Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 22

The whole world knows the special relationship between Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Throughout the years, they have been kindred spirits and it’s always a joy to see. But on Tuesday night, as the Warriors visited the Spurs, the two good friends had a heated exchange during […]

Did the entire galaxy conspire to make this season the worst campaign for the Los Angeles Lakers? That must be the question lingering in the minds of Lakers fans as the team just couldn’t catch a break. Just when Anthony Davis made his return after an extended absence, LeBron James has suddenly been sidelined due […]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady was looking forward to watching some great football on TV over the weekend. With them already out of contention, the legendary quarterback was excited to see the remaining teams and the young QBs looking to follow in his footsteps as they slug it out to advance to the Super […]

The Memphis Grizzlies had a strong chance of beating the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, with MVP contender Joel Embiid sitting out the contest. The Grizzlies, however, failed to capitalize on the advantage and suffered a tough loss in overtime, 122-119. Ja Morant had another signature game for the Grizzlies, finishing with 37 points on […]

The fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are holding their collective breaths by the day, as they await the decision of Tom Brady regarding his career. Rumors have swirled that the legendary quarterback will finally call it quits after 22 years. A multitude of tributes has already been made for Brady, who fell short in […]

If there’s one person who’s extremely hyped after the Los Angeles Rams advanced to Super Bowl LVI, it’s cornerback Jalen Ramsey. After a largely unsuccessful three-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ramsey hoped to rejuvenate his career when he was traded to the Rams in 2019. Now, his resolve has paid off, as he helped […]

Finally, there it was. The Los Angeles Rams survived another nail-biting thriller on Sunday night after escaping the San Francisco 49ers, 20-17 in the NFC Championship Game to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVI. For loyal fans of the Rams, the win was long overdue. Prior to it, the team was winless in six […]

The Detroit Pistons notched a huge win on Sunday night after upsetting the surging Cleveland Cavaliers, 115-105. The Pistons unleashed a furious barrage in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cavaliers, 31-17 to complete the stunning victory. Rookie Cade Cunningham atoned for his scoreless first half by finishing with an impressive triple-double. He tallied 19 points, […]

The New York Knicks are in dire need of something—anything—amid their skidding season. What was touted as a level-up campaign after their inspired run last year has turned into, well, a very Knicks-esque experience. The extended absence of Knicks guard Derrick Rose, arguably the most beloved of all the players on the roster, hasn’t helped. […]

Joel Embiid powered the Philadelphia 76ers to another win on Thursday night, as they steamrolled past the Los Angeles Lakers, 105-87. Embiid finished with another all-around performance to the tune of 26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks. With the win over the LeBron James-less Lakers, the Sixers improved to 29-19. While most […]

They say there’s no more loyalty in the NBA these days. Aside from a player’s relationship with his team, some former teammates have also seen their partnership get strained. One such example, a deeply sad one at that, is the tandem of Chicago Bulls legends Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Since the release of the […]

If there’s one constant thing in the world, it’s LeBron James being named as an NBA All-Star. The midseason spectacle would be totally incomplete without the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. It’s like The Wire without Omar Little. Or Taylor Swift without a boyfriend. On Thursday, LBJ was officially named as a starter of the Western […]

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is seeking to redeem himself after his lackluster showing against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18. What better way to do it than in a contest with bright lights and high stakes? The 49ers will face off against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday […]

Things are not so peachy these days for the Brooklyn Nets. It was recently revealed that James Harden isn’t too pleased with the team and wants to test the waters in free agency in the offseason. With Kevin Durant’s extended absence due to an MCL injury and the still-unvaccinated Kyrie Irving only being a part-time […]

What came first, the chicken or the egg? For Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the answer is pretty clear. It’s the chicken. Always. The Bucks suffered an upset loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, 115-99. The defending champions failed to sustain their strong start and the surging Cavaliers pounced on them like an […]

As the eminent philosopher 50 Cent once profoundly opined: Get rich or die tryin’. Well, if that’s the case, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. needs to try more. Maybe more more. Beckham recently made headlines when he became the latest athlete to request his salary in Bitcoin. But so far, it literally hasn’t […]

So close, yet so far. Recently, rumors circulated that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels might be packing his bags to move up in the ladder and join the Las Vegas Raiders. He has built quite a resume, helping the Patriots take home six Super Bowl titles. So when reports arose that Patriots de […]

Aaron Rodgers might still be having a hard time sleeping these days after the Green Bay Packers got upset by the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. But aside from stewing on the what-ifs, the star quarterback still has a lot of other more pressing issues racking his brain. For […]

The return of Anthony Davis could be the turnaround the Los Angeles Lakers have been yearning for this season. After a 17-game absence due to a left knee injury, the All-Star big man is eager to regain his form and help flip the switch and help get rid of the malaise of the Lakers. He […]

With all the issues surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers these days, they probably had only had one thing to say after beating the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night: Whew. The victory was a gigantic sigh of relief (at least for now) for the Lakers, who have been as great as hospital food this season. The […]

