Kriel Ibarrola Articles - Page 34

Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic absolutely wrecked the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, leading his team to an impressive 122-110 win over the top-seeded East powerhouse. His individual dominance was so overwhelming that reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks were left astonished post-match. Vucevic posted gigantic numbers of 35 points, 14 […]

NBA Hall of Fame forward and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley added another entry to his ever-growing blooper reel, calling Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, “Karl Kuzma,” prior to the team’s Game 1 matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers. Barkley was sitting down with his “Inside the NBA” co-hosts Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and […]

The 2019-20 NBA season felt like the end of an era for the San Antonio Spurs, as their 22-year playoff streak came to an end. The Gregg Popovich-mentored unit remained in the hunt for that eighth and final slot in the Western Conference, but they still failed to qualify despite their impressive run inside the […]

Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker acknowledged just how special his teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown truly are after 109-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. The two young stars combined for a monstrous 61-point outing against the Sixers to give the Celtics a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round affair. […]

The Los Angeles Clippers escaped with the victory against the upset-minded Dallas Mavericks, 118-110, in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round matchup on Monday. Kawhi Leonard led his team with 29 points, 12 boards, and six assists, while his fellow superstar Paul George recorded 27 points, two rebounds, three assists. The pair’s steady […]

LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki were clearly ticked off by the “bogus” ejection of Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. The Mavs suffered a huge blow in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round match-up against the Clippers after Porzingis was thrown out of the game in the third […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James shared a glimpse of the fresh threads he will be donning in the highly anticipated Space Jam sequel called “A New Legacy.” The 4-time NBA MVP released the teaser clip through his media company UNINTERRUPTED on Monday. Sneak peek 👀 @spacejammovie @kingjames pic.twitter.com/rmcKDBVqEf — UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) August 18, 2020 […]

The Los Angeles Lakers will certainly be up for a challenge in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs after the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers secured that eighth and final slot. No doubt the Terry Stotts-mentored team is the hottest squad in the league right now, winning their last four games in impressive fashion. […]

Lakers fans will have to wait until the second round of the postseason to witness the Los Angeles Lakers’ latest tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. Per LA Times’ Brad Turner, the Purple and Gold will don a special Black Mamba jersey if they manage to get past the Portland Trail Blazers in their best-of-seven […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green has been unfairly blamed for his team’s lackluster showing in the NBA bubble. The top-seeded team in the Western Conference did not look like their usual dominant selves in Orlando, winning just three of their eight seeding games. Green has been on the receiving end of some harsh criticisms […]

Devin Booker’s name immediately came to mind when the NBA confirmed that it will be handing out special awards for games played through July 30 to August 14 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The Phoenix Suns superstar is no doubt the “bubble MVP” after tallying 30.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in […]

Controversial ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said he expects the Los Angeles Clippers to emerge out of the Western Conference over their bitter rival Los Angeles Lakers. Speaking with TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Ernie Johnson on Friday, the First Take host held off on his prediction as to which team wins the title this […]

Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap is also climbing aboard the Bol Bol bandwagon. Shortly after the Nuggets’ 109-117 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday, the 4-time NBA All-Star bared his high hopes for the 20-year-old rookie. Paul Millsap on Bol Bol: "Through this short time he’s shown that he can be a superstar in […]

The NBA’s new playoff play-in scenario is indeed an exciting new addition to the bubble inside Walt Disney World. In fact, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver likes it so much that he hinted that the league will likely be making it a permanent fixture in the upcoming seasons. Per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Silver bared […]

High-scoring games are the norm in the NBA nowadays, but that wasn’t always the case in the early 2000s. Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle recalled the league’s struggles to maintain viewership in the new millennium, mainly due to the so-called “scoring crisis” that made the game slow and unappealing to watch for fans. Half-court […]

The San Antonio Spurs has truly been the epitome of continued excellence in the NBA, despite being considered a small market team. But all good things do come to end at some point, as the Spurs saw their incredible 22-year consecutive playoff appearance snapped on Thursday, prior to their final 2019-20 NBA regular-season game against […]

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard’s superhuman performance inside the bubble in Orlando has earned the praise and respect of Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn. Following the Blazers’ down-to-the-wire 134-133 win over the Nets on Thursday, Vaughn described Lillard as a transcendent talent who has been changing the game. The 45-year-old player-turned-coach was particularly […]

The Phoenix Suns social media team displayed good sportsmanship on Thursday after the Portland Trail Blazers officially eliminated the Suns from playoff contention. Powered by another herculean effort from superstar Damian Lillard, the red-hot Blazers escaped with a thrilling 134-133 victory over the Brooklyn Nets inside the AdventHealth Arena. The win improved Portland’s record to […]

After displaying glaring improvements at the beginning of the 2019-20 NBA campaign, New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball regressed to his old ways inside the bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Shooting woes once again plagued the 22-year-old playmaker, who once again looked like his inconsistent self during his early years with […]

The Dallas Mavericks have been known to be quite active each time the trade deadline comes around. Owner Mark Cuban has spared no expense to keep his team competitive over the years, absorbing huge contracts for the betterment of his squad. The Mavs brass has also been known to take calculated risks on draft day, […]

Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has been playing the last three games with a lower back fracture. That’s how badly he wants to help his team clinch that eighth final playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference. According to Dwight Jaynes of NBC Sports, the 28-year-old Lehigh University alum has been playing through a […]

The playoffs haven’t even started yet, but Dame Time is already alive and kicking in Orlando, Florida. Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard put on yet another scoring clinic on Tuesday, erupting for 61 points in his team’s 134-131 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. It is Lillard’s third 60-plus point explosion in the 2019-20 NBA […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma received perhaps the greatest compliment of his young career from his superstar teammate LeBron James. Kuz gifted the Lakers a razor-close 124-121 win against the Denver Nuggets on Monday after cashing in a game-winning 3-pointer with .4 remaining in regulation. The 6-foot-8 forward finished with his best game in […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James chuckled in amusement upon seeing his good friend and former teammate Dwyane Wade copy his “open-shirt” look. Given the humid weather inside the bubble in Orlando, Florida, The King was photographed foregoing the buttons on his shirt as he walked around the facilities at Walt Disney World. Wade, on […]

The Miami Heat social media team made sure that the Jimmy Butler-TJ Warren beef won’t be dying any time soon. The Heat’s official Twitter threw some parting shots at Warren and the Indiana Pacers shortly after Miami slowed down the red-hot team, 114-92, at the Visa Athletic Center on Monday. Miami’s social media team was […]

The terms “Black Lives Matter” and “Equality” are two of the most popular social justice messages displayed at the back of players’ jerseys inside the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida. Miami Heat forward Andre Iguodala, however, opted to go for the least popular message among the 30 approved ones, electing to have “Group Economics” written […]

Phoenix suns star Devin Booker just can’t seem to miss much of his shot attempts these days. The 23-year-old sniper did it again on Monday, draining a ridiculously deep 3-pointer against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the HP Field House. With the 24-second shot clock winding down at the five-and-a-half-minute mark of the third period, […]

The Chicago Bulls are one of the most decorated franchises in NBA history, dominating the ‘90s by winning a total of six Larry O’ Brien trophies. Those championships wouldn’t have been made possible if not for some key trades they made along the way. But if you follow the team closely, it’s safe to say […]

Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown discussed the seriousness of mental health on Sunday, but he still found a way to somehow lighten the mood by cracking jokes at the expense of Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell. Following his double-double outing of 19 points and 12 boards in the Celtics’ 122-119 win over the Orlando Magic, Brown […]

The all-around game of Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has earned him comparisons with all-time greats Michael Jordan and LeBron James. These players operate with the ball on their hands a lot, similar to how Doncic runs the point for the Mavs. But as far as Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer is concerned, the […]

It’s never wise to light a fire under a player as talented as Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard. Unfortunately for the Philadelphia 76ers, they became casualties of Lillard’s bounce-back game after Portland’s bitter defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers. Following a war of words with Clippers players Paul George and Patrick Beverley, the 6-foot-2 […]

Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown understands the power of words, which is why he suggested a new term for police brutality. Speaking to reporters after Boston’s thrilling 122-119 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday, Brown explained why people should start referring to such abuse of power as “domestic terrorism”. Via Gary Washburn of the […]

The Portland Trail Blazers have gone 4-2 inside the bubble in Orlando, thanks in large part to the return of hulking center Jusuf Nurkic to the lineup. The 25-year-old Bosnian Beast has given Portland a steady interior presence that they have been sorely lacking since the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign. Following another strong performance […]

Even though he is now considered the go-to guy of the Boston Celtics, budding star Jayson Tatum still acknowledged how important Marcus Smart is to the success of their team. Following the Celtics’ impressive 122-100 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday, Tatum couldn’t help but gush over his team’s best 3-and-D guy. “Yeah, it’s […]

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes is extremely disappointed with himself following his team’s struggles inside the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida. The Kings got pummelled by the Brooklyn Nets, 106-119, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Arena on Friday, marking their fourth defeat in five games. Barnes opened up about the whirlwind of emotions […]

Without uttering one word, Josh Hart’s epic facial reaction summed up what all New Orleans Pelicans fans feel about Thomas Bryant’s foul. Hart drove hard to the cup in NOLA’s match against the Washington Wizards on Friday and was met near the rim by his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate. The 25-year-old wisely threw up […]

The Washington Wizards saw their playoff hopes officially extinguished on Friday following their 118-107 defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Orlando bubble. Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant, and Troy Brown finished with 20-plus points each, but they still had no answer to the Pelicans’ balanced attack. The Wizards’ record plummeted to 24-45 (10th place), […]

San Antonio Spurs guard Derrick White wasn’t surprised at all with how well his teammate Jakob Poeltl played against the Utah Jazz on Friday. In fact, White said he knew the 24-year-old Austrian slotman was bound for a big game after eating their first meal of the day. Per Spurs reporter RJ Marquez: Derrick White, […]

Stan Van Gundy is not buying the whole ordeal of how the NBA should also cut ties with China, given the nation’s history of human rights abuses. The former NBA coach-turned-TNT analyst responded to a commentary by the Orlando Sentinel’s David Whitley, which called out the NBA’s supposed hypocrisy regarding the matter. The league has […]