David Yapkowitz Articles - Page 73

The Phoenix Suns have been without Devin Booker for the past two games due a groin injury he suffered on Dec. 17 against the New Orleans Pelicans despite having his best game of the season. He was ruled out of Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies while his status for the Christmas Day game against […]

Kevin Durant has arguably put himself in the MVP conversation at this point. It’s quite the feat considering how the Brooklyn Nets looked dead in the water just about a month ago. They were struggling to win games, Kyrie Irving was on suspension and this whole experiment was looking like a failure. But they’ve since […]

It was a disappointing end to the 2021-22 season for Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. They reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, and even had a 2-1 lead over the Golden State Warriors. But they proceeded to lose three straight games and ultimately the series with Tatum coming up short […]

The New Orleans Pelicans may have been without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs, but they still had CJ McCollum. The Pelicans guard put up 40 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out nine assists in the 126-117 win, placing him alongside former Pelicans Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and […]

For many current NBA players, LeBron James is the superstar that they looked up to. James was drafted in 2003 and has spent nearly two decades dominating the hardwood. For players such as Los Angeles Lakers teammate Lonnie Walker IV, their generation was in high school or younger when James won his first NBA championship […]

Paolo Banchero may be the favorite for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award, but Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin sure is making things interesting. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Mathurin is making his own case for the award all while coming off the bench. While he has certainly entered his […]

There’s been a lot for Boston Celtics fans to cheer about this season. They have the second best record in the NBA at 22-9. They have shown no lingering effects of having their head coach Ime Udoka suspended for the entire season. Their offense has been historic and demolishing teams all season. Jayson Tatum and […]

There’s no question Ja Morant is a superstar. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Morant has blossomed into one of the absolute best players in the league, let alone at his position. This season, he is on pace to do something no Grizzlies player has ever done before as per the […]

All great NBA players have former players they look up to and patterned their game after. For players in Kevin Durant’s generation, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James always standout as the stars that generation looked up to. Durant also looked up to those two players, but on a segment with former NBA player Jamal Crawford, […]

For a team that was supposed to be mounting a strong title defense, the Golden State Warriors are looking like a team that might not even make the playoffs. With each loss, the Warriors continue to dig a deeper hole. Although head coach Steve Kerr is well aware of the uphill battle they face, he […]

Nikola Jokic is the reigning NBA MVP having won the award now in back to back seasons, and on Sunday he added to his legacy with a monster game in the Denver Nuggets 119-115 win against the Charlotte Hornets. Jokic’s stat line of 40 points, 27 rebounds and ten assists made him the first player […]

The Golden State Warriors did not get off to a good start on their current road trip as they lost the first three games. But the Warriors, and specifically Jordan Poole, responded on Sunday as they snapped their losing streak and Poole dropped in a career-high 43 points. Jordan Poole poured in a career-high 43 […]

With Sunday’s win against the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks have now won seven consecutive games and eight of their last ten overall. It’s been a strong turnaround for a team that was struggling to find some consistency earlier this season. And they’ve been winning games on the defensive end, a calling card of […]

The Brooklyn Nets have been playing some of the best basketball they’ve played all season behind Kevin Durant and on Sunday he went off for 26 points in the third quarter, the most points he’s ever scored in a quarter as per ESPN. KD had 26 points in the third quarter vs. Detroit — the […]

Bojan Bogdanovic has been mentioned in trade rumors throughout this season, even as he signed a two-year contract extension with the Detroit Pistons that will keep him on the roster at least through the 2024-25 season. His name has popped up for good reason. Bogdanovic is one of the top three-point shooters in the NBA […]

Lonzo Ball has not played a game for the Chicago Bulls since January 14 and there’s no indication that he’ll rejoin the lineup anytime soon. Last week, a report surfaced that he may not play at all this season. However, on Sunday Bulls head coach Billy Donovan provided an update suggesting that the goal remains […]

The Toronto Raptors suffered a tough loss on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets after Kyrie Irving knocked down a jumper to win the game as time expired. The loss pushed the Raptors current losing streak to four games and it’s the longest losing streak that Scottie Barnes has faced in his NBA career as per […]

The Philadelphia 76ers had a matchup against the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Friday and James Harden came out ready to play. Harden dropped 15 points in the opening quarter, putting him on par with Kobe Bryant in terms of most first quarters with at least 15 points over the last 25 seasons as […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have a legit franchise superstar on their hands in Ja Morant. He’s gotten better each season he’s been in the NBA and this year he has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate. As of now, the numbers that Morant is putting up are on par with LeBron James in the 2009-10 season […]

