Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 139

The Houston Rockets recently stringed a couple of key wins together, first taking down the Portland Trail Blazers and most recently the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, starting out a quick win streak after dropping three straight and seven of their last nine games prior. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni sensed a change, a […]

Brooklyn Nets swingman Caris LeVert has been forced to watch his team from afar after sustaining a dislocated foot that will keep him away from the court for some time, yet he’s been proud to see how his team has handled things since his injury took him out of the lineup. The Nets, though shaken […]

The Dwyane Wade retirement rodeo has been in full swing, and while Utah Jazz forward Jae Crowder was blessed with the former’s autographed, game-worn jersey, it was young star Donovan Mitchell who was showered with praise after a rousing 111-84 win over the Miami Heat. Wade noted he has followed Mitchell’s career from the time […]

TNT analyst Charles Barkley made a bold prediction during Thursday’s double-header broadcast, guaranteeing that the Phoenix Suns would come out victorious in their late-night game against the Dallas Mavericks. Chuck shot and scored, as his prayers were answered with a 99-89 win at Talking Stick Resort Arena, making this one of the very few bets he has […]

The New York Knicks made a great signing by turning Allonzo Trier’s two-way deal into a full-fledged NBA contract, but by doing so, they were forced to part ways with another guard, Ron Baker. The third-year guard out of Wichita State was undrafted, just like Trier, and had grown to win the hearts of the […]

Jimmy Butler’s exit from the Minnesota Timberwolves unleashed Karl-Anthony Towns’ full potential, now unable to defer to a better player and tasked with the bulk of the offensive responsibilities. The front office, the coaching staff and the players had waited for a time when Towns would take matters into his own hands, and Butler’s trade […]

Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie finally got the contract extension he had long awaited, and head coach Kenny Atkinson can’t be any happier for him. Atkinson had coached Dinwiddie throughout his growth in the NBA after being sent down to the G League to refine his game, making him one of the best success stories […]

The Los Angeles Lakers expressed some dismay at the challenge of defending the Houston Rockets, especially when it comes to their propensity to bait players into fouls. LeBron James and Lonzo Ball were two players who saw how James Harden went on to put up a monster 50-point triple-double, consisting of a long parade to […]

Chicago Bulls forward Jabari Parker reacted to the news of his exit from the day-to-day rotation under new head coach Jim Boylen, which took fans by storm after the Chi-town native was given a two-year, $40 million deal. “Everybody is telling me the truth — to stay ready,” said Parker, according to K.C. Johnson of […]

Chicago Bulls executive vice president John Paxson isn’t sweating the last two weeks filled with turmoil upon the firing of head coach Fred Hoiberg and his immediate replacement with Jim Boylen, a decision that was met with some resistance after the latter’s old-school practice habits. Boylen is hoping to instill discipline and shape the culture of […]

A report stemming from early last week detailed how Chicago Bulls former head coach Fred Hoiberg had lost the locker room prior to losing his job on Dec. 3. A piece by Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic detailed how even a player coming up in the rotation like Antonio Blakeney had mouthed off and cursed […]

The heated debate between two of the league’s best teams in history has been incessant as of late, with Shaquille O’Neal taking his Los Angeles Lakers to “easily” beat the Golden State Warriors of the modern era. Warriors guard Stephen Curry vehemently disagreed with Shaq’s statement, saying he was “dead wrong” for his take. As […]

Despite the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent interest in acquiring former wing Trevor Ariza from the Phoenix Suns, Stan Van Gundy doesn’t think there is any need for him. Therefore, Van Gundy saw no point in trading away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to acquire another 3-and-D veteran to plug into their system. “The Lakers’ season is going very well […]

Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Khris Middleton has had his share of confrontations with the coaching staff amid a recent five-game shooting slump, according to Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal-Times. The lauded marksman has made only 19 of his 68 field goals in the last five games (28 percent) and five of his 24 3-pointers […]

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton has been encouraged by LeBron James’ shooting prowess throughout their brief time together, admitting the four-time MVP has shot the ball beyond his expectations. “He’s a much better shooter than I would have anticipated,” said Walton, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Like, just watching him day to […]

When Dirk Nowitzki signed up to play his last potential season with the Dallas Mavericks, he knew a stint off the bench was eventually coming his way. While he clung to the starting power forward spot in his last two seasons, the Mavs’ rebuilding process has sped up considerably with the drafting of Luka Doncic, […]

The 3-point revolution has ensnared even those not really known for their long-range antics. Take for one Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who is not only avidly taking trifectas, but doing so from longer distances than ever before. Today’s pace-and-space era has also seen teams take 3-pointers from further away from the line, the […]

The NBA released their new commercial for this year’s slate of games for Christmas Day, featuring some of the biggest teams in The Association, but also boasting a couple of key omissions in their lineup. Christmas will get started with a noon (ET) matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks on ESPN, before […]

Despite falling to the Toronto Raptors by 20 points on their home court Wednesday night, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry won’t give the NBA leaders any kudos for sweeping the regular-season series against his team. The Raptors survived a 51-point onslaught by Kevin Durant in late November, staying alive after his tantalizing performance forced […]

