Westbrook Fastest to 900 Points, 300 Rebounds and 300 Assists in Single Season
December 22nd, 2016 by Bleacher Report Milestones No comments »
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook recorded 42 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in Wednesday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. As a result, he became the fastest player (29 games) to reach 900 points, 300 rebounds and 300 assists in a season, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Information).
Westbrook sports totals of 908 points, 305 rebounds and 312 assists on the campaign, topping the 900-point and 300-rebound marks with Wednesday's effort. Oscar Robertson was previously the quickest to reach 900, 300 and 300, doing so in 30 games during the 1961-62 season.
The star point guard guided the Thunder to their 17th win of the season, taking down the Pelicans 121-110. The win also pushed the team one game closer to the Utah Jazz and another game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference standings.
While Oklahoma City may not be the contender it ...
Monta Ellis Injury Update: Pacers G Out at Least 2 More Weeks with Injured Groin
December 22nd, 2016 by Adam Wells No comments »
The Indiana Pacers' quest to reach the postseason again hit a snag Thursday when the team announced Monta Ellis will be out an extended period as he continues to nurse a groin injury.
According to the Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor, Ellis will miss at least two more weeks before the team re-evaluates him. Ellis has not suited up since Dec. 10 due to the nagging groin issue.
Rotoworld's Michael Gallagher noted Ellis' injury woes serve as a stark contrast to his previously unblemished medical history:
The Pacers remade their roster last offseason in an attempt to develop a more uptempo offense. The approach did yield some positive results, as they ranked 13th in scoring in 2015-16 after finishing no higher than 20th in the previous three years.
Ellis was one of the key pieces of the revamping, despite struggling to find consistency with his shot, converting on 42.7 percent of his attempts from the field in the ...
David Legwand Retires: Latest Comments and Reaction
December 22nd, 2016 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
Veteran center David Legwand announced his retirement from the NHL on Thursday, via Craig Custance of ESPN:
What a great ride this was, especially having the chance to play nearly 1,000 games for my drafting cub in Nashville, and seeing the growth of the game there; to fulfilling a dream of playing for my hometown Red Wings; to experiencing the positive vibe of playing in Canada's capital of Ottawa; and to end with the talented players of the Buffalo Sabres in my final season.
Legwand spent 17 years in the league, mostly with the Nashville Predators, as he played in 1,136 games while recording 618 points.
After a 2015-16 season with the Buffalo Sabres in which he put up five goals and nine assists in 79 games, the 36-year-old was unable to catch on anywhere else in the league this year.
Legwand broke into the league as an 18-year-old in 1998 as the first ...
Rajon Rondo Comments on Bulls’ Commitment, Work Ethic and More
December 22nd, 2016 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
Through 28 games of the 2016-17 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls are 14-14 and currently sitting in a tie for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference.
For a roster that includes star guards in Jimmy Butler alongside veterans Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, it's an underwhelming start considering the lack of strength in the East.
And it's bothering Rondo, as he spoke with the media Thursday, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
This isn't college. We don't have to go to class, you don't have to wake up at 6 in the morning and do other things. Our job is to play basketball. I feel like, certain individuals are different from others. We might need to spend a little more time learning the playcalling or learning defensive schemes, whatever we need to do. This is our only job. Young, experienced or not, we have enough older guys, we have enough coaches on ...
Henrik Sedin Set to Become 4th Swedish-Born Player with 1,200 Games Played
December 22nd, 2016 by Bleacher Report Milestones No comments »
Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin enters Thursday's matchup with the Winnipeg Jets just one game shy of becoming the fourth Swedish-born player to tally 1,200 career games played, per Sportsnet Stats.
The only players to previously reach the benchmark are Nicklas Lidstrom (1,564), Mats Sundin (1,346) Daniel Alfredsson (1,246). Sedin's twin brother, Daniel, has played 1,176 games and should reach the total later this season if he stays healthy.
