The NBA regular season ends tomorrow, and as of now — even with most teams having played 81 of their 82 games — not a single first-round matchup is locked in. It’s an incredibly rare situation that promises to bring loads of drama both Tuesday night and especially Wednesday night, as the 2014-15 slate comes to a close. In the West, the complex playoff picture was reasonably summed up in one tweet on Tuesday morning from San Antonio’s star guard Manu Ginobili: So,
What do James Harden, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James have in common? They’re all legitimate MVP candidates, of course. But what else does that Awesome Foursome have in common? In a potential playoff series against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, they can all expect to see an individual matchup with Kawhi Leonard. In case you’ve been transfixed by March Madness, the Spurs are looking like a championship contender. Again. If you want some perspective, my son Andrew was born
Teams in the NBA playoff races aren’t the only ones watching scoreboards this time of year. Take the Philadelphia 76ers, for example. The Sixers lost their first 17 games, were mathematically eliminated from the playoff race nearly a month ago and almost certainly will lose 60-plus games for the second straight season. But GM Sam Hinkie and the rest of the Sixers’ front office are tracking the results of other games almost as closely as their own. That’s because Philadelphia could have
The Los Angeles Clippers have been rolling as of late with five consecutive wins, and the streak continued on Friday after a 119-98 dismantling of the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. DeAndre Jordan was dominant as usual with 17 points, 20 rebounds and two blocks in just 28 minutes, Chris Paul had 25 points and seven assists and Matt Barnes provided an all-around presence with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals. The Clippers now have the fourth best record in
Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin was sent to the hospital on Sunday before their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with an infection in his elbow. The Clippers team doctor noticed the infection in his elbow just prior to the game as they landed in Oklahoma City and had Griffin sent to the hospital immediately for further evaluation. [Read more…]
Doc Rivers is still trying to make things work on the basketball court with his son Austin. After orchestrating a three-way January trade for his son with Boston and Phoenix, giving up what many thought was too high a price at the time, Doc is betting on Austin becoming the catalyst for a Los Angeles Clippers second unit that has been in the league’s bottom third this season in both points scored and allowed. Austin has played 10 games so far for Los
Is Paul George really out for the season? If the Pacers can make a playoff push in the weak Eastern Conference, it sounds like he might not be. In a video interview on Tuesday, team president Larry Bird did not rule out the star forward’s return this season despite his horrific leg injury suffered last August. “We’ll see where Paul’s at. Still have no idea whether he’s coming back or not, but it seems like every week, he’s getting better and better.
It would seem that the NBA levies punishment on its athletes and allows its owners to act with impunity. At least, that is what Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes would have you believe, after explaining in lengthy detail the circumstances for his most recent $25,000 dollar fine. At minimum, the picture he paints is certainly one of inequality showcasing the disparity between the level of professionalism expected of the league’s athletes and its owners, in this case Phoenix Suns owner