Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 135

It hasn’t been the easiest season for Fred VanVleet and the Toronto Raptors. After nabbing the fifth seed last season with a 48-34 record, the Raptors have fallen all the way down to 12th in the Eastern Conference standings after a heartbreaking overtime loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks following a spirited comeback […]

The Golden State Warriors entered their Wednesday night contest against the Detroit Pistons having won five straight games amid a timely eight-game homestand with Stephen Curry out due to injury. But the Pistons, despite their 10-30 record, gave Klay Thompson and the Dubs everything they could handle, with Saddiq Bey finishing the job for Detroit […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks appear to have taken care of business against the Toronto Raptors on the road, having led by 21, 90-69, with just a little over three minutes left in the game. But the Raptors, against all odds, stormed all the way back to force overtime following an incredible game-tying triple […]

Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets entered their Wednesday night contest against the Chicago Bulls as the hottest team in the NBA, having won 12 straight games. However, all good things come to an end. Despite being on the road, the Bulls led against the Nets for much of the way en route to a […]

Jalen Brunson may have turned heads with his stellar 2022 postseason performance for the Dallas Mavericks, but there were still plenty who doubted whether he could live up to the four-year, $104 million deal he signed with the New York Knicks in the offseason. But now, no one would dare doubt what Brunson is capable […]

Last season, the Los Angeles Rams became the protagonists in the movie that was the 2021-22 NFL season. With head coach Sean McVay at the helm and Matthew Stafford directing traffic, the Rams managed to pull off the unthinkable and win the Super Bowl, only their second in franchise history. While the odds of repeating […]

Amid the Philadelphia Eagles’ two-game losing skid, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves with everything to play for in their Week 18 clash against the Washington Commanders. The Cowboys could still claim the NFC number one overall seed with a win on Sunday, to go along with Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers losses. And with […]

For months, the Phoenix Suns have dangled Jae Crowder on the trade market following their mutual agreement for the 3 and D forward to sit out games until they find a suitable trade. And they have come close to dealing away Crowder, with teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and even […]

Back on Monday, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell had every Chicago Bulls defender begging for mercy as he dropped a career-high 71 points to lead the way for a Cavs OT victory. And Bulls defenders may not be the only ones begging to be spared from a Spida explosion, with Mikal Bridges and the Phoenix […]

The Miami Dolphins, after such a promising start to the season buoyed by the stellar play of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, have seen their playoff hopes go up in smoke. They have lost their past five games, and their chances of making the postseason boil down to a do-or-die Week 18 matchup against the New York […]

For a good part of the past two months, the Dallas Cowboys have toyed around with the idea of signing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. amid his recovery from the torn left ACL he suffered back in February. However, Beckham still hasn’t progressed far enough in his recovery, leading to the Cowboys’ pursuit of other […]

The Sacramento Kings have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2022-23 NBA season. After years of misery, the Kings are now not only one of the most exciting teams in the league, but they have also been a playoff-caliber team with a 20-16 record. Looking to make the postseason for the first […]

The New York Knicks have cooled off quite considerably following their torrid start to December. Nonetheless, their hot streak has put them in position to challenge for an outright playoff spot. But they cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Thus, it may not be the worst idea for the Knicks to add to their […]

The Boston Celtics thought that they were in for a cakewalk victory when the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would miss their Tuesday night game with an illness. But Jayson Tatum and the Celtics couldn’t have been more wrong. The Thunder run roughshod over the Celtics with a blistering second quarter, and they […]

For years, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has cultivated an image of himself being a tough, hard-nosed coach who urges his players to bring some “nasty” with them on the court. Part of Popovich’s persona is his sometimes contentious relationship with some members of the media, and oftentimes, his prickly disposition during interviews […]

Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz entered their Tuesday night contest against the Sacramento Kings losers of four straight. However, the Jazz haven’t played poorly at all. The Jazz have just endured heartbreaking, down-to-the wire losses, the most recent of which came from a Tyler Herro game winner. And on Tuesday night, the Cardiac Jazz […]

There was considerable talk in the late 2010s that Giannis Antetokounmpo, should the Milwaukee Bucks flame out once more in the postseason, could bolt for greener pastures. Fast forward to now and Antetokounmpo is now an NBA champion and an NBA Finals MVP, lifting Milwaukee to great joys they haven’t experienced since their halcyon days […]

The Milwaukee Bucks entered their Tuesday night contest against the Washington Wizards having lost five of their past six games. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday’s absences haven’t helped their cause at all, and the Bucks have slipped to third in the Eastern Conference standings as a result. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP, is putting […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have endured a bit of a rough patch as of late, thanks in no small part to the absences of Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. Nonetheless, despite the Bucks’ mini-crisis, Giannis Antetokounmpo has remained the one constant holding the Bucks together, and he was back to his usual dominance yet again on […]

The Los Angeles Clippers have endured a plethora of injury woes during the 2022-23 season. And the Clippers don’t seem to be approaching the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to their bouts with injuries, especially after Paul George tweaked his right hamstring once more during their 110-100 loss to the […]

