2016-17 NBA Power Rankings: How All 30 Teams Shake Out at Christmas
December 23rd, 2016 by Grant Hughes No comments »
The NBA season officially began at the end of October, but Christmas Day marks its real commencement.
Christmas is the "wink, wink, nudge" point at which serious followers of the league quietly agree to start scrutinizing the action more closely. It's when the kinks are supposed to be worked out and the true natures of the 30 clubs competing for playoff position start to clarify themselves.
It's about to get real.
That's good news for the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks, who are hitting their strides, and bad news for the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers...who aren't.
It's also good news for the Golden State Warriors, who just keep hitting everyone in the mouth.
Rankings are informed by records, advanced stats and current overall health—with an eye toward recent performance. If a team is suddenly missing a key star, it's weaker than its numbers indicate, and that'll be reflected here. The idea is to ...
Chris Paul Injury: Updates on Clippers Star’s Hamstring and Return
December 23rd, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul suffered a hamstring strain on Dec. 22 and has not played since. It is currently unclear when he'll return to the court.
Continue for updates.
Paul Out vs. Lakers
Sunday, Dec. 25
Paul would not be available to play on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.
Rivers Comments on Paul's Injury
Thursday, Dec. 22
"I don’t think it’s bad, but I don’t think you really know with a hamstring until the next day," said Rivers, per Rowan Kavner of the Clippers' official website.
Paul Remains Backbone of Clippers
This is another setback for the point guard, who broke a bone in his right hand during Los Angeles' first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers last season. The injury kept him out for the rest of the series, which the Clippers lost in six games.
Losing Paul again is a difficult blow for the Clippers. ...
Chris Paul Proving Invaluable for LA Clippers and Other Thursday NBA Takeaways
December 23rd, 2016 by Adam Fromal No comments »
Chris Paul is valuable enough to the Los Angeles Clippers under normal circumstances, but his necessity skyrockets with Blake Griffin out of the lineup as the latter recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery.
No matter how well DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick and the hordes of role players perform, this team belongs to the point guard.
That's what made this particular moment, coming midway through the third quarter of a 106-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, so terrifying:
Per Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, Paul's injury was officially ruled a left hamstring strain, and he was deemed questionable to return. He never did, and the Clippers couldn't sustain the nine-point lead he'd helped earn before his exit.
Los Angeles still won, but don't expect that trend to continue.
Paul means everything to the Clippers. His defensive intensity has helped set the tone on the perimeter, and his constant probing on offense sparks one of the ...
Spurs vs. Clippers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
December 23rd, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The Los Angeles Clippers downed the San Antonio Spurs by 24 points back on Nov. 5, and they followed up that effort by besting them to the tune of a 106-101 win at Staples Center on Thursday evening.
The Clippers (22-8) have now won two in a row, while the Spurs (23-6) watched their five-game winning streak come to an end with the loss.
Chris Paul was superb with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 23 minutes, but he was forced to exit midway through the third quarter with a left hamstring strain, according to the Orange County Register's Dan Woike.
To put those numbers in perspective, San Antonio's starting backcourt of Tony Parker and Danny Green combined for 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
However, the Clippers were able to overcome Paul's absence because Marreese Speights (14 points, seven rebounds, five assists), Jamal Crawford (11 points), Wesley Johnson (eight points, nine rebounds) and Raymond Felton (13 points) all chimed in ...
Dark-Horse Contenders for the 2016-17 Stanley Cup
December 23rd, 2016 by Steve Macfarlane No comments »
The NHL standings as we hit the Christmas break have some familiar names at the top. There are constant contenders when it comes to the Stanley Cup—teams able to perennially put a squad together that fans just know is going to be making a push for a championship.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals are all in playoff spots as of Dec. 22 and are the class of the Eastern Conference. In the West, the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are the usual suspects.
As for the others filling out the playoff spots and contending for wild-card berths, there are plenty of surprises. There are also some disappointments who are falling short of those spots, for various reasons.
Mixed in with the bona fide Cup candidates are some dark horses who may beat the odds and battle for the ...
Lakers vs. Heat: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
December 22nd, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The Miami Heat trailed by as many as 19 points in the first half, but a balanced scoring effort that saw five players score at least 14 points allowed them to snap their three-game losing streak and slip past the Los Angeles Lakers 115-107 at American Airlines Center on Thursday night.
