2025 NBA Season

[chaser15]

It was very enjoyable to watch the fight between Doncic and Jokic. It was very difficult to know who would win the game until the last seconds and Dallas managed to win the game by 1 point at the end. We can say that the star of the match was Tim Hardaway, the points he scored were very important.
The fact that all the winning teams scored 116 points in the last matches is also an interesting statistic

It's fortunate for the Dallas Mavericks that they were able to win that game. They are really not good at protecting a good lead and they almost lose in that game against the Denver Nuggets. I know that when we talk about Denver Nuggets, teams can't really be assured they have the chance to almost win when they put Nuggets on a big lead as this team is really good at catching up and narrowing down the lead.

Good for bettors that place a bet on the Nuggets when they are downed at around 10 points. If I remember, they are at @5 to win that game during that time in the 3rd Quarter. Then suddenly, Nuggets made a rally, and almost put Mavericks lost that game.

It's hard to trust the Mavericks on handicap betting now.

[jakelyson]

The Cavs seem to be the favorite since they play in their home arena, and they already beat the Lakers a month ago. However, both teams have been performing well lately, considering the Lakers have won 8 of their last 10 games while the Cavs have won 7 of their last 10 games. So, this game should be more interesting and more competitive. I wonder if the Cavs will be able to hold off LeBron and Davis this time.

Who knows what's happened with Davis, is he sick? He only played 8 minutes and Ham said he had a fever. It's a big loss for the Lakers considering how he's played in recent games. Definitely the team missed him in the game with the Cavaliers, I hope that he will recover quickly and return to the game as soon as possible, in recent games he showed how important he is for the team.

He is actually sick as reported, down with flu, he still try to play, however, his body is not cooperating and he has to take a sit and rest throughout the game. And as he is their best scorer, they've lost the game.

But still good though, at least Davis didn't force himself, otherwise if might have a bad effect on him in the long run. And hopefully he will be back in their next game, fully rested and healthy again. Yes,  I do agree that he is very important to the team as his recent numbers will tell.

Before the game, he was already probable because of a back injury. I guess he forced himself to play to win but that backfired and actually caused him a fever. We do not know how this will affect AD, this could have cost him more games to miss if he aggravated his back injury. Hopefully, it did not.

Orlando Magic - Los Angeles Clippers

Orlando Magic are not doing well at all, they only have 5 wins and 20 losses, everything gets worse because they come from a 9-loss streak and only had 1 win in the last 10 games, without a doubt that coach Jamahl Mosley must not be sleeping well, while the Clippers come to this game with 14 wins and 11 losses, and in their last 10 games they have won 4 losses and 6 wins, and a much better result compared to the Orlando Magic, but the Orlando Magic will be playing at home so that can be an advantage for them, although the bookmakers are giving a good advantage to the Clippers, I still think it will be a balanced game

With Kawhi at the starting lineup tonight I think that Clippers has more chances of winning even though he might have limited minutes. I think it's a no-brainer to root for Clippers to win this game even if they are away. No, I don't think it will be balanced at all when PG and Kawhi is on the court.

Every game he played the winning chance is always higher. Why? It's actually simple and it's not always in the stat sheet. He can do offense and he can do defense. Specially defense where you tap the ball and someone gets it, it won't add as a steal in your stat but will be given to the one who claimed the ball.
Clippers will win that a 95 percent chance. Magic have the firepower but Clippers has many players to counter that.

I do not expect too much from Kawhi right now. After the series of injuries that he got, he is no longer the same athlete that won the championship for the Spurs and Raptors. He is very limited right now and we may never see him carry the Clippers to Western COnference Finals or NBA Finals. It may be the start of the decline of his career. He is still a good player, but with limited time on the court and the limit he put on himself to protect his legs and knees, he cannot perform the same monster performance he has done before. I do not think he could get back to the same level even if he only plays every other game.

[livingfree]

Money is on the line for the Raptors tonight as it's said that Lebron and AD aren't going to play due to their own issues.

