Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 21

It’s still hard to fathom that Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving only played together for 16 games—SIXTEEN!—with the Brooklyn Nets. The experiment worked as well as James Corden in that movie about singing cats. Now, Harden is with the Philadelphia 76ers, forming another talented trio with Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris. On Tuesday, […]

After years of toiling in the backburner, Gary Payton II has truly found a home with the Golden State Warriors. He has shown that he belongs to the NBA with his speed, toughness, and athleticism. Traits that, of course, he gained from his Hall of Famer dad. Payton has also provided some jaw-dropping highlights in […]

The NBA trade deadline passed and the Golden State Warriors decided to stay pat. After all, with the way they have performed this season, despite all the injuries and Stephen Curry getting as cold as leftover pizza at one stretch, there’s no reason to tinker with the roster. But that could change in the coming […]

Many agree that Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers deserves his NFL MVP trophy this season. Many, but not all. In fact, Rodgers was just a single vote shy from being a unanimous winner. Among the 50 voters, one person didn’t pick the Packers quarterback. On Tuesday, as reported by Pro Football Talk, veteran analyst […]

The New York Knicks blew a double-digit lead in the second half and suffered a bitter four-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 127-123 on Monday night. The Knicks, who led by as much as 11 points in the third quarter, fell to 25-33 and no. 12 in the Eastern Conference. Julius Randle, who has […]

Remember that really archaic period in the NBA when the Brooklyn Nets had Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving and they were expected to win 500 championships? Yeah, that one. Well, things didn’t exactly pan out. Now, the Nets are in the midst of another new era with the addition of Ben Simmons, Andre […]

Despite getting struck by a spate of injuries, the Miami Heat have managed to remain competitive. In case you’re aren’t aware, because the Heat have always been under the radar, they are atop the Eastern Conference right now with a 37-20 record. That’s really quite impressive, considering the Heat have missed Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, […]

Right from the onset, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay knew wide receiver Cooper Kupp will be key to their victory in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday night. The Rams quarterback revealed after their massive win that Sean McVay kept calling plays for Kupp. Sure enough, it was the right decision. The 28-year-old NFL Offensive […]

Make that two rings for Los Angeles Rams safety Taylor Rapp. After beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday night, Rapp celebrated the best way possible by proposing to his longtime girlfriend Dani Johnson. Because any time you can propose after a Super Bowl win, you do it. Johnson gave her sweet […]

For years, it felt like Matthew Stafford was stuck in NFL purgatory. His level of play was up there with the league’s other star quarterbacked, but it just wasn’t translating to wins for the Detroit Lions. After years of anguish, he was acquired by the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason. As they say, nothing […]

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay came from a football family. His dad, Tim McVay, played college football, while his grandfather, the great John McVay has five Super Bowl rings as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers. So growing up surrounded by the game, the youngest McVay probably envisioned that one day, his moment […]

It’s party time in Tinseltown as the Los Angeles Rams survived the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI at a filled-to-the-rafters SoFi Stadium on Sunday night. The Rams shut out the hard-fighting Bengals in the fourth quarter to hack out a close 23-20 win and take home their first NFL title since 1999. NFL […]

Lady luck wasn’t smiling on the Boston Celtics at the start of the season, as the team struggled to find an identity after a busy summer of changes. Despite their talent, the Celtics couldn’t find a rhythm to keep up with the other contenders in the Eastern Conference. Well, now, it seems lady luck is […]

Aside from the titanic tussle between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, many NFL fans also eagerly awaited the epic halftime show of Super Bowl LVI. Safe to assume, many were not disappointed. Rap royalty Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige put on quite a performance at the […]

At long last, the Ben Simmons saga is over. Or is it? Insert foreboding music here. But alas, the two-way guard has finally found a new home with the Brooklyn Nets after being traded for James Harden in a blockbuster deal on Thursday. Simmons definitely needs a change of scenery after his acrimonious stint with […]

Because of his dismal stint with the Cleveland Browns, not a few people felt that Odell Beckham Jr. was already washed. When he was shipped to the Los Angeles Rams midway in the season, it offered renewed hope for OBJ. Beckham had a relatively slow start with the Rams, leading some to question the team’s […]

If there’s one thing that’s 100% sure in the universe, it’s that Aaron Rodgers’ future with the Green Bay Packers is still 100% unsure. Even before the NFL season began, there have been loud rumors of Rodgers being shipped to another team. Several controversies only complicated things, including his false representation of his vaccination status. […]

Amid all the frenzy and furor of the NBA trade deadline, Los Angeles Lakers veteran Carmelo Anthony and Miami Heat forward PJ Tucker remain focused on the most important thing in the world right now: Sneakers. While all are busy on the frenetic wheeling-and-dealing around the league, Melo and Tucker are preoccupied with adding more […]

DeMar DeRozan isn’t keen on feeling complacent heading to the All-Star break. That’s why he continues to ball out for the Chicago Bulls in their recent assignments, leading the team to a 121-109 win over the skidding Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. The Bulls are now just one game behind the Miami Heat for the […]