Luka Doncic is one of the absolute best players in the NBA and a nightmare for opposing defenses. The Portland Trail Blazers were set to matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday and Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is tasked with trying to devise a game plan to slow Doncic down. Prior to the game, […]

While he might be seeing some competition from Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin, Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero is easily the front runner for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award. Banchero only strengthened his case during Wednesday’s win against the Atlanta Hawks with his stat line of 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. […]

The New York Knicks are visiting the Chicago Bulls for two straight games on Wednesday and on Friday. For Knicks guard Derrick Rose, it’s a homecoming. Rose grew up in Chicago and was drafted by the Bulls with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft. Prior to Wednesday’s game, Rose spoke fondly of […]

Jaren Jackson Jr. missed the first 14 games of the season for the Memphis Grizzlies, but since his return he’s certainly been leaving his mark on the court. He’s been arguably the best defensive player on the Grizzlies roster and has a case for the top player on that end of the court in the […]

Lonzo Ball has not played a single game for the Chicago Bulls this season and now it appears as if he may not suit up for them at all this year as per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Woj: "There are no guarantees, I'm told, that [Lonzo Ball] plays at all this season. He's rehabbing that […]

Jalen Brunson was forced to exit the New York Knicks win over the Sacramento Kings early on Sunday due to an ankle injury and he did not return. It’s unclear how much time, if any at all, Brunson will have to miss. But if he does, the Knicks have a young guard in Immanuel Quickley […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have won seven consecutive games as they are about to embark on a quick three-game road trip. They’ve been able to do so without Brandon Ingram for the entire streak and without Herb Jones for five of those games. A big reason why the Pelicans have been so dominant is the […]

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle was ejected in the third quarter of the their home game against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Julius Randle was ejected from the Knicks-Kings game after picking up two technical fouls for arguing about a no-call.pic.twitter.com/CdZP2jUJKz — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 12, 2022 Julius Randle had caught the ball in […]

The Phoenix Suns, and Chris Paul in particular, took issue with Zion Williamson throwing down a windmill dunk in the closing seconds of their loss to the Pelicans on Friday while the game had already been decided. On Sunday, the Suns had the opportunity for a little revenge in a rematch with the Pelicans, but […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have played without Brandon Ingram for the past seven games and without Herb Jones for the past five games, but they could be returning as soon as the Pelicans upcoming road trip this week as per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Willie Green on the chances of Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones […]

To say the Brooklyn Nets were short-handed on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers is an understatement in their 136-133 win. They were missing Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, Seth Curry, Joe Harris, Royce O’Neale and T.J. Warren. Yet they managed to pull off one of their best wins of the season behind […]

The Golden State Warriors have been the model of success in the NBA for the past several years, and that is largely due to general manager Bob Myers. However, his future with the team may not be 100 percent secure. Myers is currently in the final year of his contract, which is set to expire […]

The San Antonio Spurs pulled off a close win on Saturday, 115-111 against the Miami Heat, and it was third-year guard Devin Vassell who carried them home with two clutch jumpers in the final 58 seconds. Becoming the Spurs go-to player down the stretch of close games is a role that Vassell has been steadily […]

In a season during which the Toronto Raptors have been hit hard with the injury bug and struggled to find any consistency, the one player that has been their constant is OG Anunoby. However, it appears as if the struggling Raptors might be without their iron man for Sunday’s game against the Orlando Magic as […]

The Phoenix Suns have a rematch with the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday after dropping Friday’s game against them. This time, they’ll most likely be without star guard Devin Booker as per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Devin Booker (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE Sunday at #Pelicans . #Suns — Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 10, 2022 Following […]

After missing the Los Angeles Lakers loss against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday due to an ankle issue, LeBron James is set to make his return to the lineup as the Lakers visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday as per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Not only that, but Anthony Davis is expected to make his […]

The National Basketball Players Association and the NBA have agreed to extend the deadline to decide whether or not to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement as per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. ESPN Sources: With labor talks ongoing, the NBA and Players Association are agreeing to extend the Dec. 15 deadline that each […]

The New York Knicks will be without Obi Toppin for at least the next two to three weeks due to a knee fracture, putting a hole in their lineup. But it’s possible they have the answer to his absence already on the roster in RJ Barrett. Barrett, a natural small forward, might have to move […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday as their road trip continues. As they look to snap their recent two-game losing streak, containing Sixers star Joel Embiid is going to be crucial. But Lonnie Walker IV believes the Lakers have the answer to countering Embiid in Anthony […]

The Miami Heat snapped a two-game losing streak on Thursday with a home win over the Los Angeles Clippers and it was Jimmy Butler who carried them across the finish line. Butler scored the last eight points for the Heat to hold off the Clippers, prompting Bam Adebayo to dub Butler as the team’s closer […]