MTV’s Extreme Makeover needs to get at the Lakers. From Ugly Betty to Brooklyn Decker, no one can figure out how they do it. All year long, they have that just-got-out-of-bed sluggishness. Then spring comes around with all that fresh air and nice weather and all of a sudden, they look completely different and they are out there dunking on people, staring people down and tossing opposing coaches aside. Dallas invaded L.A. last night. They were left with a reminder: the champ is here … Read More »
There are no awards to honor his body of work, but perhaps that is precisely the point. We can dub him the MUP (Most Underrated Player), but it’s a title that’s impossible to assess objectively, and ultimately we’ll find ourselves in something of a Catch-22. What is certain is that without Luol Deng, the Chicago Bulls, not only as a team but as a franchise, would not be where they are today. Read More »
It is a long season. If we go back a few months, you’ll remember that San Antonio and Boston were way ahead of the pack and appeared destined to grab the two number-one seeds for this year’s playoffs. But since then, Boston became complacent and then completely changed their team while the Spurs ran out of good luck, catching injuries to all three of their big guns.
Now with the two teams matching up tonight, the question looms: Who has the better chance to win it all this year?
Last night in Chicago was definitely an exciting one in McDonald’s All American Game history as more than 20,000 fans (an all-time record) came out to the United Center to watch 48 of the nation’s best players put on a show. But with the East squad for both the Girls and Boys coming out victorious, our ultra-competitive friend Austin Rivers wasn’t in the mood for one last update after taking the L. Instead, with the Final Four just days away, we caught up with future Kentucky Wildcats Michael Gilchrist (who took home the MVP) and Bria Goss who both returned to the hotel with a big win.
We mentioned it in Smack this morning – John Wall and Big Z sort of got into it last night in Washington. You can’t really call this a “fight,” because Zydrunas seems fairly amused by the whole thing and he doesn’t really fight back, even after Wall delivers a serious right-handed body blow to his rib cage.
Afterward, this is what Wall had to say about the skirmish: Read More »
Normally, starting Smack with a Knicks/Nets game must’ve meant that the rest of the league either had the night off or every other game just sucked. We could’ve started with all of the misplaced anger going around the NBA last night – guys were throwing bows, players were getting thrown out for grabbing their junk, there were punches thrown between announcers and fans. People were going harder than Malice on a solo cut, but we’ll get to it all after last night’s main basketball event from Madison Square Garden … 68 first-half points. To the Nets. Even Jay-Z would’ve had to laugh at that. Mike D’Antoni and the Knicks were probably laughing themselves. New York’s defense couldn’t have been more lax if they tried. Still, it was fun. Runs, highlights, the return of Deron Williams (22 points) Read More »
With the 2011 McDonald’s All American Game taking place in Chicago this week, we have our guy Austin Rivers (the No. 1 player in the nation) checking in. In his third video diary, Austin chats with us (in black tie) after being handed the 2011 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year Award.
The sequel never, ever lives up to the hype. The Godfather II. Jaws II. Even Caddyshack II couldn’t do it. Last night in Cleveland, the game was at least closer than the last Return of the King. But no one cared about that. They wanted fireworks. And got absolutely none (unless you’re a Cavs fan) … Despite nearly blowing a 23-point second-half lead, the Cavs held on to beat the Heat 102-90 to deny them a chance to move ahead of Boston and into second place in the East. The first time LeBron James came back to Cleveland, everyone was nervous he was going to slip up at a red light and some Cavs’ fan would pull up and get their Sonny Corleone on. This time, the reaction wasn’t nearly as antagonistic. Maybe that was because James didn’t show up for introductions. Yes, when they called his name, he was back in the locker room, waiting it out while his teammates had to soak in the boos. Read More »
Before Austin Rivers took the floor for the Powerade Jam Fest last night, he gave us a little update while warming up with fellow competitor Chane Behanan.
With the 2011 McDonald’s All American Game taking place in Chicago this week, we have our guy Austin Rivers (the No. 1 player in the nation) checking in. In his second video diary, Austin chats with us after the Powerade Jam Fest (where he wore his dad’s jersey) with teammates Marshall Plumlee and Wayne Blackshear.
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