Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 53

Deandre Ayton and Nikola Jokic had quite a battle in the paint in Game 1 of their second round series in the NBA Playoffs. Both finished with solid numbers but it was Ayton who came out with the win. But aside from feeling good about the Phoenix Suns’ victory, Ayton must be feeling extra nice […]

Anthony Davis has extra weeks to recuperate from the rash of injuries he suffered this season. The Los Angeles Lakers big man saw his campaign come to an abrupt end after injuring his groin against the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Playoffs. But while he’s welcoming the extended rest, he’s already thinking of how to […]

Dennis Schroder had an anti-climatic end to his first stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. While he played solidly for most of the season, carving out a specific role as the team’s third scoring option, he didn’t find the same success in the NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. His poor play was heavily criticized, […]

If there are still any doubts that the Brooklyn Nets are a weapon of mass destruction, their Game 2 blowout of the Milwaukee Bucks should exterminate all of those. The Nets tortured the Bucks on Monday with a 125-86 victory for a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and company hardly […]

The 41-point blowout win of the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 on Monday says a lot about the team’s punishing offense. It also says a lot about the Milwaukee Bucks’ anemic defense. Or at least that’s what a former NBA champion believes. The Nets annihilated, obliterated, incinerated the Bucks, 125-86 to take a commanding 2-0 […]

Montrezl Harrell did what he was supposed to do in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He provided scoring punch, boundless energy, and real moxie off the bench. He was a perfect fit. But things got a little weird in the end for Harrell. The former Sixth Man of the Year looked like […]

The midseason addition of Andre Drummond to the Los Angeles Lakers was interesting, to say the least. To be more succinct about it, it can be summarized using a single definitive word: Meh. Drummond suited up a total of 26 games, including the NBA Playoffs, in his first stint with the Lakers. In the regular […]

Anthony Davis is left to rue a huge WHAT IF now that the Los Angeles Lakers are out of the NBA Playoffs. Because that’s what usually happens after a loss. The mind is conditioned to stew over futile possibilities. In a valiant effort, Davis tried to play thru his groin injury in their win-or-go-home Game […]

Asking Draymond Green to stop talking is like asking the sun to stop rising. Green has found himself in the headlines once again after his recent hilarious clap back to Phoenix Suns regarding Devin Booker. He said Suns fans should be grateful for him for wanting to get Booker out of the team, referring to […]

You know when you have a group project in school but you can’t get things done and the deadline is fast approaching and you don’t want to get embarrassed in front of everyone so your groupmate who’s usually reserved finally decides to take over and finish everything? That was Kawhi Leonard on Sunday. With all […]

Somewhere up there, Kobe Bryant is smiling down on Devin Booker. Or maybe scowling. Because that’s what Kobe liked to do. Whatever it may be, Booker sure made his late mentor proud after his career performance in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. After the Suns’ statement win, which made them advance […]

Remember when Kyle Kuzma was viewed as the next Los Angeles Lakers superstar? Yeah, that sounds now like a punchline from a Saturday Night Live skit. With their backs against the wall in Game 6 on Thursday, the Lakers needed everyone to be extra special, particularly Kuzma who has had an awful series. In the […]

Another series, another exit for Damian Lillard. Despite the volcanic performances of the Portland Trail Blazers star, they fell short against the Denver Nuggets, dropping the matchup, 3-1. Some believe Lillard won’t win anything with the Trail Blazers. Some believe he’s wasted his prime years with the gritty yet underachieving squad. Apparently, former NBA champion […]

Carmelo Anthony didn’t have the best exit during his stint with the Denver Nuggets. When he returned to Mile High City in this year’s NBA Playoffs, the Nuggets crowd welcomed him with open mouths, showering him with jeers. Now, quite incidentally—and in a cruel twist of fate—the Nuggets, of all teams, handed Anthony an embarrassing […]

The Denver Nuggets have been all business this season. Even in the middle of the campaign, the team made tweaks to improve the roster, acquiring Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline before plucking Austin Rivers from free agency after getting waived by the New York Knicks. The Nuggets viewed them as […]

Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant is as competitive as they come. He treats games as if his entire house will be burned down if he losses. So one would think Morant would feel iffy about his dad chatting up Utah Jazz main man Donovan Mitchell. He didn’t. In fact, Morant was extra proud of […]

Trae Young isn’t done rubbing their series win in the face of the New York Knicks. Just a few moments after beating the Knicks in Game 5 on the road on Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks superstar took to Twitter to get one last parting shot. He only needed three words (and two emojis) to savagely […]

Luka Doncic shouldn’t go out in the sad streets of Los Angeles, California on Wednesday evening after he led the Dallas Mavericks to a pivotal win in Game 5. Doncic put on a free masterclass as he carried the Mavericks over the Los Angeles Clippers with NBA 2K-ish numbers of 42 points, including six three-pointers, […]

The Washington Wizards saw their season come to a bitter end on Wednesday, but star guard Russell Westbrook is keeping his chin up. The Wizards lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5, 129-112 to bow out of the NBA Playoffs. Even without MVP candidate Joel Embiid, the Sixers walloped the listless Wizards. Still, Westbrook […]

