Kevin Durant Warriors boss Steve Kerr makes claim on star ahead of Lakers showdown by @SportToday - Post Details
Kevin Durant Warriors boss Steve Kerr makes claim on star ahead of Lakers showdown
Kevin Durant: Warriors boss Steve Kerr makes claim on star ahead of Lakers showdown. And Steve Kerr has praised KD and his side after the problems they had earlier in the season. Durant and Draymond Green clashed leading to the latter being suspended for one game for ‘conduct detrimental to the team.’ But Kerr believes the Warriors have moved on from the issue. “We’re light years ahead [from that],” he said. Kerr also praised his side for sitting top of the Western Conference with a 32-14 record. “I’m really proud of our guys,” he explained. “I’m really proud of how far we’ve come and how our guys have gotten to this point playing at a high level and playing through frustration and playing through adversity. “As a coach its your job to manage the situation and try to help the guys get back on the right track. “Playing in the league was definitely a big help for me in experiencing those ups and downs and helping me figure out how to help as a coach.” Ahead of the match 2011 NBA champion Caron Butler has backed Durant to link up with LeBron James at the Lakers. “You’ve got to always think about who’s the best fit and you look at the Lakers, they need a guy that can compliment LeBron and also take over in those moments,” Butler told Express Sport. “I think Kyle Kuzma has shown he can legitimately be that number two guy and he’s developing on the fly with no ceiling. “But I think that the guy that goes best with LeBron - because he still is ball-dominant guy and his player usage is still extremely high and he loves passing. I think KD would just compliment him extremely well because he catches and shoots. “He plays at a high level and he’s an elite guy. “If Kawhi [Leonard] is the consolation then that’s not a bad consolation. “If you look at the Clippers, just adding any one of those guys would be amazing. “The more you win, I think it’s easier because that’s when guys say, ‘I am the missing piece for them winning the championship’.” The Lakers take on the Warriors tomorrow at 3.30am UK time (7.30pm PST).
Similar Posts!
Liverpool fans go CRAZY after Sadio Mane’s INSANE back heel goal ahead Watford
Liverpool fans go CRAZY after Sadio Mane’s INSANE back heel goal ahead Watford. The Senegal international was leading the line in the absence of Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian forward rolled his ankle in the Old Trafford turf during Sunday’s stalemate. Divock Origi came into the starting line up while Mane played through the middle as a striker. And Mane did not disappoint. With nine minutes on the clock, Mane met Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inviting delivery with a well time glancing header. But the impressive opener was then outdone by a moment of pure magic. Mane was put through on goal but his heavy touch took him away from Ben Foster, but the lightening forward had another idea. The 26-year-old then back heeled the ball past the Watford goalkeeper to the sheer delight of Anfield. Liverpool supporters couldn’t help but laud their attacker on Twitter for his phenomenal finish. One fan tweeted: “Omg mane again. What a goal.” Another said: “Omg that Mane goal was DIIIRRTTYY!” A third said: “Sadio Mané just did Watford keeper Ben Foster dirty!” The back heel was Mane’s 14th Premier League goal of the season. Only Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane and Mane have scored over ten Premier League goals in the last five seasons. Another fan put: “Sadio Mane is enjoying himself today.” Liverpool knew they had to beat Watford with Manchester City breathing down their necks.
Miguel Almiron has made BIGGER impact than any Newcastle player in 20 years Martin Keown
Miguel Almiron has made BIGGER impact than any Newcastle player in 20 years - Martin Keown. Almiron joined Newcastle from Major League Soccer side Atlanta United in January. The Paraguay international cost a club-record fee of £21million, overtaking the £16.8m the Magpies paid for Michael Owen back in 2005. Almiron made his full debut in English football on Saturday, starring in the 2-0 win over Huddersfield. Keown was seriously impressed with the 25-year-old, who once again started against Burnley on Tuesday. And he says the last Toon player to make as much of an immediate impact was Faustino Asprilla back in 1996. “He was breath of fresh air on his full debut,” Keown said of Almiron on BT Sport. “The local people here are saying it’s been outstanding. “I think Asprilla was the last player who maybe impacted as much as he did. He runs with the ball, he’s quick. “This was virtually the first tackle on him, welcome to the Premier League, he got up after that, absolutely no problem. “This as well, the pace of the man, and then the audacity to chip there. “Doesn’t go in of course but the imagination that he has, the ability. “He just went from strength to strength, running at players, he’s causing real mayhem for opposition defences. “He tucked in that little position there, that’s where he likes to make that run. “He takes the ball well, he looks for his team-mates, he’s not frightened of an early cross into the box. “He’s involved in a lot of the good things that Newcastle do. “Lots of confidence, imagination there, vision from the pass, and I think it’s really exciting for the Newcastle faithful that he’s turned up here just in the nick of time.”
