For the third time in five years, the Grizzlies areheaded to the second round of the NBA playoffs.Memphis bounced back from a disappointing Game 4lo s to put the Trail Blazers away in a 95-90 win on their home floor Wednesday night.MORE: | | Waiting on the Grizzlies will be the well-rested Warriors, who swept the
Jaromir Jagr Jersey Pelicans in the first round. The Grizzlies went 1-2 against the Warriors in the regular season, losing the last two matchups. Hawks 107, Nets 97 (Atlanta leads series 3-2)Takeaway:For most of Wednesday night, the Hawks looked like the team that finished with the Eastern Conferences best record. That's not something that could be said for the entire series.Atlanta led by as many as 14 points midway through the third quarter, but the Nets managed to trim the deficitto as little as two points several times in the fourth quarter. Each time they were challenged, the Hawks managed to come up with points
T.J. Oshie Jersey , outscoring the Nets 10-2 in the final two minutes to bring themselves one win closer tothe second round.DeMarre Carroll led the way for Atlantawith 24 points, while Al Horford added 20 points, 15 rebounds, five a sists and two blocks in the victory.Highlight: DeMarreCarroll torched Brooklyn with 19 first half points.DeMarre Carroll beats the 1st quarter buzzer Cro sover Chronicles (@cro soverNBA) Quotable:Coaches told us to
Jonas Siegenthaler Jersey keep our composure and thats what we did," Hawks center Al Horford told TNT after the game.Next up:Friday at Brooklyn, 8:00 p.m., ESPNGrizzlies 99, Trail Blazers 93(Memphis wins series 4-1)Takeaway: Grizzlies centerMarc Gasol had a brilliant game, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for Memphis. Blazers guardC.J. McCollum scored a playoff career-high 33 points, but the story of the game was Jeff Green. Yes, that Jeff Green.The seventh-year forward from Georgetown scored eight points in the fourth
Dale Hunter Jersey quarter to help the Grizzlies grit out a win and end the Trail Blazers' season.Highlight:Zach Randolph puts the moves on his defender.Z-Bo with the dagger. Steven J. Gaither (@stevenjgaither) Quotable:I told the guys in the locker room...it ain't gonna be easy," Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph told TNT after the game.Next up: The Grizzlies advanceto the second round, where they'll face the Warriors beginning Sundayat Golden State (3:30 p.m.,ABC).Thursday's games
NHL Washington Capitals Jersey (All times Eastern)Bulls at Bucks, 7:00 p.m., TNTClippers at Spurs, 9:30 p.m., TNT
The atmosphere inside the Kings locker room, one source with knowledge of the team said, can be best described aspoisonous.It is under that cloud that coach George Karl is surviving, if barely. thatKarl has staved off firing once again,but another go at this tenuous relationshipis not really going to change that dynamic, which has been present in one form or another through the long line of coaches eight in total the Kings have gone through in the last decade.MORE: |Its no secret that however the problems in the Kings locker room are described, the epicenter is All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins, and no matter what happens with Karl in the coming days, the Kings apparently still have no answers to their Cousins conundrum. He is among the most talented players in the league (averaging 26.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game), but he
Sheldrick Redwine Jersey s struggled to rein in his attitude, emotions and inclination toward insubordination.Despite those i sues, he would have plenty of trade value based on his talent. But sources told Sporting News that a trade of Cousins has not been seriously considered by general manager Vlade Divac or owner Vivek Ranadiveand that it would take a mega-offer for that to change before next weeks deadline. Even then, its a tremendous longshot.Coming out of the All-Star break and into March, though, the team is expected to make a determination on whether to use the coming months to lay the groundwork for a trade of Cousins. If it happens, it could take a while, the way the Timberwolves extended the negotiating period for Kevin Love in 2014.All of this is not to say that Karl bears no burden for the fracture of his relationship with Cousins, whose reputation for a short fuse and anti-coaching tendencies