AD has an illness while Lebron has got an injury. Well, this is a big advantage for the Raptors but we'll see if the bench players are going to manage a win against them.

[sana54210]

Luka has nothing to prove just to get the attention because he is already a star player and the best candidate for MVP this season. As an individual player, Luka is at the top 3, but he needs to win a championship first in order to be lined with the greats in NBA.

I see Luka is making a great adjustment, his teammates are getting better now and that resulted in a better team.

Luka this game against the Nuggets does not score so high, but look at the other factors, he still tallies a very impressive triple double. (10 rebounds, 12 assists, and 22 points)

The trick about not being able to win a title is the fact that if the team around you is not great, or if you are on the wrong period, then suddenly you may not win anything. Stockton and Malone never won anything, are they bad? Stockton leads assists in a HUGE margin, Malone scored more than everyone aside from just Kareem and Lebron, are they bad? Or look at active ones, Harden hasn't gotten a ring yet, is he bad? Of course not.

All in all there are plenty of names who couldn't get a title because either their team was bad, or they played in an era where better players formed a super team. That is why I honestly think that it is not Lukas fault if he never wins a ring.

[wheelz1200]

Money is on the line for the Raptors tonight as it's said that Lebron and AD aren't going to play due to their own issues.

AD has an illness while Lebron has got an injury. Well, this is a big advantage for the Raptors but we'll see if the bench players are going to manage a win against them.

Not only are those 2 out but it's a second game of a back to back on the road.  This generally never fairs well for a team like the Lakers especially on the road.  Russ is gonna be able to showcase if he still has it.  Dude will have plenty of shot opportunities.  Interested to see how this game goes.  My dough is on the Raptors though.

[jakelyson]

Money is on the line for the Raptors tonight as it's said that Lebron and AD aren't going to play due to their own issues.

AD has an illness while Lebron has got an injury. Well, this is a big advantage for the Raptors but we'll see if the bench players are going to manage a win against them.

Not only are those 2 out but it's a second game of a back to back on the road.  This generally never fairs well for a team like the Lakers especially on the road.  Russ is gonna be able to showcase if he still has it.  Dude will have plenty of shot opportunities.  Interested to see how this game goes.  My dough is on the Raptors though.

I am not totally counting the Lakers out of this game though. Austin Reaves and Walker are quite performing well. The Raptors will be missing the service of Hernangomez and Otto Porter Jr too. This game will be Siakam, Vanvleet, and OG for the Raptors vs Westbrook, Walker, and Austin Reaves for the Lakers. I still like the chances and the odds for the Lakers are @6.60. Maybe I will throw some satoshis to the Lakers and cross my fingers that they will get lucky and will win the game. It is a big risk, but I am just throwing what I can afford to lose so it will not break my bank.

[Minecache]

It's already proven that you need someone to help you out to win championship. Shaq-Kobe, Bron with Wade in Miami and Bosh and then Irving in Cavs. Recently, the Warriors, Steph, Klay and Draymond. And then role players to fit the pieces.
For the case of Luka, it's all role players, no one has become the number two or number three scoring options. They are all spread out in the 3's waiting for Luka to give them an assists. But they still have to make that shot outside otherwise it will be hard for them to win.

Lately, I have seen Christian Wood doing his own work. Post-up game, outside shooting and there's a point in the first half that he didn't even miss.
The second half was different though as was benched for a long time so the expectation is less as he got cold.
When he was in the Rockets, I saw him being frustrated with his team as there was no effort and energy to win a game.
I think he will be a good pair for Luka as long as he can keep up with the way Mavs management is doing their plays. That's the face of their franchise so every eye will be on him. Remember, KP hated that and it got deeper.

TravelMug, They gotta be more confident throwing the threes. At this point, I think it would not be very wrong to say that it is kind of a flaw in their game. And if they want to win championships, they will have to be flawless. Now I don’t know if they should bring in other players for that or not.

danherbias07, Luka needs a three-point shooter. That is going to be good for him I believe. He will be able to have some good chemistry with Christian Wood. I am not an expert. But I believe it is also going to be good for Christian wood. It will be a breath of fresh air for him.

