<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Lost-Judgment-5-Things-we-want-to-see-in-the-new-Yakuza-game.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Lost Judgment: 5 Things we want to see in the new Yakuza game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-14T00:31:26-07:00">May 14th, 12:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-14T00:31:26-07:00">May 14th, 12:31am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NeutralGGEsports" rel="facebook">Franz Christian Irorita</a>A writer and content creator, focusing on video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>SEGA <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lost-judgment-release-date-yakuza-spin-off-game-sequel-announced/">recently announced Lost Judgment</a>, a sequel to their spin-off to the <i>Yakuza</i> series, <i>Judgment</i>. So far, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDgaA9RcGLE">announcement trailer</a> already confirmed that this game will take place in both Kamurocho, the main city featured in the majority of the <i>Yakuza</i> games, and Isezaki Ijincho, a city first introduced in <i>Yakuza: Like a Dragon</i>. Both cities featured their own set of fun activities. But given the substories and side activities available in the first <i>Judgment</i> game, it’s a bit difficult to guess what activities will be available to Takayuki Yagami now that his investigation moves him between the two cities.</p><p>That being said, here are our picks for activities that we’re hoping to see in the upcoming game.</p><h2><b><i>Lost Judgment</i>‘s High School Activities</b></h2><p><i>Lost Judgment</i>’s reveal event and trailer showed us a peek of this. Yagami will be going undercover in a high school in Ijincho to gather information to solve the game’s main case. The reveal event mentioned that he’ll be interacting with “students from all walks of life to help them out.” These interactions will unlock optional “School Stories”. While not fully fleshed out yet, the reveal gave us snippets of possible activities that Yagami could get into in <i>Lost Judgment</i>. This includes robotics, boxing, and dancing. All these events look exciting, and we can’t wait to see how these activities further flesh out Yagami’s personality.</p><h2><b>Some Form of Racing</b></h2><p>Dragon Kart was a fun activity first introduced in <i>Yakuza: Like A Dragon</i>. It was a fun, over-the-top go-karting minigame that allowed players to pick up items and use them during races to help them take the lead against their competitors, ala<i>-Mario</i> Kart. On the other hand, <i>Judgment</i> introduced drone racing, which gave Yagami a way to use his drone outside of his investigations. This was a more straightforward type of race that just required you to use your drone and race it across a set track. What both minigames had in common was that they gave you a chance to upgrade your vehicle to your liking. Given the two locations in <i>Lost Judgment</i>, it probably wouldn’t be surprising if we saw either one, or both.</p><h2><b>Gambling: Legal or underground, we don’t care</b></h2><p>In <i>Judgment</i>, L’Amant gave Yagami a place where he could play casino favorite minigames like blackjack and poker. Similarly, <i>Yakuza: Like A Dragon</i> gave us the “Pachislots”, a fusion of Pachinko and Western slot machines. We can expect these gambling activities to return. In both games, these were ways to obtain some items that players could use during fights. The only question now is if gambling we’re getting is a legal activity or an underground one.</p><h2><b>More Fleshed-out Side Cases in <i>Lost Judgment</i></b></h2><p>Exclusive to the <i>Judgment</i> series is the investigation activities. Given that Yagami is a detective, it isn’t surprising that one of the ways to fill his downtime is to solve cases sent to him. The reveal event for <i>Lost Judgment</i> showed us that the scope of work Yagami would need to do for investigations would go beyond tailing (or chasing) people, scanning a scene for clues, and using disguises; as mentioned in the reveal event, side cases in the upcoming game will now highlight Yagami’s stealthiness, wiretapping skills, and athleticism, among other skills. Aside from this, Kamurocho and Ijincho are two very different cities. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how different the citizens of the two cities are through the side cases. In true <i>Yakuza</i> fashion, we can expect the side cases to range from serious crimes to wacky spur-of-the-moment events.</p><h2><b>All the Classic <i>Yakuza</i> Activities</b></h2><p>It’s not a <i>Yakuza</i> game if it doesn’t give you a much wider choice of activities to enjoy during downtime. There were so many small activities available to us throughout the <i>Yakuza</i> series and <i>Judgment.</i> Darts, arcade games, batting, beating up hooligans on the street – the list goes on. It wouldn’t feel like a <i>Yakuza</i> or <i>Judgment</i> game if any of these classics were missing.</p><p>Ready to crack the case? <i>Lost Judgment</i> releases on <b>September 24, 2021,</b> on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lost Judgment: 5 Things we want to see in the new Yakuza game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Twenty-Years-of-Halo-Celebration-Details.jpg"><figcaption>Microsoft</figcaption></figure><h1>Microsoft celebrates 20 years of Halo and Xbox consoles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-14T00:13:18-07:00">May 14th, 12:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-14T00:13:18-07:00">May 14th, 12:13am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NeutralGGEsports" rel="facebook">Franz Christian Irorita</a>A writer and content creator, focusing on video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Gaming</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Before, there was Atari. Then it was Sega and Nintendo. Sony entered with their PlayStation. At last, at the turn of the century, Microsoft entered the fray, introducing the world to <i>Halo </i>and the Xbox console.</p><p>It’s been almost two decades since the release of Microsoft’s Xbox. In 2001, the console came out in the market, and it quickly became the third party in console gaming’s Big Three. Four console generations later and the Xbox brand still stands strong.</p><p>In celebration of both Xbox’s and <i>Halo</i>‘s 20-year anniversary, Microsoft will be conducting a six-month experience for gamers. The celebrations will last until <b>November 15, 2021</b>.</p><h2><i><b>Halo</b></i><b> and Xbox 20-year anniversary celebration</b></h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Join in on the celebration! Dress up your favorite digital surfaces with high-resolution files of our Celebration art. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Xbox20?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Xbox20</a></p><p>📲 <a href="https://t.co/uDWZrBSt3T" target="_blank">https://t.co/uDWZrBSt3T</a> <a href="https://t.co/CLn4SlbCuD" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/CLn4SlbCuD</a></p><p>— Halo (@Halo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Halo/status/1392902717677481985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>To celebrate this incredible milestone, Microsoft has prepared a lot of fun activities and perks for fans of Xbox and of the <i>Halo </i>series. Microsoft lists down on their <a href="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/05/13/celebrating-20-years-of-xbox/">blog post</a>:</p><ul><li>#Xbox20: This celebration is all about you, and we want to hear what Xbox means to you. Use #Xbox20 on social media to share your favorite Xbox moments, stories, friendships, prized possessions, achievements… anything! We’ll be asking loads of questions on Xbox social channels and spotlighting your answers through November 15, so keep an eye out.</li><li>Check out the <a href="https://gear.xbox.com/collections/20th-anniversary-collection">Xbox Gear Shop</a> for the first wave of Xbox 20 Anniversary official gear.</li><li>Show off your Xbox and <i>Halo</i> love with free <a href="http://www.xbox.com/wallpapers">anniversary-themed wallpapers</a>.</li><li>Register today for <a href="http://www.xbox.com/fanfest">Xbox FanFest</a> to participate in 20 Anniversary FanFest activities including exclusive sweepstakes, FanFest gear, and digital experiences.</li><li>Personalize your Xbox experience: check out the new 20-Year gamerpic and “The Original” profile theme in your “Customize Profile” menu.  For Xbox Series X|S owners, “The Original” dynamic background is available in the Personalization menu.</li><li>Looking for something new to play? <a href="http://www.xbox.com/promotions/20-year-collection">Check out this collection</a> featuring some of the greatest games that have marked Xbox history. You can also find the game collection on your Xbox console by searching for “Xbox Anniversary” in the Store.</li><li>Join us today at <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/Xbox">Twitch.tv/Xbox</a> at 11am PT / 2pm ET to kick off the celebration with our livestreaming hosts as they reminisce about two decades of gaming while playing the game that started it all – <i>Halo: Combat Evolved</i> via the <i>Halo: Master Chief Collection</i>.</li><li>We’ll keep the fun going through November with more announcements, activities, and ways to celebrate.  Visit <a href="http://www.xbox.com/20Years">xbox.com/20Years</a> for up-to-date details on anniversary activities throughout the year.</li></ul><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Microsoft celebrates 20 years of Halo and Xbox consoles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Mass-Effect-Legendary-Edition-used-mods-as-benchmark-for-the-remaster.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Mass Effect Legendary Edition used mods as benchmark for the remaster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T23:45:23-07:00">May 13th, 11:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T23:45:23-07:00">May 13th, 11:45pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NeutralGGEsports" rel="facebook">Franz Christian Irorita</a>A writer and content creator, focusing on video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Gaming</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <i>Mass Effect </i>community only has itself to thank for the wonderful upgrades that the developers introduced in Legendary Edition.</p><h2><i><b>Mass Effect </b></i><b>mods made sure Legendary Edition will look fantastic</b></h2><p><a href="https://www.pcgamer.com/mass-effect-legendary-edition-used-mods-as-a-benchmark-for-its-improvements/">As reported by <i>PC Gamer</i></a>, Bioware admitted that they looked at mods for the <i>Mass Effect Trilogy </i>and used them as a benchmark. Project Director Mac Walters had this to say:</p><blockquote>“We actually early on looked at some of those,” Walters said. “OK, well, this is our minimum bar and from here we have to then go bigger, right? Obviously they have limited access as a modder to the assets that are in there. We have full access to them.”</blockquote><p>Environment Director Kevin Meek agreed, saying: “They’re getting these great results with the A Lot of Texture mods and those other up-res ones. So, that actually started us down that kind of the path with some confidence.</p><p>With the limited access modders have to <i>Mass Effect</i>‘s game files, it’s actually amazing how they can push the boundaries of a game. Even for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cyberpunk-2077-mods-guide-how-to-improve-your-cyberpunk-2077-experience/">broken games like <i>Cyberpunk 2077</i></a>, modders find a way to improve games. Even with just demo access, modders already had enough resources to make <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/resident-evil-village-mods-already-built-on-top-of-the-demo/">amazing mods for <i>Resident Evil Village</i></a>. Some mods have become essential enough for games that even developers like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/witcher-3-next-gen-release-had-cdpr-collaborating-with-modders/">CD Projekt Red seek out modders</a> to help them in their next-gen upgrades.</p><p><i>Mass Effect Legendary Edition </i>releases with a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/biggest-changes-mass-effect-legendary-edition/">lot more new features</a> than just graphical upgrades. It becomes the quintessential version of the Trilogy, making it the version to play if you haven’t experienced the game. <i>Mass Effect Legendary Edition </i>releases on <b>May 14, 2021,</b> on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mass Effect Legendary Edition used mods as benchmark for the remaster

