Russell Westbrook is back and possibly better than ever, and now the long climb officially begins for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they attempt to re-insert themselves as a contender in the loaded Western Conference. In Friday night’s 105-78 home rout over the Knicks, Westbrook put up 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 24 minutes — making him the first player in the shot-clock era to score at least 32 points and eight assists in a timeframe that short. [Read
The Brooklyn Nets are 5-8 and trending in the wrong direction, having lost six of their last seven games. And coach Lionel Hollins seems very willing to hold players accountable for that slide, even in public settings. Starting center Brook Lopez is averaging just 5.4 rebounds in 29 minutes, and lately, he’s found himself benched in fourth quarters, including Saturday’s 99-87 loss to the Spurs in San Antonio. Both Lopez and Hollins have been visibly frustrated by things. [Read more…]
Let no one say that Houston Rockets guard James Harden, for whatever his shortcomings may be, is incapable of getting a laugh, even at his own expense. The two-time NBA All-Star took to Twitter Wednesday to share a couple new commercial spots that he is appearing in. The first being one for ESPN — one of their “This is SportsCenter” spots that routinely utilizes professional athletes in a comedic scenario. In this setting, ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne is explaining the network’s reliance
Besides money, why did Chris Bosh choose to re-sign for what appears to be a middling, post-LeBron era with the Miami Heat? Because in Bosh’s eyes, forming a bigger NBA title contender with the Houston Rockets would’ve been “nothing but pressure”. [Read more…]
The Cleveland Cavaliers finally earned a huge victory on Saturday night over the Atlanta Hawks, who came in hot on a four-game winning streak. It was the first time this season the Cavs seemed to steamroll an opponent, which many say will be the first of many. In the 127-94 win, Cleveland set franchise records, including an NBA record. They were on fire from three-point range. And when I say fire, I mean it. [Read more…]
Isaiah Canaan is no longer a rookie. He’s beginning his second year now with the Houston Rockets, who selected him 34th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. The second-year guard from Murray State has already surpassed his start totals from last year through the first eight games this season, starting five this year compared to last. He spent a good part of his rookie season playing with the Rockets D-League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. When Canaan did join his
The New York Knicks have lost five straight games and are now 2-6 after wins over Cleveland and Charlotte in their first three contests. So what are the Knicks doing so poorly over the league’s first two-plus weeks? The offense is disastrously slow and inefficient The Knicks’ 88.7 Pace, or approximate possessions per game, is the worst in the league. New York has consistently gone late into the shot clock as they learn the Triangle offense, looking for the perfect pass or
Kawhi Leonard is back to form, and so are the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. And if Leonard and legendary head coach Gregg Popovich have their way, it’ll remain that way for quite a while as the franchise moves forward. [Read more…]