By Matt Osborne, Staff Writer The NBA’s play-in tournament officially commenced last night, with the Los Angeles Lakers clinching the 7th-seed in the West by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 110-106. In the second game of the evening, the Sacramento Kings kept their playoff hopes alive by putting together a dominant performance in a 118-94 win over Golden State. With the game between the Kings and the Warriors being contested between the 9th and 10th seeds, respectively, both teams were aware of the fact that the loser of their contest…
Category Archives: NBA
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What’s On the Line
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The Daily Refill
Continue ReadingBy Matt Osborne, Staff Writer Playing without the services of LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers were amazingly able to overcome a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-124 in double overtime last night. The Lakers’ comeback efforts were led by Anthony Davis, who scored 34 points and hauled in 23 rebounds in nearly 53 minutes on the court. Three of Los Angeles’ starters (Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves) played 48 minutes or more in the team’s victory on Tuesday night. With the team having to turn…
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When the Suffering is Worth it
Continue ReadingBy Matt Osborne, Staff Writer Anthony Edwards may have scored 44 points in Minnesota’s 113-111 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday evening, but his standout defensive play is what had the NBA world buzzing. With the Pacers trailing by two with just seconds remaining, Benedict Mathurin drove the ball to the basket looking to tie the game. As Mathurin elevated for the layup, however, Edwards seemingly shot out of a cannon to make an impressive block that would seal victory for the Timberwolves. Edward’s block was spectacular, but it…
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The “No-Call”
Continue ReadingIn sports, refs play a key role in the outcome of games. But, there’s an ongoing concern in the NBA that the refs make countless questionable decisions – especially during the last two minutes of games. Instead of getting involved by making the right calls, refs often choose the “no-call” and let players keep playing by “swallowing their whistles” in crunch time. Being a professional ref must be difficult at the end of a game, but nobody wants to see their team lose after a blatant missed call. Unfortunately, that happened earlier this week when the…
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Noticeable Progress
Continue ReadingBy Matt Osborne, Staff Writer If you’re a casual NBA fan who hasn’t looked at the standings in a while, you might be caught off guard by the top two seeds in the Western Conference. In a conference loaded with veteran teams, star power, and potential title contenders, it’s surprising that the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder are currently leading the pack. Heading into this season, Minnesota experienced significant defensive struggles for over a decade. The last time the Timberwolves finished in the top half of the league in opponent’s points per…
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Face of the NBA
Continue ReadingThe NBA has continued to grow and expand since its beginning in 1949. This past weekend’s All-Star festivities have become a yearly celebration of the sport where legends from the past are honored and current stars are on full display. Even though the game of basketball is a team sport, the NBA has been built around the stars and key players who have carried the league forward as ambassadors. Specific players have been considered the faces of the league, and the spokesmen, and have represented the sport to the world. Each era has relied…
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Pout or Respond?
Continue ReadingBy Matt Osborne, Staff Writer Golden State Warriors guard, Klay Thompson, is a four-time NBA champion, five-time All-Star, and a future lock to one day be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Even so, in Thursday night’s contest against the Utah Jazz, Thompson found himself in the unfamiliar role of coming off the bench. Thompson’s struggles this season have been well-documented by the media, as he has shown signs of physical wear and tear brought about by a series of injuries in recent years. That strain on his body…
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2023 BEST of UNPACK this…Patience Wins
Continue ReadingAfter Saturday night’s 119-108 win over the Lakers, the Denver Nuggets have a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals and are one win away from the NBA Finals. The Nuggets have been the number-one team in the West since December and they’re showing everyone they’re built to win a championship. Even as a Lakers fan, I acknowledge that the Nuggets are just too good and playing too well together for the Lakers to come back in this series. Unquestionably, the team has had an all-around impressive performance, but…
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Empathy for an Enemy
Continue ReadingBy Matt Osborne, Staff Writer Playing with fiery passion and emotion, Golden State Warriors forward, Draymond Green, has unquestionably made an impact on many of the franchise’s championship teams. As is often the case, however, Green’s biggest strength has also turned out to be his kryptonite. While Green’s emotional playing style has landed him in trouble with the NBA league offices numerous times in the past, his tumultuous outbursts seem to have hit newfound heights this season. Green, who has been ejected from three of the 15 contests in which he…
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Playing With Passion
Continue ReadingBy Matt Osborne, Staff Writer The inaugural title game in the NBA’s new in-season tournament has been officially set, as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Indiana Pacers to determine a champion on Saturday. While both teams equally earned their way into the finals in Las Vegas, the semifinal contests determining the matchup went much differently. The Pacers relied upon clutch plays down the stretch (primarily from star guard, Tyrese Haliburton) to edge out Milwaukee 128-119 in its semifinal matchup. Conversely, the Lakers routed the New Orleans Pelicans by a score…
