BASKETBALL NBA ARTICLES

Posting the best record in the NBA the last two seasons has meant little to the Milwaukee Bucks, who lost in the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago and were bounced in the second round by the Miami Heat just a few months back. The teams meet in South Florida on Wednesday in the second of a back-to-back. COVID changed everything last season with teams playing in a bubble setting in Florida, and the Heat thrived. The virus threat forced schedule adjustments this season with the unusual scenar... 

The Los Angeles Lakers are favored to repeat as NBA champions this season. The Lakers tied Boston as the most successful franchise in league history with their 17th title last year, and they have a good chance of breaking the tie in 2020-21. They lost their season opener against the Clippers though, so the Lakers are out to avoid an 0-2 start when the Dallas Mavericks come to town on Christmas Day.... 

It was a rough debut for the Golden State Warriors. One of the worst teams in the NBA last year looked more than a little rusty against former teammate Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, losing 125-99 in the season opener on Tuesday. Things won’t get any easier on Christmas as Golden State heads to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks. Milwaukee has yet to play this season, but the Bucks will play their first game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. ... 

The Los Angeles Lakers will receive their rings and hang another banner in the Staples Center on Tuesday night when they host the Los Angeles Clippers. That will certainly feel like rubbing salt in the wound for the Clippers, as they have never won an NBA title and fell short as the favorite to win it all last year. These are the two Western Conference favorites again in 2020-21, so the road to th... 

After the most tumultuous NBA season in recent history, the league is hoping to get back to some degree of normalcy in the 2020-21 campaign. The NBA was forced to shift its entire calendar as a result of COVID, but it might work out for the best as basketball will be out football’s shadow for a longer period of time. This season will kick off with the Brooklyn Nets hosting the Golden State Warrior... 

Get ready to bet the NBA Draft at BookMaker. Props are on the board right now for Wednesday’s draft with odds available on which player will be drafted first, specific draft positions and more. LaMelo Ball is expected to be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but surprises are always possible. There are also some interesting props on some of the other players and their positions, plus there are p... 

There are still plenty of unknowns as the NBA attempts to get another season started. One thing that has been settled is the 2020 NBA Draft, though it will be different in a number of ways. The delayed finish to the recent season pushed the date way back and the festivities will be held virtually. And unlike last year when Zion Williamson was a massive favorite to be taken first overall, which he was by the way, there is no clear-cut favorite at the top of the draft board.... 

We didn’t get the all LA clash in the Western Conference finals and we were denied another Lakers-Celtics showdown in the Finals, but I don’t think there’s any question that the two best teams will be fighting it out for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The Miami Heat continued their unlikely playoff voyage and will take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals starting Wednesday. Both teams lost just three games during the first three rounds with Miami posting impressive series wins over No. 1 Milw... 

The Denver Nuggets weren’t about to lay down the red carpet for LeBron James to take another trip to the NBA Finals. Since no team in NBA history has rallied after being down 3-0, Game 3 amounted to a must-win for the Nuggets. And that’s what they did, 114-106, to make this a series. Of course it’s always a series when Denver is involved since the Nuggets have already comeback from 3-1 deficits against Utah and the Clippers. To do that again they’d have to lose on Thursday, which is something I’... 

Desperation is motivation, and the Boston Celtics were a desperate group for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals with the Miami Heat. After two stunning losses, the Celtics had a late night meeting of the minds over pizza and soda to try and crack the Heat’s code. They did and the series got much more entertaining. Boston handed the Heat just their second loss and scored the most points in a regulation game against them in these playoffs, 117-106. Now Boston can square the series with a win ... 

The Denver Nuggets are a team of destiny. At least it looks that way after they completed their second straight comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to knock off the favored Clippers. Instead of the all LA Western Conference final series, the Nuggets can make it an all LA sweep if they can get past the Los Angeles Lakers. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to fall behind to LeBron James and Co., but the Nuggets are playing with an edge that’s seen them do something no other team in the history of... 

There will be a new NBA champion after the Boston Celtics knocked off Toronto in an exciting seven-game series, advancing to the Eastern Conference Final for the third time in four seasons. Led by a diverse scoring unit that includes superstar Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are a favorite to return the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade and the 22nd time overall. They will have to get by a scrappy Miami Heat club that knocked off No. 1 seed Milwaukee in the conference semifinals in the most im... 

The Houston Rockets were seemingly in control of Game 3 controlling the tempo and keeping the Los Angeles Lakers at an arm’s reach throughout. Then all of a sudden, the bottom fell out and the Lakers went on to cruise to the 112-102 win and cover much to the chagrin of those that backed the Rockets plus the points. The loss came as a major disappointment for Houston who got 33 and 30 points respectively from their two superstars. Unfortunately, nobody else stepped up to the plate making Daniel H... 

