<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/how-bucks-brook-lopez-delivered-an-early-christmas-miracle-to-104-year-old-fan');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Bucks’ Brook Lopez delivered an early Christmas miracle to 104-year-old fan');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-How-Brook-Lopez-delivered-an-early-Christmas-miracle-to-104-year-old-fan.jpg"></figure><h1>How Bucks’ Brook Lopez delivered an early Christmas miracle to 104-year-old fan</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T12:05:17-08:00">December 24th, 12:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T12:05:17-08:00">December 24th, 12:05pm</time><address><a>Dan Simmons</a>Dan Simmons covers the Milwaukee Bucks for ClutchPoints. He lives a short bike ride away from Fiserv Forum with his wife and daughter. His favorite jersey number is 34, owing to his Minnesota childhood idol, Kirby Puckett, and of course the Greek Freak.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ann Bosman-Foltz faced a deadline that spawned a dream. The deadline: just before Christmas, when her grandmother would turn 104. The dream: find a way to involve her grandma’s favorite Milwaukee Buck in a birthday gift.</p><p>“She told me that number 11, Brook Lopez, is her favorite player,” Bosman-Foltz said. “She likes that he just goes out there and does his job. He’s not showing off. He’s a steady player on both offense and defense.”</p><p>Bosman-Foltz put out a call on Facebook: “Any of my friends have connections to the Bucks?” She explained how perfect it would be for her grandma, a devoted fan of all Wisconsin’s teams, to get an autographed photo.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_1878.jpg"></figure><p>Friends who have with ins with the Bucks went to work. Once the request reached Lopez, he didn’t hesitate.</p><p>“It’s something so rare and special, you know,” Lopez said after Saturday’s win over the Washington Wizards. “Just to hear that she was a fan, you know, she’s clearly still vibrant, still enjoying life. To be a part of something like that … I’m honored.”</p><p>When Mary Bosman opened the gift on Dec. 15, she could hardly believe her eyes: a large poster of Lopez in his Bucks uniform, addressed in his handwriting. “To Grandma Mary — Happy 104th B-DAY! Best wishes! Brook Lopez #11”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_1778.jpg"></figure><p>“Her reaction when she opened the gift was one that I will treasure forever,” said Bosman-Foltz. “I think she was shocked that Brook actually signed it just for her. It brought her such immense joy which made my heart burst.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_1777.jpg"></figure><p>Lopez is 36 and remains a starter for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-brook-lopez-bobby-portis-reveal-scary-giannis-antetokounmpo-fact-after-nba-cup-win">Bucks, who’ve surged to a 14-4 record and NBA Cup title</a> after starting the season 2-8. The big man spends much of his off-court time these days with his first child, Julian, born to Lopez and his wife, Hailee, on Feb. 4, 2024.</p><p>After Saturday’s game, the last home game before Christmas, Lopez went through a line of Fiserv Forum employees, greeting each and wishing them a Merry Christmas. It’s a gesture that Bucks’ staffers have come to expect from Lopez, and indicative of why he’s Mary Bosman’s favorite player.</p><p>“I think she also appreciates the humble person he is outside of basketball,” said Bosman-Foltz. “Great family man and human.”</p><p>Lopez said he was honored to be her favorite player and be able to bring some joy to her 104th birthday. He’s got bigger plans for next year.</p><p>“We’ve got to do something real special, like get Giannis, Dame, get everyone in on it,” he said. “I’d definitely love to meet her one day.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Bucks’ Brook Lopez delivered an early Christmas miracle to 104-year-old fan

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-brook-lopez-bobby-portis-reveal-scary-giannis-antetokounmpo-fact-after-nba-cup-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Milwaukee-Bucks-NBA-Cup-Bobby-Portis-Brook-Lopez.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T14:26:27-08:00">December 20th, 2:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T14:34:47-08:00">December 20th, 2:34pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LAS VEGAS, NV — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-brook-lopez-leaving-las-vegas-500000-draws-hilarious-response">win the NBA Cup</a> on Tuesday night, finishing the job they were unable to last season.</p><p>But this version of Antetokounmpo appears to be different than any we’ve seen of him before. He’s still the dominant “Greek Freak” everyone around the world knows, but the two-time MVP and NBA Finals MVP appears to have improved remarkably at age 30.</p><h2><b>Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis on Giannis Antetokounmpo after NBA Cup win</b></h2><p>Through the first quarter of the season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging a career-high and league-leading 32.7 points per game on a career-high 61.4 percent shooting from the field.</p><p>“He’s just always hungry, he’s never complacent, and he’s never plateaued,” Brook Lopez told ClutchPoints after the Bucks’ NBA Cup win. “He’s the best player in the world and he’s always trying to get better. Every offseason, every day. Aside from all the talent, all the amazing plays he makes, just to see how hard he plays, how he gets on the floor, the way he goes after blocked shots, rebounds, making all the hustle plays. You just have to follow his lead.”</p><p>Through 25 games, Antetokounmpo is taking fewer than one three-pointer per game (0.7) for only the second time in his career, the first of which came in his sophomore season when he took 0.5 per game.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounpo-drives-against-Alex-Caruso-during-the-Bucks-Thunder-NBA-Cup-final.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>However, three-pointers are taking up just 3.5 percent of Giannis’ shots, which is down from 9.1 percent last year and is by far the lowest three-point volume of his NBA career.