Latest news with #ATTSlamDunk
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
7 NBA bets to make ahead of the second half, including award winners and playoff futures
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? through this brief reader survey. Now, here's Prince J. Grimes. As the NBA season resumes Wednesday night -- with a rescheduled game between the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers -- there still aren't many things we can declare with certainty about how they might unfold. Hornets-Lakers: How the Mark Williams-Dalton Knecht deal fell apart I feel comfortable saying the Oklahoma City Thunder are the best team in the league, but that's about it. Everything else remains a mystery, and that isn't a bad thing! There's a ton of intrigue about how the season will turn out. That uncertainty is reflected in betting odds. Outcomes that feel like real possibilities in markets like award winners and team futures still hold a ton of value, if for no other reason than there being a slightly stronger option in the present. But with two months and roughly 30 games remaining on the schedule for each team, there's still a lot of time for those markets to change. So, let's try predicting which ones might do that. These are my favorite bets as the second half gets underway, with odds from BetMGM. Stephon Castle to win Rookie of the Year (+125) This is the only bet on the list where I'm picking the favorite. That's because the ROY race has been so wide-open that Castle still holds real value. He's the only award leader with plus odds. However, his production continues to increase each month and should only continue improving with De'Aaron Fox around to make life easier, especially after an active and confidence-building All-Star weekend for the rookie. Stephon Castle was absolutely phenomenal in the #ATTSlamDunk 💥🌟 360 Windmill: 47.2🌟 Reverse Windmill Off Glass: 47.8🌟 Lob Through the Net & Legs: 49.6🌟 180 Lefty Behind-the-Back: 50.0 Round of applause for the @spurs rookie 👏 — NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025 Rockets to win the Southwest Division (+150) A 2-7 stretch of basketball entering the break dropped Houston to fourth in the West and second in the Southwest -- 2.5 games behind Memphis. But the two wins came in Houston's last three games, so they're trending in the right direction. And having the NBA's 10th-easiest remaining schedule should help them continue tracking the Grizzlies, who have the fourth-hardest remaining schedule, per Tankathon. 76ers to make the playoffs (+260) The Sixers wouldn't even make the play-in tournament if the season ended today, so that's why these odds are so long. Thankfully, it doesn't, and they only have 1.5 games to make up on the Bulls to change that. If Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey are all playing -- which they are for now -- I'll take Philadelphia's chances to make the playoffs over other potential play-in teams like the Hawks and Heat. Nikola Jokic to win MVP (+300) Jokic is a firm but distant runner-up in MVP odds to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at -500, but expect this race to tighten a lot more if Jokic continues on the same path he was on going into the All-Star break. The reigning MVP is averaging a 30-point triple-double in the month of February, and more importantly, the Nuggets are the league's hottest team, riding an eight-game winning streak into the second half of the season. Happy 30th! Nikola Jokic's resume is absurd Cavaliers to win the NBA Finals (+800) Do I think the Cavs are actually going to win the finals? No. But I do think these odds are going to shorten a lot more before the season is over. Just think about it. Cleveland is tied with OKC for the league's best record, yet OKC and Boston have significantly better title odds at +225. Buying the Cavs at these odds should net a buyout profit at the very least if they continue winning at a league-best clip. Updated NBA Championship betting at @BetMGMFavorites▪️ Celtics +225▪️ Thunder +225▪️ Cavaliers +800Highest Ticket%▪️ Celtics 14.1%▪️ Lakers 13.1%▪️ Cavaliers 10.7%Highest Handle%▪️ Celtics 16.6%▪️ Nuggets 12.6%▪️ Lakers 12.1% — John Ewing (@johnewing) February 18, 2025 Grizzlies to win the Western Conference (+1100) Here's another bet worth making for the potential of these odds to shorten significantly rather than it actually happening -- because let's be real, it'd be a complete shock to see the Grizzlies make it out the West. At the same time, they have the conference's