LeBron James was a surprise scratch from the Thursday night Lakers lineup in their matchup with the Houston Rockets, with the team announcing that it was due to a sore groin.

James, who missed significant time last season due to a groin injury, apparently felt discomfort in recent days in the same area. The team, with the playoffs coming up quickly, apparently opted to play it safe and give their superstar a rest.

The Lakers, who have already clinched the #1 seed in the Western Conference, dropped a 113-97 team to a motivated Rockets team that took full advantage of LeBron’s absence.

Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers in scoring with 21 points in LeBron’s absence, while James Harden torched their defense, scoring 39 points and dishing out 12 assists to lead his team to an important win.

James isn’t expected to miss any significant time for Los Angeles, who likely just erred on the side of caution when it came to their 35-year-old superstar. LeBron has missed only four games this season.

With three games remaining in the regular season, it remains to be seen if LeBron will just sit out the rest of the pre-playoff slate or if he’ll return to the court prior to the Lakers’ first round series.

The post LeBron James Misses Thursday’s Game vs. Rockets Due to Sore Groin appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After being away for more than three months, the NBA finally returned to action. The season resume was highlighted with an LA duel, in which the Lakers topped the Clippers 103-101 in a possible preview of Western Conference Finals.

Lakers opened the game ferociously, finishing the first half with 12 points to spare. However, the Clippers won the following two quarters to get back in the game, and it was obvious we are in for a thriller.

And a thriller it was, as the two teams were tied 101-101 with around 20 seconds left in the game. Lakers’ superstar LeBron James took the responsibility to seal the game but needed two tries to make that happen. His first shot bounced off the rim, but he collected the miss and put the ball in the hole to give his team a win.

The Lakers were led by forward Anthony Davis, who scored 34 points while having eight rebounds and four assists. James followed with an all-around performance, scoring 16 points, dishing seven assists, and collecting 11 boards, while Kyle Kuzma and Dion Waiters added 16 points and 11 points, respectively.

“It felt like a real game to me, two teams battling … Can’t complain for the first game,” said Davis after the game.

Paul George with 30 points and Kawhi Leonard with 28 points were standouts for Clippers.  

“It was a good game,” said Leonard. “Still had fun out there. It was great to be back on the floor.”

The post Lakers Beat the Clippers as NBA Finally Returns to Action appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LA Clippers just witnessed another key player leaving the NBA bubble in Orlando. After center Montrezl Harrell exited the camp last week, Clippers’ guard Patrick Beverley reportedly followed on Tuesday.

Reportedly, Beverley left in order to “address an emergency personal matter.“ However, the 32-year-old starter intends to re-join the Clippers at some point in the future.

It would be a tough blow for Clippers in case they are forced to enter the playoffs without Beverley and Harrell as the duo emerged as important contributors for the team in 2019/20.

In 48 starts this season, Beverley averaged 7.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He was also integral for Clippers’ defense, as he was often tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player.

Harell, who also left the bubble due to personal matter, emerged as an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award candidate this season. Before the NBA suspension in March, the 26-year-old had 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

LA Clippers are set to play their first exhibition game in Orlando on Wednesday against Orlando Magic. They will resume the season on July 30th against West Conference leaders Lakers.

The post Clippers’ Patrick Beverley Leaves NBA Bubble appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Antonio Spurs’ coaching staff will lack an important piece as the NBA resumes its 2019/20 season. According to WOAI-TV’s reporter Don Harris, assistant Tim Duncan didn’t travel with the team to Orlando, opting to remain in San Antonio.

Duncan and several other members of the staff decided to skip the trip in order to oversee the rehabilitation process of All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

Aldridge had shoulder surgery in April and will miss the remainder of the season. He is expected to be cleared for basketball activities in time for 2020/21.

Tim Duncan joined Spurs’ coaching staff as an assistant coach in July 2019. He served as a head coach for one game this past season, filling in for Gregg Popovich in 104–103 comeback win against Charlotte Hornets. Duncan previously spent his entire Hall of Fame career in San Antonio, winning five championships with the team.

San Antonio Spurs find themselves in a tough situation ahead of NBA restart, being in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 23 seasons. Spurs are currently No.12 seed in the West, sitting four games behind Memphis Grizzlies, who hold the last postseason spot.

The post Tim Duncan Won’t be Part of Spurs’ Coaching Staff in Orlando appeared first on SportzBonanza.

