Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 201

The Golden State Warriors suffered their worst defeat of the Steve Kerr era to end their season at the hands of the Utah Jazz. Yet even after being down 39 points in the fourth quarter, All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson checked back into the game with 6:52 left in regulation — a puzzling move from […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves have their season in the balance, facing the Denver Nuggets in the season finale for a chance to punch their ticket to the playoffs. One game, winner is guaranteed at least four more games in the postseason, loser goes home. Yet Jimmy Butler isn’t approaching this any differently than he would any […]

Chris Paul’s departure for the Houston Rockets was viewed as a huge surprise, once the team pulled off the trade in the summer — now largely viewed as the inevitable conclusion of a marriage between the point guard and coach Doc Rivers that simply did not work. Yet the dime maestro left some lasting thoughts […]

The regular season is only hours away from an end, and Russell Westbrook is yet again chasing history, only 16 rebounds away from a second straight triple-double season. While 16 rebounds seems like a daunting tally for a point guard, the reigning MVP is no ordinary one, and isn’t ashamed to chase after boards, despite […]

Despite several questions about his durability, Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal enters tonight’s finale on track to play all 82 games of the season — a feat few ever accomplish throughout a long NBA slate. Beal has been the lone Wizard holding down the fort throughout another extended absence by John Wall, becoming the […]

The Rookie of the Year race between Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons and Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell is a close one, and one that bares some major similarities to the 2003-04 season. Simmons is boasting all-around great numbers that have led the Sixers to finish out the season strongly, currently riding a 15-game […]

Houston’s Rockets forward Luc Mbah A Moute is likely to miss the first round of the playoffs with a dislocated right shoulder, an injury he sustained last night against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. As it stands, there is no clear timetable for his return after he underwent an MRI this […]

Being the NBA’s elder statesman isn’t an easy label to carry around, but forward Vince Carter has carried it honorably, showing vestiges of Half-man, Half-amazing from time to time, despite playing limited minutes in a mentorship role with the Sacramento Kings. Yet despite putting up a career-low 5.3 points per game with this team, Carter […]

The Utah Jazz have undergone a complete transformation since Rudy Gobert’s return to the lineup, one that even he didn’t see coming upon returning from injury on January. Gobert was optimistic about his team’s chances, saying “we will be fine” earlier in the season once he returned, with the Jazz way off the playoff picture. […]

The regular season has come to an end for the defending champion Golden State Warriors and not only do they not boast the top seed for the first time in four seasons, but they’ve failed to reach the 60-win mark, which many thought a given with the current roster constructed. The Warriors finished the season […]

The Golden State Warriors have been a completely different team without their system’s architect in Stephen Curry, who has played in only 51 games this season after boasting a clean bill of health during the past five seasons — playing 78 or more games in each. Yet the team’s contrast of play without their All-Star […]

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Andre Ingram is bound to see a decent paycheck for his efforts, as he’ll earn over half of his $26,000 G League salary for his last two games with the team. Ingram will earn $13,824 for games against the Houston Rockets and L.A. Clippers to finish out the season, according to […]

Andre Ingram’s debut with the Los Angeles Lakers was the feel-good story that a nerve-wracking end-of-season stretch so badly needed. The 32-year-old rookie lit up the Staples Center, finishing with 19 points, three rebounds, three blocks, and a steal on a flowing 29 minutes on the floor. Ingram had spent a decade in the D […]

Despite a 40-point mollywopping before entering the postseason, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green remains confident his championship pedigree will kick in during the playoffs. Many have described the team as vulnerable, but the reigning Defensive Player of the Year warned that if there is a team able to flip the switch, it’s them. “There […]

Nick Young has seen a complete change of the spectrum, coming from a young Los Angeles Lakers team to a veteran Golden State Warriors team with championship pedigree. For starters, the man known as Swaggy P is no longer playing for himself, but for a common goal — a change even he has noticed over time. […]

Ben Simmons has already proclaimed himself the undisputed Rookie of the Year, but it seems he’s no the only one who would pick him “100 percent” when the ballots drop. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown prompted that those who doubt Simmons’ status of a rookie are just looking for ways to debate what their […]

If there is something Russell Westbrook loves more than shooting is rebounding the ball. With only 16 rebounds needed to clinch a second straight triple-double season, many are expecting the reigning MVP to go balls-to-the-wall in a stat-padding galore to net the feat. ESPN’s Ryen Russillo was the first to poke fun at this very […]

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t easy to impress, and knowing that made Derrick Rose do a double-take when hearing his coach praise his adaptation to a bench role and feeling comfortable with this core. The former Chicago Bulls point guard noted his coach rarely give out compliments, even not giving one after winning […]

Kevon Looney was nearly destined to be a wash after this 2017-18 season, barring a complete transformation of his game. One offseason’s worth of work and 20 pounds lighter, Looney has become one of the most used reserves for the Golden State Warriors, despite the team choosing not to pick up his option earlier in […]

Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores is expected to meet with the dual-title-holding Stan Van Gundy next week, as the summer approaches with many changes left to make in what has been four years of underperformance for the team. Since Van Gundy took over the helm at to start the 2014-15 season, the Pistons have only […]