The Toronto Raptors are surging after winning their seventh straight game on Wednesday night. The Raptors dealt a heavy beating to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 117-98 to improve to 30-23. Pascal Siakam set the tone early for the Raptors, scoring 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the first nine minutes of the game. He did […]

The Minnesota Vikings will have a reset button after the hiring of new coach Kevin O’Connell. But for now, O’Connell has bigger things in mind. For instance, helping the Los Angeles Rams capture the crown in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday. O’Connell currently serves as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, helping Matthew Stafford and company transform […]

The day has come. The seemingly eternal winning streak of the University of Connecticut in women’s basketball has been put to rest by Villanova on Wednesday night. The Wildcats pulled off the monumental upset, 72-69 to snap the Huskies’ 169-game conference winnings streak. The last time UConn lost in a Big East contest, Macklemore & […]

It’s officially a new era for the Portland Trail Blazers as the duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum has been broken up. McCollum was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, as the Trail Blazers are now more keen on building for the future. Lillard and McCollum made the Trail Blazers perennial contenders. […]

After productive stints with the Portland Trail Blazers, CJ McCollum can hit the reset button as he joins the New Orleans Pelicans. The high-scoring guard has been linked to trade rumors in the past few years, and finally, he will have a new zip code. The Pelicans gave up Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, […]

Oh, look, it’s another impressive game from Luka Doncic. It seems the Dallas Mavericks star has spoiled us all with how he nonchalantly puts up notable numbers every night. Doncic led the Mavericks over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, 116-86, posting a double-double of 33 points and 11 assists on top of seven rebounds […]

Despite the off-field brouhaha involving star Alvin Kamara, the New Orleans Saints continue to make moves. The team on Tuesday promoted defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as top tactician to replace long-time coach Sean Payton. Allen will have another crack as the main shot-caller after his dismal stint with the Oakland Raiders in 2012-2014, tallying an […]

Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor probably has a gazillion things going through his mind right now as Super Bowl LVI looms. But for sure, he’s not sweating it one bit. Taylor and the Bengals arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday, a few days ahead of their much-awaited title showdown with the Los Angeles Rams. Aside […]

Now it can be said again: It’s Klay Thompson’s world and we’re all just living in it. The Golden State Warriors extended their winning streak to nine games on Monday after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thompson provided the heroics, making timely buckets in the dying minutes, including the dagger three-pointer to stave off the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers will be one of the teams to closely watch as the NBA trade deadline looms. It’s no secret that the squad hasn’t had the ideal campaign with a myriad of issues—injuries and rumors—hounding the roster. The Lakers have been trying to shop around, looking for valuable pieces to add. But so […]

The San Francisco 49ers saw a bitter end to their campaign after losing a close one against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers had control of the game until they made critical blunders in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Rams to mount an impressive comeback and steal the win, […]

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has coached his fair share of superstars in the NBA. Of course, the titanic trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh easily come to mind. But more recently, Spoelstra has also found success with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. This season, however, things haven’t been as smooth. The […]

Of course, it happened in Las Vegas. New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara was arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on Sunday night for alleged battery. The attack reportedly happened in a nightclub. The 26-year-old Kamara is in Sin City to play in the Pro Bowl, which happened just hours before his arrest. […]

Almost halfway into the season, it looks like the Boston Celtics have finally found a rhythm to propel them higher in the Eastern Conference. They destroyed the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, 116-83 for their fifth straight win and move up to no. 8 with a 30-25 record. The hiring of coach Ime Udoka was […]

Can we just give the MVP trophy to Joel Embiid right now? The Philadelphia 76ers handed the Chicago Bulls a heavy beating on Sunday night, 119-108, as Embiid put on another dominant showing. The All-Star behemoth finished with 40 points on 10-of-23 field goal shooting, 10 rebounds, and two blocks, carrying the Sixers to survive […]

It’s a clean slate once again for the New York Giants, as the team hired Brian Daboll as the new coach. But it looks like the Giants will have to settle some off-field issues first after Daboll’s hiring caused quite a stir. The Giants are reportedly involved in a lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins […]

With NFL legend Tom Brady now officially retired (are we really sure?), the spotlight will fixate on other superstar quarterbacks with critical decisions to make. One of them is the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, who’s in the middle of various trade rumors. After the Seahawks’ dismal seven-win campaign, and Wilson playing arguably his worst season, […]

Kyle Kuzma is fast becoming the most hated guy in the City of Brotherly Love. Kuzma provided critical plays on Wednesday night as the Washington Wizards staved off the Philadelphia 76ers, 106-103. Kuzma made the game-saving block against Joel Embiid to cap off an impressive all-around showing. The Wizards forward finished with a team-high 24 […]

Draymond Green remains sidelined for the Golden State Warriors due to a complicated back injury. Luckily for him, his teammates have been stepping up in his absence. On Tuesday night, a largely depleted Warriors crew playing without Green, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins stunned the San Antonio Spurs on the road, 124-120. The […]

The Miami Heat have been navigating through injuries, COVID-19 protocols, and other setbacks this season. So far, they’ve been very successful, even leading the Eastern Conference at one point. That becomes even more impressive when you take into consideration that the Heat’s top four players, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, and Tyler Herro have […]