South Carolina Gamecocks vs Texas Longhorns Basketball game

By: Knox Buxton

On Saturday South Carolina played against Texas in an SEC matchup. South Carolina went into the game 0-13 in conference play and 10-16 overall. I thought South Carolina was going to get killed by Texas because of the way their season has gone so far. To be honest, the only reason I went to the game was to see Texas’s freshman star, Tre Johnson. Tre Johnson is a projected top 10 pick in this year’s NBA draft and the latest mock draft has him going at 6th overall. It is also always fun to watch Collin Murray-Boyles play for South Carolina and he is also a projected lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft. Murray-Boyles is projected to go at 13th in the latest 2025 NBA mock draft. Carolina got hot to start the game and came out and got a lead on Texas. Texas could not get anything going on offense because South Carolina was playing great defense to start the game. Jahmarii Thomas started off gaurding Tre Johnson and was doing a really good job on him. Texas’s offense runs through Tre Johnson so since they couldn’t get him going, it was looking good for South Carolina. Collin Murray-Boyles got off to a hot start for Carolina as he had a couple and one’s and altered texas’s shots at the rim. Carolina stayed hot and went into halftime up 40-22. Johnson had 9 points at the half and it seemed like no one else could score the ball for the longhorns. To start the second half it was more of the same, Carolina went up by twenty and the game seemed like it was just about over. With just under 10 minutes left in the game Texas started force feeding Tre Johnson and he got hot. To go along with johnson scoring the ball at will, Texas broke out a press which seemed to work on Carolina for a little while. It looked like Texas was about to make a comeback with around five minutes left to play but then South Carolina pulled away and won the game 84-69. I enjoyed watching South Carolina get their first win in conference play and seeing Collin Murray-Boyles go for 22 points and 10 rebounds. It was also fun to watch Tre Johnson score the ball at will and seeing Texas’s whole offense run through him. Johnson finished with 29 points and hit some tough shots. That game looked to me like Carolina’s best all around game in SEC play because they played hard defense and were scoring the ball better than they usually do. Even though this season has been pretty painful to watch for Carolina, I enjoyed watching them surprise Texas.

Evaluating the Knicks and Timberwolves Trade

By: Knox Buxton

The New York Knicks and Minnestota Timberwolves just made a blockbuster trade right before the start of the NBA season. The Timberwolves traded their center, Karl-Anthony Towns, in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a future first round pick from the Detroit Pistons. The Knicks made this move because they needed to add a center due to Mitchell Robinson getting foot surgery over the summer and having to miss the beginning of the season. The Knicks gave up a lot of depth to acquire Towns by trading DiVicenzo and Randle. Both players were big contributors to the Knicks last season and were a big reason why they made it to the second round of the playoffs. The Timberwolves added more pieces to help their young star, Anthony Edwards. In my opinion, the Knicks won the trade for now, but it could quickly turn around depending on how Towns plays this season and how deep the Knicks go in the playoffs. New York’s biggest problem is the depth, they can try to solve that by giving Deuce McBride more minutes off the bench and trying to add people in free agency or they could see who has the ability to step up early in the year. On paper, the Knicks have one of the best rosters in the league, but like last year, that does not matter if no one can stay healthy. They were missing Julius Randle, OG Annunoby, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. They ended up losing to the Pacers in the second round, but Jalen Brunson proved to be one of the best players in the league. Their lineup this season looks like it will be Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Annunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns. When asked about the trade, Knicks fan Jackson Bonser stated, “I think it’s a fair trade. I also think that we will know within the first ten games whether the Knicks really won the trade or not.” Bonser is very high on New York’s all star pint guard, Jalen Brunson. When asked about how Brunson will fit with Towns this season Bonser said, “It’s a match made in heaven, and both will be on an All-NBA team this season. Additionally, I believe that Jalen Brunson will be in the MVP conversation this season.” The Knicks have a lot to prove by making that move, but Knicks fans like Jackson have a lot to be excited about for this upcoming season.

Ranking the Seasons: Winter

By: Alexis Dawkins

Winter is my least favorite time of year. Being cold is the worst thing on the planet, but a few good things can come from winter. To start off, there is Christmas. Even though I hate winter, Christmas is the best time of year. Having time with family and getting gifts: what could be better? Santa comes for the kids, and they have the best time setting up cookies and milk for him. Then there is New Years. This is a monumental time every year because we end one year and start a new one. Everyone tries to make new year resolutions but we all know how those go. A month into the year and a majority of people have forgotten about them.

