Virgil Villanueva Articles - Page 72

For Cris Carter — former NFL player turned sports analyst — the Milwaukee Bucks are better than the Golden State Warriors. Per First Things First, Carter shared his insights on a possible NBA Finals matchup. For the eight-time Pro Bowl, he doesn’t believe that the Warriors are better than the rest of the league like […]

For Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer’s point of view, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s winning mentality is on ‘another level.’ Per Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet, Budenholzer — who’s been in the NBA since 1996 — the Greek Freak’s mentality is different other players in the league: ‘He’s all about winning … most guys in our league […]

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was humble in victory after Game 1 and expects the series against the Portland Trail Blazers to ‘get tougher and tougher.’ In his postgame presser, Green talked a bit about his teammates — on how they are always ready when head coach Steve Kerr calls them up to play. […]

Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard was locked up by the Golden State Warriors defense. He even admitted that there were times when he couldn’t even get a shot up. After their 116-94 loss in Game 1, Lillard shared his observations on the Warriors’ defense. He noticed that he was met by several defenders […]

After their Game 1 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr already had a good overview of their opponents and laid out his plan as they move forward in the series. According to Kerr, he is planning to field 10 to 11 players in […]

Chicago Bulls vice president of basketball operations John Paxson wants the organization to move on quickly from their disappointing 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. The Bulls, the fourth worst team in the regular season, landed the seventh overall pick in the recently concluded NBA Draft lottery. As Paxson told KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, the […]

The Boston Celtics got the 14th overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. However, they almost got the fourth pick, according to the team’s assistant general manager Mike Zarren. One tidbit from Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren – the 14th pick came within one ping pong ball of landing at No. 4. — Mark Murphy […]

New Orleans Pelicans owner Gayle Benson welcomed the great news of landing the no. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. On the Pelicans’ Twitter, Benson called the event as a ‘new beginning’ en route to building a championship team. She mentioned executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin and head coach Alvin […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have the fourth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and LeBron James thought it was ‘beautiful.’ Via Twitter, James sent out his reaction upon knowing that the Lakers got the fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft. #4 👀 Beautiful. — LeBron James (@KingJames) May 15, 2019 There are no rumors […]

Magic Johnson, former Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations, sent out a tweet after the organization got the fourth pick in the NBA Draft. Via Twitter, Johnson commended Kyle Kuzma — the Lakers’ representative in the lottery — for being the team’s lucky charm. He also gave LeBron James and crew a shoutout. Laker […]

Denver Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. — who sat out in his first year to rehabilitate from his back injury — believes that he’s in the best shape of his young career. Speaking to reporters during the team’s exit interview, Porter Jr. admitted that he thought that his recovery period would be longer. However, he […]

In his second year in the league, Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons believes that he improved as a leader to his squad. In his exit interview, Simmons shared that his overall goal is to be a better all-around player. His goal will remain the same as he moves forward in his career. However, for the […]

Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers was the most-watched NBA game in Canada. In a report by the NBA, a total of 5.8 million viewers in Canada tuned in to watch some or all of the Raptors’ Game 7 victory over the 76ers on Sportsnet. The […]

Ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon has chimed in regarding the star duel between teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo and Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard. For the third-year man, Antetokounmpo is this year’s MVP and will simply outclass Leonard. “It’s going to be a great matchup. Of course, I […]

The 2019 FIBA World Cup is slated to take place on September, but Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is unsure whether he’ll play for Serbia. Per Katy Winge of Altitude TV, his decision to play for the Serbian national team would depend on his health and what his family and agent would advise. Nikola […]

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has revealed that Frank Vogel was hired because the coach reflected the core qualities that the organization wants. Per Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints, Rob Pelinka pointed out Vogel’s track record as a head coach. To recall, Frank Vogel was the coach of the Indiana Pacers from 2010 to […]

Philadelphia 76ers guard TJ McConnell has defended head coach Brett Brown, tagging the criticism hurled at him as ‘totally unfair.’ After the 76ers succumbed to the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals, more criticisms were thrown at Brett Brown. Some pointed out that 76ers’ lack of execution in the fourth quarter of Game 7 […]

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is hunting for his third straight championship and fourth overall. This year has been tough, though. Not because tons of teams are starting to figure them out, but because Curry has to beat several family members en route to the NBA Finals. As Complex Sports noted, Curry has to […]

Now that CJ McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers are in the Western Conference Finals, Jennifer Williams — the woman behind the ‘I’m trying Jennifer’ trend — has reacted to the guard’s latest milestone. On her Twitter account, Williams sent out a series of tweets in response to her ‘rivalry’ with McCollum. It wasn’t simply […]

After their heartbreaking Game 7 loss, Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons was graceful in defeat as he called Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard ‘an incredible player.’ In his presser, Simmons looked back on Leonard’s game-winning shot over the outstretched arms of Joel Embiid. Apart from praising Leonard, Simmons also commended the Raptors for grinding it […]