If you are sorry that you won’t see Atlanta Hawks or Minnesota Timberwolves playing again this season, then we have some good news. According to reports, the NBA is planning to organize a “second bubble” which would include games between eight teams not included in the Orlando season restart.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the league is close to putting the final touches on the plan, eyeing a September starting date in Chicago. The teams are expected to have a mini training camp and “friendly” games while there.

NBA recently held a call with teams in order to iron out the details about the “Chicago bubble,” with representatives of Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves taking part. The only team that didn’t have a representative on the call were New York Knicks.

Reportedly, the teams initially wanted to have mini-camps in home arenas or establishing regional sites close to their markets. However, the league rejected the idea and remains determined that the remaining teams, if they want to play, must follow the same guidelines like 22 teams that will be quarantined in Orlando. 

If the league’s plan ends up going through, the teams would spend two weeks practicing and would then play four games each. The format would be similar to the NBA Summer League.

The post NBA to Organize “Second Bubble” for Teams Not Included in Season Restart appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who were informed by guard Avery Bradley that he would not participate in the rest of the 2020 season thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, have reportedly settled on his replacement for the remainder of the season.

Los Angeles will reportedly ink veteran shooting guard JR Smith to a deal for the remainder of the year.

The 34-year-old scorer, the 2013 NBA Sixth Man of the Year and NBA Championship winner with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, will have the chance to come back to the league after he was waived by his former team last summer.

He has not appeared in an NBA game since November 2018.

Smith, who had spent the past five seasons as a volume-shooting sixth man for Cleveland, will reunite with former teammate LeBron James as he looks to play a part on the bench for a Lakers team that has NBA title aspirations.

The former Hornet, Nugget, and Knick will be expected to provide bench depth for the Lakers along with Dion Waiters, Alex Caruso, and Rajon Rondo as the team looks to continue the success that has propelled them to a title contender this year.

The contract is expected to be finished and announced by the middle of the week.

The post Lakers Finalizing Deal with SG JR Smith appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It appears that not all NBA players are happy about the league’s decision to continue the 2019/20 season at Disney World in Orlando next month. This is why the league reportedly now considers giving such individuals an option to opt-out of the season resume without major consequences.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that a number of NBA players expressed their doubts about playing in Orlando and are not thrilled with the circumstances surrounding the league’s plan. Portland Trail Blazers’ Carmelo Anthony even publicly expressed his concerns, recently telling reporters that he’s thinking about whether to play.

This reportedly prompted the NBA and NBA Players’ Association to start working on an agreement that will allow those players a way out in case they end up deciding not to play. The talks are still ongoing, but it is expected that the two sides might have an agreement on the matter in the next few days.

Wojnarowski adds that players who voluntarily miss the rest of the 2019/20 would not be paid for the final eight regular-season games as a repercussion.

Reportedly, there are several reasons why some players are hesitant to play in Orlando, but most of them revolve around safety and health protocols. According to the current plan, the players wouldn’t be allowed to have visitors until the first round of playoffs which is scheduled to wrap up almost seven weeks after teams first arrive at the Disney World complex.

Additionally, the players would be required to spend all of their time inside the complex. Those that leave at any point would be subjected to a 10-day quarantine upon return.

The post NBA Might Allow Players to Opt-Out of the 2019/20 Season Resume appeared first on SportzBonanza.

NBA will give teams an opportunity to make roster changes before the 2019/20 season restarts in July. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league will open a “transaction window” in late June and enable the conversion of two-way players as well as free-agent signings.

This transaction window will most likely start around June 22nd and will remain open for one week. The interesting thing is that all 30 NBA teams can take part and not just the 22 teams that will participate in the season resume.

While some teams already have their roster packed and won’t benefit from this decision, others will get a chance to make some final tweaks. Also, teams that lost some of their key players to season-ending injuries like Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz will now be able to replace them and enter the postseason with a full roster.

According to the NBA’s plan, the 2019/20 season will resume with 22 teams at Disneyworld in Orlando. The league plans to play the first games in late July, with October 12th being set as the date for the final game of the NBA Finals.

The post NBA Will Open 1-Week “Transaction Window” Ahead of Season Resume appeared first on SportzBonanza.

While the NBA remains quiet about its plans for the suspended 2019/20 season, basketball players are increasingly vocal about their wish to continue the competition. One of them is Cleveland Cavaliers’ Larry Nance Jr., who recently argued that the NBA needs to have a champion despite concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In a video conference with reporters on Tuesday, Nance shared his opinion on a variety of topics, including the resume of the 2019/20 NBA season. According to the 27-year-old, he wants to play and remains optimistic that the league will continue the competition soon.