Ozzie Newsome Jersey goes back to his high school daysand was confirmed by his rotten relationship with his first NBA coach, Paul Westphal, who lasted only seven games into his second season coaching Cousins. Over the previous two years, Cousins got on well with new coach Mike Malone, who gave Cousins a certain amount of leeway but reeled him in when nece sary.What Mike understood is that DeMarcus is a smart guy who lets his emotions get away from him but then cools off and is OK after that, one source told SN. So he would let him vent and not come back at him when that was happening, but would talk to him once things settled down and everything would be fine.MORE: Alas, Malone was fired after starting 11-13 last season because Ranadive a former minority owner of the Warriors wanted to see his team play up-tempo, like Golden State. That eventually led to the hiring of Karl. Unlike Malone, Karl has not been one for giving Cousins leeway or cool-down time, and that set the relationship on a bad path from the get-go.In the offseason, of course, word got out that Karl had been personally calling other teams to gauge po sible Cousins trades. Cousins tweeted out emoji images of a snake in
Ricardo Louis Jersey the gra s, and it was clear his target was Karl. If there was a chance to get the Karl-Cousins combo on a good footing, it ended then. In November, Karl and Cousins had it out in the locker room, with Cousins reportedly cu sing out Karl. An uneasy dtente followed.Such is the state of the Kings that it has been new point guard Rajon Rondo who has done the most to hold the bunch together. As a formerly hard-headed young player from Kentucky himself, Rondo has befriended Cousins and offered guidance. Rondo likes playing in Karls up-tempo system and has not been a headache for the coach, but the two have no special bond. Karl (without naming names) has been critical of his perimeter defenders, of which Rondo is the most visible.Thats a symptom of a bigger problem. Karl has been unable to get his team to make very basic adjustments. The Kings have now lost seven of their last eight games, and in that span, opponents have shot an incredible 45.9 percent from the 3-point line against them. They allowed a season-high 54.2 percent on 3s to the Celtics in their lo s on Sunday, after allowing a season-high to Brooklyn (64.3) in the previous game and the second-highest percentage of the year to Chicago (52.4).MORE: When he was asked about the way teams have been making 3-pointers against the Kings, Karl was vague, pointing out that the way the NBA is going these days is to
Anthony Zettel Jersey shoot 3s in transition, and protecting the paint means you cant guard the 3-point line.Karl was asked Sundaywhether his team had become, over the years, too comfortable with losing. He responded by explaining that teams are running off transition opportunities too often.I think the proce s in the NBA is that teams study each other at a high, high level, Karl said. I think teams are figuring out that we might over-penetrate. We turn the ball over on the short pa s in the lane. I definitely think teams are hyped to run on our turnovers. Ten years ago, you could turn the ball over and teams
Genard Avery Jersey didnt even run on you. Now, the way the game is going, everybody is running on everybody. The fast game, the open-court game, the 3-ball game is becoming a huge personality and we just have got to learn and get better.That should be Karls domain. The Kings are getting beaten not only with their sour attitude, which falls to the players, but with plain old with Xs and Os, which falls to the coach. Cousins is not going anywhere, at least not in the short term, and Karl probablywill be gone at some point. But the problems in Sacramento are not going away.
It was all right there in front of them. With a 98-94 victory in Game 5on Thursday, the Rockets captured a 3-2 lead over the defending champs in the Western Conference finals. The Warriors were vulnerable, on the brink of elimination for the first time since adding Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016.Then, it all disappeared. The Warriors used one of their patented third-
Dorian O'Daniel Jersey quarter explosions to run over the Rockets on Monday night, winning Game 7 and finally removing Mike D'Antoni's teamfrom their path to the NBA title. Golden State deserves credit for fighting off Houston, and yet, it felt like this series came down to what could have been for the Rockets more than what did happen for the Warriors.Heading into the offseason after a disappointing finish, the Rockets are left with a few "what if" questions to ponder...What if Chris Paul didn't go down with aninjury?This is the big one. Paul fell awkwardly late in Game 5 with a strained right hamstring and was physically unable to transition back to defense. That's the reason whyDraymond Green still felt confident the Warriors despite the 3-2 deficit the lo s of Paul in the final two games of the series was simply too much to overcome.Rockets with Paul vs. WarriorsOff
