Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 106

The Houston Rockets proved unable to close out their first-round series against the Utah Jazz in sweeping fashion, allowing for a Donovan Mitchell fourth-quarter barrage that ultimately forced them to come back home for a Game 5 on Wednesday. Eric Gordon, who had kept Mitchell in check for three quarters and through most of the […]

The Boston Celtics have found the proverbial reset button at the exact right time, entering the postseason with a new approach, focused on one team for an entire week and able to break down tasks in a much more efficient ways than in the regular season. “I think at this point it’s about who can […]

The Boston Celtics suffered through an identity crisis and constant mood swings all season long, but returning to the postseason, albeit not in the standing they expected, has allowed them to hit the proverbial reset button. Kyrie Irving, who has led the way of this reshuffle that just landed them a sweep of the Indiana […]

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown was not overly concerned about Jimmy Butler’s ejection in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets. As it turns out, a heated Butler is one capable of impacting his team beyond scoring, but bringing the right momentum and attitude to light a fire under his teammates. “Jimmy […]

The Phoenix Suns are confident that the core of Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Kelly Oubre Jr. would be enticing enough for a coach to take the head coaching vacancy, according to Shams Charania of Stadium. The Suns will interview as many as six candidates for the job, starting with the frontrunner Monty Williams, who […]

Donovan Mitchell starred in a 107-91 Game 4 win over the Houston Rockets to stave off elimination, and while he was the highlight point of Monday’s victory, the Utah Jazz second-year star praised his teammates for their support: “I play with a lot of close friends, and the support I’ve gotten since I arrived, not […]

The Phoenix Suns will get the gears in motion for a coaching search after dismissing Igor Kokoskov from his duties on Monday. Among the top candidates are Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams and Portland Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool, both of whom the Suns will request permission to interview, according to Shams Charania of The […]

On the heels of the recent sexual assault allegations against Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton, his defense lawyer, Mark Baute, released a statement on Tuesday to address the issue. Via Sam Amick of The Athletic: “Luke Walton retained me to defend him against these baseless allegations,” said Baute. “The accuser is an opportunist, not […]

The Utah Jazz needed to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the Houston Rockets to stave off a first-round sweep, mustering a 107-91 Game 4 win to avoid elimination. That crucial performance would not only include a game-high 31-point performance by Donovan Mitchell, but also three double-doubles from his teammates to make it happen. […]

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is looking to get some long-awaited payback, as there is still some unfinished business with the Boston Celtics dating back to last season’s loss in a best-of-seven first-round series: “We definitely owe them something from last year,” Antetokounmpo said of the Celtics after a convincing 127-104 win on Monday to […]

Upon news of a Last Two Minute Report that indicated the game officials missed a crucial call in the final seconds, denying Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen a deserved foul, Tobias Harris, who impeded his progress, is not sorry about how things went down. The Philadelphia 76ers forward wrapped around Allen’s body to switch onto […]

Russell Westbrook has made more headlines this offseason by his peculiar use of his “next question” phrase in postgame press conferences. Now, this is not news to anyone who has followed the Oklahoma City Thunder in the last few seasons, knowing the long-storied tiff the All-Star guard has had with Berry Tramel, a sports columnist […]

Andrew Bogut proved he was aware but unbothered by Joel Embiid’s comments after taking a 3-1 lead on the Brooklyn Nets, as the Philadelphia 76ers big man quickly pointed to being careful not to blow a 3-1 lead like the Golden State Warriors did in 2016. Somehow the phrase never gets old, but the Aussie […]

Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut will have a short-lived stint with the team after all, as he told Yahoo Sports Australia of his plans to return home soon after the season is done. The 7-footer had gone back to Sydney soon after the Los Angeles Lakers waived him, the third waiver in a row […]

Stephen Curry had his first lull of the postseason on Sunday, shooting 3-of-14 from the floor and 1-of-9 from deep in a crucial Game 4 on the road against the LA Clippers. The Golden State Warriors point man invoked the words of Houston Rockets star James Harden, who missed his first 15 shots of Game […]

TNT analyst Charles Barkley weighed in on the Russell Westbrook “next-question”-palooza during a Sunday segment of their broadcast of the NBA playoffs. The Oklahoma City Thunder went down into a 3-1 hole to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, but went an even deeper hole in the eyes of the Hall of Famer. Westbrook continued […]

Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant remained largely noncommittal to his free agency landing after being pressed for comment following a Game 4 win over the L.A. Clippers in the first round of the postseason. The Warriors forward is largely expected to land with the New York Knicks this upcoming summer, with many keenly aware […]

The New York Knicks haven’t been able to muster much to show for themselves besides cap space, which they will reportedly use to lure the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving into playing for them next season. Emmanuel Mudiay, now a year and a half into his tenure with the team, noted the talk […]

The Portland Trail Blazers have endured relentless humiliation after being not only upset, but swept by a lower-seeded opponent in the first round of the 2018 playoffs, following another sweep, this time at the hands of the top-seeded Golden State Warriors in 2017. The backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are keenly aware of […]

