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Kai Sotto is a DNP in the Magic – Piston Game at the NBA Summer League

July 9, 2023

Filipino fans need to wait a bit longer for them to see Kai Sotto for his NBA Summer League debut, since he was a DNP “did not play – coach’s decision” in the Magic – Piston Game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, Manila time.

Sotto is suiting up for the Orlando Magic but did not play against the Detroit Pistons, who fielded Ausar Thompson, a top 5 draft pick, with 2nd year Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey, as well as a former GSW Top 2 Pick James Wiseman.

Kai Sotto and the Orlando Magics have 3 more games for the NBA Summer League; on July 10th against the Indiana Pacers; July 12th facing the New York Knicks and on July 13th against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kobe Bryant to be featured on the cover of NBA 2K24

July 9, 2023

Laker Legend and NBA HoF Kobe Bryant will be featured on the cover of two editions of NBA 2K24; NBA 2K24: Kobe Bryant Edition and NBA 2K24: Black Mamba Edition. This is not the first time that Kobe Bryant graced the cover of NBA2k, he was the cover athlete for NBA 2K10, NBA 2K17 (Legend Edition) and NBA 2K21 (Mamba Forever Edition).

Cover of NBA 2K24: Kobe Bryant Edition

Cover of NBA 2K24: Black Mamba Edition

Kobe Bryant is a 5-time NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice, and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Bryant’s name is often included in the GOAT debate with Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lebron James.

Both copies of the game are now available for pre-order and will be release September 8, 2023. NBA 2K24: Kobe Bryant Edition will retail for $69.99, while the NBA 2K24: Black Mamba Edition is priced at $99.99.

Source: NBA

Complete 2023 NBA Draft Results

June 24, 2023

NBA just concluded the 77th edition of NBA draft last Thursday, June 22, 2023, held in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. As projected the top 3 are Victor Wembanyama was drafted first, then Brandon Miller followed by Scoot Henderson, they’re drafted by San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively.

Here’s the complete draft results;

First Round

  1. Spurs draft Victor Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92)

  2. Hornets draft Brandon Miller (Alabama)

  3. Blazers draft Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)

  4. Rockets draft Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite)

  5. Pistons draft Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite)

  6. Magic draft Anthony Black (Arkansas)

  7. Pacers draft Bilal Coulibaly (Metropolitans 92) – Traded to Wizards

  8. Wizards draft Jarace Walker (Houston) – Traded to Pacers

  9. Jazz draft Taylor Hendricks (UCF)

  10. Mavericks draft Cason Wallace (Kentucky) – Traded to Thunder

  11. Magic draft Jett Howard (Michigan)

  12. Thunder draft Dereck Lively II (Duke) – Traded to Mavericks

  13. Raptors draft Gradey Dick (Kansas)

  14. Pelicans draft Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut)

  15. Hawks draft Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)

  16. Jazz draft Keyonte George (Baylor)

  17. Lakers draft Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)

  18. Heat draft Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)

  19. Warriors draft Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara)

  20. Rockets draft Cam Whitmore (Villanova)

  21. Nets draft Noah Clowney (Alabama)

  22. Nets draft Dariq Whitehead (Duke)

  23. Blazers draft Kris Murray (Iowa)

  24. Kings draft Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette) – Traded to Mavericks

  25. Grizzlies draft Marcus Sasser (Houston) – Traded to Pistons

  26. Pacers draft Ben Sheppard (Belmont)

  27. Hornets draft Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)

  28. Jazz draft Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)

  29. Pacers draft Julian Strawther (Gonzaga) – Traded to Nuggets

  30. LA Clippers draft Kobe Brown (Missouri)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeXPv4cvBko

Second Round

  1. Pistons draft James Nnaji (FC Barcelona) – Reportedly traded to Hornets (via Celtics)

  2. Pacers draft Jalen Pickett (Penn State)– Traded to Nuggets

  3. Spurs draft Leonard Miller (G League Ignite) – Traded to Timberwolves

  4. Hornets draft Colby Jones (Xavier) – Reportedly traded to Kings

  5. Celtics draft Julian Phillips (Tennessee) – Traded to Bulls (via Wizards)

  6. Magic draft Andre Jackson Jr. (Connecticut) – Traded to Bucks

  7. Thunder draft Hunter Tyson (Clemson) – Traded to Nuggets

  8. Kings draft Jordan Walsh (Arkansas) – Traded to Celtics

  9. Hornets draft Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State) – Traded to Hawks (via Celtics)

  10. Nuggets draft Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine) – Traded to Lakers (via Pacers)

  11. Hornets draft Amari Bailey (UCLA)

  12. Wizards draft Tristan Vukcevic (Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade)

  13. Blazers draft Rayan Rupert (NZ Breakers)

  14. Spurs draft Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite)

  15. Grizzlies draft Gregory Jackson II (South Carolina)

  16. Hawks draft Seth Lundy (Penn State)

  17. Lakers draft Mojave King (G League Ignite) – Traded to Pacers

  18. Clippers draft Jordan Miller (Miami)

  19. Cavaliers draft Emoni Bates (Eastern Michigan)

  20. Thunder draft Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State)

  21. Nets draft Jalen Wilson (Kansas)

  22. Suns draft Toumani Camara (Dayton)

  23. Timberwolves draft Jaylen Clark (UCLA)

  24. Kings draft Jalen Slawson (Furman)

  25. Pacers draft Isaiah Wong (Miami)

  26. Grizzlies draft Tarik Biberovic (Fenerbahce Beko)

  27. Wizards draft Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) – Traded to Warriors

  28. Bucks draft Chris Livingston (Kentucky)

Those that did not get drafted will be considered as undrafted players when teams sign them up.

