Phoenix Suns defended their home-court by winning game two of the Western Conference Finals with the help of Deandre Ayton’s lob dunk with 0.9 secs left on the game clock. Prior to Ayton’s game winning dunk, Paul George missed two crucial free throws that could have given the Clippers a 3-point lead.
Here’s a clip of Ayton’s winning dunk in every angle via @NBA;
The series will now moves to Staple Center where the LA Clippers in a must win game 3.
Both the Phoenix Suns are the LA Clippers are without their superstars; Chris Paul is currently in NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocol, while Kawhi Leonard is out with right knee sprain.
Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are now officially basketball legends, since they are now officially, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Kobe Bryant – The Black Mamba
The 13th pick of the the Lakers in the first round of the 1996 NBA draft, Kobe Bryant stayed with the Lakers for 20 years. He is 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 and 5-time NBA Champion. He holds the second most points scored in a single game in league history, when he scored 81-points in a 122–104 victory against the Toronto Raptors.
Kobe died in a helicopter accident last January 26, 2020. Vanessa and Natalia Bryant receive Kobe Bryant’s official Hall of Fame Class Jacket and Ring.
Better known as the “Big Fundamental”, Tim Duncan was selected by San Antonio with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft. Tim Duncan played all his 19 years as a Spurs, winning 5 NBA championship, a two-time NBA MVP, a three-time NBA Finals MVP, 15-time NBA All-Star, and the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Tim Duncan is the only player to be selected to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams for 13 consecutive seasons. He is regarded as the greatest power forward of all time to ever played the game of Basketball.
Drafted fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Garnett was given the nickname “the Big Ticket” for his intensity, emphatic dunking and athleticism. He is one of 3 NBA players to win the Most Valuable Player, the Defensive Player of the Year awards and All-Star Game MVP.
He played with the Minnesota Timberwolves for 12 years then joined the Boston Celtics in a trade, there he teamed-up with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, to win the 2008 NBA champion.
In a game that was considered as an NBA Finals preview, the Los Angeles Lakers, even without Lebron James and Anthony Davis, showed the Nets that they’re still the league’s defending champs by outscoring the Nets in the 1st, 3rd and 4th qtr by an average of 10 pts.
Laker’s buyout acquisition Andre Drummond contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Dennis Schroder chipped-in 19 points before being ejected with Kyrie Irving in the third quarter.
The Los Angeles Lakers lead most of the games and was never really threaten by the Nets, even though getting 22 pts from Kevin Durant and 18 pts from Irving. The Nets are without their leading scorer James Harden who is recovering from a hamstring injury.
Aside from Lebron and Davis, LA Lakers are also playing without Kyle Kuzma (left calf strain), Marc Gasol (left hamstring tightness) and Wesley Matthews (right Achilles tendon tightness).
The Lakers will visit New York Knicks while the Nets will go Minnesota on Monday.
Nike has officially unveil Kevin Durant’s latest signature shoes, the KD14. In their official announcement, Nike reintroduces the strap to the KD14, which was first used in KD7.
“It’s been a while since we incorporated the strap, which excites me,” says Durant. “My other favorite part about the shoe is the cushioning, which helps me feel low to the ground and still helps give me some of that energy back.”
The strap itself is a familiar sight, but the build is rich with Nike heritage. The design of the simplified one-piece midfoot strap, especially on the medial side, was inspired by the Nike Air Presto. The thin, elongated Swoosh is a nod to the original Bruin model. The engineered mesh upper means that graphics can be uniquely layered for detailed colorway options, covering topics like art, music and more.
The KD14 became available globally on April 10, 2021 and it will be available in Black/White colorway with an estimated price of $150 (around Php 7,500.00). The KD14 Cyber colorway will be available this April 11 in Greater China only.
Durant wore the KD14 during the Nets – Lakers game last Saturday.
Warner Bros. just release the first official trailer of Space Jam: A New Legacy, which features NBA Star Lebron James with his Looney toon pals; Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Tasmanian Devil, Tweety Bird, the Road Runner, Speedy Gonzales and many more.
Here’s the premise of the film as written in the description of the video;
Welcome to the Jam! NBA champion and global icon LeBron James goes on an epic adventure alongside timeless Tune Bugs Bunny with the animated/live-action event “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” from director Malcolm D. Lee and an innovative filmmaking team including Ryan Coogler and Maverick Carter. This transformational journey is a manic mashup of two worlds that reveals just how far some parents will go to connect with their kids. When LeBron and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before. It’s Tunes versus Goons in the highest-stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready-for-action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique talents and surprise even “King” James by playing the game their own way.