Anthony Davis to JOIN Lakers, Kevin Durant will NOT link up with LeBron James ex Laker
Anthony Davis to JOIN Lakers, Kevin Durant will NOT link up with LeBron James - ex-Laker. Davis handed in a trade request to the New Orleans Pelicans in January. It’s understood the Lakers are keen on signing the power-forward, who is said to have his heart set on linking up with LeBron James at the Staples Center. Gold State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant has also been linked with a move to LA. Durant, a two-time NBA championship winner, will be a free agent the end of the season and is said to have discussed playing in LA with James. The potential arrivals of Davis and Durant would make the Lakers a force to reckoned with next season and give them a serious chance of winning their first NBA title since 2010, which doesn’t look like happening this campaign. But Perkins doesn’t foresee both men wearing the Lakers’ famous golden jersey in the 2019-20 season. “No,” Perkins told Basketball Society’s Brandon Robinson when asked if he thinks Durant will join the Lakers. However, when asked if the Lakers will eventually acquire Davis’ services, he replied: “Yes.” Davis’ trade request landed him a $50,000 (£38,000) fine from the Pelicans, who were furious with the timing 25-year-old’s transfer demand. They claimed that by making his desire to leave for pastures new public, Davis violated ‘a collectively-bargained rule prohibiting players or their representatives from making public trade demands.’ Davis, however, has insisted he only requested to be traded to in order to realise his dream of winning the NBA championship. "I feel like it's my time," Davis said. "I gave the city, organisation, fans everything I feel like I could. “I don't know how long I'm going to play this game. People's careers are short, and I feel like it's my time to move on." Davis and his Pelicans team-mates will be back in action early on Saturday morning, travelling to the Bankers Life Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, Durant and the Golden State Warriors welcome the Sacramento Kings to the Oracle Arena early on Friday morning.
Darts star Joe Cullen goes WILD in away end during Man Utd’s FA Cup win over Chelsea
Darts star Joe Cullen goes WILD in away end during Man Utd’s FA Cup win over Chelsea. Darts player Joe Cullen, who is currently ranked No 14 in the world, tweeted a video of the Stamford Bridge pitch earlier in the evening. When Paul Pogba’s cross was headed home by Ander Herrera in the 32nd minute the BBC Sport cameras zoomed in on the Manchester United away end and some eagle-eyed fans spotted Cullen in the crowd. The Bradford-born darts player was seen celebrating the goal widely with other supporters, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side went on the achieve a 2-0 victory. Cullen has had a mixed start to 2019 in the PDC tour, following up a disappointing second-round exit at the World Championships with a quarter-final run in The Masters tournament earlier this month. The 29-year-old was beat 10-6 by James Wade in that fixture, who went on to lose to Michael van Gerwen in the final. Cullen’s best career result came in 2018 when he reached the semi-finals of the European Championship. The United fan beat reigning World Champion Rob Cross and Premier League regular on his route before a narrow 11-10 defeat to Simon Whitlock. Cullen made the news in July 2018 after a fly seemed to zoom across his eye-line during a dart to win the match. The dart missed and Gary Anderson went on to take victory, with pundit Wayne Mardle expressing sympathy for the Englishman. "It was tiring because I go through the emotions with the players but I really feel for Joe Cullen, I really feel for him," Mardle told Sky Sports. “He's bitterly disappointed because he knew he had a brilliant chance to win.”
