Category Archives: NBA

NBA Western Conference Finals: Warriors even series against Thunders

The NBA Western Conference Finals are tied at one game apiece as the Golden State Warriors rebounded with a 118-91 blowout victory in Game 2 against Oklahoma City Thunders.

Just when thousands of OKC fans thought that their team could do the unthinkable in this year’s playoff—to beat the most dominant NBA basketball team today—the Golden State, why not? The Thunders are playing their best basketball in the season. They’ve won four straight playoff games, eliminated the San Antonio Spurs and handed the Warriors their first home playoff loss of the year.

But let’s not get too carried away, as the Golden State just proved that they weren’t fretting about one home loss.

The Warriors quickly built a seven-point lead in the first quarter of West Finals’ Game 2, and they were in control until the Thunders took a one-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first half but the Golden State surged into a 57-49 halftime lead.

NBA Western Conference Finals: Warriors even series against Thunders

The NBA Western Conference Finals are tied at one game apiece as the Golden State Warriors rebounded with a 118-91 blowout victory in Game 2 against Oklahoma City Thunders.

Just when thousands of OKC fans thought that their team could do the unthinkable in this year’s playoff—to beat the most dominant NBA basketball team today—the Golden State, why not? The Thunders are playing their best basketball in the season. They’ve won four straight playoff games, eliminated the San Antonio Spurs and handed the Warriors their first home playoff loss of the year.

But let’s not get too carried away, as the Golden State just proved that they weren’t fretting about one home loss.

The Warriors quickly built a seven-point lead in the first quarter of West Finals’ Game 2, and they were in control until the Thunders took a one-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first half but the Golden State surged into a 57-49 halftime lead.

NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers crush Raptors in Game 1

The Toronto Raptors was completely outclassed by the Cleveland Cavaliers on the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals at 115-84.

The Eastern conference features two teams who did not share a path to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Raptors, after 21 years, has finally reached the conference finals, but that’s after a number of do-or- die games in the round one and two of the NBA Playoffs. And we have the Cleveland who are rolling through the East with ease.

The first six minutes of the Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 looked promising for the visiting Raptors as the Cavaliers appeared to be a little rusty after an eight-day layoff.

This wasn’t the three-point demolition the Atlanta Hawks saw but this just proves that the Cavs are more than just a three-point shooting team. It helps when your opponents are so worried about that skill that they leave the lane wide open.

NBA Western Conference Finals: Thunders steal Game 1 against Dubs

The Golden State Warriors trail 1-0 in the Western Conference Finals after suffering a 108-102 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1.

The Western Conference finals features two teams who has adapted successfully during the post season. The Warriors had one playoff game without the injured MVP Steph Curry and the Thunder beat the almighty San Antonio Spurs.

Everything looked good for the Warriors early on as the Thunder trailed by 13 at the half, Klay Thompson was on fire and Curry buzzer-beating three to end the half indicated that it was the Warriors’ night. But the Oklahoma City outscored the Warriors 61-42 in the third and fourth quarters and eventually steal the home-court advantage in the opener of the Thunder’s fourth West finals in six years.

Russell Westbrook scored 27, had 12 assists and seven steals to lead Oklahoma City’s attack. Kevin Durant, who made a key 17-foot jumper with 30.7 seconds left, had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Steven Adams with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

NBA Western Conference Finals: Thunders steal Game 1 against Dubs

The Golden State Warriors trail 1-0 in the Western Conference Finals after suffering a 108-102 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1.

The Western Conference finals features two teams who has adapted successfully during the post season. The Warriors had one playoff game without the injured MVP Steph Curry and the Thunder beat the almighty San Antonio Spurs.

Everything looked good for the Warriors early on as the Thunder trailed by 13 at the half, Klay Thompson was on fire and Curry buzzer-beating three to end the half indicated that it was the Warriors’ night. But the Oklahoma City outscored the Warriors 61-42 in the third and fourth quarters and eventually steal the home-court advantage in the opener of the Thunder’s fourth West finals in six years.

Russell Westbrook scored 27, had 12 assists and seven steals to lead Oklahoma City’s attack. Kevin Durant, who made a key 17-foot jumper with 30.7 seconds left, had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Steven Adams with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

A Look Back At The 2016 NBA Playoffs So Far

We started with 16 teams, and now we’ve whittled our way down to the last four standing in the 2016 NBA playoffs. Amazingly, none of those teams are the San Antonio Spurs. It seems like a damn shame unless you’re an unapologetic fan of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder will try to manage the unthinkable against the Warriors starting Monday night, while Toronto will have to hold on for dear life as they try to withstand LeBron James and the undefeated Cavaliers. Let’s take a look back before we spring forward in to the Conference Finals.