When asked if there was something that needed to be changed following Game 4’s 100-93 defeat to the Toronto Raptors, Brad Stevens had this to say; “I think the biggest thing is that we’ve got to defend better at the start of the first and third quarters,” Stevens said, via the team. “That’s something that we’re paying close attention to, for sure.” After holding the Dinos to 11 first quarter points, it’s pretty safe to say the Boston Celtics earned the achievement with flying colors. In taking a... 

The Los Angeles Clippers are by far the biggest favorites to advance to the conference finals per the NBA futures odds. They are currently -1300 to beat the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals, and they are considered extremely likely to finish the series in four or five games. It seems as if everyone has jumped off the Denver bandwagon after their grueling 80-78 Game 7 win over Utah in the first round, so Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic will be out to silence the naysayers.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers have been waiting around for days as the Houston Rockets went the distance against the Oklahoma City Thunder to punch their ticket into the Western Conference Semifinals. It took 17 made 3-point shots to get the job done, and that’s something the Lakers will have to contend with throughout this series if it’s to advance to the conference finals. Easier said than done however with James Harden and company taking two of the three regular season meetings including the most re... 

The Los Angeles Clippers got a scare in the first round versus Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Fortunately for Doc Rivers’ squad, injuries were simply too much for the Mavs to overcome which allowed LA to seize control of the series once Dallas tied it up at two games apiece. After being forced to deal with Doncic’s scoring prowess in the opening round, the Clippers will now have to contend with arguably the hottest player in the league in the form of Jamal Murray. It almost didn’t come to... 

Boston has the nominal edge coming into its first “home game” of its series with Toronto. The Celtics smashed the Raptors in Game 1 of the series, racing out to a 39-23 lead at the end of the first quarter and holding onto that lead the rest of the way in a 112-94 victory. This could be a must-win game for Toronto if the Raptors drop Game 2 to the Celtics on Tuesday, as that would put them in a 2-0 hole. Game 3 in this series will take place on Thursday, September 3, at 6:30 p.m., and it will be broadcast on TNT as the first game in a doubleheader. ... 

Things will intensify in the Eastern Conference playoffs after the top four teams advanced to the second round by going a combined 16-1 in their opening series. The only team to lose a first-round game was the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who responded to a loss in the first game by beating Orlando in four straight. The Bucks are a big favorite to beat the Miami Heat in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, but the Heat took two of three regular season meetings from the best team in the NBA ... 

The top three seeds in the Eastern Conference went on to compile a 12-1 record in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Oddly enough, it was the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks that incurred the lone defeat. Still, Mike Budenholzer’s squad bulldozed its way to the Eastern Conference semifinals by way of taking four straight from the Magic by an average of 14.5 points per game and went 3-1 against the closing NBA odds in the process. The Miami Heat were extremely impressive in their sweep of the No. 4 ... 

Even if Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis were completely healthy they wouldn’t have been able to stop the Los Angeles Clippers’ freight train in Game 5. The Clips took control of the series with an emphatic 154-111 drubbing, putting the Dallas Mavericks on the ropes. There’s hope that Porzingis will be able to play and Doncic exited early to get some much needed rest and treatment. They will be needed if the Mavs are to stave off elimination in Game 6 on Thursday. On the bright side for the Ma... 

When the pairings were set in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it looked to be a foregone conclusion that the division rival Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors would be squaring off in the Eastern Conference semifinals. And wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what went down after both teams busted the brooms out on the 76ers and Nets respectively. With that, NBA bettors will be treated to arguably the best matchup of the playoffs thus far with both teams very familiar with one another after... 

The way Donovan Mitchell started the series he just may carry the Utah Jazz to a win over the Denver Nuggets. Mitchell totaled 87 points in the first two games becoming a hotter topic for Denver's defense. The Jazz's 124-105 Game 2 victory was significant since it was their first in five tries this season against their Midwest Division rival, and it was a strong reaction to their Game 1 overtime setback. Utah will look to Mitchell's hot hand when the clubs gather for Game 4 of their Western Conference NBA playoff series on Sunday. ... 

Russell Westbrook’s quest for another NBA MVP took a hit when his Houston Rockets manhandled the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opener of their Western Conference Playoff first-round series without him. The teams meet Saturday in a pivotal Game 3 with the Rockets launching threes no matter who’s in the lineup. We don’t know yet if Westbrook will be available on Saturday, which puts a little damper on the series. Westbrook and Chris Paul traded places during the offseason and the teams finished with identical 44-28 records during the regular year. ... 

The Boston Celtics went off the board as -370 favorites at online sportsbooks to defeat the division rival Philadelphia 76ers entering Game 1. After taking the first two games both SU and ATS, oddsmakers now have Brad Stevens’ squad tagged as hefty -2700 chalk to seal the deal and punch their ticket into the Eastern Conference semis. For one reason or another, the betting public sided with the Sixers in Game 2 pushing the +5.5 opener down to +4.5 at the tip. Though Philly finds itself in an 0-2 ...