Eastern Conference Page 9 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

This is the Jimmy Butler I remember
The Bucks-Heat series was supposed to be one of the most intriguing of the first round. Last year’s Eastern Conference champ, going up against a Bucks team that, if they were to spit it early for the second straight year, could be facing some kind of organizational overhaul. There was the added spic...

Look at the rim, Bam — you’ve done it plenty of times before
We’ve had two opposite responses this month to the phrase, “If you don’t learn from history, you’re doomed to repeat it.”...

The biggest “snubs” from the NBA Awards finalists
Y’all are already mad over ‘Player X’ not appearing on at least one of these ballots, so we’re gathered here today to commemorate those unable to join their peers as NBA Award Finalists. ...

The Charlotte Hornets are doomed to run the ‘treadmill of mediocrity’
The “treadmill of mediocrity” is a term coined by former Portland Trail Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard in 2011. It’s pro basketball limbo — being good enough to sneak into the playoffs but not good enough to win, yet not quite bad enough to earn a top-5 draft pick and select a serious game-changer. And ...

Tony Snell takes huge step forward from only running during NBA games
Has Tony Snell actually been hooping?...

The NBA’s very confusing playoff picture, as it currently stands
We know which 20 teams won’t be heading for summer vacation after the last day of the NBA regular season on Sunday, but that’s about all we know....

Julius Randle won’t win MVP, but proved he’s ballot worthy, again, today
Lamar Odom in Zach Randolph’s body did it again, y’all. ...

The Miami Heat enjoyed the hell out of Udonis Haslem’s ejection
You gotta respect your O.G.s....

After 28 years, hockey finally corrects its Habs-Leafs mistake
The NHL has been through so many realignments that sometimes you wonder if it shouldn’t just do a random draw before every season (actually, that’s not a terrible idea). It’s when you get to the real aims of past realignments that things get more interesting. ...

Tonight, we find out if the Miami Heat are back for real
Other than allowing a 40-point fourth quarter, the Miami Heat displayed one of their most dominant end-to-end performances of the season on Mother’s Day. Tonight, in the second leg of their “Baseball Series” with the Boston Celtics, the Heat face the Boston-based club again at TD Garden, which will ...

A shoutout to memorable mom moments in sports history
None of the athletes we talk about would be where they are without their mothers, so to commemorate, here’s a list to honor some of the most memorable mom moments in sports history. It’s not necessarily a top 10, but a collection of highlights (and yes, one lowlight) to honor Mother’s Day 2021....

The teams and matchups we most wanna see for the NBA’s Play-in Tournament
Contrary to what LeBron James says, the NBA Play-In Tournament was a great idea. Because of the strange circumstances the NBA found itself in after COVID-19 wrecked 2020, the league had an opportunity to try out some goofy new ideas to make up for the fact that the fans were only getting a 72-game s...

It’s time to put some ‘respek’ on Nate McMillan’s name, as the Pacers should have
A legitimate Woj Bomb dropped last night....

Underperforming in playoffs isn’t new to Mike Budenholzer teams, but this time it may cost him
With the NBA Playoffs looming later this month, and due to the perceived attainability of this year’s championship, there’s a growing list of people out there who could be held accountable for coming up short....

The Washington Wizards could be the East’s most dangerous play-in team
Before Monday’s 146-143 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Washington Wizards had won eight straight games. They were 19-33 before that winning streak and had little-to-no business being involved in the discussion we’re about to have....

Kyrie Irving is present and accounted for and the Brooklyn Nets’ MVP this season
For sure, nobody wants to hear it....

Houston Rockets CEO stepping down is another step back for rebuilding franchise
Tad Brown, CEO of the Houston Rockets, is stepping down after 19 years with the organization, further signaling the direction the franchise has taken in the post-James Harden/Daryl Morey era. Brown announced the decision on Friday following a 15-year-run as CEO, which came after a four-year tenure a...

For now, Julius Randle and the damn New York Knicks are still here
Conventional thinking in the form of many NBA media members suggested that the New York Knicks would, to some degree, fall off by now, and rightfully so. They’ve had one of the league’s most challenging schedules since March’s All-Star break and that will remain as such through the end of the season...

Which team played the villain role best?
With the Houston Astros now wearing the crown as the most hated team in professional sports — as indicated by the chorus of boos and piercing screams of “CHEATER!” that rang through the Oakland Coliseum (whatever ridiculous name it has today) last night on Opening Day (ahh… welcome back baseball, an...

Let Russell Westbrook’s comments be a lesson: Athletes don’t have to meet your expectations
Russell Westbrook had 35 points, 21 assists, and 14 rebounds in a 132-124 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night....