</p><p>The Bucks’ star also leads the league in points in the paint at 21.5 points per game, which if over four points higher than second place Nikola Jokic at 17.3 paint points per game.</p><p>“I mean, he’s only ever gotten better,” Brook Lopez added to ClutchPoints. “In his career in the NBA and obviously since I’ve been here as well, he’s never gotten complacent, he’s the best player in the world, he’s always trying to reach that next level, and he always does. It’s truly, truly inspirational, its really amazing.”</p><p>Going into this past summer, head coach Doc Rivers told his superstar that he wants to play him more out of the elbow in post-up and face-up situations. The team struggled out of the gate, losing eight of their first 10 games and sending everyone but the team into a frenzy.</p><p>Since then, however, the Bucks have won 13 of their last 16 games, including the NBA Cup final against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Giannis, who has not shot under 50 percent or scored under 20 points even once this season, has been a significant part of the Bucks turnaround.</p><p>Antetokounmpo has been leading the NBA in points in the paint per game for three seasons in a row, and in six of the last eight seasons, but he’s taken a personal jump in each of the last four seasons (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/misc?Season=2024-25&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=PTS_PAINT" rel="noopener">via NBA.com/stats</a>):</p><p>• 21.5 paint points in 2024-25 (1st)<br>• 20.3 paint points in 2023-24 (1st)<br>• 18.8 paint points in 2022-23 (1st)<br>• 15.9 paint points in 2021-22 (3rd, behind Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic)<br>• 16.7 paint points in 2020-21 (2nd, behind Zion Williamson)<br>• 17.5 paint points in 2019-20 (1st)<br>• 17.5 paint points in 2018-19 (1st)<br>• 15.7 paint points in 2017-18 (1st)</p><p>Additionally, Antetokounmpo is now taking 56.4 percent of his shots from inside of three feet, which is also up for four consecutive seasons. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/antetgi01.html">According to Stathead</a>, here is Antetokounmpo’s shot volume from 0-3 feet in the last four seasons:</p><p>• 40.6 percent in 2021-22<br>• 48.0 percent in 2022-23<br>• 51.9 percent in 2023-24<br>• 56.4 percent in 2024-25</p><p>It’s also no coincidence that as his points in the paint totals increase over the last four seasons, the volume of three-point shooting by Giannis has also decreased as well. In 2019-20, three-pointers made up 23.7 percent of Antetokounmpo’s shot volume. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/antetgi01.html" rel="noopener">According to Stathead</a>, that number has decreased significantly year over year since.</p><p>• 23.7 percent in 2019-20<br>• 20.1 percent in 2020-21<br>• 19.4 percent in 2021-21<br>• 13.4 percent in 2022-23<br>• 9.1 percent in 2023-24<br>• 3.5 percent in 2024-25</p><p>Simply put, the Bucks’ star is no longer taking three-pointers and is playing from the elbow as well as in the paint much more.</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted that playing out of the elbow is something he’s needed some time to transition into, especially as the team incorporates Damian Lillard more and welcomes back Khris Middleton from injury. But Giannis has seen his success grow throughout the early portions of this season.</p><p>“I’ll be honest, in the beginning, I’ve never initiated my offense from the elbow or from the high post,” Antetokounmpo said after the NBA Cup win. “Usually, it’s in transition or in the screen and roll, so it was kind of a weird transition. I had the conversation with Doc and he told me it can be very, very effective when you’re at the elbow, you’re under the wall. It’s very hard for people to show crowds. And then when they show crowds, it’s easier for you to make that pass and you’re one step closer to the basket.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-celebrates-after-the-Bucks-Thunder-NBA-Cup-final-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“This whole summer, I was working on that and it’s not only about scoring. There’s levels to it. sometimes, you can facilitate, you can make the hockey assists to [Gary Trent Jr.] for the open three, you can create shots for yourself, you can get to the free throw line, but I think it just allowed me to be a little bit more effective down there and allows me to help my teammates be great. It’s something new for me. I’ve played in the elbow for 25 games. I think I will stay there for the rest of my career because I’m getting better. I’m getting better at it.”</p><p>Both Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis add that Antetokounmpo’s growth has come both on and off the basketball court.</p><p>“He’s just getting better every year,” Bobby Portis also told ClutchPoints after the NBA Cup. “It seems like [he does] every year I play with him. This is my fifth year playing with him now and every year I’ve played with him, I’ve seen him go to another level. Not just on the court, but as a leader. Like I said, my first four years I’ve played, he was more of a lead by example type of guy. Now he’s more of a vocal leader, telling guys what to do, where to be, pouring confidence into his teammates. I love this version of him.”</p><p>The Bucks didn’t celebrate their NBA Cup win with champagne, beer, and goggles like the Los Angeles Lakers did last season. Instead, the team took a very Giannis-like approach, enjoying the moment but remaining focused on the remainder of the regular season.</p><p>Damian Lillard is playing a big part in the Bucks run. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis know what they need to do in order to win a second NBA Championship.</p><p>But Milwaukee will only go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo is able to take them, and his newfound usage is already proving to be a difference maker. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-the-trade-calls-bucks-making-complement-brook-lopez');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: The trade calls Bucks are making to ‘complement’ Brook Lopez');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-trade-calls-Bucks-are-making-to-complement-Brook-Lopez.