Posts by Ed Odeven
FC Barcelona whips Real Madrid in Game 1 of Spanish League finals
FC Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 89-75 in Game 1 of the Spanish Liga Endesa finals on Sunday, moving within one victory of the title. The 17-0 spurt in the third quarter fueled the victory for coach Sarunas Jasikevicius’ club. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is at the Palau Blaugrana on Tuesday. Higgins set the…
Read MorePhoenix Suns complete sweep of Denver Nuggets
The Phoenix Suns won the first three games of the Western Conference finals by a combined 56 points. Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets wasn’t a double-digit rout, but coach Monty Williams’ Suns finished off the hosts with a 125-118 verdict in the Mile High City. Phoenix point guard Chris Paul had a banner performance…
Read MorePeter Vecsey blasts Michael Malone after Nuggets coach lambastes players
Peter Vecsey, a legendary basketball columnist who has followed the NBA for more than 50 years, believes Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone overstepped his boundaries in the aftermath of the team’s Game 2 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. With a 123-98 defeat, the Nuggets now face an 0-2 hole against the Suns in…
Read MoreUSA Basketball announces plans for Olympic training camps
USA Basketball has finalized plans for its men’s and women’s national teams in the run-up to the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Coach Gregg Popovich and the men’s team will begin training camp in Las Vegas on July 6 at MGM Resorts. Australia, Nigeria, Argentina, and Spain will also make preparations for the Olympic men’s basketball tournament…
Read MoreMaccabi Tel Aviv wins playoff semifinals opener
Omri Casspi sparked Maccabi Tel Aviv with 17 points in an 88-72 victory over visiting Hapoel Eliat on Sunday in the Israeli League semifinals. Yovel Zoosman poured in 16 point, Ante Zizic contributed 11 and Scottie Wilbekin finished with eight points and eight assists for the hosts. Chris Jones had a 10-point outing. Game 2…
Read MoreJames Harden to miss Game 2 against Bucks
James Harden, who left the Brooklyn Nets’ last game early in the first quarter, won’t play in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Monday at Barclays Center. The star guard is nursing a right hamstring injury that limited him to 43 seconds of playing time in the Nets’ 115-107 victory over the…
Read MoreTerry Stotts, Trail Blazers agree to part ways: reports
Terry Stotts has coached his final game for the Portland Trail Blazers. The Denver Nuggets eliminated the Trail Blazers from the NBA playoffs on Thursday, advancing to the second round with a 4-2 series victory. A day later, news reports emerged that Stotts won’t remain at the helm. He led Portland for nine seasons, taking…
Read MoreEfes tops FC Barcelona in EuroLeague final
Anadolu Efes Istanbul captured the EuroLeague title for the first time on Sunday, defeating FC Barcelona 86-81 at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. Vasilije Micic, the Final Four MVP, paced Efes with 25 points, and teammate Shane Larkin scored 21. In the end, the dynamic duo’s productivity played a pivotal role in the outcome of…
Read MoreDerek Ogbeide signs with Hapoel Eilat
Derek Ogbeide (203 cm; F) has joined the Israeli League’s Hapoel Eilat, giving the club an additional athletic presence in the frontcourt. The Nigerian-Canadian contributed 14.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 29 games for AEK Larnaca this season. Derek Ogbeide raises profile Ogbeide helped AEK Larnaca win the Cyprus playoffs finals in April.…
Read MorePhoenix Suns beat L.A. Lakers in playoff opener
The Phoenix Suns won their first playoff game since 2010, topping the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers 99-90 on Sunday. Phoenix stars Devin Booker (34 points) and Deandre Ayton (21 points and 16 rebounds) delivered dynamic performances for the hosts in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series. Lakers coach Frank Vogel was impressed…
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