The Sedin brothers were drafted second and third overall by the Canucks in the 1999 NHL entry draft and have played alongside each other their entire careers. Each has a 100-point season to his name, and the duo has combined to take home five individual trophies (Henrik three and Daniel two).
Despite the yearly success of the two on Vancouver's top line, the Canucks have reached the Stanley Cup Finals just once during their tenure. The club lost the last two games of the ...
Quarter-Season Grades for Each Boston Celtics Player
December 22nd, 2016 by Brian Robb No comments »
The Boston Celtics faced high expectations this preseason, but they have struggled to live up to that hype a quarter of the way through their 2016-17 campaign.
Several players are putting together terrific individual numbers—such as Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley—but the team overall has been saddled by uneven stretches for the first two months of the year. The periodic struggles have been, for the most part, due to injuries to key contributors (Thomas, Al Horford, Jae Crowder).
"We had a lot of tough challenges, especially at the start of the season, ahead of us," head coach Brad Stevens said last week. "There are things you can't predict going into a new year with regard to availability, but I said at the beginning of the year we're as close to second or third as we are to 10th. We still are."
The tide may be turning after a comeback win over the Memphis ...
Russell Westbrook Records Fourth 40-Point, 10-Rebound Game This Season
December 22nd, 2016 by Daily Facts No comments »
Fact: Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook had 42 points and 10 rebounds in OKC's 121-110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, marking his fourth 40-point, 10-rebound game this season. He is now tied with the Pelicans' Anthony Davis for the league lead in such games.
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NBA B/R Kicks of the Week: Best on Court for NBA Week 9
December 22nd, 2016 by Giancarlo Ferrari-King No comments »
Just in time for the holidays, it's Bleacher Report's weekly look at all of the best sneakers worn in the NBA.
By now, you know the drill. We searched the NBA over the last seven days to find five of the coolest game-worn kicks. The following list includes two special Air Jordan drops, one slept-on Nike staple and the premiere of a brand new Adidas shoe.
As always, leave your thoughts in the comment section. Tell us which sneakers you're feeling and which ones you could do without.Begin Slideshow
Despite Silver Linings, J.R. Smith’s Injury Is Bad News for Shallow Cavaliers
December 22nd, 2016 by Greg Swartz No comments »
The Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (21-6) don't have many flaws, but their primary weakness is about to come to light.
With starting shooting guard J.R. Smith now out for an undetermined amount of time while he undergoes surgery for a broken thumb, an already thin Cavs backcourt will be exposed.
"We're going to miss J.R., his defense, his effort on defense, his tough shot-making," head coach Tyronn Lue said, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. "But that's no excuse for us. Next man up, we've got to be ready to play and we've got to be ready to help J.R. out until he gets back and gets healthy."
Depth has already been an issue in Cleveland with no proven backup to point guard Kyrie Irving. Without Smith, Lue will call on Iman Shumpert, DeAndre Liggins and Jordan McRae to lead the patchwork job until more proven help can be found.
The bright spot? Smith's injury should finally ...
NBA Rookie Ladder: How the Top 10 Stack Up Entering 2017
December 22nd, 2016 by Josh Martin No comments »
2016 can't come to an end soon enough for most of the NBA's current rookies.
Sure, there was plenty of excitement on draft day. And for players such as Joel Embiid and Dario Saric—whose debuts in the Association were put off by circumstances beyond their control—finally getting a taste of the world's best basketball league must've been a treat.
But by and large, the 2016-17 season has thus far been forgettable for those who, in NBA terms, are still wet behind the ears.
Ben Simmons, 2016's No. 1 pick, is recovering from foot surgery. Jaylen Brown, the No. 3 selection, hasn't found any semblance of consistency on a more veteran Boston Celtics squad. Dragan Bender, at No. 4, has fallen behind another rookie teammate of his with the Phoenix Suns. And No. 5 pick Kris Dunn hasn't done enough to steal Ricky Rubio's spot with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Still, there's been progress among other ...