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: The trade calls Bucks are making to ‘complement’ Brook Lopez</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T14:40:54-08:00">December 19th, 2:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T14:40:54-08:00">December 19th, 2:40pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-gets-real-amazing-opportunity-coach-giannis-antetokounmpo">Milwaukee Bucks are riding high</a> after their recent NBA Cup <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-brook-lopez-leaving-las-vegas-500000-draws-hilarious-response">championship victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder</a> on Tuesday in Las Vegas. It’s been a remarkable turnaround for a Bucks team that started out the season 2-8 but has since rebounded to push themselves into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.</p><p>After their disastrous start to the campaign, there were rumors swirling that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo may demand a trade from the franchise that drafted him back in 2013; however, now, those rumors have morphed into questions about how the Bucks will look to surround Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard with the best supporting talent available.</p><p>Recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports took to Marc Stein’s account on Substack to <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/jake-fischer-latest-man-in-demand?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=153361674&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">shed some light</a> on some ways Milwaukee may look to improve itself on the interior.</p><p>“Milwaukee has made calls to explore ways to add more of a lob threat to complement Brook Lopez, according to league sources, while the Bucks’ incumbent center has generated no shortage of trade interest since last summer,” reported Fischer.</p><p>At this point, Brook Lopez doesn’t exactly profile as a lob threat but instead as one of the Bucks’ many perimeter floor spaces, a stark contrast to the back to the basket player he was during the majority of his career for the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>Some names that might become available on the trade market that Milwaukee could potentially explore trading for include Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers as well as Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz.</p><h2>Is the Bucks’ turnaround legit?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Lopez-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While NBA seasons are always going to be full of ups and downs, it’s rare for a campaign to do a complete 180 as quickly as the Bucks have so far this year.</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dominant since the season began, but the Bucks as a whole appear much more connected on the defensive end as of late, and role players like Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green have added some much needed outside shooting after rough starts to the year.</p><p>It also helps that Khris Middleton recently returned to the lineup from an injury that caused him to miss the first chunk of the season.</p><p>In any case, the Bucks will next take the floor on Friday evening on the road vs the Cleveland Cavaliers, looking to salvage their first win of the season against their central division rivals. That game will tip off at 7:30 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: The trade calls Bucks are making to ‘complement’ Brook Lopez

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-brook-lopez-leaving-las-vegas-500000-draws-hilarious-response');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Brook Lopez leaving Las Vegas with $500,000 draws hilarious response');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Brook-Lopez-Damian-Lillard-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Milwaukee-Bucks-NBA-Cup.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Brook Lopez leaving Las Vegas with $500,000 draws hilarious response</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T13:16:08-08:00">December 19th, 1:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T13:25:47-08:00">December 19th, 1:25pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Exclusive</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LAS VEGAS, NV — Every player on the Milwaukee Bucks left Las Vegas <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-reveals-nba-cup-winnings-already-gone">$500,000 richer</a> after the franchise took home the second ever NBA Cup this week. Brook Lopez’s club defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, 97-81, to secure the Cup and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-player-giannis-promised-nba-cup-win-buy-house">winnings that come with it</a>.</p><p>Not many people go to a city like Las Vegas — notorious for its endless access to gambling tables, slots, and games — and leave it with significantly more money than they came in.</p><h2><b>Brook Lopez, Bucks leave Las Vegas with $500,000</b></h2><p>Brook Lopez was among four Milwaukee Bucks players in double-figure scoring in Tuesday’s blowout victory over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>Lopez scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds on 5-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from three in 37 minutes of play.</p><p>After the victory, Lopez was among a handful of players who were available to media in the Bucks locker room during their celebrations. That’s where he joked about returning from a Las Vegas trip with more money than when he came into it.</p><p>“That’s not too bad either,” Lopez said. “It’s rare people leave Vegas with an extra $500,000, so we’ll definitely enjoy that.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“It's rare people leave Vegas with an extra $500,000, so we'll definitely enjoy that.”