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Is-Call-of-Duty-Warzone-getting-a-Mobile-port-soon.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Is Call of Duty Warzone getting a Mobile port soon?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T23:41:15-07:00">May 13th, 11:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T23:41:15-07:00">May 13th, 11:41pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NeutralGGEsports" rel="facebook">Franz Christian Irorita</a>A writer and content creator, focusing on video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Gaming</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Once again, Activision’s actions stirred up rumors that a mobile version of <i>Call of Duty Warzone </i>is in development.</p><h2><i><b>Call of Duty Warzone </b></i><b>Mobile Version in the works?</b></h2><p>Activision <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activision_activision-mobile-is-hiring-activity-6795098557822111745-_0FR/">job listings on Linkedin</a> made fans speculate about a potential <i>Call of Duty Warzone </i>mobile version. The job listing searches for new members of Activision Mobile, hiring globally. “Activision Mobile has put up new roles!” the post reads. “Teams are focused on Live Operations and content expansion across <i>Call of Duty</i>.” Apart from <i>Call of Duty Mobile</i>, Activision Mobile doesn’t have any major projects that will warrant this volume of hiring. One example of these open positions includes one for ‘<a href="https://careers.activision.com/search-results?keywords=mobile&amp;utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=CODM">Engine Programmer – Mobile.</a>‘ “Activision Publishing is currently looking for an Engine Programmer to join the Mobile Team to work on a new mobile title.”</p><p>These job listings have drawn the attention of fans. Is the new mobile title mentioned in these job listings related to a <i>Warzone Mobile </i>version? While there has been no official confirmation yet, this scenario has a good chance of being true.</p><p>Just about a year ago, <a href="https://careers.activision.com/search-results?keywords=mobile&amp;utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=CODM">Activision stirred the rumor mills</a> as well. This happened when they opened a job listing for an Executive Producer, Features (WZM). WZM in this case would have possibly meant <i>Warzone Mobile</i>, and fans got hopeful. However, any word about a potential mobile port for the popular battle royale game has not been made public up to today. There’s no conclusive evidence that Activision is working on or plans to work on a <i>Warzone </i>mobile port or mobile version.</p><p>Meanwhile, <i>Warzone</i>‘s and <i>Call of Duty</i>‘s competitors have also been moving to mobile. One of the most anticipated mobile battle royale games is <i>Apex Legends </i>Mobile, which is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/apex-legends-mobile-release-date-next-for-tencent-after-pubgm/">currently in development by Tencent</a>. <i>The Division </i>Mobile also arrives in the next couple of years, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-division-mobile-game-announced-part-series-revamp/">Ubisoft announced</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Is Call of Duty Warzone getting a Mobile port soon?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/J.-Cole-channels-inner-LeBron-James-with-_The-Off-Season_-drop.jpg"><figcaption>j cole, lebron james, lakers</figcaption></figure><h1>J. Cole channels inner LeBron James in ‘The Off-Season’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T23:11:53-07:00">May 13th, 11:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T23:11:53-07:00">May 13th, 11:11pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>J. Cole just referred to himself as ‘The King’ of the rap world with a huge shoutout to the reigning and defending NBA champion LeBron James. In his latest studio album called ‘The Off-Season’, the rapper mentions the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and lets the whole world know that he’s still on top of his game, just like LeBron.</p><blockquote>“Can’t leave the game yet, I feel like LeBron,” Cole said in his track called ‘100.mil’ (via <a href="https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1393072541078540293">Complex Sports</a>). ‘Still getting better after all this time. 100 mil and I’m still on the grind’.</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Can’t leave the game yet, I feel like LeBron.” </p><p>J. Cole showin’ love to hoopers on The Off-Season 💯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ColeWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#ColeWorld</a> <a href="https://t.co/6Pb1Yqv6UX" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/6Pb1Yqv6UX</a></p><p>— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1393072541078540293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Cole dropped his sixth studio album on Thursday and has the entire world buzzing. Aside from referring to the Lakers’ four-time Finals MVP, the rapper also namedropped other NBA superstars like Ja Morant, Russell Westbrook and even used the voice of Damian Lillard as a sample in one of his tracks. Cole definitely loves his basketball.</p><p>The 36-year-old Grammy winner has been known to dabble in the basketball world. Aside from playing ball in his high school and college days, Cole has been a staple when it comes to NBA All-Star events. He played in the 2012 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and even had a cameo in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-all-star-video-j-cole-tries-dunk-ball-after-knicks-dennis-smith-jr/">2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contest</a> after helping out fellow Fayetteville-native Dennis Smith, Jr. in one of his dunks. Cole tried to steal the show by attempting a one-handed slam but unfortunately missed.</p><p>Cole is also set to make an appearance in the first season of the Basketball Africa League after he signed a contract with the Rwanda Patriots BBC. Don’t be surprised if the rapper goes full-LeBron and drops a triple-double in his pro debut.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

J. Cole channels inner LeBron James in ‘The Off-Season’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Chris-Webber-NBA-TNT.jpg"></figure><h1>Chris Webber posts cryptic tweets moments after leaving TNT</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T22:58:57-07:00">May 13th, 10:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T22:58:57-07:00">May 13th, 10:58pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Chris Webber has always been an articulate dude, leading him to get a job as a TV analyst just a few years after retiring from the NBA. But after his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-chris-webber-immediately-leaves-tnt-wont-call-any-nba-playoff-games-for-the-network/">surprising exit from TNT</a>, it seems Webber chose to use cryptic words to describe his feelings.</p><p>A few moments after announcing he won’t be calling games for TNT anymore, Webber <a href="https://twitter.com/realchriswebber?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1393050014281314306%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">posted a series of tweets</a> that could easily make fans wonder if they’re connected with his recent resignation.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Maaaan. God is sooooo good!</p><p>— Chris Webber (@realchriswebber) <a href="https://twitter.com/realchriswebber/status/1393050014281314306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>A few minutes after that, he responded to a fan’s GIF comment, with the five-time NBA All-Star implying he was dancing in jubilation.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Add a comment you spyin on me✊🏾 <a href="https://t.co/eoJfBcE55z" target="_blank">https://t.co/eoJfBcE55z</a></p><p>— Chris Webber (@realchriswebber) <a href="https://twitter.com/realchriswebber/status/1393055685181591555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Then just a few winks later, he reiterated his previous tweet, proclaiming God is good.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Again… God is sooo good… !</p><p>— Chris Webber (@realchriswebber) <a href="https://twitter.com/realchriswebber/status/1393055998894616579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s unclear if Webber was being sarcastic after losing his TNT job. It’s also quite possible that he immediately received another offer from a different TV network or a different job offer altogether. With Webber’s various talents, it won’t be surprising if he lands another role sooner than later.</p><p>Andrew Marchand of the New York Post broke the news of Webber’s departure from TNT on Thursday evening, although no other details were disclosed. But to recall, C-Webb drew the ire of TNT officials for withdrawing from the NCAA Tournament coverage in March at the last minute, leaving the network scrambling for a replacement.</p><p>Webber’s timing to leave TNT comes at a curious juncture, with the NBA Playoffs just a few days away. By the looks of it, things could get messier, but hopefully, Chris Webber clears the air soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chris Webber posts cryptic tweets moments after leaving TNT

