Alex House Articles - Page 5

The Minnesota Timberwolves came out fairly strong in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, taking a 48-44 lead into halftime, but they had few answers versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on either side of the floor in the final 24 minutes. A 114-88 loss to the No. 1 seed will give them much to […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back from a slow first half and earned a convincing 114-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. There were plenty of intriguing takeaways, including the sparse 46 minutes that Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein combined for Tuesday night, but what should encourage fans […]

While few fans expected the catastrophic start the Baltimore Orioles are currently enduring, the storm clouds were easy to spot. The ballclub was below .500 in the second half of last season, scored only one run in a two-game sweep versus the Kansas City Royals in the American League Wild Card Series and then failed […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves were temporarily forced to gut it out without their superstar versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony Edwards suffered what looked to be an ankle injury after getting fouled early in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Tuesday night. He limped to the free throw line but eventually exited to the locker […]

Being the face of a league or organization entails more than just possessing supreme talent. It requires perspective, gratitude, self-awareness and a commitment to inspiring fans, on and off the clock. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark obviously takes her role as the most popular women’s basketball player in the world incredibly seriously. Hours before Tuesday […]

Jalen Williams has already seen his star rise this season after earning his first-career All-Star selection, but he has the opportunity to explode if he helps the Oklahoma City Thunder capture their first championship in franchise history. The NBA has its eye on him right now, but not all the reasons are positive. Following a […]

While there are people who abhor the fact that the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry spurs most of the national conversations surrounding the WNBA, there is no denying the overall positive effect it has had on the growth of women’s basketball. The NBA desperately needed a shot in the arm during the 1980s, and Magic Johnson […]

Those who are closely following the 2025 NBA playoffs can see that the New York Knicks have an abundance of talent and tenacity. Those two Ts helped the franchise advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the beginning of the George W. Bush Administration. There is another important element that has […]

When Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the foreseeable future instantly turned murky for the Boston Celtics and their fans. There was speculation that roster changes would take place this summer, even before Tatum’s injury and the C’s shortcomings versus the New York Knicks. Considering that […]

Although the Chicago Cubs (28-19) lost Justin Steele for the year due to Tommy John surgery and placed Shot Imanaga and Ian Happ on the injured list in May, morale is still exceptionally high on the North Side. This ballclub is conquering all the adversity the baseball gods have cursed it with through the early […]

Before the Florida Panthers clinched their third consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 6-1 Game 7 win versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, a scary scene transpired on the ice. Chris Rooney, who has served as an NHL referee for more than 20 years, caught an inadvertent stick in the face from Panthers […]

The Boston Celtics received contributions from a variety of players in Wednesday’s 127-102 win versus the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Derrick White led the way with 34 points and six players overall scored double-figures. However, on the road in Friday’s Game 6, it is imperative that the 2024 […]

When Juan Soto trotted out to right field at Yankee Stadium last season, he received a hero’s welcome. Actually, the adulation went deeper than that. The Bleacher Creatures saw him as a savior, brought to the Bronx to restore championship-caliber excellence to one of the most universally recognizable brands in sports. Needless to say, the […]

Bill Belichick is a complicated man. The North Carolina football head coach was polarizing long before beginning a relationship with 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson, who has become a controversial figure in her own right. Following an uneasy exchange in the now widely discussed and analyzed CBS Sunday Morning interview, many people have accused the woman […]

The Washington Mystics are not expected to do much this season. New general manager Jamila Wideman essentially said herself that contending for a championship is not a feasible goal for the young squad. But the organization and fan base had reason to feel optimistic about this new era of D.C. women’s hoops, that is until […]

The New York Jets have a new general manager, new head coach and a new quarterback heading into the 2025-26 NFL season, as they try to overhaul the culture of this beleaguered franchise. The Gang Green are also making an expected yet notable change at kicker. Former All-Pro Greg Zuerlein is being released, per The […]

Juan Soto spent just one year in New York Yankees pinstripes, but what a year it was. The star outfielder helped the franchise reach the World Series for the first time since 2009, reinvigorating a fan base that had become extremely impatient with management. He formed an elite duo with premier hitter Aaron Judge and […]

After taking two of three games versus the Washington Nationals in Truist Park this week, the Atlanta Braves (22-22) are back to .500. They made several minor transactions, trusted existing core members Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley to anchor the lineup through collectively lean times and gave big opportunities to young players like AJ Smith-Shawver […]

Jamie Benn is not the player he used to be for the Dallas Stars. The 2015 Art Ross Trophy winner tallied just 49 points and 16 goals in 80 games during the regular season. He has only three points in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs thus far. His days of making a big impact with […]

It seems like the Denver Nuggets have been on the ropes the entire postseason. Their 2024-25 campaign was in dire straits after they blew a 22-point lead and nearly lost Game 4 to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first-round. They hung on and won the series. Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals was […]

