Mike Cruz Articles - Page 31

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic may have just earned the highest of praises from his head coach Michael Malone after the Serbian’s dominant performance in their 118-112 win over the Chicago Bulls. Malone suggested that the Nuggets franchise superstar was like San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan, in that both of them carry themselves in […]

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans took down the team with the best record in the NBA, the Utah Jazz, in a thrilling 129-124 win on Monday night. Williamson fearlessly attacked Utah’s towering defensive presence Rudy Gobert all night, as he led New Orleans’ third quarter charge to give them an 11-point lead heading […]

The Arizona Cardinals beefed up their defense by signing J.J. Watt. Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones is thrilled over the addition of the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year to their squad. However, he also felt a little bad for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, as he will now need to worry more about Arizona […]

Bradley Beal led the Washington Wizards’ second half surge to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 128-112, on Saturday. During the postgame interview, Beal revealed that Josh Okogie talking trash to him in the third quarter fueled his inner Michael Jordan as he took it personally. Via Ryan Homler of NBC Sports: “It’s his fault,” the Wizards […]

New York Knicks die-hards were going absolutely bonkers outside Madison Square Garden after their beloved Knickerbockers notched their 17th win on the season on Saturday night over the Indiana Pacers. With the 117-114 win, they moved to an even .500 record for the first time in what must feel like an eternity for this loyal […]

The losses for the New Orleans Pelicans have piled up to 19 on the 2020-21 season after the San Antonio Spurs dealt them a 117-114 defeat on Saturday night. After another disappointing loss, Zion Williamson offered words of hope and suggested they need to iron out some more parts of their game before they can […]

The Portland Trail Blazers have a couple of days off before their next game, which means Damian Lillard had some time to watch to some Saturday night boxing. The Blazers superstar tuned in for the Canelo Alvarez title defense against Avni Yildirim at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The reigning super-middleweight champion easily […]

New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett looked determined to detonate on the rim with a strong left-handed hammer. However, the league’s best shot blocker had other plans. Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner met the Knicks youngster at the rim and turned him away with a massive swat. Watch the elite defensive play from the 24-year […]

Saturday marked the 60th birthday of Los Angeles Lakers legend James Worthy. Current Lakers superstar LeBron James sent a touching birthday message to Big Game James and made sure that Worthy could celebrate his day in style by sending over cigars to the 7-time NBA All-Star. Happy Bday to the BIGGEST James there is and […]

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid threw down an emphatic slam 0ver the head of Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen. After the monster poster, the ever so brash Cameroonian added a little more insult to injury, giving the Cavs big the “too small” taunt. Watch the Sixers All-Star’s highlight below, via NBA TV on Twitter: Don't […]

Ex-NBA point guard Jeremy Lin recently revealed in a disturbing Facebook post that he experienced racial attacks while playing in the NBA G-League bubble in Orlando, Florida. The post focused on raising awareness for Asian-American discrimination in the United States. Lin, who currently plays for the Golden State Warriors G-League counterpart, the Santa Cruz Warriors, […]

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has taken the NBA by storm and has showcased his superstar potential through the first couple of months of his rookie campaign. There was plenty of skepticism of whether Ball could be a face of the franchise, especially after Charlotte took him third overall in the 2020 NBA draft. However, […]

Rumblings of a rumored split between quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are growing louder. Most of the recent trade chatter is reportedly stemming from issues between Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll. However, according to The Athletic, it seems like the problems run deeper than just the 69-year old. Apparently, Wilson and people […]

The Miami Heat notched their 5th straight win on Friday night and did so by taking down the biggest fish in the NBA this season, the Utah Jazz. The 124-116 win was definitely a huge statement by Miami, as they finally look to turn their season around after a slow start. While speaking about their […]

Phoenix Suns big man Frank Kaminsky attended his post-game Zoom call rocking his teammate Deandre Ayton’s lavish iced out chain. The 27-year old revealed he asked the 2018 no. 1 overall pick if he could borrow the extravagant piece of jewelry before hopping on the virtual press conference. Kaminsky admitted he’s never put on something […]

Amidst his free agency, JJ Watt is working hard in the offseason to keep in tip-top shape. The free agent defensive end posted a video of himself hitting the gym as he gets ready for the 2021 campaign. However, he made sure to make a disclaimer to the “form police” on Twitter, admitting his form […]

The San Antonio Spurs currently sit at sixth in the loaded Western Conference with a 16-12 record. Despite their standing, there are rumblings that the team is reportedly dangling star players DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge in trade talks ahead of the March 25th trade deadline. During an episode of ESPN’s The Jump, as the […]

Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard definitely knows a thing or two about defense. The 35-year-old owns three Defensive Player of the Year trophies, which he won in three consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2011 during his prime with the Orlando Magic. With that said, Howard is seeing firsthand just how much of a force Sixers […]

The Sacramento Kings got blown out of the gym against the New York Knicks on Thursday night, 140-121. Their latest defeat marks their ninth in a row and drops them to 12-20 on the 2020-21 season. It’s safe to say Kings star De’Aaron Fox hasn’t been a fan of the way they have been playing […]