Washington Superstar Bradley Beal headed to Phoenix Suns

June 19, 2023

Just barely into the offseason and just 3 days before the NBA Draft, we now have a blockbuster trade that will bring Wizard Superstar Bradley Beal going to Phoenix Suns, with guard Jordan Goodwin. Suns in turn will send Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks and pick swaps to Wizards.

The deal became possible after Beal waived his “no-trade” clause in his contract. This was reported by ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal will take a few of days to be finalized.

The trade will form another Durant-lead “Super team” with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, with Deandre Ayton as the Suns top players. The trade will definitely affect the depth of the team which was diminished when the Suns traded for Durant last season.

Source: NBA

NBA suspends Ja Morant for 25 games

June 17, 2023

NBA just announced that Ja Morant will be suspended for 25 games without pay for conduct detrimental to the league. NBA added that Morant will “be required to meet certain conditions before he returns to play and will be ineligible to participate in any public league or team activities including preseason games.”

“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement Friday. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”

Here’s the official statement from NBA;

Last month, Morant was spotted with what seemed to be a gun on a friend’s Instagram page, which sparked the most recent NBA probe. In preparation for the NBA punishment, the Grizzlies had previously suspended Morant from team activities. Ja Morant on his part release a statement regarding his suspension;

At the same time, National Basketball Players Association find the suspension “excessive” with NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio’s statement on the suspension of Morant.

The Memphis Grizzlies also released their own statement, saying “We respect the league’s decision to suspend Ja Morant following this latest episode. Our standards as a league and team are clear, and we expect that all team personnel will adhere to them.”

It’s unclear how the suspension will affect the first 25 games of the Grizzlies, even though the team showed that they can hold on their own even without their star player.

Denver Nuggets are the 2023 NBA Champions, franchise’s first in the 47 years in the league

June 13, 2023

The Denver Nuggets just bagged their first NBA Championship after defeating the Miami Heat in a one of the lowest scoring game in the series (94-89).

In the first half, Miami was poised to take the series back home until Nikola Jokic carried the Nuggets with with 28 points and 16 rebounds. Jokic also took home the Bill Russell trophy as the NBA Finals MVP, which carry more weight than the 2021 and 2022 Regular Season MVP trophies.

Nuggets outlast the Heat in a game that’s more favorable to the style of Miami Heat, a low scoring, physical and close game, no team lead more than 2 points in the last 2 minutes of the game. It was in the closing minutes that made the difference; Bruce Brown got an offensive rebound and tip-in to give the Nuggets, then Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope capitalize on a Heat turnover and made two free throws each that sealed the title for Denver.

This is the first time in the franchise’s 47 years in the league and if they keep the core players, we may see the Nuggets making a deep run in every year, lead by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Denver Nuggets win Game 4 of the NBA Finals and One away to be the NBA Champions

June 10, 2023

Denver Nuggets are just one win away to be the NBA Champions as they defeat the resilient Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

We can call Game 4 as the Aaron Gordon Game, as he lead the Nuggets in scoring with 27 points with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Miami was able to limit Jokic to “just” 23 points, made 3 three-point shots, with 4 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds to help build a 13 point lead against the Heat entering the 4th quarter. Jokic got in foul trouble, committing his 5th foul when the Nuggets are up by 5 point and still 8:42 remaining in the game. Even though Jamal Murray was limited to just 15 point, he helped setup his teammates by dishing out 12 assists. Aside from Gordon, Bruce Brown was also a big factor off the bench, scoring 25 points with 4 rebs. Nuggets as a team shot 50% from the three-point line making 14 of their 28 shots.

Miami Heat are once again 1 – 3 in the NBA Finals and even with the odds against the team, Heat Leader Jimmy Butler is still positive that they can go back to Miami to at least have a chance to extend the series to a game 7. “Now we’re in a must-win situation, every single game — which we’re capable of.. It’s not impossible.” ,” Butler said in his postgame interview.

Miami Heat Head coach Erik Spoelstra echoed the same sentiments;

We have an incredibly competitive group. We’ve done everything the hard way and that’s the way it’s going to have to be done right now — again. And all we’re going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305. Get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly.

Game 5 will be back Denver, Tuesday evening, where Jokic and Murray with the rest of the team have chance to end the series and celebrate in front of their home crowd.

Miami Heat evens series via late run in the 4th Quarter (111- 108)

June 5, 2023

The Miami Heat evens up the series from a come from behind run against the Denver Nuggets, the team also overcome a 41-point game by Nikola Jokic, who also grabbed 11 rebounds. Miami Heat manage to comeback from a 15-pt deficit in the first half and hang-on to a 3-pts lead in the closing seconds of the game. Miami also made 48% of their 3-points shot and in contrast to game 1, the team shot 18 out of 20 from the free-throw line.

