Last night, the San Antonio Spurs completed their sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in commanding fashion, blowing them out as Dwight Howard self-destructed. With the Lakers roster depleted because of injury — they nearly had as many players in suits on the bench than in uniform — the Spurs handled their business and now get to rest and recover before facing their next opponent. Read More »

Jason Terry admitted it after Boston’s season-saving seven-point overtime win over New York yesterday afternoon. The JET hasn’t had the greatest of seasons, falling off from a super clutch old timer to… just some guy who takes up space, gets tattoos he can’t back up anymore and does annoying fighter plane dances. Read More »

Mid-way through the fourth quarter of last night’s Thunder/Rockets game, Oklahoma City was up 15 at one point and for a minute Houston looked like they were just trying to stay in touch. Russell Westbrook (29 points) was slashing to the cup, Serge Ibaka was knocking down mid-range jumpers and Kevin Martin was pump-faking everyone in red to stick wide open threes. It was about to be bad for Houston. But then a crazy mix of James Harden (36 points), Patrick Beverley and Carlos Delfino happened, Read More »

There’s a first time for everything, and in yesterday afternoon’s matinee in San Antonio, we saw an injured star player attempt to coach a playoff team through 140 characters. Anxious that he can’t be out there helping his teammates, Kobe Bryant took to Twitter with the same aggressiveness he usually shows on wing isolations. Not everyone was feeling it. Read More »

On a night where the two NBA games on the schedule featured a slew of missing starters and some ugly-ass basketball, the big news of the day came early on with word of two huge free agent signings … if we were currently living in 2005.

It started with this tweet (and a collective “Whaa?” from the Twitterverse): Read More »

Just a few days after abruptly waiving Stephen Jackson, the San Antonio Spurs are reportedly making a move to bolster their perimeter offense by signing Tracy McGrady. Read More »

While the NBA’s grand old gatekeepers take their time weighing the option of keeping the Sacramento Kings in California’s capital versus relocating the franchise to Seattle, the strongest reason for my pro-Emerald City optimism is that the league ultimately will not escape Seattle’s presence.

Like a ghost unable to stay hidden in a closet of skeletons, the Sonics – the team taken from its home in 2008 and moved to Oklahoma City – will haunt the league until that particular wrong is righted. And while I can envision Sacramento joining the likes of Buffalo, Vancouver and Fort Wayne in the pro basketball history books, I cannot envision the NBA in 10 years without a Seattle franchise.

The latest reminder of the Sonics’ omnipresent legacy was issued this week, with the news that Gary Payton has been voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Growing up in Seattle during the prime of Payton’s career, my biases say he is the greatest Sonic of all time. But even if I were objective, that wouldn’t be a bold statement. Read More »

There have been more Tracy McGrady highlights out of the Chinese Basketball Association this year that in his last 2-3 NBA season combined (Here’s his first CBA tomohawk, here’s a baseline smash, and here he is dropping a guy with an elbow).

I just caught the following clip from a few weeks back. Watch T-Mac come down the court and hit Yi Jianlian(!) with a Shammgod that puts Yi on skates, followed by a raise-up three from deep: Read More »

It wasn’t quite like LeBron returning to Cleveland or like Death Row Records coming to New York City. But Dwight Howard was showered with more than a few boos in his return to Orlando, and more than a few creative signs. There was a “Judas Coward” and a “Congratulations: we despise you more than Shaq!” and a “Dwight: my four-year-old can make free throws.” It’s too bad none of those signs could play defense because Howard looked like Superman again, obliterating the Magic for 39 points, 16 rebounds and 39 free throw attempts in a 106-97 Lakers win. Read More »

What makes NBA games so special and electrifying are the epic in-game dunks. Of course, we love the flashy passing and heart wrenching buzzer-beaters, but to be capsulated in a moment where someone gets posterized is beyond blissful. Let’s start by saying shout out to Brandon Knight as he valiantly didn’t give up on the play last night when he could have. He could have dodged DeAndre Jordan and let Lob City get away with another alley-oop. He didn’t. It’s okay. Read More »