Page 31 - Second Spectrum News Today

A season after winning an NBA championship in the bubble, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in the NBAs play-in round, needing to win a game just to reach the postseason. The Golden State Warriors, who bounced back after a dismal, injury-plagued 2019-20 to put themselves in a position to return to the playoffs, stand in their way. When the 2020-21 season tipped off just before Christmas, few would have predicted that these two teams -- the past two Western Conference champions -- would hav...

Key numbers to know for each of the four teams in the East set to compete for the final two playoff spots.

Last week featured five announced SPAC deals and several rumors. The week also had earnings from several well-known former SPACs. Here is a look back at the ...

1. Julius Randle, rolling hard The New York Knicks methodical climb to league average in scoring efficiency has been one of the major slow-burn stories of the season. They have been an above-average offense for the past two months, and ranked third in points per possession in April. They have hit 39% from deep, behind only the Milwaukee Bucks and LA Clippers. Defense is the foundation, but offense turned the Knicks from scrappy curiosity to postseason problem. Randle is the keystone. He is abso...

OffRtg = Points scored per 100 possessions Using the same math on the other end of the floor (points allowed per 100 possessions vs. the league average), the Los Angeles Lakers (106.5, -5.1 vs. the league average) rank as just the 38th best defense of the last 25 seasons, with No. 1 being the 2003-04 San Antonio Spurs (93.1, -8.3). So the the best offense and best defense of the last 25 seasons came in the same year. (The Mavs won three of the four head-to-head meetings, but the Spurs lasted lo...

The six English soccer clubs who joined the breakaway European Super League exploded the project just 48 hours after British politicians lined up to oppose the plan, sources on both sides of the battle have told Reuters. Soccer-Politics sank Super League | Reuters What’s on TV? 9:45 AM - Ajax v. Utrecht - Eredivisie - ESPN+ 11:15 AM - Midtjylland v. Kobenhavn - Super Liga - ESPN+ 11:45 AM - Napoli v. Lazio - Serie A - ESPN+ 12:00 PM - Leicester City v. West Brom - English Premier League - NBC...

The lockdown defenders blueprint for stopping Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic play How do you defend Luka Doncic? (1:30) Take a look at how Luka Doncic has been able to be so dominant so early in his career. (1:30) Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM LUKA DONCIC HITS the brakes, changes directions with a behind-the-back dribble, then picks up the ball and steps back to his left before launching a 3-pointer. Its March 31 inside Bostons TD Garden,...

THE SECOND THE basketball slips into Lonzo Balls hands, hes got one target in mind. Its March 1 and the New Orleans Pelicans are down by six to the Utah Jazz early in the third quarter. After a Mike Conley 3, Pelicans wing Brandon Ingram takes the inbounds pass and shovels it on to Ball, who immediately swivels -- and scans. Ball immediately spots a 6-foot-7, 284-pound 20-year-old streaking down the sideline, outrunning three Jazz defenders who see the play coming but can do nothing to stop it....

If you only looked at the box-score, Duncan Robinson was not having a good game. SHOP TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic chose Chuma Okeke 16th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft knowing he would have to sit out for an entire season to heal an injury. He had torn his ACL in his left knee in his final college game at Auburn during the NCAA Tournament three months prior to the Magic selecting him. It’s becoming increasingly clear, however, that the wait was well worth it for