DeMar DeRozan continued his clutch play Thursday night in a Bulls win.
NBA basketball is back! The league returned from the All-Star break Thursday night with a seven-game slate that included a few games that went down to the wire.
The break is sometimes referred to as the midway point of the season, but in reality there’s only 20-25 games remaining for most teams. It’s officially the home stretch of the NBA season.
NBA Action
DeRozan’s Go-Ahead Jumper Sinks the Hawks
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
The Bulls went to DeMar DeRozan in the final 20 seconds against the Hawks, trailing by one point, and he went to work in the midrange. DeRozan drained an and-one fadeaway from the elbow over two outstretched Atlanta defenders to put his team up two in an eventual 112-108 victory—the Bulls covered -3. That clutch shot added to a night in which he logged his eighth consecutive game with 35-plus points. Chicago now has a half-game lead over the Heat for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and DeRozan’s MVP odds on SI Sportsbook are quickly dropping.
NBA Draft Big Board: Auburn’s Jabari Smith is the top prospect in this year’s draft. “The case for Smith at No. 1 isn’t all that complicated,” writes Jeremy Woo. See what makes him the best player in the 2022 class and how the rest of the top players rank.
Durant to Return Soon: Nets forward Kevin Durant, who hasn’t played since Jan. 15 due to a sprained MCL, could return as soon as Saturday, coach Steve Nash said. It’s more likely, though, that Durant comes back in the team’s next three games the following week.
Behind Boston’s Turnaround: Chris Mannix was ready to call this Celtics season a wrap in December when the team hit a particularly rough patch. Now, Boston has one of the league’s top-ranked defenses and is a top-six seed in the East. Mannix details what he got wrong about this team and how the C’s turned things around.
NFL News
How Rodgers Could Impact NFL Futures
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
The future of the reigning MVP with the storied franchise that drafted him is unclear. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have seemingly been headed for a breakup for some time now, though it’s yet to happen. If he stays in Green Bay or gets traded to a contender in need of a quarterback will have a marked effect on the NFL betting landscape—Rodgers reportedly will make his decision soon. I wrote about the Super Bowl LVII odds for a few potential Rodgers landing spots.
Packers Could Let Adams Walk: Receiver Davante Adams will be the top free agent this offseason if Green Bay doesn’t franchise tag him. General manager Brian Gutekunst said it’s possible the team lets its top target leave. Adams and Rodgers have been a devastating duo for the Packers for years and now the team is trying to retain both of them.
OC Bieniemy Returns to K.C.: Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy agreed to a one-year deal to remain in his current position. Bieniemy has interviewed for head coaching vacancies for a few cycles now and that figures to continue given Kansas City’s offensive success.
Thanks for reading Winners Club. Have a great weekend!