Speed and quickness vs. size and strength. That is the heart of the matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the L.A. Lakers. The soul of this series lies in the stat no coach wants to see: turnovers. The Thunder flashed their speed in Game 1 to the tune of a 29-point blowout in Oklahoma … [Read more…]
Kobe Bryant is still universally recognized as the best clutch player in basketball, but Kevin Durant is closing fast. Oklahoma City pulled out an improbable 77-75 victory over Kobe’s L.A. Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals series all because the Thunder’s All-Star forward and franchise player refused to let his team go … [Read more…]
There is no clear cut front-runner in the race for the most valuable player award, which creates a real interesting finish this month. Five candidates have surged in the forefront (in no particular order): Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. With the exception of Love, each MVP contender is in … [Read more…]
The highly anticipated game between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday had the look of a NBA Finals series, as both teams went at it so hard that all the participants should feel a little battered and bruised. But one hard foul not only changed the complexion of the game but … [Read more…]
At the halfway point of the lockout-shortened, 66-game NBA season, two teams have emerged from the pack and two players have risen to the top: the Miami Heat led by LeBron James, and the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Kevin Durant. The Heat own the best record in the East while the Thunder own the … [Read more…]
USA Basketball recently announced the 20 finalists who will compete for the 12 spots on the senior men’s national team that will represent the U.S. in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Among the finalists are holdovers from the 2008 gold-medal winning team in Beijing: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, … [Read more…]
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are arguably the best 1-2 combination in the NBA. But whenever you have two headstrong 23-year-old superstars on the same team playing for the same goals chances are they’ll have some disagreements. That ugly scenario played out in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, Dec. 28, as Durant … [Read more…]
The Dallas Mavericks celebrated their 2011 NBA title with a spectacular ring ceremony and unveiling of the team’s first championship banner on Christmas Day. Then, they got their bell rung by a Miami Heat squad that looks extremely motivated and primed for a huge run in 2012. Here are five observations from opening day in … [Read more…]
President Barack Obama has recently announced that he is launching the Obama Classic Basketball Game. The game is set to feature more than two dozen NBA players, including superstars such as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, and Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard. The game, set to take place … [Read more…]
Kevin Durant has been one busy dude this summer and fall. He has been involved in seemingly every exhibition game since the NBA lockout started on July 1, showing up in player-organized events in Baltimore, Miami, New York’s Rucker Park, Long Beach and Philadelphia. The beat goes on for the Oklahoma City Thunder all-star and … [Read more…]