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/X-reasons-Ja-Morant_s-Grizzlies-will-upset-Stephen-Curry_s-Warriors-in-play-in-preview.jpg"></figure><h1>3 reasons Ja Morant’s Grizzlies will upset Stephen Curry’s Warriors in play-in preview</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T22:50:58-07:00">May 13th, 10:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T23:20:35-07:00">May 13th, 11:20pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ja Morant and Stephen Curry will be part of <a href="https://twitter.com/CBN_BBall/status/1129039060205486083">something special</a>. Sunday’s duel between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies will mark the first time in NBA history<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/golden-state-warriors"> that two teams will battle it out</a> for the two play-in lanes.</p><p>The winner will likely become the eighth seed and will therefore need just one win over the seventh seed to officially qualify for the playoffs. The loser of the game will go to the lower lane and will therefore need two wins to qualify. These realities already make for an exciting duel. It’s reasonable to expect the Warriors to easily take care of the Grizzlies.</p><p>But a closer look would reveal that the Warriors are actually a very vulnerable team as opposed to the Grizzlies who have managed to build a good foundation over the last two years.</p><p>As such, here are 3 reasons Ja Morant’s Grizzlies will upset Stephen Curry’s Warriors in Sunday’s battle for the play-in spot.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies have been here before</b></h2><p>This Grizzlies squad knows what it’s like to play in a single game where everything is on the line. Though Sunday’s game will not be the play-in tourney, it has the same tense atmosphere as a play-in tourney or maybe even a Game 7 of a playoff series. With that said, the Grizzlies are more experienced in this matter. To recall, they qualified for the first play-in tourney last season but got booted out by the Portland Trail Blazers.</p><p>One can argue that the Warriors are much more experienced, having a solid core led by Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with the guidance of Steve Kerr. But honestly, that’s all they have. The rest of the players, while extremely talented, haven’t proved anything yet. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, have been tried and tested in combat over the last two seasons. Yes, they are young. But they have built an incredible bond that the Warriors simply do not have at this point.</p><h2><b>Warriors’ inconsistency</b></h2><p>Warriors fans have been extremely satisfied that Stephen Curry is back to his old self after battling a series of injuries over the last two seasons. Curry is back to humiliating foes with his 3-pointers, scoring outbursts, and nifty plays. His antics have led to victories. But the problematic thing is, even in games where Curry goes for on a scoring tear, the Warriors end up in defeat. The Grizzlies know this.</p><p>And the reason is pretty simple: The rest of the Warriors are an inconsistent bunch. The Grizzlies can pounce on them. We’re all familiar with Kelly Oubre’s struggles early on. Props to him for finally finding the rhythm yet there are still games where he just disappears. Somehow the same is true for Andrew Wiggins. He’s obviously more productive than Oubre.</p><p>But for the Warriors to have a fighting chance against the Grizzlies, he needs to put up more than 20 points each night. Something that he is very capable of doing but is not doing.</p><p>As such, expect Curry to show up in this game with a barrage of 3-pointers. But their victory ultimately hinges on the performance of Wiggins, Oubre, and the rest of the crew. And honestly, it wouldn’t be wise to bank on this inherent malleability against the Grizzlies.</p><h2><b>No one can guard Ja Morant and Grizzlies’ bigs</b></h2><p>Interestingly, Sunday’s game will be the first-ever duel between Ja Morant and Stephen Curry. It’s exciting because fans will see two of the top guards (the young and the old) face one another. But frankly, Morant will likely pounce on Curry every chance he gets. Curry has always been a defensive liability. Just recall those playoff games where the likes of Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, or Kyrie Irving would punish Curry every single time. Expect the same result on Sunday for the Grizzlies.</p><p>Apart from Morant, the Warriors will have a tough time dealing with the Grizzlies’ bigs. The Warriors are pretty unlucky that Jaren Jackson Jr. is now back from injury. He has played enough games and his legs are finally underneath him. But apart from Jackson, the Warriors need to worry about veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas as well. The Warriors literally have no counters to these two bigs. Draymond Green and Jordan Bell are okay. But they will never be enough. Expect Jackson and Valanciunas to have a party in the paint and guide the team to victory.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 reasons Ja Morant’s Grizzlies will upset Stephen Curry’s Warriors in play-in preview

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/J.-Cole-honors-Ja-Morant-in-_The-Off-Season_.jpg"><figcaption>j cole, ja morant, grizzlies</figcaption></figure><h1>J. Cole honors Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant in ‘The Off-Season’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T22:38:48-07:00">May 13th, 10:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T23:22:25-07:00">May 13th, 11:22pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>American rapper J. Cole just dropped his latest studio album called ‘<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4JAvwK4APPArjIsOdGoJXX?si=Fg5LzeW9QDeNrwXLej7yLw">The Off-Season</a>‘ and everyone is hyped, especially Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzles. In his single “my.life”, Cole name-dropped the young Memphis superstar to let the entire world know that he’s still one of the greatest rappers in the game right now.</p><blockquote>“Ja Morant, I’m on my Grizzly,” Cole rapped.</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Ja Morant, I'm on my Grizzly." <a href="https://twitter.com/JColeNC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@JColeNC</a> 🐻 <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@JaMorant</a> <a href="https://t.co/fBnsIp2jFa" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/fBnsIp2jFa</a></p><p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1393064574899814402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Cole also went on to drop some bars referring to other superstars in the league right now like aside from Morant. He also mentions LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell Westbrook of the Washington Wizards, and even sampled a post-game presser from Dame D.O.L.L.A. himself, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. I guess it’s safe to say that these records will be <a href="https://twitter.com/CameronWolfe/status/1393068113177059335">playing non-stop</a> once the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/memphis-grizzlies/schedule">NBA Playoffs</a> hit next week (h/t to <a href="https://twitter.com/CameronWolfe/status/1393068113177059335">Cameron Wolfe of ESPN</a>).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">With the Damian Lillard bite, the Ja Morant, Russ Westbrook and Steph Curry mentions this J Cole album gonna be the soundtrack of the NBA playoffs.</p><p>Can’t wait for the car listen with speakers blasting tomorrow.</p><p>— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) <a href="https://twitter.com/CameronWolfe/status/1393068113177059335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>By now, the entire world knows that J. Cole is a huge hoop head. The 36-year-old had his fair share of the basketball limelight in both his high school and collegiate days. He even raised some eyebrows with an impressive alley-oop slam in the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game, just like the young Grizzlies superstar.  To top it all off, the rapper just signed a contract with the Rwanda Patriots BBC for the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League. He is set to play in three-six games for the Patriots as he’s poised to make his professional basketball debut.</p><p>Now that’s how you make a promo for your record. Cole is looked up to as one of the best rappers in the game right now and it seems that he’s further cementing his spot at the top with all his latest moves.</p><p>It’s J. Cole’s world and we’re all just living in it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

