Rockets vs. Heat: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
January 17th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
The Houston Rockets have been cruising along during their first season under head coach Mike D'Antoni, but they hit a speed bump Tuesday evening in South Beach.
Matched up against the fledgling Miami Heat (12-30), the Rockets (32-12) fell victim to sloppy passing, shoddy shooting and general lethargy in a 109-103 loss. The win represented Miami's third since Dec. 22, while the loss was Houston's third over its past four games.
The Rockets—who are the only NBA team with over 600 made threes so far this season—were in an uncharacteristic funk from beyond the arc all night. They finished 9-of-39 on long-range attempts.
Of course, it didn't help that Ryan Anderson (illness) was unavailable and Eric Gordon (seven points, 3-of-17 shooting) couldn't buy a bucket.
As a result, James Harden's 13th triple-double of the season (40 PTS, 12 REB, 10 AST)—and fourth with at least 40 points, per SportsCenter on Twitter—went to waste:
The Heat were paced by 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists ...
Luol Deng Injury: Updates on Lakers Star’s Wrist and Return
January 17th, 2017 by Adam Wells No comments »
As the Los Angeles Lakers look to improve during the 2016-17 season, Luol Deng suffered a sprained wrist that will keep him out for at least one game.
Continue for updates.
Deng Out vs. Nuggets
Tuesday, Jan. 17
The Vertical's Chris Mannix, citing a Lakers announcement, first reported the news.
Deng was largely healthy during his two-year stint with the Miami Heat, appearing in 146 of 164 regular-season games. He was banged up during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Toronto Raptors last year, though, leaving in the third quarter with a wrist injury after scoring just four points.
The 31-year-old has had his minutes monitored after 12 seasons in the NBA. He averaged 32.4 minutes per game last season, the second-lowest mark of his career.
The Lakers have their small forward of the future in Brandon Ingram (19), and Julius Randle (22) has tremendous upside at power forward. Deng was brought in to ...
Lamar Odom Comments on Addiction, Entering Rehab
January 17th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Lamar Odom voluntarily checked himself into rehab in December as a proactive move to try to stay sober, according to Us Weekly, and he recently appeared on The Doctors to discuss how life has been since undergoing treatment.
During a wide-ranging interview (h/t Complex.com's Gain Evans), Odom touched on how rehab helped him and where addiction could have led him if he didn't seek help.
"I think the most important thing I took away from there was that I'm stronger than I give myself credit for being," he said. "I think I surprised myself."
Odom later disclosed group therapy sessions during rehab helped him open up and discuss how the death of his son and death of his grandmother fueled his substance abuse.
"Just realizing the dramatic effects that it had on my addiction," he said. "And that everyone is dealing with the same things that you are. We became family rather quickly."
Odom—who was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel ...
Chris Paul Injury Update: Clippers Star to Undergo Thumb Surgery
January 17th, 2017 by Tyler Conway No comments »
The Los Angeles Clippers announced Tuesday that point guard Chris Paul will undergo surgery on his left thumb after an MRI revealed a torn ligament.
Paul, 31, left Monday's 120-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter after jamming his thumb while defending Russell Westbrook. He did not return and was initially diagnosed with a sprain after X-rays were negative.
The Clippers expect him to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery Wednesday.
Paul previously suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb during the 2012 offseason, though the timing allowed him to avoid missing games.
This is a frustrating blow for the Clippers, who appear snakebitten by injuries. Blake Griffin has been out with a knee injury since a Dec. 18 loss to the Washington Wizards and has no definitive return timetable. Even Paul missing the bare minimum of six weeks keeps him out until March.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers spoke to reporters about the team's injury ...
Omri Casspi Injury: Updates on Kings Forward’s Calf and Return
January 17th, 2017 by Tyler Conway No comments »
Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi is expected to miss the next one to two weeks due to a calf injury.
Continue for updates.
Casspi Suffers Calf Injury
Tuesday, Jan. 17
Casspi, 28, suffered the injury Monday in practice and underwent an MRI, per James Ham of CSN Bay Area. He last played six minutes in Friday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and was inactive Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In his third season back in Sacramento, Casspi has found himself on the outside of the rotation. He's averaging 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds, shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. He's missed double-digit games each of the last two seasons due to injury.
"(Casspi is) a good shooter, smart cutter, and he loves Sacramento," head coach Dave Joerger said, per Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. "He's been through some tough times here. I know his heart is in it. It's a changing year for us ...