Read the numbers: 24.7 points, 4.8 assists, shooting 50.1 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from 3, and 84.8 percent from the foul line. Doesn’t that scream NBA All-Star? Factor in the fact that his team holds the fourth-best record in the loaded Western Conference at 20-10, and that’s a recipe that almost assures anyone […]

Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal previously likened the game of Denver Nuggets to former Indiana Pacers great Rik Smits. Kendrick Perkins saw the remark from the 4-time NBA champion and could not believe those words came from O’Neal’s mouth. Shaq had to be joking!!! No way he was serious by making this Comparison. https://t.co/Az892Byw1A — […]

Several NBA stars were up in arms when they didn’t see Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker’s name on this year’s NBA All-Star pool. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green believes it’s a “foolery” that Booker wasn’t given the All-Star nod amidst his incredible season with the surging Suns. Book not an all star? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 the […]

“Sniffed around” and “taking the temperature.” This is reportedly what the Dallas Mavericks have been doing to gauge the trade value of Kristaps Porzingis around the Association, as described by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Dallas once entrusted Porzingis as a franchise cornerstone, extending him a risky $158 million maximum contract despite just coming off […]

The Chicago Bulls have momentarily snagged the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference, and their success this 2020-21 season is thanks in large part due to Zach LaVine’s breakout campaign. Led by the 25-year-old star, the Bulls are gaining more confidence each game, as evidenced by this remark from veteran forward Thaddeus Young. Thad […]

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed his engagement when he received his 3rd NFL MVP earlier this month. His fiancee Shailene Woodley, while appearing on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” confirmed the big news and admitted they had been engaged for quite some time now. Via The Associated Press: “Yes, we are engaged,” […]

Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum expressed his intent to get into NBA Top Shot and wants to learn more about the blockchain-based platform. New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart came down as a blessing from the heavens, as he offered to help the Blazers guard in understanding how NBA Top Shot actually works. Hit […]

Following his 38-point outing in the Chicago Bulls’ 122-114 win over the Sacramento Kings, Zach LaVine made rookie Patrick Williams his official campaign manager for his 2021 All-Star bid. As the 19-year-old spoke in his postgame press conference, LaVine looked on and made sure Williams said the right things about him. Watch the hilarious exchange […]

The Golden State Warriors lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night. A lot of things went wrong for the Warriors down the stretch in their 102-100 defeat, which ended in a game-winning, buzzer-beater from Hornets guard Terry Rozier. One of them included Draymond Green absolutely losing his temper, which resulted in […]

The Los Angeles Lakers nearly pulled off the late game comeback against the Miami Heat after LeBron James’ clutch steal led to a potential game-tying buzzer-beat from Alex Caruso. Unfortunately, Caruso’s jumper from the right wing clanked the front of the rim and Miami survived to win, 96-94. Watch the frantic finish to end the […]

Damian Lillard woke up feeling dangerous on Saturday–and no, we’re not being sarcastic unlike those NBA Twitter trolls. The Portland Trail Blazers superstar didn’t take long to channel his Logo Lillard persona, as he opened their game against the Washington Wizards with a 3-pointer from halfcourt. Watch the highlight below: First shot of the game […]

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo gave Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James a dose of his own medicine during their 2020 NBA Finals rematch on Saturday night. Midway through the fourth quarter, James thought he had a clear lane to the basket until Adebayo came from behind and swatted away The King’s layup attempt. Watch […]

There has been a lot of talk about Bradley Beal not being happy with the Washington Wizards. He certainly did not look that way after he busted out the dance moves prior to their Saturday night match-up against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. this man is out of control 😂😂😂🐼🐼🐼#WizBlazers | @RealDealBeal23 pic.twitter.com/wsSjt5tyCS […]

Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul moved up in the history books and is now 6th on the NBA’s all-time assists list. CP3 surpassed Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson after he notched his 9,888th career assist in the first half of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. Congrats to @CP3 of the @Suns […]

New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett has seen his workload decrease over the last six games but is showing encouraging signs of improvement with his efficiency, especially in their last couple of contests. Despite playing considerably fewer minutes over this stretch for the Knicks, Barrett doesn’t seem to be sulking over this development and is […]

The entire basketball world witnessed Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards punch his official entry to the dunk of the 2020-21 season, including Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. In case you missed it, Edwards caught the body of Toronto Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe that sent social media into a frenzy. Anthony Edwards just caught a […]

The Los Angeles Clippers doused some cold water on the blazing Utah Jazz on Friday night, ending their nine-game winning streak with a 116-112 victory. Despite the Jazz suffering just their second defeat in the last 22 games, Donovan Mitchell still took some positives in what he called “a bump in the road.” Via Eric […]

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards submitted his official entry for dunk of the year. Social media blew up over his disrespectful poster dunk over Toronto Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe. However, Edwards’ reaction toward his nasty slam is arguably the best thing that happened for Minnesota on Friday night. Via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic: Anthony […]

The father of San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan just passed away, the four-time All-Star shared in a touching social media post. The 31-year-old penned a heartfelt public tribute for his dad, Frank DeRozan, and expressed what his father meant to him. The post accompanied a picture of Frank, along with his son and grandchildren, […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James made history on Thursday night, becoming just the third player in NBA history to reach the 35,000-point milestone. Now standing at 35,017 career points following their 109-98 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, James trails only Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Despite the loss, […]