J. Cole honors Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant in ‘The Off-Season’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Bucks-Pacers.jpg"></figure><h1>Giannis Antetokounmpo’s crappy three-word caption after flexing on Pacers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T22:22:33-07:00">May 13th, 10:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T22:22:33-07:00">May 13th, 10:22pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Reminder to the Milwaukee Bucks: Do not let Giannis Antetokounmpo take over your Twitter account.</p><p>Giannis wrote a short caption to a picture of him flexing hard on the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Safe to say, it was kind of crappy.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I almost pooped 💩 <a href="https://t.co/kSm80Ss3go" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/kSm80Ss3go</a></p><p>— Giannis Ugo Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34/status/1393062424153100294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>But look at his veins though. They look fit for a two-time reigning MVP.</p><p>Giannis had all reasons to flex on the Pacers as he led the Bucks to a resounding 142-133 victory. He finished with monster numbers of 40 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, and about 500 dunks. He took over the game from the get-go and never let up.</p><p>Giannis has been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/giannis-antetokounmpo/ac1b0975/gamelog">extra dominant recently</a> as the Bucks look to lock homecourt advantage in the NBA Playoffs. Their conclusive win over the Pacers only showed that The Greek Freak can turn it up a notch any time he wants to. He has been overshadowed by the likes of Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Chris Paul in the MVP conversations this season, but it’s quite obvious Giannis is more hungry for the NBA title.</p><p>His performance against the Pacers, for all we know, was a statement: Hey, I’m still here.</p><p>After the game, he was asked about his dunks and his answer would also explain why he looked incredibly pumped up in the picture (via <a href="http://espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401307858">ESPN</a>).</p><blockquote>“I just feel so much adrenaline, and I’ve got to let it out. (But) I’m trying to save as much energy as I can.”</blockquote><p>Judging by his caption though, it seems adrenaline isn’t the only one Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to get out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s crappy three-word caption after flexing on Pacers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Damian-Lillard-scores-24-in-4th-quarter-vs-Suns-only-to-suffer-brutal-last-second-defeat.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Damian Lillard scores 24 in 4th quarter vs Suns, only to suffer last-second defeat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T22:17:21-07:00">May 13th, 10:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T22:18:22-07:00">May 13th, 10:18pm</time><address><a>Matthew Zemek</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/portland-trail-blazers">can still push</a> the Los Angeles Lakers into the play-in round of the NBA postseason, but they just lost some margin for error, despite the best efforts of Damian Lillard. Dame Time was the right time for Portland on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns, but two missed free throws by Robert Covington and a controversial foul call on Norman Powell against Phoenix’s Devin Booker led to two Suns free throws with one second left. The Suns were in huge trouble but found a way to beat the Blazers, 118-117.</p><p>The Blazers wasted one of the great fourth-quarter performances of Lillard’s career. Dame dropped 24 points on the Suns in a blindingly bright display of typical brilliance. This bucket with under 40 seconds left gave Portland a three-point lead… but Covington’s missed free throws with five seconds left, followed by the phantom foul call on Powell, turned likely victory <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1393059659670454272">into a loss. </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DAME TIME ⌚️ <a href="https://t.co/VepNSnMmFq" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/VepNSnMmFq</a></p><p>— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1393059659670454272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Blazers’ loss drops them to 41-30, with one game left in the regular season against the Denver Nuggets. The Los Angeles Lakers, at 40-30, can win out and — with a Blazer loss to the Nuggets — escape the play-in round. If the two teams tie, Portland wins the tiebreaker based on a 2-1 edge in the three-game regular-season series between the two teams.</p><p>The Lakers’ remaining games are against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday and the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, both on the road. The Blazers can either beat the Nuggets and settle the matter themselves, or they can leave this up to chance and cede leverage to the Lakers… much as Portland ceded control in the final seconds against the Suns.</p><p>The foul on Portland’s Norman Powell with one second left appeared to be a phantom foul, but the blown call would not have mattered at all if Covington had made his two foul shots moments earlier. The Blazers could have been up by three, but they instead led by only one, putting themselves at risk of losing on a bad call, which is precisely what happened. Portland put the game in the Suns’ — and the refs’ — hands.</p><p>This doesn’t make the call any better — it was a bad call — but the point is that the Blazers could have done something to control and improve their situation. They didn’t, and they got stung by bad luck at the worst possible time.</p><p>Damian Lillard’s 24-point fourth quarter was for naught.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Damian Lillard scores 24 in 4th quarter vs Suns, only to suffer last-second defeat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/image_2021-05-14_130356.png"></figure><h1>Damian Lillard left with one final crack at saving bettor’s house after Blazers loss to Suns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T22:09:56-07:00">May 13th, 10:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T22:25:34-07:00">May 13th, 10:25pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Damian Lillard was seconds away from becoming a hero. The Portland Trail Blazers had clawed their way back against the Phoenix Suns, ready to snatch away victory from the jaws of defeat.</p><p>The Blazers trailed by eight points entering the final frame. That’s when Lillard decided to put the team on his back, signaling Dame Time much earlier than usual. The scoring savant poured in 24 big points, including what looked like the dagger to put the Blazers up three with 34.7 seconds left.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dame, unfazed. <a href="https://t.co/5wfFjaNvl8" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/5wfFjaNvl8</a></p><p>— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1393059825559359488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>But then things took a turn for the worst, as Blazers forward Robert Covington couldn’t convert either of his free-throws, which gave way for Devin Booker to draw a foul of his own and steal the game right back for the Suns, 118-117.</p><p>This loss was tough for the Blazers, but especially tough for the infamous fan who bet his house on Portland’s over/under line.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Say less <a href="https://t.co/MK3dmgswqI" target="_blank">https://t.co/MK3dmgswqI</a></p><p>— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1384009076414156808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It looked like a lost cause for Twitter user LordTreeSap just days after he sent out his desperate plea to Damian Lillard himself. The Blazers immediately found themselves mired in a five-game losing streak to fall to 32-28. That left them with just 12 games, needing 10 more to reach the bettor’s goal of 42 wins.</p><p>However, Lillard’s guarantee kicked in shortly after. The Blazers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/portland-trail-blazers/records">went on a tear</a>, winning nine of their next ten to put them just one win away from saving the man’s house.</p><p>With the epic comeback nearly complete against the Phoenix Suns, it looked like money in the bank up until the waning seconds. So now it all boils down to the Blazers’ final game of the season against the Denver Nuggets.</p><p>Safe to say that man’s going to be praying for a Blazers victory from now until Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Damian Lillard left with one final crack at saving bettor’s house after Blazers loss to Suns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Carmelo-Anthony_s-clutch-defense-forces-Devin-Booker-double-dribble-with-5-seconds-left.jpg"><figcaption>Carmelo Anthony, Devin Booker, Blazers</figcaption></figure><h1>VIDEO: Carmelo Anthony’s clutch defense forces Devin Booker double dribble with 5 seconds left</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T22:09:51-07:00">May 13th, 10:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T22:09:51-07:00">May 13th, 10:09pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Carmelo Anthony and his incredibly clutch defensive stop almost secured a crucial W for the Portland Trail Blazers against the Phoenix Suns. Almost.</p><p>It was an end-to-end battle on Thursday and Anthony was unbelievably clutch on the defensive end to force Devin Booker to commit a crucial dribbling violation with just five seconds left in the game.</p><p>Check out Anthony’s huge defensive play on Booker here (via <a href="https://twitter.com/RealCodyMallory/status/1393060746502807554">Cody Mallory</a>):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Devin Booker is VERY upset about this call</p><p>Did he travel?? <a href="https://t.co/cjMkmNJ82j" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/cjMkmNJ82j</a></p><p>— Cody Mallory (@RealCodyMallory) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealCodyMallory/status/1393060746502807554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Anthony’s big play on D played a small part in what ended up to be a crazy finish in Phoenix. The Blazers were up by one and had possession of the ball but Damian Lillard missed a three that would’ve given them the win. The Suns immediately ran back down with Booker leading the way but thankfully, Anthony was there to stop Booker’s fastbreak attack which ended with the Blazers getting the ball back.</p><p>Talk about Carmelo Anthony coming up clutch (via <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1393060380486873095?fbclid=IwAR0Gg_fdBTKT6Q2_jjcVitWrKVWotawlRuDQGTEw8O_CaKP9filZ2y4To74">Tim MacMahon of ESPN</a>).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Carmelo Anthony, renowned clutch defensive stopper</p><p>— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1393060380486873095?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on the Blazers’ side. Robert Covington ended up missing two huge free throws in the next possession which gave the ball back to the Suns. Booker ended up redeeming himself after drawing a foul on Norman Powell in their last possession before knocking down two crucial free throws to eventually seal the 118-117 win at home.</p><p>Tough break for the Blazers. Still, we got to tip our hat to Carmelo Anthony’s huge defensive effort. Portland has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/portland-trail-blazers/schedule">one more game</a> left to try and lock their playoff position and, hopefully, they can secure a huge win over the Denver Nuggets.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Carmelo Anthony’s clutch defense forces Devin Booker double dribble with 5 seconds left

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/LaMelo-Ball-Miles-Bridges-Hornets.jpg"></figure><h1>LaMelo Ball needs more help and he’s expected to get one real soon</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T21:48:23-07:00">May 13th, 9:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T21:48:23-07:00">May 13th, 9:48pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The return of LaMelo Ball has surely reinvigorated the Charlotte Hornets. The recovery of the rookie sensation from his wrist injury couldn’t come at a more crucial juncture for the Hornets as they need all the momentum they can get heading into the play-in tournament.</p><p>But of course, a 19-year-old kid can’t solely carry a squad, and LaMelo needs all the help he can get for their late push. Fortunately for him, fast-rising forward Miles Bridges on his way to return as well. According to a <a href="http://espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401307857">report by ESPN</a>, Bridges could return this weekend after sitting out nearly two weeks as part of the NBA’s stringent COVID-19 protocols.</p><p>Hornets coach James Borrego expressed optimism that Bridges will get back on the floor soon, but if not, they just have to push even more. It’s worth noting that LaMelo and Bridges have been playing real well together.</p><blockquote>“Hopefully, we’ll get good news on Miles here soon and that’ll help us. But if not, we’ve got to continue to move forward. We got a big game on Saturday.”</blockquote><p>LaMelo and company, who lost to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, will face the New York Knicks on Saturday, and the rim-rattling Bridges will surely help in trying to battle the likes of Julius Randle, Nerlens Noel, and RJ Barrett.</p><p>Before getting sidelined, Bridges was having the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/miles-bridges/ad350945/gamelog">best stretch of his young career</a>, averaging over 20 points in their last 15 games.</p><p>LaMelo Ball has been splendid since his return and while he’s gotten consistent help from Terry Rozier, they’ll need all the firepower they can get as they try to squeeze into the NBA Playoffs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LaMelo Ball needs more help and he’s expected to get one real soon

