Why Perk loves the Clippers’ acquisition of Powell and Covington (0:59)
Kendrick Perkins says Ty Lue and the Clippers are showing they want to win now by adding Norman Powell and Robert Covington. (0:59)
All-Star Weekend was awesome for Chicago Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat. He participated in the festivities for the first time in his NHL career. He has truly become one of the five best pure goal scorers in the National Hockey League so it is fair to assume he will be back.
Few can finish a play the way that he does. It is mesmerizing to watch him shoot pucks when one is on his tape. He can score goals on his own based on his ability to shoot and find great scoring areas which is always nice for someone like him. However, having an elite playmaker like Patrick Kane certainly helps.
Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan said there’s a “very strong possibility” forward Patrick Williams will play again this season.
Williams started the first five games this season before suffering a left wrist injury, which required surgery in October to repair torn ligaments. The Bulls did not rule him out from playing again this season when they released their initial time table for his return, but his improvement since the surgery has Donovan optimistic Williams could play again.
“I feel pretty good about the way he’s progressing from what I’ve heard,” Donovan said prior to Sunday’s 119-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. “I think there’s a very strong possibility, if he continues to progress, that he could be back before the regular season ends.”
Donovan added no date is set for Williams’ return. Williams is still wearing a small brace on his left wrist, but he often puts up shots at the end of a team shootaround or warm-ups, sometimes one-handed. The forward was averaging 6.6 points and 2.2 rebounds during his second season in the NBA after the Bulls made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 draft.
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Williams was the first Bulls player sidelined before the team was hit by a wave of injuries, but Donovan was also encouraged that the team could be whole again this year.
Lonzo Ball (knee) got off crutches recently and should be on target for a mid-to-late-March return. Donovan said Alex Caruso (wrist) is doing well, although his timeline was less clear. Zach LaVine (back spasms) missed his second straight game on Sunday, but Donovan was not sure if he would be available for the second half of the back-to-back Monday.
“There may be an opportunity, if everything falls right, that maybe 10, 12, 14 games left in the year, we could have our whole team back,” Donovan said.
DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 45 points in the loss to the Sixers, but the focus of the postgame availabilities was more about the long-term outlook for Chicago, especially with the trade deadline approaching.
“We’re missing Lonzo Ball, one of the top point guards in the league. Alex Caruso, one of the best defenders in this league. Patrick Williams, one of the young stars in this league. We haven’t had those guys, but we have them, and they’ll be back,” he said. “We don’t need to worry or stress about having nobody else. Those three right there, I guarantee every team in the NBA wish they had those three guys. We gone get those three back and we’ll be fine.”
‘Strong’ chance Bulls F Williams returns this yearon February 7, 2022 at 7:00 am Read More »
Why Perk loves the Clippers’ acquisition of Powell and Covington (0:59)
Kendrick Perkins says Ty Lue and the Clippers are showing they want to win now by adding Norman Powell and Robert Covington. (0:59)
DENVER — Nikola Jokic, inching closer to tying Wilt Chamberlain on the career triple-doubles list, joined the Hall of Famer as the only players with multiple 25-point triple-doubles on 80% shooting in NBA history on Sunday.
Jokic had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 12-of-15 from the field in a 124-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. He has an NBA-best 14 triple-doubles this season and 71 for his career, just seven away from tying Chamberlain for sixth all-time.
The reigning MVP scored 23 points in the second and third quarters when Denver went from trailing by seven to leading by 21. The Nuggets as a team held Brooklyn to 29 points in the second half to end a three-game skid.
“We rebounded better in the second half, we made them take tough shots. The defense was much, much better,” said Jokic, who held Brooklyn to 1-10 shooting when he was contesting a shot.
Jokic logged his triple-double in 29 minutes, 49 seconds; it’s the eighth time he’s had a 25-point triple-double in less than 30 minutes. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo (two times), Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Domantas Sabonis have accomplished that feat.
Will Barton had 21 points, and Aaron Gordon had 17 points and nine rebounds in his return from a two-game absence for Denver.
Nets guard James Harden missed his second straight game with left hamstring tightness.
Kyrie Irving finished with 27 points and 11 assists and Cam Thomas had 20 for Brooklyn. The eight-game losing streak is the Nets’ longest since they lost seven in a row from Dec. 26, 2019, to Jan. 7, 2020. They finished 0-5 on the road trip.
Denver led 76-75 at halftime and outscored the Nets 31-16 in the third quarter to take a 107-91 lead. Jokic came out late in the third sitting on nine assists and looked like he would finish an assist shy of another triple-double until Brooklyn cut the deficit to 109-99.
Jokic checked back in and fed Barton for a layup for his 10th assist.
The Nuggets stayed a game ahead of Minnesota to remain in the sixth position in the Western Conference with 10 days left before the All-Star break.
“This is a challenging time for every team, every coach and every player,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “We have five games until the All-Star break. We’re tired of each other. I see this team more than I see my wife and kids.”
The Associated Press and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this story.
Jokic joins Wilt, makes history with triple-doubleon February 7, 2022 at 7:00 am Read More »
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra will coach Team Durant in the NBA All-Star Game after the Heat clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through Sunday, which was the cutoff.
This will be Spoelstra’s second stint as a head coach in the All-Star Game, having also coached the Eastern Conference in 2013.
The Heat are 34-20 (.630) so far this season, Spoelstra’s 14th as Miami’s head coach.
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Spoelstra landed the spot over Chicago coach Billy Donovan when the Bulls lost to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday to end up half a game back of the Heat.
The Phoenix Suns‘ Monty Williams was announced last week as coach of Team LeBron for the Feb. 20 event in Cleveland.
Starters for the game were announced Jan. 27, with Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James selected as captains after leading the fan vote. The reserves were announced this past Thursday, and Durant and James will pick their teams this coming Thursday.
Heat’s Spoelstra to coach Team Durant in ASGon February 7, 2022 at 7:00 am Read More »
Nikola Jokic joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players with multiple 25-point triple-doubles on 80% shooting in NBA history on Sunday.Read More
Jokic joins Wilt, makes history with triple-doubleon February 7, 2022 at 2:39 am Read More »