Valentine’s day also is in the winter. February 14th is the day that couples love. Everyone giving out chocolate and flowers and stuffed animals is a big part of Valentine’s day. Sometimes, depending on where you are, it may snow. Not in Sumter but in a lot of places it may snow a few feet. If it does snow then it is a great time for friends and family to get together and play outside. Even if you live in South Carolina where it doesn’t snow you can go places like Virginia and go snowboarding and snow skiing. This is a great way for families to bond and make memories that last a lifetime.

This also is the time for basketball season for all the basketball lovers out there. The winter is the best time to have bonfires too. They can be fun in the summer but they are better in the winter because they heat you up in the cold of the winter.

Even though I do not like winter, it is still a fun time of year for those who do like the cold.

Top NBA Games for April 29-May 5

By: Andrew Brown

Monday 29, 2024

Thunder vs Pelicans 8:30pm

West 1st round – Game 4, OKC lead series 3-0

Who’s going to win: Thunder. The Pelicans have had no answer for this young and talented team. Without Zion they can’t really do much. For the Thunder they have to finish this out and carry their momentum to the next round.

Lakers vs Nuggets 10:00pm

West 1st round – Game 5, DEN lead series 3-1

Who’s going to win: Nuggets. Lebron has to carry this game. He is the key to them winning this game/ possibly the series. Denver needs to just play them like they usually do. they are 11-1 against this team so whatever they are doing shouldn’t change.

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Tuesday 30,2024

76ers vs Knicks 7:00pm

East 1st round – Game 5, NY lead series 3-1

Who’s going to win: 76ers. With Embiid not at 100% the 6ers have been struggling offensively. If Embiid was at or at least close to a 100% this series would be closer, they might even be ahead. For the Knicks Bruson has been on fire and has to stay that way or they might be in trouble. Their defense against Embiid is very good. As soon as he touches the back there are at least 3 people on him or 4 people ready to pounce when he drives.

Pacers vs Bucks 9:30pm

East 1st round – Game 5, IND lead series 3-1

Who’s going to win: Pacers. With Giannis and Dame out there is no excuse for them to lose. The Bucks lost to basically the G-League Grizzlies twice with Dame and Giannis playing, it will be embarrassing if they lose. They also have one of the best offenses of all time with them having the second best offense rating of all time, another reason why the Pacers shouldn’t lose. The Pacers do not need to play like it’s a guaranteed win, they need to fight hard from the start to the end. For the Bucks they just need to come out and play hard. If they want any chance of winning Middleton needs to have a huge game. Their bench needs to be ready too.

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Wednesday 1, 2024

Heat vs Celtics 7:30pm

East 1st round – Game 5, BOS lead series 2-1

Who’s going to win: Celtics. Ever since Jimmy Butler got injured this series was already over. They probably had a chance to win the series with Butler healthy but still would’ve lost. For the Celtics with Porzingus out this game but they should still easily win. Last game the Celtics played mad especially Derrick White who had 38 points (career high) was greening 3 and dunking on everyone. He only had 13 dunks in the regular season but for that game he had two big contested dunks with a nasty one over Bam the big man. If they play like that the whole playoffs nobody will beat them.

Mavs vs Clippers 10:00pm

West 1st round – Game 5, series tied 2-2

Who’s going to win: Clippers. The Clippers have more experience on their team than the Mavs do. With them having Harden, George, and Westbrook they all have the capability of scoring. For the Mavs with Luka being on the injury report as a Game Time Decision (he’ll most likely still play) it’ll be hard for them to win if he is out. If he is out Kyrie will be the leader of this team and will have to give it all that he got.

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Thursday 2, 2024

Games TBD

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Friday 3, 2024

Cavs vs Magic Time is TBD

East 1st round – Game 6, series tied 2-2

Who’s going to win: Magic. I believe the Magic have the capability of winning this series. Franz Wagner looks like the number one option it’s all up to him if they will win it or not. Banchero has also been playing very well. For the Cavs the key to them winning is Darius Garland. He needs to be a scorer and not just sit in the corner. If he gets more involved they will win the series.

Clippers vs Mavs 9:30pm

West 1st round – Game 6, series tied 2-2

Who’s going to win: Clippers. I feel like in this game the Clippers are going to run away with it as it’ll be an all around team effort. There is just too much talent for them to lose. For the Mavs Luka hasn’t been on his best game. He even admitted it as he said he felt like he was letting Kyrie down with his bad performance. This game I think Luka will go off but it will not be enough for the win.