[ingiltere]

I am not totally counting the Lakers out of this game though. Austin Reaves and Walker are quite performing well. The Raptors will be missing the service of Hernangomez and Otto Porter Jr too. This game will be Siakam, Vanvleet, and OG for the Raptors vs Westbrook, Walker, and Austin Reaves for the Lakers. I still like the chances and the odds for the Lakers are @6.60. Maybe I will throw some satoshis to the Lakers and cross my fingers that they will get lucky and will win the game. It is a big risk, but I am just throwing what I can afford to lose so it will not break my bank.

You still think same after that disastrous first half for Lakers? It was fairly obvious when both Anthony Davis and LeBron James officially ruled out. Raptors dropped 70 in first half. VanVleet, Siakam and Anunoby played well enough to made that big point gap. Lakers couldn't show any signs of life, 14/44 FG and 4/18 3-pt combining with 8 turnovers, well this game is over.
At certain moments of the match Damian Jones' performance attracted my attention. I checked him, it's his seventh season and he already got two rings from 17-18 Warriors era, LOL. Time goes so fast.

[danherbias07]

Clarkson is ready to box with Kuminga. 


Kuminga has all the reasons to be mad, but I don't know about Clarkson. He is frustrated because of the blocked shot, that's all the reason he has.
Above-the-neck foul, "unnecessary excessive contact" which means Flagrant foul 2. He was ejected because of that.
Technical foul was called on Kuminga and Beasley.
Despite that, Utah Jazz still got the win because of the errors made by the Warriors and missed freethrows in the last seconds of the game.

[yazher]

Kuminga has all the reasons to be mad, but I don't know about Clarkson. He is frustrated because of the blocked shot, that's all the reason he has.
Above-the-neck foul, "unnecessary excessive contact" which means Flagrant foul 2. He was ejected because of that.
Technical foul was called on Kuminga and Beasley.
Despite that, Utah Jazz still got the win because of the errors made by the Warriors and missed freethrows in the last seconds of the game.

This kind of scenario rarely happened especially when the game is closed and each team is focusing to win the game but we cannot blame them given the pressure and the way they protect themselves from players that are giving any conscience regarding the way they play just to win a single game. This GSW is good when they want to hurt their opponent secretly on the court, just like what happened in the NBA playoffs last year with Ja Morant. and that's maybe what happen today and both teams' results nearly make some smoke against each other.

[stadus]

The Boston Celtics have rich 20 wins today and they are staying at the top because of their teamwork and the way they played they easily outscored the raptors because they haven't figured out how to stop their offense. It was a hard battle in the first half and when they reached the second half, the Celtics completely controlled the game. They still have the chance in the fourth quarter but they cannot stop the raining threes that are sinking every time they attempt to make a comeback. Looks like Blake Griffin found himself in a good team that might be a championship competitor.

The Celtics' current results are impressive, although I didn't expect Mazzulla to do even better than Udoka last season. However, good results in the regular season still don't guarantee anything, and I think it's too early to say that the Celtics might be able to reach the Finals again. It seems to me the Eastern Conference playoff competition may be more intense this season compared to last season's playoffs.

Their situation are already somehow given that they can still be a threat and bully the teams in the league this season even though Ime Udoka is not with them this season. Their new head coach Mazzulla seems to do much better than what Ime Udoka did, although, he might have the easier journey because the Celtics are already a fine team now since they reached the Finals recently.

I agree that the competition in the Eastern Conference will be much intense this season and their seat are not yet guaranteed especially now that the Milwaukee Bucks are healthy and complete again as they are also looking forward to participate the said Finals because they fell through the ladder last season as the defending champions.

[dwyane36]

You still think same after that disastrous first half for Lakers? It was fairly obvious when both Anthony Davis and LeBron James officially ruled out.