Both Butler and Adebayo scored 21 points apiece while Gabe Vincent lead the Heat in scoring with 23 points, on a 4 of 6 from beyond the three-point line. Miami also got a big lift from Duncan Robinson, who scored all of his 10-points in the 4th, and Max Strus with 14 points. Aside from the free-throw. three points made also made the different in game 2, since Miami 17 of their 35 three points.

Denver on the other hand got a monster 41-points game from Nikola Jokic but only 4 assists, he is also -11 in the plus/minus column. It’s not just Jokic, Kentavious Caldwell Pope (-14), Michael Porter Jr. (-15) and Jamal Murray (-2) are also negative in the plus/minus.

This is the first home game for the Nuggets since March 30, and Nuggets coach Michael Malone blame it on effort when asked about the game in the post game interview;

Games 3 and 4 will be in Miami and where injured Heat guard Tyler Herro is expected to make a return.

Miami Heat advances to the NBA Finals after defeating Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference

May 30, 2023

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat will go to the NBA Finals after routing the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference. The Heat closeout the series after Boston even the series by winning 3 games in a row after losing the first 3 games to Miami. It was a historic game for both team; Miami Heat trying to avoid to be the first team to lose a series after being up 3 – 0 and become the first 8th seed to defeat a 1st seed in order to advance to the NBA Finals; while Boston is trying to complete their historic run to be the first NBA team to overcome a 0 – 3 deficit in the NBA Postseason.

Boston leading scorer Jason Tatum was a non-factor in Game 7, after twisting his ankle on the very first play of the game and limping through 42 minutes. Tatum scored 14 points with 11 rebounds, while Jalen Brown had 19-pts, 8 rebs and 5 assists and Derrick White, the hero of Game 6, was the second leading scorer for the Celtics with his 18-points.

Miami Heat lead by Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin with a combine 54 pts, Butler also have 7 rebs, 6 assists and steals, while Martin added 10 rebounds and made 4 of 6 three-pointers. Miami also received a big contribution from Bam Adebayo scoring 12 pots, 10 rebs and 1 block; Gabe Vincent scoring 10-points, Duncan Robinson adding 10-points. As a team Miami Heat made 50% of the three-points, while Boston, just like in Game 8 just make 21.4% of their three-points.

Aside from being a Conference Champs, Jimmy Butler was named East Conference MVP, who have been the leader of the team the whole season;

Miami Heat will face the Denver Nuggets who have been waiting for the winner of the series after sweeping the LA Lakers in the 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals.

Game 1 of the NBA finals will this 1st of June in Denver.

Boston Celtics forces Games 7 on White’s buzzer-beater tip-in (104-103)

May 28, 2023

The Boston Celtics are on the verge of making NBA history as they force a “winner-take-all” Game 7 against the Miami Heat after losing the first 3 games of the series.

Miami Heat are just 3 seconds away from their second trip to the NBA finals in 4 years, after Jimmy Butler made all 3 of his free-throw, but Derrick White had other plans instead as he beat the buzzer with a putback to force a Game 7 in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference finals. Derrick White only scored 11 points on a 4 of 10, where 3 shots are from beyond the arc and his last and only field goal in the paint is the most important one. Jason Tatum once again lead the Boston Celtics, scoring 31 points with 12 rebs and 2 blocks. Jalen Brown has 26 points and Marcus Smart, whose shot is the one that White tipped-in, scored 21 points but -10 in the plus/minus department.

Despite the pressure that the team will face in Boston, Jimmy Butler is still confident that they will close the series in Boston. “We’ve got to go on the road and do something special.. “But we’ve got a special group.” Butler said in his postgame interview. Butler lead the Heat in scoring 24 points with 11 rebs and 8 assists, followed by Calen Martin’s 21 points, with 4 from the three-point line, and 15 rebs. Gabe Vincent, Bam Adebayo and Max Strus were also a big help in the game by scoring 15 pts, 11 pts and 10 points, respectively.

This was a game that Heat should have won, since Boston shot only 20% from beyond the arc, compare to the 46% from Miami. Game 7 will be in Boston, which could be a replay of last year’s East Conference Finals or we would be watching a totally different movie.

Boston Celtics routs Miami Heat to extend series to Game 6 (110 – 97)

May 27, 2023

In another shooting clinic, the Boston Celtics easily dispatch the Miami Heat at home to further extend the series to game 6 and putting more pressure to Jimmy Butler and company to close the series in Miami.

Four Boston players scored more than 20-pts with at least 1 three-points made. Derrick White lead the Celtics with 24-pts, making 6 of 8 three-points shot. Jason Tatum once again made sure that his teammates are in the game by dishing a team-high 11 assists, he also scored 21 pts and 8 rebs. Smart and Brown also chipped-in scoring 23 points and 21 points, respectively. As good as their offense, it was their defense that won the game for Boston. As a team the Boston Celtics made 13 steals, 37 rebounds and 4 blocks with just 9 turnover.

Jimmy Butler in his postgame interview said “We’re always going to stay positive, knowing that we can and we will win the series… We just have to close it out at home.” Butler scored 14 points with 5 rebs and 5 assist but was -24 in the plus/minus column. Miami’s leading scorer is Duncan Robinson with 18 points and 9 assists. Bam Adebayo added 16 points and eight rebounds but -15 in the plus/minus. Caleb Martin finished with 14 points, while Gabe Vincent sat out of the game due to an ankle injury.