</p><p>Brook Lopez and the Bucks left Las Vegas $500,000 richer 😂</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a>) <a href="https://t.co/TzNdCOEELN">pic.twitter.com/TzNdCOEELN</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1869855579747029248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Lopez, who was a big contributor to the Bucks’ 2021 Championship run, hopes to use this NBA Cup run as fuel and a taste for another NBA Championship run later this season.</p><p>“It’s an amazing feeling right now,” Lopez added. “I was telling the young guys it’s like a small small small tease and taste of what it’s going to be like in June, so hopefully they take all this in. We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight and see the work it takes. I think we’re all committed to showing up each and every day to make that goal in June a reality.”</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee with a monster 26-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist triple double that also included two steals and three blocked shots on 10-of-19 shooting. Damian Lillard added 23 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 6-of-12 shooting from the field with five three-pointers. Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. both recorded 13 points while shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Brook-Lopez-holds-the-NBA-Cup-trophy-after-the-Milwaukee-Bucks-defeat-the-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-in-Las-Vegas.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The game was just another opportunity for the world to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo display his overall dominance and improved game. The Bucks’ star is averaging a career-high and league-leading 32.7 points per game. Oh, and he’s doing it while shooting a career-high 61.4 percent from the field.</p><p>“He’s just always hungry, he’s never complacent, and he’s never plateaued,” Brook Lopez added of Giannis after the win. “He’s the best player in the world and he’s always trying to get better. Every offseason, every day. Aside from all the talent, all the amazing plays he makes, just to see how hard he plays, how he gets on the floor, the way he goes after blocked shots, rebounds, making all the hustle plays. You just have to follow his lead.”</p><p>Of the 133 teammates that Antetokounmpo has played with throughout his NBA career, Brook Lopez sits at 417 games played with the Greek star. That ranks second behind only Khris Middleton, who has played 723 games with Antetokounmpo over his career.</p><p>In the 417 games they’ve played together, Lopez and Antetokounmpo have a 292-125 record (.700), including a 36-24 record in the NBA playoffs.</p><p>With the NBA Cup all wrapped up, the Bucks will now return home for just one day of rest before heading back out on the road for a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Brook Lopez leaving Las Vegas with $500,000 draws hilarious response

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/wizards-news-jonas-valanciunas-makes-espn-top-100-before-brook-lopez-al-horford-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas just makes ESPN’s Top 100 before Brook Lopez, Al Horford');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jonas-Valanciunas-just-makes-ESPNs-Top-100-before-Brook-Lopez-Al-Horford.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas just makes ESPN’s Top 100 before Brook Lopez, Al Horford</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-16T17:10:22-07:00">October 16th, 5:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-16T17:11:19-07:00">October 16th, 5:11pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Although the top 10 won’t be released until Thursday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-two-bulls-named-espn-top-100-rankings">ESPN revealed its top 100 NBA players</a> as the 2024-25 season approaches. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jonas-valanciunas-net-worth">Washington Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas</a> is the team’s lone representative, checking in at 91st.</p><p>Valanciunas’ <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/41555759/nba-rank-2024-2025-best-players-100-51" rel="noopener">durability helped him secure his spot</a> on the list, via ESPN’s Michael Wright.</p><p>“Valanciunas showcased incredible durability last season, playing in all 82 games and averaging a near double-double while shooting 56% from the floor. The 2023-24 campaign marked the eighth season in which the veteran played 70 games or more,” Wright said. “Washington features the NBA’s eighth-youngest roster, which means the Wizards will lean on Valanciunas’ veteran leadership.”</p><p>“His prowess in the paint should prove beneficial, given that Washington ranked last in second-chance points per game allowed last season and 29th in paint points allowed per game,” Wright continued.</p><p>Valanciunas signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Wizards in free agency this past summer after getting traded from the New Orleans Pelicans for a 2027 second-round pick. The 32-year-old’s ranking edged out fellow veteran centers Al Horford and Brook Lopez, who are 96th and 93rd, respectively. However, he finished behind younger counterparts like Isaiah Hartenstein (88th) and Mitchell Robinson (82nd).</p><p>Valanciunas will undoubtedly be a good example for power forward Alex Sarr to follow, who Washington drafted No. 2 overall this past spring. The Lithuanian international provides value both as a defender and stretch big on offense, both skills that the Wizards need Sarr to develop over the coming years.</p><p>Valanciunas, who was on Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James’ offseason wishlist, will most likely help Washington improve on its worst season in franchise history last year. How long the 13th-year veteran will remain on the team is unclear, but his contract has a no-trade restriction until December 15.</p><h2><b>Wizards are excited to have Jonas Valanciunas</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jonas-Valanciunas.jpg"><figcaption>© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Valanciunas provides much-needed assistance to a Wizards frontcourt that struggled last season. On Media Day, Washington forward Kyle Kuzma <a href="https://x.com/chasedcsports/status/1840775322335171000?s=46" rel="noopener">shared his reaction</a> to the 2011 first-round pick joining the squad, via Monumental Sports Network’s Chase Hughes.</p><p>“That we’re not going to be the worst defensive rebounding team in the league anymore,” Kuzma said.</p><p>Kuzma wasn’t far off, as the Wizards ranked 29th with 48.5 total rebounds per game last season, although they were 24th in defensive rebounds. Regardless, the seven-footer should prevent that history from repeating itself. He previewed what’s to come against the Toronto Raptors on October 11, registering 12 points, eight rebounds, and a block in just 22 minutes.</p><p>Even more so than individually producing, though, Washington needs Valanciunas to help Sarr elevate into a top 100 player one day.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas just makes ESPN’s Top 100 before Brook Lopez, Al Horford

