Bruno Manrique Articles - Page 50

Paul Millsap went down with an injury and did not return after being diagnosed with quad tightness, according to TNT (via Mike Gallagher of NBC Sports). Jerami Grant took over his vacant spot and thrived, putting up 20 points, five rebounds, and two steals while canning 5-of-6 from distance in the Denver Nuggets’ 111-99 win […]

Kawhi Leonard didn’t get the boos some were expecting to hear upon his return to Toronto, but that wasn’t a huge surprise to Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. “When you leave on good terms, you get what you got,” Rivers told Michael Lee of The Athletic. “Kawhi never once said that he was […]

The Miami Heat might no longer have its eye on Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul, but they could still go shopping before the trade deadline. They’re reportedly eyeing names like Kyle Lowry, JJ Redick, and Davis Bertans, among others, according to Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports. Paul is reportedly not the best mesh […]

The Miami Heat are in the midst of an excellent season, due not only to the blockbuster trade to acquire Jimmy Butler, but also sending center Hassan Whiteside to Portland. According to Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports, the locker room is now night and day since trading Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers and allowing […]

Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic is targeting a return close to the All-Star break in February, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The 7-footer is expected to be a big reinforcement for a team that has struggled defensively all season long. Hassan Whiteside, whom the Blazers traded for in the summer, is manning […]

The Boston Celtics are expecting Gordon Hayward to suit up for Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Hayward was forced to leave Wednesday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers after taking a blow to the nose. Hayward had some dizziness after the injury and said he had a pretty good […]

The New York Knicks intend for interim head coach Mike Miller to finish the season in the position, in the wake of David Fizdale’s firing from his post 22 games into the season. Though if the Knicks continue to lose at this caustic rate, there is a shortlist of potential in-season candidates, including Jeff Van […]

TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal ripped Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid for not playing to the full capacity of his abilities, no longer appearing to be the dominant Sixers big man who can take over a game. Embiid recently put up 22 points and 10 rebounds in a nationally-televised game against the Denver […]

The Brooklyn Nets are waiving forward Iman Shumpert, who was acquired last month as a reinforcement for the team’s depth, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Nets were 9-4 since Shumpert arrived, but released him due to the guarantees on his contract — money they were reluctant to pay. Shumpert, though a good […]

Kris Dunn played the role of disruptor once again, thwarting Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young from becoming the star of the show, a performance that could help his All-Defensive Team aspirations. The Chicago Bulls point man helped limit Young to 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting along with a game-high 13 assists that came […]

Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum believes everything happens for a reason. Take for instance the time Carmelo Anthony was linked to the Blazers in 2017, with McCollum and backcourt partner Damian Lillard clamoring him to join Rip City — a chance he chose to pass up. Fast forward two-plus years and Melo is donning […]

The Sacramento Kings could get pretty expensive as soon as next season, making impending restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic a key player to watch at the upcoming trade deadline. While the Kings don’t necessarily have to trade him soon, the Serbian guard is likely to command a starting salary of $16 or $18 million next […]

Steve Kerr has experienced a completely different side of coaching at the NBA level after what most franchises view as a pipe dream. Five years in and five runs to the NBA Finals later, the Golden State Warriors head coach reflected on the historic run, noting his players were clearly “wiped out” from playing such […]

LeBron James was puzzled by Jared Dudley’s quick ejection after coming at the defense of Los Angeles Lakers teammate Dwight Howard against the Orlando Magic. Dudley exchanged a few fourth-quarter shoves and was quickly tossed from what would be a 96-87 win on Wednesday. Jared Dudley has his teammates back no matter what. Love it👌 […]

Memphis Grizzlies rookie point guard Ja Morant finally executed a highlight-reel dunk after a few failed attempts this season, burying Phoenix Suns center Aron Baynes under the basket with a sky-walking, right-handed throwdown in Wednesday’s 115-108 win. The Rookie of the Year frontrunner got the Baynes matchup on the right wing and abused it, driving […]

The Denver Nuggets have wondered about Carmelo Anthony’s return to the league, an unexpected, yet fascinating story of a star player finding his path back to the NBA. Forward Will Barton, who began his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, the team Anthony now plays for, as well as head coach Mike Malone, mused about […]

Marcus Morris has been a name among trade rumors after leading the New York Knicks in scoring with 19 points per game and 3-point shooting with a 47.1% clip this season. Yet the forward isn’t looking to get traded, rather looking to test his chops in The Big Apple, a city that has welcomed him […]

The Golden State Warriors’ transitional season is in full effect and besides the stark contrast going from one of the NBA’s most dominant teams to the worst record in the league, Stephen Curry has struggled sitting through it all. The two-time MVP broke his left hand four games into the season and has been sidelined […]

The Los Angeles Clippers have had to look for ingenious ways to survive without Kawhi Leonard, as he’s already missed seven of the team’s first 25 games this season. The most recent display of it was against the Indiana Pacers, as the Clippers went to more 2-3 zones and a 1-2-2 press to keep their […]