SOMEBODY POKED THE BEAR IN CLEVELAND

(Sweep Detroit 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS and Atlanta 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS)

Don’t even act like you saw this coming. Cleveland’s gone from this completely dysfunctional crop of idiots to an undefeated juggernaut in a damn hurry. Sure, they beat up on the Detroit Pistons (who are so staggeringly close to being a contender) and the helpless Atlanta Hawks (what the hell happened to them?), but in the process they’ve become the best offensive team in the playoffs.

A Look Back At The 2016 NBA Playoffs So Far

We started with 16 teams, and now we’ve whittled our way down to the last four standing in the 2016 NBA playoffs. Amazingly, none of those teams are the San Antonio Spurs. It seems like a damn shame unless you’re an unapologetic fan of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder will try to manage the unthinkable against the Warriors starting Monday night, while Toronto will have to hold on for dear life as they try to withstand LeBron James and the undefeated Cavaliers. Let’s take a look back before we spring forward in to the Conference Finals.

SOMEBODY POKED THE BEAR IN CLEVELAND

(Sweep Detroit 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS and Atlanta 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS)

Don’t even act like you saw this coming. Cleveland’s gone from this completely dysfunctional crop of idiots to an undefeated juggernaut in a damn hurry. Sure, they beat up on the Detroit Pistons (who are so staggeringly close to being a contender) and the helpless Atlanta Hawks (what the hell happened to them?), but in the process they’ve become the best offensive team in the playoffs.

Companies can now advertise on NBA jerseys, except for DraftKings, FanDuel

Companies will soon be allowed to rent a small space on NBA jerseys, but only if their business doesn’t involve daily fantasy sports.

Last month, ESPN’s Darren Rovell reported that that NBA board of governors has greenlighted a three-year program that will allow teams to carry advertisements on their jerseys. Basically, businesses can buy a 2.5-inch-by-2.5-inch space on regular game-day jerseys starting with the 2017-18 season.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver forecast the program to bring in as much as $100 million a year, still small compared to the league’s overall revenues which Silver expects to reach $7 billion next season. According to the report, the money from the jersey advertisement will be split with the players.

But there’s a catch: the league is restricting the companies who can advertise, and the restrictions apply to businesses involved with alcohol, tobacco, politics, media, Nike competitor, or gambling including daily fantasy sports sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel.

NBA Playoffs Update – Rethinking How We Recognize Coach of the Year

By now you’ve learned and read about Steve Kerr winning Coach of the Year award, despite only having coached for half the season due to a chronic back injury that required extensive recovery.

I’m not going to rant and rave about Kerr as the recipient because there’s part of me that believes he deserves it. Yes, he wasn’t around till the All-Star break, but it goes without saying that he instilled a system and culture that resonated wildly with his roster. There’s no denying his impact on this 73-win team.

Even saying that, there’s another part of me that’s all, “WTF?! He only coached for half the year!” It’s hard to give the award to anyone else when the Golden State Warriors broke a record nobody thought anyone could, so I can understand why the pollsters were in a tough position. But I think that there’s a better way to acknowledge other coaches.

There are arguments for others in the conversation, especially Gregg Popovich, who has reigned supreme as the best coach in the business.

NBA Playoffs Update – Rethinking How We Recognize Coach of the Year

By now you’ve learned and read about Steve Kerr winning Coach of the Year award, despite only having coached for half the season due to a chronic back injury that required extensive recovery.

I’m not going to rant and rave about Kerr as the recipient because there’s part of me that believes he deserves it. Yes, he wasn’t around till the All-Star break, but it goes without saying that he instilled a system and culture that resonated wildly with his roster. There’s no denying his impact on this 73-win team.

Even saying that, there’s another part of me that’s all, “WTF?! He only coached for half the year!” It’s hard to give the award to anyone else when the Golden State Warriors broke a record nobody thought anyone could, so I can understand why the pollsters were in a tough position. But I think that there’s a better way to acknowledge other coaches.

There are arguments for others in the conversation, especially Gregg Popovich, who has reigned supreme as the best coach in the business.

NBA – What’s The Best Team To Bet On To Win The Western Conference?

Let’s just jump right in to it. Unlike an Eastern Conference that is ruled over by one team and just one potential upstart, the west is a mine field of explosive potential. The Warriors feel like the automatic bet to win the Western Conference, especially given their odds, but there’s an x-factor here that people don’t really want to talk about. Hell, I don’t even want to mention it.

