Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 102

Despite being on the brink of elimination, Philadelphia 76ers forward Jimmy Butler is standing up for teammate Joel Embiid. The big man had yet another disappointing outing, posting only 13 points and six rebounds while committing a game-high eight turnovers in a 125-89 rout at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. Embiid was bothered by […]

Klay Thompson’s dislike for the spotlight, gossip and drama have made him a rare breed among an era of NBA stars who thrive on mentions and newsworthy quotes before and after games. The Golden State Warriors sniper would rather let his game make conversation, an attitude even his own teammate Draymond Green deems refreshing: “It’s […]

Despite his often-quiet demeanor, Klay Thompson plays a pivotal role in meshing with a team that can often feel a string of emotions in high-stake games. The Golden State Warriors is the fighting monk of the roster — calm, serene, but ready to strike at a blink’s notice — a character that proves as vital […]

Klay Thompson’s desire to remain with the Golden State Warriors is rooted mostly on the journey he’s had to reach this level of success along with his teammates. While Thompson now has three rings and is battling for a fourth in this postseason, he came into an organization that was known as the laughing stock […]

Klay Thompson’s free agency hasn’t generated as big a buzz for a player of his caliber, but his Golden State Warriors teammate thinks it’s due to how he has handled the process all around. Andrew Bogut made the quick distinction between him and other pending free agents who have tread water differently (cough, Kevin Durant […]

Denver Nuggets talent Jamal Murray cooked the Portland Trail Blazers to the tune of 18 points and nine assists in a 124-98 win, one that included this delicious up-and-under finger roll maneuver to shake off Al-Farouq Aminu. The move had the local Nuggets crowd at the Pepsi Center buzzing, and Murray couldn’t help but to […]

The Houston Rockets have played as well as they can at home to bring their series against the Golden State Warriors even after two wins at the Toyota Center. However, Chris Paul, Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker believe they must play better on the road to have a chance to win this series. “Yeah, we […]

The Philadelphia 76ers will have to navigate murky waters the rest of the week, as they could wind up playing two of their potential next three games on the road against the Toronto Raptors. Forward Jimmy Butler is expecting this series to be a battle of grit and a lot of elbow grease, welcoming the […]

Jimmy Butler exuded confidence after a narrow loss to the Toronto Raptors in Game 4 of the series, one that now puts the Philadelphia 76ers at a disadvantage after losing the home-court advantage they stole in Game 2. The mercurial forward wasn’t shaken by the recent loss, claiming his team has always made the most […]

The Chicago Bulls will enter their second season under recently-extended coach Jim Boylen with plenty of questions to address. Among them, the direction they will head in with the point guard position, as Kris Dunn has had mixed results — though mostly negative as the team’s starting point man. Vice President of Basketball Operations John […]

Kyrie Irving did his best to decipher what’s been going wrong in the past three games against the Milwaukee Bucks, as the Boston Celtics followed five straight postseason wins with utter disappointment in this series, now on the brink of elimination. Irving has quickly realized the full extent of the Bucks’ game plan, one forged […]

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been marred by injuries this postseason, but he is listed as probable for Game 5 against the Toronto Raptors after recovering from an upper respiratory infection, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Embiid did not attend shootaround on Tuesday morning and is resting back at the hotel, hoping to save […]

Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker was the unsung hero of a clutch Game 4 win over the Golden State Warriors, as his hustle, grit, and relentlessness proved key in securing another home win to even up the series at 2-2. Head coach Mike D’Antoni resorted to matching the Warriors’ Hamptons 5 lineup with a small […]

Members of the Golden State Warriors believe it was “a dirty play” by Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul that caused Andre Iguodala’s knee hyperextension, which he sustained in the last minute of play in regulation after a James Harden missed free throw, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Iguodala was seen limping a bit […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t resting on his laurels after his Milwaukee Bucks put the Boston Celtics on the brink of elimination. The Greek Freak posted a monstrous 39 points and 16 rebounds in Game 4, now winning three straight games to put the Celtics one win away from being knocked out of the playoffs. Yet Antetokounmpo […]

Andre Iguodala suffered a late injury in Game 4 of the Golden State Warriors’ series against the Houston Rockets. The trusty Swiss Army knife said he hyperextended his knee after battling with Chris Paul for a rebound in the fourth quarter. Trailing by three points in the dying seconds of the game, James Harden missed […]

Will Barton isn’t taking this closely-contested series personally against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, as the agile wing has had plenty of time to move on from his trade back in 2015. The Denver Nuggets swingman was traded along with Victor Claver, Thomas Robinson and a lottery-protected 2016 first-round pick for Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee. He is […]

Overreaction Tuesday is on following the Boston Celtics’ Monday night loss, which now puts them on the brink of elimination after sweeping their way to the second round of the playoffs. ESPN’s Jalen Rose went as far as to say that Kyrie Irving is “done” in Boston, noting the rest of his teammates would be […]

The Houston Rockets mustered another big-time effort to tie up the series at 2-2 on Monday. The Golden State Warriors will only have one day to reload before Wednesday’s clash at Oracle Arena, hoping to put them at the verge of elimination after two straight losses. These are 5 Clutch Points of Game 4 of […]