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Jersey RtgDef RtgA st/TOTS %Paul ON (184 minutes)102.2110.61.2055.0Paul OFF (152 minutes)98.0113.40.9151.3"It sucks because you know you could win this series if we just had one more playmaker,"Rockets guard Eric Gordon said after the Game 7lo s. "If we had Chris, if he was out there, we'd have been playing on Thursday in Game 1 of the NBA Finals . It's just tough."Paul is an All-NBA performer whose poise and production can't be replicated, especially not against this opponent. James Harden couldn't handle the offensive burden without Paul, and talent eventually won out.What if the Rockets hit a few more 3-pointers orany3-pointers?The Rockets' shooting woes are tied to Paul's absence, as the veteran likely would have been able to settle down the offense with his own scoring and mix in a few midrange jumpers to add some variation. Even so, Houston mi sed an NBA playoff
Tyreek Hill Jersey record 27 3-point attempts in a row (several of them wide open),finishing 7-of-44 (15.9 percent) from beyond the arc in Game 7.Here's what 27 consecutive mi sed threes looks like.It's the most by one team in a playoff game in NBA History. SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Over the course of
Larry Johnson Jersey that 0-for-27 drought, the Warriors outscored the Rockets, 59-34, and went 13-of-23 from 3-point range. Houston mi sed from the top of the key, wings and corners with players like Harden (2-of-13), Gordon (2-of-12)and Trevor Ariza(0-of-9)all clanking makeable shots. Just bring those percentages up from awful to below average, and it's not hard to envision aclose fourth quarter.What are the odds of a trigger-happy team like the Rockets mi sing that many shots? According to calculations done by, 1-in-72,000.What if this was the Rockets' best shot at a title?It's po sible the Rockets come back from this devastating lo s and reach the Western Conference finals next season. General manager Daryl Moreycouldmake minor tweaks or chase a big free agent to improve the roster. If nothing else, Houston proved Golden State is beatable.But championship windows can close quickly. D'Antoni
Damien Williams Jersey knows this better than most his "Seven Seconds or Le s" Suns never broke through to the NBA Finals.Paul just turned 33 this month, and injuries can add up for a player at his size. Harden did all he could given his workload, but questions remain about his decision-making and ability to lead a team in key moments. Role players could see regre sions.The Rockets had the Warriors on the ropes, but they couldn't land a knockout blow. There are no guarantees they find their way back into the ring.
LeBron James , with Kevin Durant and Cari Champion, to make people angry, vengeful, bitter andemotional in every conceivable way about the state of the country, about his own role in impacting it and, of course, about the job the president is doing.What he never said was who was allowed to talk about it, and who should shut up about it. The response, from a
Baltimore Ravens Jersey Fox Newshost, was to tell him to shut up about it.Because thats what athletes and other celebrities are told all the time. And even with that, only certain athletes and celebrities.MORE: Theyre not the only people who get routinely get told that theyd better remember their place, that theyd better stay in their lane andthat theyd better stick to whatever role they occupy while making their living.Never stray from it into conversations where they dont "belong."In this host's words, "shut up and dribble."Its atried-and-true, terribly unoriginal tacticby certain segments of the population to silence di sent, to restrict real debate, to homogenize thoughts, opinions and policiesand to erase entire undesirable populations.James belongs to one of those populations, as does Durant, and throughout the excerpts of that interview, they talk about starting their lives one way and taking it in an
Mark Ingram II Jersey entirely different direction. Specifically, it took them to this weekend's NBA All-Star events, which puts him in the cro shairs of commentators who eagerly exploit people like them for their own purposes.Laura Ingraham says should "shut up and dribble" and leave political comments to people who didn't leave high school a year early. Thomas Bishop (@bishopk0s) That's likely just one of many motivations for the likes of that Fox News host, her employers, their supporters and the people they support. Their succe sand profitability dependon keepingthe likes of James and Durant right where they started and, just as important, to make sure everyone like them stays quiet and invisible.At least while theyre not serving their prescribed purpose in life, to entertain. What the two world-cla s athletes didnt do in the back of that car on camera was entertain the way they are required to entertain.Stick to sports. Stick to being silent. And stick to being, in so many words, dumb and sweaty.MORE: Understand, of course, that James doesnt have to provide credentials to be allowed to speak about the state of the