Boston Celtics are two wins away in becoming the first NBA team to come back from a 0-3 deficit. Game 6 of Eastern Conference Finals will be at Miami this Saturday evening at the Kaseya Center.

Boston Celtics avoids sweeps as they defeat Miami Heat 116-99

May 24, 2023

The Boston Celtics lead by Jason Tatum to defeat the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

It was a close game in the first 3qtrs but the Celtics blew the game wide-open in the final quarte to gain a 17 points lead which made sure that they will return to Boston for another chance to extend the series.

Six Boston players have scored in double-digits lead by Tatum scoring 34 points making 4 three-points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists; Brown’s 17-points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and Derrick White with his 16-points, with 3 of 7 from the beyond the three-point line.

As a team the Miami Heat just shot 8 of 32 (25%) from the three-point line and just 18 assists, compare to Celtics’ 28 ast.

Miami’s leading scorer Jimmy Butler said “We’ve got to play like our backs are against the wall. But I think all year long, we’ve been better when we’ve had to do things the hard way.”

The series will now shift back to Boston where the Celtics will have another chance to extend the series.

Denver Nuggets sweeps the LA Lakers to advance to the 2023 NBA Finals

May 23, 2023

The Denver Nuggets will advance to the 2023 NBA Finals as they sweep the Los Angeles Lakers and overcome a 40-pts game by Lebron James.

The Lakers which lead most of the 1st half and lead as much as 15 points before the Denver Nuggest put the clamp down on the Lakers to limit them to only 19 points in the 3rd qtr while scoring 39 points to take over the game.

Lebron James who played all but 4.3 seconds of the game at the end of the first half. James was flirting with a triple-double 21 points in the first quarter, finishing with 40 points, 10 rebs and 9 assists. Lebron James had the change to put the game to OT but was stopped by Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray as he drive to the basket in the closing seconds of the game.

Anthony Davis also sensational with his 21 points, 14 rebs, 1 steal and 3 blocks but did not get any help from the rest of the team aside from the 17 points from Austin Reaves.

Lebron James had nothing but praises to the Nuggets.

“Me and AD were just talking in the locker room (and) we came to the consensus this is one of the best teams, if not the best team, we’ve played together for all four years…Just well-orchestrated, well put together. They have scoring. They have shooting. They have playmaking. They have smarts. They have length. They have depth. And one thing about their team, when you have a guy like Jokic, who as big as he is but also as cerebral as he is, you can’t really make many mistakes versus a guy like that.”

Here is Lebron James full postgame interview.

Nikola Jokic lead the Nuggets with his eighth triple-double of the playoffs; Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, include the 3 blocks and 1 steal he made on the defensive end. Jamal Murray scored 25 points and 5 assists, helping Jokic overcome James’ 31-point first half and a 15-point halftime deficit.

This will be Denver Nuggets’ first trip to the NBA finals and first time sweeping a playoff series. Unless Boston Celtics made a miracolous run to win the next 4 games of the Eastern Conference Finals, Denver will host Miami Heat to open the NBA Finals, starting June 1.

Heat routs Celtics to take 3 – 0 series lead in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals

May 22, 2023

Miami Heat are one win way to return to the NBA Finals. As team, Miami Heat demolished Boston Celtics with a barage of 3-points by making 19 of 35, a whopping 54.3% from beyond the arc, and 56.8% from the field.

The Heat have 6 players scoring in double-digits lead by Gabe Vincent scoring 29 points, on a 6 of 9 from the three-point line. Jimmy Butler, Miami’s best player, just scored 16 points with 8 rebounds and 6 assists but had a very big impact in the game. Second leading scorer of the game is Duncan Robinson made 5 of 7 three-points, scoring 22 points. Robinson became the leading 3-pointer of the Heat, with 825 three-pointers made in franchise history.

On the Boston side, the team had one of their worst shooting game with just 11 three-pointers made on 42 attempts and they shot 39.8% from the field. Jason Tatum, their leading scorer, only had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and no other player scored more than 12 points. In the postgame interview, Boston Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla admitted that the loss was on him for his failure to prepare the team for their biggest game of the season.

Mazzulla said “I just didn’t have them ready to play.. I have to get them in a better place to be ready to play, and that’s on me.” You can watch the full video of his postgame interview below;

Just like the Lakers, Celtics are in a similar position, down 0 – 3 and if they want to extend the series, Game 4 in Miami is a must win for them this Tuesday evening.

Denver Nuggets takes 3-0 lead over the LA Lakers in the WCF

May 21, 2023

Denver Nuggets are 1-win away for their first NBA Finals appearance after defeating the LA Laker in the game 3 of the Western Conference finals. This is the first home lost of the Lakers in the post-season. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA playoff history but Lebron James remain optimistic in his postgame interview.

For second straight games, Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 37 points, 7 rebs and 6 assists, followed Nikola Jokic scoring 24 points with 8 assists but was plague by foul trouble in the game. the Nuggets due received a lot of help from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who finished with 17 points, scoring 12 points in the second half, while Michael Porter Jr. chipped-in 14 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high of 6 assists.