Spoiler alert – it’s a really morbid talking point.

Golden State Warriors (-190 to win Western Conference)

The reasons to bet on Golden State are pretty simply. They have the best player in the league, they’re the defending champions and they just ripped off a 73-win season that will keep them in contention as one of the best teams of all time.

NBA – What’s The Best Team To Bet On To Win The Western Conference?

Let’s just jump right in to it. Unlike an Eastern Conference that is ruled over by one team and just one potential upstart, the west is a mine field of explosive potential. The Warriors feel like the automatic bet to win the Western Conference, especially given their odds, but there’s an x-factor here that people don’t really want to talk about. Hell, I don’t even want to mention it.

Spoiler alert – it’s a really morbid talking point.

Golden State Warriors (-190 to win Western Conference)

The reasons to bet on Golden State are pretty simply. They have the best player in the league, they’re the defending champions and they just ripped off a 73-win season that will keep them in contention as one of the best teams of all time.

Warriors beat the odds to reach landmark 73 wins

The Warriors have made history once again.

Stephen Curry and the rest of the Golden State Warriors strolled to a 125-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night—the same night that Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant played his last NBA game.

With their recent win, Warriors completed their regular season 73-9, breaking Chicago Bulls’ 20-year-old NBA record for most wins in a season. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played with Michael Jordan in the 95-96 Bulls’ team and has now taken the Golden State past that record, told reporters: “I never thought anyone would break it.”

In a statement, Jordan also congratulated the Warriors saying, “The game of basketball is always evolving and records are made to be broken. The Warriors have been a lot of fun to watch and I look forward to seeing what they do in the playoffs.”

Warriors beat the odds to reach landmark 73 wins

The Warriors have made history once again.

Stephen Curry and the rest of the Golden State Warriors strolled to a 125-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night—the same night that Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant played his last NBA game.

With their recent win, Warriors completed their regular season 73-9, breaking Chicago Bulls’ 20-year-old NBA record for most wins in a season. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played with Michael Jordan in the 95-96 Bulls’ team and has now taken the Golden State past that record, told reporters: “I never thought anyone would break it.”

In a statement, Jordan also congratulated the Warriors saying, “The game of basketball is always evolving and records are made to be broken. The Warriors have been a lot of fun to watch and I look forward to seeing what they do in the playoffs.”

Is Cleveland The Best Bet To Win The Eastern Conference?

The best way to make an Eastern Conference wager in the futures market is one of two ways. You can either just go in heavily on the Cleveland Cavaliers, or you can make a recovery play. This is simply a way of spreading some money around on two or three longshots (in this case, everyone else) and then leveraging enough money on the favorite (in this case Cleveland) to recover all of those other bets. It’s the smart way to take a chance on the market if you feel like Cleveland is as incomplete and infested with plagues as everyone else is trying to make them seem. This is a different tactic than what you’ll have to do in the Western Conference, which I’ll attack later this week.

Cleveland Cavaliers (-325 to win the Eastern Conference)

I’m not going to spend a lot of time here. We can all safely assume that Cleveland is both talented and driven enough to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. This isn’t to say that teams aren’t prone to monumental collapses at any given time, but there’s no point in going on and on about the Cavaliers.

They have dysfunctional problems, but they’re also fully healthy with three of the best players in the entire conference. That talent is enough to overcome a lot of their in-house adversity. Cleveland remains the best option in the Eastern Conference and is a great recovery play if you’d prefer to swing large on some of the other contenders.

Is Cleveland The Best Bet To Win The Eastern Conference?

The best way to make an Eastern Conference wager in the futures market is one of two ways. You can either just go in heavily on the Cleveland Cavaliers, or you can make a recovery play. This is simply a way of spreading some money around on two or three longshots (in this case, everyone else) and then leveraging enough money on the favorite (in this case Cleveland) to recover all of those other bets. It’s the smart way to take a chance on the market if you feel like Cleveland is as incomplete and infested with plagues as everyone else is trying to make them seem. This is a different tactic than what you’ll have to do in the Western Conference, which I’ll attack later this week.

Cleveland Cavaliers (-325 to win the Eastern Conference)

I’m not going to spend a lot of time here. We can all safely assume that Cleveland is both talented and driven enough to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. This isn’t to say that teams aren’t prone to monumental collapses at any given time, but there’s no point in going on and on about the Cavaliers.

They have dysfunctional problems, but they’re also fully healthy with three of the best players in the entire conference. That talent is enough to overcome a lot of their in-house adversity. Cleveland remains the best option in the Eastern Conference and is a great recovery play if you’d prefer to swing large on some of the other contenders.