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Saturday 4, 2024

Games TBD

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Sunday 5, 2024

Games TBD

NBA Picks for this week

By: Andrew Brown

Wednesday 24, 2024

Heat vs Celtics 7:00pm

East 1st round – Game two, BOS lead series 1-0

Who’s going to win: Celtics. With the heat without Jimmy Butler and Rozier it’ll be hard for them to win against this Celtics team. For the Celtics they need to play like they’ve been playing this whole season. They cannot get into the one on one game they’ll need to pass the ball and create/look for mismatches.

Pelicans vs Thunder 9:30pm

West 1st round – Game two, OKC leads series 1-0

Who’s going to win: Thunder. With Zion out players like Trey Murphy need to step up for Zion’s absence. The Pelicans were also one of the best teams scoring in the paint but it’ll be hard doing that without Zion. For the Thunder they should easily win the series unless Shai gets injured. With them being the youngest team in the league they need to use their young energy to beat out their opponents.

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Thursday 25, 2024

Cavs vs Magic 7:00pm

East 1st round – Game three, CLE lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: Magic. In my opinion I think the Magic will come back and win the series. If they want any chance of doing that they have to believe they can. At the start of the season they were on fire. If they can play like that then they will easily make the conference finals and maybe the championship. The only 2 things that come down to them winning is hard defense and Jalen Suggs stepping up. Palo and Wanger can’t be the only two scoring. For the Cavs they can’t let them come back. If they end up losing this series they will have a lot of things they have to do in the summer. The key to winning is Darius Garland. Garland has been in a shooting slump and needs to get out of it before it’s too late.

Nuggets vs Lakers 10:00pm

West 1st round – Game three, DEN lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: Denver. Last game the Lakers had a 20 point lead and still lost. If they can’t win games when they’re up by 20 then they aren’t winning the series. Darvin Ham needs to make some serious adjustments to win. Lebron and AD also need to finish out games and hope they can come back. For the Nuggets they need to play like they have been every time they play this team. They have won 10 straight and will probably get 11. They have a good chance to sweep them too.

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Friday 26, 2024

Bucks vs Pacers 7:30pm

East 1st round – Game three, series tied 1-1

Who’s going to win: Pacers. After the last game it looked bad for the Bucks. The pacers were just getting everything they wanted on offense. Sikam also looks like the best player in the NBA. For the Bucks Lilard has to carry the load now that Giannis is out. On defense They need to box out and stop them from getting offensive rebounds. Either the Bucks win the series or at least keep it close for Giannis to return.

Clippers vs Mavs 10:00pm

West 1st round – Game three, series tied 1-1

Who’s going to win: Clippers. With all their talent how can they lose. Also with Kawaii coming back they should be better all around. They need to all use their experience to win the game and the series. For the Maverick it all starts with defense, especially Luka. If Luka plays hard defense and doesn’t let players blow by then it’ll make winning easier for them. With the Clippers having the big 4 you have to pick your poison because you can’t and won’t defend all of them.

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Saturday 27, 2024

Thunder vs Pelicans 3:30pm

West 1st round – Game three, OKC lead series 1-0

Who’s going to win: Thunder. Without Zion they’ll probably get swept. Shai (who has a chance of getting the MVP) has to lead this team to the next round. He cannot slack off now, he has to finish the job and go to the next round. For the Pelicans at this point they have to hope they are shooting well and they aren’t.

Nuggets vs Lakers 8:30pm

West 1st round – Game four, DEN lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: Lakers. If they lost their last game then this is make it or break it time. If they get a 10 point lead it’ll probably only goi u p from there. With his career potential in the line Lebron will give it his all and will break the losing streak against Denver. For the Nuggets they have to expect that they won’t go down without a fight. They need to match their energy and go on to the next round. If the Laker wants to go on they need to pay like their life is in it because most of them are. For the Nuggets to win they have to play like they have been this whole season and not let them gain confidence.

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Sunday 28, 2024

Knicks vs 76ers 1:00pm

East 1st round – Game four, NY lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: If the Knicks haven’t won. game 3 then this is the last chance for the 6ers. Just like the Lakers situation they have to win to keep their season alive. With Embiid going batter and better each game expect him to have a big game especially if the Knicks are up 3-0. The 76ers need to use their strength and size down low offensively and defensively. For the Knicks they look like they’ve already won the series the way they played. If they keep this defense up then they should and easily sweep them. They have held the 6ers to under 100 points each game. If the Knicks want to win and possibly sweep then they cannot lack on the defensive side where they’ve been good at.

