Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 6

The despair continues for the long-suffering fans of the New York Jets as the team will miss the playoffs for the 15th straight year. The Jets closed out their season with a five-game losing streak, including getting routed by the Buffalo Bills, 35-8, at Highmark Stadium on Sunday. The Jets finished with another lowly record, […]

In just a few days, another new year will arrive. As usual, it will come with a lot of deeply reflective questions: Will the world ever find peace? How can economic equality be achieved? Will there be another “Fast and the Furious” movie? But for the Kansas City Chiefs, it has increasingly become obvious: Will […]

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic played Santa Claus and gifted everyone with one of the most iconic performances on Christmas Day in league history. Jokic dropped a monster triple-double of 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists to power the Nuggets past the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime, 142-138, at Ball Arena. He also had two blocks […]

Tari Eason has carved out a consistent role for the Houston Rockets as one of the spark plugs off the bench. While he is not as heralded as Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant, and Amen Thompson, Eason has no problem being under the radar. Eason has missed 14 games this season due to an oblique strain […]

Are the Los Angeles Lakers in deeper trouble than they seem to be? The Lakers suffered their third consecutive defeat after getting manhandled by the Houston Rockets, 119-96, at Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day. While it was not exactly a season-altering loss, frustrations seem to be simmering under the surface. After the game, Luka Doncic […]

The Los Angeles Lakers absorbed their third straight loss after bowing to the Houston Rockets, 119-96, at Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day. The Lakers had a lackluster start and failed to find their groove after halftime, allowing the Rockets to cruise to the easy win. The Lakers fell to 19-10, including 7-5 at home. They […]

Luka Doncic did not have to look far to find someone to blame after the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets, 119-96, leaving their fans disappointed at Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day. The Lakers allowed the Rockets to have a strong start, scoring 37 points in the first quarter. The Purple and Gold […]

Over the years, games on Christmas Day have become one of the NBA’s most cherished traditions, as they have evolved into a national stage for the league’s brightest stars and biggest rivalries. It is among the many ways of the NBA to give back to fans, who spend money on tickets or tune in on […]

It was a sweet reunion for the once-vaunted trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green as the Golden State Warriors welcomed the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center on Christmas Day. It was Thompson’s third game at the storied venue since joining the Mavericks in 2024, and as expected, he was received warmly by […]

The smoke billowed and the lights flashed as Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce was introduced at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Day. While it remains unclear if it would be his last holiday game, one thing is for sure: Kelce will always miss the feeling of stepping on the field. The Chiefs hosted the Denver […]

The season began roughly for Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons, and unfortunately, it ended similarly after he suffered a campaign-ending ACL injury in Week 15 against the Denver Broncos. Parsons, who had to go through a much-publicized contract dispute with the Dallas Cowboys before signing with the Packers, is now rehabbing his left […]

Former teammates Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry reunited on the floor on Christmas Day as the Dallas Mavericks visited the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Thompson was back in his old stomping grounds, and Curry made sure to make it extra memorable. The two-time MVP led the Warriors to the win, 126-116, while wearing […]

The Detroit Lions are now out of contention for the playoffs after getting routed by the Minnesota Vikings, 23-10, at US Bank Stadium on Christmas Day. The Lions fell to 8-8, including a three-game skid that could not come at a worse time. They will now relinquish their throne in the NFC North, which they […]

Karl-Anthony Towns was deeply hurt when the Minnesota Timberwolves traded him to the New York Knicks in a shocking move last year. He never saw it coming, as he envisioned himself playing for the Timberwolves for the foreseeable future. But he has since moved on from the painful development, as he has endeared himself to […]

Santa Klaws came to town a little early as Kawhi Leonard led the Los Angeles Clippers past the Houston Rockets, 128-108, at Intuit Dome on Tuesday. Leonard was definitely anything but nice to the Rockets, exploding for 41 points on 16-of-23 from the field. He also added eight rebounds and five assists as he gift-wrapped […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have an extra chip on their shoulder when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day. Fortunately for the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama already knows that. The Spurs dominated the Thunder, 130-110, at Frost Bank Center on Tuesday, dealing the defending champions two of their four losses after eliminating them […]

Karl-Anthony Towns had a monster effort, but the New York Knicks fell short against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 115-104, at Target Center on Tuesday. With Jalen Brunson sitting out due to an ankle injury, Towns picked up the cudgels for the Knicks, finishing with a double-double of 40 points and 13 rebounds. He shot 14-of-24 from […]

Another day, another impressive showing from Cooper Flagg. The fast-rising rookie led the Dallas Mavericks over the Denver Nuggets in a nail-biting finish, 131-130, at American Airlines Center on Tuesday. Flagg finished with a game-high 33 points on 14-of-21 shooting. He also had nine rebounds and nine assists in a triple-double. With his all-around performance, […]

Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has always been a big fan of Rudy Gobert. After their win on Tuesday, he once again reminded everyone how important the defensive-minded big man is to their quest for glory. Gobert helped the Timberwolves upend the Knicks, 115-104, at Target Center to claim their third straight win. Gobert had […]