second-best record and only the fourth-best odds, behind the Thunder (+105), Nuggets (+650) and Lakers (+700). Those odds should be much tighter considering OKC is the only team in the conference with a better net rating than Memphis. Odds to win NBA Western Conference at @BetMGMThunder +105Nuggets +650Lakers +700Grizzlies +1100Clippers +1600Mavericks +2000Warriors +2000Rockets +2000Timberwolves +2000Highest Ticket%: @okcthunder 18.7%Highest Handle%: @nuggets 23.1% — John Ewing (@johnewing) February 18, 2025 J.B. Bickerstaff to win Coach of the Year (+1600) Funny enough, my longest-shot bet of this list might be the one I have the strongest feelings about, because these odds are absurd to me. Kenny Atkinson is a massive favorite right now at -700, and certainly deserving of consideration, but in no way am I more impressed with the job he's doing in Cleveland than I am with the job Cleveland's old coach is doing in Detroit. The Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season, and J.B. Bickerstaff has them sitting in a playoff spot. If they maintain a top-six seed through the end of the year, he's easily my Coach of the Year. -- Q&A: Ausar Thompson explains why he's the NBA's best perimeter defender -- Kevin Durant getting choked up about basketball is what sports are all about -- A wobbly Nikola Jokic was delighted to hear Anthony Edwards' blunt assessment of USA vs. Serbia -- J.J. Redick trashed the NBA All-Star festivities with a NSFW response This article originally appeared on For The Win: 7 NBA bets to make ahead of the second half, including award winners and playoff futures
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch Mac McClung jump over car and into history books winning third straight Dunk Contest
SAN FRANCISCO — Mac Clung owns the Dunk Contest. He may not be an NBA player — he is currently on a two-way contract with Orlando and has played five NBA minutes this season — but he is the best dunker going. After stringing together four perfect scores in a row to win the Dunk Contest again on Saturday night, he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA Dunk Contest three consecutive years. Nobody — not Jordan, not Kobe, not even three-time winners like Nate Robinson — did it three years in a row. "I think the biggest thing is I genuinely love this contest, and I'm very honored to be here and just very appreciative," he said. McClug was what All-Star Saturday night needed. He changed the energy in the Chase Center. Throughout All-Star Saturday night, things felt a little flat until two-time defending champion McClung got the building on its feet with his first dunk, re-creating the Blake Griffin dunk over a car. MAC MCCLUNG ARE YOU KIDDING ⁉️@Kia | #KiaK5 — NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025 McClung didn't stop there — for his second dunk he threw down two balls, one taken from a guy spinning on a hoverboard and knocking in another up on the rim. McClung got a perfect score of 50 on that one, too (all of his dunks got perfect scores). San Antonio's Stephon Castle would have won a lot of years, he just had some John Stockton/Karl Malone timing. Still, the Spurs rookie was impressive on his way to a second-place finish (Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr. competed but were eliminated in the first round). STEPHON CASTLE BRINGING THE CREATIVITY!TIMING WAS IMPECCABLE #ATTSlamDunk on TNT — NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025 "I mean, [McClung's] dunks are crazy. I would give all his dunks 50, too, but I feel like he earned it and he did a great job," Castle said. McClung wasn't done. For his final dunk of the night, he jumped over 6'11" Evan Mobley standing on a board that raised him about five inches — and McClung tapped the front of the rim then dunked it. Steph Curry couldn't believe what he saw #ATTSlamDunk — NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025 It's just wild to see — and it's inspiring other big name players who hint they may jump into the Dunk Contest down the line. If you do it. I'll do it with you — Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 16, 2025 McClung is the reigning G-League MVP and now three-time Dunk Contest champion, but he still has yet to stick in the NBA. "I love hooping more than I love dunking," McClung said. "I really just am at peace with that, that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, and I'm going to keep applying pressure [to get into the NBA], for sure." Whatever happens on that front, McClung owns the Dunk Contest.