Timberwolves vs Suns 9:30pm

West 1st round – Game four, MIN lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: Timberwolves. If the Timberwolves won the last game then they should easily sweep the Suns. The Timberwolves are a total mismatch against the Suns. The Timberwolves can get anything they want offensively and then destroy them defensively. It also helps to have the best defensive team in the NBA. If this is possible the last game for the Suns then KD and Booker need to not pass the ball and only shoot. This team in the previous games looked like it had no idea what they were doing on the court. KD and Booker were missing and complaining while The Wolves stormed down the court and scored. If they want to win they need to lock in because this team showed throughout the season that they can beat anyone.

Is Basketball or Golf a more enjoyable sport?

By: Clark Kinney

Golf and basketball are both sports I like to participate in, but I do not play on the teams for either of them at Wilson Hall. I played basketball growing up and all the way up until high school where I made the decision to put an end to my basketball career. My brothers and parents all played basketball and my dad actually was the head basketball coach at Sumter High School and won a State Championship there in 1985. Basketball definitely runs in the family; however, Golf also runs in the family. My grandma won the South Carolina Women’s Ametuer Championship and my older brother, William plays very often and is quite good. I also really enjoy golf to the point that if golf season wasn’t the same season of baseball, I would be on the team.

Overall, watching basketball is entertaining for me, but I think you can definitely tell that the players aren’t always giving 100% effort which makes it more boring as a fan in my opinion. The NBA regular season is pretty much garbage to me because no defense is played and the players do not seem to care all that much. NBA playoffs, college basketball, and high school basketball are all fun to watch and entertaining. I find golf entertaining to watch at times. The 4 majors and very exciting and I could watch those for hours. There are also some regular PGA Tour events that are exciting like but most of them are only entertaining during the final round on Sunday.

Playing pickup basketball with your friends is very, very fun and a very good workout. One of my favorite parts of the year is on Christmas break heading up to the Sumter YMCA to play pickup basketball almost everyday. The atmosphere in high school basketball games is crazy with fans that feel like they are on top of you and student-sections chanting for their team. Despite this, I still think pickup games are more fun in my opinion, sorry Coach Rip :). Although the atmospheres aren’t the same, Golf is very entertaining to play also. The thing about golf is that people can love it and play it with their best friends for their entire life which is unique. Golf is also very addicting. You finish a round and think about what if the ball would have bounced this way or what if I would have hit this club and it just makes you want to go play again.

Due to the more consistent entertainment and longevity of the entertainment I think Golf is a more entertaining sport overall. I do think basketball has its very entertaining moments though.

NBA Play-In Tournament

by: Andrew Brown

Rules: The 7 and 8 seeds of both conferences will play one game. The winner of the side will receive a spot in the playoffs facing the 2 seed while the loser of this game will get another chance to get in the playoffs as it will play the winner of the 9 and 10 seed games. The winner of the 7/8 seed game on the western side will play the 2 seed Denver Nuggets and the winner of the eastern seed side will play the 2 seed New York Knicks. After those seeds play, the 9/10 seeds will play. The winner of the 9/10 seed game will go on to play the loser of the 7/8 seed to get a spot in the playoffs against the number 1 seed. Whoever loses this matchup will be eliminated from the playoffs.

Western Conference
Tuesday 16

8 Lakers vs #7 Pelicans 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: Pelicans. The Lakers won the regular season series 3-1. With Zion looking better than ever I see him having a really good game. With Zion being physically matched to handle Lebron strength expect him to have a low scoring game. With them being one of the best defensive teams in the league it’ll be hard for the Lakers to get shots up especially in the paint as they rank number 5 in the nba in opposing teams points in the paint per game. But scoring in the paint is one thing the Lakers are good at. The Lakers are the second best team in the Nba in doing that. The Lakers also might lose this game on purpose just so they don’t have to play the Nuggets. This game is going to come down to Zion, whoever wins the battle down low and if the Lakers are hitting from deep.

