The record crowds that flocked to the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League were treated to lots more than the Victor Wembanyama Show. Our correspondent in the desert empties her notebookThe most common mistake people make post-Vegas is overreacting, whether positive or negative. Yes, the NBA’s Summer League provides a high-profile showcase for undrafted and G League players to show their mettle, so if they impress, it shouldn’t be discounted. And some rookies display their rough edges in their first NBA-branded outing in ways that might raise flags for concern. But, on the whole, sweeping generalizations from the past 11 days shouldn’t be made in either direction off a handful of games that in the long run don’t carry a whole...
San Antonio can still make progress after losing their veteran guard for the season. But questions over his future – and the team’s old guard – will emergeIn the middle of one of their biggest wins of the season, the San Antonio Spurs suffered a painful loss. In the fourth quarter of what was shaping up to be a blowout victory over the Houston Rockets, Spurs point guard Tony Parker crumbled to the ground, clutching his left leg and eventually had to be carried off the floor. San Antonio ended up winning Game 2 121-96, evening up their series against Houston, but the post-game mood was anything but celebratory. Related: NBA playoffs: Thomas scores 53 points in Celtics win, Warriors...
The NBA has no shortage of worthy MVP candidates, but the San Antonio Spurs star might have established himself as the frontrunnerFor most of the season, Kawhi Leonard was having one of the quietest MVP campaigns in recent memory. That changed on Monday night when Leonard scored 39 points as the San Antonio Spurs fought back from a 16-point deficit to beat the Houston Rockets. In the game’s final 30 seconds, he single-handedly secured the 112-110 win with a soon-to-be legendary sequence where he put the Spurs ahead with a three-pointer and then raced to the other end of the floor to block James Harden’s potential game-tying lay-up. The win helped the second-placed Spurs keep pace with the Golden State...
The New Orleans Pelicans took a step forward, the Sacramento Kings took a step back, the LA Lakers hit the reset button – and the Boston Celtics went nowhereHeading into NBA trade deadline day, there was a very real fear that the biggest move of the year had already been made. But while nothing was likely to top the New Orleans Pelicans’ deal for DeMarcus Cousins, there was still plenty of talk that either the Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler or the Indiana Pacers’ Paul George could find their way to a contender before the 3pm ET deadline. Related: NBA trade deadline day: Mavericks get Noel from 76ers – as it happened ⌚️ Continue reading...