Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 9

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 […]

The Carolina Panthers will have a busy offseason after a disappointing campaign in the NFL. One of the key decisions to make is to hire a new offensive coordinator to work alongside coach Matt Rhule after the team fired Joe Brady after just two seasons. According to reports, one of the guys targeted by Rhule […]

The post-Ben Roethlisberger era has started for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, on top of the to-do list is to find a guy who will succeed the legendary quarterback. It will be a very daunting task, as Roethlisberger is arguably the most iconic player in Steelers history. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who spent 15 years […]

If you’re a fan of the Arizona Cardinals, look away. The ensuing sentences might cause emotional stress or result in catatonic shock. The Cardinals got destroyed by the Los Angeles Rams, 34-11 on Monday night in their Wild Card affair to end the season on a catastrophic note. Kyler Murray and company, who entered the […]

One could argue that Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has irrational confidence. It goes both ways. It could be good, it could be disastrous. On Monday night, Kuzma tempted fate in the second quarter by driving all the way to the hoop to go up against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. It’s hard to overstate […]

In perhaps one of his rare vulnerable moments, LeBron James recently posted a heartfelt apology to the Los Angeles Lakers fans for how their season has turned out. It came on the heels of an embarrassing rout to the Denver Nuggets, adding to the already topsy-turvy situation of the proud squad. For what it’s worth, […]

Following heavy backlash due to his recent comments about the Uyghur concentration camps in China, it seems Golden State Warriors minority owner Chamath Palihapitiya has softened on his stance. Palihapitiya, in a recent appearance on a podcast, bluntly said: “Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs, okay? I’m telling you a very hard ugly […]

Pittsburgh Steelers star JuJu Smith-Schuster will once again have an early vacation after they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in their Wild Card contest on Sunday night. Smith-Schuster wasn’t even supposed to play after suffering what many believed was a season-ending shoulder injury. But he was placed on the active list against the Chiefs […]

The Chicago Bulls collectively heaved a sigh of relief upon learning that Zach LaVine escaped a major injury on his left knee. There is still no definite timeline for his return, but reports already said he’s not expected to miss a lot of games. It’s no secret that LaVine has been one of the drivers […]

As they say, all good things come to an end. On Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers icon Ben Roethlisberger played his final game in the NFL. It’s never easy to end a career with a defeat, but the legendary quarterback will still be largely celebrated for his victories. The Kansas City Chiefs ended Roethlisberger’s illustrious career with […]

It’s back to the drawing board for coach Mike McCarthy the rest of the brain trust of the Dallas Cowboys after falling short against the San Francisco 49ers in their Wild Card affair on Sunday night. It’s another early exit for the Cowboys in the NFL Playoffs, as they head into another offseason filled with […]

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys were brimming with confidence ahead of their Wild Card skirmish with the San Francisco 49ers. They were primed for a deep run in the NFL Playoffs, which would be a fitting story for Prescott’s return from injury. But alas, everything would have to wait. The Cowboys lost a tough […]

Remember that time when Ben Simmons used to play for the Philadelphia 76ers? With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, the biggest question still revolves around the disgruntled Sixers star. He has played a grand total of zero minutes this season, and by the looks of it, the situation will be status quo. Sixers coach […]

The return of Kyrie Irving feels like a shot in the arm for the Brooklyn Nets. The trio of Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden is probably the most talented in the NBA and the Nets’ campaign should only get better as the season progresses. While Irving can only suit up in select games on […]

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will be out for an extended period after his abdominal surgery. It’s a sad development for Rip City fans as the squad might miss the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2013, with both Lillard and sidekick CJ McCollum out of commission. Lillard has always been at his […]

Not many NBA fans are aware that Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles have a long-standing beef. It started when Butler was still with the Chicago Bulls and he and Ingles got entangled in a screen. They almost came to blows before cooler heads prevailed. Since then, according to a […]

Tennis star Novak Djokovic is getting a ton of heat for his anti-vaccination stance ahead of the Australian Open. He has created quite a stir for his purportedly selfish mindset despite the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Australia. Much has been said about Djokovic, who recently got a nod from officials in Melbourne after […]

The Buffalo Bills are looking to survive another day as they face the New England Patriots on Saturday in the AFC Wild Card game. Josh Allen and company will play on the road, where they had a 5-3 record in the regular season. But facing the Patriots at Gillette Stadium poses an entirely different challenge. […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to weather the storm, with star big man Anthony Davis still out due to a knee injury. The Lakers have been rocky all season, forcing head coach Frank Vogel to try to figure out ways to optimize the roster. The return of Davis will definitely help, though he was […]

What was viewed as a season filled with hope ended up with a whimper once again for the Indianapolis Colts. The team failed to advance to the NFL Playoffs after suffering a monumental collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18. The embarrassing loss cost the Colts a ticket to the AFC Wild Card game, […]

One game after Klay Thompson’s triumphant return, the Golden State Warriors’ celebratory mood got dampened after losing to the streaking Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. After a tight contest all throughout, the Grizzlies did enough to pull away in the fourth quarter to fashion out a 116-108 win and extend their hot run to 10 […]

No blues for the Memphis Grizzlies these days, as they have now strung up 10 straight wins after beating the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. They are currently riding their longest winning streak in team history. As he’s done all season, Ja Morant was special for the Grizzlies, finishing with 29 points, five rebounds, […]

Atlanta Hawks spitfire Trae Young and Phoenix Suns veteran Chris Paul may have been born years apart, but they definitely have similarities. Obviously, both are the focal playmakers for their respective teams, but both have also shined in the NBA despite their diminutive frame. The Hawks and the Suns have been pretty successful because of […]

When you’re a disgruntled NFL star who walked out on his team despite having a good chance of winning the Super Bowl, there’s clearly only one logical recourse: Make a rap video, of course. Right, Antonio Brown? The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, who’s apparently known in the rap world only as AB (unparalleled […]

There are certainly great centers in the rich lore of the Los Angeles Lakers. To wit, George Mikan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, and of course, LeBron James? LeBron playing center recently has definitely become a focal point of discussion among Lakers fans. It remains to be seen if the experiment is a success […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are on a roll. Joel Embiid and company extended their winning streak to seven games on Monday night after handily beating the Houston Rockets, 111-91. The Sixers now have the second longest winning streak in the NBA behind the nine consecutive Ws of the Memphis Grizzlies. Clearly, Embiid has been the catalyst […]

The New York Knicks returned home on Monday night and notched a 111-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs. While it seemed like a normal victory, as with most games at Madison Square Garden, it wasn’t without the typical histrionics. Just days after issuing an apology to Knicks fans, star forward Julius Randle got the […]