10 Warriors vs #9 Kings 10:00pm

Who’s going to win: Kings. The regular season series was a tie at 2 apiece (2-2). This team feeds off energy and when they get hype they get hot. After the Warriors made them pack their bags up last year this is a revenge game. For the Kings this game is more than making the playoffs. They want to destroy the Warriors and let them know how it feels. I expect Fox and Sabonis to have big games and send the Warriors home. As for the Warriors Curry likes to be
the villain. He has carried his team to the playoffs and when you think they have no way of winning he shows up and gets it done. If he isn’t shooting well in this game then they have no chance of winning. With that being said Veterans like Klay and Paul need to use their experience to help Curry out and win this game.

Eastern Conference
Wednesday 17

8 Heat vs #7 76ers 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: 76ers. The regular season series was a tie at 2 apiece (2-2). With Embiid back, winning will be much easier for the 76ers. When Embiid plays they win 79% of their games (31-8) but when he doesn’t play they win 37% of their games (16-27) which means they are losing 63% of their games when he doesn’t play. As for tonight, Embiid should easily score. Losing will be embarrassing especially when they only have Jimmy Butler. As for the Heat, their only priority for this game is slowing down Embiid. Playoff Jimmy also needs to be activated for this game in order to win and get into the playoffs.

10 Hawks vs #9 Bulls 10:00pm

Who’s going to win: Hawks. The Bulls have won the regular season series 2-1. This team is hard to figure out. They can beat the number 1 Celtics back to back nights and then lose to the Hornets 2 weeks later. Even though they are on a 6 game losing streak Trae Young and the Hawks won’t go out without a fight. They know that if they lose their season is over so I expect Young and Murray to come out aggressively and have big games. As for the Bulls who have been dealing with injuries this season they just need to focus and win this game. Demar DeRosen needs to come up big to win this game.

Eastern/ Western Conference
Friday 19

Winner of Eastern #9/10 vs Loser of Eastern #7/8 Time TBD

Winner of Western #9/10 vs Loser of Western #7/8 Time TBD

Top NBA games for March 11-17, 2024

By: Andrew Brown

Monday 11, 2024

Warriors vs Spurs 8:00pm
Who’s going to win: Spurs. This will be the third game of the series with the Warriors squeezing by the first game. Even though they’re not winning much, Wemby has been on fire and we are starting to see another reason why he was picked first overall in the draft. Not only for his height but what he can do with his height. There are plenty of players over 7 feet tall but not all of them can hit step back threes like Wemby. With the Warriors biggest player on the court being Draymond Green (who’s only 6’6) Wemby should feast all night and if he isn’t stopped they can win this game. For the Warriors they need to play like they were before they got destroyed by the Celtics. They will have to rely on their 3 point shooting (which they already do) because they’ll rarely score on Wemby down low. Stopping Wemby will be the biggest priority for this game if they want to win.
Hornets vs Pistons 7:00pm
Who’s going to win: Hornets. This will be the third and last game of the series with the Pistons winning the last two. A battle between the worst teams in the NBA. Like I said earlier the Pistons own this series. But this Hornets team has gotten much better. With acquiring Tre Mann and Grant Williams they’ve been better offensively. Once LaMelo is back and healthy They will be winning more than they are. For the Pistons they have to realize that this is a totally different
team from the last two times they’ve played. They have to work hard and win because now at this point every win counts.

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Tuesday 12, 2024

76ers vs Knicks 7:30pm
Who’s going to win: Knicks. With Embiid out it’ll be hard for them to win a game. They’ll have to rely on the rookies and bench players to make big plays. They also need Maxey to step into Embiid’s role which will be tough. For the Knicks they need to focus. This team is definitely better than the Hawks and Warriors but lost both of them by 10+ points. They cannot play like that against the 76ers.
Timberwolves vs Clippers 10:00pm
Who’s going to win: Timberwolves. This will be the fourth and last game of the series with the Timberwolves leading 2-1. The T-Wolves have the best defense in the league with Kat and Gobert. This team has been turned around in the last three years from being last in their conference to being top 3. A big reason for this turnaround is Ant. Carrying his team through it all. For the Clippers it’ll be tough losing Westbrook off the bench. He was the tone setter for the players on the bench. They have to lock in on offense and need every opportunity they can get. The Timberwolves defense’s relentless scoring will be tough for the Clips.
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Wednesday 13, 2024