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Golden-State-will-play-a-play-in-game-before-meeting-the-Lakers.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors will play a play-in game before meeting the Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T21:11:32-07:00">May 13th, 9:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T21:12:14-07:00">May 13th, 9:12pm</time><address><a>Nick Andre</a>Basketball Enthusiast</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The race for an NBA play-in spot is not over yet. Even though teams have clinched play-in spots, they still haven’t clinched a berth in the specific “winners’ lane” of the play-in system. There are a few more games to be played before each team grabs their deserved place in the four-team play-in bracket. The Golden State Warriors will have to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the last game of the season on Sunday afternoon in San Francisco. The Los Angeles Lakers can wait. The matchup <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/05/12/grizzlies-may-crash-warriors-lakers-play-party-face-suns/5052569001/">will guarantee</a> which of these two teams will secure the eighth spot <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/player/splits/_/id/3975/type/nba/year/2020/category/perGame">in the play-in portion of the postseason.</a></p><p>Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic explains that teams — including the Warriors and Lakers — should not forget about the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis is familiar with this new environment by playing in the inaugural play-in-game a season ago. The Grizzlies would fall to the Portland Trail Blazers after a back and forth matchup. The Grizzlies find themselves in the same situation, possibly having to play Golden State in the tournament.</p><p>The Warriors currently sit as the eighth seed in the play-in tournament right ahead of Memphis. Stephen Curry has continued to lead in scoring with 31.8 points per game. Golden State’s lineup changes have allowed the team to underachieve per say. The franchise had expectations for a better season and they became injury prone. Golden State is fighting to play in their ninth postseason in 10 years.</p><p>The Grizzlies and the Warriors have faced off twice this season, splitting the season series.</p><p>With Golden State to their first game of the mini-series, Andrew Wiggins contributed 40 points on a short-handed Warriors team. Before their last game against Memphis, Golden State will have to face the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night. The Pelicans have recently been eliminated from playoff contention.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors will play a play-in game before meeting the Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Luka-Doncic-Kristaps-Porzingis-Mavs-Rick-Carlisle.jpg"></figure><h1>4 strong reasons Luka Doncic’s Mavs are the true stealth contenders for the title</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T21:03:38-07:00">May 13th, 9:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T21:03:38-07:00">May 13th, 9:03pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Since entering the NBA in 2018, Luka Doncic was already tagged as the next big superstar. Fans saw the young stud from Slovenia punish defenders with his dreaded step-back and basic yet effective offensive skill-set. Along the way, he guided the Dallas Mavericks from a bottom-feeding team into a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/dallas-mavericks/records">serious up-and-coming squad</a>.</p><p>Doncic, however, wasn’t solely responsible for this development. The Mavericks, even before Doncic’s arrival, have been making key offseason moves for the ultimate goal of being contenders once again. And after years of hard work and disappointment, we can say that the Mavericks will be a perennial postseason team in the years to come. But a closer look at the Mavericks reveals that they might even win it all this season, making them the true stealth title contenders.</p><h2><b>Luka Doncic</b></h2><p>The most obvious reason is this: They have Doncic in the fold. He continues to impress fans and analysts with his play. They thought that his first two years in the NBA were pretty good. But now in his third, Doncic is still improving.</p><p>His averages of 28.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.6 assists are pretty similar to last year’s statistics. So there’s really no point in delving much into it. But a look at his shooting clips reveal how much the 22-year-old has improved. He’s shooting 48.1 percent from the field (a career-best) compared to last season’s 46.3 percent. This is within the NBA average of 46.6 percent. From long distance, Doncic has improved to 35.5 percent (career-best) from 31.6 percent. This is very close to the NBA average percentage from three-point country of 36.7 percent.</p><p>Doncic’s previously low shooting percentages were points of criticism. But in just a span of a year, he showed remarkable development in his game.</p><h2><b>Impressive 2020 Playoff Run Against the Clippers</b></h2><p>Before looking to the future, it’s imperative to review the past. Last season, the Mavericks made the NBA Playoffs for the first time in three seasons. They faced off against Western Conference titan Los Angeles Clippers and got booted out in six games. Amid a sad exit, fans saw a Mavericks squad with the confidence and poise of a championship team. It’s a preview of what the team could become. Doncic once again showed off his clutch gene, while his teammates like Trey Burke proved how deep they were. Kristaps Porzingis, despite limited action, showed how he can help in various ways.</p><p>We can say that their series against the Clippers was one of the most important experiences of the Mavericks. They were still looking for their identity at that point. It would not have been a surprise if they suddenly made drastic changes if they failed to qualify for the postseason that year. However, the team somehow overperformed. While the Mavericks lost, all forms of disappointment were charged to experience. More importantly, they found their identity as a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/dallas-mavericks/roster">scrappy yet deep squad</a>.</p><h2><b>Long-term Coach</b></h2><p>There’s a good reason why the Mavericks haven’t parted ways with coach Rick Carlisle since hiring him in 2008. It is true that since winning the title in 2011, Carlisle and the Mavericks have either missed the postseason or got booted out in the first round. But we have to note that after they won the title, this was also the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/6/12/2220926/dirk-nowitzki-nba-finals-mvp-2011-dallas-mavericks-miami-heat#:~:text=Dirk%20Nowitzki%20was%20named%20the,and%2011%20rebounds%20in%20victory.">tail-end of Dirk Nowitzki’s career</a>. In a way, the Mavericks turned into panic mode by making questionable transactions.</p><p>But amid all this, Carlisle was able to keep the Mavericks’ head above water. From 2012 to 2020, the years when they either missed the NBA Playoffs or had an early exit, there were only two seasons where they were under .500. Carlisle was still able to squeeze out 40 to 50 wins a season which is a tedious task in the Western Conference.</p><p>The squad’s discipline in trusting the process has led to incredible results. Now, Doncic and company are considered a mid-tier team that has all the potential to peak in the NBA Playoffs.</p><h2><b>Doncic and Established Core Group</b></h2><p>Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are two of the most important pillars of the Mavericks. There’s no question in that. But for diehard fans, they know the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Richardson, Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, and Willie Cauley-Stein are as important as the two superstars.</p><p>The aforementioned players have been with the team for at least two seasons. Talent is important, but it’s also imperative that a team has spent significant time together on and off the court. Just look at the top teams today like the Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Phoenix Suns. Sure, they added some new players to their roster, but they pretty much have a core group with formidable chemistry. This will play a huge role in the NBA Playoffs where they have to place their utmost trust on one another.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

4 strong reasons Luka Doncic’s Mavs are the true stealth contenders for the title

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/image_2021-05-14_115107.png"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Ja Morant on epic collision course to potentially face LeBron James</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T21:00:35-07:00">May 13th, 9:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T21:00:35-07:00">May 13th, 9:00pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA’s play-in tournament has had its fair share of critics this season. But you can’t deny that it’s going to be exciting. With a potential Western Conference matchup featuring the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, how could anyone not tune in?</p><p>They heavyweight bout between LeBron James and Stephen Curry in a do-or-die setting is just riveting to think about. But apparently, the Warriors have another score to settle before they get there. A play-in to make another play-in, if you will.</p><p>With Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies pulling off a massive comeback win against the Sacramento Kings, they’ve <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/memphis-grizzlies/records">kept themselves in the running</a> to steal the eighth seed back from the Warriors. That sets up a <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewShiller/status/1392338551719829505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1392338551719829505%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">grudge match</a> between two of the most exciting players in the NBA.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Warriors-Grizzlies game Sunday almost assuredly will determine the No. 8 seed.</p><p>And it will be the first time Steph Curry and Ja Morant will play against each other.</p><p>That is wild …</p><p>— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewShiller/status/1392338551719829505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 12, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>With Stephen Curry missing most of last season, he never got the chance to share the court against then-rookie star Ja Morant. What a way to have your first encounter, trying to knock out one another from a playoff seed.</p><p>The Warriors obviously have a championship pedigree, with Curry and Draymond Green figuring in major moments in the postseason. But interestingly enough, Ja Morant’s Grizzlies have the upper hand here in terms of experience with the play-in. They were subsequently knocked out of the very first play-in fixture last season in the NBA bubble, falling to the Damian Lillard-led Portland Trail Blazers.</p><p>In this winner-takes-all contest, it might come down to which star point guard comes up big when his team needs him. You better believe LeBron James and the Lakers will be eyeing this game with bated breath.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Ja Morant on epic collision course to potentially face LeBron James

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Joel-Embiid-makes-candid-revealing-statement-on-MVP-award-battle-with-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"></figure><h1>Sixers’ Joel Embiid makes candid, revealing statement on MVP award, battle with Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T20:43:19-07:00">May 13th, 8:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T20:43:59-07:00">May 13th, 8:43pm</time><address><a>Nick Andre</a>Basketball Enthusiast</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA MVP race has become a back-and-forth battle between two phenomenal centers. While Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is the favorite to win the trophy, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/philadelphia-76ers/news">the potential runner-up,</a> Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia Sixers, will use the possible defeat (if it happens) to motivate him going forward. In an interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Embiid seems understandable if the MVP Award doesn’t swing in his favor.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Make no mistake, ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@sixers</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@JoelEmbiid</a>⁩ wants to be MVP. But he has perspective: “If the MVP wasn’t supposed to be mine this year, I guess maybe it is not. But maybe that’s what keeps me healthy to make sure I’m ready for the playoffs.” <a href="https://t.co/I3ccHEg2NL" target="_blank">https://t.co/I3ccHEg2NL</a></p><p>— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/1392989450301448193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Joel Embiid stated <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/1392989450301448193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1392989450301448193%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1173537action%3Dedit">in his interview</a> that if the MVP Award is not his, then it wasn’t meant to be. He also later explained that losing the award will keep him motivated to stay healthy for the playoffs.</p><p>Joel Embiid was the leading candidate for the MVP Award until the all-star break. When he was later sidelined with an injury, the narrative switched over to Jokic. Despite Embiid’s chances to lose the award, the Philadelphia 76ers remain, title contenders, as they have the first seed in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>Joel Embiid is averaging 29.2 points per game along with 10.7 rebounds. Like always, he has been the leading factor for Philadelphia and continues to lead the way.</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Shaq-makes-bold-claim-in-Joel-Embiid-Nikola-Jokic-MVP-battle.jpg"></figure><p> Joel Embiid</p><p>Joel Embiid and his co-star Ben Simmons have done a tremendous job as leaders on and off the floor. Despite injuries and lineup changes, the Sixers have remained a threat and lead the Brooklyn Nets by 1.5 games in the East.</p><p>The Sixers have two more games against the Orlando Magic after their Thursday night matchup with the Miami Heat, which they lost in a contentious battle marked by an emotional confrontation between Philadelphia’s Dwight Howard and Miami’s Udonis Haslem. The seeding situation remains very fluid in the entire NBA, not just the East, with only two regular-season games remaining for most teams in the league. After the season, the 76ers will wait for the winner of the play-in tournament to determine who their first-round matchup will be.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sixers’ Joel Embiid makes candid, revealing statement on MVP award, battle with Nikola Jokic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/image_2021-05-14_111458.png"></figure><h1>Heat icon Udonis Haslem’s epic stat line after Dwight Howard fight, ejection is hilarious</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T20:15:35-07:00">May 13th, 8:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T20:32:21-07:00">May 13th, 8:32pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Miami Heat icon Udonis Haslem doesn’t get on the court much these days. But when given the opportunity to take the floor against the Philadelphia 76ers, he made sure to make his minutes count.</p><p>The Miami Heat lifer entered his first game if the season, and as you’ve probably seen by now, hilariously <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1392999916700569604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1392999916700569604%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">got ejected</a> shortly after thanks to a kerfuffle with a certain Dwight Howard.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">tremendous stuff here. 40-year-old Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem makes his season debut only to get ejected, after 2 minutes of play, for altercation with Dwight Howard. <a href="https://t.co/vXLGS3IO5y" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/vXLGS3IO5y</a></p><p>— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1392999916700569604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>But before exiting the floor, Udonis Haslem made sure to put up some #numbers. The veteran scored four points and grabbed a single rebound before his altercation. He was also a perfect two for two from the field. This immediately propelled the Heat legend into the greatest per-36 player in franchise, nay, NBA history this season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Udonis Haslem per-36 stats this season:</p><p>48.0 PPG<br>12.0 RPG<br>100.0 FG%</p><p>He’s averaging 1 fight per minute this season. <a href="https://t.co/KEpokh76of" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/KEpokh76of</a></p><p>— StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1393001514302537732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Haslem’s per-36 averaging 48 points per game, with 12 rebounds, and a perfect shooting record from the floor is indeed impressive. But it’s his 1 fight per minute stat that certainly stands out. Being able to produce at that level in short minutes is just knowing your role and executing it to perfection.</p><p>Kidding aside, it was great to see UD back on the floor. Haslem has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/stats">played all 18 years</a> of his career in Miami, which is a feat that’ll be tough to replicate again in a Heat uniform</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat icon Udonis Haslem’s epic stat line after Dwight Howard fight, ejection is hilarious