"Ah shit, here we go again," said the Lakers after losing LeBron and Davis once again. Honestly, I even thought the Lakers could find their rhythm, considering they've been playing pretty well lately. However, it looks like the Lakers' success depends a lot on the health of those two guys because the team doesn't have anyone who can replace them.
Unfortunately, now the Lakers have two losses in a row due to Davis and LeBron's absence, and that's too bad because they were so close to even their win/loss numbers.

[freedomgo]

Without Davis in most of the game Lakers still remained competitive, but now we saw how important Davis is, without him then I guess Lakers will start tanking again. Davis injury was not so serious though, so hopefully he will be back in a couple of games so their effort will not be wasted.

They did, in fact they still played competitively even against the Raptors today. But still fell short though because none of them exploded unlike when Davis was around with them, Lebron on the other hand played below his average. I reckon that they could've defeated the Cavs on the other day if Davis didn't have to exit the game much earlier.

Here's Davis's update regarding his flu-like symptoms:

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Davis’ symptoms gradually got worse during the course of the day.
He also stressed Davis had not tested positive for COVID-19.

https://www.nba.com/news/lakers-anthony-davis-exits-illness

Seems that he will have to get some rest first because his situation got worse that day and it will take him few days before he can play again because I think the league still have the existing rules about flu-like symptoms which he needed to get quarantined first.

[Japinat]

As we all know, this MVP ladder is updating every single week and it's not surprising that Anthony Davis's name has surfaced on the list after his good productions and their team, the Lakers, has been impressive as well for having a 8-2 run in the last 10 games. Together with Davis's name, Sabonis also appeared in the top 10 in the expense of Ja Morant and Jaylen Brown.

Yes, it does change weekly and it will be an unpredictable season on who will be on the top of that ladder.
I am rooting for Luka Doncic to claim it, I am super amazed at how skillful he is and how he can handle everything, from offense to being the playmaker of the team. Although that will be a little biased since I am a fan of his.  
But Tatum seems to be not backing down yet who now averages at 30 ppg, the rebounding category will make a big difference as Luka gets more rebound every game.

To be fair Luka getting it at this age would be proof of 2 things. First of all, any team who passed on him made a huge mistake, that is already known to be fair, but it was obvious even at that time, but would be confirmed now as well.

Secondly, Dallas needs to do a better job surrounding him with better players as well, this kid has been around for just a few years now, and already playing like he would win a championship if you just put the right pieces around him, and that is a big deal, not many people can do that, not at that age at least. He should be given a bit of talent around him, maybe another star, so that he could win the title and his talents wouldn't go to waste.

Another star who knows how to adjust and will be willing to serve as backup for Luka. I mean a go-to guy who is willing to sacrifice
stats to win alongside with Luka.

The kid is really doing everything but against a heavy equipped squad it will be tough for him
to carry his whole team.

I like the idea of bringing star with additional role players who can also add up in both offenses
and defense that will surely increase the chance of chasing the title for Luka and the Mavs.

Yes, another star or core player that is versatile enough to know which area needed more focus to help the team achieve a victory in almost every game and can match Luka's energy so that he end up carrying the team especially when it comes to intense games. Just like Giannis who have Middleton and Curry who have Thompson. Honestly, that's what they've been lacking and if they can fill up that spot, I bet they can reach farther than what they reached last season.

[Questat]

You still think same after that disastrous first half for Lakers? It was fairly obvious when both Anthony Davis and LeBron James officially ruled out.

"Ah shit, here we go again," said the Lakers after losing LeBron and Davis once again. Honestly, I even thought the Lakers could find their rhythm, considering they've been playing pretty well lately. However, it looks like the Lakers' success depends a lot on the health of those two guys because the team doesn't have anyone who can replace them.
Unfortunately, now the Lakers have two losses in a row due to Davis and LeBron's absence, and that's too bad because they were so close to even their win/loss numbers.

It was Davis who has the biggest contribution to the team, even with Lebron playing, Lakers will still struggle, but put Davis back and even if Lebron is out, Lakers will remain competitive. IMO, it's Anthony Davis who is now the most important player of the Lakers, not Lebron, so it's hard to see the Lakers playing without him.

