Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 197

Only a year after falling a tiebreaker short of the postseason, Hassan Whiteside finds himself in a quick exit in the first round after taking a 104-91 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. What’s been even more frustrating for Whiteside has been his lack of playing time, being a non-factor despite holding the […]

After a quick exit from the first round of the playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs will have many choices to make on the future of this current roster. For veterans Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, retirement is out of the question. Asked if he wanted to remain with the Spurs, Parker didn’t skip a beat. […]

Following a hard-fought five-game series loss at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, Manu Ginobili will once again evaluate his future with the San Antonio Spurs in the summer. The 40-year-old Argentinian showed he still had plenty left in the tank through his exciting play in the postseason but will make this a family […]

The San Antonio Spurs’ wild ride of a 2017-18 season came to an end on Tuesday night, falling to the Golden State Warriors for a second-straight postseason — this time over a 99-91 Game 5 loss, which put a wrap on a strange season for the known Western Conference powerhouse. “It was definitely clear that […]

The NBA and the NBPA have started conversations on potentially eliminating the one-and-done draft rule, which would allow high school seniors to enter the NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. If talks are successful, this measure will be enforced starting with the 2020 NBA Draft at the earliest. According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, 236 […]

Following a 4-1 early exit from the 2018 postseason, the veteran-laded San Antonio Spurs are expected to hold an important, all-hands-on-deck meeting with talisman and superstar small foward Kawhi Leonard, who will enter a crucial offseason, impacting his future with the team, this comes according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. Popovich, who was absent from […]

Projected to come back by Game 6 of the Boston Celtics first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Marcus Smart is making use of one of his best traits as a spark plug off the bench — patience. The same patience he needs to have before entering the game or getting his hands on a steal […]

Kevin Durant isn’t surprised by the Utah Jazz having a commanding lead on the Oklahoma City Thunder after four games, now up 3-1 on his former team, despite the coalition of talent joining it during the offseason. “We got our a**es kicked by them twice,” said Durant. “I don’t think of that as a surprise.” […]

Terry Rozier gave his two cents on Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell, who finds himself a game away from leading his team from 10th place in the West to the second round of the postseason. The Celtics guard has done some heavy lifting of his own, but still has room to admire what has unfolded […]

Having matched up against Tony Parker several times as cog in the second unit, Golden State Warriors point guard Quinn Cook recalled looking up to him, even following some of his arsenal of moves. “I used to have a DVD called Ankle Breakers,” said Quinn, recalling his youth, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. […]

The NBA is reviewing whether Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook should be suspended for Game 5 of the series against the Utah Jazz, after the reigning MVP left the bench after Rudy Gobert was fouled hard by his backup, Raymond Felton, according to Andy Larsen of KSL.com. Trailing by 20 points in the […]

Steve Kerr took the blame squarely on his shoulders after the Golden State Warriors lost a Game 4 on the road against the San Antonio Spurs. The Warriors had carved a dominant 3-0 lead in the series coming into Sunday’s game, winning every game by double digits, but in retrospect, Kerr knew he didn’t have […]

Russell Westbrook has been far from the MVP-caliber player the Oklahoma City Thunder needed this postseason. In fact, Westbrook is the worst all-around offensive player on the team, despite what the eye test might say. In a stat list compiled by Reddit’s kope89, Westbrook ranks last in field goal percentage (36.7 percent), 3-point percentage (21.4), […]

Russell Westbrook vowed to put the clamps on Ricky Rubio after the latter outstaged him in Game 3 of the series, as the Spaniard notched a triple-double while the triple-double king felt short of the mark. The reigning MVP seemed determined to honor his promise in Game 4, but his effort proved futile, picking up […]

Carmelo Anthony’s stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder has been far from what the team expected after trading away Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott to the New York Knicks prior to the start of the preseason. The experiment has proved to bring underwhelming results in the postseason, as he’s shooting a miserable 37.3 percent from […]

Dario Saric is only a game away from moving onto the Eastern Conference semifinals, as the Philadelphia 76ers boast a 3-1 lead on the Miami Heat with a chance to put the finishing touches on the series tonight in his own home court. The Croatian forward called this a “golden opportunity” to make this series […]

Jimmy Butler has proven to be the ultimate cog in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff hopes, as the franchise reached the postseason for the first time in 14 years after a couple of his stellar performances late in the season. Because of it, owner Glen Taylor said on WCCO radio that the organization will “lean heavily” […]

Joe Ingles had his fair share of fun after a convincing 113-96 Game 4 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder to put the Utah Jazz up 3-1 in the first-round series. After Rudy Gobert had answered a few questions, The Stifle Tower handed over the microphone to the Aussie, who responded with his typical humor. […]

After a vintage performance by the Houston Rockets in Game 4, veteran point guard Chris Paul argued their win wasn’t about a franchise-record 50-point third quarter, but rather the defensive effort they put forward that paved the way for their offensive explosion. “Everybody will look at the 50 points, but it was our defense,” said […]

The New Orleans Pelicans will have some decisions to make in the summer. Following an unforeseen 4-0 mauling of the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, the organization will have to assess the impending free agency of their starting center, DeMarcus Cousins over the offseason. Yet what was thought to be a sure-fire five-year max extension coming […]