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/image_2021-05-14_110321.png"></figure><h1>Heat star Bam Adebayo’s NSFW reaction to Udonis Haslem ejection, fight with Dwight Howard</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T20:05:40-07:00">May 13th, 8:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T20:14:44-07:00">May 13th, 8:14pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Udonis Haslem just put in the performance of the year for the Miami Heat. All-Star center Bam Adebayo couldn’t help but react to the madness.</p><p>The Miami Heat lifer entered his first game if the season, and as you’ve probably seen by now, hilariously <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1392999916700569604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1392999916700569604%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">got ejected</a> shortly after thanks to on-court scuffle with Philadelphia 76ers big man Dwight Howard.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">tremendous stuff here. 40-year-old Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem makes his season debut only to get ejected, after 2 minutes of play, for altercation with Dwight Howard. <a href="https://t.co/vXLGS3IO5y" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/vXLGS3IO5y</a></p><p>— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1392999916700569604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>In a moment that reminded us that NBA players are people too, Adebayo revealed his reaction to the whole ordeal was just the same as every other Heat fan watching from home.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bam Adebayo sums up Udonis Haslem's time on the court ending after less than three minutes tonight in an ejection: "Yo, this m—–f—– is crazy!"</p><p>— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/status/1393035812246278145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The full Bam Adebayo quote on Haslem getting ejected, including him calling it a “teachable moment” for the soon to be 41-year-old in his 18th NBA season. <a href="https://t.co/WGFR1xogMp" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/WGFR1xogMp</a></p><p>— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/status/1393038986432630788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Haslem spoke out about the altercation after the game. The Heat icon spoke out as a true 18-year veteran:</p><p>“At the and of the day, I am who I am. I can’t change now.”</p><p>Heat coach Erik Spoelstra couldn’t help but react to Haslem’s “production” on the court as well.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Erik Spoelstra on Udonis Haslem "That's my favorite moment of the season so far."</p><p>— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1393028623838416896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>In a season that’s been quite a roller coaster ride for this Miami side, it certainly stands out as one of the highlights. The Heat have seemingly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/records">found their rhythm</a> at the right time, winning four straight and eight of their last 10 contests.</p><p>After their win against the Sixers, the Heat find themselves tied for the fifth seed with the New York Knicks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat star Bam Adebayo’s NSFW reaction to Udonis Haslem ejection, fight with Dwight Howard

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/James-Harden-gets-blasted-by-Dejounte-Murray-over-malicious-play-vs-Spurs.jpg"></figure><h1>Nets star James Harden gets blasted by Dejounte Murray over malicious play vs Spurs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T19:59:28-07:00">May 13th, 7:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T19:59:28-07:00">May 13th, 7:59pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brooklyn Nets superstar made his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/james-harden-swaggerific-return-shows-why-nets-team-beat/" rel="noopener">long-awaited return to action</a> on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs. The former league MVP, however, was involved in a bit of controversy surrounding what many consider to be an intentional trip on Spurs guard Dejounte Murray.</p><p>Murray himself has since seen the replay of the play in question and he did not hold back with his message for Harden. In a now-deleted tweet, Murray called out the Nets star for what he believes to be a malicious act by Harden (h/t <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/05/13/dejounte-murray-calls-james-harden-a-suckaaaaaaa-over-attempted-trip/">Dan Feldman of NBC Sports</a>):</p><figure><img src="https://nba.nbcsports.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2021/05/screenshot-twitter.com-2021.05.13-03_30_37.png"></figure><p>In case you haven’t seen the contentious sequence, here it is:</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Even the biggest James Harden fan would be hard-pressed to try and defend the Nets guard here. He clearly extended his right leg as Murray was landing, and it did look like it was in an attempt to trip the Spurs stud.</p><p>Fortunately, Harden missed and Murray was able to retain his balance. This could have resulted in an ugly injury for Murray and we have to say, the foul called on Harden is warranted — even though he tried to play the innocent card right after the whistle.</p><p>For his part, Murray was clearly incensed by Harden’s blatant unsportsmanlike act. Not only did he call Harden a “Suckaaaaaaa” and a clown, but Murray also seemed to have implied that he would have done something about it had he known that Harden tried to do what he did.</p><p>James Harden is undeniably one of the best players in the NBA today. However, it’s hard to deny that plays like these absolutely hurt his reputation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets star James Harden gets blasted by Dejounte Murray over malicious play vs Spurs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/image_2021-05-13_235229.png"></figure><h1>The one free agent wide receiver the Bears must sign for Justin Fields</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T08:55:03-07:00">May 13th, 8:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T15:14:12-07:00">May 13th, 3:14pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/emasseysports/" rel="facebook">Evan Massey</a>Evan Massey is a sports writer who has also covered politics, entertainment, and many other things. He is also the Editorial Manager for ClutchPoints.com. His work has been featured on ESPN, Forbes, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Sports, and plenty of other online publications.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bears are entering the 2021 NFL season with a lot more excitement than they have had over the last couple of years. Gone are the days of wondering whether Mitchell Trubisky would finally turn things around. Trubisky left town this offseason in free agency to become the backup to Josh Allen for the Buffalo Bills. Bears fans aren’t exactly mourning his departure.</p><p>To replace Trubisky, the Bears originally went out in free agency and signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. Ryan Pace instantly named him the starter, but Chicago also brought in another quarterback. That quarterback was Ohio State star Justin Fields, whom the Bears <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bears/bears-2021-draft-day-trade-maybe-only-chance-land-justin-fields">traded up to snag</a> with the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.</p><p>At this point in time, the Bears are remaining steadfast in their plans to start Dalton at quarterback. However, teams do not trade up aggressively for a quarterback without planning to play him early in a career. It seems very likely that Fields could take over as the starter in Chicago at some point during the season.</p><p>Either way, the Bears have more work to get done. They could use another legitimate weapon for Dalton and Fields alongside star wide receiver Allen Robinson II. Right now, Chicago has Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller as their No. 2 and No. 3 wideouts on the depth chart.</p><p>Should Pace and the Bears try to bring in another wide receiver, there is a very intriguing option available in free agency. Chicago could form a reunion with veteran wideout Alshon Jeffery, who was released earlier this offseason by the Philadelphia Eagles.</p><p>Over the last two years, Jeffery has struggled to stay healthy. His career has been derailed, but he still has a little bit of time to turn things around. Going back to Chicago where his career started could be a perfect move to give him a fresh start.</p><p>During the 2020 season with the Eagles, Jeffery played in only seven games, and they weren’t complete games. He caught six passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Back in 2019, he caught 43 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games.</p><p>Jeffery would not be signed to become the savior of the offense. He would be signed to come in and compete for the No. 2 wideout role across from Robinson. If he can stay healthy, there is no question that he can still produce quality numbers.</p><p>In the limited action he has had over the last two years with the Eagles, Jeffery has shown the ability to make plays down the field and be a possession wideout. Chicago doesn’t need him to be a 1,000-yard receiver. All the Bears would need from Jeffery is a 50-60 reception season for 700 yards and a handful of touchdowns.</p><p>Simply giving Justin Fields or Andy Dalton a second legitimate big body would be a noticeable win for the Bears. The best part about potentially signing Jeffery would be that they would not have to break the bank for him.</p><p>Due to injury problems and a lack of big-time production, the Bears could likely get Alshon Jeffery for near the veteran minimum. A one-year deal for the 31-year-old wide receiver would be well worth the risk. If the move doesn’t work out, the Bears would simply cut ties with him and not offer a new deal following the 2021 season.</p><p>Matt Nagy and the offense need more weapons; that much has been obvious for the Bears over the past two years. Jeffery may not end up being the weapon that takes them to the next level, but it would be worth a shot. If he can stay healthy, it would not be shocking to see Jeffery become the needed threat producing the numbers we mentioned above.</p><p>Expect the Bears to continue to seek improvements for their roster ahead of training camp. This could be an option if they truly want to upgrade their offense and give their quarterback another weapon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The one free agent wide receiver the Bears must sign for Justin Fields