Lance then explained that he wants to see NBA crowning a new champion even though his team isn’t in the position of winning the title.

“We’re not in a position to win a championship this year, but if I was — if I was Giannis [Antetokounmpo], if I was LeBron [James], if I was Kawhi [Leonard] — If I was on one of those championship-caliber teams, I’d be pretty upset about it,” said Nance. “Because it’s very rare in this league that a chance like this comes along, and that’s taken a valuable year off someone’s career. I want to see someone win. If it can’t be us, I want to see someone. “

It remains to be seen whether Nance and the rest of us get to witness champion being crowned this year. NBA reportedly discussed a variety of options, including heading straight to playoffs and playing all games on one or two locations but still hasn’t made the final decision.

In the meantime, other sports leagues around the world are slowly resuming their activities. German Bundesliga is scheduled to resume until the end of May, while English Premier League should restart in June. On the other hand, some leagues like French Ligue 1 and Dutch Eredivisie took a different approach and canceled the remainder of the season.

The post Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. Says NBA Needs to Have a Champion This Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Basketball won’t be returning anytime soon. According to reports around the league, the most probable timeframe for the resume of NBA, which was suspended last week due to coronavirus pandemic, is mid-June.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that there is a growing understanding among the teams around the league that the NBA activities won’t be resumed in full at least for the next three months. This would be the “best-case scenario,” but even then, the fans wouldn’t be able to attend the games. 

It’s important to note that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention handed out a recommendation that the events or gatherings with more than 50 people should not be organized in the next eight weeks.

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the NBA initially went with a plan to continue the competition but without an audience. However, the league changed its mind after Utah Jazz’s center Rudy Gobert tested positive on the virus. In the following days, Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell and Detroit Pistons’ Christian Wood were also found positive. 

NBA’s lead was followed by all the major sports in North America, with most competitions being suspended. NHL and MLS suspended their respective seasons, while MLB canceled its spring trainings.

The post NBA Could Reportedly Return Mid-June, But Without Fans appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LeBron James was a surprise scratch from the Thursday night Lakers lineup in their matchup with the Houston Rockets, with the team announcing that it was due to a sore groin.

James, who missed significant time last season due to a groin injury, apparently felt discomfort in recent days in the same area. The team, with the playoffs coming up quickly, apparently opted to play it safe and give their superstar a rest.

The Lakers, who have already clinched the #1 seed in the Western Conference, dropped a 113-97 team to a motivated Rockets team that took full advantage of LeBron’s absence.

Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers in scoring with 21 points in LeBron’s absence, while James Harden torched their defense, scoring 39 points and dishing out 12 assists to lead his team to an important win.

James isn’t expected to miss any significant time for Los Angeles, who likely just erred on the side of caution when it came to their 35-year-old superstar. LeBron has missed only four games this season.

With three games remaining in the regular season, it remains to be seen if LeBron will just sit out the rest of the pre-playoff slate or if he’ll return to the court prior to the Lakers’ first round series.

The post LeBron James Misses Thursday’s Game vs. Rockets Due to Sore Groin appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After being away for more than three months, the NBA finally returned to action. The season resume was highlighted with an LA duel, in which the Lakers topped the Clippers 103-101 in a possible preview of Western Conference Finals.

Lakers opened the game ferociously, finishing the first half with 12 points to spare. However, the Clippers won the following two quarters to get back in the game, and it was obvious we are in for a thriller.

And a thriller it was, as the two teams were tied 101-101 with around 20 seconds left in the game. Lakers’ superstar LeBron James took the responsibility to seal the game but needed two tries to make that happen. His first shot bounced off the rim, but he collected the miss and put the ball in the hole to give his team a win.

The Lakers were led by forward Anthony Davis, who scored 34 points while having eight rebounds and four assists. James followed with an all-around performance, scoring 16 points, dishing seven assists, and collecting 11 boards, while Kyle Kuzma and Dion Waiters added 16 points and 11 points, respectively.

“It felt like a real game to me, two teams battling … Can’t complain for the first game,” said Davis after the game.

Paul George with 30 points and Kawhi Leonard with 28 points were standouts for Clippers.  

“It was a good game,” said Leonard. “Still had fun out there. It was great to be back on the floor.”

