Pacers vs. Heat: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
December 14th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The Miami Heat (9-17) started the month 1-5, but they've now won back-to-back games following a resilient 95-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers (13-13) Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.
Miami's second consecutive win was anchored by a sensational performance from center Hassan Whiteside, who finished with 26 points (10-of-16 shooting) and 22 rebounds. Whiteside joined Andre Drummond and DeMarcus Cousins as the only players to record at least 25 points and 20 rebounds in a game this season.
As if that wasn't impressive enough, Whiteside now owns two 20-point, 20-rebound efforts this season—one shy of Drummond's league-leading total of three.
Miami's bench complemented Whiteside in a big way, and a trio of contributors stood out.
Tyler Johnson led all Heat reserves with 15 points, five rebounds and four blocks, while James Johnson added 14 points and six assists. Josh Richardson chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and three dimes on a night when ...
NBA, NBPA Agree on New CBA: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction
December 14th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have been engaged in intense negotiations regarding a new collective bargaining agreement for months, and the two sides put the finishing touches on the new accord Wednesday.
The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears and The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the NBA and NBPA agreed in principle to a new seven-year CBA. According to Wojnarowski, the deal includes a mutual opt-out clause in 2022.
Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo provided a snapshot of the joint press release announcing the tentative agreement:
Wojnarowski wrote that both the owners and players have to go through the process of ratifying the new CBA, but he classified those actions as a formality.
NBA TV broke down the news shortly before the announcement was made:
Citing sources, Wojnarowski reported the NBA will shorten the preseason and start the regular season a week earlier to help space out games and eliminate the number of back-to-backs teams play.
He also reported ...
Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs: Live Score, Highlights and Reaction
December 14th, 2016 by Matthew Schmidt No comments »
Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 17 points and 13 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs topped the Boston Celtics, 108-101, at the AT&T Center Wednesday night.
Both teams were missing key players in this one, as Isaiah Thomas was sidelined for the fourth consecutive game due to a groin injury and LaMarcus Aldridge sat due to rest.
The Spurs were in control for most of this contest, leading by as many as 15 points.
The Celtics made several runs throughout the game, taking a one-point lead after trailing by 12 in the first half and later trimming a 15-point third-quarter deficit to one, but the Spurs answered the bell each time.
Every time San Antonio needed a bucket, Leonard was there, making well-contested shots from all over the floor.
The 2014 Finals MVP went 9-of-17 from the field and made all seven of his free-throw attempts.
The Spurs shot 55 percent as a ...
Ranking the 10 Most Consistent Veterans in the NHL
December 14th, 2016 by Allan Mitchell No comments »
A 23-man NHL roster is in a constant state of change, especially during the regular season and playoffs. General managers hold consistent performers in high esteem, as each problem that can be solved with confidence reduces the portion of the roster left to rookies, experiments and chance.
Barring injury, a bona fide NHL player should be productive for a decade or more beginning at age 20. Some players are more consistent than others, and a few perform at outstanding levels year after year. Those players, those special performers, are the heart of their NHL teams.
Here are the 10 most consistent—and excellent—performers in the NHL at this time.
Note: Rankings based on number of years at current level, making allowances for injured seasons.Begin Slideshow
Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat: Live Score, Highlights and Reaction
December 14th, 2016 by Jared Johnson No comments »
The Miami Heat locked up on defense in the fourth quarter en route to a 95-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. Miami moved to 9-17 on the season, and the Pacers are now 13-13.
Indiana held a one-point lead heading into the final frame, but shot just 5-of-18 from the field and had six turnovers in the fourth quarter for a mere 10 points. Credit the Heat's swarming defense for a lot of that ineptitude.
The biggest star of the game was Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who tallied a monster stat line of 26 points, 22 rebounds and two blocks. Meanwhile, his Pacers counterpart, Myles Turner, had just 11 points and seven rebounds. Also having notable performances were James Johnson for the Heat (14 points and six assists off the bench) and Paul George for the Pacers (22 points, but just 8-of-22 shooting).
The Heat will host the Los Angeles ...