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/image_2021-05-13_220717.png"></figure><h1>One bold move Celtics must make to become title contenders again after Jaylen Brown injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T07:15:30-07:00">May 13th, 7:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T09:19:33-07:00">May 13th, 9:19am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>This has been the absolute season from hell for the Boston Celtics. They’ve been dealt with a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics/injuries">myriad of injuries</a> and health complications all throughout the season, both COVID-19 related or otherwise.</p><p>Kemba Walker started off the year on the shelf, missing the team’s first 11 games. Walker would end up missing 27 total out of the team’s 70 games played. Marcus Smart has missed 22 games for the team as well.</p><p>Trade deadline addition Evan Fournier just started finding his shot with Boston when he got hit with COVID-19. In his words, it felt quite literal, as the Frenchman admitted to feeling concussed by the illness thereafter:</p><blockquote>“I’ve been feeling really weird, to be honest,” the Celtics addition said, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2021/05/03/celtics-evan-fournier-playing-concussion-like-symptoms-after-covid/4926541001/" rel="nofollow noopener">via USA Today</a>. “My plan was to stop talking about it so it might help me, but the thing is it’s like I have a concussion. Right now, it’s actually doing a little bit better, but at first, the bright lights were bothering my eyes and my vision was blurry.</blockquote><p>But at the end of the day, the team is built around its two cornerstones: All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics actually started off the season hot, posting seven wins in their first 10 contests with both Tatum and Brown absolutely rolling.</p><p>When Jayson Tatum fell ill with COVID-19, things took a turn for the worse, with the Celtics never really recovering, and apparently <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/02/17/jayson-tatum-still-dealing-with-covid-19-impacts-i-think-it-messes-with-your-breathing/">neither did he.</a> Despite a couple of minor win streaks that felt like they might be figuring it out (Fact check: they didn’t), the Celtics hovered around mediocrity throughout the rest of the season. They stand at 35-35 through 70 games, a fitting ode to a season where they didn’t really achieve much.</p><p>While the Celtics’ Tatum and Brown are surefire stars for years to come, franchise cornerstone stability has been fleeting in the NBA, as we’ve seen in the last few offseasons. That’s why the Celtics cannot rest on their laurels, trying to run it back with the same roster iterations over and over until Tatum and Brown get fed up. The Celtics must trade Marcus Smart.</p><h2>Trade Marcus Smart: The Huge Decline</h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/image_2021-03-22_110242.png"></figure><p>While there are many factors that contributed to the Celtics’ lost season, arguably the biggest has been Marcus Smart. Celtics fans have had the longest love-hate relationship with Smart for years. He’s come up with some of the gutsiest plays throughout the team’s recent string of NBA playoff successes. He’s served as defensive agitator against opposing stars big or small and vocal leader when the team needs some fire to rally around.</p><p>Smart has been an integral part of the Celtics’ identity for years. But the difference this year is that Marcus Smart is gone.</p><p>Marcus Smart has always been an <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smartma01.html">inefficient scorer.</a> He’s only shot above 40% from the field once in his entire seven-year NBA career. After improving his outside shot during the previous two seasons, he’s fallen back to an ugly 33% on nearly five attempts per contest.</p><p>But the reason Smart has been worth playing was always because of his defense and intangibles. During the past three seasons, the Celtics hung their hat on the defensive end. Last year, they ranked fourth in defensive rating in the entire NBA. The previous two years, the Celtics sixth and second in the NBA on the defensive side of the floor.</p><p>Smart has always led the charge in that department. But his defense has <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203935/advanced/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season">seemingly fallen off a cliff.</a></p><p>His individual defensive rating numbers during those three years prior were absolutely stellar. His personal impact rated to 99.6 in 2018, 106.7 in 2019, and 104.6 in 2020. All those marks were well below the average line of scoring for opposing teams those seasons.</p><p>But this year, the Celtics have gone from a top 6 defense to a below-average one ranking at 18th in the NBA. Marcus Smart’s pedestrian defensive effort this season is a big reason why, with a defensive rating of just 111.3 which is basically league average.</p><p>So if Smart is playing as just a league-average defender, there’s absolutely no reason to put up with his crazy inefficient production on offense. This especially because both Tatum and Brown have no problem putting the ball in the basket.</p><p>While some would argue that Kemba Walker has been equally underwhelming this season, it would be virtually impossible to trade Walker <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/BOS.html">given his contract.</a> Marcus Smart’s deal is expiring after next season and is relatively palatable at under $15 million for a team willing to gamble on the veteran.</p><h2>How trading Smart impacts Celtics</h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bradley-Beal-is-NBA_s-most-underrated-player-claims-Jayson-Tatum.jpg"></figure><p>Yes, you could hope his defense improves again next season. But with only just so few shots to contend with star players nowadays, it would serve Danny Ainge and the Celtics’ best interest to move Marcus Smart while he still has trade value.</p><p>But at the same time, getting rid of smart also allows their stars to learn how to play on the ball more.</p><p>Think of Jayson Tatum’s childhood friend and mentor Bradley Beal. The Washington Wizards star used to be known as the shooting guard playing off of ball-dominant John Wall. But with Wall being sidelined with injuries for two consecutive seasons, Beal had to learn how to be the alpha, and boy has that helped his game develop.</p><p>Bradley Beal has turned into a bona fide superstar. And while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are already hovering around that level, with Tatum arguably already exceeding Beal depending on how bullish you are on him, the potential improvements they can make still ring true.</p><p>Beal’s assist numbers slowly crept up until his supernova season last year, averaging 30.5 points with a career-high 6.1 assists per game. While Tatum and Brown already generate 4.3 and 3.4 assists per game respectively, neither of them are considered elite playmakers for others just yet.</p><p>Marcus Smart actually leads the team in assists, often acting as a ball-dominant guard alongside the two star swingmen. But with his inability to space the floor well and just so-so passing ability, he’s definitely not the guy you need to unlock Tatum and Brown’s next gear.</p><p>At least with Kemba Walker, he shoots at a respectable rate from deep. If Tatum or Brown dish off for a Marcus Smart three instead of creating something themselves, the other team will live by that result.</p><p>Trading Marcus Smart could be addition by subtraction, and be the subtle change that impacts the Celtics in a big way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

One bold move Celtics must make to become title contenders again after Jaylen Brown injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Knicks-NBA-playoffs-2.jpeg"><figcaption>It's time to make the change!</figcaption></figure><h1>This one move could help the Knicks take the Eastern Conference</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T08:16:40-07:00">May 13th, 8:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T09:02:19-07:00">May 13th, 9:02am</time><address><a>Mitchell Widmeier</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks are officially back in the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Tom Thibodeau’s club clinched the outright spot and avoided the play-in tournament altogether after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the rapidly fading Boston Celtics on Wednesday. With the playoffs quickly approaching, there’s one move the Knicks could make to further enhance their shot at winning the Eastern Conference.</p><p>The Knicks usual starting five consists of Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle and Nerlens Noel. While it’s worked to this point, come postseason time, Thibodeau needs to heavily consider and weigh his options at point guard.</p><p>Elfrid Payton has lost any zest to his game and he’s been playing with a sense of hesitancy the last couple of months. He doesn’t add much at all to the offensive side and in fact, when he and Barrett are on the floor together, Barrett’s production takes a dip. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/elfrid-payton/a44e08df/stats">Payton is averaging a career low in assists per game (3.4) while shooting 28% from three-point range</a>. He’s not playing any major minutes as of late but still, being in the starting lineup could hinder the Knicks in the playoffs.</p><p>Defensively, Payton’s stopping power is nothing to hang your hat on. This isn’t meant to all out bash the point guard, but the reality check indicates the Knicks need to upgrade the starting point guard position for the postseason. And they have the guys on the roster to do so.</p><p>New York is dealing with their fair share of injuries at the moment. Mitchell Robinson has missed the majority of the year but recent injuries have also sidelined Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley from the last two Knicks games. Add Derrick Rose to the injury report, after he sprained his ankle against the Lakers in New York’s last game. Despite all of this, they are (outside of Mitchell Robinson) expected to be a full go once the postseason starts.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reggie Bullock (sprained right ankle), Alec Burks (contused left knee), Immanuel Quickley (sprained left ankle) and Derrick Rose (sprained left ankle) are questionable for tomorrow’s game against San Antonio.</p><p>— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NY_KnicksPR/status/1392608285258309635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 12, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Julius Randle has taken his game to incredible new heights this year while RJ Barrett has unraveled new layers to his game. The additions of Derrick Rose and Alec Burks and the paint protection of Nerlens Noel have been huge for the Knicks, too. While optimism is swirling around a franchise that has far exceeded any external preseason expectations, there’s clearly still work left to be done.</p><p>Derrick Rose being inserted as the starting point guard would make the most sense. Rose has been sensational for New York this year and especially as of late. The move would definitely take away a lot of the depth off the bench but there’s already a glaring hole at starting point guard on this roster. A combination of Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley off the bench, perhaps sprinkled in with some Frank Ntilikina should be more than enough in Rose’s absence off the bench, should he be in the starting five.</p><p>This Knicks season has been one filled with one surprise after another. Not many expect them to make a deep playoff run in 2021, this team is ahead of schedule and the likes of the Nets, Bucks and 76ers seem a tier or two above everyone else in the East. But, if the Knicks want to give themselves the best shot possible, they will take Elfrid Payton out of the starting five.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