Anthony Davis scored 28 points and 18 rebounds for the Lakers but was -12 in the plus/minus column, while James made 23 points with 12 assists and Austin Reaves added 23 points and 7 rebounds but they could not counter Nuggets balanced offence in the clutch. Five Nuggets players are in double figures which includes Bruce Brown’s 15 pts with 5 rebounds and 5 assists; Michael Porter Jr. with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

Game 4 will still be in LA which is a must for Lakers so they can extend the series to Game 5.

Denver Nuggets defeats LA Lakers to take 2 – 0 lead in the Western Conference Finals

May 19, 2023

Denver Nuggets just took a 2 – 0 lead over the Lakers after defeating the LA Lakers in game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Nuggets got the win behind Jamal Murray’s explosion by scoring 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter. Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic was not as impactful in game 2 as he is in the opener even though he just registered another triple-double, scoring 23 points with 17 rebounds and dished 12 assists, his 7th triple-double in the post season and 4th straight.

The Lakers are not panicking even though they’re down 0 – 2, and James even said this in his postgame interview – “This is not the NCAA Tournament. It’s the first team to four wins.”

In the game, Lebron James was flirting with triple-double, scoring 22 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds, he was also 0 – 6 from beyond in the three-point line in the game and just 1 – 19 in the fourth quarter this postseason. Collectively, James and Reaves both scored 22 for Los Angeles, while Anthony Davis scored just 18 points after scoring 40 pts in game 1.

Game 3 of the WCF will be this Saturday at the crypto.com Arena, where the Lakers are still undefeated this post season.

Here’s the complete 2023 NBA Draft Results

May 17, 2023

The 2023 NBA Draft just concluded with San Antonio Spurs emerging as the winner to draft Frenchman Victor Wembanyama in the coming 2023 NBA Draft this 22nd of June 2023 in Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York.

Below are the results from NBA Draft Lottery 2023;

First Round: Picks 1-30

  1. San Antonio
  2. Charlotte
  3. Portland
  4. Houston
  5. Detroit
  6. Orlando
  7. Indiana
  8. Washington
  9. Utah
  10. Dallas
  11. Orlando (from Chicago)
  12. Oklahoma City
  13. Toronto
  14. New Orleans
  15. Atlanta
  16. Utah (from Minnesota)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers
  18. Miami
  19. Golden State
  20. Houston (from LA Clippers)
  21. Brooklyn (from Phoenix)
  22. Brooklyn
  23. Portland (from New York)
  24. Sacramento
  25. Memphis
  26. Indiana (from Cleveland)
  27. Charlotte (from Denver via New York and Oklahoma City)
  28. Utah (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn)
  29. Indiana (from Boston)
  30. LA Clippers (from Milwaukee via Houston)

Second Round: Picks 31-58

  1. Detroit
  2. Indiana (from Houston)
  3. San Antonio
  4. Charlotte (from Charlotte via Philadelphia and Atlanta)
  5. Boston (from Portland via Atlanta, LA Clippers, Detroit, and Cleveland)
  6. Orlando
  7. Oklahoma City (from Washington via New Orleans)
  8. Sacramento (from Indiana)
  9. Charlotte (from Utah via New York)
  10. Denver (from Dallas via Oklahoma City)
  11. Charlotte (from Oklahoma City via New York and Boston)
  12. Washington (from Chicago via Los Angeles Lakers and Washington)
  13. Portland (from Atlanta)
  14. San Antonio (from Toronto)
  15. Memphis (from Minnesota)
  16. Atlanta (from New Orleans)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers
  18. LA Clippers
  19. Cleveland (from Golden State via Utah and New Orleans)
  20. Oklahoma City (from Miami via Boston, Memphis, and Dallas)
  21. Brooklyn
  22. Phoenix
  23. Minnesota (from New York via Charlotte)
  24. Sacramento
  25. Indiana (from Cleveland via Milwaukee and Detroit)
  26. Memphis

    27. — Chicago (from Denver via Cleveland; forfeited by Chicago)
    — Philadelphia (forfeited)

  27. Washington (from Boston via Charlotte)
  28. Milwaukee

Winning the #1 overall pick doesn’t assure that a franchise will be able to pick the best player in the class but it does help in knowing that a team can pick the player that they want.

Lakers takes series lead 3 – 1, behind 4th Qtr Career Game from Lonnie Walker IV

May 9, 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers are in full control of the series putting the Golden State Warriors on the brink of elimination and spoiling Curry’s triple-double, this is his third career in the postseason.

It was a close game even in the closing minutes and despite a monster game from Anthony Davis and Lebron James, the LA Lakers needed a career 4th qtr game from Lonnie Walker IV, who took control of the 4th qtr. The Warriors did not have any answer to Walker’s drives and jumpers, he even made a 3-pts at one point in the 4th. Walker scored all his 15 points in the 4th quarter, he also made grabbed 3 rebs and dished 2 assists.

Anthony Davis contributed scored 23 pts, 15 rebs and 3 steals. Lebron chipped in 27 points, 9 rebs and 6 assists but was -8 in the plus/minus column. James did made 2 crucial free throws that gave the Lakers a 3 point lead with just 1 mins 19 seconds remaining in the game.