Draymond Green got the bad end of a James Harden follow-through, getting knocked on the noggin after the reigning MVP splashed down a 3-pointer as The Beard hoped to draw contact at the end of the play. The Golden State Warriors talisman mentioned at the end of Game 1 that he has been fouled on […]

Murray State Racers point guard Ja Morant has not been shy of confidence when it comes to his abilities. The draft prospect told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports he considers “point god” as his natural position coming into the league. Morant is a consensus Top-2 pick in June’s upcoming draft and by far the best […]

Eric Gordon seems to be quickly developing into the three-and-D force the Houston Rockets had long expected him to be, as Second Spectrum data suggests he’s been an integral part of keeping Klay Thompson quiet throughout the course of the Houston Rockets series against the Golden State Warriors. Gordon has been a stud on offense, […]

DeMarcus Cousins has continued to shoot around and ramp up the intensity of his workouts, holding out hope for a potential appearance in the NBA Finals should the Golden State Warriors reach them for a fifth straight season, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Cousins has been out of action since the opening minutes […]

Kawhi Leonard credited his playoff experience as a member of the San Antonio Spurs as a reason he’s been able to pick apart defenses throughout the postseason, including a lethal average of 38 points per game and a surgical efficiency in his series against the Philadelphia 76ers, shooting a scorching 62% from the floor. “I […]

Chris Paul has taken a notable back seat to James Harden throughout this playoff stretch. The change was evident for the Houston Rockets throughout the course of the season, as Paul’s absence forced head coach Mike D’Antoni to go Harden heavy once again — circa 2016, giving his star a heavy load to carry to […]

Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard has unleashed what seemed to be his full superstar potential in this critical series against the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 38 points per game through four games while shooting a formidable 62%. Teammate Danny Green, who has been with Leonard through his entire career, noted the change of scenery from a […]

Kawhi Leonard’s impending decision this summer will likely narrow down to two teams, as The Klaw is expected to choose between staying with the Toronto Raptors or bolting for his hometown LA Clippers. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski explained that Leonard could take meetings with teams that could pay him his much-awaited max contract, but ultimately would […]

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” read a wise quote from George Santayana, one Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has been determined to live by in this second-round series against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Malone watched how Lillard obliterated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first […]

Toronto Raptors point man Kyle Lowry and team president Masai Ujiri had a much-needed sit down conversation to clear things up after months had passed since the latter traded his backcourt mate and best friend DeMar DeRozan in the offseason. Lowry had been all business from the start of the season but had yet to […]

Damian Lillard has been reduced to a shell of himself, seemingly nullified from the volcanic version of himself he showed in the Portland Trail Blazers first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Denver Nuggets have stalemated his isolation game, as well as closed down the spaces on the perimeter that make him such a […]

Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson could consider a return to his hometown of Los Angeles if his current team doesn’t fork out the bucks he deserves this summer. Though he could consider joining the L.A. Clippers over the Los Angeles Lakers if the Dubs come shy of the max, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. […]

It wasn’t too long ago that Houston Rockets PJ Tucker gambled on himself to make it back to the NBA. The longtime journeyman turned down a beefier contract in Russia for a chance to be the 15th man for the Phoenix Suns seven years ago, soon drawing his first start guarding no other than Kevin […]

The Golden State Warriors are preparing for a “possibly seismic change” this offseason if-and-when Kevin Durant leaves this summer. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski explained the situation as a guest in Monday’s edition of Get Up! “The [rest of the NBA] are certainly operating under that hope, because it changes the whole team dynamic in the league […]

Jimmy Butler is hoping to see a radical change in Ben Simmons’ aggressiveness through the rest of a closely-contested series against the Toronto Raptors, after the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves with a series tied at 2-2, with only one home game left. “I told him (Simmons): every time down the floor to attack,” said Butler, […]

Norman Powell was nearly out of superlatives, invoking the name of The Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant, after witnessing Kawhi Leonard trot out a supernatural performance to even the series at 2-2. The Toronto Raptors forward led all scorers with 39 points and 14 rebounds, also playing a game-high 43 minutes in a clutch effort […]

Joel Embiid’s status for Game 4 was highly questionable, as the Philadelphia 76ers center dealt with an illness that kept him from displaying his full potential in a close 101-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Following a monster 33-point, 10-rebound, five-block effort in Game 3, Embiid didn’t feel fit to play on Sunday, […]

The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report concluded that Houston Rockets guard James Harden should have been called for an offensive foul after committing a charge against Golden State Warriors big man Draymond Green, a play that occurred with 27 seconds left in the overtime period. Shaded by Andre Iguodala, Harden drove to the heart of […]

The Houston Rockets avoided a potential 3-0 hole and pulled out a statement win over the Golden State Warriors in overtime, taking a vital 126-121 Game 3 win on Saturday to make this a series. In the process, the Warriors revealed their biggest weakness, one that could cost them more than a playoff loss: a […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are still finalizing a compelling offer for soon-to-be head coach Tyronn Lue. However, according to reports, neither LeBron James nor his agent/business partner Rich Paul were part of the decision. This despite having had recent conversations over the course of the last few weeks, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. […]