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-what-bucks-told-brook-lopez-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: What Bucks told Brook Lopez about trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NBA-rumors-What-Bucks-told-Brook-Lopez-about-trade-talks.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: What Bucks told Brook Lopez about trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-01T08:59:57-07:00">September 1st, 8:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-01T08:59:57-07:00">September 1st, 8:59am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-most-to-blame-for-disappointing-playoff-series-loss-to-pacers">Milwaukee Bucks had a disappointing ending to their season</a> last year after all of the hype surrounding them when they acquired Damian Lillard. Injuries caught up to them in the end, with Lillard and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/is-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-playing-vs-pacers-latest-game-2-injury-update">Giannis Antetokounmpo missing games during their first-round matchup</a> against the Indiana Pacers. It’s also hard to forget that the Bucks made a coaching change in the middle of the season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-why-adrian-griffin-firing-wasnt-shock-to-milwaukee-members">firing Adrian Griffin</a> and replacing him with Doc Rivers.</p><p>This season could be different for the Bucks, and with the ability to have a full season with Lillard and Antetokounmpo under their belts and Rivers being able to implement his system, they should be ready to roll. Unfortunately, that could also mean players getting traded such as Brook Lopez, but the Bucks gave the center some encouraging news about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNKsyoB7H_k" rel="noopener">any of the rumors</a> that he’s heard during the offseason.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>On The Hoop Collective, Brian Windhorst shared some insight on what he gathered from Lopez and Bucks trade rumors.</p><p>“As of right now, I’ve been told firmly that they are not trading him,” Windhorst said. “And so is Brook. Brook heard some of the rumors and said, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ They’re like, ‘No, we’re not trading you.'”</p><h2><b>Brook Lopez has been the defensive anchor of the Bucks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Brook-Lopez.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Brook Lopez has been an important part of the Milwaukee Bucks since coming to the team and has been a major key to their defense. He and Giannis Antetokounmpo have worked hand-in-hand when it comes to the Bucks’ interior defense, which helped them win the NBA championship against the Phoenix Suns in 2021.</p><p>Not only is Lopez important to their defense, but he offers a lot of offense. He’s not just a traditional center that lives in the paint but can also step out and space the floor. That gives the Bucks the option to do a lot of things on offense and opens the floor for players like Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who like to drive the ball and get into the paint.</p><p>Lopez is getting older and hasn’t been the same player that he was years ago, which was probably why he was in trade rumors to begin with. The Bucks have already shown that willing to improve their team no matter what, most specifically when they traded Jrue Holiday in part of acquiring Lillard.</p><p>It’s not certain how much the Bucks could get in return for Lopez, but right now it looks like they’re going to go into the season with him and try to win another championship. The Bucks added a few key pieces to their team in free agency, which includes Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., and Delon Wright. The shooting and defense that those three provide will be an important part of the team when the season starts.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: What Bucks told Brook Lopez about trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-zero-intentions-stance-brook-lopez-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ ‘zero intentions’ stance on Brook Lopez trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bucks-news-Milwaukees-zero-intentions-stance-on-Brook-Lopez-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ ‘zero intentions’ stance on Brook Lopez trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-26T10:29:28-07:00">July 26th, 10:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-26T10:29:28-07:00">July 26th, 10:29am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brook Lopez has been a topic of discussion all offseason for the Milwaukee Bucks. After signing a two-year, $48 million contract last offseason as an unrestricted free agent, Lopez now finds himself making $23 million in the final year of his deal with the Bucks. That is why there have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brook-lopez-clint-capela-lead-vast-trade-market-for-centers">trade rumors fixated</a> on the Bucks center.</p><p>The market for centers across the league is small right now. In fact, the market as a whole is very quiet due to many teams making the moves they wanted to in free agency. The new first and second tax aprons have limited what certain teams are able to do, which is why players like Lopez, who is making over $20 million in a season, haven’t generated all that much buzz.