Author: Jordan Samar

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O’Neale believes that Grayson Allen didn’t deserve to receive a Flagrant 2 for his scuffle with Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren in yesterday’s 138-89 NBA Cup quarterfinals defeat. Allen got into it with Holmgren with less than six minutes in the third period, as the Phoenix Suns guard gave the Oklahoma City Thunder star a hard forearm to the chest during a switch on a screen involving Dillon Brooks and Jalen Williams. “For sure. Just the way the physicality of the game was going. I don’t think it was excessive like that. (Chet Holmgren) might…

San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson left the door open to a possible on-court return from Victor Wembanyama when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder for this year’s NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday evening. Wembanyama has been out due to a left calf strain he sustained against the Golden State Warriors on November 14. However, in his absence, San Antonio has held steady, winning nine of their past 12 matches, including yesterday’s 132-119 quarterfinals victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. “Very much so. He had a really good day today. He had a very intense morning, and we’ll see…

Many believe Jonathan Kuminga already has one foot out the door after he was benched in the Golden State Warriors’ 123-91 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, despite being 100% healthy. During a recent press conference, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he is aware of the trade rumors involving Kuminga and that he can’t help but empathize with the 23-year-old forward, amid the looming January 15th trade eligibility date. “I think it’s not impacting anything for us. You’ll have to ask him about his feelings. I can imagine it’s not easy for him. We’ve talked about…

Franz Wagner finally broke his silence about the gruesome leg injury he suffered in the Orlando Magic’s 106-100 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday. According to him, he was surprised that he only sustained a high ankle sprain that will keep him out for the next few weeks. “Kind of mixed feelings,” Wagner explained via Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede. “Super relieved, but at the same time, bummed that I’m going to be out for a couple weeks. Definitely caught a break there a little bit, and I’m blessed that it’s just a high ankle sprain.” Wagner underwent an…

Josh Giddey recently reiterated that he and his Chicago Bulls teammates are sticking together amid their ongoing slump, where they have lost seven consecutive games, a far cry from their brisk start to the 2025-26 NBA campaign. “We’re frustrated. Fans are frustrated. But the team aspect of this group has never wavered. We’ve always cared for each other, wanted each other to succeed. It’s easy to do that when you win. Real character comes when you lose. Credit to group; we’ve all stuck together,” Giddey said via KC Johnson of CHSN. “Everybody in this locker room gets along,” he added.…

The Sacramento Kings may have been lackluster to start the 2025-26 campaign, but at least they’ve uncovered new gems in their rookies, Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud. During a recent episode of Sactown Sports 1140’s “The Drive Guys” on Wednesday, Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry discussed his two rookies and particularly lauded Raynaud, who has played more in the wake of Domantas Sabonis’ knee injury. “I think we’re seeing Maxime grow in front of our eyes,” Perry said of Raynaud. “It has been fortunate for him — but unfortunate for the Kings — with Domas being out; it helped…

The New York Knicks booked their tickets to Las Vegas for the first time, following a 117-101 road win over the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday night. Jalen Brunson led the way with 35 points, three rebounds, four assists, and six three-pointers on 13-for-19 shooting. Josh Hart also made a huge contribution on both sides of the floor with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and four three-pointers on 8-for-11 shooting, garnering a shoutout from New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown. “They keep going in, and people keep leaving him open because they’re…

The San Antonio Spurs have ruled out Victor Wembanyama for their upcoming NBA Cup quarterfinals match against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, as the team doesn’t plan to rush the star center back. Wembanyama has been out due to a left calf strain he sustained in a loss to the Golden State Warriors last November 14. However, in his absence, the San Antonio Spurs won eight of the 11 games he missed, including a pair of NBA Cup group stage games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets. “We won’t treat that game, medically speaking, any…

LeBron James said he isn’t surprised by Austin Reaves’ superb play this year during a recent episode of the Mind the Game podcast with former NBA star Steve Nash. During the mailbag episode, the Los Angeles Lakers forward discussed what has contributed to Reaves’ ascent this season. The 27-year-old guard averages 28.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.1 steals on 50.9 percent shooting from the field across 20 starts. “Confidence, he’s also healthier this year than he was last year. And I know he kind of sat out a couple of games this year. But last year, he was…

Pat Spencer has impressed Steve Kerr so much in the past few games that the Golden State Warriors head coach plans to keep him in the rotation, even if some of their stars return from injury soon. In his past four games, Spencer, who posted consecutive double-digit points, averaged 16.0 points and 5.7 assists, leading the Golden State Warriors in both categories. The team went 2-2 in those games. “I can tell you that I’m definitely going to play him (Pat) with Steph some, and we’ll see. Some of it will depend on matchups,” Kerr said of Spencer via 95.7…

The odds are stacked against the Phoenix Suns when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, as they might be without their star player, Devin Booker, for the third straight game due to a right groin strain. But other than missing their best scorer, the Phoenix Suns will also have to deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s suffocating defense, which Booker previously accused of “getting away with” a lot of holding and grabbing. “The secret is out. They do speed you up. They play aggressively. They’ll grab, they’ll hold, but it’s never like when you’re in…

Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown feels he’s not getting the plaudits he deserves, especially after bringing home the Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for Week 7. During a recent Twitch livestream, Brown kept it real about how flopping gets rewarded in today’s NBA. The Boston Celtics asked the chat if he wants to start flopping to have a chance of winning his first league MVP trophy. “If you wanna be a great player, you gotta sell your soul,” Brown said. “You gotta be a flopper. If you wanna be an MVP, you wanna be top of the top,…

Pascal Siakam was one of the catalysts behind the Indiana Pacers’ 116-105 home win against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, drawing praise from head coach Rick Carlisle. The three-time NBA All-Star had 23 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 10-for-21 shooting from the field in 35 minutes of action. “Pascal is a guy we take for granted. He just goes out there, and he produces great numbers virtually every night,” Carlisle said of Siakam via Tony East of Forbes. ”A lot of people dismiss it because that’s just what he does.” Yesterday was another day in…

Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy recently went viral for berating his players during a timeout in the team’s 131-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. The incident happened early in the first quarter, as the Utah Jazz were already down 10-1 against the defending NBA champions after the first 2:26. “I’m tired of f***ing doing this every game. F***ing play harder,” via Kato Parina of SLC Dunk on X (formerly known as Twitter). In the profanity-laced video, a clearly fed-up Hardy implored the Utah Jazz to “play harder.” Unfortunately for him, his words didn’t help much,…

Washington Wizards fans may be wondering why Cam Whitmore received a DNP during the team’s 131-116 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. According to reports, Whitmore’s poor work ethic has put him in the proverbial doghouse of head coach Brian Keefe. “Inside the organization, the concern has been the day-to-day work. Amid a 3-19 start to the season, Washington has emphasized establishing firm practice habits and a consistent approach across its young roster, and Whitmore has not consistently met those expectations,” Grant Afseth of RG explained. “If you’re trying to establish yourself in the NBA, you need…