David Yapkowitz Articles - Page 9

At this point in his career, Golden State Warriors vet Draymond Green is known for his antics just as much as his on the court play. Green has already gotten into it with Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green following the Warriors’ Game 3 win, and his antics annoyed the Rockets again at the start of […]

The pivotal Game 4 between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets got fiery in the second quarter. Emotions had been boiling throughout the series so far, and it finally spilled over with a mini-altercation involving Stephen Curry and Dillon Brooks. It initially began when Curry attempted to navigate a screen set by Draymond […]

The Golden State Warriors took a 2-1 series lead in their opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets following their 104-93 win in Game 3. A key factor in the Warriors Game 3 win was the play of Gary Payton II. Payton didn’t play so well during the first two games in […]

The Miami Heat came into Game 4 of their first round series of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers facing elimination after their 124-87 loss in Game 3. Even though the team vowed to play better in Game 4, that didn’t seem to be the case as the Heat trailed by close to 30 […]

MINNEAPOLIS – The Los Angeles Lakers are facing elimination following their 116-113 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of their opening round series of the NBA Playoffs. But there is still optimism in the locker room that the Lakers can win this series, and LeBron James is the reason why. Following the Lakers’ […]

MINNEAPOLIS – The Los Angeles Lakers are sitting where no NBA team wants to be in the playoffs. That’s staring down the wrong end of a 3-1 series deficit, which is where the Lakers stand following their 116-113 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4. Head coach JJ Redick opted to go with major […]

The Golden State Warriors came into Game 3 of their opening round playoff series against the Houston Rockets a little shorthanded. They were without Jimmy Butler who had suffered an injury in Game 2. And if Warriors’ fans are to be believed, the team was even more behind the eight ball against the Rockets in […]

The Los Angeles Clippers had come all the way back from a 20-point deficit to take the lead late in Game 4 of their opening round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. But with overtime looming, the Clippers had their hearts ripped out on their home floor, 101-99, after Aaron Gordon dunked in a game-winner […]

The Golden State Warriors are coming into Game 3 of their first round playoff series against the Houston Rockets having gotten a 1-1 split in the first two games. Coming back to their homecourt, the Warriors will have the support of their fans behind them in Game 3. And they might have extra motivation as […]

MINNEAPOLIS – The Los Angeles Lakers are facing essentially a must-win situation following their 116-104 Game 3 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. With the prospect of facing a 3-1 deficit in the series, and a potential elimination game in Game 5, Game 4 becomes that much more magnified. And as Lakers star LeBron James put […]

MINNEAPOLIS – The Los Angeles Lakers found themselves in unenviable territory following their 116-104 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series. In playoff history, the team that has won Game 3 in a 1-1 series has gone on to win the series 73.3 percent of the time, according to […]

MINNEAPOLIS – When LeBron James takes the court for Game 3 of the Los Angeles Lakers’ opening round series of the NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, it will be his 290th career playoff game. He was in the NBA Finals for eight consecutive seasons from 2011-2018. Ahead of the Game 3, Lakers head coach […]

The Memphis Grizzlies were facing essentially a must-win game heading into Game 3 of their opening round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They lost both games on the road to start the series and to fall into an 0-2 hole. But as the Grizzlies returned to their home court for Game 3, they […]

Over the weekend, the NBA announced their finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, The DPOY candidates included the Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley and the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green. On Thursday, it was revealed that Mobley had won the award. Following the announcement, Hawks’ star Trae Young […]

With the grand opening of Intuit Dome this season as the LA Clippers new home arena, one of the most talked about features was the introduction of The Wall. The Wall is a section located behind the visiting team’s basket meant to distract opposing players, and only Clippers fans are allowed to sit there. Ahead […]

Los Angeles Lakers’ star LeBron James is currently in an unprecedented season in that he is in year 22 of his NBA career. The only other player in NBA history to have played a 22nd season was Vince Carter. When the Lakers tipped-off their opening round playoff series last weekend, James became the first player […]

The New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons came into Game 3 of their opening round series of the NBA Playoffs tied at one game apiece. With the series shifting to the Pistons’ home court for Game 3, things got a little fiery to start the game. Knicks’ star Karl-Anthony Towns was involved in a mini-squabble […]

The NBA trade deadline can be a tough time for players, and for Portland Trail Blazers guard Sidy Cissoko, it was more like a whirlwind. Amid his second season with the San Antonio Spurs, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings as part of the De’Aaron Fox blockbuster trade that also involved the Chicago Bulls. […]

Before tip-off of Game 2 between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, Warriors star Stephen Curry dazzled onlookers by sinking multiple half-court shots with ease. But as the game began, it was another player who took center stage. Draymond Green, who joined the Warriors just three years after Curry, set a team record with […]