Marc Gasol had put everything into winning his first-ever NBA title after being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Toronto Raptors at the 2019 trade deadline. Gasol admitted to being exhausted after a long playoff run, one filled with ups, downs, and plenty of memorable moments he can still remember vividly. “That was the […]

Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey noted the organization will “stay disciplined” as the trade deadline approaches. The Blazers are 10-15 with less than two months before the final cutout date, but Olshey insists he’s not going to do anything rash: “We are going to stay disciplined,” Olshey said, according to Jason Quick of […]

Kyle Lowry reminisced about the Toronto Raptors’ unforgettable 2019 playoff run, which ended in the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship. Lowry admitted the team’s second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers was tougher than overcoming an 0-2 series deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. “They were built for a championship, and built for […]

Atlanta Hawks veteran Vince Carter is happy to see Carmelo Anthony thriving once again in the NBA after a 10-game dysfunctional stint with the Houston Rockets. Melo is averaging 15.9 points and 5.6 rebounds with the Portland Trail Blazers, something that Carter views as confirmation that he still has the chops to play in the […]

David Fizdale turned down several head coaching offers from other NBA teams without having the assurance that the New York Knicks would hire him in 2018, a clear indication of how much he wanted the post atop The Big Apple. The Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Phoenix Suns offered Fizdale their head coaching […]

Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard admitted to giving the Toronto Raptors a strong consideration after winning a title with them last season. Upon returning to Toronto to receive his championship ring in Wednesday’s regular season game against the Raptors, Leonard told reporters he had to think long and hard before deciding on his […]

The firing of former head coach David Fizdale put assistant Mike Miller at the helm of the New York Knicks on an interim basis, but even his new job isn’t safe. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Miller could probably keep the job as long as the players in the locker room still respond to him, […]

Marcus Morris Sr. could be among the hotwire names floating at the trade deadline for teams looking for help. The New York Knicks’ leading scorer has a team-friendly one-year, $15 million deal, a sum contenders would be more than willing to honor if they can give out a first-round pick in return. According to SNY’s […]

JJ Culver, the older brother of Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Jarrett Culver, scored 100 points in a magical performance to become the second NAIA player to reach that mark. The 6-foot-5 Wayland Baptist guard from Lubbock, Texas poured in the triple-digit wonder in a 124-60 rout over Southwestern Adventist, holding a similar sign to Wilt Chamberlain’s […]

D’Angelo Russell admits he tuned out head coach Kenny Atkinson upon arriving with the Brooklyn Nets, largely in part from former experiences and situations that played out in his past. Atkinson had a reputation as a hard ass, a coach that is often keen to detail and picks at the issues in film sessions. Atkinson […]

D’Angelo Russell made a no-brainer choice to come to the Golden State Warriors in free agency, but the permutations surrounding it weren’t as easy as his choice. While the Los Angeles Lakers were lurking in the background, the Minnesota Timberwolves badly wanted Russell and were ready to wine and dine him, not to mention being […]

Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell’s scandal with former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Nick Young turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the young Ohio State product, who then rerouted his focus into the game after he was isolated from the rest of his teammates, and even some of his NBA heroes. Close […]

D’Angelo Russell saw the doors of a max-level contract open up to him after an All-Star season with the Brooklyn Nets, soon taking a four-year, $117 million offer from the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade scenario. While he could have chosen stability with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who offered $107 million over four years, Russell […]

Joel Embiid thrived in a 97-92 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, motioning to the crowd for support during a big-time victory over a legitimate Western Conference stud. The Philadelphia 76ers big man has been known for being an entertainer and feeding off the vibes from the crowd, but he admits he hasn’t reached […]

Kyrie Irving has been listed as out for Wednesday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, which will mark his 13th straight missed game due to injury. According to ESPN Insider Bobby Marks, Wednesday’s absence will disqualify Irving from earning a $125,000 bonus for playing in at least 70 games this season, a bonus that was included […]

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant expressed concern at the proximity of cameras in NBA arenas, something that makes the game so intimate but so dangerous at the same time. Morant returned Monday from back spasms that he suffered two weeks ago after a collision with a cameraman along the baseline, something he admitted has […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have no interest in accelerating their rebuild, much less trading one of their veterans in sharpshooter JJ Redick. Yet some league executives believe the right offer could convince the team to trade hin before the deadline, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Redick, who signed a two-year, $26.5 million deal […]

Carmelo Anthony’s reign with the New York Knicks ended in caustic fashion after the franchise was finally able to trade him to a willing Oklahoma City Thunder team after the star forward dropped his cumbersome trade clause to facilitate the move. Yet a high-ranking Knicks official visited Anthony in person prior to the deal, asking […]

LeBron James admitted he was forced to look past the physical aspect of the game to channel greatness. Championless after his first year with the Miami Heat, James was mightly close to his first Larry O’Brien trophy, only to lose the last three games of the NBA Finals to the Mavs and be forced to […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are determined to get something in return for exiled veteran Andre Iguodala, even being willing to haul in a long-term deal in a trade, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. It appears that Memphis is hellbent in salvaging something in return for the trusty Swiss army knife after allowing him to […]