Despite a firm promise to shut down his matchup, Ricky Rubio, in Game 4 against the Utah Jazz, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder was unable to fulfill it — mired in foul trouble for most of Monday night’s game. Prior to the end of the first quarter, a cutout of Rubio’s head fell […]

Despite Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook’s post-game comments following a loss in Game 3, Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell wasn’t directing the focus back on the reigning MVP, but rather on the task at hand — a key factor on their Game 4 win. The Jazz seemed as comfortable as ever dealing with a […]

LiAngelo Ball is hoping to put himself in the radar after declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft, expecting to make a splash at the Professional Basketball Combine at the IMG Academy in May. The younger brother to Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball was pulled out of UCLA weeks after a shoplifting scandal, and signed with […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves rebounded admirably from an 0-2 hole to start the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, looking like a revamped team after carving a 121-105 win in Game 3. Led by Jimmy Butler’s 28 points and a monster glass-cleaning night for Karl-Anthony Towns, the Wolves finally managed a way to slow down the […]

Despite a somber mood with the sudden passing of head coach Gregg Popovich’s wife, Erin, acting coach Ettore Messina couldn’t help but be candid about his appreciation of a veteran like Manu Ginobili. “I cannot lie to you,” said the Italian helmsman, who took the clipboard for the second straight game as Popovich mourned the […]

Paul George is expecting to have a bounce back game against the Utah Jazz tonight, in hopes to steal one on the road and pull the series even 2-2, coming back to Oklahoma City for Game 5. But before the Thunder can do so, George knows his teammates will have to be as locked-in as […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo has expressed his desire to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks until the end of his career, much like Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, and Manu Ginobili have done over the course of 16-plus seasons in the league. Yet 11-year veteran Kevin Durant warned the young star on the rise to not let himself get […]

Ricky Rubio was unbothered by the comments Russell Westbrook made post-Game-3, assuring that he would “shut that s**t down” next game after he was outscored by the Utah Jazz floor general. Westbrook has been known to have a bit of a mean streak, especially when he’s one-upped by another in his position, yet Rubio isn’t […]

FOX Sports 1 sports host Colin Cowherd ripped onto Russell Westbrook in a story-time narrative of his career, predicting he wouldn’t win any titles due to a “selfish” approach to basketball. Cowherd went through this story time as a father telling his son how to share toys, using Westbrook as an example for someone who […]

Despite the constant rumors of Kawhi Leonard’s offseason destinations, an old Gregg Popovich rule might keep the 26-year-old from landing with his hometown team in Los Angeles. According to a report by Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register, Popovich has been long against helping teams in their own conference in trade situations. “It’s one […]

Acting coach Ettore Messina will get another whirl at the clipboard for Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors, leading the San Antonio Spurs in place of the grieving Gregg Popovich on Tuesday at Oracle Arena, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Messina coached in Games 3 and 4 after Popovich’s wife; Erin, […]

Thon Maker’s insertion into the rotation has proved a catalyst of a turnaround, allowing the Milwaukee Bucks to knot affairs at 2-2 and head back to the TD Garden with a chance to steal home court with great momentum after defending their home court. In only two games, the Australian second-year forward has racked up […]

Closeout games are always the toughest. A phrase that has always been uttered by playoff analysts in every sport, but one that has now been made into a reality for the Golden State Warriors, who were unable to top the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of their first-round series. Head coach Steve Kerr wasn’t […]

Despite being well on his way to playing 81 games during his 20th season in the league, Dirk Nowitzki missed the last four games of the regular season to undergo an ankle surgery to get himself as ready as possible for what’s expected to be his last season in 2018-19. Having had two disappointing seasons […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s hunger wasn’t done after evening the Milwaukee Bucks first-round playoff series with a clutch tip-in, leaving the arena for some tacos at Bel Air Cantina, only to be met with no service and leave taco-less. At @BelAirCantina on water street and just watched @Giannis_An34 wait for a table for 10 minutes and no […]

Even after removing himself from consideration for the Phoenix Suns’ head coaching vacancy, the Atlanta Hawks’ Mike Budenholzer could have his eyes set on a different franchise far east. According to a report by Marc Berman of The New York Post, the 48-year-old could be looking at The Big Apple as his next destination at […]

Marcin Gortat was the surprise beneficiary of a handful of John Wall’s assists during the Washington Wizards’ Game 4 win over the Toronto Raptors, tying things up at two games apiece. Gortat was an effective 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting after posting a 16-point performance in Game 3 with an even more impressive 8-of-10 from […]

The San Antonio Spurs had to play with heavy hearts in a pivotal Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors and while they managed to stay at striking range within the first quarter, they ultimately were bested by a team showing a steady pressure on both ends of the court. The Spurs took on the […]

Matt Barnes had a hilarious back-and-forth with some of his NBA colleagues in Al Harrington and Kenyon Martin, discussing the effects of marijuana in the league. Among their discussions was the quality in the 1996 film Space Jam, naturally taking a hit before starting up the conversation during this view-worthy Bleacher Report 4/20 special. Moderator: “Is ‘Space […]