On the Golden State side, it was just Curry against the whole Lakers roster, after scoring 31 pts, 10 rebs and 14 assists, and the second leading scorer for the Warriors is Andrew Wiggins who scored 17 points but was limited to just 4 rebs and 2 for 6 from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson, the hero of game 2, is also a non-factor in the game and only scored 9 points with 5 rebs even though he played for the 41 minutes.

With this win the Lakers will just need to win 1 game in order to advance to the Conference Finals while the Warriors needs to defeat the Lakers 3 games in a row and the series in game 7.

Game 5 will be this Wednesday night at the Chase Center, San Francisco.

Complete picture of the 2nd Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs

May 1, 2023

Now that the Warriors will advance to the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs we now have a complete pictures of the 2nd Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. A number of games have already been played and here’s a roundup as of this date.

Western Conference

  • Los Angeles Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers dispatched the Grizzlies in 6 games and have been waiting for winner of the the Warriors-Kings series.
  • Denver Nuggets versus the Phoenix Suns. Nuggets already won game 1 in a convincing win against the Suns. It was Jamal Murray who carried the load for the Nuggets scoring 34 pts and 9 assists. MVP candidate Nikola Jovic contributed 24 points, 19 rebs and 5 assists.

    Game 2 will on Monday, at the Ball Arena, in Denver.

Eastern Conference

  • Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers. Game 1 will this Tuesday at the TD Garden. Joel Embiid is doubtful for game 1 against the Celtics 76ers.
  • Miami Heat versus New York Knicks. Miami Heat already took game 1 even though Jimmy Butler is nursing an ankle injury. Jimmy Butler lead the Heat with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

    Game 2 will be this Tuesday, at the Madison Square Garden, New York.

Golden State Warriors wins epic Game 7 against Sacramento Kings (120 – 100)

May 1, 2023

It was a game for the record books, as Golden State Warriors routs the Sacramento Kings in the Game 7 of the 1st round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

It was a close game early in the 3rd quarter until Steph Curry single-handedly carry the Warriors’ offensive load. Curry score a team-high of 50 points on a 52.6% shooting, this is the most scored in a Game 7 in NBA history. Steph is the first player in Warriors history to score 40-plus points in a Game 7. Curry also dished-out 6 assists and 8 rebounds.

Aside from Curry, Kevon Looney continued to be a force on boards as he grabbed a total 21 rebounds, 11 on the offensive end, with his 11 points and 4 assists. Looney’s rebounding helped the Warriors control the pace of the game.

Steph and the Warriors will now face the Lebron and Lakers in the 2nd round, Lakers dispatched the Grizzlies in just 6 games. Game 1 of the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs will this Tuesday at San Francisco’s Chase Center.

Game Highlights

Lakers routs Grizzlies, advances to the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs (125 – 85)

April 30, 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers will advance to the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs after dismantling a resilient Memphis Grizzlies. It was a block party for the Lakers with a team total of 15 blocks against Grizzlies’ 2 blocks.

Lakers leading scorer for the game is D’Angelo Russell scored a career playoff-high 31 points with five 3-pts made. LeBron James made 22 points and 6 assists, while Anthony Davis chipped in 16 points, 14 rebs with 5 blocks.

As for the Grizzlies, their top scorer for the game is the seldom used Santi Aldama scoring 16 points with two 3-points made. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane scored a combined 25 points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. had 14 on a 25% shooting.

Lakers will face in the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Playoff the winner of the Game 7 between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.


Celtics defeats Hawks moves on to the 2nd Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs

April 28, 2023

The 1st round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs ended with a convincing victory for the Boston Celtics over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6.

The Celtics dominated the 2nd of the game after a close 1st half, leading by as much as 8 points with a little more than 2-mins in the game. The Hawks are lead by Trae Young who had 30 points and 10 assists but missed 12 of 13 shots over the final two quarters.

Dejounte Murray returned to the Hawks lineup after receiving a one-game suspension for bumping an official at the end of Atlanta’s Game 4 loss, only scored 14 pts, 11 assists and 7 rebs but was a -13 in the plus/minus column.

The Hawks tried to mount a comeback to force a game 7, but the Celtics were prepared to take on any run by Hawks.

Former-Hawks Horford hit a huge 3-pointer to keep the Atlanta at bay. Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum led the Celtics, contributing 32 and 30 points, respectively. Al Horford chipped 10 points, 12 rebounds two steals and three blocks.

The Celtics won 128 – 120 and advanced to the second round, where they will face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers this Monday night at the TD Garden.

Atlanta Hawks upsets Miami Heat to secure East 7th seed

April 12, 2023

The Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks faced off in a thrilling play-in game on Tuesday night, with a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs on the line. The Hawks, led by their new coach Quin Snyder, who took over the team last February, showed their resilience and determination as they defeated the Miami Heat to secure a 116-105 victory.

The Heat, who were the defending conference champions, struggled to contain the Hawks’ dynamic duo of Trae Young and Clint Capela. Young, who averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists per game in the regular season, scored 25 points and dished out 7 assists in the win. Capela, who is top 7 in rebounding with 11.0 per game, dominated the paint with 21 rebounds, two blocks and 4 points.

The Hawks also got contributions from their supporting cast, as Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 14 points, John Collins added 10 points and four rebounds, and Dejounte Murray chipped in with 18 points, 6 assists and five rebounds. The Hawks shot 46% from the field and 24.4% from three-point range, while holding the Heat to 42.9% and 32.4%, respectively.

