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.

Brooklyn Nets vowed last week that they will field a team in Orlando, but it appears this will be a surprisingly tough task. On Tuesday, Nets found out that guard Spencer Dinwiddie will be among the players to miss the NBA season restart, as he continues to be positive for coronavirus.

Dinwiddie was first diagnosed with the virus in late June but intended to join the team if his condition gets better. However, after the most recent test came back positive, the 27-year-old and Nets’ doctors decided that it would be best if he sits out the rest of 2019/20.

Dinwiddie confirmed his decision on social media, writing that he “will be supporting the guys every step of the way!”

Spencer Dinwiddie emerged as one of the Nets’ most valuable players this season, averaging 20.6 points per game. He was also adding 3.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.

Before the NBA suspended the season, Nets already lost All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for the season due to injuries. Then, in recent weeks, the team’s starters Wilson Chandler and De’Andre Jordan decided not to take part in the NBA season restart due to health concerns.

Now, with Dinwiddie also out, Nets face an almost impossible task of playing meaningful basketball in the playoffs. They are currently sitting at No.7 in the East with 30-34 record, being scheduled to face the defending NBA champions Toronto Raptors in the first round.

The post Spencer Dinwiddie Also Out for the Nets Ahead of Orlando Trip appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It appears that Los Angeles Lakers will have center Dwight Howard for the NBA season resume after all. In a recent appearance on CNN, Howard said that he’ll make the trip with the team to Orlando while pleading to donate his salary to charities.

Howard was one of the players who were vocal in their disagreement when the NBA first presented its plan to restart the season. The 34-year-old center openly questioned return to basketball in the midst of coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing battle and protests against social injustice, while hinting that he doesn’t want to play in 2019/20 anymore.

However, it appears that Howard changed his mind in the meantime.

“Yes, I will be joining my team in Orlando,” Howard said when asked about his participation in the NBA season resume.

However, Howard decided to donate all of his remaining salary, around $700K, to charity organization Breathe Again that he started back in 2015.

“I have a contractual obligation to my teammates, to my fans, the Lakers, the organization, and everyone, but at the same time, I also have an obligation to my family and to my community,” he added. “We will be getting a lot of work done here in Atlanta and around the nation as far as making sure people don’t forget about us and what’s going on in our communities.”

Having Dwight Howard in Orlando will make a big difference for Lakers, who are NBA title favorites this year. Howard was instrumental in the team’s success during the regular season, providing stability in the defense while contributing with 7.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.

The post Lakers’ Dwight Howard to Take Part in NBA Restart, Will Donate His Salary appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Washington Wizards will make the trip to Orlando for the NBA season resume without one of their top performers in 2019/20. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that forward Davis Bertans decided to sit out the NBA restart as a “preventive measure.”

Bertans reportedly doesn’t want to risk an injury in a high-risk environment after dealing with two ACL injuries in the past. Health is an extremely important factor for the 27-year-old forward in the future as he is set to become a free agent and is probably in the line to get a massive contract in free agency

Bertans has career highs all across the board this season, averaging 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 42.4 percent from the three-point arc.

Wojnarowski adds Wizards support Bertans’ decision despite the fact that they will be fighting for a playoff spot in Orlando. 

Davis Bertans made his NBA debut back in 2016 with the San Antonio Spurs, where he emerged as a reliable bench player and strong three-point shooter. However, Spurs decided to send Bertans to Wizards past summer as part of salary dump efforts so they could sign forward Marcus Morris.

Things worked out for Bertans, as he got an increased role in Washington and established himself as one of the league’s most lethal long-range shooters. Spurs, on the other hand, will probably regret the move for years to come as they lost an impactful player and missed out on Morris, who changed his mind and signed with New York Knicks instead.

The post Wizards’ Davis Bertans Will Sit Out the Rest of the Season as a “Preventive Measure” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In the past few days, Brooklyn Nets’ superstar Kyrie Irving emerged as the most prominent voice against NBA’s plan to resume the 2019/20 season in a “bubble” setting. And, according to reports, Irving isn’t just lobbying for players to boycott the league’s plan but is also pushing an intriguing alternative.

According to New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy, Irving recently had a group chat with his teammates and tried to convince them to skip the proposed resume of the season. Also, the 28-year-old All-Star suggested that the players should start their own league.

Bondy later followed up on his original report, saying that Irving’s proposal “is not necessarily” in response NBA’s plan to wrap up 2019/20 at Disneyworld in Orlando. This indicates that Irving possibly thinks about forming a long-term alternative to the NBA.

Last week, Kyrie Irving led a conference call that featured approximately 80 NBA players, during which he strongly advocated that they shouldn’t join their teams in Orlando and focus instead on the fight against racial injustice in the wake of current social unrest in the United States. This group of players, featuring LA Lakers’ Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley among others, later issued a statement about the matter and NBA’s role in it.

Irving himself was already ruled out from the trip to Orlando, as he underwent a season-ending shoulder injury. His Brooklyn Nets are currently seventh seed in the East and will most likely make the playoffs.

The post Nets’ Kyrie Irving Proposes That Players Start Their Own League 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.