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Space Jam: A New Legacy features LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Zendaya and Sonequa Martin-Green. The film is scheduled to be in theaters and on HBO Max this July 16th.
It looks like wait is over as Giannis Antetokounmpo signs the five-year supermax extension that the Milwaukee Bucks offered the two-time MVP.
This is my home, this is my city.. I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years. Let’s make these years count. The show goes on, let’s get it. 🤎🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/895tCBE9RK
Antetokounmpo sign the extension a week before the Dec. 21 deadline and basically removing this name off the free agents market next summer. The five-year, $228.2 million extension Antetoknoumpo signed will make him the highest-paid player in NBA history.
Five biggest contracts in NBA history
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (2020) $228.2M 2. Russell Westbrook (2017) $206.8M 3. Steph Curry (2017) $201.2M 4. Klay Thompson (2019) $189.9M 5. Anthony Davis (2020) $189.9M
We may still Giannis Antetokounmpo in another uniform, since he will just be 31 years old by the time the 5-year extension ends and still in his prime.
Barangay Ginebra “Gin” Kings are one win away for taking home the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup “All-Filipino” Championship.
The Gin King withstand a late run by the TNT Tropang Giga, that saw their 17-pts lead cut down to just 3 with less than 5 mins left in the game. Veteran point guard LA Tenorio helped in weathering the TNT run by answering RR Pogoy three consecutive triples, with a back-to-back triples and a one-handed baseline floater to seal the game away at 98-88.
TNT Tropang Giga are playing without two of their key players because of injuriy, Bobby Ray Parks who have been sidelined since playing game 1 and Jayson Castro, who only played the first 3 quarters of Game 4, but was not able to return in the 4th quarter for aggravating a knee injury.
This latest win gives Ginebra Gin Kings a commanding 3-1 series lead with a chance to close out the championship series on Wednesday, December 9, at the AUF Sports Center and capture its first All-Filipino crown in 13 years.
NBA just release the first half schedule of the NBA season 2020-2021 for all 30 teams. The first half the season will start on December 22, 2020 and will end on March 4, 2021.
Second half will be March 11, 2021 to May 16, 2021 but because of the threat of COVID-19, the second half schedule of the NBA season could still chance, this is to give way for any games that will be cancelled and reschedled from the first half of the season.
NBA just concluded their 2020 Draft and if you missed the draft earlier here’s the complete of all the Draft picks from the 2020 NBA Draft, including proposed and official trades.
Check out the complete draft board from the 2020 #NBADraft!
Trail Blazers draft Isaiah Stewart >> reportedly traded to the Pistons, after first being dealt to the Rockets
Timberwolves draft Aleksej Pokusevski >> reportedly traded to the Thunder
Mavericks draft Josh Green
Nets draft Saddiq Bey >> reportedly traded to the Pistons, after first being dealt to the Clippers
Heat draft Precious Achiuwa
76ers draft Tyrese Maxey
Nuggets draft Zeke Nnaji
Knicks draft Leandro Bolmaro >> reportedly traded to the Timberwolves
Bucks draft RJ Hampton >> reportedly traded to the Nuggets, after first being dealt to the Pelicans
Thunder draft Immanuel Quickley >> reportedly traded to the Knicks, after first being dealt to the Timberwolves
Celtics draft Payton Pritchard
Jazz draft Udoka Azubuike
Lakers draft Jaden McDaniels >> reportedly traded to the Timberwolves, after first being dealt to the Thunder
Raptors draft Malachi Flynn
Celtics draft Desmond Bane >> reportedly traded to the Grizzlies
Second Round
Mavericks draft Tyrell Terry
Hornets draft Vernon Carey
Timberwolves draft Daniel Oturu >> reportedly traded to the Clippers, after first being dealt to the Knicks
76ers draft Theo Maledon >> reportedly traded to the Thunder
Kings draft Xavier Tillman Sr >> reportedly traded to the Grizzlies
76ers draft Tyler Bey >> officially traded to the Mavericks
Wizards draft Vit Krejci >> reportedly traded to the Thunder
Jazz draft Saben Lee >> reportedly traded to the Pistons
Pelicans draft Elijah Hughes >> reportedly traded to the Jazz
Grizzlies draft Robert Woodard >> reportedly traded to the Kings
Spurs draft Tre Jones
Pelicans draft Nick Richards >> officially traded to the Hornets
Kings draft Jahmi’us Ramsey
Bulls draft Marko Simonovic
Bucks draft Jordan Nwora
Trail Blazers draft CJ Elleby
Celtics draft Yam Madar
Warriors draft Nico Mannion
76ers draft Isaiah Joe
Hawks draft Skylar Mays
Warriors draft Justinian Jessup
Kings draft Kenyon Martin Jr >> reportedly traded to the Rockets
Thunder draft Cassius Winston >> reportedly traded to the Wizards
Pacers draft Cassius Stanley
Nets draft Jay Scrubb >> reportedly traded to the Clippers
Hornets draft Grant Riller
Clippers draft Reggie Perry >> reportedly traded to the Nets
76ers draft Paul Reed
Raptors draft Jalen Harris
Pelicans draft Sam Merrill >> reportedly traded to the Bucks
All players drafted in the first round are assured of at least $1 million in rookie salary and the higher the pick the higher the salary. According to RealGM, the number 1 pick for the 2020-2021 NBA Rookies can earn as much as $8 million in their first year and $9 million in the last year of the contract.
For those who are drafted in the second round, they can earn no less than the league minimum salary (over $560,000) if they sign with a team.
Players who are not drafted can try out to any team and sign as an undrafted (unrestricted) free agent, or join the NBA D-League to keep their NBA hopes alive.
After receiving the new protocols by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), PBA announce that games will resume Philippine Cup on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Teams can resume practices tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 1, and will release a revised schedule of games.
Here are the recommendations from the IATF:
Completion of 10-day isolation of Blackwater player from the date of swabbing before resuming the games.
Completion of 14-day quarantine and testing before entering the bubble for all those who will test positive moving forward; and
The appointment of an independent marshall, who shall oversee and ensure compliance with health and safety protocols, as recommended by the DILG.
The league will also have a separate temporary quarantine facility within the Clark Freeport Zone, as an additional safety measure and in coordination with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC).
Please standby for the revised schedule of games starting Nov. 3. Ty.
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat forces a game 6 by winning a very close game against the LA Lakers (111 – 108).
Jimmy Butler, who played all 47mins of the game is best player of the night, filling up the stat sheet with another triple-double, with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, He out-duel Lebron James in what can be considered a classic game between future Hall of Famers.
“I left it all out there on the floor.” – @JimmyButler
Butler had a lot of help from the other Miami Heat players; Duncan Robinson contributing 26 points, Kendrick Nunn chipping in 14 points, Bam Adebayo had 13 points, Tyler Herro had 12 and Jae Crowder 11. The seventh player, Andre Iguodala, didn’t score but was a big defensive contributor in the game.
🏆🏀 GAME 5 FINAL SCORE 🏀🏆
Jimmy Butler's 35 PTS, 12 REB, 11 AST help the @MiamiHEAT win Game 5 and send the #NBAFinals to a Game 6 on Sunday at 7:30pm/et on ABC! (LAL leads 3-2)
The LA Laker got another big game from James with 40 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists but without Anthony Davis, who is already playing through a bruised heel and was limping down the stretch.
Game 6 will be Sunday night (4:00 AM, Monday, Riyadh time).
The LA Lakers are one win away to bring the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy back to Los Angeles and the franchise’s 17th championship.
Game 4 was a tight game until Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a corner three then a block by Anthony Davis on a Jimmy Butler drive. Davis later sealed the game with a 3-pointer with 39.5 seconds left in the game.
⚡️ Recap Game 4 of the #NBAFinals presented by YouTube TV ⚡️ @Lakers take a 3-1 series lead behind LeBron James' 28 PTS, 12 REB, 8 AST in the win… watch Game 5 Friday at 9:00 PM ET on ABC!https://t.co/yrgdPTFkS5
Lakers take a commanding 3-1 lead in NBA Finals, the only team to come back from a 1-3 deficit in NBA Finals history, are the 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers, led by Lebron James, who is in a Laker uniform.
Doc Rivers will step down as coach of the LA Clippers, after the team’s second round exit against the Denver Nuggets.
The team announced that the split is a “mutual decision” between Chairman Steve Ballmer and Doc Rivers. “Doc has been a terrific coach for the Clippers, an incredible ambassador, and a pillar of strength during tumultuous times,” Ballmer said. “He won a heck of a lot of games and laid a foundation for this franchise.”
Considered as on of the most successful coach in the NBA, at 58, he is the most successful head coach in Clippers history, compiling a record of 356-208 over seven seasons. It’s unclear what’s next for Doc Rivers but is been reported that he received calls for 76ers and Pelicans for a Head Coach position. Doc Rivers have two years left on his contract.
