Nearly two years ago, we dubbed Kevin Durant as the next big NBA superstar. Needless to say, he’s just that and with each passing game, he’s now preparing to kick down the door of the rarefied air that is mega-stardom. Read the rest of this entry »

For as much sh*t as Russell Westbrook takes for his controversial ball distribution habits, the fact still remains he’s one of the more freakishly talented basketball players on the face of the Earth. There’s no bigger fan of #0 than our good brother Ed The Sports Fan, but we here at TSS still have faith in the young whipper snapper as well. And when he’s doing stuff like what you’re about to witness, it’s almost as if “why wouldn’t you?” Read the rest of this entry »

Call it denial, but regardless of a lockout(s), sports continue to make me happy. However residents of Seattle and/or Supersonics fans, July 2 probably does not emit the same feeling. On this day three years ago, the franchise left the Pacific Northwest for Oklahoma City in what became sports’ equivalent of the Brad Pitt (the team), Angelina Jolie (OKC) and Jennifer Aniston (Seattle) love triangle. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: NBA_Photos

I can’t front. Oklahoma City’s tepid start had me a bit on edge. Thankfully Kevin Durant’s megaton hammer late in the first quarter – with an and 1 to boot – got the Thunder rolling. Each team’s lead spread to comfortable margins in the second and third but the Thunder persevered with a 106-100 game 2 win. Read the rest of this entry »

From the moment he stepped on the court last night, Dirk Nowitzki was unstoppable. He scored in a variety of ways: on swooping cuts to the hoop, on mid-range jumpers, on an NBA playoff-record 24-of-24 effort from the free-throw line and most impressively, on a bevy of post moves that left each successive defender shaking their heads in disbelief. In the end, he had totaled 48 points on just 12-of-15 shooting from the field. Read the rest of this entry »

The West is close to being won and laymen not into glamour teams will flip channels. That will be their loss as the Western Conference finals has more than a few compelling caveats. Read the rest of this entry »

The OKC-Memphis series originally presented itself as a stopping point, the Thunder one step removed from reaching the Western Conference Finals and achieving destiny. Instead, the Grizzlies showed up and, by playing completely above their heads, have turned it into a slugfest upstaging most other series. Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone else burned-out after watching the Thunder-Grizz TV marathon last night? Anybody else have a hard time determining which squad to root for in this series? With everything knotted up at 2-2, the NBA’s undercard matchup may be turning into the best one going right now. Read the rest of this entry »

Graphics: Talia

The NBA’s regular season is a grueling campaign. Yet, come mid-April, bottom-feeders and ne’er do wells are sent home early while the league’s best vie for the Larry O’Brien trophy. Of course, some squads will serve as fodder for the ensuing rounds. However this years match ups and trends warrant meaningful discussion. Read the rest of this entry »

Graphics: Talia

NBA franchises play 82 games for the chance to contend in “the second season” and win 16 that actually matter. Still, the playoffs are far from being rocket science. Sixteen teams enter the postseason, but a select few have a legit chance to actually hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy come June. Read the rest of this entry »

Mike Tirico’s reaction summed up this dunk perfectly. Dropping the professional veneer that all sportscasters – except perhaps Gus Johnson – take on as part of their job, Tirico stammered “I need to see that again, because I don’t believe what he did!” With these apt words, and the earnest joy in his voice, Tirico channelled the feelings of NBA fans across the country. Read the rest of this entry »

Ask any person in or who follows the NBA closely and they’ll tell you the Oklahoma City Thunder crowd is one of the loudest in the league and at times can act like a sixth man on the court. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook notwithstanding, the team is built top to bottom with young and athletic talent. Yet, those factors may not be the only reason opposing teams have such a difficult time leaving OKC with a win. Read the rest of this entry »

The past two weeks for the Cavaliers have reflected the weather in Cleveland: cold, dark and unforgiving. After having the entire country on their side going into the matchup against you know who and then figuratively defecated on by you know who, the wheels have fallen off the wagon. Dan Gilbert’s squad are currently in the midst of a eight game losing streak where the collective sum of defeats stands at 156 points (or 19.5 per game). Read the rest of this entry »

Seems like there’s a lot of chatter about premiere NBA point guards. Usually it’s Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, and Derrick Rose hogging most of the spotlight. Lately it’s been Westbrook making a name for himself as an emerging star at the 1. He’s a great slasher, strong, sees the court well, actually plays good perimeter defense and has a knack for grabbing boards despite being listed at 6’3″. The only knock I have on his game is his pre-cooked J. With that said, it’s improving and he can hit shots as long as he gets going. Read the rest of this entry »

Forget the very real possibility of a NBA lockout for the moment. David Stern has been using this offseason to make sure he keeps his league in the news. One thing we’ve learned about the NBA this summer is that they apparently have a thing for TV specials. Stern may have not been the biggest fan of LeBron’s version, but he’s obviously a supporter of the results it produced. Following suit this evening, the opening week and Christmas Day games will be unveiled during an hour long special on NBA TV at 7 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »