What in the world is going on in Phoenix? Unless you’ve deliberately followed the Suns this season, it’s understandable if you’ve missed their incredibly hot start. They’re not mentioned by the national media (e.g., ESPN) nearly as often the Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Lakers — but they should be. And it’s not as is
TAMPA, FLORIDA – APRIL 06: Gary Trent Jr. #33 of the Toronto Raptors pushes Dennis Schroder #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at Amalie Arena on April 06, 2021 in Tampa, Florida.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to
Feb 14, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Orlando Magic center Khem Birch (24) handles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports Browns ready to shoot their shot with Jadeveon Clowney on Monday by Braulio Perez 1 trade the St. Louis Cardinals should already
5:55 PM ET NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving will not play in the Brooklyn Nets‘ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. He is out due to personal reasons, the team announced. The Nets will also be without LaMarcus Aldridge, who is listed as out for a non-coronavirus-related illness. James Harden was diagnosed with a
Apr 10, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. (33) reacts after hitting a three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports South Carolina football: Jaycee Horn is perfectly fine with everyone’s fake 40 times by John Buhler Packers:
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. DeMar DeRozan is 31 years old, what would typically be the end of a player’s athletic prime. He hasn’t made an All-Star team in the three years since he
San Antonio Spurs swingman DeMar DeRozan is reportedly taking a “wide open approach” once he becomes a free agent this upcoming offseason. There is approximately one month left in the NBA regular season. Not only does that mean the playoffs are approaching, it means we are getting closer to free agency. This year’s class is
3:33 PM ET Golden State Warriors rookie center James Wiseman suffered a tear to the meniscus in his right knee and could miss the rest of the season, sources told ESPN. Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, underwent imaging Sunday for an injury suffered on Saturday night. Further consultation with
The Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings complete the first of NBA Trade deadline week; And it definitely isn’t underwhelming at all. The NBA trade deadline is set for Thursday afternoon, and there are plenty of questions that will hopefully be answered. Will the Cleveland Cavaliers be able to send center Andre Drummond to a
9:14 AM ET Forward Alize Johnson has agreed to a multi-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets worth up to $4.1 million, his agent George Langberg told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Johnson’s productivity parlayed two consecutive 10-day contracts into the new deal with the Nets. Johnson had his choice of a bit more guaranteed money elsewhere, but
R.J. Barrett is only 20 years old, and yet the former Duke standout is taking center stage for the New York Knicks in their Cinderella playoff chase. R.J. Barrett isn’t old enough to have a cocktail at Madison Square Garden. But he’s old enough to make it rock. On Friday night, Barrett had five points
Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trail Blazers competes in the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest during the 70th NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on March 7, 2021. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) LeBron James literally falls over himself after Chris Paul
7:29 PM ET Former major league slugger Alex Rodriguez and billionaire Marc Lore are finalizing a deal to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves from majority owner Glen Taylor, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday. Taylor will continue to hold full control of the team for two years before Rodriguez and Lore take over in 2023.
When the trade deadline passed, there were two knee-jerk questions about the moves Boston made. 1. Just Evan Fournier?2. You traded Daniel Theis to save a few bucks? It is true that the Celtics let a rare opportunity slip through their fingers. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic were up for bidding and Boston came away
10:17 AM ET Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is no longer driven by championships. After all, he has won two. Instead, he says it’s the desire to be at his best that fuels him. “I wasn’t expecting to be a happy human being from a title,” Durant told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols in an interview that
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green does not want to coach after he retires. Even if many pundits think he would be great at it, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green does not envision himself as a future coach when he does inevitably call it a career. “I think about it, and I don’t think I
Philadelphia 76ers big man Dwight Howard makes light of the age difference between himself and rookie Paul Reed. Dwight Howard has been in the NBA for quite some time. Well, 17 seasons to be exact. After winning the NBA championship for the first time in his career last year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Howard
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid knows what he needs to do to become unguardable. With center Joel Embiid having a phenomenal season for the Philadelphia 76ers, he is on the precipice of becoming truly unguardable, in his opinion. For a big man, Embiid knows that getting better at the free-throw line will go a
12:27 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Pelicans‘ experiments with Zion Williamson as their primary ball handler this season have mostly been relegated to him getting a rebound and pushing it up or the team going with it off of dead balls and free throws. But Friday night against the Philadelphia
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 28: Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Orlando Magic reacts after getting called for a foul against Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of the game at Staples Center on March 28, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and
12:18 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — All it took for the Boston Celtics to end their season-long seven-game homestand with a victory Friday night was a 17-point comeback to force overtime, and the best game of Jayson Tatum‘s career. The 23-year-old All-Star finished with a career-high 53 points — including 35 points in the
MIAMI, FL – APRIL 08: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a time out in the first half of the game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on April 8, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph,
3:02 AM ET The LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns have played twice this season, and there have been contentious moments resulting in technical fouls, flagrant fouls, ejections and plenty of “chirping.” After Paul George scored 33 points to help the Clippers take a 113-103 win over the Suns at Staples Center in a game that
When the trade deadline passed, there were two knee-jerk questions about the moves Boston made. 1. Just Evan Fournier?2. You traded Daniel Theis to save a few bucks? It is true that the Celtics let a rare opportunity slip through their fingers. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic were up for bidding and Boston came away
With less than two months remaining in the NBA season, the New York Knicks have already passed their projected win total. The 2020-21 NBA season has seen plenty of expected results with the trade deadline just a day away. But there have been some pleasant surprises. Prime example of that is the success of the
1:38 AM ET Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said Thursday that he believes his tweets about women’s sports and the pay-gap with male athletes have been “extremely misconstrued,” saying in part, “I am on their side.” Green spoke about the topic one day after U.S. women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe ripped his remarks,
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Wednesday’s epic showdown between the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns not only featured the top two teams in the Western Conference standings, but arguably the two best teams
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Miami Heat during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to
8:58 PM ET Seven months after winning the franchise’s 17th title, the Los Angeles Lakers will finally unveil their 2020 NBA championship banner, the team announced. Prior to Thursday’s rematch against their 2020 Finals opponent, the Miami Heat, Lakers CEO and president Jeanie Buss revealed the team’s plans to display the banner at long last
The NBA’s G League Draft for the 2020-21 season took place on Monday, Jan. 11. And, given the circumstances of their season, which is being played in a bubble, it was not the normal draft we would see in any other year. Instead, for obvious reasons, it only involved teams attending the bubble. Some familiar