Marty Fenn Articles - Page 133

Though it may seem like ages ago, Portland Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood was beginning to develop into a legitimate scoring threat in just his second year in the league with the Utah Jazz. Hood averaged 14.5 points and started in all 79 games he played in during the 2015-16 season. By his fourth season, […]

The Milwaukee Bucks put on yet another stellar performance in the third quarter of Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, pulling out a 123-116 victory behind 32 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo as well as 42 bench points. The Celtics had completely dominated the Bucks in every facet of the game […]

The Toronto Raptors were already facing a 2-1 deficit in their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Philadelphia 76ers, but that deficit feels a whole lot larger with the prospect of losing forward Pascal Siakam for Game 4. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN is reporting that Siakam is doubtful for Game 4 due to a right calf […]

The Philadelphia 76ers might just have the most talented starting lineup in the Eastern Conference, but that does not mean that the Sixers’ bench unit has not made some significant contributions during the 2018-19 season. In fact, the second team has been a big reason for the Sixers taking a 2-0 lead in their Eastern […]

Since he was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors has had a somewhat tumultuous career. Favors was initially drafted by the Brooklyn Nets (then still under the moniker of the New Jersey Nets), but he was traded to Utah midway through his rookie season in […]

NBA fans around the country were blessed–if they managed to stay awake–with an all-time playoff classic on Friday night, as the Portland Trail Blazers outlasted the Denver Nuggets 140-137 in four overtimes to take a 2-1 series lead in their Western Conference semifinal. The contest featured some wonderful individual performances, with Trail Blazers guard C.J. […]

The Philadelphia 76ers managed to earn a split of their first two games against the Toronto Raptors in their Eastern Conference semifinal thanks in part to a wonderful Game 2 performance by Jimmy Butler and a bench that has made the necessary contributions on both ends. Sixers center Joel Embiid, however, did very little to […]

There is no question that Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors is playing like one of the best basketball talents on the planet during the 2019 playoffs. Unfortunately for “The Claw,” he is not getting much scoring support from his teammates. Through the first three games of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Philadelphia 76ers, […]

Even the most gifted athletes on the planet can sometimes be subject to criticism regarding their physical stature, just ask Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Despite clearly establishing himself as one of the best centers in the NBA and practically carrying the Nuggets to the Western Conference semifinals, Jokic has endured some scrutiny about his […]

With the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks shifting to Massachusetts, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is urging his team to play with more energy and physicality in Game 3. In fact, Stevens believes that the more physical team always win playoff games. Brad Stevens: “I’ve never been part of […]

Golden State Warriors small forward Andre Iguodala announced on Twitter that he is publishing a memoir entitled ‘The Sixth Man’ on June 25 of this year. The Sixth Man is coming out on June 25th! You can pre-order it here: https://t.co/kMC0JEaiOI pic.twitter.com/sT3mqUqMWd — andre (@andre) May 3, 2019 Andre Iguodala, now in his sixth year […]

The Golden State Warriors had control of the game for most of the fourth quarter in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets. However, when Chris Paul stole the ball from Kevin Durant with under 20 seconds to play and Houston down three, the Rockets had a chance. James Harden’s game-tying […]

For as good as Kyrie Irving has been for the Boston Celtics this season, there have been a number of media-related incidents that have seemed to follow him throughout the year. Whether he was subliminally criticizing his younger teammates or calling out members of the press, Irving fell into a fairly repetitive cycle of little […]

The curtain has closed on the first month of the 2019 MLB season, with star players getting accustomed to new teams and Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich staying hotter than your favorite “Bond girl.” We have already seen plenty of drama in the first month-plus of play. From Bryce Harper’s return to D.C., to the […]

When the Houston Astros won the 2017 World Series, it was the culmination of a rebuilding process that had started in earnest since the beginning of the decade. Houston had been the perennial losers of the MLB for years, but with the likes of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Alex Bregman leading the […]

The Orlando Magic were arguably the most surprising playoff team in the 2018-19 NBA season, riding a talented wave of youngsters to a 42-40 record and to the team’s first playoff berth since 2012. Although the Magic were handily dispatched by the Toronto Raptors in five games in the first round, the future remains bright […]

The first month of baseball has officially concluded, and there were plenty of notable storylines to follow. From a stunning start by the Seattle Mariners, to the contrasting pitfalls experienced by the Boston Red Sox and torrid starts from some of the game’s young superstars, the 2019 MLB season is in full “swing,” so to […]

In spite of lots of talk surrounding refereeing and an absurd amount of discussion regarding a shooter’s “landing zone,” the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors have played two very entertaining games to open their Western Conference semifinal. Golden State defended their home court by taking both games at Oracle Arena, thanks in part to […]

The Indiana Pacers season seemed to hang by a thread when star shooting guard Victor Oladipo went down holding his right knee on Jan. 23 in a game against the Toronto Raptors. When X-rays found that Oladipo had suffered a ruptured quad tendon and would miss the rest of the season, things looked extremely bleak […]