[jakelyson]

Without Davis in most of the game Lakers still remained competitive, but now we saw how important Davis is, without him then I guess Lakers will start tanking again. Davis injury was not so serious though, so hopefully he will be back in a couple of games so their effort will not be wasted.

They did, in fact they still played competitively even against the Raptors today. But still fell short though because none of them exploded unlike when Davis was around with them, Lebron on the other hand played below his average. I reckon that they could've defeated the Cavs on the other day if Davis didn't have to exit the game much earlier.

Here's Davis's update regarding his flu-like symptoms:

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Davis’ symptoms gradually got worse during the course of the day.
He also stressed Davis had not tested positive for COVID-19.

https://www.nba.com/news/lakers-anthony-davis-exits-illness

Seems that he will have to get some rest first because his situation got worse that day and it will take him few days before he can play again because I think the league still have the existing rules about flu-like symptoms which he needed to get quarantined first.

I think that the worse is over. Now we know that he will be sidelined very long, just a few days maybe because of COVID restrictions, but that's it. The anxiety that Davis has come down in injury again is already gone. He will come back strong because he will be rested, and that energy hopefully will convert into a win for the Lakers. For now, the remaining roster must do their best and try to win without Davis. They are still a strong team with Westbrook and Lebron, but they need to work together.

Yes, another star or core player that is versatile enough to know which area needed more focus to help the team achieve a victory in almost every game and can match Luka's energy so that he end up carrying the team especially when it comes to intense games. Just like Giannis who have Middleton and Curry who have Thompson. Honestly, that's what they've been lacking and if they can fill up that spot, I bet they can reach farther than what they reached last season.

Luka is still very young and has not yet reached his full potential. There is time for the Mavs to surround him with the supporting cast that he needs to push the team to a championship. Dirk took almost all his career before he became a champion, and it is worth the wait. Luka hopefully will not wait that long before the Mavs figure out the team they need to win. They should have learned now how to support their stars. They at least have 5 years to work it out with Doncic. It is either they develop their young, new recruit or acquire through trades, but they should not waste the opportunity they have with Luka.

[Botnake]

You still think same after that disastrous first half for Lakers? It was fairly obvious when both Anthony Davis and LeBron James officially ruled out.

"Ah shit, here we go again," said the Lakers after losing LeBron and Davis once again. Honestly, I even thought the Lakers could find their rhythm, considering they've been playing pretty well lately. However, it looks like the Lakers' success depends a lot on the health of those two guys because the team doesn't have anyone who can replace them.
Unfortunately, now the Lakers have two losses in a row due to Davis and LeBron's absence, and that's too bad because they were so close to even their win/loss numbers.

It was Davis who has the biggest contribution to the team, even with Lebron playing, Lakers will still struggle, but put Davis back and even if Lebron is out, Lakers will remain competitive. IMO, it's Anthony Davis who is now the most important player of the Lakers, not Lebron, so it's hard to see the Lakers playing without him.

Maybe, but it was Lebron who started this team better, without him also this team will struggle. Davis maybe the best contributor this season, but without Lebron they'll never win a championship, best chance they'll have is to reach the playoffs but for sure they'll be eliminated early.

There's no need to compare both actually, both are great players, let's just hope that they'll both be healthy so they'll make this team a championship team.

[danherbias07]

Kuminga has all the reasons to be mad, but I don't know about Clarkson. He is frustrated because of the blocked shot, that's all the reason he has.
Above-the-neck foul, "unnecessary excessive contact" which means Flagrant foul 2. He was ejected because of that.
Technical foul was called on Kuminga and Beasley.
Despite that, Utah Jazz still got the win because of the errors made by the Warriors and missed freethrows in the last seconds of the game.

This kind of scenario rarely happened especially when the game is closed and each team is focusing to win the game but we cannot blame them given the pressure and the way they protect themselves from players that are giving any conscience regarding the way they play just to win a single game. This GSW is good when they want to hurt their opponent secretly on the court, just like what happened in the NBA playoffs last year with Ja Morant. and that's maybe what happen today and both teams' results nearly make some smoke against each other.