Jordan Lasley Jersey nation and the job performance of the president. The fact that so many people felt compelled to defend his intelligence, accomplishments or qualifications is as demeaning as it gets (and proved that the Fox News host's strategy worked).He doesnt have to show his resume, or his college diploma, or his high school diploma. (Speaking of that, do not ever forgetthathost told a bald-faced lie about him by saying he left"high school a year early to join the NBA." And never forgetshe didn't apologize for it .)It advanced her argument greatly to tell the world that LeBron, that guy who had the nerve to disparage the president, was a high-school dropout who lucked out andgot rich anyway and ought to be grateful hes not being forced to go back and do a Billy Madison before he can even show his face in public again. She apparently wont ever face consequences for slandering him in front of a national prime-time cable audience on a network that has the term "news"in its name.But for her intended audience, claiming LeBron didnt even get through high school gained her a lot of cache.Neverthele s, even if he had never started high school in the first place or, for that matter, had ever become renowned for basketball theres nothing she nor her network could do to stop him from trashing anyone in the seat of government any
Maurice Canady Jersey time he wanted to.But he is a sports superstar, and he referenced the power that position had for him and others as he was growing up and now (the same way, he pointed out, that being president did).You hold those positions, he said, and you can be inspirational and influential. He had a platform because of it. Its no le s a platform than the Fox host, who as far as anyone knows does not have to show her diplomas or resume before her show starts every night to be allowed to speak on hers.DEVENEY:Her platform does not cancel his. She used hers to try to cancel his anyway. In her mind, hers counts, and his doesnt.If any of this sounds familiar, its because "stick to sports"has become the go-to phrase for those who dont like certain athletes
Earl Thomas III Jersey functioning outside of the box the public shoehorned them into. Theyre resisting the athletes resistance.When in doubt, tell them theyre out of their lanes. Or that theyre not carrying the proper credentials, random, arbitrary and irrelevant as that concept it. "Show your papers,"this host is e sentially saying to James. Yes, that should send a chill through you. Just from a sports perspective, this is what was demanded of Colin Kaepernick two seasons ago, too.James never told anyone to shut up, about the life he lived but they didnt, the family hes raising but theyre not and the opinions on this country that he holds but they dont.For doing that on his platform, someone got on herplatform and told him he doesnt deserve his.As if a platform was hers to give. Hes got it, whether she likes that or not.A post shared by (@kingjames) on Feb 16, 2018 at 7:47pm PST
Adam Silver would like the future of the NBA to include more female referees and coaches.The commi sioner said during an appearance Thursday for The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., that he wants half of all new referees joining the league to be women."It's an area, frankly, where I've acknowledged that
Adam Humphries Jersey I'm not sure how it was that it remained so male-dominated for so long," Silver said, per the . "Because it's an area of the game where physically, certainly, there's no benefit to being a man, as
Tajae Sharpe Jersey opposed to a woman, when it comes to refereeing."Silver noted there are currently only three women officials in the NBA, two of whom (Ashley Moyer-Gleich and Natalie Sago) were promoted from the G League to full-time NBA
Kamalei Correa Jersey refs last fall.The goal is: Going forward, it should be roughly 50-50 of new officials entering in the league, hesaid. Same for coaches, by the way. We have a program, too. Theres no reason why women shouldnt be coaching mens basketball.The league has never had a female head coach, but women have been hired as a sistants.Most notably, Becky Hammon is currently an a sistant for the Spurs.Kristi Toliver, who playsfor the WNBA's Washington Mystics,
Taywan Taylor Jersey served as an a sistant for the Wizards this season. Other women in coaching or player development roles around the NBA include Lindsey Harding (76ers),Natalie Nakase (Clippers), Jenny Boucek (Kings) and Karen Stack Umlauf (Bulls).Kelly Krauskopf became the first woman to hold the title
A.J. Brown Jersey of a sistant general manager when she was hired in December by the Pacers.While there's still work to be done to add more women asreferees and coaches in the league, Silver's comments indicate the NBA could see a shift soon.
