9:16 AM ET Following a weird Game 2 in Toronto, the NBA Finals are tied 1-1 going back to Oakland. Diving into the postgame stats, the biggest differences between the first two games were on the Toronto Raptors‘ side — most specifically their shooting numbers. Simply put, the Raptors’ failure to convert shots cost them
Month: June 2019
Coming into college, Romeo Langford was a five-star recruit and the second-ranked shooting guard in the country. At New Albany High School in his hometown, the Indiana native decided to play all four years there instead of choosing the prep school route. Langford’s natural ability to score the ball and make plays for others garnered
8:17 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN OAKLAND, Calif. — As the NBA Finals shift west beginning with Game 3 at Oracle Arena between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, plenty of attention will be paid to Kyle Lowry. Toronto’s All-Star point guard has struggled with his shot during the first two games
With one of the most appealing situations in the league this offseason, here are five free agent targets for the Los Angeles Clippers. After trading their three best players (Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin) either before or during the 2017-18 season, the Los Angeles Clippers seemed headed toward a significant reset bordering on
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – DECEMBER 07: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to an officials call during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on December 07, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Warriors defeated the Bucks 105-95. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 30: Kevon Looney #5 assists Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors off the floor against the Toronto Raptors during Game One of the NBA Finals on May 30, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using
1:04 PM ET DeMar DeRozan is rooting for his best friend and his former teammates to win the NBA Finals, but he still can’t help but feel that he was the “sacrificial lamb” for the Toronto Raptors to get to this point. “Honestly, I don’t think I even said this — I probably said it
It’s funny how life works, isn’t it? For the first month of the playoffs, including two full series and half of the games played in the Eastern Conference Finals, Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet was mired in one of the worst shooting slumps in his NBA career. Aside from the postseason opening loss to the
The Chicago Bulls need point guard and wing help, two things they will have options for with the No. 7 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls were very bad last year, winning just 22 games in a year marred by the firing of coach Fred Hoiberg and the subsequent antics of interim-turned-current
11:01 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney is likely to be lost for the rest of the NBA Finals with a right upper body fracture of the first costal cartilage. Looney “will be out indefinitely,” the Warriors confirmed Monday night, following an MRI in the San Francisco Bay Area after he
The star-studded 2019 NBA free-agent class could get even better if certain players decline their player options. The NBA’s 2019 free-agent class boasts no shortage of star power. Kevin Durant ($31.5 million), Kawhi Leonard ($21.3 million), Kyrie Irving ($21.3 million), Jimmy Butler ($19.8 million) and Khris Middleton ($13 million) are all locks to decline their
The Phoenix Suns may be willing to move the No. 6 pick in the draft for a veteran guard, and these five should be on the radar. The Phoenix Suns have not made the playoffs since 2010 now, with four straight seasons of less than 25 wins and a collective winning percentage of .264 over
The Charlotte Hornets have a fairly dismal set of options in this year’s free agency, but that doesn’t mean they can’t gain value by finding the right player. Here are five players that might benefit the Hornets to sign in free agency. Longtime readers may remember last year’s version of this article, which both served
The Charlotte Hornets are entering into perhaps the most important offseason of their 29-year history. After eight fun-yet-painful years with Kemba Walker in town, Charlotte is now faced with the challenge of determining the value of the best player they’ve ever had. In 2011, Charlotte selected Walker ninth overall and preceded to win just seven
7:57 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard filed a lawsuit against Nike on Monday in the United States District Court of the Southern District of California in an attempt to reclaim control over a logo Leonard says he created. “In 2011, just after being drafted to the National Basketball Association, Kawhi Leonard
Even with seemingly little money to spend right now, here are five targets for the Phoenix Suns in 2019 NBA free agency. The Phoenix Suns had another dismal season in 2018-18, going 19-63 and earning themselves a shot a fair percentage chance at the No. 1 overall pick in June’s draft. They wound up with
It looked dicey for a moment, but the Warriors surged in the third quarter of Game 2 to even the NBA Finals. Through six quarters of the 2019 NBA Finals the Golden State Warriors had yet to have a moment that put their stamp on the series. Game 1 saw a raucous Toronto crowd cheer
The 2019 NBA Draft is rapidly approaching. It is now a mere 19 days away and, as is often the case, a lot is left to be sorted out in the final three weeks. While all teams must make a final decision on each of their picks in the draft, there are a few decisions
3:32 AM ET TORONTO — The 2019 NBA Finals have twisted into a series of developing dramas, nuanced tugs of war and a seemingly constant transition from heroes to goats — and goats to heroes. Pascal Siakam announced his presence on the NBA’s biggest stage, then not 72 hours later, the Golden State Warriors responded
The Warriors survived a new crop of injuries to beat the Raptors in Game 2 and even the NBA Finals at 1-1. The Warriors are a different, albeit equally dangerous, team without Kevin Durant in the lineup. In Game 2, they saw Stephen Curry head to the locker room early in the first half because
2:18 AM ET TORONTO — Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t supposed to even play in this year’s NBA Finals after suffering what many within the organization feared was a season-ending quad tear on April 15. Now, after scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists in 28 minutes during Sunday
The 2019 NBA Draft is rapidly approaching. It is now a mere 19 days away and, as is often the case, a lot is left to be sorted out in the final three weeks. While all teams must make a final decision on each of their picks in the draft, there are a few decisions
9:09 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — After National Basketball Coaches Association president Rick Carlisle spent several minutes praising the winner of this year’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, former Utah Jazz coach and executive Frank Layden, he turned the microphone over to Layden to give his remarks. “Rick, how many more years you got
Ahead of a summer where many of the NBA’s top superstars are entering free agency, the 2019 NBA Finals will refreshingly feature the two best players in the NBA, both of whom have been more honest than any of their counterparts about what they want out of basketball. When Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, we
Sunday’s FanDuel slate: 8 p.m. ET: Golden State at Toronto My favorite plays of the day can be found on the following slides in FanSided’s FanDuel daily picks. Each day in order to offer a variety of price points at each position, you can find two slides for each position — one for high-salary options and
12:55 PM ET TORONTO — Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant will not play in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, but coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that it is “feasible” that Durant could participate in just one practice before being cleared to play in a game. “It’s feasible,” Kerr said. “But again,
The Cleveland Cavaliers landed the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, which was disappointing. But it might work in their favor. The Cleveland Cavaliers enter an interesting offseason in 2019. Their first season without LeBron James didn’t go well at all, resulting in just 19 wins, and instead of winning the draft lottery
The 2019 NBA Draft is rapidly approaching. It is now a mere 19 days away and, as is often the case, a lot is left to be sorted out in the final three weeks. While all teams must make a final decision on each of their picks in the draft, there are a few decisions
1:37 AM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says that Jerry West, the pro basketball great, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “The Great Jerry West will be receiving our Nation’s highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his outstanding career, both on and off the court,” according to the
Mandatory Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images UFC Stockholm: Aleksandar Rakic KOs Jimi Manuwa with violent head kick by Thomas Albano Ja Morant is getting a minor procedure done on his knee, but it could be just enough to drop him from the Memphis Grizzlies to the New York Knicks. The top three picks in the upcoming