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.

Brooklyn Nets vowed last week that they will field a team in Orlando, but it appears this will be a surprisingly tough task. On Tuesday, Nets found out that guard Spencer Dinwiddie will be among the players to miss the NBA season restart, as he continues to be positive for coronavirus.

Dinwiddie was first diagnosed with the virus in late June but intended to join the team if his condition gets better. However, after the most recent test came back positive, the 27-year-old and Nets’ doctors decided that it would be best if he sits out the rest of 2019/20.

Dinwiddie confirmed his decision on social media, writing that he “will be supporting the guys every step of the way!”

Spencer Dinwiddie emerged as one of the Nets’ most valuable players this season, averaging 20.6 points per game. He was also adding 3.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.

Before the NBA suspended the season, Nets already lost All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for the season due to injuries. Then, in recent weeks, the team’s starters Wilson Chandler and De’Andre Jordan decided not to take part in the NBA season restart due to health concerns.

Now, with Dinwiddie also out, Nets face an almost impossible task of playing meaningful basketball in the playoffs. They are currently sitting at No.7 in the East with 30-34 record, being scheduled to face the defending NBA champions Toronto Raptors in the first round.

The post Spencer Dinwiddie Also Out for the Nets Ahead of Orlando Trip appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It appears that Los Angeles Lakers will have center Dwight Howard for the NBA season resume after all. In a recent appearance on CNN, Howard said that he’ll make the trip with the team to Orlando while pleading to donate his salary to charities.

Howard was one of the players who were vocal in their disagreement when the NBA first presented its plan to restart the season. The 34-year-old center openly questioned return to basketball in the midst of coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing battle and protests against social injustice, while hinting that he doesn’t want to play in 2019/20 anymore.

However, it appears that Howard changed his mind in the meantime.

“Yes, I will be joining my team in Orlando,” Howard said when asked about his participation in the NBA season resume.

However, Howard decided to donate all of his remaining salary, around $700K, to charity organization Breathe Again that he started back in 2015.

“I have a contractual obligation to my teammates, to my fans, the Lakers, the organization, and everyone, but at the same time, I also have an obligation to my family and to my community,” he added. “We will be getting a lot of work done here in Atlanta and around the nation as far as making sure people don’t forget about us and what’s going on in our communities.”

Having Dwight Howard in Orlando will make a big difference for Lakers, who are NBA title favorites this year. Howard was instrumental in the team’s success during the regular season, providing stability in the defense while contributing with 7.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.

The post Lakers’ Dwight Howard to Take Part in NBA Restart, Will Donate His Salary appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Washington Wizards will make the trip to Orlando for the NBA season resume without one of their top performers in 2019/20. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that forward Davis Bertans decided to sit out the NBA restart as a “preventive measure.”

Bertans reportedly doesn’t want to risk an injury in a high-risk environment after dealing with two ACL injuries in the past. Health is an extremely important factor for the 27-year-old forward in the future as he is set to become a free agent and is probably in the line to get a massive contract in free agency

Bertans has career highs all across the board this season, averaging 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 42.4 percent from the three-point arc.

Wojnarowski adds Wizards support Bertans’ decision despite the fact that they will be fighting for a playoff spot in Orlando. 

Davis Bertans made his NBA debut back in 2016 with the San Antonio Spurs, where he emerged as a reliable bench player and strong three-point shooter. However, Spurs decided to send Bertans to Wizards past summer as part of salary dump efforts so they could sign forward Marcus Morris.

Things worked out for Bertans, as he got an increased role in Washington and established himself as one of the league’s most lethal long-range shooters. Spurs, on the other hand, will probably regret the move for years to come as they lost an impactful player and missed out on Morris, who changed his mind and signed with New York Knicks instead.

The post Wizards’ Davis Bertans Will Sit Out the Rest of the Season as a “Preventive Measure” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In the past few days, Brooklyn Nets’ superstar Kyrie Irving emerged as the most prominent voice against NBA’s plan to resume the 2019/20 season in a “bubble” setting. And, according to reports, Irving isn’t just lobbying for players to boycott the league’s plan but is also pushing an intriguing alternative.

According to New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy, Irving recently had a group chat with his teammates and tried to convince them to skip the proposed resume of the season. Also, the 28-year-old All-Star suggested that the players should start their own league.

Bondy later followed up on his original report, saying that Irving’s proposal “is not necessarily” in response NBA’s plan to wrap up 2019/20 at Disneyworld in Orlando. This indicates that Irving possibly thinks about forming a long-term alternative to the NBA.

Last week, Kyrie Irving led a conference call that featured approximately 80 NBA players, during which he strongly advocated that they shouldn’t join their teams in Orlando and focus instead on the fight against racial injustice in the wake of current social unrest in the United States. This group of players, featuring LA Lakers’ Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley among others, later issued a statement about the matter and NBA’s role in it.

Irving himself was already ruled out from the trip to Orlando, as he underwent a season-ending shoulder injury. His Brooklyn Nets are currently seventh seed in the East and will most likely make the playoffs.

The post Nets’ Kyrie Irving Proposes That Players Start Their Own League 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.