The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler, who had 21 points, four rebounds and 9 assists. Bam Adebayo contributed with 12 points and 9 rebounds, while Tyler Herro scored 26 points and two steals. The Heat were missing Victor Oladipo, who only played for just 9 mins and made just one assist.

The Hawks will now face the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, starting on Saturday. The Heat will face the loser between the Toronto and Chicago game this Thursday.

Lakers beats Timberwolves (102 – 108) in OT to take West 7th Seed

April 12, 2023

Lakers survives Timberwolves in a thrilling Play-in tournament that went overtime. The win will give the Lakers the 7th seed in the Western conference. To keep their hopes alive to be the NBA Champions, LA Lakers will face the Memphis Grizzlies, who are the 2nd seed in the West in the 1st round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Min. Timberwolves are without Rudy Gobert who was suspended for punching teammate Kyle Anderson during Minnesota’s regular-season finale against the NO Pelicans, while Jaden McDaniels is out indefinitely with a broken hand after punching a wall during the same gamae against the Pelicans.

On the Lakers win at NBA.Com – LAKERS OUTLAST WOLVES 108-102 IN OT, ADVANCE TO FACE MEMPHIS.

2023 NBA Playoffs and Play-In Schedule

April 11, 2023

Now that all the seeding are complete, we now have a clear view on what the 2023 NBA Playoffs and Play-In will be. Unlike the Eastern Conference, we did not get the final picture of the Western conference until the very last game is done.

Below is the full schedule of this year’s 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament;
Tuesday, April 11

  • Game 1 — Atlanta @ Miami | 7:30 ET (TNT)
  • Game 2 — Minnesota @ LA Lakers | 10 ET (TNT)

Wednesday, April 12

  • Game 3 — Chicago @ Toronto | 7 ET (ESPN)
  • Game 4 — Oklahoma City @ New Orleans | 9:30 ET (ESPN)

Friday, April 14

  • Game 5 — Winner of Game 3 @ Loser of Game 1 (TNT)
  • Game 6 — Winner of Game 4 @ Loser of Game 2 (ESPN)

The winner for Game 1 will be the East 7th Seed and will face Boston Celtics, at the same time, the winner of Game 2 will be West 7th seed and will play against the Memphis Grizzlies. Winner of Game 3 and Game 4 will still need to win against the loser of Game 1 and Game 2, this will decide who will be the 8th seed for East and West, respectively, the East 8th seed will face Milwaukee Bucks, while the West 8th seed with be against the Denver Nuggets.

As for the actual 2023 NBA Playoffs, below is the First Round Schedule for Game 1s

Saturday, April 15

  • Brooklyn @ Philadelphia | 1 ET (ESPN)
  • East #7 @ Boston | 3:30 ET (ESPN)
  • New York @ Cleveland | 6 ET (ESPN)
  • Golden State @ Sacramento | 8:30 (ABC)

Sunday, April 16

  • East #8 @ Milwaukee | TBD
  • West # 8 @ Denver | TBD
  • West #7 @ Memphis | TBD
  • LA Clippers @ Phoenix | TBD

Here are the key dates for the 2023 NBA Playoffs;

  • April 11-14: AT&T Play-In Tournament
  • April 15: NBA playoffs begin
  • May 1-2: NBA Conference Semifinals begin (possible move-up to April 29-30)
  • May 16-17: NBA Conference Finals begin (possible move-up to May 14-15)

2023 NBA Finals

  • June 1: NBA Finals 2023 Game 1
  • June 4: NBA Finals 2023 Game 2
  • June 7: NBA Finals 2023 Game 3
  • June 9: NBA Finals 2023 Game 4
  • June 12: NBA Finals 2023 Game 5 (if necessary)
  • June 15: NBA Finals 2023 Game 6 (if necessary)
  • June 18: NBA Finals 2023 Game 7 (if necessary)

Source: NBA 1, 2

NBA announces the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023

April 3, 2023

NBA just named the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of (HoF) 2023, lead by Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade and Spurs head Coach Gregg Popovich.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will have three of the NBA’s all-time international greats; Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, joining them are Dwyane Wade, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich. Also include in the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 are; former North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano, the 1976 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, former Purdue coach Gene Keady, former Texas A&M women’s coach Gary Blair, longtime coach at Division III Amherst David Hixon, and Gene Bess – who won 1,300 games as a junior college coach at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Most if not all of the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 are interconnected together; Tony Parker, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich all worked together for the San Antonio Spurts; Parker as a Player, while Becky Hammon is the assistant coach for Spurs Head coach Gregg Popovich. Under Head Coach Popovich, Tony Parker won four (4) the NBA Championship (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), it was in 2014 when Becky Hammon joined the Spurs as an assistant coach.

Also in 2014, where the Spurs faced and won against Dwyane Wade’ Miami Heat in just 5 games. Dwyane Wade won his first championship while with the Miami Heat against Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in 2006, coincidentally Dirk Nowitzki became an NBA champion against Miami Heat’s big three; Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Lebron James in 2011.

