In the moments leading up to the 3:00 PM cutoff, there were so many transactions that who was going where got lost in the mix. Twitter was a constant stream of news and reactions, leading to confusion from all sides. Although the big names were set in stone, the finite details of the trades were still trickling out 30 minutes after the deadline. MORE: Jackson to the Pistons | Garnett is going back to where it began...
The Mavericks forward was ejected from Monday night’s Game 1 against the Clippers after receiving his second technical foul early in the third quarter. Porzingis took exception to Marcus Morris’ hard foul on Luka Doncic, but Clippers and Mavericks players were quickly separated before the situation escalated. NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS:Series-by-series breakdowns and picks Following a review of the altercation, the officiating crew handed out technical fouls to both Morris and Porzingis, the latter of whom had received a tech in the first half for swinging his arm in disgust after earning a personal foul on a Paul George shot attempt....
Point spreads and totals listed here are current as of Friday afternoon. Visit our odds page for updated betting lines from Las Vegas. Wizards (46-36 SU, 33-47-2 ATS) at Raptors (49-33 SU, 37-44-1 ATS) Series odds: Raptors -180, Wizards +160 Game 1 Line: Raptors -4.5, Total: 193.5 Two teams which likely wish the All-Star break never happened square off in a series that will determine who’s been struggling the least....
Unfortunately for the Lakers star, there is no way to determine the exact date when it will be safe for teams to return to courts. However, considering the regular season was originally set to end Wednesday, why not go through the thought exercise of playing out the postseason round by round? (If nothing else, it gives you a break in between episodes of “The Office” you’ve already watched 25 times....
Watching the Toronto Raptors' global ambassador lint roll his pants courtside raised several questions, none of which are answerable. First: Who carries a lint roller to a public event? Second: Who lint rolls their clothes in public? Third: Why aren't Drake clothes lint-free? We'll never know the answer to any of these questions, but at least we have one more weird Drake moment to enjoy. [H/T: SI's Ben Golliver]
The Warriors once again enter the NBA playoffs as the odds-on favorite to reach the Finals, but there are some teams ready to unseat the defending Western Conference champions. MORE: Live NBA scores, playoff schedule Parity is the name of the game in the Eastern Conference bracket. LeBron James and the Cavaliers lost their No. 1 seed to the Celtics, but the defending champs are still considered favorites to make the Finals....
Heck, by the time the Finals start on June 1, the Cavs’ postseason leisure tour could run to 12 work days out of 48. They cautioned us that their stretch-run struggles would be temporary, and with a second consecutive playoff sweep — first Indiana, now Toronto — that’s being borne out. “The fact that we play our best basketball in the postseason lets us know that we’re up for the challenge,” star forward LeBron James said....
And that was after he blocked/stole an alley-oop attempt on the other end. First, a spin move sent Lou Williams running in the wrong direction. Then, inside the top of the key, a behind-the-back move had Clint Capela running into a Steven Adams screen and taking Eric Gordon out of the picture. MORE: Russell Westbrook says his ‘friendship’ with the basketball is not a joke File a play like this under a list of things that make this season from Westbrook a special one....
The Warriors have the best odds to win the 2017 NBA championship at 5/11 (bet $5 to win $2), followed by the Cavs at 17/5. Below are the odds to win the 2017 NBA championship, as well as odds to win the Eastern and Western Conference championships, via Vegas Insider. MORE: NBA playoffs schedule, bracket NBA playoffs 2017: Odds to win NBA championship Here are the odds for all 16 teams to win the 2017 NBA championship as of Friday, April 28....
When asked about his confidence in Boston’s ability to come back from a 3-1 deficit, Irving said it was “unwavering.” “It’s unwavering. It’s the game of basketball,” Irving said. “At this point we obviously understand the X’s and O’s. It’s just going out and trying to manage the game better. We’ve tried to do that the last few games. Tonight the third and fourth quarter was where they made their money....
It is all encapsulated in a map filled with basketball details, which includes the traditional NBA greats, but also shines a light on early players, legendary coaches and stars in the parks of Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Players are tied to high schools and parks with lines, headshots and blurbs, creating a web of basketball greatness. MORE: Silver won’t fine Dolan | All-time NBA scorers | Nets’ Plumlee commits party foul...
And if you had to pick players based only on their prime and on-court ability at the peak of their powers, rather than on the totality and success of their careers, how different is the all-time list? A collection of over 50 NBA beat writers, national media members, and #NBATwitter stars weighed in to answer exactly that. On a scale of 1-100 with 100 being the absolute best, each member of our panel assessed over 250 different players....
According to reports from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles will acquire Rui Hachimura from Washington in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and multiple future second-round picks. News of the trade as the Lakers look to improve their roster by the deadline. LA is expected to be very active on the market in order to bolster its roster outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis with aim of making a push to qualify for the NBA Playoffs in 2023....
The request itself did not come as a surprise. Reports out of Minnesota this offseason have made it clear Butler is unhappy with the his current situation. He has grown frustrated with Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins as well as his current financial state. What is surprising, however, is Butler’s preference in teams: the Clippers, Knicks and Nets with Los Angeles taking the top spot on his list. TRADE RUMORS: Could Raptors make move for Butler?...
Rose told reporters he wasn’t aware of the rumor that Thibodeau is interested in acquiring Rose in a trade that could send point guard Ricky Rubio to the Knicks. Rose became an NBA MVP under Thibodeau with the Bulls in 2011. MORE: Carmelo says he won’t leave Knicks unless he has a ‘plan’ “I haven’t heard anything about it until I came back (from the All-Star break),” Rose said, per the New York Post....
When he was asked about playing bad defense — the Magic have allowed 100-plus points in 20 games already this season — despite having good defensive players, Vogel balked. “Some ways, I don’t think any of us are living up to, when you say, ‘We are good defensive players,’” Vogel said. “We’re not playing like good defensive players, and I’m not tying these guys together like a good defensive coach....
Here’s everything you missed in NBA trade talk on Feb 6, including a quickly denied Carmelo Anthony-Kevin Love trade rumor: Jahlil Okafor to the Pelicans? Days after his hometown Bulls were rumored interested, multiple reports said the Pelicans were in deep talks to acquire Okafor. One reported version of the deal would send Okafor to the Pelicans in exchange for center Alexis Ajinca and a 2018 first-round draft pick. The Pels tried to dump center Omer Asik’s contract onto Philly as well, but the Sixers declined, according to the Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski....
Anthony, who decided to decline his early termination option this summer and accept $27.9 million for the upcoming season, is working with the Thunder on a way to amicably end the relationship through a trade, the stretch provision or a combined buyout and stretch, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young. The Thunder’s front office can save more than $100 million by cutting ties with Anthony, and the 33-year-old forward can find a new home after a disappointing end to his time in OKC....
Ball’s manager Jermaine Jackson told ESPN on Thursday that the pair acquired the Hawks, saying: “We own the team. It’s a done deal.” The NBL responded to Jackson’s claims Friday in a statement, which read: “The NBL would like to clarify the current situation regarding LaMelo Ball and the Illawarra Hawks. “The league can confirm LaMelo Ball and his management had discussions about being involved with the club while he was playing in the NBL last season....
Here’s the injury: MORE: Lee Corso terrifies dog with mascot head Yeah, fingers aren’t supposed to bend that way. The good news, though, is it doesn’t appear to be too serious. Sideline reporter Amanda Kuhl came on a few moments later and said Chubb got his “fingers taped up” and was ready to play again. Cameras caught trainers on the field with Chubb, apparently putting the dislocated fingers back in place....
