Virgil Villanueva Articles - Page 74

It was just revealed that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers suited up for Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors while nursing a stomach flu. However, the big man never doubted his status and was going to play no matter what. Per Josh Lewenberg, Joel Embiid knew he was going to suit up despite his […]

Toronto Raptors sharpshooter Danny Green has been receiving plenty of criticism for his shooting struggles in their series against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, longtime teammate Kawhi Leonard backed him up, noting he’s confident that Green will get over his slump. Leonard acknowledges that all players have gone thru struggles in the regular season. People are […]

Philadelphia 76ers swingman Jimmy Butler was nothing short of stellar in their Game 2 win over the Toronto Raptors. Apart from the victory, he became just the third Sixers player to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a playoffs game in the last 40 years. Per Stat Muse, Butler joined […]

In their Game 2 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Toronto Raptors became just the fifth team in 35 years to hold their foes under 100 points in six straight playoff games. Per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, they’ve held their playoff opponents under 100 points and 42 percent shooting in six consecutive playoff games. […]

Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti thought Alex Abrines would be the next breakout star for the team. Injuries and personal problems forced the organization to waive the Spaniard, leaving a lack of wing depth in the roster. Per Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, Presti blamed himself for not making the ample moves to […]

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George, who was seen favoring his shoulder in the playoffs, is set to see a shoulder specialist outside Oklahoma. Thunder general manager Sam Presti shared the news per Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, noting that sooner or later, George’s shoulder would have to be checked out at some point: “Everyone […]

Everyone was impressed by the Los Angeles Clippers’ showing this year, which included a great series against the Golden State Warriors. However, hip-hop mogul and Los Angeles Lakers fan Ice Cube wants something more from the Doc Rivers-led squad. On ESPN’s The Jump, NBA legend Scottie Pippen asked Ice Cube if he has some jealousy […]

Philadelphia 76ers stars Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler alternated defensive tasks on Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard in Game 1. Leonard didn’t seem fazed whenever he was matched up with the Sixers’ best defensive players as he unloaded 45 points, but Simmons seems satisfied with his defensive effort. Per Sopan Deb of the New York […]

Brooklyn Nets veteran Jared Dudley, who had two stints with the Phoenix Suns (2009 to 2013 and 2016 to 2018), said that the organization did not possess a great structure which led to them messing everything up. On Twitter, Dudley reacted to an article which detailed his experience with the Suns — particularly in his […]

In Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets center Clint Capela failed to capitalize on DeMarcus Cousins’ absence and Andrew Bogut’s limited game time. In Houston’s 104-100 loss on Sunday, Capela scored just four points (1-of-2 from the field, 2-of-2 from the free throw line) and grabbed six rebounds across 27 minutes. All […]

A few days after being eliminated from the playoffs, Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie shared his thoughts on their plan moving forward after a great season. For him, the Nets will push their limits further. In his exit interview, Dinwiddie noted that their relative success this season has made them hungrier for more: “Any time […]

In Game 1 of the Western Semifinals, the Houston Rockets took a total of 47 3-pointers compared to just 22 attempts by the Golden State Warriors. All in all, the Rockets shot 29.8 percent from downtown while the Warriors shot 31.8. percent. This is not a surprising statistic, especially to those who are familiar with […]

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz was tuned in to Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors. From his observation, it seemed that the Warriors were allowed to aggressively contest Harden when he shoots his dreaded 3-pointer — some of them like the photo below was […]

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was in foul trouble in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets. Head coach Steve Kerr shared a story where Curry was in the same predicament and tried to implement a radical solution. Per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, Kerr said that when they were in Los Angeles, Kerr […]

Despite a Game 6 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic joined an exclusive list of players who have recorded a stat line of 43 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in an NBA playoff game. Per NBA.com/stats, the 24-year-old Serbian joins NBA legends Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, and Oscar Robertson […]

Right after a Game 6 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone reflected on what went wrong. He came to a simple conclusion. Per NBA TV, watch the coach’s postgame press conference. Mike Malone cited how Nuggets turnovers and offensive rebounds for the Spurs led to a 22-4 San Antonio […]

After their Game 6 win on Thursday, DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs shared his thoughts on how to prepare for Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. In a post-game conference, DeRozan said that they simply cannot rely on experience against the Nuggets squad. “You know you can lean on experience, but we’ve got […]

The San Antonio Spurs have forced a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets thanks to a stellar effort by their bench players, spearheaded by Rudy Gay. On Thursday, the Gregg Popovich-led Spurs put on a surgical performance to beat the second-seeded Nuggets, 120-103. Gay came off the bench and logged in 19 points on 7-of-11 […]

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has called out Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley for his flop against Draymond Green in Game 5. In the third quarter of the Warriors’ Game 5 loss, Green was called for an offensive foul against Beverley. Draymond subsequently complained to the referees and was slapped a technical […]

Hall of Famer John Havlicek, an intrinsic piece of the Boston Celtics’ dominance in the 60s and 70s, died on Thursday in Jupiter, Florida. He was 79. Havlicek spent all 16 years as a pro with the Celtics, starting in 1962. Right from the get-go, he became an important part of the Celtics dynasty and […]

