The Boston Celtics earned a tough victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1. The Boston Celtics‘ night was started and ended by Jayson Tatum. The Philadelphia 76ers got out to an early 4-0 lead fueled by an aggressive and locked-in Joel Embiid, but when Tatum knocked down a 17-foot jumper 90 seconds into the
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics took Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers in dominant fashion. It turns out that Joel Embiid’s production is not a bellwether for this series. Despite an awesome statline from the big fella in Game 2, the Boston Celtics played their game and clicked on all cylinders. The result was
1:48 AM ET Luka Doncic described it as “an amazing feeling” to get his first NBA playoff win after the Dallas Mavericks‘ 127-114 victory over the LA Clippers in Wednesday’s Game 2, and it’s a sensation he expects to experience again soon. “We’ve just got three left,” Doncic said, referring to how many more wins
The Dallas Mavericks were able to defeat the Patrick Beverley-less LA Clippers behind Luka Doncic’s 28 points, tying the series in Game 2. Game 2 of the first-round NBA playoff matchup between the LA Clippers and Dallas Mavericks began much as the first one did — with one team opening up a massive lead early.
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 Orlando Magic were playing with Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac but somehow they still blow out the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1. No one was giving the Magic much of a chance in this series, but they came out energized and well-prepared, blitzing the Bucks in the first quarter and building a 10-point lead.
Giannis and his supporting cast lost handily to the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic, and social media wasn’t kind It’s fairly incredible how quickly we forget that these same Orlando Magic (albeit, with their full cast of characters in tow) took a game from the Toronto Raptors en route to the Raps’ first NBA title with Kawhi
12:41 AM ET With about eight minutes to go in the third quarter Wednesday night, Philadelphia 76ers guard Josh Richardson tried to throw an entry pass to teammate Joel Embiid, who had established post position in the middle of the lane. The pass was awful. Richardson jumped to throw it and it was loopy and
The Nets played the Raptors much tougher in Game 2, but the result was the same — a solid win for Toronto. The Raptors dominated the Nets in Game 1, running away with a 24-point blowout win. Their offense was running on all cylinders and they easily put up 134 on the undermanned Nets. But
All of the NBA’s greatest heels are circling around this single series, with vengeance on the mind of both the Rockets and Thunder. Having survived the NBA Bubble’s first stage, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets will play a first-round playoff series starting this Tuesday. Then again, neither team really survived the early bout
James Harden and the Houston Rockets steamrolled the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1. The 4-5 matchup is typically expected to be the most competitive, unpredictable series in any postseason, but if Game 1 between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder was any indication, this first-round matchup in the 2020 NBA Playoffs might not
1:35 PM ET Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s Game 2 against the LA Clippers because of right knee soreness. A source told ESPN that Porzingis is experiencing irritation in the knee but hopes to play in Game 2. Meanwhile, Clippers guard Patrick Beverley was added to the afternoon
LeBron James’ voting rights group is helping ex-felons vote in Florida by Emily Adams Entire Michigan State football team entering quarantine isn’t a good sign for season by Scott Rogust Tom Thibodeau (Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images) The New York Knicks still like Tom Thibodeau. The New York Knicks need a new coach after parting
Kentucky assistant Kenny Payne (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Longtime Kentucky assistant Kenny Payne is, in fact, leaving for New York Payne has been on Kentucky’s staff since 2010, and was promoted to associate head coach in 2014 under John Calipari. He’ll surely be missed not just as a veteran, calming voice on gamedays, but
11:19 PM ET A countersuit filed by Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri includes new video footage that shows the San Francisco Bay Area police officer with whom he had an altercation in the moments after the Raptors won Game 7 of the 2019 NBA Finals was the aggressor. The suit was filed
The Portland Trail Blazers‘ amazing NBA bubble run isn’t over just yet, as they shocked the Lakers in Game 1. Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers played themselves into the postseason with a dramatic hot streak in the NBA bubble. They brought all that momentum into Game 1 against the Lakers and it was enough
The Lakers weren’t ready for Dame Time, but NBA Twitter was The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, both No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, lost to their eighth-seeded competition on the same day. The Bucks received the wrath of an #NBATwitter whose pent up frustration brought with it some fantastic content. When LeBron
Nick Saban doesn’t understand the rush to cancel college football season by Mark Powell LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 01: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans warms up against the LA Clippers at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 01, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Alvin Gentry of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at the Smoothie King Center on March 01, 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 the terms and conditions of
11:06 PM ET NBA Insiders Should we be concerned about the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers after Game 1? The first round of the NBA playoffs has officially kicked off with all 16 teams in contention having a game under their belts in the Florida bubble. As a result, injuries, trends and difficult
1:30 PM ET Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward will miss around four weeks due to a Grade III sprain of his right ankle suffered in Monday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Hayward, who scored 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in 34 minutes, was trying to box out
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 first four games of the 2020 NBA Playoffs gave us a bit of everything — epic scoring performances, a blowout, an overtime squeaker, controversial calls and the
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 21: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribble in on James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets during a 111-106 Laker win at Staples Center on February 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) LeBron James, James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the three
The reigning Most Valuable Player had his dominant seeding round performance marred by foul trouble, an ejection and a suspension. These were Giannis Antetokounmpo’s statistics from his six seeding round games: 27.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 blocks and 62.6 percent shooting (62-of-99) from the field. On paper, his numbers were fantastic and automatically inserted
6:30 AM ET NBA Insiders In early July, a couple of days before the Los Angeles Lakers boarded a plane for Orlando, Florida, hoping their trip would extend to the NBA Finals in October, Jared Dudley made a prescient remark. “[LeBron James] is ready for this moment, you can tell,” Dudley said. “You can see
Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray combined for 93 points but Murray’s Nuggets escaped with the Game 1 win. Both teams entered this game shorthanded with Gary Harris and Will Barton out for the Nuggets and Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley both out of the bubble completely for the Jazz. (Conley left for the birth of
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
Former teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) Dwyane Wade stole LeBron James’ look on Inside the NBA Dwyane Wade and LeBron James’ relationship has developed from frequent competitors to great friends over the years, with the two even teaming up for two NBA Titles down in South Beach. James is
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 14: Derrick Jones Jr. #5 of the Miami Heat covers his face with a towel while he is taken off the court by medical personnel after colliding with Goga Bitadze #88 of the Indiana Pacers during the second half of a NBA basketball game at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN
9:35 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Boston Celtics lost forward Gordon Hayward to a right ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of their 109-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. “Sprained ankle,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said afterward. “Don’t know the severity, but he’s clearly in pain, and it looked like