Lakers defeat Bulls without Russell, Young

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls, 96-90, at the United Center on Wednesday night.

The Lakers improved to 10-10 on the season. It’s the second win in their past three games for the Lakers, who were without D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young.

José Calderón (Getty Images)

The Bulls dropped to 10-7. Chicago has lost for the second time in their past three games. They’re 4-2 at home.

Young suffered a strained right calf on Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s expected to be out two-to-four weeks. Russell sat out as he recovers from left knee soreness.

The Bulls were without Doug McDermott as he continues to be in concussion protocol. He’s missed seven straight games after being injured in the Nov. 12 game when he fell on his face and caused the injury when he lost his balance.

Julius Randle led the Lakers with 13 points, while Luol Deng added 10 points. Fellow starters Timofey Mozgov, rookie Brandon Ingram and José Calderón combined for 17 points.

Los Angeles had 56 bench points. Both Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams had 18 points off the bench.

The Bulls had 22 points from Jimmy Butler. Dwyane Wade added 17, while Rajon Rondo had 14. Starters Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez combined for 21 points.

Chicago had limited bench production, as they had just 16 bench points. Nikola Mirotić led these players with six points.

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Bulls, Nuggets, Magic, 76ers pull off the first two trades in the NBA Draft

By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: June 25th, 2014 at 9:12 pm EST

There has been two trades at the 2014 NBA Draft so far.

Doug McDermott was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 11th overall pick. A short time later, he was moved to the Chicago Bulls for the 16th and 19th picks.

2014 NBA Draft

Reece Davis, who is a part of the ESPN crew working the NBA draft, said McDermott wanted to play for the Bulls all along.

The complete McDermott deal has Anthony Randolph also going to Chicago for Jusuf Nurkic (16th overall pick) and Gary Harris (19th overall pick) and a 2015 second round pick.

Randolph has bounced around on his career. He began his career with the Golden State Warriors, before moving on to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010-11 and also made a stop with the New York Knicks that season.

He rejoined the Wolves for the 2011-12 season, before spending the past two years with the Nuggets.

He has averaged 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.7assists, and 0.9 blocks in 252 career games since the 2008-09 season. He has made 42 starts in his career.

With the 10th overall pick, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Elfrid Payton, while the Orlando Magic drafted Dario Saric with the 12th overall pick.

Besides Sarc, the 76ers also acquire a 2015 second round draft pick and a 2017 first-round draft pick. The first round draft pick was originally the 76ers, before it was dealt to the Magic in the Dwight Howard blockbuster deal from two years ago.

These two players were then swapped for each other. Payton, who rose up the draft board, will be the replacement for point guard Jameer Nelson.

On June 23rd, Saric signed a three-year contract with Anadolu Efes, a Turkish powerhouse. This past season, he played with Cibona Zagreb, where he averaged 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

This contract is two years with a player option for the third year. It also prohibits him from playing in the NBA for at least two years.

The 76ers did not have a single foreign player play for them during the 2013-14 season.

Big East Conference has four teams in the March Madness tournament

By Marc Faisant | Contributing Writer

The Big East Conference might not have the big names that it once had, however, the revamped conference was able to send four teams to this year’s Big Dance, including two of the conference’s three newcomers, with Villanova and Creighton receiving top 3 seeds in their regions.

Villanova

Not surprisingly, the Big East regular season champion Villanova Wildcats received a No. 2 seed in the East region, and they will face UW-Milwaukee in Buffalo, NY.  If Villanova survives their opening game, they will be facing a familiar foe the following round.  They will draw either former Big East rival Connecticut or add another chapter to the Holy War rivalry against fellow Big 5 member school St. Joe’s.  Villanova would remain in New York to play, should they advance to the Sweet 16.

Creighton

Advancing to the Sweet 16 is something that the Creighton Blue Jays have never done and they have to feel good about their chances this time around.  “Sure, one of our goals is to definitely advance beyond where we were last year and that means getting to the Sweet 16,” commented Creighton All American forward Doug McDermott shortly after the tough loss to Providence in the Big East Tournament Championship game.  Creighton received the No. 3 seed in the West region, and will face Louisiana Lafayette in San Antonio.