Matthew Stafford must still be grinning from ear to ear after leading the Los Angeles Rams to the NFC Championship Game. The star quarterback, in his first season with the Rams, made huge play after huge play against the resolute Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. But none bigger than his pass to wide receiver Cooper […]

Another day, another impressive win for the Phoenix Suns. They notched their seventh straight win after trumping the Utah Jazz, 115-109 on Monday night. The Suns, however, had to play catch-up in the fourth quarter. Luckily for them, some old dude named Chris Paul is on their squad. Paul scored 15 of his season-high 27 […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell short by the skin of their teeth on Monday night, as they lost a one-point heartbreaker to the Chicago Bulls, 111-110. The Thunder climbed back from a massive 28-point deficit in the third quarter to keep things interesting in the final frame. Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was once again at […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are already making moves, but it’s not concerning their quarterback void as Ben Roethlisberger won’t return next season. The Steelers, however, appear to be already shoring up on other positions after signing a controversial wide receiver, who perhaps is mostly remembered recently for throwing a punch. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, […]

This just in: Stephen Curry is still human. The uncharacteristic shooting slump of the Golden State Warriors star continued on Sunday night. Luckily for him, they hacked out a 94-92 win over the Utah Jazz. Curry was again a counterfeit version of himself, finishing with only 13 points on a ghastly 5-of-20 shooting from the […]

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid probably woke up on Sunday not knowing he’d be part of one of the greatest games in NFL Playoffs history. But for sure, he wouldn’t want it any other way. The Chiefs crawled, battled, and survived against the Buffalo Bills in overtime, 42-36. Both proud teams refused to budge […]

As they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. But for Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, he has a different philosophy. Well, sort of. The Chiefs escaped the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night in an insane game that should be remembered for decades. With their hard-earned 42-36 overtime win, Reid, Patrick […]

It was a game that did not want to end. Truth be told, no one in the entire Milky Way wanted to either, including NBA players. Just in case you’re still wondering, it’s the epic skirmish between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. The game needed an extra period to decide […]

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was having a strong showing against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Until he hurt his neck in the waning moments of the third quarter. They ended up losing a close one at home, 109-101. Doncic finished with 28 points but was looked uncomfortable in the fourth quarter, taking only […]

The New Orleans Pelicans don’t have a lot to smile about these days. But on Thursday night, plenty of smiles went around as they defeated the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 102-91. But aside from the win, which helped the Pelicans improve to 17-28, the evening was extra special for Brandon Ingram, Josh […]

Memphis Tigers coach Penny Hardaway is not known to be a very loud guy. Even during his playing years in the NBA, he was always a silent worker. He was so reserved, Nike had to create the popular Lil’ Penny character in Hardaway’s commercials to complement his personality. So it was quite surprising that Hardaway […]

The Houston Texans have a lot of holes to fix in the offseason. Arguably the biggest one is to find a new coach to replace David Culley. While there are many highly competent names being thrown around, it seems the Texans are thinking out of the box. Or at least executive vice president of football […]

If you haven’t discussed the Los Angeles Lakers at one point or another, then the 2021-22 NBA season didn’t really happen. While the rest of the contenders are gaining steam heading into the second half of the campaign, LeBron James and Co. are still trying to figure things out. To many, the one that sticks […]

Only two things are constant in life: 1. Change and 2. Ben Simmons trade rumors. Reports have surfaced that the Philadelphia 76ers have rejected a few impressive offers from several teams in exchange for the disgruntled star. But things will only heat up as the NBA trade deadline approaches. A handful of big-time names have […]

Where would the Philadelphia 76ers be without Joel Embiid? Probably in an ugly place. On Wednesday night, there was nothing ugly about the dominant performance of Embiid. The do-it-all Sixers behemoth tied his career-high with 50 points on 17-of-23 shooting from the field in their 123-110 win over the Orlando Magic. For good measure, he […]

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson is a man of the people. Especially of the Filipino people. The Jazz hosted the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. With Clarkson and Rockets rookie Jalen Green both having roots from the Philippines, it was only apt that the game also celebrated Filipino Heritage Night. Before the tip-off, Clarkson was […]

It’s clear that the Chicago Bears are looking to head into a new direction after firing coach Matt Nagy. The team had a disappointing campaign, finishing with a 6-11 win-loss card and failing to advance to the NFL Playoffs. While finding someone to replace Nagy should be the Bears’ top priority, making sure that rookie […]

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is still trying to regain his bearings after sitting out for an extended period. Aside from his stern refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, he also got shelved for months due to a right ankle injury he suffered in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Irving landed on the foot of Giannis […]

Basketball pioneer Lusia Harris passed away on Tuesday. The cause of her death is still unknown. She was 66 years old. Harris remains the only woman to be drafted in the NBA. She was selected by the New Orleans Jazz in the seventh round of the 1977 NBA Draft. She, however, turned down the chance […]