up, with a handful of key prospects back from injuries and others who've come out of nowhere for breakouts.
Compared to November's mock top-30, this month's edition has six different names.
Three impressive international prospects on our board also just finished playing in Turkey at the U18 European Championships. One of them helped his stock with an MVP performance.
The order is based on the NBA standings as of December 1. Future trades were also accounted for.Begin Slideshow
Damian Lillard Injury: Trail Blazers Star Sprains Ankle in Loss to Spurs
December 24th, 2016 by Tim Daniels No comments »
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard suffered a sprained left ankle in the fourth quarter of his team's 110-90 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 23.
The Oregonian's Joe Freeman reported Lillard was walking with a "noticeable limp" in the locker room and planned to get X-rays on the ankle before leaving the arena.
"I rolled it good," he told reporters.
The Blazers announced the point guard won't play in Monday night's game against the Toronto Raptors, and it's unclear when he'll return to the court.
Lillard, who's steadily improved across five seasons in the NBA, took on a more prominent role last year following LaMarcus Aldridge's departure. He averaged 25.1 points and 6.8 assists per game to lead Portland to the postseason. Now, the 13-19 Blazers need him to take another step toward superstardom.
The 26-year-old missed seven games last season while recovering from plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He played in ...
Friday NBA Roundup: Warriors Rolling Ahead of Finals Rematch with Cavaliers
December 23rd, 2016 by Josh Martin No comments »
To paraphrase the late, great Dennis Green, the Golden State Warriors are who we thought they were: the NBA's leanest, meanest winning machine.
Golden State extended its league-best record to 27-4 on Friday with a gritty 119-113 victory over the Detroit Pistons in what will be its final trip to the Palace of Auburn Hills. (The Pistons move to downtown Detroit next season).
Native Michigander Draymond Green could barely buy a bucket all night. He clanked all six of his three-point attempts and didn't scratch from the field until the one minute, 31-second mark of the fourth quarter. But that dunk off a Klay Thompson pass gave the Dubs a 112-110 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
In Green's defense, he was a bit rusty. He missed Golden State's win in Brooklyn on Thursday to see his son, Draymond Jr.—whose birth he watched via FaceTime en route to San Francisco—before catching an overnight flight to the ...
How the New York Islanders Squandered Savings from Letting Kyle Okposo Walk
December 23rd, 2016 by Jonathan Willis No comments »
The salary cap forces terrible choices upon NHL teams. After all the work that goes into identifying, drafting and developing a player, a professional club can find itself losing him at the height of his career for want of cap space to keep him on the team.
That isn't what happened with the New York Islanders and Kyle Okposo, though. The Isles had the money to keep Okposo on the team. They simply decided that they'd rather use their precious cap space on lesser players.
Whether Okposo's $6.0 million cap hit will be a good idea over the next seven years is debatable. He's had a decent start to his post-John Tavares career with the Buffalo Sabres, posting nine goals and 22 points over his first 31 games with the club. He's also 28 years old, and if he's only a 60-point forward now, the Sabres may be unhappy with his production ...
10 Things That Every NHL Fan Wants for the Holidays
December 23rd, 2016 by Allan Mitchell No comments »
NHL fans are getting ready for the Christmas break, meaning it is a time to dream of gifts under the Christmas tree and what might be in the coming year.
There are some players like Jaromir Jagr of the Florida Panthers who have universal appeal. As he reaches major milestones or his team reaches the playoffs, fans across the league are thrilled to see an icon reaching new heights.
More national television exposure for the league's young stars, fantastic playoff races in every division, and strong performances for each major award are among the things fans would love to see in the coming months.
Here are 10 things NHL fans would love to see in the new year.Begin Slideshow
Evan Fournier Injury: Magic Forward Out vs. Lakers with Bruised Heel
December 23rd, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
Orlando Magic swingman Evan Fournier suffered a bruised heel and will not play Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
RotoWire, via CBSSports.com, believed that Fournier suffered the injury during Thursday night's loss to the New York Knicks.
Per Robbins, Fournier was also dealing with a bruised right shin leading up to Thursday night but managed to play 36 minutes and drop 21 points.
This is a difficult setback for Fournier, who missed significant time in 2014-15 with a hip injury. He also dealt with a wrist injury early in 2015-16 but managed to play 79 games.
He's been enjoying a career year in 2016-17, averaging 17.8 points, 3.5 assists and three rebounds per game.
Fournier spent his first two seasons in the league with the Denver Nuggets but turned the corner as a regular contributor for the Magic over the past two years. He averaged 12 points per game behind 37.8 ...
Looks Like DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings Are Stuck with Each Other
December 23rd, 2016 by Grant Hughes No comments »
If the Sacramento Kings were going to move on from DeMarcus Cousins, it seems like they would have done it by now.
Long before the latest swell of character-impugning incidents—assault lawsuits stemming from a nightclub incident in New York, video of Cousins intimidating Andy Furillo of the Sacramento Bee, the resulting $50,000 fine, Mouthpiecegate and an ensuing postgame rant—the Kings had more than enough cause to end the Cousins experience.
But they didn't.
Which makes you think that in addition to believing a few things about Cousins—that he'll mature, that he can be the cornerstone of a winner, that they may never get another shot at a player as talented as he is—the Kings also haven't found the market for his services to be robust.
Because however committed to him they may be, everything has its price.
The Kings, apparently, haven't found one they like for Cousins. And that's not likely to change.
Centers Aren't What They ...