Reporting Articles - Page 214

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid is playing MVP-level basketball. But the pattern of games when the Philadelphia 76ers center has displayed it this season has made some NBA fans dismiss his candidacy. The noise from that direction is louder than the fantastic level of basketball Embiid is playing right now. Embiid has dealt with illness and […]

With the NBA trade deadline approaching, the race for the NBA MVP award seems to be between the three names that have sat at the top of the rankings week after week. Denver Nuggets two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia 76ers reigning MVP Joel Embiid, and Oklahoma City Thunder rising superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the three […]

The Philadelphia 76ers (25-13) faced off with the Houston Rockets (19-20) for some afternoon hoops on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Joel Embiid returned and the Sixers once again won, 124-115. Let’s break down the Sixers’ win. 76ers player notes: Joel Embiid: 41 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 12-21 FG shooting The big man returned […]

The Dallas Mavericks entered Monday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans with a 23-17 record. It has been a successful 2023-24 campaign for Dallas considering all of the injury concerns the team has dealt with throughout the season. Luka Doncic was among the Mavs players ruled out for Monday’s affair, and head coach Jason Kidd […]

As the Orlando Magic prepare for their Martin Luther King Day matchup with the New York Knicks, the spotlight intensifies on Wendell Carter Jr. Amidst swirling trade rumors also involving teammate Markelle Fultz, Carter Jr.’s contribution in the upcoming game is under keen observation. The 24-year-old center, who has been restricted to just 13 games […]

The Dallas Mavericks are looking to bounce back on Monday in a rematch with the New Orleans Pelicans. Dallas was defeated by New Orleans on Saturday by a final score of 118-108. The Mavs would love to close out their home stand with a victory, but a number of key players are listed on the […]

The Boston Celtics have sat at the top of the NBA Power Rankings week after week during the 2023-24 season. That is no longer the case, as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have seized this top spot with the trade deadline just weeks away. While the Celtics still have the best record in […]

With the NBA trade deadline in just about three weeks, the Atlanta Hawks are inching closer to making significant roster changes. Former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray has been a hot topic of trade discussions in recent weeks, with the league-wide expectations being that his time in Atlanta is coming to an end. Along with Murray, […]

For the fourth time in the 2023-24 season, the Boston Celtics are facing the Toronto Raptors in a divisional battle. But for this MLK Day matchup on Monday night, the C’s may be without star Jaylen Brown. The two-time All-Star has only missed two games all season, yet he’s listed as questionable against the Raptors […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are hosting the Houston Rockets for some afternoon hoops. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 PM EST as the Sixers and Rockets face off for the last time this season. As the game approaches, there is a massive question about the Sixers’ superstar. Is Joel Embiid playing vs. the Rockets? Is 76ers’ Joel […]

Several factors can be traced to the San Antonio Spurs’ best stretch of what’s been a very tough season. Since the last couple of games of 2023, Victor Wembanyama has been playing the best basketball of his very young NBA career. Since the second game of 2024, Tre Jones has reclaimed the role he had […]

The New England Patriots and Robert Kraft acted swiftly in replacing Bill Belichick, officially naming Jerod Mayo as their next head coach on Friday. Mayo earned the top job after spending the last five seasons on the Patriots’ coaching staff, working as a linebackers coach for his entire time staff before the promotion. While Mayo […]

Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs went 5-27 through the 2023 portion of the 2023-24 season. They’ve gone 2-4 at the turn of the new year. A 122-116 loss to the Chicago Bulls broke a Silver and Black two-game winning streak, though it continued their best stretch of the season. “This is the fifth […]

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.’s basketball career has been quite a turbulent one. He is an incredibly skilled basketball player, whose potential has often been hindered by injuries. Porter’s injury history dates back to his collegiate playing days. As a five-star recruit coming out of high school, Porter decided to take his talents to […]

It was a great night for the Miami Heat in more ways than one. First, they beat the Charlotte Hornets in dominating fashion, 104-87, keeping them to the lowest amount of points they have allowed this season. The other was that the organization was celebrating the Hall of Fame induction of Heat legend Dwyane Wade […]

Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra gave his thoughts on the Dolphins loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round of the NFL Playoffs Saturday night. Before Sunday’s contest against the Charlotte Hornets, Spoelstra talked in his pre-game media availability about having empathy for fellow South Florida head coach Mike McDaniel as he knows […]

The Isaiah Hartenstein signing was an admittedly underwhelming moment in New York Knicks history. But that could change if he continues playing like he has over the past 13 games. Prior to joining the starting lineup, Hartenstein was an incredibly efficient back-up center. But to most, Mitchell Robinson was clearly the starter. And that was […]

Before the Miami Heat take on the Charlotte Hornets Sunday night, it will also be the celebration of the organization’s greatest player in Dwyane Wade. There is no doubt that himself and head coach Erik Spoelstra have been through a lot together as the pair went to four straight NBA Finals, capturing two championships. Spoelstra […]

Boston Celtics stars are always under a lot of pressure, as the city expects championships. But guard Jaylen Brown reached another level of pressure after signing the richest contract in NBA history this past offseason. Plenty of players get their massive deals and then start to fade, yet Brown has done anything but. The two-time […]

Derrick Jones Jr. has emerged as an important player for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2023-24 season. The Mavs signed Jones to a one-year, $2,709,849 million contract for the 2023-24 campaign. Although Jones had endured his share of ups and downs during his career in the NBA, Dallas seemingly believed in his upside. And now […]

