Mateo Mayorga

3 weeks ago | fivereasonssports.com | Mateo Mayorga

The Heat lost Game 1 because they were the smaller, slower, and weaker team against a machine that didn’t show up in top form. They also rolled into the match physically, mentally and emotionally spent after surviving two elimination games in the Play-In Tournament. They played well for their standards and hung around with the Cavaliers for three quarters, but they were overwhelmed by artillery strikes late.

3 weeks ago | mateomayorga.substack.com | Mateo Mayorga

The Nuggets survived the Clippers after 11 lead changes, seven ties and overtime in Game 1. Nikola Jokić plus Aaron Gordon pummeled the lane, and Russell Westbrook’s fourth-quarter heroics prevented the team’s early grave.  Thanks for reading Mateo’s Hoop Diary! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. After the game, Jamal Murray credited Westbrook for his intangibles and performance.

3 weeks ago | open.substack.com | Mateo Mayorga

Strahinja Jokić, brother of the Nuggets’ center, will go to trial on May 7 and 8 for the third-degree assault charge, stemming from an altercation at a Nuggets game in April 2024. The trial was originally scheduled for April 24. Here is a video of the incident. Thanks for reading Mateo’s Hoop Diary! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Judge Schwartz said there was no perfect solution for picking the date after nearly an hour of trying to set it because of logistical issues.

1 month ago | mateomayorga.substack.com | Mateo Mayorga

(Ivica Zubac and Nikola Jokić on Oct. 27, 2024)Thanks for reading Mateo’s Hoop Diary! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. After the Nuggets clinched the fourth seed, coach David Adelman was asked which team he wanted to play. His response: Nobody because the West is loaded. The Clippers’ win in Golden State on Sunday triggered the matchup. Naturally, many people will think back to the surprising 2020 second-round series in which the Nuggets won after being down 3-1.

1 month ago | poundingtherock.com | Mateo Mayorga

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Spurs got whacked by the surging Clippers, who needed this win more to stay out of Play-In Tournament territory. Ivica Zubac was a man among boys, and the Spurs’ defense couldn’t do enough to slow down the surplus of LAC’s options. The Spurs hung around in the first quarter, which featured four lead changes, thanks in part to Harrison Barnes’ sharpshooting, Stephon Castle’s rim pressure, and the defense forcing two shot clock violations.