Mike Cruz Articles - Page 44

With a five-point lead under a minute to go in regulation, James Harden and the Houston Rockets looked well on their way to establishing a commanding 3-0 lead in their first round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC, however, crawled their way back and forced overtime. They dominated the extra session to win their […]

As the basketball cliche goes: defense wins championships. The Los Angeles Lakers showed their defensive acumen in an impressive defensive stop against the Portland Trail Blazers with less than two minutes to go in Game 3. Danny Green initially blocked Gary Trent Jr.’s triple try. Trent Jr. retrieved the offensive rebound and tried to put […]

If available, the Golden State Warriors should pursue Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers, according to team legend Chris Mullin. Speaking on NBC Sports’ Runnin’ Plays podcast, Mullin noted that Embiid would be a great fit for the Warriors. He was asked whether the Dubs should pursue Embiid or his Sixers running mate Ben Simmons […]

The Indiana Pacers find themselves in deep waters after falling 0-3 in their first-round playoffs series against the Miami Heat. However, Pacers head coach Nate McMillan wondered about some of the calls made in their latest game and couldn’t find an explanation to how the Heat managed to attempt a “ridiculous” 52 free throws in […]

The Houston Rockets are having no problem dealing with the Oklahoma City Thunder so far in their first round series even though Russell Westbrook hasn’t played yet. Nonetheless, the All-Star point guard still makes his mark for the Rockets on the sidelines. In fact, Rockets forward Jeff Green admitted he is getting incredibly tired of […]

The Philadelphia 76ers fell into an insurmountable 3-0 hole after losing Game 3 to the Boston Celtics on Friday. The Sixers’ season is basically over at this point. Playing without All-Star guard Ben Simmons, the Sixers have had to rely on All-Star center Joel Embiid to carry the load. Clearly, the Sixers are missing the […]

LaMelo Ball is one of the top prospects in the upcoming 2020 NBA draft this October. According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, an anonymous NBA scout tagged the 6-foot-7 point guard as “a very dangerous” choice and that franchises who may look to drafting the youngest of the Ball brothers should be […]

The Utah Jazz obliterated the Denver Nuggets for the second straight game to go up 2-1 in their best-of-seven first-round series. After losing 124-105 in Game 2, the Nuggets fell by an inexcusable 37 points in Game 3. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke about the embarrassing loss and said that their two stars Nikola […]

The Milwaukee Bucks, the team that dominated the regular season for the second year in a row, are supposedly title favorites. They certainly didn’t look the part in what should be the first step in their journey to the promised land this year. In disappointing fashion, Milwaukee dropped their 2020 playoff opener against the Orlando […]

Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis was ejected from his very first playoff game after receiving two technical fouls in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Porzingis exited the game in the middle of the third quarter with the Mavs still in control of the contest. This ended up swinging the momentum of the […]

NBA Twitter exploded when officials ejected Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis from Game 1 of their Western Conference first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. ESPN tried to get the reaction of Mavs owner Mark Cuban. However, the billionaire businessman opted to remain mum on what many believe was a bogus decision from the […]

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will meet in what should be an interesting first-round series between two of the most storied franchises in NBA history. While speaking on his podcast, Celtics center Enes Kanter took the opportunity to send a warning t the Sixers ahead of their matchup, which begins with Game 1 on […]

Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has been playing with a bad back since the season restarted over two weeks ago. Nonetheless, the former Lehigh standout continues to rise to the occasion whenever the Blazers need him to do so. Blazers superstar Damian Lillard spoke about McCollum playing through the injury and lauded his backcourt […]

Even with a fully healthy squad, not many would give the Philadelphia 76ers a chance to go deep in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Now, with Ben Simmons done for the entire postseason, many believe an early exit out of the Disney World bubble is inevitable for the Sixers, especially with a first-round matchup against the […]

The Utah Jazz got what they wanted. No matter how much they deny it, the Jazz orchestrated a superb tank job to fall into the sixth seed. In doing so, they managed to avoid seeing the Houston Rockets, the team that has knocked them out in either the first or second round over the last […]

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden scored 27 points in their season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. With the regular season officially in the books, Harden finishes the 2019-20 season with averages of 34.3 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field, 35.5 percent from three, and 86.5 percent from the foul line. […]

The Brooklyn Nets are on the search for a new coach next season. They could make the biggest splash by pursuing arguably one of the most legendary mentors of all time: San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “The lovable underdog days of the Nets are numbered, […]

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki and former Los Angeles Lakers star Pau Gasol headline the FIBA EuroBasket “Dream Team”. The two Euro legends, however, are the only NBA players on the fan-voted list of best EuroBasket players by position over the past two decades. 🗣️ The fans have had their say! Do you agree with […]

The Indiana Pacers and head coach Nate McMillan have reportedly agreed to a contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This comes amidst recent rumors that the 56-year is on the hot seat despite leading an overachieving Pacers squad back to the postseason. Nate McMillan is in the final year of his current deal. The […]