During the Golden State Warriors’ Game 1 win against the Houston Rockets in the opening round series of the NBA Playoffs, Warriors star Stephen Curry dazzled viewers with insane shot-making. It’s nothing new for Curry, who has built a career and won multiple championships as arguably the greatest shooter of all-time. His shot-making ability from […]

The Boston Celtics are the defending NBA champions, and by many accounts, are a top favorite to repeat. While the Celtics have star power in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they boast a deep roster with multiple players capable of having big games. One of those players for the Celtics is Payton Pritchard, who is […]

LOS ANGELES – Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ humiliating Game 1 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their opening round series of the NBA Playoffs, they had plenty to think about. At the forefront was the level of physicality and how the Wolves simply out-toughed them. But in the days leading up to Game 2, […]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Los Angeles Lakers were thoroughly outplayed by the Minnesota Timberwolves during their 117-95 Game 1 loss of their opening round series of the NBA Playoffs. Trailing 1-0 in the best of seven series, the Lakers face a must-win situation in Game 2 before the series shifts to Minnesota. Austin […]

The Minnesota Lynx head into the 2025 WNBA season with a lot of confidence and momentum having reached the 2024 WNBA Finals. With a superstar player in Napheesa Collier and a solid core around her, the Lynx appear poised to be a contender again in the upcoming season. With the start of the season only […]

The Tennessee Volunteers were one of the top college basketball teams in the country this past season, earning a No. 2 seed and reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by Houston. And on Sunday, they received huge offseason news. Five-star forward Nate Ament announced his decision to commit to Tennessee, […]

One of the top rising players in the NBA this season was Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, which is why it isn’t too surprising that he’s a candidate for both the DPOY Award and the Most Improved Player Award. Daniels has had a breakout season and it seems like the world has taken notice. The […]

When looking at the candidates for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award, Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Austin Reaves seemed like a strong candidate to be named as one of the finalists. But when the NBA released their list of three finalists for the Most Improved Player Award on Sunday, Reaves’ name was not among them. […]

In the final months of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, a new name entered the race for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Golden State Warriors’ veteran forward Draymond Green was not mentioned in the first half of the season as a DPOY candidate. But following the Jimmy Butler trade and the Warriors’ surge […]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers dropped Game 1 of their opening round playoff series, 117-95, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Starting guard Austin Reaves, who has formed a sort of ‘Big 3‘ for the Lakers alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic, didn’t quite have the game fans have come to expect from him. In […]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers were favored in Game 1 of their opening round series of the NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and in the series overall. But after their 117-95 loss to the Wolves, the Lakers have their backs to the wall heading into Game 2. A big factor in the […]

The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies squared off on Friday in their play-in matchup for the right to earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. In the early goings of the game, things already got a little chippy with […]

When Caitlin Clark was drafted to the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft, she helped usher in a rise of popularity in the WNBA and women’s basketball in general. Her electric style of play captured the hearts and minds of fans with many tuned in to watch her pro career. With the popularity came […]

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has always seemed like a pretty cool guy, free of any ego and just a fun-loving player to be around. That perception was only exemplified by a recent interaction with a young fan. Following a viral video, the young fan was treated to a Nuggets game where he got to […]

Following the Duke Blue Devils’ elimination in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament by Houston, one of the bigger questions at the end of the season was the future of junior guard Tyrese Proctor. Proctor was coming off an All-ACC season and had been one Duke’s top players. Well the wait is over as […]

The WNBA will a have new team when the 2025 season tips-off next month with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries. When the 2026 WNBA season rolls around, two more expansion teams will begin play in the Toronto Tempo and the yet-to-be-named Portland franchise. The WNBA has already revealed expansion plans to get up […]

Thumb: Seattle Storm players Jordan Horston and Nika Muhl with the Seattle Storm arena in the backgroundThe Seattle Storm pulled off a major offseason move in acquiring the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft which they used to select French sensation Dominique Malonga. Malonga is already drawing plenty of intrigue ahead of […]

LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers first made the trade for Luka Doncic, one of the biggest questions was how Doncic would fit chemistry-wise on the court with LeBron James. With the Lakers securing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and making the NBA Playoffs outright, the initial sample size has […]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for their opening round series of the NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This week, Lakers head coach JJ Redick organized a watch party for the team for the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies play-in game. According to Lakers’ guard Austin Reaves, the watch party […]

The Chicago Sky drafted TCU star Hailey Van Lith with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, reuniting her with one-time college teammate Angel Reese. The duo played together at LSU during the 2023-24 season, a year that Reese immediately recalled after the Sky selected Van Lith. Following the WNBA Draft, Hailey […]