Bulls vs. Bucks: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
December 15th, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
If the Milwaukee Bucks are going to make the playoffs after last season's absence, they need to beat the mid-tier contenders in the Eastern Conference.
They did that with relative ease during a 108-97 victory over the Chicago Bulls in a Central Division clash Thursday.
The Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak and reached the .500 mark for the campaign by improving to 12-12, while the Bulls lost their second contest in a row and fell to 13-12 on the season.
It was a two-man show for Milwaukee, as Giannis Antetokounmpo stuffed the stat sheet with 30 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Jabari Parker added 28 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Parker and Mirza Teletovic each hit three shots from deep as the Bucks shot 55 percent from three-point range.
ESPN Stats & Info noted the two-man dominance is becoming a pattern this season:
Chicago showed a pulse in ...
James Harden Tied Hakeem Olajuwon for Most Triple-Doubles in Rockets History
December 15th, 2016 by Daily Facts No comments »
Fact: James Harden recorded his 14th career triple-double (15 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds) Wednesday night in the Rockets' 132-98 win over the Kings. His 14 triple-doubles tie him with Hakeem Olajuwon for most in Rockets history.
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New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors: Live Score, Highlights and Reaction
December 15th, 2016 by Matthew Schmidt No comments »
Klay Thompson scored 25 points, JaVale McGee added 17 and the Golden State Warriors handled the New York Knicks, 103-90 at Oracle Arena Thursday night.
Carmelo Anthony (shoulder) and Derrick Rose (back) were both sidelined for the Knicks.
The Warriors put forth one of the crazier performances you will see in the NBA, assisting on their first 36 made field goals.
The streak finally ended when Ian Clark hit a floater with 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Golden State finished with 41 dimes on 46 made baskets overall.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were the high-assist men for the Dubs, tallying eight assists apiece.
Durant also added 15 points and 14 rebounds.
The Warriors led by as many as 25 points in this game and shot 46.9 percent from the floor.
Justin Holiday led New York with 15 points off the bench.
Brandon Jennings was the only Knicks starter to score in double figures, recording 10.
New York ...
Gregg Popovich Comments on Death of Craig Sager
December 15th, 2016 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has created a reputation as a man of few words based on his interviews with various sideline reporters over the years.
But he had an undeniable friendship with TNT's Craig Sager, who died Thursday from leukemia.
Before the Spurs' game Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns, a somber Popovich spoke with the media about Sager, via Gerald Bourguet of Hoops Habit:
During Sager's illness, which lasted more than two years, Popovich was one of the on-air personality's most boisterous supporters, which was a surprising change of pace for the steely-eyed head coach who can make even the most seasoned reporter uneasy.
He often sent words of encouragement to Sager from sideline interviews, and it was easy to see the joy Pop felt when Sager returned to work in December 2015:
He further delved into his relationship with Sager during an interview with HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, ...
Donatas Motiejunas Becomes Unrestricted Free Agent: Latest Details, Reaction
December 15th, 2016 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
The Houston Rockets renounced their rights to power forward Donatas Motiejunas on Thursday, making him an unrestricted free agent, per NBA.com.
Motiejunas spent his first four NBA seasons with the Rockets, averaging 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey released a statement through NBA.com about the transaction: "Donatas was a true professional throughout his four seasons with the Rockets. We wish Donatas the best moving forward and want to thank him for his contributions both on the court and in the community."
Motiejunas hasn't played this season as he was a restricted free agent while he and the organization could not settle on a contract.
On Dec. 3, he signed a four-year, $37 million offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets, but the Rockets matched it two days later and managed to retain his rights.
Head coach Mike D'Antoni continued to praise Motiejunas during the process, stressing how integral of a part he ...
Jerryd Bayless Injury: Updates on 76ers PG’s Recovery from Wrist Surgery
December 15th, 2016 by Scott Polacek No comments »
The Philadelphia 76ers announced they will be without guard Jerryd Bayless for the remainder of the 2016-17 season after he underwent successful surgery for a torn ligament in his wrist, per Tom Moore of Calkins Media.