This one move could help the Knicks take the Eastern Conference

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/3-potential-breakout-players-for-the-New-England-Patriots-in-the-2021-NFL-season.jpg"></figure><h1>3 potential breakout players for New England Patriots in 2021 NFL season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T17:21:50-07:00">May 13th, 5:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T17:22:32-07:00">May 13th, 5:22pm</time><address><a>Ben Cooper</a>16-year-old junior in high school with hopes of becoming a sports analyst</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Although the New England Patriots are no longer the NFL contender they used to be with Tom Brady, they have a ton <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/new-england-patriots/news">of young talent. </a></p><p><a href="https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/2021/01/06/if-the-jets-trade-sam-darnold-part-3-new-england-patriots-bill-belichick-moves-on-from-cam-newton/">After a great offseason</a> including many free agency signings and a well rounded draft, the Patriots are set up for success.</p><p>In free agency the Patriots bolstered the offensive weapons for either rookie quarterback Mac Jones or Cam Newton. They also made some key defensive acquisitions that will elevate the defense to another level. Year two without Brady is set up for success.</p><h2><b>Patriots breakout candidates: </b></h2><h2><b>3. Tight end Devin Asiasi</b></h2><p>Although he didn’t have a great rookie season Devin Asiasi has a great shot at breaking out. Even though the Patriots brought in tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry in free agency, Asiasi could still make a big impact. Even if he is the third tight end he would still get snaps in three tight end sets and has all the tools to be productive. In his limited play in 2020, Asiasi showed flashes of being a great blocker and his atheticism allows him to be a redzone target. Asiasi could breakout and become a weapon in the Patriots offense.</p><h2><b>2. Wide receiver N’Keal Harry</b></h2><p>N’Keal Harry is entering the third year of his career and this could be the year he breaks out. He has had a lot of pressure on him early to succeed due to the limited weapons in the offense. This year is Harry’s chance to become a solidified receiver as he will be receiving less attention. It’s no secret that the more weapons you have the better as it helps the quarterback and also helps other receivers. An example of this is the Kansas City Chiefs offense as they have Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. You can’t double team both of them and if you do it makes it easy to find other weapons like Mecole Hardman. With the signing the Patriots made, they have set up Harry for success.</p><h2><b>1. Linebacker Josh Uche</b></h2><p>As a rookie last year the injuries really told the story for Josh Uche. He only played in nine games finishing with 9 tackles and 1 sack. Uche’s potential was shown throughout his limited time on the field with his great athleticism. Despite missing a little less then half of the season Uche finished tied for 5th in quarterback pressures on the team. That is a very impressive feat especially since he missed so many games. His explosiveness to tackle players is an underrated part of his game and will help him develop easily next season. Uche also entered the NFL with a pro level talent at redirecting tight ends at the line. That is usually a weakness for incoming players but Uche already possessed it. Look for Uche to be towards the top of the Patriots pass rushers this season.</p><p>All three of these players have a great chance to break out. They are all supremely talented and in a position that is set up for success. The Patriots have a bright future ahead and these players will help them on that journey.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 potential breakout players for New England Patriots in 2021 NFL season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Wizards-should-fire-Scott-Brooks-all-the-way-up-outta-herethumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards must fire Scott Brooks all the way up outta here</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-05-13T07:43:54-07:00">May 13th, 7:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-05-13T07:45:06-07:00">May 13th, 7:45am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Barring an epic collapse, Scott Brooks’ Washington Wizards are going to make the play-in tournament. The Wizards just need to beat either the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers or Charlotte Hornets at home, <i>or</i> have the Chicago Bulls lose one of their three remaining games. The Bulls finish the season against the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.</p><p>Qualifying for the play-in tournament, or even getting through to the playoffs, doesn’t mean Washington shouldn’t pull the plug on Brooks after this season.</p><p>Yes, Brooks just won Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for April. Yes, it’s a miracle Washington is in position to clinch a play-in spot considering the 17-32 record on April 5. Yes, Brooks seemingly has the support of stars Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.</p><p>However, the Wizards can do better. Wednesday night’s collapse against the Atlanta Hawks perfectly illustrates the point.</p><p>Even without Beal in the lineup again, Washington was in position to clinch that playoff spot and eliminate Chicago. The Wizards led by as many 13 points in the fourth quarter and had numerous opportunities down the stretch to seize the game. Instead, they fell apart and suffered a 120-116 loss to give the Bulls the slightest glimmer of hope.</p><p>Brooks’ inability to make adjustments on the fly cost Washington the game, and it has been a theme of his tenure.  Perhaps the biggest sin was failing to reinsert Daniel Gafford into the game over Alex Len.</p><p>Gafford had 16 points in 17 minutes off the bench and is a perfect lob partner for Westbrook. He’s also a solid rim protector. But as the Wizards floundered in crunch time, Gafford was stapled to the bench because of <a href="https://twitter.com/ChaseHughesNBCS/status/1392657934803427333" rel="noopener">fatigue, at least according to Brooks.</a></p><p>Brooks’ usage of an effective player in Gafford has been questionable since acquiring him in a trade from, ironically, Chicago. The head coach <a href="https://twitter.com/BulletsForever/status/1392659072017698818" rel="noopener">likes to cite</a> that Washington has three centers (Gafford, Len, Robin Lopez) who need to play. The conditioning thing is probably legit to a degree, but Gafford had checked out with over seven minutes remaining. After playing only 17 minutes to that point, he couldn’t come back in for the last few? I call hogwash.</p><p>The Gafford situation wasn’t Brooks’ only misstep.</p><p>Brooks went with a trio of point guards down the stretch in Westbrook, Raul Neto and Ish Smith. The latter was spotting up in the corner despite being a terrible 3-point shooter, which only clogged up the lane for Westbrook. Smith had just six points on 3-of-9 from the field and was a team-worst minus-12 in 28 minutes. He bricked a crucial 3-pointer with the Wizards up two with just under two minutes to play.</p><p>Why not have Garrison Matthews — a 38.5% 3-point shooter this season — out there to help space the floor better for Russ? Matthews was only 1-of-4 from 3 in this game, but he’s still much more of a threat from outside. Or perhaps one of the supposed young cornerstones in Rui Hachimura should have been out there.</p><p>Either way, Brooks should have done <i>something</i> as his offense floundered when it mattered. The Wizards were almost bailed out by the Hawks’ own scuffling offense, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-john-collins-seals-the-deal-with-dagger-three-vs-wizards-clinch-playoff-berth/" rel="noopener">but a clutch</a> John Collins 3-pointer after Clint Capela blocked Westbrook on a drive gave Atlanta the lead for good.</p><p>While the Wizards did need to execute better in general, fans were quick to point the finger right at Brooks for this collapse:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ish over Neto<br>Three pg lineup <br>Jerome Robinson<br>Now Gafford</p><p>Scott Brooks is always late to obvious adjustments and it costs the team wins. This roster isn’t good enough to withstand that. Those decisions could be the difference between the play-in and the playoffs.</p><p>— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) <a href="https://twitter.com/BulletsForever/status/1392682059760558082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Scott Brooks had Russell Westbrook kicking it to Ish Smith in the corner in crunch time. I need a warrant for Scott Brooks today</p><p>— Dialante (@Deetalksalot) <a href="https://twitter.com/Deetalksalot/status/1392655988801642501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The margin between winning NBA games is so thin and coaching plays a significant role in tilting the balance in teams favor. The Wizards have constantly come up short in the Scott Brooks era at making winning adjustments when it matters most.</p><p>— Troy Haliburton + (@TroyHalibur) <a href="https://twitter.com/TroyHalibur/status/1392656149002993673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Also this <a href="https://t.co/zO5H9MQSZg" target="_blank">https://t.co/zO5H9MQSZg</a></p><p>— Mike Prada. (PRAY-duh) (@MikePradaNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikePradaNBA/status/1392670705809035265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Again, the Wizards will likely clinch a play-in spot as soon as Friday with a win over Cleveland. If Beal comes back healthy, they’ll be a dangerous team in the play-in with Westbrook playing at such a high level. They’ve been a fun story to watch over the last month, especially with so many crazy games.</p><p>But this team can do better than Scott Brooks as head coach. Hilariously enough, somehow blowing this play-in spot would almost certainly result in his firing, so maybe that would be for the better.</p><p>In all seriousness, Washington should be looking for any possible upgrade and use it as a selling point for Beal in an attempt to get him to stick around for the long haul. They shouldn’t settle for mediocrity.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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