It was recently revealed that Mike Tyson’s return fight against Roy Jones Jr. had been postponed until the end of November, and TMZ Sports is confirming this news. Iron Mike revealed why they moved the fight: “Changing the date to November 28th will give more people the opportunity to see the biggest comeback in boxing […]

Multiple news outlets reported that the FBI recently raided the mansion of YouTube star Jake Paul. This comes amidst Paul’s training for his upcoming boxing match with former NBA player Nate Robinson in the undercard event of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight. Jake Paul Raided House According to TMZ Sports, Jake Paul […]

Miami Heat forward Andre Iguodala is giving hints on when he is going to call it a career. This time, the 36-year is serious about it: “I have about a year or two left,” Iguodala told Mark Medina of USA TODAY Sports. “I’m serious this time. I got two left.” Iguodala has been pondering about […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and the rest of the league is still adjusting in playing in games without fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The King expressed his joy of playing in front of a cheering or jeering crowd and admitted that he misses seeing and interacting with fans at the games. “I […]

Previous reports suggested that the NBA has been considering bringing the “Delete Eight” teams into the Disney World bubble in Orlando, Florida. However, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is apparently shutting down the idea, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. One resolution the NBA is considering is to open voluntary workouts at their respective team […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar big man Anthony Davis struggled mightily in their 116-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Though he admitted that the new environment of the season restart has been a bit bothersome, Davis isn’t about to make any excuses about his performances: “It’s not an excuse, though,” he said, via the […]

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard blew a chance to win Saturday’s showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers by uncharacteristically missing two crucial free throws late in the fourth quarter. Following the game, Lillard admitted that the misses bothered him because it could have given them a much-needed win, especially since the Blazers are currently […]

While appearing as a guest on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Draymond Green suggested that Devin Booker should leave the Phoenix Suns, reasoning that the 23-year-old All-Star needs to be in a winning situation. In response to the Golden State Warriors forward’s claim, Booker noted the importance to staying loyal to the fans who have been […]

Devonte Graham must be impressed. The NBA recently announced the finalists for individual season awards. Among the candidates for Most Improved Player is Dallas Mavs superstar Luka Doncic. As terrific of a sophomore season he is having, the Slovenian Sensation, however, doesn’t believe he should be among the top three. Instead, Luka Doncic gave the […]

TJ Warren continued his white-hot shooting at the NBA seeding games in Orlando. Warren unfurled a 39-point explosion to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 116-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo can’t help but think Warren is playing out of this world right now. “Hey look, T.J. Warren […]

Damian Lillard launched a deep shot over the outstretched arms of Paul George just as time expired. Splash, series over. The Portland Trail Blazers eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder via a 37-foot bomb from Lillard. After the dagger, the 5-time All-Star walked off and waved Oklahoma City’s season goodbye, almost referencing what ended up becoming […]

The Los Angeles Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time in a decade. Many analysts and casuals alike predict the Lakers to make the NBA Finals, while some strongly believe they will lift the Larry O’Brien trophy as well by season’s end. However, as dominant as they have […]

Prior to their game against the Boston Celtics on Friday, the Toronto Raptors arrived by wearing a special shirt honoring the first ever African-American general manager in the NBA, Wayne Embry. The @Raptors arrive in shirts honoring Wayne Embry, the first Black general manager & team president in NBA history. BOS vs. TOR // 9pm […]

ESPN’s special documentary on the Chicago Bulls’ 1997-98 season, “The Last Dance,” became a huge hit among basketball fans around the world. The 10-part series about Chicago’s final journey to their sixth NBA title especially put the spotlight on Michael Jordan and included a ton of interviews from the likes of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, […]

Devin Armani Booker broke NBA Twitter on Tuesday after he swished an extremely difficult turnaround jumper to lift the Phoenix Suns over the Los Angeles Clippers at the buzzer. The 23-year-old drained the tough J right in the face of two incredibly gifted defenders in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to cap off his 35-point […]

Not many expected the Toronto Raptors to keep their standing as one of the elite teams in the NBA following the departure of last year’s Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. But alas, Toronto has managed to remain a top-2 team in the East throughout the regular season. Entering the bubble games in Orlando, experts still pegged […]

The Los Angeles Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with their 116-108 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday. After the game, Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma took to Twitter to shout out “real Laker fans” who stayed loyal with the franchise through all their hardships over the past decade: Real laker […]

The Toronto Raptors enjoyed an emphatic victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. While Kyle Lowry was their star of the night, it was Toronto’s suffocating defense that led them to the 107-92 victory over the No. 1 team in the West. According to Lowry, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse initially intended to ease […]

Andre Iguodala’s contributions and sacrifices for the Golden State Warriors‘ dynastic run are immeasurable. Thus, Iggy is undoubtedly right up there in terms of most beloved Warriors of all time. While speaking to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod, Warriors president Bob Myers explained in detail what made the 2015 Finals MVP so special […]

Collecting sports memorabilia is a common hobby among very avid sports fans. Signed jerseys, balls, and all sorts of other game-worn stuff are among the most common things you can find on sports auctions. One uncommon collectible that appeared on GottaHaveRockandRoll.com is a photocopy of Michael Jordan’s first contract with the Chicago Bulls. It sold […]