The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report confirmed Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen was indeed fouled in the final seconds of a Game 4 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday afternoon. The foul was not called and Allen turned it over, ultimately setting up a Joe Harris intentional foul that would salt things away for […]

Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook wasn’t concerned about his woeful shooting night in a Game 4 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, nor by his shot selection throughout the game — one that included a heavy dose of mid-range jump shots, which mostly clanked off the rim. Blazers point man Damian Lillard has been […]

Damian Lillard came out determined in his approach to a crucial Game 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, one that could give the Portland Trail Blazers a massive upper hand in the series by putting their first-round playoff rivals on the brink of elimination heading back home to the Moda Center for Game 5. The […]

Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford is well aware his team must establish better defensive rebounding and shot-making to get back in this series against the Toronto Raptors after trailing 3-1. After stealing Game 1 in glorious fashion on the road, following a clutch D.J. Augustin 3-pointer, the Magic have now lost three straight games […]

Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers took a business-like approach to Game 4 of their first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, knowing what was at stake. The Blazers won the first two games at home, but took a road loss in Game 3, and could’ve risked a potential swing of momentum by losing […]

Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum made a promise to himself after his team was swept out of the first round by the New Orleans Pelicans. Following a disappointing exit and a promise to Jennifer later, the shifty guard swore to himself he’d no longer be bounced out this early from the NBA playoffs. “We […]

Portland Trail Blazers forward Moe Harkless couldn’t wait to put a muzzle on the Oklahoma City Thunder, after hearing the constant barking from several players upon winning Game 3 of the series. The role player and his teammates entered Game 4 with a business-like approach and walked away with a 111-98 victory, silencing their opponents […]

The Golden State Warriors managed to ride the hot hand of Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant to win a close Game 4. They are now up 3-1 in their series against the L.A. Clippers after a heart-thumping 113-105 victory on Sunday afternoon. The back-to-back defending champions were able to withstand a poor shooting night from […]

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr made a point to pitch the idea of a long-term contract for big man Kevon Looney following yet another impactful performance in Game 3 of the first-round series against the L.A. Clippers. Looney followed a career-high 19-point effort with 10 points in 17 minutes on Thursday night, bolstering the […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves have interviewed former Finals MVP and current ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups as one of four candidates for a role in the front office, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Other names linked to the job include Denver Nuggets assistant general manager Calvin Booth, L.A. Clippers GM Michael Winger […]

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed concern for his team, as officials have made a habit out of calling double-technical fouls for any out-of-norm interactions between players. A prime example was the initial double techs that saw Kevin Durant and Patrick Beverley ejected late in the fourth quarter of Game 1, though it […]

The Indiana Pacers find themselves down 2-0 after succumbing to the Boston Celtics’ late-game heroics in two straight games games. Larry Bird has watched his former organization give up fourth quarter leads to its first-round opponents in two straight games, something he says comes down to mental toughness. “The main thing is they’ve got to […]

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant was surprised by the critical acclaim his response to a matchup-related inquiry had after a Game 2 loss to the L.A. Clippers. The clip, which quickly went viral due to its lengthy and detailed response, ended with a postmark statement — “I’m Kevin Durant. You know who I am. […]

Will Barton’s shooting struggles have now plagued him for three straight games and while Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone decided not to bench his starter, he made no promises when it comes to fourth quarter minutes. So Barton was benched for a second consecutive game against the San Antonio Spurs, due to a lackluster […]

The Charlotte Hornets had a chance to swing the table and prove to Kemba Walker they’re capable of acquiring talent by trading for Marc Gasol. Yet when a potential deal slipped from their grip, the Hornets star was deflated to see he would no longer be getting help to chase a spot in the postseason. […]

The NBA league office has decided to rescind the technical fouls assessed to Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant and L.A. Clippers big man JaMychal Green at the 8:39 mark of the third quarter of Friday’s game. GSW’s K. Durant and LAC’s J. Green have double technical fouls (8:39, 3rd Q) from game on 4/18/19 […]

Despite the recent meeting with Cleveland Cavaliers former coach Tyronn Lue, Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is expected to have a second meeting with his first candidate, Monty Williams, in a near future, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Both sides met on Tuesday in Philadelphia, as Pelinka looked to engage in a coaching […]

Game 3 of the first-round series between the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers brought on a scoring clinic from Kevin Durant, as the Warriors forward torched Patrick Beverley and the Clippers in the first half, then putting on the finishing touches in the third quarter of what would be a coast-to-coast 132-105 win for […]

Kevin Durant felt no need to prove himself to anyone after scoring a game-high 38 points in Game 3 against the LA Clippers. The Golden State Warriors forward had fouled out in Game 2 of the first-round series and was ejected from Game 1 late in the fourth quarter, leaving him yet to finish a […]

The Golden State Warriors bounced back from a historically horrific loss in Game 2 after giving up a 31-point lead midway through the third quarter, this time leading from end-to-end, coasting to a 132-105 road win over the L.A. Clippers. Kevin Durant; the dormant lion of this series, finally showed his fangs, ferociously attacking Patrick […]