Warriors Owner Joe Lacob Comments on Kevin Durant’s Future with Warriors
January 17th, 2017 by Adam Wells No comments »
Things are going well for Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob, as his team has the NBA's best record (35-6) and they just broke ground on a new arena in San Francisco.
One topic of conversation already being asked about is Kevin Durant's future with the Warriors, though Lacob doesn't seem concerned the former NBA MVP will be leaving anytime soon.
Lacob told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated there is "every expectation" to believe Durant will re-sign with the Warriors.
Durant signed a two-year contract with Golden State over the summer, though the second year is a player option. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder, leading the franchise to a Western Conference title in 2012.
At the time of Durant's decision, he wrote for the Players' Tribune it was a calculated and well-thought-out move:
The primary mandate I had for myself in making this ...
Ricky Rubio Trade Rumors: News, Speculation Surrounding Timberwolves Guard
January 17th, 2017 by Tyler Conway No comments »
The Minnesota Timberwolves have finally done the seemingly inevitable, placing point guard Ricky Rubio on the trade block.
Continue for updates.
Wolves Pushing for Rubio Trade
Tuesday, Jan. 17
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported the Timberwolves are "actively" looking to move Rubio, though no trade is imminent. Forward Shabazz Muhammad is also being offered with Rubio in a package deal.
Rubio, 26, is averaging a career-low 7.6 points and 7.9 assists per game in his first season under coach Tom Thibodeau.
Selected fifth overall in the 2009 draft, Rubio's future with the Wolves has been the cause of speculation since Minnesota selected Kris Dunn last June. Dunn hasn't done much to prove he's the point guard of the future. He enters Tuesday averaging 3.9 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds, struggling with shot creation and sporting an inconsistent jumper.
The Timberwolves are reportedly looking for a "bridge" point guard who can ease Dunn's eventual transition into the ...
Phil Jackson, Carmelo Anthony Reportedly Meet to Discuss Star’s Knicks Future
January 17th, 2017 by Tyler Conway No comments »
New York Knicks president Phil Jackson and forward Carmelo Anthony met Tuesday to discuss the star's future with the team.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Jackson asked Anthony whether he wanted to remain with the Knicks in the meeting. Shelburne described the face-to-face as "far more contentious than previous sit-downs," but a source told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical that Anthony said he wished to remain in New York.
The nine-time All-Star's future with the team has been the subject of rampant speculation in recent weeks with the 18-24 Knicks descending out of playoff contention. Monday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks was New York's 11th in its last 13 games, leading some to speculate the Knicks would be better off trading Anthony and rebuilding for the future.
Included in that contingent was Charley Rosen, the longtime sports writer who has served as a Jackson mouthpiece during his time in New York. Rosen wrote that Anthony has "outlived ...
Jack Capuano Fired by Islanders: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
January 17th, 2017 by Joe Pantorno No comments »
The New York Islanders announced they relieved Jack Capuano of his head coaching duties on Tuesday.
Assistant general manager Doug Weight will serve as the team's interim head coach.
Capuano was the head coach of the Islanders since the 2010-11 season and ranks second on the franchise's all-time wins list with 227. But a 17-17-8 start to this season has the team with just 42 points, third-worst in the NHL.
However, the team was coming off a 4-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday afternoon.
This was an Islanders team that had been mired in mediocrity since the mid-1990s. Before Capuano took over as head coach, the team had made the postseason just four times since the 1994-95 season.
After he took over for Scott Gordon during the 2010-11 season, Capuano navigated a team with a young, budding star in John Tavares to two playoff-less years.
But during the strike-shortened 2012-13 season, the Islanders managed to ...
2017 NBA Mock Draft: The Top 30 as Season’s Second Half Begins
January 17th, 2017 by Jonathan Wasserman No comments »
The midway point of the NBA season has arrived, and the theme of the draft has become crystal clear: It's all about guards and freshmen in 2017.
We now project the first three picks to be one-and-done lead ball-handlers.
Needs were taken into account for this mock draft, though talent still holds the most weight in determining what order the prospects get picked. Previous trades will also factor heavily into the lottery. If the current standings hold, two of the top six picks will be sent to other teams.
Draft order based on NBA standings heading into Monday, January 16, 2017. Draft-pick trades were accounted for.Begin Slideshow