Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 31

The Phoenix Suns went scorching hot in the fourth quarter of Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, hitting 84.2% of their shots. The Suns scored an easy 129-109 victory to take a 2-0 lead in their second round series. The Suns tallied the second-best fourth quarter marksmanship in the last 25 years in […]

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Wednesday surpassed his boss Pat Riley in the list of highest winning percentages among coaches with at least 100 games in the history of the NBA Playoffs. With the Heat’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of their second round series, Spoelstra improved his record to 91-59 […]

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler wants to play against Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who is still out due to a facial injury. Butler said this so himself after the Heat pulverized the Sixers on Wednesday, 119-103 to take a 2-0 lead in their second round series in the NBA Playoffs. The All-Star forward added, […]

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman bought his parents a house worth $300,000 and two cars when he earned his paycheck from his rookie season in 2019. Although his base pay was only $495,000, his signing bonus was $1.65 million, giving him over $2 million. Quite a lot of money for Hardman, who was […]

During the awarding ceremony after the Los Angeles Lakers won the title in the NBA Bubble in 2020, LeBron James gave the ultimate mic drop moment: “I want my damn respect too.” Unfortunately, despite his gazillion accomplishments and still being at the top of his game at 37 years old, LeBron still has a gazillion […]

He may not be a megastar, but PJ Tucker has become a fixture in the NBA Playoffs. That’s because a guy like him will always have a place in any team contending for the title. Just ask the Miami Heat, who gladly acquired Tucker from the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason. Last season, it was […]

The Boston Celtics survived a listless third quarter on Tuesday night to carve out a 109-86 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of their second round battle in the NBA Playoffs. The Celtics had a smoldering start, taking a comfortable lead in the first half. The Bucks kept things more interesting during a […]

Remember when Devin Booker dropped 70 points against the Boston Celtics and it felt a little absurd? Well, that doesn’t seem so surprising anymore, as the Phoenix Suns guard has truly grown into a bonafide superstar. Apparently, that surreal 70-piece special was just a foreshadowing of things to come. Now in his seventh season, Booker […]

The Boston Celtics need all the help they can get in their second round series against the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Playoffs. They’re playing the defending champions, after all. That’s why Marcus Smart getting sidelined due to a thigh contusion couldn’t come at a worse time for the Celtics. He sat out Game 2 […]

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is one of the fiercest competitors in the league. Being a huge fan of the NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Booker has embraced his own killer instinct, regardless of the situation. Coming off a three-game layoff due to a hamstring injury, Booker suited up in Game 6 of their first round […]

Obviously, this is a story about James Harden, who obviously plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. Obviously, the Sixers lost to the Miami Heat, 106-92 in Game 1 of their second round battle in the NBA Playoffs. While it was obvious that they had a huge handicap without star center Joel Embiid, the Sixers still put […]

It wasn’t a virtuosic performance, but the Miami Heat drew first blood in their second round series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, hacking out a 106-92 win. The Sixers played with a huge disadvantage—figuratively and literally—as star behemoth Joel Embiid remains sidelined indefinitely due to a facial injury. But when asked about the Heat […]

The Memphis Grizzlies were just a Ja Morant bucket away from stealing Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors. If the opening salvo of their second round series in the NBA Playoffs is any indication, there will be more nail-biting moments between the two teams in Game 2. Despite the tough defeat, the Grizzlies shouldn’t […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook woke up today feeling, um, couture? Or Mary Poppins-ish? Westbrook, the patron saint of high fashion in the NBA, attended the annual Met Gala in New York on Monday. This year’s theme was “Gilded Glamor.” So, the Lakers star said: OK. The former MVP showed up in what could only […]

The Golden State Warriors know all too well that even a big lead in a series in the NBA Playoffs isn’t entirely safe. That’s why they’re probably not being too complacent after escaping the Memphis Grizzlies by the skin of their teeth in Game 1 of their second round faceoff. Still, Stephen Curry was pretty […]

The 2022 NFL Draft wasn’t lacking in talent at all, as several teams got quite the talented haul even in the latter part of the first round. One of them was Jermaine Johnson II, who was selected by the New York Jets as the 26th overall pick. Some observers felt that Johnson could be drafted […]

Stephen Curry doesn’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of opponents on the defensive end. Some have criticized him for being an alleged liability on defense, with the Golden State Warriors hiding him in several schemes. But in recent years, Curry has made a huge leap in terms of defense, as he’s made it a […]

The Golden State Warriors escaped the Memphis Grizzlies by a hairline on Sunday, 117-116 to take a 1-0 lead in their second round skirmish in the NBA Playoffs. The Warriors bucked the early ejection of forward Draymond Green due to a hard foul, mustering enough resilience and doggedness to fend off the hard-fighting Grizzlies. Widely […]

Blame it on the plant-based diet. Chris Paul once again showed that he’s far from slowing down at 36 years old, as he delivered another mind-blowing performance for the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Paul led the Suns to a 115-109 comeback win over the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 6 to close out the […]