Lakers star LeBron James reveals all on Kyrie Irving as reunion rumours continue
Lakers star LeBron James reveals all on Kyrie Irving as reunion rumours continue. LeBron James rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers from Miami Heat in 2014 and went on to play for the club until 2018. During his time in Cleveland, James was team-mates with Kyrie Irving - who left to join the Boston Celtics in 2017 in acrimonious circumstances. Irving requested a trade because he wasn’t happy with James being the focal point of the team - so he looked elsewhere to be handed a similar role. James has now responded to Irving’s statement in January that revealed the former had phoned the Lakers star to apologise for his actions. "I think I've always loved Kyrie, from before I met him, until when I became his team-mate, to even now,” James said. “So the phone call, more than for me, I think just to see his growth. “It takes a real man and a real person to understand who they are able to call, or to do anything and be able to see their wrongdoings. “To believe they have some wrongdoings and then be able to come to grips with that and then be able to either apologise or say that, 'At that point and time, I thought I was ready for something, but I really wasn’t.’ “I really don't want to talk about it too much, because it's not for everybody. “I love Kyrie. I love everything about Kyrie." Irving told reporters in January of a phone call that he made to the 34-year-old - and revealed exactly why he forced a move. "Obviously, this was a big deal for me, because I had to call [James] and tell him I apologised for being that young player that wanted everything at his fingertips, and I wanted everything at my threshold," Irving said. “I wanted to be the guy that led us to a championship. “I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to be all that, and the responsibility of being the best in the world and leading your team is something that is not meant for many people.” The respectful words of the 2016 NBA Champions have given Lakers fans an idea that Irving could be joining up with James in Los Angeles. Irving can become a free agent this summer due to a player option in his current contract. When asked about his plans for the future, and whether he could become a free agent, Irving told reporters: “Ask me July 1."
LeBron James worry revealed after Lakers suffer shock loss to Atlanta Hawks
LeBron James worry revealed after Lakers suffer shock loss to Atlanta Hawks. The Lakers are struggling in the Western Conference this year as they sit 10th in the table. That is despite the summer addition of James to their roster. A shock defeat away to Atlanta Hawks last night further dampened the Lakers' post-season hopes. And Carter thinks the path is opening for a new star to rise to the top of the NBA in the playoffs. "That would also be the passing of the torch," Carter told First Things First. "He can't be the best player in the world and not be playing in the playoffs." However, fellow pundit Nick Wright moved to defend James from recent criticism. There are some suggestions that failing with the Lakers will hurt the small forward's overall legacy. But Wright has reminded fans to look at the 34-year-old's past achievements. "The legacy discussion is an interesting one to me because I don't believe athletes in any sport, baring some horrible scandal, go backwards," he said. "And by that I mean you should never have your legacy tarnished by playing more. "Where ever you have LeBron in the pantheon, if he retired after last year he shouldn't be penalised for this [season]. "I think continuing to play, if not enhance, it should not hurt what your standing is. "I don't hold the [Washington] Wizards years against [Michael] Jordon. I don't think it's fair to say a guy is here, and because he kept playing he goes backwards." And Carter agreed with drawing comparisons between James and Jordan. "The argument with LeBron is his prime has been so much longer," he added. "But he was in his prime when they lost the playoffs so that would be huge."