Luke Walton Fined $15K: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
December 14th, 2016 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton was fined $15,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for verbally abusing an official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner during his team's 116-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 12, according to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt.
Walton appeared incensed in the first quarter of Monday's loss after a foul wasn't called on Kings center DeMarcus Cousins for grappling with Lakers forward Julius Randle and sending him tumbling to the floor.
The Lakers boss proceeded to call a timeout, at which point he walked onto the floor and engaged in a verbal spat with the game official.
"It’s the same thing I said after the game. Our guys aren’t getting…treated right, then I’m going to stand up for them," Walton said Wednesday, per the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli. "It’s what we do as a team. I was raised that team is a family. ...
Despite Recent Slump, Los Angeles Lakers Are Right Where They Want to Be
December 14th, 2016 by Eric Pincus No comments »
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers pulled out a short-handed win on the road over the Chicago Bulls, 96-90, on the final day of November. Despite playing without starting guards D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young (both injured), the Lakers improved to a respectable 10-10.
The team hasn't won since.
"We're not quite good enough to endure injuries and still win on a consistent basis," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said Sunday at a season-ticket-holder event at Staples Center.
"The last 10 days have been tough. We're in every game. We fight until the very, very end," Kupchak continued. "We're hopeful we can get back some of the guys who have been injured and get back to winning games on a consistent basis."
Russell (knee) and Young (calf) returned, with minute restrictions Sunday, but the Lakers still fell to the New York Knicks, 118-112—followed by their seventh straight defeat Monday, getting blitzed by the Sacramento Kings ...
Why Haven’t the Portland Trail Blazers Taken That Next Step?
December 14th, 2016 by Josh Martin No comments »
LOS ANGELES — There's no place like home, especially after a long road trip.
So many of the problems that plagued the Portland Trail Blazers through four straight losses outside the Moda Center seemed to melt away during their 114-95 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
The Blazers' Charmin-soft defense? It held the Thunder to 37.9 percent shooting.
The unproductive bench? It outscored OKC's without much fuss, 44-38.
The late-game struggles? Not even Portland, after blowing three consecutive fourth-quarter leads, could give away a 26-point edge in the final frame.
But one good game—even one that gave the Blazers their first win this season on the second half of a back-to-back—can't soothe all the concerns that cropped up during a 1-4 road trip, especially with the paper-thin Thunder missing their second-leading scorer, Victor Oladipo.
Portland's defense sits toward the bottom of the NBA's barrel. Its bench has been one of the least productive in ...
NBA B/R Kicks of the Week: Best on Court for NBA Week 8
December 14th, 2016 by Giancarlo Ferrari-King No comments »
Don’t look now, but our NBA Kicks of the Week series is back with some more on-foot heat.
Over the last seven days, we saw a superstar guard debut his latest signature shoe, an unlikely member of the Los Angeles Lakers make the list and even a Nike Air Foamposite Pro appearance. Plus, for the first time ever, we’re throwing it back to honor a special pair of kicks worn in November—more on that later.
Understanding the criteria used for this week's list, here are the top five kicks worn by your favorite NBA players.Begin Slideshow
Lakers News: Latest on D’Angelo Russell Injury, Team Avoiding Trump Hotel
December 14th, 2016 by Thomas Duffy No comments »
After a solid start to the 2016-17 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t just cooled off.
They’ve frozen.
Losers of seven straight, the 10-17 Lakers and 36-year-old head coach Luke Walton will enter Wednesday night’s winnable contest with the Brooklyn Nets looking to get back on track.
“The reaction to losing is something Walton monitors,” Tania Ganguli wrote for the Los Angeles Times after the team’s loss to the New York Knicks. “He said the danger lies in two places. A team can become OK with losing. Or players might start trying to fix the issues by themselves. He said he hasn’t seen that happening yet.”
Here are two updates to keep in mind as Walton matches wits with another first-year head coach, Kenny Atkinson.
D'Angelo Russell's minutes could increase
After averaging 16.8 points, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 42.3 percent from the field in his first 12 games of the ...