The Philadelphia 76ers had another scare regarding Joel Embiid after he hurt his right knee against the Brooklyn Nets at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday. Embiid had to exit the game in the third quarter after banging his right knee during a play. Fortunately, he was able to return and finish the game, although the […]

The Brooklyn Nets continued to wax hot from long distance as they upset the Philadelphia 76ers, 114-106, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday. The Nets, who made 17 three-pointers for the third time in four games, improved to 9-19. Michael Porter Jr. led the charge anew with a game-high 28 points, including five three-pointers. He […]

The trade rumors continue to surface as the NBA nears the annual deadline in February. One of the teams that is expected to get busy working the phone lines in the coming weeks is the Milwaukee Bucks. It is no secret that the Bucks are trying to quell the trade rumors surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo. The […]

It only took a few minutes for the game to get chippy between the Charlotte Hornets and the Washington Wizards at Spectrum Center on Tuesday. With seven minutes left in the first quarter, LaMelo Ball drove to the basket on the left side. But as he was about to make a layup, Kyshawn George shoved […]

Trevor Lawrence led the Jacksonville Jaguars to arguably their biggest win of the season on Sunday as they snapped the 11-game winning streak of the Denver Broncos. Lawrence, who’s finally having a breakout campaign, threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for a score to give the Jaguars the convincing victory, 34-20, […]

The San Francisco 49ers notched their fifth straight win after trouncing the Indianapolis Colts, 48-27, at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday. It, however, could prove to be costly as George Kittle suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter. Kittle finished the game with seven receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. While there are […]

The San Francisco 49ers took care of business on the road on Monday as they took down the Indianapolis Colts, 48-27, at Lucas Oil Stadium. They extended their winning streak to five games and improved to 11-4. The 49ers are still on the hunt for the top spot in the NFC West, which is currently […]

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will always be one of the most entertaining players to watch in league history. He exudes joy every time he steps on the floor. He will even do a little dance now and then. In the third quarter against the Orlando Magic on Monday at Chase Center, Curry almost […]

The NFL can be a cold place, and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters made sure to remind Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers of that on Monday. With less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Colts trying to mount a late rally, Rivers tried a quick throw to tight end Tyler […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are suddenly on a roll like fried shrimp on a po’ boy sandwich. They claimed their fifth straight win on Monday after beating the Dallas Mavericks, 119-113, at Smoothie King Center. After a seesaw battle, the Pelicans, led by Zion Williamson, pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Mavericks, 40-26. […]

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic recently earned the record for most career assists by a center in league history, surpassing NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Well, clearly, Jokic is not yet done achieving prolific milestones. Against the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena on Monday, the three-time MVP moved up to eighth place in the Nuggets’ all-time […]

It has become clear to everyone that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has mastered the art of the midrange game. But sometimes, he likes to show that he can still get up. The Memphis Grizzlies witnessed it first-hand in the opening quarter on Monday at Paycom Center. After forcing a turnover, Ajay Mitchell issued […]

The New Orleans Pelicans put their four-game winning streak on the line on Monday as they hosted the Dallas Mavericks at Smoothie King Center. Buoyed by the home crowd, the Pelicans had a strong start, punctuated by the beautiful connection between Zion Williamson and Karlo Matkovic. After a defensive stop, Williamson brought down the ball. […]

It has become almost a nightly habit for the Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg filling the lane before gracefully rising for a big slam. That’s exactly what happened in the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Monday. After grabbing the rebound, Flagg dished the ball to Ryan Nembhard, who immediately […]

Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel continues to turn heads with his stellar shooting and mature game. On Monday, he even reached an impressive feat against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the dying seconds of the first quarter, the 20-year-old rookie nailed a three-pointer. It didn’t matter that Cavaliers guard Lonzo Ball closed out on him. Knueppel […]

For the third time this season, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns will square off, as they will meet at Mortgage Matchup Center on Tuesday. The series is tied between the conference rivals at 1-1, with the Lakers winning in their last battle on December 15 in a wild finish, 116-114. Luka Doncic […]

The Portland Trail Blazers escaped the Sacramento Kings in overtime, 134-133, at Moda Center on Thursday, with Deni Avdija sinking the game-winning free throws. The Kings looked like they were on their way to victory after DeMar DeRozan drained the go-ahead basket with 4.4 seconds left. Russell Westbrook, however, was whistled for a shooting foul […]

Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua has found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons recently, and his instant reaction after their tough loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday won’t help his case. The Rams had an epic collapse against the Seahawks, absorbing a one-point loss, 38-37. They blew a 16-point lead in […]

Once in a while, something so crazy will happen in the NFL that even the game’s brightest minds can’t fathom it. Exhibit A: The game-tying two-point conversion of the Seattle Seahawks against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday. The Seahawks stormed back from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter and evened the score at […]

Only two things are certain in this world: 1. Magic Johnson will state the obvious on X and 2. Luka Doncic will show up for the Los Angeles Lakers. With Doncic doing his magic, the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz, 143-135, at Delta Center on Thursday. They improved to 19-7, including 7-3 on the road. […]