Nuggets vs Heat 7:30pm
Who’s going to win: Nuggets. This will be the second and last games of the series with the Nuggets being up 1-0. Jokic has been a problem having 4 triple doubles out of the last 7 games since the all-star break. They also won 6 out the last 7 games. With anyone being able to score 30+ this is a problem for opponents who have to play this team. For the Heat Jimmy Butler can’t
be the only one scoring the majority of the points. They need Rozier to be the one scoring when Butler is having an off game. Bam also needs to do his best to contain Jokic if they want any chance of winning.
Lakers vs Kings 10:00pm
Who’s going to win: Kings. This will be the fourth and last game of the season series with the Kings taking a commanding 3-0 lead. As I said earlier the Kings carry this series and if they meet in the playoffs things will not be looking good for the Lakers. Fox has also carried them this series scoring 35+ in two of the last three games. Including having 44 in the last game. The Lakers need to keep them out of the paint. The Kings have outscored the Lakers in every single game against them. With Lebron possibly out for this game it’ll be hard for the Lakers to prevent the series sweep.
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Thursday 14, 2024

Celtics vs Suns 7:30pm
Who’s going to win: Celtics. This will be the first game of the season series. The Celtics have shown that they can beat any team by 30 if they want. But they cannot afford losing a game when they’re up by 22 with 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter. With Jaylen Brown winning eastern conference player of the week and Tatum winning the eastern conference player of the month, these all-stars look like they want a ring. For the Suns KD is averaging 28 points per game while basically making half the shots he takes. To win this game they’ll need Booker to come back from his injury ready to go against this aggressive Celtics team. If I’m the Suns coach I’ll play to win but to also not lose by 50. The Suns cannot take an embarrassing loss and want to keep this game to at least 10 points.
Mavs vs Thunder 10:00pm
Who’s going to win: Thunder. This will be the third game of the series with it being tied at one a piece. The Mavs have been awful since the all-star game winning only two out of seven games. They also have the worst defense in the NBA since the all-star break. Even when Luka gets a triple double they lose. Obviously if they want to get back on the winning side they have to start by getting their defense back on track. As for the Thunder, if the Mavs keep playing horrible on defense then the Thunder should have an easy night due to having one of the best offenses in the league. Shai, the MVP candidate, has been the leading scorer in most of the games he has played. Shai needs to keep leading this team to victory to keep a top 3 spot in the conference.
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Friday 15, 2024

Heat vs Pistons 7:00pm
Who’s going to win: Heat. This will be the third game of the series with the Heat up 2-0. At this point the Pistons have only one option. Tank and hope things go better next year. With this embarrassing season major changes need to be done to get them to at least win games. For the Heat they are 8-2 in the past ten games. If they lose this game there will be some serious problems they’ll have to solve. Even with Tyler Herro potentially missing this game they should easily win this.
Hawks vs Jazz 9:30pm
Who’s going to win: Hawks. This will be the second and last game of the series with the Hawks winning big the last game to be up 1-0. The Jazz haven’t been all that good since the break winning only one out of the last five. This is mainly because of the injuries. With Young out for a while they haven’t been doing that bad. winning three out of the last five. With Seddiq Bay stepping up this team is a team to watch especially when Young comes back. For them to win they have to come with the dominance they came with the first time.
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Saturday 16, 2024

Nets vs Pacers 7:00pm

Who’s going to win: Pacers. This will be the first game of the series. The Pacers are one of the highest scoring teams in the league. This team can put up 130 every game if they wanted to. Haliburton has come out of nowhere. Him and his team have improved significantly from last season. For the Nets injuries are their biggest problem right now. With Ben Simmons out for the year the Nets are running out of players to play. Harden, KD, and Kyrie messed this team up by leaving. Even though it might seem that there is only bad news, they have won three of the last five games with a lot of stars out. Dorian Finney-Smith and Mikai Bridges need to have big games for them to win.
Warriors vs Lakers 8:30pm
Who’s going to win: Warriors. This will be the third matchup of the series with it being tied at one a piece. Lebron looked like age is finally getting to him in his last game. With this the Lakers most likely will give Lebron rest for his upcoming games. This being said AD, Reaves, and Russel have to show his presence for this game. For the Warriors they did an exceptional job bouncing back from the 52 point Celtics loss to beating the Bucks by 38 points. With a loss like that, teams usually lose confidence and lose again the next game. After that performance this either means the Celtics are really good or the Bucks just are trash. Curry needs to keep being dominant and keep winning.
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Sunday 17, 2024

