Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 135

The tide of the season has changed the Miami Heat rotation after a slew of injuries and returns from the infirmary. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has had to shuffle his guys in and out of the rotation, but no move has hurt more than sitting his trusty veteran Wayne Ellington. Ellington’s career has flourished during […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves will be without their starting backcourt of Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose against the Boston Celtics, now adding forward Robert Covington to that list as well, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Jeff Teague has missed the team’s last eight games with an ankle injury, which has had the Wolves split games since […]

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has experienced his share of struggles after trying to morph into a more effective player. Despite posting a triple-double for a third straight season, the 11th-year guard is struggling mightily with his shot, shooting only 42.6 percent from the field, 24.1 percent from deep and a worrisome 62.1 percent […]

Jimmy Butler saw his night cut short, as he was ejected with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter of a tightly-contested game against the L.A. Clippers, one that would test the Philadelphia 76ers’ toughness and mental fortitude after getting mollywopped by the Portland Trail Blazers right before the end of 2018. Yet the four-time All-Star […]

Enes Kanter’s benching for young Luke Kornet has brought its share of mixed feelings in the locker room, as some veterans have started to resent the New York Knicks organization for an outright desire to make the most of their young players this early in the season. Having addressed rumors of a trade request, Kanter […]

In the midst of rumors of a trade request, New York Knicks center Enes Kanter turned down the notion of its veracity, citing that his frustration hasn’t been based around his recent benching, but rather at the team’s eight straight losses. “I did not ask for a trade, no,” Kanter said after putting up a […]

Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris has developed into a reliable stretch-four option, one that has gone from keeping the team afloat in the playoffs to being one of the pillars of this veteran squad, which was forced to stay resilient after a slow start to the season. The 29-year-old has put together his best effort […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have revamped their approach to basketball after hiring head coach Mike Budenholzer this offseason, also bringing in free agent center Brook Lopez to morph an archaic offense into a 3-point happy one. Lopez has had his share of great and disappointing performances, operating as a stretch-five with the ultimate green light to […]

Kawhi Leonard had the career-night the Toronto Raptors were waiting to see after an injury-riddled season and a lot of adjusting playing alongside his new teammates. The Klaw wiped the slate clean and left 2018 in the rearview mirror, posting 45 points on 16-of-22 from the floor in a mere 35 minutes of action, beating […]

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic put up his third triple-double of the season during a 115-108 win over the New York Knicks on New Year’s Day, after flirting with the line several times during his 2018-19 campaign. Teammate Gary Harris, who returned to the lineup after missing 11 games, wasn’t very impressed with his center’s […]

The start of the 2018-19 season has brought mixed results for the Golden State Warriors, perhaps more mixed than they would like to admit through the early stretch of this journey. After starting a blissful 10-1 in the opening three weeks, the Warriors have only mustered a 14-12 record through the next month-and-a-half, already sounding […]

The Golden State Warriors did not match the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offer sheet for restricted free agent Patrick McCaw, parting ways with the third-year forward after only two seasons with the team. President Bob Myers said the team’s roster flexibility played a part in their decision to let him walk, more so than the financial implications […]

Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala has been fined $25,000 by the league office for “recklessly” throwing the ball at the crowd during a Saturday night road win over the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Iguodala was ejected at halftime for his actions, a decision some of the Warriors players […]

James Harden has entered uncharted waters when it comes to his scoring pace this season, soaring into a different stratosphere when it comes to putting points on the board and propelling his Houston Rockets into playoff contention. The Beard now has three consecutive 40-point games, seven straight 35-point games and nine consecutive games scoring at […]

The Golden State Warriors are patiently awaiting DeMarcus Cousins’ return to the court, after missing the last 10 months with a ruptured Achilles that ended his 2017-18 season prematurely. While integrating himself to an All-Star core will prove challenging, the big man is confident it will all figure itself out due to the way this […]

Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins can’t wait to see the ball drop and put an end to 2018, a year that hasn’t brought too many fond memories since rupturing his Achilles tendon in early February. “It’s been the longest year of my life,” Cousins told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “I’m looking forward […]

The New York Knicks have already frustrated center Enes Kanter by playing young Luke Kornet over him, but also other veterans like Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas, who have been told the organization will prioritize “development” over everything else, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The Knicks are not planning to […]

The Philadelphia 76ers were smoked out of the Moda Center on Sunday night, as the Portland Trail Blazers got off to a strong start and trounced them 129-95 in a game that was wrapped up by halftime. The Blazers carved up a lead as big as 43 points at one point, yet Sixers forward Jimmy […]

The Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers trailed by as much as 43 points in a 129-95 road loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, lacking the benefit of having one of the most dominant centers in the game. Sixers head coach Brett Brown took this opportunity to make Embiid’s case for Defensive Player of the Year once […]