Ben Simmons and Seth Curry heeded the call of duty for the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5. Quite literally. Simmons and Curry led the Sixers in their one-sided war against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday to advance to the second round. Simmons had a triple-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Curry […]

The Boston Celtics are gonna get busy in the coming days after a surprising move that promoted Brad Stevens to the role of president of basketball operations. The former tactician replaced Danny Ainge, who finally stepped down after years of hinting at it. One of the main agendas of the Celtics is to find a […]

Trae Young walked the talk. The first round series against the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks was replete with trash-talking, shoving, and in the case of Young, crowd-silencing. But when the smoke cleared on Wednesday evening, it was the Hawks who had the final say, eliminating the Knicks on the road in Game […]

Ah, Nick Young. The modern-day nonconformist. And oh, who happens to celebrate his birthday on June 1. Although he might not believe in that too. But Young has always been a great source of NBA talk and his latest hipster take is yet another example. The former NBA champion announced his NBA Finals prediction on […]

The Los Angeles Lakers looked like a junior college team from a non-descript town in Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Lakers got blown out by approximately 47684161 points as the Suns took the driver’s seat in their best-of-seven series, 3-2. LeBron James and company looked listless, lethargic, and lost. Right from […]

The Phoenix Suns have taken a 3-2 lead against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round series. The Suns have been gotten contributions from almost everyone, most notably backup guard Cameron Payne. He has been playing so well in the NBA Playoffs, even Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has taken notice. Payne has been […]

With Anthony Davis out of commission for Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns, many expected LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to be outplayed. But not this outplayed. The Suns started the game on Tuesday as hot as the Sonoran Desert in the summer. With a clear sense of urgency, they quickly punched the […]

It’s safe to assume that Draymond Green wants to run it back with the Golden State Warriors. Most especially with the way they uncharacteristically crumbled in the play-in tournament to miss the NBA Playoffs for the second straight year. Warriors general manager Bob Myers is reportedly keen on keeping Green. Warriors coach Steve Kerr does […]

It’s time for more wholesome Klay Thompson content. It’s no secret that Thompson is considered one of the most loyal guys in the NBA. He has previously said he wants to play with the Golden State Warriors forever. So it’s no surprise that he’s also very loyal to his friends. So much so that he […]

Aside from NBA stars like Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, and Damian Lillard, embattled tennis star Naomi Osaka got another supporter in tennis legend Pam Shriver. Shriver blasted the United States Tennis Association (USTA) officials for their role in Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open. Shriver said USTA officials should’ve been more sensitive to the 23-year-old […]

People love conspiracy theories. Well, not exactly if you’re Montrezl Harrell. The Los Angeles Lakers big man has been sending out cryptic tweets in the last few days. Many fans believe they have something to do with his diminished role in their first round series against the Phoenix Suns. At first glance, Harrell’s tweets seem […]

Fans doing foolish things seems to be the ugliest trend in sports these days. On Monday, a fan ran on the floor in Game 4 between the Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s the latest in the spate of unruly behavior from fans in the NBA Playoffs. And Wizards coach Scott Brooks is not […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are holding their collective breaths right now as they await the latest update from Joel Embiid’s knee injury. It seems everything is still in the dark after Embiid left early in Game 4 against the Washington Wizards on Monday and did not return. When asked by reporters for an update on Embiid […]

Bring out your math book. Then burn it. Because you won’t be needing it for this one. And if you’re a New York Knicks fan, you might want to look away. After falling 3-1 against the gutsy Atlanta Hawks in their first round series in the NBA Playoffs, the odds aren’t in favor of the […]

More talent, more buckets for the Brooklyn Nets, and Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden have provided many of them. In Game 4 of their first round series against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, the high-scoring three-headed monster combined for 104 points in their 141-126 victory to take a commanding 3-1 lead. That is […]

Rajon Rondo has been in the NBA long enough to block out all the noise. Quite literally, in fact. The Los Angeles Clippers veteran was booed loudly against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 on Sunday. It was his first postseason appearance at the Mavericks’ home floor since his acrimonious exit in 2015. But while […]

The animosity between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks continues to spill. Things got chippy once again in Game 4 on Sunday, with Julius Randle elbowing John Collins in the face in the tension-filled third quarter. Randle’s frustrations, birthed by his anemic shooting performances, got the best of him after a failed drive […]

Ask and you shall receive. That seems to be the relationship between Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul and his coach Monty Williams. Paul has been hobbled by his right shoulder in their first round series against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Playoffs. He looked off in their last two defeats despite his valiant […]

The “washed-up” LeBron James was at it again. Emphasis on the quotation marks. LeBron came up big—surprise, surprise—for the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first round series against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. The King looked like he was having fun out there, making acrobatic plays and dishing to teammates all game. […]

Nikola Jokic just put the entire Rip City under a state of calamity after leading the Denver Nuggets to a Game 3 win on Thursday, 120-115. With only 3.2 ticks remaining in the game and the Nuggets only up by three points against the Portland Trail Blazers, Montre Morris muffed the second end of his […]