With Victor Wembanyama out as the San Antonio Spurs continue to restrict his playing time because of recent ankle issues, Tre Jones scored a career-high 30 points in a near upset of the Chicago Bulls. “We just challenged ourselves, to be honest, to have some pride, step up and we made it a game,” Spurs […]

In the absence of LeBron James, Anthony Davis’ second career triple-double wasn’t quite enough to deliver a road win for the Los Angeles Lakers, who fell to the Utah Jazz, 132-125, at the Delta Center on Saturday night. AD finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists (career-high), and four blocks — his first triple-double […]

The Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the New Orleans Pelicans 118-108 on Saturday night. Both teams were without stars in the game, but New Orleans found a way to get the job done on the road nonetheless. Kyrie Irving enjoyed another strong performance, while Tim Hardaway Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr. also performed well in […]

The UFC Apex in Las Vegas witnessed another thrilling night of fights at UFC Vegas 84, and with it came a generous helping of post-fight bonuses! #UFCVegas84 POTN: Marcus McGhee/Brunno Ferreira/Jim Miller/Magomed Ankalaev Post Fight Bonus History: Jim Miller: 15 Magomed Ankalaev: 4 Marcus McGhee: 3 Brunno Ferreira: 1 pic.twitter.com/p1u7SqTC1k — Jed I. Goodman © […]

The Apex in Las Vegas witnessed a brutal display of dominance as Magomed Ankalaev silenced the doubters with a thunderous knockout of Johnny Walker in the second round of their highly anticipated UFC Vegas 84 rematch. This decisive victory didn’t just solidify Ankalaev’s position as a top contender in the light heavyweight division, it also […]

UFC Vegas 84 witnessed another chapter of MMA history unfold last night, as the ageless Jim Miller rolled back the years to submit Gabriel Benitez in the third round of their co-main event fight. The tapout, Miller’s 12th in the UFC, not only cemented his place as one of the best submission artists in UFC […]

UFC Vegas 84 continued on the main card with a banger in the middleweight division between Brunno Ferreira and Phil Hawes. In a stunning display of firepower, Brazilian middleweight contender Bruno “Hulk” Ferreira blasted Phil “No Hype” Hawes into oblivion with a thunderous left hook with just five seconds left in the opening frame of […]

UFC Vegas 84 continues on the prelims with a fight in the featherweight division when promotional newcomer Jean Silva took on Westin Wilson. Both fighters came out at the beginning of the round feeling each other out. Wilson was attempting to keep this fight at distance with his long limbs as Silva was trying to […]

The Orlando Magic, reeling from a 99-96 loss to the Miami Heat, are now bracing for a challenging game against the 26-11 Oklahoma City Thunder. Their situation is complicated by a series of injuries, with several key players sidelined. Magic’s lengthy injury report against Thunder A key setback for the Magic is the continued absence […]

After an ugly win against the worst team in the NBA, the 3-36 Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets make their way to Massachusetts as the Boston Celtics host them at the TD Garden Saturday night. Unlike Detroit, the Celtics are the best team in the Eastern Conference with a 29-9 record. Coming into this matchup, […]

UFC Vegas 84 kept it moving on the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division between two killers Nikola Motta and promotional newcomer Tom Nolan. This fight certainly did not last long ending in just 1:03 in the very first round. These two exchanged punches early and often until Nikola Motta landed the perfect […]

The 2023-2024 season has nearly reached its halfway point. The All-Star game is just over a month away, but more importantly, the trade deadline falls just a few days before it. Teams that have failed to reach expectations have many decisions to make before Febraury 8th that will dictate their short and long-term future. Other […]

UFC Vegas 84 kicked off the new year at the UFC Apex with a fantastic fight card. The first fight up on the prelims was a fight in the men’s flyweight division between Joshua Van and promotional newcomer Felipe Bunes. Things were back-and-forth in the beginning until Van took over getting the emphatic finish in […]

Immediately building on the momentum they established in Friday’s feel-good win over the Chicago Bulls will be especially difficult for the Golden State Warriors. Why? Not just because they’re playing one of the league’s best teams on the second night of a back-to-back, but because Stephen Curry will be watching the action from the bench. […]

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was only with the Boston Celtics for one season, but he made a lasting impact on his players. Celtics star Jayson Tatum became particularly close with the 46-year-old coach, as Udoka pushed him and helped him make his first All-NBA team in 2022. Tatum and Udoka will have a […]

Julius Randle has been named to two All-Star teams in nine complete seasons. This season is his tenth in the NBA, and he’s having potentially the best one of his career. But personal success does not guarantee a spot on the All-Star team. The All-Star Game is equal parts merit and a popularity contest. It […]

PHILADELPHIA — The growth of Tyrese Maxey in the 2023-24 season goes beyond what he can do as the second option behind Joel Embiid. The Philadelphia 76ers have needed him to be the main option for stretches of the season due to some injuries to Embiid. The results have been shaky, for him and the […]

The Brooklyn Nets attempted to re-ignite their struggling starting lineup before the new year, removing leading scorer Cam Thomas in favor of Dorian Finney-Smith. Head coach Jacque Vaughn’s decision came amid a 2-6 stretch, during which the Nets had posted the NBA’s third-worst defensive rating. The change has had little impact on the team’s struggles. […]

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing skid with a resounding home win over the Sacramento Kings. Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Robert Covington all watched as Tobias Harris played a stellar game in a big home victory. Hopefully, each of them will be back in action for the next game. 76ers […]