Reporting Articles - Page 177

The New Orleans Pelicans are sticking with their bread and butter after suffering through another injury setback. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are fine. However, new table-setting point guard Dejounte Murray is going to miss a month following surgery to fix a hand fracture. The core of a 49-win team is still lingering around the […]

LOS ANGELES – Through the Los Angeles Lakers’ first four games of the season, one thing is clear, this team is vastly different than last year. Despite the Lakers’ recent loss to the Phoenix Suns, they’re playing a much better brand of basketball. One Lakers player who is having a strong start to the 2024-25 […]

After starting the year 4-0 and picking up their first road win over the New York Knicks despite early season injuries, the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to stay undefeated as they head home to face the Los Angeles Lakers. Since they’re in different conferences, this will be the first of two matchups between the Cavs […]

Coach Taylor Jenkins is challenging the Memphis Grizzlies to get serious amid a lackluster 2-2 start to the season. Lackluster rebounding and ‘atrocious’ defensive focus from the Grizzlies have led to multiple 20-point leads being squandered. Fans leaving the FedEx Forum are grumbling as loudly as they yell for Yuki Kawamura, and far more often. […]

Editor’s note: Jalen Hood-Schifino’s third-year option did not end up getting picked up by the Lakers. ClutchPoints regrets the error. Jalen Hood-Schifino has had an absolutely brutal start to his career. He spent the majority of his rookie season dealing with injuries and eventually underwent spinal surgery after finally showing some promise in the G-League, […]

The Memphis Grizzlies got called out publically by head coach Taylor Jenkins after a 126-123 meltdown at home against the Chicago Bulls. Ja Morant (thigh) watched from the sidelines as Desmond Bane’s desperation three-pointer clanged off the rim in the final seconds. A frustrated FedEx forum crowd filed out wondering just how exactly a 20-point […]

The Boston Celtics are rich with talent, and the rich could be getting richer sooner than expected. Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, who underwent surgery this offseason following a rare leg injury, could reportedly make his season debut in December. On Tuesday afternoon, NBA insider Shams Charania revealed that the Latvian big man is healing ahead […]

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers got an early look at what life without Joel Embiid and Paul George will be like, going 1-2 in their first three games of the season. They’ll have to keep figuring out how to play better without the two stars, who will not play in Philly’s game on Wednesday […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to control the New York Knicks on the boards for the last few seasons. Granted, the Knicks have consistently been among the NBA’s better rebounding teams. However, the Cavs, with two seven-footers in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, should, on paper, be able to contain New York’s edge. Unfortunately, since […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons will rest during Tuesday’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets on the front end of a back-to-back. The three-time All-Star could see his role change when he returns. With Nic Claxton progressing back from a hamstring injury, Simmons has started all three of Brooklyn’s games in a point-center role to […]

The Chicago Sky have made developments in their head coaching search following their move to part ways with Teresa Weatherspoon. Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca previously said the team had gotten calls about their vacancy and were assessing suitors. Some highly-touted candidates have stood out in Chicago’s search, headlined by former Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White […]

When the final buzzer sounded against the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland let out a triumphant roar with teammate Donovan Mitchell. The duo was probably celebrating the Cavs’ defeat of the Knicks 110-104 to remain undefeated. However, in the grand scheme of this Cleveland team, the celebration between the fellow All-Star guards […]

Much of the focus on LeBron and Bronny James finally playing together has been on whether it was earned or the extent to which it was all a spectacle but, in speaking to sources close to the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny’s presence has been a legitimate boon in the locker room. “The guys love having […]

The Detroit Pistons remain winless after another disappointing finish against the Miami Heat. In search of their first victory of 2024-25, they came up short in the closing period with a final score of 106-98. The Pistons had opportunities to seal a win late but have sunk to 0-4 in the regular season. Point guard […]

BOSTON — In a game with plenty of stars, an unlikely hero shined through for the Boston Celtics. Second-year Celtic Jordan Walsh came off the bench on Monday night and played some of the most important minutes of his young career during a 119-108 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Dallas native didn’t stuff the […]

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Utah Jazz by a final score of 110-102 on Monday night. Dallas now holds a 2-1 record to begin the 2024-25 season. The Mavs utilized a team effort in the win, as six Mavericks recorded double-digit points in the game. Kyrie Irving led the way with 23 points […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a perfect 3-0 record in the opening week of the 2024-25 NBA season. One of only two 3-0 teams in the Western Conference, one ESPN analyst believes the Thunder and champion Celtics are in a league of their own one week into the regular season. In light of ClutchPoints’ […]

MIAMI – It wasn’t pretty, but the Miami Heat beat the Detroit Pistons, 106-98, in what was a resilient victory, marking the first on Pat Riley court and on the night they were celebrating the unveiling of Dwyane Wade’s statue the day before. After the Heat had a brutal loss to the Orlando Magic in […]

Following an airball by Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, he tried to explain to the referee that Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis blocked his shot. “Yo, [Anthony Davis] tipped the ball. I’m not airballing like that!” Durant said. If Davis got a piece of the ball, it would’ve been his third block of the […]