New York Times
16-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Is Mac McClung the contest GOAT? Plus, Mavs fan check-in and sports shows to watch in February
The Pulse Newsletter📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Dunk (carefully) over something today. Midseason festivities deliver We can probably all agree the NBA dunk contest lineup, on paper, did not excite. But we might owe Mac McClung an apology. He did this last night: MUST-SEE Slow-mo replays of Mac McClung's dunk OVER A CAR ‼️#ATTSlamDunk — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2025 The 26-year-old Magic G-Leaguer scored a perfect 200 across his four dunks to win his third straight title. Earlier in the night, the Cavs' Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley won the skills challenge, and Tyler Herro won the 3-point contest. Elsewhere, in the NHL's midseason event: The United States advanced to the 4 Nations Face-Off final, set for Thursday, with a 3-1 win over Canada — but American star Matthew Tkachuk was injured. (Also: There were three fights in the first nine seconds. 🌶️) Advertisement More news 📫 Love the Pulse? Check out our other newsletters. Two weeks have passed since the Dallas Mavericks pushed the nuclear button on that Luka Dončić-for-Anthony Davis trade. How's it been playing in North Texas? Let's check in: Even further indignity arrived at midweek: The Athletic's John Hollinger ranked all 30 teams' trade deadline performance and put the Lakers first and Mavericks dead last. 'If you start with, 'Does this have the chance to be one of the worst trades in NBA history?' it's pretty easy to end up at, 'Yes,'' Hollinger writes. I asked The Bounce's Zach Harper if Mavs fans vs. Mavs management is the most toxic dynamic he's ever seen between a fan base and front office: 💬 A couple examples come to mind, with Knicks fans often angry with James Dolan for a long time, and 76ers fans revolted against the Colangelos when they stepped in for Sam Hinkie as the Trust The Process era was being dismantled. Those were tenuous relationships between a fan base and upper management specifically. I do not remember seeing this much extended vitriol toward a front office like we're seeing with the Mavs fans. The 'fire Nico Harrison' moments in the arena will not go away, and the team has to decide how sensitive it'll be. Fans held a funeral for the team! They're protesting outside the arena! This is an 11 out of 10 on just about every level. This mess could take years to unwind. Formula 1's American TV deal with ESPN expires at the end of this year. The coming dance between F1 owner Liberty Media and potential TV partners is a bit more compelling than your typical sports TV negotiation. Luke Smith's deep dive into the state of play explains why: F1's Netflix-aided boom in the United States has given the series a durable lift in live viewership, but the numbers have plateaued of late after huge jumps in 2021 and '22. That leaves a tough calculation for Liberty: As one analyst tells Smith: 'If the rights holder gets good money, (I'm) not so sure that it's really interested in the viewing (figures), you know?' We'll see. Netflix's interest seems serious and makes obvious sense, given how well 'Drive to Survive' worked for all parties. The NFL season may be over, but sports never die! With the Super Bowl behind us, here's Hannah Vanbiber with a check-in on sports shows to watch for the rest of the month. We'll keep you updated throughout the year! Current and upcoming shows I'm most excited about, ranked: Sequel seasons coming soon: We are fully embarking on the NFL offseason. Here's the biggest offseason need for all 32 teams. Wilt Chamberlain spent a year with the Harlem Globetrotters. It was, in a word, magical. Brody Miller is in La Jolla, Calif., this weekend for the Genesis Invitational. He had one question: Is Torrey Pines, a legendary course, good? Most-clicked in Friday's newsletter: The available QB options for the Jets, and all others. Most-read on the website yesterday: Our live blog covering the U.S. win over Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
NBC Sports
16-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Watch Mac McClung jump over car and into history books winning third straight Dunk Contest