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James SLAMMED amid serious row claims ‘drama HAS to end’
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James SLAMMED amid serious row claims - ‘drama HAS to end’. The 34-year-old has flopped at the Lakers since joining from Cleveland Cavaliers with his new side set to miss out on the playoffs. This has been the first of three years he is due to spent at the Lakers and for the respected columnist Bill Plaschke it could be a recipe for disaster. Plaschke cited the fact he had tried to get coach Luke Walton fired in behind-the-scenes row and wrote: “LeBron James has clearly done plenty in his time in Los Angeles, creating drama with every breath, putting the Lakers in the headlines with every news cycle. “But few of his major contributions have had anything to do with the actual playing of basketball.” READ MORE: Why does LeBron James write on his Nike sneakers? Answer revealed In particular, Plaschke cited James’ relationship with the younger players as a problem amid claims he has isolated them in a bid to try and lure Anthony Davis to the club. Plaschke wrote: “His young teammates have had to listen to the believable chants that James wanted them traded for Davis. ”He has sat with three vacant seats between him and those teammates during a recent blowout loss. He has missed 17 games with a slow-healing groin injury that could be related to the wear on his 34-year-old body.” As for the groin injury which has hampered James’ cause, Plaschke reasoned: “He just hasn’t played enough… if there is such a thing as a LeBron Effect, the Lakers are still waiting for it to happen.” READ MORE: LAKERS SET TO MISS OUT ON PLAYOFFS Plaschke added: “For as spectacular as he looks in a Lakers uniform — which still appears two sizes too small for his almost mythical physique — James still doesn’t seem to be a Laker, this perception of a disconnect only reinforced by his comments about not needing to win another championship. “James realistically has but a three-year window to become a Laker, and it has to start now. “The backstage drama has to end. The winning basketball has to begin. “James needs to engage with his teammates because they’re not going anywhere. He needs to not just wow them, but lead them, to a place befitting his greatness. “James truly has nothing to prove to anyone, but he has much to show to Lakers fans, specifically getting this team to the postseason and winning at least one round once they get there. “Anything less and his first year would be an absolute failure. To not even make the playoffs would make this first year a complete waste.” The Lakers fell to a 117-113 defeat to Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night despite a triple-double from James, who had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists. It was his fifth triple-double of the season.
Russell Westbrook and Paul George defended by Thunder coach after loss to Pelicans
Russell Westbrook and Paul George defended by Thunder coach after loss to Pelicans. Donovan defended George’s poor shooting performance on the road, as he insisted you cannot expect a “guy to go out every night and hit 47”, as the eight-year veteran struggled to find any rhythm on the court. George scored 11-of-29 from the field and could only make three of his 17 attempts from beyond the arc. The 28-year-old finished the game with 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists. “I think Paul has shown, in the run he’s been on in such a long period of time, that he is more than capable of making those shots and doing those kinds of things,” Donovan said. “It’s hard to expect a guy to go out every night and hit 47, 45 and shoot the ball the way he has been shooting the ball. “It wasn’t a great shooting night for him, it happens. “But other than tonight he’s been so consistent all the way up to this point in time.” Donovan rebuked the suggestion George’s poor shooting display was solely down to him facing Pelicans stat defensive guard Jrue Holiday. “I mean Holiday worked hard,” Donovan said. “[Paul] didn’t have a great shooting night, but I don’t want to take anything away from Holiday, as he worked hard. “But I think Paul is one of those kind of scorers that he can kind of do it against anybody.” Westbrook extended his NBA record for consecutive triple-double games to 11, as he finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, at the Smoothie King Center in Louisiana. He also became the Thunder’s all-time record scorer, after coming into the game trailing Hall of Famer Gary Payton, by just five points. Donovan praised Westbrook’s performance and his desire to keep “trying to lift up” the team. “He really played downhill and got to the basket,” Donovan said. “That was the biggest thing, that he got to the rim. “And then he was able to find people and he did. “I think his energy and his inspiration was just trying to keep the guys in it. “Because we did not have the ‘pop’ in my opinion, that we needed to have. “I think our guys were trying, we didn’t have it in some spots tonight. “And that’s part of it. “Russ, as he always does, was trying to will those guys and get the team to fight.” The victory for the Pelicans halted Oklahoma’s four-game winnings streak, but the win was bittersweet for New Orleans as they lost their All-Star forward Anthony Davis to injury in the second quarter. Despite Davis only being on the court for 15 minutes he managed to score 14 points and picked up four rebounds - a drastically improved performance form his last game where he only managed three points in the entire game against the Orlando Magic. The extent of the injury is not yet known and what ramifications it will have on Davis’ appearance at the All-Star Game on Sunday in Charlotte. Going in the break Oklahoma City sit third in the Western Conference, three games behind leaders the Golden State Warriors. Their next game will be at home against the Utah Jazz on Friday February 22.