Probably the last thing Drake needs right now is more money. But that’s exactly what he got—all because of the 2022 NFL Draft. Prior to the much-anticipated event, the award-winner rapper made a $100,000 wager online that Drake London will be the first wide receiver to be selected. True enough, the University of Southern California […]

To pack or not to pack, that is the question. For Deebo Samuel that is. It is still quite unclear if the star wide receiver will still be with the San Francisco 49ers in the coming days, as whispers continue to grow that he will be traded. It’s not exactly a secret that Samuel is […]

Many laughed at LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for not even advancing to the NBA Playoffs after being tagged as one of the favorites to win the title this season. Well, it clearly looks like LBJ is really truly deeply affected by all the mockery. LeBron is probably having a good laugh as […]

Since becoming an All-Star, some pointed out that Andrew Wiggins’ play suddenly dipped. Now, others have been calling him out anew for not performing in the NBA Playoffs, as the Golden State Warriors look to boot out the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of their first round battle. While Wiggins isn’t putting up eye-popping numbers […]

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has never uttered an opinion he didn’t like. When it comes to keeping it real, perhaps no one comes close to the do-it-all veteran. Before the Warriors’ Game 4 on the road against the Denver Nuggets in their first round series, Green sounded off on showing up for the […]

Despite a solid effort in Game 4 on Monday, Kyrie Irving fell short in trying to lead the Brooklyn Nets to live another day and salvage their season. They lost to the Boston Celtics in a down-to-the-wire contest, suffering an unexpected sweep in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Safe to assume, not many […]

For the past few seasons, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been widely regarded as one of the best young stars in the NBA. But the question was: Does he have it? You know, that seemingly mystical power that all legends have. After several early exits in the NBA Playoffs, it has become apparent that […]

And just like that, the Brooklyn Nets are out of the NBA Playoffs. In what has been nothing but a tumultuous season for the star-studded squad, getting swept out of the first round seems like an appropriate end. No matter how harsh that sounds. The Nets got defeated by the Boston Celtics in Game 4 […]

While several teams are still battling out in the NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers are now probably battling with their conscience as to who should be their next coach. One of the names being thrown around in recent weeks is Mark Jackson. The popular TV analyst has not hidden his desire to return as […]

Grayson Allen is not a very popular man in Windy City. Many are still absolutely angry at him after he injured Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso last January. But it has become clear that the Milwaukee Bucks guard isn’t fazed at all. On Sunday, Allen led the Bucks to a 119-95 win over the Bulls […]

No need for the broom now. The Denver Nuggets avoided a first-round sweep in the NBA Playoffs after beating the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, 126-121. It was a tight game all throughout, with the Warriors outscoring the Nuggets in the fourth quarter. But Nikola Jokic and company did enough to hold on to the […]

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is great at doing two things: 1. Playing basketball and 2. Blasting his opponents. On Thursday, things got chippy between the Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of their first round battle in the NBA Playoffs. After the Grizzlies completed a massive come-from-behind win, Morant couldn’t help but […]

Not a few eyebrows were raised when Shaquille O’Neal revealed his demand to be the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. While he may be just joking (because he’s Shaq), he said he will accept the job if the Lakers pay him $25 million per year. Even if we’re terrible at math, we’re pretty […]

Pretty soon, the NBA will be Anthony Edwards’ playground. The young star of the Minnesota Timberwolves keeps on piling up milestone after milestone in his second season. Sophomore slump? Ain’t nobody got time for that! As the Timberwolves faced the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3 of their first round series in the NBA Playoffs, Edwards […]

The one that got away. That will forever be the tag linked to Alex Caruso when the Los Angeles Lakers think about him. The moment he joined the Chicago Bulls in the offseason, Caruso instantly became a beloved figure in the Windy City. There’s no questioning how hard he plays, but many admire the hardnosed […]

Forget Saul Goodman and the last season of Better Caul Saul, Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan made an even better guarantee and fulfilled it—and more. After an abysmal performance in their Game 1 loss, DeRozan assured reporters that he will bounce back in Game 2. That’s exactly what he did, leading the Bulls with a […]

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers said veteran forward Tobias Harris was the “unsung hero” in their pulsating Game 3 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. The Sixers eked out a 104-101 victory in overtime at Scotiabank Arena to inch closer to a series sweep in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. You know […]

Just when many thought the Brooklyn Nets would walk away with the victory on Wednesday, the Boston Celtics said: Bro! Not Cool. The Celtics rallied in the second half, including a suffocating defensive stand in the fourth quarter, to escape with the 114-107 win and take a 2-0 series edge against the Nets in their […]

One would think that coming off a career campaign, Kyler Murray would easily get a lucrative contract extension from the Arizona Cardinals. Well, the exact opposite has happened so far. Until now, the star quarterback is still waiting for a new deal and recently, it was reported that Murray’s agent has rescinded his initial proposal. […]

Don’t call it a comeback! Vinny Curry, who’s been here for years, is gonna rock his peers and put suckers in fear once again. The New York Jets made a surprising announcement on Wednesday that the veteran defensive end will suit up this coming season. It was a pleasant development for the Jets, who are […]