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jimmy Butler knows just how important it is for the city to see its team in the playoffs, and while the road has had plenty of bumps, his team is just one hurdle away from punching a ticket to the postseason. The Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets both took care of business […]

Twin brothers Marcus and Markieff Morris have shared a bed, a tub, and even some clothes growing up together in Philadelphia, but one thing they don’t want sharing is a first-round playoff matchup next week. The Boston Celtics are locked into the No. 2 seed and the Washington Wizards are half a game behind the […]

San Antonio Spurs veteran Manu Ginobili has made his potential farewell season a fairly memorable one, having found the fountain of youth, even at 40 years old, impressing both teammates and opponents with his play. The Argentinian shooting guard pulled back the clock once again on Monday, dropping 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have clinched a spot in the postseason after a rousing win over the L.A. Clippers on Monday night. Yet, if head coach Alvin Gentry could have done anything differently, it’s winning more games to give his star forward Anthony Davis a shot at winning the Most Valuable Player award. “The only […]

In the midst of a turbulent time following a colossal loss in the 2016 NBA Finals, Draymond Green felt the weight of the world fall upon him as his Golden State Warriors squandered a 3-1 lead after his Game 5 suspension, missing out on a second consecutive championship after a record-breaking season. It didn’t take […]

Villanova junior forward Mikal Bridges will forgo eligibility for his senior season and declare for the upcoming NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Fresh off a second championship season with the Wildcats, the All-American is projected to be a lottery pick, having won the Julius Erving award as the nation’s top small forward. With […]

The Denver Nuggets are fighting for their playoff lives once again. A year after a Russell Westbrook long buzzer-beating three booted them out of the playoffs, the Nuggets find themselves in a very similar place, losers of a tiebreaker with the Minnesota Timberwolves, now at the point where winning is the only thing they can […]

Paul George is struggling shooting the ball. That might not come as news to anyone keeping up with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but what’s been surprising has been how consistently managed to struggle from the field. The All-Star forward has now shot under 50 percent in 21 straight games in which he’s taken more than […]

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown had a choice to make before the start of the NBA season: Play veteran point guard Jerry Bayless or T.J. McConnell at the position, or yield the most of his talented rookie Ben Simmons and his unmatched vision by playing the first 6-foot-10 forward as the team’s floor general. […]

Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris was ejected during Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, eerily the same day his twin, Marcus Morris of the Boston Celtics was thrown out as well. https://youtu.be/npRkmSFh0rE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvdHb8OeIOM While they were ejected for different reasons, it didn’t stop ‘Kieff from giving his two cents on the matter. “I think the […]

Carmelo Anthony found himself out of the Team USA pool of players summoned to try out for the following competitions in 2019 and 2020. The Oklahoma City Thunder forward could do nothing more than laugh out loud (through the screen) as he read a list of his national team accolades and his surprising omission from […]

The Memphis Grizzlies put out their injury report this morning, announcing more than half of the roster was out of the lineup against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their penultimate game of the regular season. Gasol is the only player being rested, which is unlikely to have any consequences due to the Grizzlies resting him on […]

Golden State Warriors point guard Quinn Cook is expected to sign his new contract on Tuesday, after spending near-totality of the regular season as a two-way player and the last one signed by the team. Having gone undrafted out of Duke University in 2016, it wasn’t long until the praise started pouring from some of […]

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague made the team’s goal really simple throughout this see-saw end of the season in a tight Western Conference race. “Just got to win two games,” said Teague matter-of-factly, according to ESPN’s Nick Friedell. The Wolves are within a game of the seventh-place Oklahoma City Thunder and have the tiebreaker […]

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Josh Hart has made a splash despite being the last pick of the first round in the 2017 NBA Draft, having plenty of chances to show his potential along with this young core of players. Head coach Luke Walton praised his ability to adapt to the NBA game, noting he’s bound […]

Philadelphia 76ers rookie forward Ben Simmons isn’t into making comparisons for the Rookie of the Year award, picking himself as the clear winner of the race and showing no interest in a head-to-head, stat-by-stat battle with his biggest competition, Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz. “I don’t really listen to comparisons,” Simmons told ESPN’s Chris Haynes […]

After the earlier debacle of prompting the New York Knicks made a mistake by passing on Dennis Smith Jr. in the 2017 NBA Draft, LeBron James tried to rectify his approach by showering rookie Frank Ntilikina with praise ahead of a back-to-back matchup against the Knicks. “I think he knows how to play the game,” […]

Locked into the No. 2 seed in the West and fresh off a 17-point win over the Phoenix Suns, the Golden State Warriors prepare for yet another playoff run, keeping their now-familiar “Strength In Numbers” campaign. Head coach Steve Kerr is glad the motto has caught on among fans and players, but wishes he’d been […]

To Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons, there are no questions as far as who’s deserving of the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year award. “Who would I pick? Me, 100 percent,” Simmons told ESPN’s Chris Haynes at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Philadelphia on Saturday. “I think I have been playing solid all year. If you look at […]