It seemed like Kevin Durant’s injury had provided the Rockets with an opening in Game 6. Instead, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry slammed it shut. It was a gift from the Basketball Gods. Kevin Durant, who had been the Rockets’ kryptonite in the first five games of the series, was ruled out for both Games
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 1: Assistant coach Monty Williams of the the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Orlando Magic during a pre-season game on October 1, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to
Since joining the NBA in the 1968-69 season, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the most consistent teams in the league. Over the course of their 51 seasons, they have surpassed 50 wins 18 times. The Suns reached their apex In the early 2000s, when they became the franchise that helped advance the way
3:39 AM ET HOUSTON — Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half, including 23 in the fourth quarter, to propel the Warriors to a series-clinching 118-113 Game 6 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. After shooting 0-for-5 from the field in the first half
Nassir Little and Cam Reddish frequently get the “upside” tag, but do they actually have the traits that lend to future developmental success in the modern NBA? Do Nassir Little and Cam Reddish have upside? This has been a polarizing question about the 2019 NBA Draft class. Both of these players are all over the
The Memphis Grizzlies may have missed the playoffs this season, but despite that, they may have found a few potential building blocks for the future. They started the season strong and were actually near the top of the Western Conference standings, but ended up spiraling into a freefall that culminated in them trading away longtime
With the series tied at 2-2, the Raptors had an opportunity at home to build momentum. They didn’t disappoint, steamrolling the 76ers in a blowout. Less than a week ago, the Philadelphia 76ers had a 2-1 edge in the series, an idea that seems unfathomable after Tuesday’s lopsided loss. But what had worked well for
9:48 PM ET The Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers will be at full strength for Game 7 after the NBA did not levy any suspensions or fines from a fourth-quarter skirmish between both teams in Game 6. The NBA confirmed Denver’s Will Barton and Torrey Craig and Portland’s Seth Curry and Zach Collins will
When you picture the dynastic Golden State Warriors, what, or who, do you see first? Is it Steph Curry, firebombing from the logo like he’s shooting free throws? Perhaps it’s Klay Thompson, needing as much total time with the ball to put up 60 points as it takes to brew a half-decent cup of coffee.
Previewing the first-round series between the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic with shot charts, assist maps, offensive style charts and expected win probabilities. Shot charts In the first season without DeMar DeRozan and Dwane Casey, the new-look Toronto Raptors have ripped off another excellent season, finishing with 58 wins. Following an increasing trend from the
2:42 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN In moves that will reshape the front office of one of the Western Conference’s perennial playoff franchises, the Utah Jazz are promoting general manager Dennis Lindsey to executive vice president of basketball operations and assistant GM Justin Zanik to GM, league sources told ESPN. Lindsey, the Jazz’s general manager since
The 76ers came out with exactly the sort of urgency and purpose that should be expected of a home team on the brink of elimination to force a Game 7. The series history suggested the Philadelphia 76ers would respond after getting blown out in Toronto in Game 5. More than that, however, it was the
With the NBA’s post-season in full swing and historic playoff games being played almost nightly, there are some storylines to watch as the race to a championship unfolds. Here are a few things to watch, especially if some of the ongoing series don’t play out as some had hoped when the season started some seven
Previewing the first-round series between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder with shot charts, assist maps, offensive style charts and expected win probabilities. Shot charts Aside from the stellar play of Damian Lillard, the story for the Blazers heading into the playoffs is the injury status of CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. According
4:04 AM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — It was about four minutes into the third quarter of Game 6, and Damian Lillard peeled off a high screen, sizing up Nikola Jokic in front of him. He had Jokic leaning, and Lillard saw his opportunity. One hard dribble, stop, pop and fire. Except Jokic saw it coming.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 10: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Lakers 143-120. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 22: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during a game against the Denver Nuggets on March 22, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is
10:01 PM ET HOUSTON — Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant will not play in the rest of his team’s Western Conference semifinals series against the Houston Rockets because of a right calf strain, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he is confident Durant will be able to return in the conference finals if Golden
With the NBA’s post-season in full swing and historic playoff games being played almost nightly, there are some storylines to watch as the race to a championship unfolds. Here are a few things to watch, especially if some of the ongoing series don’t play out as some had hoped when the season started some seven
1:32 PM ET The Los Angeles Lakers have regrouped from Wednesday’s breakdown with head coaching candidate Tyronn Lue and plan to interview Frank Vogel for the position, ESPN confirmed. Vogel was flying out to Los Angeles on Thursday for the interview, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Vogel, 45, last coached for the Orlando Magic,
The Warriors executed down the stretch to steal a win in Game 5 over the Rockets. But along the way, they might have lost Kevin Durant to a leg injury. Another game between the Warriors and Rockets, another uber-competitive game settled on the final few possessions. Golden State jumped out to an early lead but
Thursday’s FanDuel slate: 8 p.m. ET: Toronto at Philadelphia10:30 p.m. ET: Denver at Portland My favorite plays of the day can be found on the following slides in FanSided’s FanDuel daily picks. Each day in order to offer a variety of price points at each position, you can find two slides for each position–one for high-salary
4:17 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — For the last year, James Harden, Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets organization have sat around lamenting “what if.” What if Paul didn’t pull his hamstring in last year’s conference finals against the Golden State Warriors? What if the Rockets had continued to control the series? What if they
As the offenses in Milwaukee and Houston are showing right now, outside shooting continues to push evolution in the NBA. Unless you’re an all-star level player, shooting at least league average (35.5 percent in 2018-19) on 3-pointers is pretty much a prerequisite skill. With the 2019 NBA Draft approaching, there is one name that stands
With the NBA’s post-season in full swing and historic playoff games being played almost nightly, there are some storylines to watch as the race to a championship unfolds. Here are a few things to watch, especially if some of the ongoing series don’t play out as some had hoped when the season started some seven
After cruising through the first round, the Milwaukee Bucks are in line to get Malcolm Brogdon back soon. The Milwaukee Bucks completed a sweep of the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Looking to the second round against the Boston Celtics, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has reported guard Malcolm Brogdon is close to
After being expected to miss Game 5 against the Celtics, Malcolm Brogdon will be back on the floor for the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night. With three straight wins and Game 5 back against the Boston Celtics back at home, things are pretty good for the Milwaukee Bucks right now. But after being listed as out
10:27 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN At first, it seemed like things were going to be just fine. When the Boston Celtics convened for media day back in September, they were the heavy favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in this season’s NBA Finals, and arguably no team in the league had a brighter road ahead.
Cam Reddish will be a risky pick for whoever drafts him, but he’s even riskier for the New York Knicks because of how David Fizdale handled Kevin Knox’s rookie season. Earlier today, a report from Ian Begley tied the New York Knicks to Cam Reddish in the draft process. Obviously, all of the normal caveats
12:56 PM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — Malcolm Brogdon is expected to play in Game 5 between the Celtics and Bucks, coach Mike Budenholzer announced at shootaround Wednesday morning. Brogdon, who has been sidelined since March 15 with a plantar fascia tear, will come off the bench for Milwaukee and be on a minutes restriction.