Paul Gasol, Spain’s longtime star won all two of his NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers playing alongside Kobe Bryant.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will receive their HoF jackets and rings on Aug. 11 in Uncasville, Connecticut, then the ceremony and their speeches will be on Aug. 12 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Source: NBA

Golden State Warriors defeat Pelicans to avoid play-in tournament (109 – 120)

March 29, 2023

In a Western Conference were every game is important, the Golden State Warrior just got another win to climbed up to the 6th place and out of the play-in tournament. They defeated the New Orleans Pelican (109 – 120) by rallying from 20-down.

It was a close game in the first quarter where both teams are just exchanging baskets, then in the 2nd qtr, the Pelicans were able to build a 20-point lead by the end of the 1st half (63-43). Five Pelican players have 2-digits points led by Brandon Ingram with 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, then Trey Murphy III who scored 21 points and CJ McCollum contributed 15 points. The lost snapped NO Pelicans five-game winning streak.

Warriors started their comeback in the 3rd qtr, scoring 29 points and holding the Pelicans to just 26 points. At the start of the 4th qtr, GSW where only down by 4-points (89-85) and the momentum was on their side as they overtake the Pelicans midway through the 4th qtr. At the last 2-min mark of the game, the Warriors was able to built a 12 point lead securing the win. The Golden State comeback was lead by Steph Curry who was flirting with a triple-double; 39 points with eight 3-pointers, 8 rebounds and 8assists, followed by Jordan Poole contributing 21 points, Klay Thompson scored 17, hitting five three-pointers. Draymond Green only scored 8 points but was a big factor in their comeback by dishing 13 assists, 6 reb and 2 steals in 33-minutes.

The win will help Golden State Warrior avoid being in the play-in tournament, which is a very dangerous position to be in.

The New Orleans Pelicans will visit Denver on Thursday night, while the Golden State Warriors will host the Spurs on Friday night, which is one of the remaining home game.

Michael Jordan’s Six NBA Championship Shoes are now on sale at Sotheby’s

March 8, 2023

Michael Jordan’s Six NBA Championship Shoes or popularly known as the “Dynasty Collection” are now on sale by Sotheby’s. The Dynasty Collection is composed of the six individual shoes worn and autographed by Michael Jordan on the night the Chicago Bulls captured each of the franchise’s six championships.

MJ’s six championship shoes consists of an “Infrared” Air Jordan 6 (1991), a “Charcoal” Air Jordan 7 (1992), a “Playoffs” Air Jordan 8 (1993), a “Bred” Air Jordan 11 (1996), a “Playoffs” Air Jordan 12 (1997) and a “Last Shot” Air Jordan 14 (1998). Truly the rarest collection of Air Jordans ever.

According to Mark Salzberg, chairman of the Certified Collectibles Group, the rarest collection of Air Jordans ever and “contemporary Ruby red slippers, only rarer.”

Sotheby’s is offering the Dynasty Collection via private sale and not in an auction, which means anyone could purchase the collection at any time upon the agreement between the seller and buyer. It is projected that figures could reach into the hundreds of millions.

You can read more about the “Dynasty Collection” in an article by Sotheby’s – The Dynasty Collection: The Complete Set of Michael Jordan’s ‘Air Jordan’ Six Championship Sneakers.

Source: Andscape

Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant in hot waters after flashing a gun in one of his IG live

March 5, 2023

Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant is in hot waters after flashing a gun on in one of his Instagram Live Video. In an article by ClutchPoints, Morant posted an IG live early Saturday morning, he and his friends appeared to be in a nightclub when he flashed on what appeared to be a gun. The video have been taken down and social media accounts of Ja Morant are now inaccessible to the public.

Morant through his agent Jim Tanner released a statement; “I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down,” it read. “I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”

NBA is also investigating the incident and released the following statement via NBA spokesman Mike Bass.

Morant’s team also released their own statement stating that Morant will miss two games; Sunday against the LA Clippers and/or Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers;

The IG video is just one of the current issue that Ja Morant is facing, including the Washington Post report detailing Morant’s involvement in punching and threatening a teenager. The other incident was a confrontation with a mall security guard in a parking lot, as well as the red laser pointer incident with members of the Pacers last February 5.

Golden State Warriors rally from 23-down to beat the Portland Trail Blazers

March 1, 2023

Golden State Warriors just won on what could be a start of a run by beating the Portland Trail Blazers, after being down by 23 points in the first half. Led by Jordan Poole’s 29 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Klay Thompson’s 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assist and a steal. The Warriors also survived a hot-start by Lillard, contributing 25 points and seven assists, after scoring a franchise record of 71 points in the previous game against the Rockets.

Warriors made their comeback in the 3rd quarter after holding the Blazers to just 17 points in the quarter and at the same time making 39-points. Their 3rd quarter run was energized by Jonathan Kuminga’s high-flying one-handed dunk from the middle lane.

Draymond Green returned from a two-game absence with a bruised right knee, Andrew Wiggins still out due to family issued, while Steph Curry is expected to return this Thursday, against the Clippers after working out with Santa Cruz Warriors in G League.

Six Warriors players scored in the double-digits and the team are 40% from the three-point line. Steve Keer said during the post game press conference “It just feels like we’re coming together. Like there’s some chemistry. Some energy that’s forming,” which is a good sign, since the team have bene struggling the whole season.

Warriors will host the Clippers on Thursday night, while the Blazers will face New Orleans this Wednesday evening to complete their road-home back-to-back.