The Carolina Hurricanes have befuddled many fans with their unorthodox style of offense throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they have also stumped their opponents en route to their second Eastern Conference Final appearance in the last three years. True to form, Rod Brind’Amour’s squad prevailed in a series-clinching Game 5 versus the Washington Capitals […]

For the second straight year, the Oklahoma City Thunder are learning just how different the game can be in the NBA playoffs. Despite going 68-14 and leaving the rest of the Western Conference in the dust during the regular season, the No. 1 seed has labored for most of its Western Conference Semifinals series with […]

Since the Golden State Warriors won their last championship in 2022, they have been in desperation mode. The team has constantly hovered around the NBA Play-In Tournament picture, unloading much of their tank late in the regular season in order to increase their chances of success in the playoffs. One can only scratch and claw […]

Caitlin Clark quickly became the face of the WNBA during her historic rookie season, which followed a record-breaking run with the Iowa Hawkeyes, but A’ja Wilson is still the standard of the league. The Las Vegas Aces star posted arguably the greatest individual season the W has ever seen, averaging 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.6 […]

The Chicago Sky made significant changes to both the coaching staff and roster over the offseason, but the franchise’s cornerstone remains Angel Reese. The young forward led the WNBA with 13.1 rebounds per game as a rookie and anchored her squad’s interior attack. She is eager to grow alongside fellow second-year frontcourt force Kamilla Cardoso […]

The Indiana Pacers continue to defy expectations. Yes, they have benefited from injuries during the NBA playoffs, but their resolve is truly admirable. Tyrese Haliburton and the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference are one round away from the Finals after vanquishing the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 Tuesday night. Their success is resonating […]

The Denver Nuggets were somehow tied with the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder through four games of the Western Conference Semifinals, despite superstar center Nikola Jokic stumbling through the last three contests. They desperately needed him to regain his Hall of Fame form in Tuesday’s crucial road matchup, and the near-7-footer emerged without any trace of […]

The script was supposed to be different for the Cleveland Cavaliers this year. A real fairy-tale ending seemed possible before the NBA playoffs started, but following injuries and two collapses, this franchise and its fan base remain stuck in Groundhog Day. A 114-105 loss to the Indiana Pacers officially plunges the knife through the season’s […]

Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship in 2023 and helped them survive end-of-season turbulence this year, but he is also a big reason why they do not have a commanding 3-1 lead versus the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. The three-time MVP was ice cold from the […]

After brutal showings in Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, everyone concluded that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is in fact mortal. Following another rough outing in a potentially costly Game 4 loss, it seemed like someone possessed the stupendous center’s body or stole his talent a […]

Bret Bielema guided Illinois football to its first 10-win campaign in 23 years last season, and the program is rewarding him in a big way. The veteran head coach has agreed to a six-year contract extension with an annual salary that starts at $7.7 million, per On3 Sports. The Fighting Illini have weathered plenty of […]

The Indiana Pacers have become one of the peskiest squads in the league, using an onslaught of offense and an undying motor to shift momentum in their favor. Tyrese Haliburton has epitomized that style of play and set the tone for his team during the 2025 NBA playoffs. He knows what is asked of him […]

The Golden State Warriors did what they could to maximize their title contention window this season, acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat and signing him to a two-year, $121 million contract extension. The move made an immediate difference and helped the Dubs reach the Western Conference Semifinals. However, their championship hopes have been crumbling […]

The Boston Celtics’ pursuit of a second NBA championship could ultimately evaporate if they do not beat the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals Monday night. They effortlessly withstood the rowdy environment in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, pummeling the home team, 115-93, to avoid going down 3-0 in the […]

The day has finally arrived. You watched hours upon hours of Duke basketball, sat through an abysmal NBA regular season and said your prayers to the basketball gods, and now will come the time to see if it was all worth it. Following Monday night’s Draft Lottery, a lucky fan base will celebrate the forthcoming […]

The Philadelphia 76ers went all in last offseason, signing Paul George to a four-year, $212 million contract in the hopes that he could round out a big three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. They played a combined 112 games and the franchise finished with a miserable 24-58 record, its worst showing in almost a […]

Despite addressing their offensive and defensive lines at the NFL Draft and acquiring wide receiver George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, there is still skepticism swirling around the Dallas Cowboys. Many people expect them to finish in the bottom half of their division and outside the NFC playoff picture for a second […]

The Tennessee Titans invested a whole lot in quarterback Cam Ward, selecting the former Miami star over both Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter, the two players who analysts widely considered to be the best talents in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Fans will be delighted to know that he is already displaying strong leadership and […]

The Boston Celtics were lambasted for passing up on some opportunities to drive to the basket in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as they frequently settled for 3-pointers. They relied heavily on their long-range attack once again in Game 3, but they were able to effectively space the floor in  a […]