It's Clarkson's frustration that really started the fire. They may also be expected to blow out the Warriors as they are starless without Green, Wiggins, and Steph Curry. Now, with the game ending in a close one against a 2nd unit is unacceptable. I do think Kuminga might've also said something to make Clarkson react like that but we won't be able to know anymore.

Kyrie is back to the trend. The shoe he is wearing didn't escape the media and social media. 
https://www.foxsports.com.au/basketball/nba-2022-news-scores-results-wrap-celtics-def-suns-western-conference-kyrie-irving-shoes-nike-cut-ties-lebron-james-laker-raptors/news-story/9eb61a2489341a443ea3f2e6ba32365a

Elsewhere, Nets gun Kyrie Irving made a statement writing “I AM FREE Thank you God ... I AM” and “logo here” in gold marker on his shoes which had black tape covering Nike’s logo.

[Yamifoud]

You still think same after that disastrous first half for Lakers? It was fairly obvious when both Anthony Davis and LeBron James officially ruled out.

"Ah shit, here we go again," said the Lakers after losing LeBron and Davis once again. Honestly, I even thought the Lakers could find their rhythm, considering they've been playing pretty well lately. However, it looks like the Lakers' success depends a lot on the health of those two guys because the team doesn't have anyone who can replace them.
Unfortunately, now the Lakers have two losses in a row due to Davis and LeBron's absence, and that's too bad because they were so close to even their win/loss numbers.

It was Davis who has the biggest contribution to the team, even with Lebron playing, Lakers will still struggle, but put Davis back and even if Lebron is out, Lakers will remain competitive. IMO, it's Anthony Davis who is now the most important player of the Lakers, not Lebron, so it's hard to see the Lakers playing without him.

Maybe, but it was Lebron who started this team better, without him also this team will struggle. Davis maybe the best contributor this season, but without Lebron they'll never win a championship, best chance they'll have is to reach the playoffs but for sure they'll be eliminated early.

There's no need to compare both actually, both are great players, let's just hope that they'll both be healthy so they'll make this team a championship team.

They are in one team and without Davis or Lebron, this Lakers team will never be the same. Actually, Westbrook was not anymore counted as the big 3 is not anymore a big 3, we only have Lebron and Davis who is bringing this team to success.


Davis will be back soon as he was only listed with Illness, not a serious injury.

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/anthony-davis-player

Won't play Wednesday
Davis (illness) won't be available Wednesday versus the Raptors, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Impact On a positive note, Davis' illness is listed as the non-COVID-19 variety, so he should be in store for only a brief absence. With Davis, LeBron James (ankle) and Wenyen Gabriel (shoulder) set to sit, Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson should take on sizable workloads in the frontcourt.
18 HOURS AGO
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ROTOWIRE

[carlisle1]

You still think same after that disastrous first half for Lakers? It was fairly obvious when both Anthony Davis and LeBron James officially ruled out.

"Ah shit, here we go again," said the Lakers after losing LeBron and Davis once again. Honestly, I even thought the Lakers could find their rhythm, considering they've been playing pretty well lately. However, it looks like the Lakers' success depends a lot on the health of those two guys because the team doesn't have anyone who can replace them.
Unfortunately, now the Lakers have two losses in a row due to Davis and LeBron's absence, and that's too bad because they were so close to even their win/loss numbers.

It was Davis who has the biggest contribution to the team, even with Lebron playing, Lakers will still struggle, but put Davis back and even if Lebron is out, Lakers will remain competitive. IMO, it's Anthony Davis who is now the most important player of the Lakers, not Lebron, so it's hard to see the Lakers playing without him.

We all see Davis' past performances, he really lifting the Lakers not just with his offense but his presence inside gives them a
good interior defender and rebounder.

Without Davis, the chance of winning is slim. LeBron is no longer the same type of star player who can really dominate. He was
past on his prime, he can help but in terms of carrying the whole loads,

it will be tough now for him to takeover and win against those teams who are composed of complete packages.