The post Lakers Beat the Clippers as NBA Finally Returns to Action appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LA Clippers just witnessed another key player leaving the NBA bubble in Orlando. After center Montrezl Harrell exited the camp last week, Clippers’ guard Patrick Beverley reportedly followed on Tuesday.

Reportedly, Beverley left in order to “address an emergency personal matter.“ However, the 32-year-old starter intends to re-join the Clippers at some point in the future.

It would be a tough blow for Clippers in case they are forced to enter the playoffs without Beverley and Harrell as the duo emerged as important contributors for the team in 2019/20.

In 48 starts this season, Beverley averaged 7.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He was also integral for Clippers’ defense, as he was often tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player.

Harell, who also left the bubble due to personal matter, emerged as an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award candidate this season. Before the NBA suspension in March, the 26-year-old had 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

LA Clippers are set to play their first exhibition game in Orlando on Wednesday against Orlando Magic. They will resume the season on July 30th against West Conference leaders Lakers.

The post Clippers’ Patrick Beverley Leaves NBA Bubble appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Antonio Spurs’ coaching staff will lack an important piece as the NBA resumes its 2019/20 season. According to WOAI-TV’s reporter Don Harris, assistant Tim Duncan didn’t travel with the team to Orlando, opting to remain in San Antonio.

Duncan and several other members of the staff decided to skip the trip in order to oversee the rehabilitation process of All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

Aldridge had shoulder surgery in April and will miss the remainder of the season. He is expected to be cleared for basketball activities in time for 2020/21.

Tim Duncan joined Spurs’ coaching staff as an assistant coach in July 2019. He served as a head coach for one game this past season, filling in for Gregg Popovich in 104–103 comeback win against Charlotte Hornets. Duncan previously spent his entire Hall of Fame career in San Antonio, winning five championships with the team.

San Antonio Spurs find themselves in a tough situation ahead of NBA restart, being in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 23 seasons. Spurs are currently No.12 seed in the West, sitting four games behind Memphis Grizzlies, who hold the last postseason spot.

The post Tim Duncan Won’t be Part of Spurs’ Coaching Staff in Orlando appeared first on SportzBonanza.

If you are sorry that you won’t see Atlanta Hawks or Minnesota Timberwolves playing again this season, then we have some good news. According to reports, the NBA is planning to organize a “second bubble” which would include games between eight teams not included in the Orlando season restart.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the league is close to putting the final touches on the plan, eyeing a September starting date in Chicago. The teams are expected to have a mini training camp and “friendly” games while there.

NBA recently held a call with teams in order to iron out the details about the “Chicago bubble,” with representatives of Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves taking part. The only team that didn’t have a representative on the call were New York Knicks.

Reportedly, the teams initially wanted to have mini-camps in home arenas or establishing regional sites close to their markets. However, the league rejected the idea and remains determined that the remaining teams, if they want to play, must follow the same guidelines like 22 teams that will be quarantined in Orlando. 

If the league’s plan ends up going through, the teams would spend two weeks practicing and would then play four games each. The format would be similar to the NBA Summer League.

The post NBA to Organize “Second Bubble” for Teams Not Included in Season Restart appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who were informed by guard Avery Bradley that he would not participate in the rest of the 2020 season thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, have reportedly settled on his replacement for the remainder of the season.

Los Angeles will reportedly ink veteran shooting guard JR Smith to a deal for the remainder of the year.

The 34-year-old scorer, the 2013 NBA Sixth Man of the Year and NBA Championship winner with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, will have the chance to come back to the league after he was waived by his former team last summer.

He has not appeared in an NBA game since November 2018.

Smith, who had spent the past five seasons as a volume-shooting sixth man for Cleveland, will reunite with former teammate LeBron James as he looks to play a part on the bench for a Lakers team that has NBA title aspirations.

The former Hornet, Nugget, and Knick will be expected to provide bench depth for the Lakers along with Dion Waiters, Alex Caruso, and Rajon Rondo as the team looks to continue the success that has propelled them to a title contender this year.

The contract is expected to be finished and announced by the middle of the week.

The post Lakers Finalizing Deal with SG JR Smith appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It appears that not all NBA players are happy about the league’s decision to continue the 2019/20 season at Disney World in Orlando next month. This is why the league reportedly now considers giving such individuals an option to opt-out of the season resume without major consequences.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that a number of NBA players expressed their doubts about playing in Orlando and are not thrilled with the circumstances surrounding the league’s plan. Portland Trail Blazers’ Carmelo Anthony even publicly expressed his concerns, recently telling reporters that he’s thinking about whether to play.