</p><p>Still, there have been questions about Lopez’s long-term future with the Bucks, especially since he 36 years old and not getting any younger. With the offseason lingering on, Bucks general manager Jon Horst set the record straight on where the organization stands with their starting center, a player they view as a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5658320/2024/07/26/bucks-jon-horst-qa-giannis-lillard/" rel="noopener">valuable</a> part of their potential success heading into the 2024-25 season.</p><p>“First of all, rumors and chatter are what makes the league so interesting and so fun, so people are always going to speculate and talk about it. And I typically don’t talk about any of this stuff with the media, but I will say, because Brook is so core to who we are, we have zero intentions of trading Brook,” Horst told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “Of course he has value around the league. That’s a credit to him. But we’ve not engaged in any real conversations about trading Brook. There are teams that have a lot of value and interest in him. It’s my job to take calls, receive calls, have conversations, but Brook has been and will continue to be core to who we are.”</p><p>A variety of rumors have been linked to Lopez this offseason regarding whether the organization would consider trading him to help fix their financial problems as a second apron team. Recently, ClutchPoints reported that it would come as a surprise to many around the league if the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-lauri-markkanen-brandon-ingram-kyle-kuzma-trade-scenarios">Bucks were to part ways</a> with Lopez this offseason.</p><p>Even though Horst’s job is to build a contending roster while also handling everyone’s emotions, his words truly reflect the notion that Milwaukee doesn’t intend on trading Lopez.</p><h2><b>Will Bucks keep Brook Lopez?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Brook-Lopez-shooting.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>As things currently stand, the Bucks have a payroll that exceeds $191 million, which is over $6 million above the second tax apron for the 2024-25 season. This means that Milwaukee faces major ramifications in terms of matching salaries in trades, not being able to aggregate salaries, and they are very limited in terms of moves they can make to pursue talent that becomes available during the season.</p><p>It appears as if the Bucks are confident in the team they have assembled and are comfortable with the idea of running things back, despite losing in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back years.</p><p>Lopez has been a huge part of the organization’s success, and he was a big reason why they were able to secure a championship in 2021. Since then, Lopez has continued to make a positive impact on the Bucks, yet the team has been unable to advance far in the postseason.</p><p>This is the main reason why Lopez, who also carries a hefty salary, was rumored to be on the trade block this summer.</p><p>Ultimately, trading Lopez isn’t the solution for the Bucks. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-undergoes-2-ankle-surgeries">Khris Middleton has been banged up</a> through the years, and this team has had trouble finding steady production outside of their starting rotation. Lopez has played his role perfectly, especially on defense, which is why Horst and the Bucks haven’t shown much interest in moving him.</p><p>Due to the fact that he is in the final year of his contract and one of the oldest players in the league, it may not be surprising to see the Bucks as Lopez’s final team.</p><p>“I hope that Brook retires as a Milwaukee Buck. That’s been the goal since we originally got him,” Horst continued. “His impact on our team defensively and rebounding is elite. It only gets better. It’s not declining. I mean, he’s an anomaly in how he just continues to get better and better and better.</p><p>“For Doc, who got to spend time with Brook personally last year, Brook holds an incredible value for Doc for what he does defensively and rebounding and offensively, the spacing he gives us, and especially Giannis, is unique.”</p><p>Horst also made sure to call Lopez a “core part” of the team when discussing the big man’s future and potentially retiring with the Bucks.</p><p>For the time being, Lopez is remaining with the Bucks, and he will very likely be their starting center on opening night. How the first few months of the 2024-25 season go for the Bucks will be very telling as to whether they will make any significant changes to their roster ahead of the trade deadline in February.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ ‘zero intentions’ stance on Brook Lopez trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-lakers-eye-brook-lopez-trade-face-jonas-valanciunas-competitor');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lakers eye Brook Lopez trade, face Jonas Valanciunas competitor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Lakers-eye-Brook-Lopez-trade-face-competition-for-Jonas-Valanciunas-1.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lakers eye Brook Lopez trade, face Jonas Valanciunas competitor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-30T17:21:40-07:00">June 30th, 5:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-30T17:21:40-07:00">June 30th, 5:21pm</time><address><a href="https://nextmanupblog.medium.com/">Jay Postrado</a>Jay Postrado is a sports writer for ClutchPoints, with expertise in covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, Tennis, and Formula 1. He is a lifelong motorsports and tennis fan. Jay's need for speed may no longer be on the grid or courts but has stayed with him through writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers have gone through a lot of sagas since the end of the NBA season. They got JJ Redick and are planning to clear more space after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-rich-paul-reveals-lebron-james-priority-for-new-contract">LeBron James opted out of his deal.