If you are an NBA fan, you should start rooting for the Milwaukee Bucks to snap out of their stupor and the Boston Celtics to stumble down the stretch. Because that will set up the first-round playoff series we all want to see. A slump by the Celtics and a boost from the Bucks over the last 10 or so games would drop Boston into eighth place in the Eastern Conference and a first-round matchup with the Miami Heat. And to paraphrase
If you know the difference between a basketball and a bocce ball, you know that upstart Florida Gulf Coast has come out of absolutely nowhere to capture the nation’s attention and become the first 15-seed in NCAA history to advance to the Sweet 16. What does this have to do with the Most Improved Player Rankings? Well, FGCU coach Andy Enfield called his team “the most improved team in the nation.” You know that caught our attention. That. of course, and
Is it an exaggeration to call Jrue Holiday a member of the elite point guard class in the NBA? Not entirely. Sure, it was only last November that Holiday was coming off a disappointing third season in which his reclining numbers and lower efficiency ratings had many analysts wondering whether he had reached his ceiling as nothing more than a competent point guard. This season, however, Holiday has indisputably become a worthy All-Star selection and has earned a rightful place on the short
None of the previous 25 was any easier than Miami’s 26th consecutive win. LeBron James (32 PTS, 10 AST, 8 REB, 3 STL, 3 BLK) played 34 minutes — way more than expected or even necessary — and Chris Bosh (15 PTS, 6 REB, 3 BLK) was the only other regular to get involved, as Dwyane Wade was given the night off to rest a tender knee. [Read more…]
The round of 64 began on Thursday and outside of the PAC-12’s success as a 12 seed and Harvard earning their first ever tournament win, upsets were at a minimum. On a very light night in the NBA, the three games on the schedule saw one upset, as the Blazers won on the road in Chicago, but the Sixers blew their chance to snap the Nuggets win streak and perform their own “bracket buster”. Welcome to another episode of Five Fast Facts.
It’s time for Week 3 of the Greatest Fake Tournament in the history of sports columns. Let’s get right to the games, with Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery on the call. GUS JOHNSON: Welcome back to Most Improved Player Madness. I’m Gus Johnson alongside Bill Raftery, and Bill, It’s been a thrilling tournament so far, and it has left our readers completely speechless. They can’t even click on the link because of all of the spontaneous excitement. I’m so happy I
For fantasy basketball owners this is the most exciting time of the season. This long and tenuous regular season is finally reaching a conclusion. It is my experience that nearly every season for nearly every league, at least one dominant power-house fantasy team falls apart during the last couple weeks before playoffs due to injuries. The NBA season is unlike that of any other professional sport. The postseason ends in June yet the preseason starts in October. The grind for NBA
Another huge game by LaMarcus Aldridge (31 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST) and another gutsy performance by Nicolas Batum (17 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB, 3 BLK) led the Blazers, who remain alive for a playoff berth, though they are three games back with just 17 remaining. [Read more…]