This reportedly prompted the NBA and NBA Players’ Association to start working on an agreement that will allow those players a way out in case they end up deciding not to play. The talks are still ongoing, but it is expected that the two sides might have an agreement on the matter in the next few days.

Wojnarowski adds that players who voluntarily miss the rest of the 2019/20 would not be paid for the final eight regular-season games as a repercussion.

Reportedly, there are several reasons why some players are hesitant to play in Orlando, but most of them revolve around safety and health protocols. According to the current plan, the players wouldn’t be allowed to have visitors until the first round of playoffs which is scheduled to wrap up almost seven weeks after teams first arrive at the Disney World complex.

Additionally, the players would be required to spend all of their time inside the complex. Those that leave at any point would be subjected to a 10-day quarantine upon return.

The post NBA Might Allow Players to Opt-Out of the 2019/20 Season Resume appeared first on SportzBonanza.

NBA will give teams an opportunity to make roster changes before the 2019/20 season restarts in July. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league will open a “transaction window” in late June and enable the conversion of two-way players as well as free-agent signings.

This transaction window will most likely start around June 22nd and will remain open for one week. The interesting thing is that all 30 NBA teams can take part and not just the 22 teams that will participate in the season resume.

While some teams already have their roster packed and won’t benefit from this decision, others will get a chance to make some final tweaks. Also, teams that lost some of their key players to season-ending injuries like Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz will now be able to replace them and enter the postseason with a full roster.

According to the NBA’s plan, the 2019/20 season will resume with 22 teams at Disneyworld in Orlando. The league plans to play the first games in late July, with October 12th being set as the date for the final game of the NBA Finals.

The post NBA Will Open 1-Week “Transaction Window” Ahead of Season Resume appeared first on SportzBonanza.

While the NBA remains quiet about its plans for the suspended 2019/20 season, basketball players are increasingly vocal about their wish to continue the competition. One of them is Cleveland Cavaliers’ Larry Nance Jr., who recently argued that the NBA needs to have a champion despite concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In a video conference with reporters on Tuesday, Nance shared his opinion on a variety of topics, including the resume of the 2019/20 NBA season. According to the 27-year-old, he wants to play and remains optimistic that the league will continue the competition soon.

Lance then explained that he wants to see NBA crowning a new champion even though his team isn’t in the position of winning the title.

“We’re not in a position to win a championship this year, but if I was — if I was Giannis [Antetokounmpo], if I was LeBron [James], if I was Kawhi [Leonard] — If I was on one of those championship-caliber teams, I’d be pretty upset about it,” said Nance. “Because it’s very rare in this league that a chance like this comes along, and that’s taken a valuable year off someone’s career. I want to see someone win. If it can’t be us, I want to see someone. “

It remains to be seen whether Nance and the rest of us get to witness champion being crowned this year. NBA reportedly discussed a variety of options, including heading straight to playoffs and playing all games on one or two locations but still hasn’t made the final decision.

In the meantime, other sports leagues around the world are slowly resuming their activities. German Bundesliga is scheduled to resume until the end of May, while English Premier League should restart in June. On the other hand, some leagues like French Ligue 1 and Dutch Eredivisie took a different approach and canceled the remainder of the season.

The post Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. Says NBA Needs to Have a Champion This Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Basketball won’t be returning anytime soon. According to reports around the league, the most probable timeframe for the resume of NBA, which was suspended last week due to coronavirus pandemic, is mid-June.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that there is a growing understanding among the teams around the league that the NBA activities won’t be resumed in full at least for the next three months. This would be the “best-case scenario,” but even then, the fans wouldn’t be able to attend the games. 

It’s important to note that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention handed out a recommendation that the events or gatherings with more than 50 people should not be organized in the next eight weeks.

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the NBA initially went with a plan to continue the competition but without an audience. However, the league changed its mind after Utah Jazz’s center Rudy Gobert tested positive on the virus. In the following days, Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell and Detroit Pistons’ Christian Wood were also found positive. 

NBA’s lead was followed by all the major sports in North America, with most competitions being suspended. NHL and MLS suspended their respective seasons, while MLB canceled its spring trainings.

The post NBA Could Reportedly Return Mid-June, But Without Fans appeared first on SportzBonanza.