Jared Dudley is standing by the notion that Ben Simmons is "average" in the half court.The Nets forward made an initial statement about the 76ers star ahead of Game 2 of his team's first-round series against Philadelphia. Dudleydoubled downMonday and gave the media more detail regarding his opinions on the second-year player."My comments were basically directed as me being a
Seattle Seahawks Jersey coach or analyst, directing how we're going to guard someone," Dudley told reporters, via ESPN. "How we're trying to guard (Simmons) is put him in the half court. The difference is I'm a player that just voices my opinion more directly."I think he's average in the half court, but you're going to put him in because he's elite, All-Star level in the full court."When asked
Tre Flowers Jersey about Ben Simmons today, Jared Dudley offered some perspective on the Nets approach in defending the Sixers star and reiterared, in detail, why he sees Simmons as elite in transition and average in half-court offense: Ian Begley (@IanBegley) Dudley went on to say that Simmons is predictable in the half court, and seems to think his experience can be a way to limit Simmon's go-to moves."I
Jason Myers Jersey 'm a 12-year guy. I'm not going to give you those points," Dudley said. "I've guarded Kobe (Bryant) in the playoffs, Brandon Roy andDirk Nowitzki. Those guys you have to play further out, so it's not being disrespectful. Now he might have taken it (that way) because he
Cortez Kennedy Jersey heard the word average. So once he gets going, and he had such a good game (in Game 2). In all those good games, I'm not on him."Simmons erupted for a playoff career-high 31 points in Game 2 of the series, following Dudley's first comments on the subject. It appears the two have developed ill will for one another, as they've been jawing ever since.Dudley was ejected from the Nets' Game 4 lo s forshovingJoel Embiid after
Germain Ifedi Jersey the center committed a flagrant foul on Jarrett Allen. A scuffle followed in the aftermath, resulting in the ejection of Philadelphia's Jimmy Butler.Neverthele s, the 76ers came out on top, claiming a 112-108 victory. Simmons posted 15 points, eight rebounds and eight a sists.Brooklyn hasn't won since it upset Philadelphia in Game 1, and now it will face elimination Tuesdayat the Wells Fargo Center. Related Articles
Mackenzie Forrest loved basketball,
Alec Ogletree Jersey loved scoring points, loved Stephen Curry. Lakewood (Colo.) High Schools career points leader was the smartest player I ever coached, .Curry, one of the NBAs smartest players and best scorers, heard the me sage. And after anda campaign by Lakewoods senior cla s Curry interrupted his pregame routine
Wayne Gallman Jersey for a subtle but meaningful shoutout.Lock in! Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) MORE: |"Lock in! #DubNation" is what Curry tweets before every game. It's part of his ritual, . This one, before Wednesday's game against the Knicks,meant
New York Giants Jersey a little more.Curry's gesture may seem small. Curry's gesture was small. But Curry's gesture went a long way for a grieving community. thank you so much Mr. Curry. This means the world. I'm sure Lil Mac is freaking out in heaven. Lakewood High School (@lhs_tigers) Here was Lakewood senior cla s' campaign to get Curry's attention:It would truly mean the world Mr. Curry! LHS SENIORS 16 (@LHSseniors16) Forrest was a standout enough that she played in a local all-star tournament as a sophomore. The description from
Dexter Lawrence Jersey her coach at that event sounds somewhat similar to ."She was the youngest on the team, everyone else was either juniors or seniors. She was the baby," her coach there, Terri Ward, . "She just had that infectious
NFL New York Giants Jersey smile, and she could shoot the darn ball. That is for sure."
A Heat executive hired over summer from the Kings is under investigation for allegedly using $13.4 million from twoKings sponsors to fund his own real estate
JJ Arcega-Whiteside Jersey endeavors, .Jeffrey David, now the chief revenue officer of the Heat after operating in the same role withSacramento, allegedly participated in a "sophisticated money-laundering scheme"that stole cash from the Golden 1 Credit Union ($9 million)andKaiser Permanente Foundation ($4.4 million). The Heat announced they have placed Davidon leave.
Malcolm Jenkins Jersey The Sacramento Bee reports David used the money he siphoned from team sponsors to purchase beachfront property in Southern California, and while no criminal charges have been filed,the Kings referred the case to federal investigators last week. The
Cameron Johnston Jersey FBI and federal prosecutors are reportedly looking into the matter."That investigation is underway and on Monday, U.S. Department of Justice authorities began the formal proce s of recovering and seizing the properties involved in
Brian Dawkins Jersey the investigation,"the Kings wrote in a statement to The Sacramento Bee.Kings attorney William Portanova told The Beethat he doesnt expect any a sets to be lost given the quick response to the situation.David was in charge of negotiating advertising contracts and corporate partnerships for the Kings, according to TheBee."We are aware of the investigation of Jeff David, which focuses on events that
Jalen Mills Jersey took place prior to his joining our team,"the Heat said in a statement. "We are fully cooperating with the authorities."