NBA – Have Golden State and Cleveland Endured Too Much Stress?

This is the point in the season where everyone is supposed to be ramping up for the playoffs. The top seeds are usually locked in, and the teams in the middle of the conference are vying for homecourt advantage in the first round while one or two teams on the outside of the bubble are trying to burst through. That’s the usual story during this time of year in the NBA.

The narrative for this year’s stretch run is about something else entirely.

Preparing for the post-season is all about psychology, and avoiding stress and distraction is a massive part of that. Coaches need their players to launch at full throttle in order to get to the highest stratosphere possible. Physical preparation is part of that, and avoiding injuries is a must, but even regular people like you and me understand the value of entering a serious challenge with a rested, clear mindset. It can be the difference between success and failure. It’s why you don’t go out boozing the night before an exam in college (or why you’re not supposed to anyways).

The two best teams in each conference hold almost miraculous records. Golden State has been involved in The Chase for 73 since October, while Cleveland feels like a Lamborghini being held together by duct tape and crazy glue. Both have endured mountains of mental strain and distraction, and all of those outside factors detract from the ultimate goal of any NBA team’s season.

The Best NBA Prospects in March Madness

The top overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft will make over $14.9 million during the first three years of their professional career. The last pick of the first round will take home a little less than $2 million in that same span. Second round picks will make considerably less. So it’s safe to assume that there’s a lot on the line for the NBA prospects in March Madness this year.

Ironically, the player pegged as the best player in the country is Ben Simmons of LSU. The problem was that Simmons has proven to have character issues due to poor grades, and never got anything significant rolling with the Tigers. His team was so bad despite his presence that he won’t even be a fixture of the tournament.

That’s the case for a lot of players who hope to have their names called at the draft in June. So without further ado, here’s a list of the best prospects to keep an eye during the Dance To End All Dances. Apologies if I omitted your favorite, future player. It’s a lot of guys to cover and I only have so much space.

Brandon Ingram (Duke) – Everyone’s favorite pick to go first overall now that Simmons proved to be too stupid to attend classes and too incapable to get his team in to the 68-team tournament, Ingram needs a bonkers effort to become the best NBA prospect in March Madness. He has the numbers (44.3 percent from field, 41.3 percent from range) but needs to make up for his overall lack of size. At 6-foot-9, you’d probably like your NBA players to weigh more than 190 pounds. To give you an idea of how light that is, Jose Calderon is listed at 210 pounds and he’s only 6-foot-4.

The Best NBA Prospects in March Madness

The top overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft will make over $14.9 million during the first three years of their professional career. The last pick of the first round will take home a little less than $2 million in that same span. Second round picks will make considerably less. So it’s safe to assume that there’s a lot on the line for the NBA prospects in March Madness this year.

Ironically, the player pegged as the best player in the country is Ben Simmons of LSU. The problem was that Simmons has proven to have character issues due to poor grades, and never got anything significant rolling with the Tigers. His team was so bad despite his presence that he won’t even be a fixture of the tournament.

That’s the case for a lot of players who hope to have their names called at the draft in June. So without further ado, here’s a list of the best prospects to keep an eye during the Dance To End All Dances. Apologies if I omitted your favorite, future player. It’s a lot of guys to cover and I only have so much space.

Brandon Ingram (Duke) – Everyone’s favorite pick to go first overall now that Simmons proved to be too stupid to attend classes and too incapable to get his team in to the 68-team tournament, Ingram needs a bonkers effort to become the best NBA prospect in March Madness. He has the numbers (44.3 percent from field, 41.3 percent from range) but needs to make up for his overall lack of size. At 6-foot-9, you’d probably like your NBA players to weigh more than 190 pounds. To give you an idea of how light that is, Jose Calderon is listed at 210 pounds and he’s only 6-foot-4.

Please Stop Making Up Kevin Durant Rumors

According to the Internet, Kevin Durant has been thinking about playing with just about every other team in the NBA. This comes despite his instance that he hasn’t. So who do you believe?

You believe the player, of course. Everyone seems so transfixed on where Durant is going to play in 2016-17, they’re overlooking where he’s playing right now. So let’s discuss all things Kevin Durant and cut out as much crap as we can.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PEOPLE FABRICATING LIES ABOUT KD

He’s been linked from nearly every team in the NBA from New York to Toronto to Washington to [fill in the blank]. It’s impossible to escape it. All a writer needs to do these days is allege that his “sources” told him something up and then off we go. Here’s a look back at the four biggest milestones in this shit show.