ATLANTA – On the second night of a back-to-back, the Atlanta Hawks were down more key players as they tried to get a win at home against the Washington Wizards. Unfortunately, the lack of depth caught up with them, and though it came to a final shot, the Hawks were not able to get the […]

When the Los Angeles Clippers allowed Paul George to walk in free agency this offseason, many questioned why they would allow that. A star of George’s caliber is incredibly hard to find, but allowing George to walk gave the Clippers a number of options to improve their team. Among the biggest moves they made were […]

Many things don’t take Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s attention away from basketball, except for Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. Way before the two squared off as player and coach, they squared off as two players. Between Redick’s retirement and accepting the Lakers head coaching position, he and Booker spoke on The Old […]

On the night the Miami Heat celebrate the unveiling of Dwyane Wade statue the day before, they beat the Detroit Pistons Monday night, 106-98, to make it two straight wins. It marks the team’s first win of the season on the Heat’s new-named Pat Riley court at the Kaseya Center. Jimmy Butler led the team […]

Zaccharie Risacher got his first taste of being a starter against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and had an overall solid performance, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists. The rookie has shown his ability to play both sides of the ball, and head coach Quin Snyder had nothing but good things to say […]

DALLAS — Maxi Kleber is not playing on Monday night against the Utah Jazz due to a right hamstring strain. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Kleber will not travel with the Mavs to Minnesota for Tuesday’s game either. However, Kidd also said that there is no long-term concern about the injury. It remains to […]

With the 2024-25 NBA season underway, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in making a trade for an upgrade at center. One of the names that’s been linked to the Lakers via trade is Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. But for the Lakers to acquire Walker Kessler through a trade, it would likely […]

The Atlanta Hawks have played well early in the season, but Jalen Johnson has had a slow start. Johnson has had to shoulder a little more responsibility this season, and it looks like he’s still trying to get comfortable in the role. He’s averaging 11.3 points and 8.7 rebounds through the first three games of […]

MIAMI – There is no doubt that the Miami Heat’s statue of Dwyane Wade has garnered polarizing reactions with some poking fun at it or even some saying that it doesn’t resemble the Hall of Fame player at all. However, Wade would call it “beautiful” and say it’s one of the best statues ever after […]

The Brooklyn Nets will be without Ben Simmons during Tuesday’s home matchup with the Denver Nuggets. Playing the first game of a back-to-back, the team will hold out Simmons due to lower back injury management. It will mark the three-time All-Star’s first absence of the season. Simmons has started all three games of the Nets’ […]

The race for the NBA’s MVP award is one that goes on for countless weeks, with numerous players sitting at the top of the rankings. Over the last few seasons, it has been Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Joel Embiid battling for supremacy regarding this award. With the 2024-25 NBA season underway, the battle for […]

The Kansas City Chiefs added another veteran ahead of the trade deadline while the New England Patriots might have made their first of multiple moves before Nov. 5. Edge rusher Joshua Uche was traded from the Patriots to the Chiefs for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The move ends Uche’s tenure with […]

One week into the 2024-25 NBA regular season, Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s defense are two catalysts for their perfect 3-0 start. Opponents are averaging 95.3 points against the Thunder, leading the league in the fewest points allowed, per Teamrankings.com. Holmgren believes he has everything to do with that. He took personal responsibility […]

There were still nearly eight minutes left on the fourth quarter clock on Sunday night when Stephen Curry hopped back toward the sideline and immediately motioned for a sub, putting little to no weight on the balky left ankle he’d just turned again. Chase Center quickly knew what was obvious to anyone watching across the […]

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks will host the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Dallas is looking to improve to 2-1 to begin the season, but they receive an unfortunate injury update before Monday’s game. According to the NBA injury report, forward Maxi Kleber will miss the game due to a right hamstring strain. Guard Dante […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have already seen Zach Edey’s worst and Ja Morant’s near-juggernaut best just three games into the 2024-25 NBA season. It’s a bit too early to start tracking trends beyond the Grizzlies monitoring Morant’s health game by game to start the 82-game slog. However, the coaching staff will always be gauging just how […]

What happens during the first week of the 2024-25 NBA season won’t be reflective of what each team looks like come time for the games that really matter in March and April en route to the postseason. Then again, early statements from the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, both being 3-0 after Week 1, […]

The Michigan football team has another big one this weekend as the #1 team in the country is coming to town. This is Oregon’s first season in the Big Ten, and they are not only the best team in the conference right now, but in the entire country as well. The Wolverines thought they would […]

Several Brooklyn Nets veterans described this year’s training camp as the hardest of their NBA career. For first-time NBA head coach Jordi Fernandez, the grueling process aimed to prepare his players for his defensive expectations. While the Nets ran out of gas late in their first two games, Fernandez wasn’t buying excuses about tired legs. […]

Tyrese Maxey got his swagger back. The Philadelphia 76ers star provided his first stand-out performance of the 2024-25 season in an overtime win over the Indiana Pacers, scoring 45 points, 38 of them in the second half in overtime. After two rough games to start the season with Joel Embiid and Paul George on the […]