</a> So, what’s the next move? Well, it looks like they are getting some reinforcements to help Anthony Davis. This could come in the form of getting the Milwaukee Bucks’ splash mountain in Brook Lopez or acquiring the New Orleans Pelicans’ Lithuanian Lightning in Jonas Valanciunas.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-2-players-lakers-are-interested-re-signing">Rob Pelinka and the Lakers know</a> that their championship window is getting smaller by the day. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both getting old which means they should capitalize on building around them while they are still in their primes. However, there seem to be hurdles in the big man position that they need to overcome. This is where Brook Lopez and Jonas Valanciunas enter.</p><p>The Lakers are <a href="https://x.com/JakeLFischer/status/1807508503797325964" rel="noopener">reportedly eyeing a trade</a> for Brook Lopez, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The big man who can pull from deep and erase jumpshots at their apex could be a huge help for the squad. He is currently averaging 12.5 points on an insane 48.5% clip from all three levels of scoring. Moreover, his outside shot has been falling 36.6% of the time. He would also help out Anthony Davis become more flexible on both ends of the floor. Lopez can be the rim protector while The Brow can thrive on roaming. Adding a 2.4 blocks per game guy is going to give them a big boost.</p><p>Another guy in the mix of all these trade rumors is Jonas Valanciunas. The Lakers are going to get a 12.2 points-a-night guy who knocks down his shots from the field with a 55.9% percentage. Unbeknownst to many, Valanciunas has also developed a three-pointer. It might not be as potent as Lopez but those shots he takes from deep go down 30.8% of the time.</p><h2><b>The Lakers’ need for a secondary big man</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/while-Milwaukee-Bucks-center-Brook-Lopez-11-defends.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood are both serviceable players but the amount of production they are giving the LeBron James-led squad might not be cutting it. Their overall impact in helping Davis on the inside whether it is on the boards or in rim protection has not been that great either.</p><p>Opponents shot at a 54% clip whenever they got a look within the arc. This ranks the Lakers 14th in the league when it comes to that statistic. Having either one of these aforementioned names is surely going to increase that number. Their block percentage also ranks 12th in the league with a valuation of 5.9% per game. These two have had great stretches of being primary rim protectors. There is no question that they will have both Wood and Hayes beat in that category too.</p><p>It is clear what the Lakers want out of NBA Free Agency. A big man who has a good outside shooting stroke while also being a good rebounder and rim protector is what they are shopping for. Will they get one of these guys eventually?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lakers eye Brook Lopez trade, face Jonas Valanciunas competitor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-brook-lopez-clint-capela-lead-vast-trade-market-for-centers');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Brook Lopez, Clint Capela lead vast trade market for centers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Brook-Lopez-Clint-Capela-lead-vast-trade-market-for-centers.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Brook Lopez, Clint Capela lead vast trade market for centers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-21T10:31:19-07:00">June 21st, 10:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-21T10:31:19-07:00">June 21st, 10:31am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Rumors are running rampant now that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2024-nba-draft-odds-no-3-overall-pick-prediction">NBA Finals are over</a> as teams around the league prepare for a busy offseason. We should expect to see numerous moves and the buzz around town is that there is a serious trade market for centers right now.</p><p>From the sounds of it, Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks and Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/with-bulls-roster-shakeup-underway-is-zach-lavine-the-next-piece-on-the-move-150136313.html" rel="noopener">are leading the way</a> in the NBA rumor mill, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Other names to watch for are Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks, Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, and Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons.</p><p>“Hartenstein, at this moment, is now generally expected to return to New York, as the Knicks have contacted opposing teams about moving Mitchell Robinson, sources said. There appears to be a wide range of starting-caliber big men available for trade. League personnel told Yahoo Sports the Bucks are open to reshaping their roster, and they are gauging the trade value for Brook Lopez. Houston, sources said, cautioned Lopez that re-signing with Milwaukee could very well lead to him eventually being traded when the Rockets pursued Lopez in free agency a year ago.</p><p>“Atlanta, sources said, continues to pursue deals for veteran center Clint Capela, who’s entering the final year of a contract that still owes the 30-year-old rim protector $22 million. Rival teams believe Utah is willing to engage in trade talks that would part ways with Jazz second-year center Walker Kessler. And the Detroit Pistons are evaluating the market for Isaiah Stewart, according to league sources.”</p><p>If these trade rumors are true <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-fan-mailbag-hawks-plans-nba-draft-rumors">then the NBA</a> is going to look vastly different next season. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out. But every team in the league must make big moves if they hope to eventually catch up to the Boston Celtics.</p><h2>Which centers should we expect to be traded this NBA offseason?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Brook-Lopez-scoring.