Miami's complete effort was spearheaded by Justise Winslow, who stole the show by snapping out of his shooting slump with a career-high 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting to go with 13 rebounds and four steals.
Hassan Whiteside pitched in 23 points and 13 boards, while James Johnson and Goran Dragic dropped 19 and 21 points, respectively. Tyler Johnson got in on the action with 14 points and six assists, and the Heat shot 53.6 percent from the field and 50 percent from three in the offensive showcase.
The Lakers received 27 points from Lou Williams, 20 from Nick Young and 17 from D'Angelo Russell, but defensive shortcomings down the ...
One Thing on Every NBA Team’s 2016 Holiday Wish List
December 22nd, 2016 by Dan Favale No comments »
We can't say for certain whether NBA teams pen letters to Santa sometime in December.
Equally important, we can't confirm they don't.
Pretty much every squad, after all, has at least one pressing need or desire. Most have far more.
Many of these yearnings come down to acquiring a certain player or type of talent via trade. Other teams will be more interested in seeing leaps from incumbents and general internal improvement. Some will be after draft picks. One particular team will want to get rid of a certain someone.
Every possible wish for each franchise is on the table. And in the spirit of the ultra-greedy holiday season, the most ambitious urges will receive special consideration.
With that said, any proposed solutions—i.e., "Ideal Gifts"—must have a semblance of reality.Begin Slideshow
Jaromir Jagr Passes Mark Messier for 2nd on NHL’s All-Time Points List
December 22nd, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
Florida Panthers right winger Jaromir Jagr moved into second place on the NHL's all-time scoring list with an assist in the third period of Thursday's game against the Boston Bruins.
Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com noted the veteran passed Mark Messier with the assist on Aleksander Barkov's goal.
According to Cotsonika, Messier said on the scoreboard, "It is an honor for me to pass this baton on to you."
The NHL reacted to the impressive feat:
Alain Poupart of NHL.com said Jagr tied Messier with three assists Tuesday.
Per Poupart, the winger said, "If it happens, it happens" when discussing whether he would pass Messier Thursday. "If it doesn't, it doesn't. Hopefully I can have an opportunity the next game. Just win the hockey game. Hopefully sooner or later, it's going to happen."
While the 44-year-old Jagr is a surefire future Hall of Famer who eclipsed hockey royalty Thursday, he is never going to catch the Great One. ...
Goran Dragic Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation Surrounding Heat Guard
December 22nd, 2016 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
It's been a difficult start of the 2016-17 season for the Miami Heat, to say the least, which could lead to the team looking to sell off some of its assets, including point guard Goran Dragic.
Continue for updates.
Dragic Comments on Trade Rumors
Friday, Dec. 23
"It didn’t [come] from me," Dragic said, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports. "So, that’s not true. I totally deny that. That’s bulls--t."
Dragic, Heat Looking Are Looking for a Deal
Thursday, Dec. 22
According to Chris Mannix of The Vertical, Dragic is "open to a trade," as the Heat have already "pursued that option."
Dragic Plays Integral Role in Heat's Backcourt
Dragic was expected to help bring the Heat back into contention within the conference after they acquired him from the Phoenix Suns toward the end of the 2014-15 season.
It was the Heat's first season without LeBron James, who returned to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers during the previous summer.
But with Chris ...
Kenyon Martin Blasts George Karl After Coach Criticizes Players in Memoir
December 22nd, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl is set to release a memoir in the near future, and excerpts were released Thursday that did not paint a flattering picture of Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin.
According to the New York Post's Marc Berman, Karl compared his former Nuggets stars to "the spoiled brats you see in junior golf and junior tennis."
Karl also touched on the absence of a father in Anthony's and Martin's lives as a reason for what he perceived as troublesome attitudes.
"Kenyon and Carmelo carried two big burdens: all that money and no father to show them how to act like a man," he wrote, per Berman.
Shortly after the excerpts came out, Martin tweeted his thoughts regarding Karl's pointed words on Thursday:
Martin added: "Everyone that's played for that awful person and coach can't stand the ground he walks on. Having a lot of wins doesn't make you a good ...