In his first year as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, Mike Budenholzer transformed the squad from a mid-tier team to a title contender. And this is due to his microscopic attention to every detail in the basketball court. Per Eric Nehm of The Athletic, big man Brook Lopez revealed how ‘picky’ Budenholzer can […]

Despite being eliminated by the Houston Rockets in five games, Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder showered Donovan Mitchell with praise. In the post-game conference, Snyder reflected on how grateful he is in having the opportunity to coach Mitchell. He admired the 22-year-old’s approach whenever he’s faced with adversity. All in all, he believes that […]

It didn’t take long for Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell to figure out what’s the next step after being eliminated by the Houston Rockets in five games. In a postgame media conference, Mitchell vowed to be better after shooting 4-of-22 in Game 5, per SportsCenter on Twitter. “You don’t succeed without failure. You don’t succeed […]

Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors has forged himself into one of the top postseason performers of all-time. In Game 5 of their first-round series against the LA Clippers, the former league MVP moved into 10th place for all-time playoff 3-pointers made. Durant surpassed Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce for the spot after making […]

After wrapping up their first-round matchup in five games against the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni admitted that his job has been a lot easier due to Chris Paul and James Harden’s efforts. In a post-game conference, D’Antoni commended Paul for his basketball smarts. He added that having Paul and Harden — […]

Basketball analyst Colin Cowherd believes that the Boston Celtics will oust the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Per FOX Sports, peep Cowherd’s explanation below. For him, the Celtics — who have been tagged as legitimate playoff contenders — will outlast the relatively inexperienced Bucks squad. He also noted that the Celtics have the […]

The Houston Rockets took care of business at home to catapult themselves to the Western Conference semifinals. Houston eliminated the Jazz 4-1 after winning Game 100-93. https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1121238977548304387 The Rockets are moving on to the second round for the third time in a row. James Harden crawled his way to 26 points on 10-of-26 from the […]

For basketball analyst Colin Cowherd, Damian Lillard’s performance in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday moved him into the Top 4 elite point guards in the NBA. Per FOX Sports, Cowherd believes that the top four point guards are Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Lillard. He even likened Lillard’s performance […]

Before taking on the LA Clippers in Game 5, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr showered the Doc Rivers-led squad with praise, noting that they’re ‘well-connected’ team ‘on the rise.’ Per Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints, Kerr pointed out the difficulty in closing out a series. He also commended the Clippers squad and foresee a […]

After winning Game 5 which put them up 3-2 in their first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets Head coach Michael Malone said that Gregg Popovich not being in the Hall of Fame is a ‘damn shame.’ Per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, Malone said in the post-game conference: “Why is Gregg […]

The Portland Trail Blazers weathered the storm brought forth by the Oklahoma City Thunder to win Game 5 and close out the series. Thanks to a 50-point effort and a game-winner by star guard Damian Lillard, the Blazers won 118-115 on Tuesday in their first-round duel with the Thunder. Damian Lillard (50 PTS) buries the […]

Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard exploded in the first half of Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, breaking multiple franchise records along the way. Lillard dropped 34 points in the opening half and forged several franchise records. Per NBA on Twitter, Lillard set the Blazers franchise record for points in a half […]

Amid all the criticisms that Kyle Lowry received after his horrendous Game 1 performance, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse commended the guard and noted that he saw the best of him in their series with the Orlando Magic. Per Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet, Nurse shared his thoughts of Lowry’s overall performance in the […]

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid spiked one massive dunk over Brooklyn Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Unfortunately, the Sixers star pointed at Hollis-Jefferson after the slam which earned him a technical foul. Joel Embiid pointed him out after the dunk 👀 (via @sixers) pic.twitter.com/zsrZoyCHwT — ESPN (@espn) April 24, 2019 The Sixers-Nets series had been one […]

Before Luke Walton and the Los Angeles Lakers mutually parted ways, the coach was reportedly given a chance to stay with the team in his meeting with the organization’s controlling owner and president Jeanie Buss. Per Sam Amick of The Athletic, sources revealed that a meeting was held between Walton and Buss after the surprise […]

The second round matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks is all set. It’s a rematch of last year’s first-round matchup which the Celtics won in seven games. And Terry Rozier is not just lacing up his shoes. He’s also preparing for a continuation of his war of words with Eric Bledsoe. Per […]

After firing Igor Kokoskov, the Phoenix Suns are reportedly eyeing Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Monty Williams as his replacement. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Los Angeles Lakers — who are also in search of a new head coach after parting with Luke Walton — are planning a second interview with Williams. Here's a factor […]

The Phoenix Suns have reportedly fired head coach Igor Kokoskov after just one season with the team. Kokoskov spent just roughly one year with the team after being hired as the Suns head coach in May 2018. He compiled a 19-63 record this 2018-19 campaign, last in the Western Conference. Phoenix has fired coach Igor […]

The Philadelphia 76ers have a chance to eliminate the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5. Head coach Brett Brown is aware of the controversies that have piled up in the first-round series. His marching orders for his team is simple. Brett Brown knows that the Nets will not go down without a fight. Being considered as […]