The Blue Jays were in question to receive such a high seed after losing the Big East Tournament – especially with National Championship favorites Michigan State and Louisville receiving #4 seeds.  If Creighton advances past Louisiana Lafayette, they will face the winner of Baylor and in-state rival Nebraska.

Providence

The Providence Friars, led by senior guard Bryce Cotton’s 23 points, a stingy defense, and timely free throw shooting down the stretch, jumped off the proverbial bubble and into the NCAA field.  Providence held off a late Creighton rally at Madison Square Garden Saturday night to upset the Blue Jays and claim the Big East Tournament Championship for the second time in school history.

Winning the Big East tournament meant the Friars earned the automatic berth into the Big Dance and avoided a possible play-in game this Tuesday night. The Friars played four of their starters for the entire game, and played only six players as they dispatched the favored Blue Jays.

“It means a lot,” said Providence head coach Ed Cooley as he celebrated the school’s first Big East Tournament Championship since the 1993-94 season. “We have faced a lot of adversity this year … I’ve got to pinch myself as I sit here right now because I can’t believe (it), this is the first time as a head coach I’m going to the NCAA Tournament. It is been eight long years … I feel gratitude to the school that gave me the opportunity to come home and coach their organization. I’m kind of speechless, but I’m very, very appreciative.”

Providence captured the #11 seed in the East and has earned a first round match-up with perennial powerhouse North Carolina.  If the Friars can match their defensive effort from the Big East Final, they have a chance to pull the upset. North Carolina has shown inconsistency all year, and depending on which team shows up, the Tar Heels are no lock to advance.

Xavier

While Providence was able to avoid a play in game, Xavier was not. The Musketeers earned an opportunity to play for the #12 seed in the Midwest and must play Tuesday night against an improved North Carolina State team to advance to the field of 64.  St. Louis, a #5 seed that has stumbled into March, will await the winner Xavier vs. NC State.

(Editor’s Note:  Keep in mind that technically, the four play-in games on Tuesday officially constitute the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with the 32 games this Thursday and Friday being the second round.)

McDermott Leads Blue Jays into March Madness

By Marc Faisant

After a stellar senior season, the presumptive National Player of the Year, Creighton University forward Doug McDermott finds himself in elite company. After recently passing Oscar Robertson and Hersey Hawkins on the all-time NCAA scoring list, McDermott is one of 8 players in in NCAA history to score 3,000 career points and needs another 55 points to crack the top five.

A lock to be included in the Big Dance, as the Creighton Blue Jays head into their first Big East tournament, they are guaranteed a minimum of two more games. Of course it is always dangerous to project victories this time of year, but, for the sake of argument, let’s say that the Blue Jays beat DePaul and the winner of Xavier vs. Marquette and advance to the Big East Final. (As the #2 seed, they are projected to do just that.)

Doug McDermott (Getty Images)

With the first round NCAA tournament game, that is at least four games for McDermott to ascend up that list.

Pete Maravich was a freak of nature and his scoring record is untouchable. In 83 games (with no three point line), he scored 3,667 points for LSU from 1967-1970. Numbers 2 and 3 on the all-time list, Freeman Williams and LaSalle legend, Lionel Simmons, are not within reach unless Creighton makes some noise this March.

Currently, McDermott is 206 points behind Simmons and 238 behind Portland State’s Williams. Coming off a 45 point night against Providence on Senior Night, it is not out of the question for McDermott to climb up to #2 on the all-time list.

For now, McDermott and his Creighton Blue Jays need to focus on DePaul tonight at 7 pm.

NCAA Division I Top 10 scorers (all-time)
1) Pete Maravich, LSU: 83 games, 3,667 points
2) Freeman Williams, Portland State: 106 games, 3,249 points
3) Lionel Simmons, La Salle (Pa.): 131 games, 3,217 points
4) Alphonso Ford, Miss. Valley State: 109 games, 3,165 points
5) Harry Kelly, Texas Southern: 110 games, 3,066 points
6) Keydren Clark, St. Peter’s (N.J.): 118 games, 3,058 points
7) Doug McDermott, Creighton: 140 games, 3,011 points
8) Hersey Hawkins, Bradley: 125 games, 3,008 points
9) Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati: 88 games, 2,973 points
10) Danny Manning, Kansas: 147 games, 2,951 points