The influence of sports on our communities is impo sible to ignore.The two
John Hayden Jersey most recent examples: The the Cavaliers' NBA championship, the city's first major sports title in 52 years. Las Vegas being .MORE: On a smaller scale, had a huge impact on Conway and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the whole state., the estimated value of the entire sports industry in the United States is just under $500 billion. Sporting goods manufacturing is a large part of the economy. So, obviously, sport is "big busine s."It is a sumed that cities with sports franchises reap the benefits of having those teams in their communities. For example, city officialsoften believe having a sports team helps makes it a top-tier city, creating a more positive image and prestige for the city. Also, city
Brent Seabrook Jersey leaders usually proclaim having a sports team is a way for the community to come together and be supportive behind a common cause (i.e., team), which is projected to be good for the community psyche.City administrators often state that sports teams bring unity, publicity and "community spirit" to their cities. These claims are similar to what high schools and colleges stipulate as benefits of having sports teams on campus. While approximately 90 percent of all NCAA Division I athletic departments lose money each year, city leaders often project sports teams will bring economic growth to their cities. However, what is often omitted from the discu sion is how cities end up subsidizing the cost of building arenas and provide special tax breaks to team owners at the expense of its taxpayers.Cavs fans celebrate Cleveland's NBA championship.Yet, sports franchises at times can provide financial boosts for cities, particularly for hotels, restaurants, transportation, media,and other related busine ses. Also, jobs are provided for people who work in stadiums
Alexandre Fortin Jersey and arenas, such as ushers, venders and other auxiliary busine ses.MORE: I have lived in or near cities that have participated in the Super Bowl. I have been fortunate to be on the faculty of two college campuses where four national championships were won. And I was an athlete at a high school that won astate championship. I can confidently state that I and fellow students felt a sense of pride and togetherne s after
Nathan Noel Jersey these victories. Good feelings seemed to be all around campus as we all However, being a former high school and college athlete and currently a sport psychology profe sor in a sport science department places ourstudents and I in biased positions. We are particularly interested in the sports world from academic and fan perspectives. Still, if we take a global view of our communities, we must acceptthere are numerous people who have little or no interest in sports and athletics. I have had numerous discu sions with students and fellow citizens who have no interest in the happenings within and around sports.It would be naive of us to believe what happens in sports really influences or matters to them.While sports may play large and influential roles in many of our lives, we must realize cities (and educational institutions) are populated by diverse people with a variety of interests and backgrounds. Sports matters to us, but not to all of us within
Chicago Blackhawks Jersey the same community.Charles Dickens may have stated it best, and most succinctly when he titled his 1859 novel, "A Tale of Two Cities." Kevin L. Burke is a sport psychology profe sor andconsultant at Queens University in Charlotte, N.C. Contact him atand follow him on Twitter: @SportPsyching.
Kevin Durant and Ru sell Westbrook were again involved in a heated exchange during the third quarter of Durant's return to Oklahoma City as a Warrior Wednesday night.With just under seven minutes to
Rich Hill Jersey play in the third quarter and Golden State trailing 73-56, Durant dribbled up court and attempted to blowby Westbrook, who knocked the
Walker Buehler Jersey ball out-of-bounds.MORE:Following the play, the two exchanged words and ended up face-to-face before teammates and an official broke up the discu sion.KD & Westbrook
Max Muncy Jersey forehead to forehead Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) The pair also appeared to jaw with one another late in the second quarter.
Chris Taylor Jersey Westbrook & KD discu sing Thanksgiving dinner plans Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) Durant addre sed the confrontation with reporters after the game.Kevin Durant on the Ru sell Westbrook (non) confrontation. Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) Oklahoma City came away with a.Durant spent nine seasons with the Thunder franchise before signing with Golden State
Andre Ethier Jersey prior to 2016-17. Westbrook and Durant were last season in mid-February.