Not much was known about the extent of Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter’s injury after he suffered a separated left shoulder in Game 5 of Portland’s first-round series victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although Kanter had a few additional days to rest the shoulder with the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs battling […]

The Philadelphia 76ers had absolutely no answer for Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in Game 1, as Leonard torched the Sixers for 45 points and 11 rebounds en route to a 108-95 Raptors win. But while Leonard was superb again in Game 2, it was the Sixers who stole the home court advantage with […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have jumped out to another early lead in the National League West despite a number of disappointing individual starts and a a rather shoddy bullpen. While Corey Seager continues to round into baseball shape after missing the entirety of the 2018 season and Clayton Kershaw has only just returned from injury, […]

When the San Diego Padres signed superstar infielder Manny Machado to a 10-year, $300 million deal in free agency this offseason, it was very clear that general manager A.J. Preller was making a determination in the team’s effort to win as they rebuild. The Padres had already possessed the best farm system in major league […]

The Philadelphia 76ers had hoped to deploy Jimmy Butler as a potential defensive stopper on Kawhi Leonard in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Toronto Raptors. As one of the better perimeter defenders in the league, Butler seemed to be the appropriate matchup. Instead, Leonard torched Butler and the Sixers for 45 […]

The Portland Trail Blazers were devastated when they lost starting center Jusuf Nurkic to a horrific leg injury at the end of the regular season. If there was any solace, it was that the recently-signed Enes Kanter had been incredibly productive off the bench and would fill in for Nurkic in the playoffs. Yet Portland’s […]

Suffice it to say, James Harden did not have his finest performance in the Houston Rockets’ 104-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Despite scoring 35 points, Harden shot 9-of-28 from the field and a measly 4-of-16 from the 3-point line, as Golden State pressured him all over the floor and extended him out to […]

The Golden State Warriors managed to survive the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal on Sunday afternoon, winning 104-100 behind 35 points from Kevin Durant. There was plenty of uncertainty prior to the start of today’s game. Both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had been labeled as questionable with ankle injuries […]

Whenever the Warriors and Rockets get together, you can expect fireworks. Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal certainly provided some on Sunday afternoon, as the Warriors defeated the Rockets 104-100 in a wild finish. The two teams battled on a fairly even playing field in the fourth quarter after what had been a total […]

There have been a number of superlative performances from superstars like Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving in the 2019 NBA Playoffs. And of course, KD has continued to prove why he just might be the best player in the world. Durant eclipsed the 20-point mark in his 35th straight playoff contest in Game […]

Not much went wrong for the Boston Celtics in their 112-90 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday afternoon. The Celtics applied tremendous defensive pressure the entire game, squeezing Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and collapsing the paint with their slashers. If there is any reason to be […]

The Boston Celtics improved their playoff record to 5-0 with a resounding 112-20 win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday afternoon, which is all the more impressive considering that they are without probably their best defender. Marcus Smart suffered an oblique injury in the final week of the regular season, and almost immediately was […]

Former Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce has not been afraid to speak his mind since joining ESPN’s coverage of the NBA on shows like “The Jump” and “NBA Countdown.” And after the Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 112-90 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Pierce was as bold and declarative as always: https://twitter.com/TheDirtySports/status/1122584971745488896 […]

Before the Eastern Conference semifinal between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks even began, Giannis Antetokounmpo had asserted that the Celtics did not have a game plan to try and stop him. But in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon, Boston put the clamps on Giannis early and often. Milwaukee’s MVP candidate was held to 22 […]

Prior to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, much of the talk surrounded Boston’s determination to sacrifice their bodies on the defensive end and draw charges on Giannis Antetokounmpo. Or, instead, they could simply let Al Horford do the dirty work inside. Horford denied Giannis emphatically […]

Jimmy Butler is one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA, but even he could not stop Kawhi Leonard in the Toronto Raptors’ 108-95 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. Leonard erupted for 45 points, including 28 in the first half, converting on 16 of 23 field goal attempts and attacking Butler […]

Both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson suffered ankle injuries in the Golden State Warriors’ series-clinching win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, giving Warriors fans pause as they prepare to face the Houston Rockets in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals. Although both players were listed as questionable for Game 1 last […]

Although the Golden State Warriors were finally able to dispatch of the Los Angeles on Friday night, they paid a steep price. First, Stephen Curry suffered an ankle sprain early in the contest. And then, later that night, Klay Thompson also went down with an ankle injury. Both players were initially questionable to play in […]

The Golden State Warriors currently roster two of the top three players with the most technical fouls during the 2018-19 regular season, as Kevin Durant led the league with 17 techs and Draymond Green was right behind him with 16 penalties. That trend has continued into the postseason, as both Durant and Green were assessed […]

The Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors will do battle in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, giving NBA fans perhaps the most intriguing playoff matchup in just the second round. The Rockets won three of the four regular-season games, but the Warriors won the latest contest on Mar. 13. Houston had the […]