SAN FRANCISCO — Mac Clung owns the Dunk Contest. He may not be an NBA player — he is currently on a two-way contract with Orlando and has played five NBA minutes this season — but he is the best dunker going. After stringing together four perfect scores in a row to win the Dunk Contest again on Saturday night, he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA Dunk Contest three consecutive years. Nobody — not Jordan, not Kobe, not even three-time winners like Nate Robinson — did it three years in a row. 'I think the biggest thing is I genuinely love this contest, and I'm very honored to be here and just very appreciative,' he said. McClug was what All-Star Saturday night needed. He changed the energy in the Chase Center. Throughout All-Star Saturday night, things felt a little flat until two-time defending champion McClung got the building on its feet with his first dunk, re-creating the Blake Griffin dunk over a car. MAC MCCLUNG ARE YOU KIDDING ⁉️🤯@Kia | #KiaK5 McClung didn't stop there — for his second dunk he threw down two balls, one taken from a guy spinning on a hoverboard and knocking in another up on the rim. McClung got a perfect score of 50 on that one, too (all of his dunks got perfect scores). San Antonio's Stephon Castle would have won a lot of years, he just had some John Stockton/Karl Malone timing. Still, the Spurs rookie was impressive on his way to a second-place finish (Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr. competed but were eliminated in the first round). STEPHON CASTLE BRINGING THE CREATIVITY! TIMING WAS IMPECCABLE 😮💨😮💨#ATTSlamDunk on TNT 'I mean, [McClung's] dunks are crazy. I would give all his dunks 50, too, but I feel like he earned it and he did a great job,' Castle said. McClung wasn't done. For his final dunk of the night, he jumped over 6'11" Evan Mobley standing on a board that raised him about five inches — and McClung tapped the front of the rim then dunked it. Steph Curry couldn't believe what he saw 🤣 #ATTSlamDunk It's just wild to see. McClung is the reigning G-League MVP and now three-time Dunk Contest champion, but he still has yet to stick in the NBA. 'I love hooping more than I love dunking,' McClung said. 'I really just am at peace with that, that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, and I'm going to keep applying pressure [to get into the NBA], for sure.' Whatever happens on that front, McClung owns the Dunk Contest.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch Mac McClung dunks that secured him a three-peat in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest
Mac McClung of the Orlando Magic secured his place in NBA history Saturday night by becoming the first player to win the NBA Slam Dunk contest for the third consecutive reigning G-League MVP wasn't ready to rest on those accomplishments coming into the competition. He made a statement - by jumping over a car - in the first round to impress the judges and help secure his early judges for the contest included Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Baron Davis, Jason Richardson and how the defending champion secured his historic third title: McClung jumped in the air and took the ball out of the hands of a person standing out of the sunroof of a Kia. McClung floated over the car, turned and slammed the ball in behind his head before landing on the other side. His choice could have been a tribute to Blake 2011, Griffin received a lob pass from teammate Davis, who was standing out of the sunroof of a Kia, while in midair jumping over the car. MAC MCCLUNG JUMPED OVER A CAR 🚨The 2-Time defending champ came out SWINGING in Round 1 of the #ATTSlamDunk 🤯 — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2025 McClung performed a dunk with the help of two men to help put two balls into the defending champ took the first ball out of the hands of a man spinning on a hoverboard as he jumped over him. Then, he showed the coordination to slam in another ball held near the basket by a man on a ladder before putting home the first ball. We are running out of words...3RD-STRAIGHT 5⃣0⃣ FOR MAC MCCLUNG!Dunked two balls at once 😲 #ATTSlamDunk — NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025 McClung secured the victory by jumping over Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley and tapping the ball on the dunk resulted in a perfect score (50 points) from the judges. Jumped over Evan Mobley AND tapped the ball on the rim 🤯IT'S A THREE-PEAT 🏆🏆🏆Mac McClung, 2025 #ATTSlamDunk Champ! — NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2025 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mac McClung video: NBA Slam Dunk contest champion jumps over car
