The Brooklyn Nets embarked on an eight-game road trip last night in Detroit after just their second loss in six games on Sunday night to Atlanta. On Saturday, Brook Lopez ducked into (he’s always ducking) the Old Navy store across the street from the spaceship in Brooklyn known as the Barclays Center. After signing autographs for an hour, he was kind enough to give us a few minutes to talk defense, rebounding and that fantastic dunk on his twin brother, Robin Lopez. Read More »

Read More »

The trade deadline came and went without the same kind of hoopla that fans have been accustomed to, to the degree that the biggest name moved was J.J. Redick being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks at the last minute. However, it was a trade first reported Wednesday that should have piqued the interest of fans. Read More »

The New Orleans Hornets (they’re not the Pelicans just yet) are a team in flux. They started the year with the specious ROY, Anthony Davis, and his inexorable brow grabbing most of the headlines. But it didn’t last. Davis went down with an ankle injury. Plus, after matching Phoenix’s offer sheet for the off guard they got in the Chris Paul trade, Eric Gordon, they waited for him to recover from a patella tendon disorder and bone bruise in his right knee. Read More »

A great recipe for disaster – at least if you’re the Lakers – is playing in Denver on the second night of a back-to-back. Old legs. The high altitude. The penchant of the Nuggets to play fast and frenetic. It almost never works out for L.A., and last night, not even 40 from Kobe Bryant was enough. Read More »

As the first leg of the NBA season comes to a close, player values are starting to fall in place. Of course there are some exceptions, like if some of these players just happened to start off ice cold or riding a hot streak. However, by this time statistics begin to even out. The early hot streaks dissolve, and the underachievers slowly work their way back into the fantasy hierarchy. Here are this week’s top risers and fallers in fantasy basketball. Read More »

Midway through the third quarter of their eventual 92-88 takedown of Memphis, Chicago opened up a 14-point lead as Kirk Hinrich went all 2004 on us. He had a few steals, a blocked shot, a layup, and started a number of fast breaks, all within a four-minute stretch. Eight minutes into the quarter, and Memphis already had seven turnovers while Hinrich was looking like Jimmy Chitwood. Read More »

Wherever your turn tonight (or for the next two weeks) you’re going to get hit in the face with Olympic coverage. We challenge you to find a nicer photo than this. Serge Ibaka looks like he just stepped off the set of Shaft. Thank everything for athletes and their Instagramming and Twittering. That photo was courtesy Kevin Durant‘s account, but of course we’ve seen how Team USA rides from Kevin Love‘s account. Don’t forget Deron Williams, too, who basically gave a photo essay of all the cool Olympians out there tonight. Read More »

Blake Griffin complained recently about all of the cheap shots he’s been taking. Does this count? Robin Lopez nearly put the headlock on the NBA’s best dunker, and the results were a double-edged sword. He got tossed for it, but the Suns gained momentum and ended up beating the Clippers. Read More »

So long, Superman. It was reported late that Dwight Howard will undergo season-ending back surgery on his herniated disc, news his agent and the team confirmed. After Stan Van Gundy said Dwight wanted him fired a couple weeks back, Howard missed a couple games with back spasms. Everyone read that to mean: I’ve given up. Turns out, the back injury is no joke. Just ask David Robinson, whose career had a painful end because of a similar injury. Now Howard’s out for the Olympics, too, which means Spain has one fewer U.S. big man to worry about. Read More »