Bucks vs Suns 1:00pm
Who’s going to win: Bucks. This will be the second and last game of the series with the Suns up 1-0. Before the loss to Golden State they were on a 6 game winning streak due to their efforts on defense. Before the all-star break they lost a surprising game to the Grizzlies who only have half the team with a bunch of G-league players. If they want to win they need to continue playing good defense. They also can’t let Giannis, Dame, and Portis score 63 combined points out of 90. That means the rest of the team scored 27 points. All 10 players that played combined for 27 points. That can’t happen. They need other players like Crowder and Lopez to show up. For the Suns they need to stay consistent. They can’t lose to the Rockets and then beat the Nuggets. Consistency is key for them making the playoffs. To win the need to keep Giannis out of the paint and make him make tough shots. They also need to contain Lillard from deep. Last time Booker and KD combined for 60, they either need to do the same or play good defense.
Nuggets vs Mavs 3:30pm
Who’s going to win: Nuggets. This will be the third and last game of the series with the Nuggets looking for another series sweep. After the Nuggets swept the Celtics in the season series this team might be favorites to win it all now. With Jokic having a triple double against the best defense, it looks like he cannot be stopped. Even though they made only 4 threes they scored 115 while shooting exactly 50% from the field. For the Mavs, stopping Jokic is almost impossible. Jokic will probably have another 30 point triple double so they need to focus on
stopping everyone else and hope Jokic plays badly. They also have got to play good interior defense. They scored 103 points in the paint against a good Celtics defense. If Luka and Kyrie go to an offensive clinic they have a chance to barely outdo them.

Do you draft Bronny James this year?

By Dylan Jones

Many basketball fans know of the name LeBron James as he is looked at as one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. LeBron has a son named Bronny James, and he is a freshman at University of Southern California. He was projected to be a mid-first round pick before this summer he suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice at USC. This sidelined him for the rest of summer workouts and practices. Leaving people to question if he will even declare for the draft this year because of the unfortunate start to his freshman year. He isn’t playing as well as he was projected to. This was most likely due to the tragic circumstances he had to deal with this summer. His father, LeBron, has stated numerous times throughout his career that before he retires he wants to play with his son (Bronny).

As a manager of a NBA team you look at this as an opportunity to get Bronny and LeBron on your team. As the 2024 NBA draft class is looked at as one of the weakest draft classes we have seen in a while this gives teams more of a reason to draft Bronny. As Bronny is not NBA ready yet, drafting him would give you a great shot at getting LeBron via trade or signing him in the 2025 offseason. Teams would want LeBron in the final stretch of his career because they know no matter where he is playing he will sell a lot of tickets and jerseys. Bronny also has plenty of potential since he is the son of LeBron. He is an excellent finisher around the rim, and has great vision when playing point guard. His three point shooting ability is not great, but that is something that he can get better at over time with NBA shooting coaches. I am very excited to see what NBA team takes a chance on Bronny’s untapped potential and gets LeBron for the last few years of his career.

Student-Faculty/Staff Basketball Game Predictions

By: Ben Reynolds

Today, February 9th, 2024, the pep rally will showcase the Seniors vs Faculty/Staff Basketball game.. This annual pep rally will take place in order to build excitement and anticipation for the upcoming basketball games tonight versus Laurence Manning Academy.

To start, the two girl’s teams will face off. The senior girls team will compete against the Faculty girls in a short 2 quarter game while each quarter consists of 5 minutes. Both groups bring with them a very athletic and competitive team that will do their best to win their quarters. However, the faculty has dominated this matchup in the past years and are the clear favorites to win this year as well. For the students to stand a chance they will have to limit the damage done by Teressa Alexander who year after year continues to destroy the senior girls team. Although this is a very daunting task, this is what must be done in order to win this year’s game. I predict the faculty will win these two quarters by a score of 16-6.

Following these two quarters, the two male teams will face off. Since the score does not reset, the senior guys will start their two quarters losing by 10 points in this situation. They will have to dig themselves out of this hole in order to win the pep rally for the students. Once again there will be two quarters played with each quarter being 5 minutes long. The male faculty team has the clear height and experience advantage but the senior boys have the edge when it comes to competitiveness, athleticism, and body fatigue. For the students to win, they have to out hustle the faculty and play very clean defense resulting in quick and easy fast break points. The faculty should try and take a lot of time on each possession so they can limit the amount of scoring opportunities for the students. I believe the senior boys will make this comeback which will put the students over the faculty with a final score of 37-35.