7:00 AM ET STEPHEN CURRY KNOWS exactly how far he has left to go. Now that he’s on the verge of passing Reggie Miller for second place on the NBA’s career 3-pointer list — he’s nine away from passing the Pacers great — Curry needs just 422 more to eclipse Ray Allen to become the
Often the NBA’s biggest flop, the New York Knicks have been significantly better-than-expected to start the 2020-21 season. They’ve won eight of their first 16 games and have surrendered the fewest points per game on the season, placing them squarely in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. That said, they’re not out of the woods yet;
12:45 AM ET After a 125-113 loss to the Cavaliers on Friday night, the Brooklyn Nets leave their road trip to Cleveland 0-2 and have a slew of defensive breakdowns to review in their next film session. “This was two humbling losses,” Kyrie Irving said after Friday’s game. Scoring wasn’t an issue for the Nets,
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 16: Precious Achiuwa #5 of the Miami Heat puts on his mask prior to the game against the Detroit Pistons at American Airlines Arena on January 16, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to
LaMelo Ball is already a good rotation player for the Charlotte Hornets, but early returns suggest he’s going to be much more than that in the near future. LaMelo Ball just makes stuff happen on the hardwood. While a boilerplate description, it is the best summation for how a rookie shooting 40.3 percent from the
3:48 PM ET The NBA has rescinded Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green‘s second technical foul from Thursday night’s loss to the New York Knicks, a league source told ESPN, confirming multiple reports. The quick reversal does not come as a surprise given that Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game that Ben Taylor,
Through the NBA’s first month, the rookie class has continued to show what they can do on the court. While some have faltered or succumbed to injuries as the games have piled up, others have shone bright and even cracked their team’s starting lineups as the race toward the Rookie of the Year award heats
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. Two games into James Harden’s tenure with the Brooklyn Nets, the returns have certainly encouraging. Since trading an enormous cache of future draft picks and pick swaps for
Kevin Durant was optimistic about the Brooklyn Nets’ first game with their new Big 3. On Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets‘ new Big 3 assembled for their highly anticipated debut … and lost. Sure, it took two overtimes and a career-high 42 points (including 20 straight in the extra periods) from Collin Sexton to defeat the
7:00 AM ET Jorge Sedano DURING A STORIED 14-year NBA career, Tony Allen was named to six All-Defensive teams and earned the nickname “The Grindfather” for his abilities as one of the league’s most hard-nosed perimeter defenders. But on Feb. 22, 2005, he was a 24-year-old rookie guard staring at one unenviable task: Shut down
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/ Getty Images Dwayne Haskins would be a worthy flier for Pittsburgh Steelers by Brad Berreman Due to coronavirus complications, the Memphis Grizzles’ next three games have been postponed. Things unfortunately have been going from bad to worse for the Memphis Grizzlies and their fight with the coronavirus. Due to contact
One of the most surprising rookies so far this season, Payton Pritchard has been put in a great position to succeed by the Boston Celtics. Every NBA season, one or two rookies shock everyone out of the gate by immediately assuming a rotation spot and playing surprisingly competent basketball. Sometimes, it’s an undrafted rookie who
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images Aaron Rodgers earns Player of the Month honors after putting up insane stats by Braulio Perez The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics played in a thriller on Wednesday and Payton Pritchard ended things in dramatic fashion. He may not have been the expected hero entering play on Wednesday night, but
11:54 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from Thursday night’s game against the New York Knicks after appearing to yell at rookie teammate James Wiseman. Green, who picked up his first technical of the game with 4 minutes, 2 seconds left in the first quarter after arguing too
There’s an old saying: “if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” That saying would certainly apply to Reggie Jackson this season. Jackson, who joined the Los Angeles Clippers last season after he was bought out by the Detroit Pistons, re-upped with team on a one-year deal. A once-promising young guard that the
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) Javier Baez avoids arbitration with Cubs, settles for $11.65M by John Buhler UFC Fight Island 8: Michael Chiesa thinks Neil Magney is an ‘awesome guy’ by Dave Noseworthy Pope Francis is the reason the 2020-21 Atlanta Hawks will become NBA Champions. Pope Francis was such a
10:56 PM ET The Houston Rockets are acquiring Cleveland Cavaliers wing Kevin Porter Jr. for a future protected second-round pick, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Cleveland was looking to trade Porter following an incident last week that involved a screaming match with team officials, sources confirmed to ESPN. Porter hasn’t played for Cleveland this
The 2020-21 NBA season is young, especially with how many players have missed time, but trends are beginning to emerge for the best teams. In the post-Warriors era of the NBA, there isn’t an overwhelming title favorite. The Los Angeles Lakers are reigning champions and look primed for another Finals run, but they’re not so
In this week’s NBA Power Rankings, Tyrese Maxey has energy and the idea of Bradley Beal squares off with his reality. Our new look NBA Power Rankings are back, a non-traditional structure for a non-traditional era of professional basketball. The world is no longer just about wins and losses and teams are no longer the
Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal says the team is “fighting the league” about playing this Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Washington Wizards have been out of action for the past week after six players and one staff member tested positive for COVID-19. After being held out by the NBA, the Wizards were permitted to
2:33 PM ET Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is nearing a return and listed as questionable to play Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. Porter has been cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols and returned to the team, a league source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said that Porter
There’s an old saying: “if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” That saying would certainly apply to Reggie Jackson this season. Jackson, who joined the Los Angeles Clippers last season after he was bought out by the Detroit Pistons, re-upped with team on a one-year deal. A once-promising young guard that the
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. After a double-digit blowout of the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, the Utah Jazz are officially on a tear. They’ve won six straight and eight of their
12:07 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN After Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid wore out a path to the free throw line in a 117-109 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, Celtics guard Marcus Smart expressed his displeasure with the way the game was officiated. Embiid made and took more free throws than the Celtics
Jarrett Allen doesn’t fault the Brooklyn Nets for trading him for superstar shooting guard James Harden. The Brooklyn Nets let it be known in the summer of 2019 that they were all-in on competing for an NBA championship after they signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency. However, there was speculation that the team
Sports fandom is usually an unconditional relationship. But when a team like the Raptors fails to live up to its stated values and address issues like domestic abuse head on, it’s time for conditions. I am a diehard fan of my hometown Toronto Raptors. It’s tough to quantify the intensity of my fandom, but here
6:13 PM ET Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving was in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden. Irving practiced with the team on Tuesday. He had missed the Nets’ last seven games — five for personal reasons and two while conditioning. During the time away for
Last season was strange for everyone, but especially San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. It was the first time in his 25-year tenure that his team missed the playoffs. Heck, it was the first time his team ever finished with a losing record since he took the job in 1996. But, in spite of
The San Antonio Spurs are investing in Derrick White’s future with a contract extension. The San Antonio Spurs are in a transition period after missing the playoffs for the first time in 23 years. LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan are still on the roster, but their best days are clearly behind them, and the Spurs
1:48 PM ET NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday the league has discussed having players receive COVID-19 vaccines to educate and influence the public regarding its safety and effectiveness. “There have been discussions. It’s something we’re particularly focused on,” Silver said at a virtual conference hosted by Sportico. “In the African American community, there’s been