1:21 AM ET Over his 17 seasons in the NBA, LeBron James has developed a system to prepare for the playoffs. There is a ramp up at some point in the last third of the NBA season. A handful of games where he pushes himself to play more minutes than most observers would probably like
The Minnesota Timberwolves won the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, earning the No. 1 overall pick. The 2020 NBA Draft Lottery is in the books, and the Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to add yet another No. 1 overall draft pick to their roster. With former No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns already in tow, not to
4:05 PM ET Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 4 due to a sprained left ankle that caused him to exit Friday night’s 130-122 loss to the LA Clippers in the fourth quarter. Coach Rick Carlisle said he anticipates that the Mavs will not know whether Doncic is
PORTLAND, OR – APRIL 10: Zach Collins #33 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter during their game at Moda Center on April 10, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to
A quarantined Mike Conley is forced to celebrate the Utah Jazz’s Game 2 victory from a distance and the strangeness of bubble life continues Life in the NBA Bubble has led to a number of unique moments, from players running into each other after a tightly contested playoff game to intense games of cornhole. Now,
The Nuggets lost by a wide margin in Game 3, and the side-effects are a Twitter meme Denver’s Game 1 victory feels like a long, long time ago at this juncture, with the Jazz winning both Games 2 and 3, and the latest triumph coming in impressive blowout fashion. But this isn’t a recap of
6:34 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was on the ground. He had just driven to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks but didn’t get the foul call. His coach, Rick Carlisle, stepped in to defend him, as coaches do. “Four f—ing times!” he repeatedly yelled at
After going down 2-0 to the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia Sixers absolutely had to win tonight’s game to make it a series. They failed to do so In a must-win game three against the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers fought hard, but it was ultimately not enough as they lost 102-94, falling behind three games
Do you know what was so much fun about the games we saw leading up to the Play-In Tournament? They had a playoff-like atmosphere to them. Anytime Portland, Memphis, Phoenix, or San Antonio tipped, you really felt their desperation in every second they played. The pressure grew on them with each passing game. If those
In Game 1, the Toronto Raptors dominated and showed they are true contenders. The injury-ridden Brooklyn Nets were ultimately unable to compete with the defending champion Toronto Raptors in the first game of their 2020 NBA Playoffs series, as they lost 134-110. It was never really close with the Raptors opening up an early 10-2
Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images Cardinals listed as the home team on Wrigley Field scoreboard is peak 2020 weirdness (Photo) by Mark Powell Gordon Hayward suffers ankle sprain in Game 1 vs 76ers (Video) by Mark Powell Inspired by the Phoenix Suns, the Toronto Raptors had a surprise for their Game 1 starting five. In
11:43 PM ET Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic sprained his left ankle late in the third quarter of Friday’s 130-122 loss to the LA Clippers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series and was ruled out after briefly returning in the fourth quarter. Doncic, a 21-year-old All-Star, said he will have an MRI on
The Minnesota Timberwolves won the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery and their choice will bring order to the chaos of this draft class. The Minnesota Timberwolves won the top prize in this year’s NBA Draft Lottery, jumping into the top slot. They weren’t the only team that moved up — the Bulls
The former New York Knicks star takes a shot at LeBron James’ hair LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t had the greatest of times inside the NBA’s Walt Disney World bubble. Even after clinching the first seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers struggled in Game 1 of their first-round series against the
How do you reconcile DeMar DeRozan’s exquisite footwork and mid-range excellence with the understanding that they are also the ceiling of his game? I want to like DeMar DeRozan. I definitely like the idea of DeMar DeRozan, which is of great, engineered footwork that can pivot and counter and transition from place to place as
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 02: San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, right, speaks with Drew Eubanks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, at Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 2, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER:
5:41 PM ET Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts issued a public apology Friday to Toronto Raptors counterpart Masai Ujiri for an altercation with a deputy sheriff that happened as Ujiri was trying to walk onto the court in Oakland after the deciding game of the 2019 Finals. “To my personal and professional friend Masai
Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive had some things to say about voting. If you’ve ever voted in literally any political election in the United States, you’re already aware of what a hassle it can be. Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive agrees, believing it should be a much simpler process in a country that doesn’t even
The Sacramento Kings undergoing front office shakeup after another disappointing season After arriving in the Walt Disney World bubble this month, the Sacramento Kings are once again entering the offseason, as they failed to clinch an NBA playoff berth for the 14th-consecutive season. The Kings will now enter the usual offseason where they try to
9:55 AM ET SECAUCUS, N.J. — The lottery has become a party for the damned. It is usually held in a fancy hotel, with pre-show mingling over cocktails and appetizers for VIPs. Once a team contingent showed up, let’s say, a little rowdier than usual after a private flight to New York. Representatives from each
The Milwaukee Bucks avenged their Game 1 loss to the Orlando Magic with a win in Game 2. After a surprising Game 1 loss to the Orlando Magic, the Milwaukee Bucks came back with a vengeance to tie their first-round series at 1-1, winning Game 2 by 15 points. The two teams traded buckets early,
Who should the Minnesota Timberwolves take with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft? The Minnesota Timberwolves have won the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, and with this year’s No. 1 overall pick comes the pressure of complementing a promising young core that already includes Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell as central pillars. That
In this week’s NBA Power Rankings, Donovan Mitchell has big Dwyane Wade energy and the legend of Damian Lillard keeps growing. 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
The Lakers‘ Game 1 loss brought a lot of questions. They answered nearly all of them with a Game 2 thumping of the Trail Blazers. Portland’s bubble run to the playoffs was incredible but a first-round upset of the Lakers still seemed absurdly improbable. And then they came out and won Game 1, with Damian
11:26 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard left Thursday’s 111-88 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter because of a dislocated left index finger. X-rays on Lillard’s finger were negative, the team announced. Lillard, who scored 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting in 30 minutes, did not return to the
After five weeks filled with food critique, vlogs, basketball games, and zero (!!) Covid-19 positives, the NBA playoffs are about to begin. Seven out of eight series are locked in, with only the Lakers awaiting the winner of the Portland Trailblazers and Memphis Grizzlies play-in game(s). While all of the series will have their share
The Suns sent positive vibes Brooklyn’s way with a photo of Devin Booker in a Nets jersey. The only team that might have been as dominant as the Phoenix Suns during this NBA restart is the Suns’ social media team. This usually impressive group has always been great, but since Phoenix started giving people reasons
The Portland Trail Blazers secured their play-in spot with Thursday’s win. The Portland Trail Blazers had a simple task entering their final seeding game on Thursday night: Win or go home. After the Memphis Grizzlies secured a play-in spot with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks earlier in the day, followed quickly by the Phoenix
4:55 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri issued a statement on Thursday afternoon in his first public comments since video footage showed the altercation with Ujiri and a San Francisco-area sheriff’s deputy following the clinching game of the NBA Finals last year. Ujiri starts the statement thanking everyone who expressed “disappointment and
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. The 2020 NBA Draft Lottery takes place Thursday night, and the odds for all 14 teams are already set in stone. But what about fate? What about justice?