Despite numerous high-caliber wins, shooting guard Danny Green doesn’t think his NBA-leading Toronto Raptors are the best in the league just yet. “We may have the best record but I don’t think we’re the best team in the league, or even in the East right now,” Green told Adam Zagoria of Forbes SportsMoney. “We have […]

Sacramento Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica got his revenge against his former team, cruising to a 141-130 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Following a game-high 25 points, the new Kings forward expressed his appreciation for coach Dave Joerger, who has entrusted him with a decent load of minutes and plenty of opportunities. “I have […]

The Chicago Bulls have had a drama-filled week-and-a-half under new coach Jim Boylen, but star shooting guard Zach LaVine assures the hoopla around them has been overblown. “I think everything got blown out of proportion, but we are in a good state, the team is good and we are all together,” LaVine told The Associated […]

The New York Knicks have transformed Allonzo Trier’s two-way deal into a full-fledged two-year NBA contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal is for $7 million, including a team option for the 2019-20 season, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley. To make a spot on the 15-man roster for Trier, the Knicks released […]

The Miami Heat took no shame losing to a middle-of-the-pack Western Conference team, as the Utah Jazz drummed a 111-84 victory on their home floor, only boosting their record to 14-15 this season. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra attributed their subpar record to a cruel schedule to start the season. “With Utah, I just think everybody’s […]

Kevin Durant turned down the notion of the Toronto Raptors being an up-and-coming team in the NBA after the Golden State Warriors suffered a second defeat to them on Wednesday night, this time by a 20-point margin without star player Kawhi Leonard. “They got veterans over there, I don’t understand what you mean with ‘young […]

As expected, Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard has been unbothered by the recent storylines surrounding his free agency, as the L.A. Clippers have visibly made a strong push to be the main franchise vying for his services this offseason. The Klaw has kept his tunnel vision coming into this season “I focus on what we’re […]

Stephen Curry vehemently disagreed with Shaquille O’Neal’s take that his early 2000s Los Angeles Lakers would “easily” beat the Golden State Warriors of today. As expected, Shaq took himself and his squad when prompted with the comparison, despite trying to give fair respect to the back-to-back champs. “Oh, he’s dead wrong,” Curry said of O’Neal’s take […]

Chicago Bulls new coach Jim Boylen has had its share of troubles during his short-lived tenure at the helm of a young roster, yet he insists implementing a culture, the way the San Antonio Spurs have over the years, is the key to sailing this ship forward. “What I have to do is install this […]

The NBA league office has fined Phoenix Suns forward T.J. Warren $15,000 for “directing inappropriate language toward a game official,” according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports. The incident took place with 1:44 left in the second quarter of Monday’s 123-119 overtime loss to the L.A. Clippers. Warren received a pair of technical fouls […]

The Houston Rockets have emerged as a potential suitor for Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and could join the Phoenix Suns in a multi-team trade scenario, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Rockets are once again desperate for an upgrade at the wing position after the loss of Trevor Ariza, and […]

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver has threatened to take the team to Seattle or Las Vegas after the threat of a denied vote to spend $150 million to modernize the arena could put his project in peril, according to Laurie Roberts of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams and Councilwomen Laura Pastor and Debra Stark […]

The Golden State Warriors will be in somewhat of a pickle when it’s time to make a decision on forward Draymond Green, given that he’s played an integral part in the success of the team during a four-plus-year run. While most expect Green to no longer give the team a hometown discount, the Warriors could […]

New York Knicks rookie Kevin Knox is likely to start Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in place of Mario Hezonja, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Hezonja lasted all but five scoreless minutes before Knox exploded for a career-high 26 points and 15 rebounds, a bombastic performance that finally saw the much-awaited production from […]

The Houston Rockets bounced back from a tough spell after losing three games in a row on the road, only to bounce back against the Portland Trail Blazers in hopes to right the ship. James Harden was perhaps the catalyst in a change of attitude, which could potentially turn out to be the turning point […]

Mavs rookie Luka Doncic’s meteoric rise to stardom has impressed a lot of NBA executives and pundits of the game, yet one person who is not shocked by his impact for the Dallas Mavericks is Slovenian national team mate Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat. “He doesn’t surprise me,” Dragic told EuroHoops. “I’ve known him […]

Despite a clear decline for Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown in his third season in the league, head coach Brad Stevens has been surprisingly encouraged with his progress at the defensive end. According to Second Spectrum, among the 204 NBA players to defend at least 20 direct isolations, Brown was tied for 150th, at […]

Jaylen Brown’s recent move to the bench has brought success for the Boston Celtics, but also plenty of change for the third-year guard, who quickly became a starter in his second year in the league. Teammate Kyrie Irving looks at his new role as a new challenge to overcome, as Brown looks to shake off […]

Jaylen Brown’s struggles throughout this early get-go have been quite noticeable coming off the best season of his career in 2017-18, as the shooting guard has been far from the same lethal slasher and 3-point shooter that helped the Boston Celtics to a long playoff run. Brown missed three games at the end of November after […]

The Brooklyn Nets passed up on the immediate chance to secure Spencer Dinwiddie and his future with the team, as he became eligible for a four-year contract extension worth a maximum of $47.5 million over the weekend, yet the front office has yet to pull the trigger on a deal. “No news. Nothing to report,” […]