You can the full text of LA Clippers announcement here.
It was reported 7 days ago that the HoF will be taking the HC position of the Brooklyn Nets, which is considered to be a contender for the 2021 NBA Season, headed by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
It’s official, Kai Sotto signs with new G League team. He will join fellow high school recruits Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix on the new team, the team new will not connected to any NBA club or any existing G League franchise.
In a report by Spin Philippines, Kai Sotto and fellow recruits will receive $125,000 salary for the five-month season, as well as “year-long opportunities for on and off-the-court professional development.”
Kai Sotto also made the announcement on his official @kzsottolive twitter account.
More than the monetary compensation, being in the new G League team will give Kai Sotto the training and exposure that will ultimately make him the first Filipino born NBA Player.
Filipino basketball phenom Kai Sotto, will be skipping college and join the the G League, NBA’s official minor league basketball organization. He will join other NBA Prospect such as Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd & Daishen Nix to go the G League route in order to make it to NBA.
Kai Sotto, who’s celebrating his birthday today, Monday, May 11 – will be the first international prospect to sign with the G League professional pathway program, as reported by Shams Charania from The Athletic.
The NBA just announce that they’ve suspend the season after a Utah Jazz Player tested positive for corona virus or COVID-19. The announcement did not include the name of the player but in an ESPN reports, that player is Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.
The suspension for all games moving forward will be in effect until further notice.
TnT Katropa has acquired center Poy Erram in a three-team trade involving NLEX and Blackwater.
The 6-9 slotman was acquired by the KaTropa from the Blackwater Elite, who reacquired Erram from NLEX in exchange for Anthony Semerad and Rabeh Al Hussaini.
In addition, the Road Warriors also acquired the rights to Blackwater’s 2020 first round pick and 2021 second round draft pick.
Blackwater eventually dealt Erram to the Katropa for Marion Magat, Ed Daquioag, Yousef Taha and TNT’s 2021 and 2022 first round picks.
I feel that the TNT is the clear winner in this deal and they become a clear contender in the coming All Filipino conference.
Kobe Bryant’s widow sued the owner of the helicopter that crashed in fog and killed the former Los Angeles Lakers star and their 13-year-old daughter last month as she publicly mourned their deaths Monday in an emotional public ceremony.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Vanessa Bryant in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday said the pilot was careless and negligent by flying in cloudy conditions Jan. 26 and should have aborted the flight that killed all nine people aboard.
GILAS Pilipinas completed a perfect run to the men’s basketball 3×3 gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games by demolishing Indonesia, 21-9, in the one-game final on Monday at The Arena in San Juan City.
Here’s the buzzer beater by Mo Tautuaa to seal the win;
Barangay Ginebra tries to gather some more momentum going into the playoffs while Columbian Dyip fights for survival as they face off in the penultimate play date of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup eliminations at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday.
Free agent center DeMarcus Cousins has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, and sources say the team is bringing back PG Rajon Rondo on a two-year deal.
Restricted free-agent center Ivica Zubac has agreed to a four-year, $28 million deal to stay with the LA Clippers, Excel Sports agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman told ESPN.
Zubac returns to transformed Clippers roster that will include the arrival of All-NBA stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
The Los Angeles Clippers pulled off two major acquisitions late Friday night, as ESPN and The Athletic reported that free agent forward Kawhi Leonard will sign with the team, which also acquired forward Paul George in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that Leonard received a four-year, $142 million maximum contract.
In order to acquire George, the Clippers will send guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and forward Danilo Gallinari to Oklahoma City. The Thunder also will receive four unprotected first-round draft picks, one protected first-round pick and two draft-pick swaps, according to the ESPN report.
The Philippines bowed to Greece 85-69, but the Gilas Youth squad could have lost more after big man AJ Edu apparently injured his knee in the FIBA Under 19 World Cup in the port city of Heraklion on Saturday.
Edu needed to be carried off the floor 2:03 into the game at Heraklion Indoor Sports Arena after what looked like a collision between him and Greece guard Nikolaos Arsenopoulos led to Edu falling to the floor and grimacing in pain.
The Fuel Masters did more than that at the resumption of play, playing defense and exploding for 45 points in the third quarter en route to a 111-103 drubbing of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday night.
Richard Howell and his teammates responded big time even when Alas was already out of the game, ejected on technical infractions midway through the fourth.