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has only been available for one of the team’s last eight games, creating a longer absence than initially expected after dealing with back and quad issues. Head coach Nick Nurse admitted to a slight concern of not having his All-Star point man on the floor, a stretch in which […]

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George will miss Friday night’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns along with teammate Alex Abrines, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. George, who is nursing a right quad contusion, and Abrines (stomach illness) both missed shootaround earlier in the day, per head coach Billy Donovan, leaving the team without […]

Sacramento Kings big man Marvin Bagley III is expected to be out for two more weeks as he progresses from a left knee bone bruise, and he is expected to resume full basketball activities by then, according to the team.  Bagley has had a mixed bag of a rookie season under head coach Dave Joerger, as […]

Houston Rockets talent Austin Rivers is not expecting to have many problems adjusting to his new team after pouring in 10 points in each of his first two appearances off the bench. The 26-year-old was thrust into an immediate role upon signing with the Houston Rockets, making him an easy plug-and-play candidate due to a […]

Houston Rockets guard James Harden made yet another case for his MVP candidacy in a nationally-televised win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, pouring in 45 points in an offensive masterpiece to once again put up his name among the worthy to walk away with the award. The Beard’s latest scoring barrage created added […]

The Golden State Warriors are reportedly still open on keeping restricted free agent Patrick McCaw despite the luxury tax implications of matching a two-year, $6 million offer sheet from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though it’s likely that if the Warriors do match, they do so only for purposes of using him as a trade asset, now […]

The Golden State Warriors still plan to keep their 15th and last roster spot open for a potential buyout candidate, according to Connor LeTourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Due to the nature of Patrick McCaw’s contract, which would become liquid after the Jan. 10 deadline in which the contract becomes guaranteed, it could pan […]

The bizarro saga of Patrick McCaw alienating himself from the Golden State Warriors after an offseason of questionable choices can be tracked back to a deep disconnect between the third-year players and the organization, According to Logan Murdock of the San Jose Mercury News, the 23-year-old forward felt the team wasn’t properly communicating with him, […]

The Golden State Warriors are unlikely to match the two-year, $6 million offer sheet the Cleveland Cavaliers offered for their restricted free agent Patrick McCaw, according to Connor LeTourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. While matching the offer would net McCaw’s services, the Warriors would be paying a total of $11.3 million for his services, […]

The NBA has made its stance clear, sending a league-wide memo to prevent players making comments about impending free agents while they’re still employed by a franchise. Several small-market general managers had expressed dismay at the way the league allowed LeBron James’ comments to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, as he said it would be “amazing” and […]

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo is expected to undergo hand surgery and miss a month of action, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Rondo missed Thursday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings after injuring his hand on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors. He and teammate LeBron James did not travel to […]

A closely contested home game gave Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic the green light for his shining moment, knocking down the game-winning 3-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers as time expired — a shot he knew he’d make as soon as it left his fingers. Head coach Dave Joerger drew the play for his bench […]

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons was met with a hostile welcome upon arriving to Vivint Smart Home Arena to face the Utah Jazz for a nationally televised game on ESPN. The reigning Rookie of the Year responded in due fashion, stuffing the box score with 13 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and […]

The NBA has sent a league-wide memo to remind teams of the anti-tampering rules, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In the letter, the league office emphasized that “employment contracts are to be respected and conduct that interferes with contractual relationships is prohibited.” “This principle is particularly important in today’s media environment, where any actions or […]

The Golden State Warriors have struggled to show a glimmer of the dominance they once displayed during the past few seasons, most recently dropping an overtime shot at beating the Portland Trail Blazers due to a head-scratching amount of misses and a night to forget at the free-throw line. Stephen Curry stressed the process the […]

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid loved the opportunity to match up against a fellow 7-footer in Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, as the Sixers handed them a 114-97 loss on Thursday night. Embiid showed off with 23 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and a game-high five blocks before fouling out in 33 minutes. […]

Joel Embiid admitted he has been looking forward to winning the Defensive Player of the Year award, but when asked if he saw himself as one, the Philadelphia 76ers answered with a drop of humility: “This year so far? I wouldn’t say me, because I’ve been trash, but I’m definitely top three,” said Embiid, according […]

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant was not fond of his team’s morale through a tough shooting night against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Warriors shot a poor 42.5 percent from the field and a woeful 29.5 percent from deep, but they were killed by a head-scratching 6-of-15 night from the foul line, one that eventually […]

The Golden State Warriors experienced a really odd Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, once again shooting poorly from the field, but even worse from the foul line, something that cost them the win in a narrow 110-109 overtime loss. Forward Kevin Durant wasn’t happy with a 6-of-15 night at the charity stripe, as […]

Draymond Green has been showered with criticism for his poor play this season, now owner of his worst offensive season since the start of the Steve Kerr era. The Golden State Warriors’ motor claimed he just hasn’t been himself all season and promised to make defenders pay once he finds his rhythm: “Don’t worry about […]