Continue for updates.
Bayless' Wrist Will Be Immobilized for 12 Weeks
Thursday, Dec. 15
Moore shared the 76ers' statement:
According to an NBA.com release, Philadelphia's medical staff discovered the source of Bayless' wrist soreness Oct. 21 but elected to try non-surgical treatment for the injury. However, the guard fell multiple times during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 23, which "resulted in significant impact to the wrist."
Bayless—who has played for the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans), Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2008—appeared in just three games for the 76ers this season, averaging 11.0 points and 4.3 assists per contest behind 34.4 percent shooting ...
Sorry, but Sidney Crosby Was Not Canada’s Top Athlete in 2016
December 15th, 2016 by Jonathan Willis No comments »
Earlier this week, a media panel unveiled its choice as the top Canadian athlete of 2016. To the chagrin of many in the hockey world, the honour went not to Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby but rather to Olympic swimmer Penny Oleksiak.
The panel had a good reason for the decision: Oleksiak, not Crosby, was the deserving winner of the Lou Marsh Trophy.
That isn’t meant as a slight to Crosby, who in 2016 added yet another brilliant year to an outstanding professional career.
Crosby won his first Conn Smythe as NHL playoff MVP, along with his second Stanley Cup. He was the leading scorer and MVP in the World Cup and won that tournament as part of a stacked Canadian entry. He scored a whopping 110 points in 92 total regular-season and playoff games at the NHL level, leading the league in production over that span.
And yet, as impressive as those accomplishments are, ...
NHL Prospects Running out of Time to Prove Themselves
December 15th, 2016 by Steve Macfarlane No comments »
Not every pick in an NHL draft pans out. While some become league superstars, others battle to adjust to the speed at the game's highest level. Many never make it at all, but some plug away in the hockey version of purgatory—bouncing between the minors and the NHL until they become a regular in one or the other.
Because of the incredible investment teams put into their higher picks, they're not quick to quit on a prospect. Eventually, though, the league's general managers have to make a decision on each player. They can get some value on the trade market for a player who still has some upside, dedicate themselves to more development time or, in extreme cases, just cut bait.
For some of the players on this list of NHL prospects who are running out of time to prove themselves, those decisions have already been made by their original clubs and they're ...
Philadelphia Flyers Power Forward Wayne Simmonds Is the NHL’s Biggest Bargain
December 15th, 2016 by Adrian Dater No comments »
DENVER—Wayne Simmonds will earn $4.3 million in base salary for the 2016-17 NHL season, which, divided by 82, means he is making $52,439.24 per game with the Philadelphia Flyers. He is definitely a 1-percenter, a man making an enormous amount of money to play a game for a living.
Yet, in comparison to what some others are making in the NHL and what they give their teams in return, compared to what he means to the Flyers, Simmonds is seriously underpaid. The 28-year-old right wing has established himself as arguably the best power forward in the NHL, a throwback type of player who could have just as easily played for the great "Broad Street Bullies" teams of the 1970s as he can in the current, warp-velocity NHL.
He is a leading man on a Flyers team that has won 10 in a row and vaulted from the lower third of the NHL ...
What the New CBA Means for Thunder’s Chances at Re-Signing Russell Westbrook
December 15th, 2016 by Jon Hamm No comments »
The NBA players and owners have agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement months in advance of a potential lockout. There should be much rejoicing now that any potential work stoppage appears to be avoided.
This should include Oklahoma City, even as the outgoing CBA has been a thorn in the Thunder's side since 2011. Radical changes in that agreement—such as stiffer luxury-tax penalties, rollbacks in veteran extensions and limitations on extending rookie-scale contracts—threw a wrench in the team's best-laid plans.
Thus, Thunder general manager Sam Presti must be thrilled to get in front of potential land mines this time around.
As with any new agreement, there will be salary-cap rule changes and additions. For example, luxury-tax rules will be "softened" for some teams, and trade rules will be "liberalized," according to Sports Illustrated. Minimum-salary contracts and various salary-cap exceptions will increase by 45 percent.
A new perk called the "designated veteran" rule gives teams an ...