The Golden State Warriors have endured a ton of injury woes amid their five-game winning streak. In fact, not only have All-Stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins been out for a prolonged period, the Dubs also entered their Monday night game against the Atlanta Hawks missing crucial frontcourt pieces in JaMychal Green and Jonathan Kuminga, […]

Entering the 2022-23 season, LeBron James has only missed the postseason four times in his career. Simply put, James’ teams are almost always expected to make the postseason. After all, James has shown an elite ability to lead his teams in heliocentric fashion, most notably during 2007 and 2018, when he carried the Cleveland Cavaliers […]

For much of the season, the Dallas Mavericks coaching staff hasn’t had the most glowing appraisal of their marquee offseason acquisition Christian Wood’s defense. To begin the year, the Mavs have utilized Wood off the bench instead of as a starter alongside Luka Doncic, much to the fans’ chagrin. But amid the Mavs’ injury woes, […]

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most gifted footballers of his generation, made waves when he decided to sign with Al Nassr Football Club, the current league leaders in the Saudi Pro League. That may not be the league most befitting of a player of Ronaldo’s caliber. But with Ronaldo set to make $75 million per […]

There’s just something in the air in Chase Center that gives the Golden State Warriors invincibility. Entering their Monday night contest against the Atlanta Hawks armed with the best home record in the league, the Warriors had a golden opportunity to continue their climb atop the Western Conference by extending their win streak to five […]

The Golden State Warriors, currently in the middle of an eight-game homestand, have a golden opportunity to make up ground in the Western Conference standings amid Stephen Curry’s shoulder injury. However, their game on Monday night is far from a cakewalk, with Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks determined to shake off their season-long inconsistencies. […]

Despite Donovan Mitchell’s scoring outburst on Monday night, the Chicago Bulls were still on track to claim a much-needed victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. After battling inconsistencies for much of the season, this would’ve been a huge victory for Billy Donovan’s Bulls, especially after Spida scored 55 points with the Bulls still leading, 130-127, with […]

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has always had a knack for scoring the ball. Since entering the league in 2017, Mitchell has been one of the best shot creating guards in the NBA, never finishing a season with a scoring average below 20 points per game. But his career-high 71-point explosion to lead the Cavs […]

The Indiana Pacers are on an upward trajectory despite being in the early stages of their rebuild. And it’s all thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s emergence as a franchise cornerstone-level talent. With the Pacers on the rise, it may not be the worst idea in the world to add to their young core, particularly with a […]

The Philadelphia Eagles still own the best record in the NFC and are still on track for the first-seed playoff bye, but the past two weeks have put a damper on what has been such a strong season. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew hasn’t been able to fill in the shoes of Jalen Hurts, who has […]

The Miami Heat acquired Victor Oladipo during the 2021 trade deadline with one thing in mind: to add an All-Star caliber running mate alongside Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the burgeoning Tyler Herro. However, injury woes have gotten the best out of Oladipo over the past two and a half seasons. Since arriving in South […]

The Baltimore Ravens may already be assured of a playoff spot, but that doesn’t mean their players are just ready to phone it in. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers definitely took advantage of the Ravens’ complacency, particularly towards the end, as they completed a 16-13 comeback victory on the back of quarterback Kenny Pickett’s heroic fourth-quarter […]

Against all expectations, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain in the thick of the playoff hunt following a crucial 16-13 win over the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens, who were missing Lamar Jackson. If there’s anything head coach Mike Tomlin can guarantee for his team, it’s a season finish above. 500, and it appears like the Steelers are on […]

Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics failed to start the New Year right after they lost to the Denver Nuggets, 123-111, despite the absence of Jamal Murray. The return of Robert Williams III from an offseason injury was supposed to beef up the Celtics’ interior defense. However, Nikola Jokic still had his way with them […]

Nikola Jokic has drawn the most attention amid the Denver Nuggets’ rise to the top of the Western Conference standings, and for good reason. After a historic December, Jokic was back at it again to begin 2023. In a rousing 123-111 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, Jokic dropped yet another triple-double to […]

For the entirety of the 2022-23 season thus far, the Golden State Warriors know that there is no better place than home. Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, and the Dubs entered their Friday night home game against the Portland Trail Blazers owners of the league’s best home record, at 15-2. And there may be no better […]

The New Orleans Pelicans acquired CJ McCollum during last season’s trade deadline to bolster the young core led by Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. And since acquiring McCollum, the Pelicans have improved considerably. On Friday night, McCollum proved that he’s worth his weight in gold after leading the Pelicans to a rousing 127-116 victory over […]

Winning an MVP in three straight seasons has only been done thrice before in NBA history, with Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird all achieving the feat. However, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is making a strong case to join the aforementioned exclusive club, especially after a stellar month of December that’s allowed him […]

LeBron James may not be the same player he was back in his heyday with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. But he’s still a damn great player even as Father Time attempts to take him down with every passing moment. Having turned 38 Friday, James quickly proved that age, indeed, is just a number […]