It is no secret that over the past several seasons Russell Westbrook’s offensive efficiency has been an issue. So far, during the current season in Houston, this trend has not changed. Westbrook’s field goal and three-point percentage have taken a hit again, falling to 42.5% and 23.3% respectively, while his free-throw percentage of 75.9% is
Month: December 2019
1:26 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN MILWAUKEE — Inside the Milwaukee Bucks’ locker room following Monday’s 120-116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, players were not hanging their heads. They don’t have time to. Their 18-game win streak was snapped, two wins shy of matching the franchise record of 20 set during the 1970-71 championship season. But
Kendrick Nunn was no lock to make the NBA. But he’s making the most of his opportunities and has earned a starting spot for the Miami Heat. Kendrick Nunn may be the most surprising player in the NBA this season. The 24-year-old rookie started one game in the G-League last season for the Santa Cruz
7:58 PM ET MILWAUKEE — After suffering a moderate ankle sprain Saturday, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic already has shed his crutches and walking boot, coach Rick Carlisle said. “He is responding well to treatment,” Carlisle said before the Mavericks game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. “He is progressing well.” Carlisle said that
It is no secret that over the past several seasons Russell Westbrook’s offensive efficiency has been an issue. So far, during the current season in Houston, this trend has not changed. Westbrook’s field goal and three-point percentage have taken a hit again, falling to 42.5% and 23.3% respectively, while his free-throw percentage of 75.9% is
PHOENIX, AZ – DECEMBER 11: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball against the Phoenix Suns on December 11, 2019 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions
10:22 AM ET The National Basketball Players Association is meeting with G League players this week to discuss further a plan to unionize the NBA’s minor league system, league sources told ESPN. The NBPA sent an email to player agents on Monday morning to “continue that conversation” with players at the G League Showcase in
The young Dallas Mavericks’ star injured his ankle over the weekend and is expected to be out at least two weeks. However, don’t be surprised if the recovery takes longer. A mere two minutes had elapsed during the contest between two of the NBA’s most pleasant surprises — the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat —
1:19 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — The Sacramento Kings set a an NBA season high with 29 turnovers but still managed to overwhelm the Golden State Warriors 100-79 on Sunday night. The two teams combined for 50 turnovers and countless mental errors leaving both players and coaches on both sides searching for answers. “We made
A point guard with the rap sheet that Chris Paul has does not deserve an anticlimactic ending. Now that he’s being paid almost $40 million in his mid-30’s to lead an average team in a Western Conference that won’t accept anything less than elite, it sure seems like his career is headed that way. It’s
6:05 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday has seen his fair share of losing streaks. So when he was asked on Sunday afternoon following New Orleans’ 130-119 loss to the Orlando Magic — setting a new record for franchise futility with 12 consecutive defeats — Holiday remembered back
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – APRIL 06: Eric Bledsoe #6 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts in the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum on April 06, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions
1:16 PM ET Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic might be able to return within a couple of weeks after suffering a moderate right ankle sprain, league sources told ESPN on Sunday. Doncic injured the ankle early in Saturday’s 122-118 loss to the Miami Heat when he stepped on Heat guard Kendrick Nunn‘s foot while driving
The early portion of the NBA season is fun for lots of reasons – namely, it helps determine which teams are contenders and those that aren’t. Additionally, it allows teams to gauge and grade their rosters. And on December 15, when newly signed players can be traded, the NBA season shifts gears from fun to
12:00 AM ET Associated Press DENVER — Breaking out of a mini-slump, Nikola Jokic is reasserting himself as the centerpiece of the Denver Nuggets’ offense. Jokic had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season, leading the Nuggets past the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-102 on Saturday night. Jokic now
Thomas Bryant has gone from project to productive starter in the blink of an eye, using size and skill to make an impact for the Washington Wizards. Thomas Bryant is big, skilled, versatile, tenacious, aggressive, and seemingly a joy to play with based on the huge smile you see flashed across his face in the
4:52 PM ET Charlotte Hornets rookie PJ Washington is expected to be sidelined through Christmas with a fractured finger, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Hornets play five games in that stretch. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Charlotte’s 83-73 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday, the team said in a
It’s Dec. 12, and we’re over a quarter of the way through the 2019-20 NBA season. More importantly, we’re three days away from the 15th – the day much of the league because trade-eligible. By now, teams have a good idea of who they are and where they want to be in four months when
12:41 PM ET The Los Angeles Lakers will pack up their bags in Miami on Saturday and fly to Atlanta for the third leg of their five-game road trip Sunday, but the team plane will be missing some precious cargo. LeBron James chartered a flight of his own on L.A.’s off day in between games
Josh Okogie’s game is hard to describe and even harder to categorize. But he’s made himself essential to the up-and-coming Timberwolves. Pull out a thesaurus before you watch Josh Okogie. The Minnesota Timberwolves wing demands a better vocabulary. Few basketball players are more fascinating than those that teeter on the edge of chaos and brilliance.
2:29 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS — With Lou Williams out, LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers wanted Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to be even more aggressive in their staggered minutes Friday night in Minnesota. What Rivers got in return was the first pair of teammates in franchise history to score at least 40 points each in
It’s Dec. 12, and we’re over a quarter of the way through the 2019-20 NBA season. More importantly, we’re three days away from the 15th – the day much of the league because trade-eligible. By now, teams have a good idea of who they are and where they want to be in four months when
6:53 PM ET Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo returned Friday night against the Grizzlies after initially being listed as questionable with a right quad tendon injury. The reigning MVP and candidate to repeat missed Wednesday’s 127-112 win over the Pelicans with the injury, the first game he had missed this season. He was upgraded to probable
Jabari Parker’s career has been derailed by two devastating knee injuries. Know, with the Atlanta Hawks, he’s finally found his footing. Most of Parker’s past failures can’t be put on just him. When drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 2 overall pick, he was supposed to be the key piece to the core
7:51 AM ET Let’s plant ourselves in the lane for 10 NBA things: 1. Jimmy Butler and the Heat, cutting you to pieces The post-LeBron James Miami Heat adapted to their superstar void by crafting a whirring motion offense designed to add up to more than the sum of its parts. They cut and screened
It’s Dec. 12, and we’re over a quarter of the way through the 2019-20 NBA season. More importantly, we’re three days away from the 15th – the day much of the league because trade-eligible. By now, teams have a good idea of who they are and where they want to be in four months when
1:21 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Joel Embiid declared Thursday morning that Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal were right: He needed to start looking to dominate games. He didn’t waste time taking their advice to heart. In a spectacular performance at TD Garden on Thursday night, Embiid had 38 points, 13 rebounds, six assists
ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 11: Dwight Howard #39 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic on December 11, 2019 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions
8:18 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Al Horford sat out what was supposed to be his first game back at TD Garden against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night with left knee soreness and left hamstring tightness. “I won’t be able to go tonight,” Horford said shortly before his Philadelphia 76ers faced the Celtics.
LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton, two highly touted NBA prospects, each suffered injuries over the last week that will sideline them for at least a month. One of the main storylines that has developed over the course of the first 20 games of the 2019-20 NBA season is the uptick of injuries. According to Jeff