After clinching the series against the Philadelphia 76ers in a thrilling Game 7 win, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse praised Kawhi Leonard and noted that he’s always locked into the game. In his postgame presser, Nurse shared his thoughts on Leonard’s approach to the game and his buzzer-beating game winner. From his observation, Leonard […]

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard has forged his way among the best postseason performers in league history. His 41-point output makes him just the eighth player in NBA history with at least 40 points in a Game 7 win. According to data culled by Basketball-Reference, the other seven players who have scored at least 40 […]

On his way to powering the Toronto Raptors to the Western Conference Finals, Kawhi Leonard has set the new franchise record for most points scored in a Game 7. Per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, Leonard’s 41 points in the do-or-die Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers is now the Raptors’ franchise record. The […]

Facing elimination, Rodney Hood of the Portland Trail Blazers popped in 25 points in a Game 6 win over the Denver Nuggets. He has exceeded his entire 2018 postseason scoring output. Per Kevin Pelton of ESPN, Rodney Hood played a total of 17 playoff games last year when he was a member of the Cleveland […]

From Danny Green’s observation, the Philadelphia 76ers play their best when they have their backs against the wall. His comments come in after the Toronto Raptors succumbed to Ben Simmons and crew who entered Game 6 down 3-2. Per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, Green believes that both teams will be tested in the […]

So far, only the Milwaukee Bucks have qualified for the Eastern Conference Finals. Though the East Semis between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors is still ongoing, a schedule has already been released for the next round. Per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, Game 1 of the East Finals will take place on May […]

Ryan Saunders, who was named interim head coach after the Minnesota Timberwolves parted ways with Tom Thibodeau, is expected to become the team’s official head coach. Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor has already implemented changes in the organization following a relatively tumultuous year. To recall, the regular season saw the end of the Jimmy Butler […]

Thanks in part to the efforts of their bench, the Philadelphia 76ers won Game 6 over the Toronto Raptors and forced a do-or-die Game 7. In particular, Mike Scott chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists across 20 minutes. Mike Scott was 3-of-4 from downtown and logged a plus-minus of +29. It was […]

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talked about his team’s defense on Houston Rockets star guard James Harden, noting that the Warriors “defended him like crazy” in the final quarter of Game 5 of this highly dramatic West semifinal series. Per Mark Berman of Fox 26, Steve Kerr admitted that the Dubs never felt […]

Aaron Holiday of the Indiana Pacers looked back on his rookie season, particularly on what he has learned playing at the highest level of basketball. Holiday, the 23rd overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, played a total of 50 regular season games for the Pacers. In 12.9 minutes per game, he averaged 5.9 points […]

Way before the Golden State Warriors released their initial diagnosis of Kevin Durant’s leg injury, San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay already had his own prediction — and it was right on the money. In response to a question by Rob Perez who asked whether Reggie Miller’s assessment is accurate or not, Gay shared his […]

Amid their heartbreaking loss and the subsequent elimination in Game 5, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens praised Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for handling the pressure under the spotlight despite their youth. Per Jay King of The Athletic, Stevens admitted that he can’t imagine himself in Tatum and Brown’s shoes. If it was him, […]

Kevin Durant gave everyone quite the scare when he appeared to have injured his Achilles during the closing minutes of the third quarter. The Golden State Warriors superstar exited the game and headed straight to the locker room as everyone held their breath. As such, Durant’s incident elicited a blaze of reactions on Twitter. Los […]

The Golden State Warriors have announced that Kevin Durant suffered a right calf strain. He has also been ruled out for the rest of Game 5. Kevin Durant (right calf strain) will not return to tonight's game. — Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) May 9, 2019 Durant went straight to the locker room after suddenly limping from […]

Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics had no excuses after being booted out by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. For the star guard, the Bucks were simply the better team. Per Tin Bontemps of ESPN, the Bucks played as one solid unit and outplayed them. “It really comes down to great team basketball, who […]

After being eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens laid the blame on himself. Per A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, Stevens got ahead of the criticisms and admitted that he did a bad job. "I'll be the first to say as far as any other years… […]

Tyronn Lue is now out of the hunt for the head coaching position for the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a surprise to some, especially for the team’s general manager Rob Pelinka who didn’t expect the negotiations would fall apart. Per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Pelinka never thought that the Lue-Lakers negotiation would reach an […]

In Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving shot an airball that was way off the mark. Peep Irving’s airball below per Legion Hoops. Though Khris Middleton’s contest looked good, we rarely see Irving toss up an airball this bad. https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1126288128371675136 The Celtics All-Star entered the game shooting just 36.9 percent […]

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr opened up about his difficulties of completing the three-peat, noting that the journey gets tougher the longer it goes. Per 95.7 The Game, Kerr briefly recounted his days as a player for the Chicago Bulls where they completed the three-peat from 1995 to 1998, noting that the third […]