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>There are a few teams that are likely to be busy this offseason as they aim to reshape their rosters for the 2024-25 NBA season. Brook Lopez certainly is a name to keep an eye on as the Bucks may want to find a third star to compliment Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. A possible smart move would be to combine Lopez with Khris Middleton in a trade package. But only time will tell what Milwaukee plans to do.</p><p>Another center to keep an eye on is Clint Capela. After the Hawks won the No. 1 pick overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, the front office suddenly finds itself with multiple options on the table. With the Trae Young and Dejounte Murray trade rumors still alive, Capela could be another player the franchise decides to move. Especially if Atlanta decides to enter a full rebuild.</p><p>Lastly, Mitchell Robinson could garner plenty of interest in the trade market this offseason. The Knicks have been rumored to be shopping Robinson since the middle of this previous season. Additionally, trading him along with draft capital could reel in another star to complement Jalen Brunson. New York isn’t too far away from finally becoming a championship contender. But the front office must make the right decisions this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Brook Lopez, Clint Capela lead vast trade market for centers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/brook-lopez-net-worth');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brook Lopez’s net worth in 2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Brook-Lopezs-net-worth-in-2024.jpg"></figure><h1>Brook Lopez’s net worth in 2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-18T11:32:44-07:00">May 18th, 11:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-18T14:22:00-07:00">May 18th, 2:22pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/spencersee10" rel="facebook">Spencer See</a>Spencer See is a part-time writer at ClutchPoints focusing on the NBA, evergreen content and celebrity lifestyle. He is also a lifelong fan of LeBron James. In his free time, he either goes fishing or watches basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brook Lopez’s net worth in 2024 is $14 million. Lopez is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. He is a NBA champion and an All-Star. Furthermore, Lopez also made two All-Defensive team selections and the All-Rookie First Team. For this piece, let’s take a closer look at Brook Lopez’s net worth in 2024.</p><h2>What is Brook Lopez’s net worth in 2024?: $14 million (estimate)</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Brook-Lopezs-net-worth-in-2024-2.jpg"></figure><p>Brook Lopez’s net worth in 2024 <a href="https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/nba/brook-lopez-net-worth/" rel="noopener">is $14 million</a>. This is according to reputable outlets such as Celebrity Net Worth.</p><p>Brook Lopez was born on April 1, 1988, in Los Angeles. He attended San Joaquin Memorial High School. Here, he started his high school basketball career. Lopez put up high school <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/fresno/san-joaquin-memorial-panthers/athletes/brook-lopez/basketball/stats/?careerid=6jqodrjsfl2qa" rel="noopener">averages of 14.1 points</a>, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. For his efforts, Lopez earned McDonald’s All-American honors after his senior year.</p><p>After a solid high school basketball career, Lopez studied at Stanford University and played college basketball. In two seasons with Stanford, he accumulated numbers of 16.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. While suiting up for the Cardinal, Lopez made the All-Pac 10 Team.</p><h2>Brook Lopez’s NBA career with the Nets</h2><p>After two years at Stanford, Lopez declared for the 2008 NBA Draft. During draft night, he was selected in the first round by the New Jersey Nets with the 10th overall pick. Shortly after, he signed a two-year, $4.35 million contract.</p><p>During his first season in the NBA, Lopez didn’t disappoint. The 10th overall pick finished his rookie season with averages of 13.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.8 rejections per game. For his efforts, Lopez made the All-Rookie First Team.</p><p>During his sophomore season, Lopez improved his numbers to 18.8 points and 8.6 boards per game. After the season, the Nets exercised their $2.4 million option and their $3 million option that would keep Lopez in New Jersey until the 2011-12 season. Starting the 2012-13 season, the Nets decided to relocate to Brooklyn, changing the team name to the Brooklyn Nets.</p><h2>Brook Lopez signs max contract</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brook Lopez is the all-time leader in blocked shots in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nets</a> history with 864 (3 tonight), surpassing George Johnson 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/oyizYO1bdo">pic.twitter.com/oyizYO1bdo</a></p><p>— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/798763864397484034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2016</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Around the same time, Lopez decided to sign a fresh deal with the franchise.  The All-Rookie First Team member <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/8157946/brooklyn-nets-agree-brook-lopez-60-million-deal" rel="noopener">signed a four-year deal</a> worth $60.8 million.</p><p>After signing a max deal, Lopez was more motivated than ever. He registered his best individual season of his career with solid averages of 19.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. With a solid season, the Nets center made his first All-Star Game appearance.</p><p>Since signing with Brooklyn, Lopez helped the Nets make the playoffs consistently until 2015. However, it’s worth noting that Lopez missed most of the 2013-14 season, including the playoffs that year, due to injury.</p><p>With injuries starting to hound the center, Lopez opted to evolve his game by starting to become a stretch center. Since the 2014-15 season, Lopez increased his attempts from beyond the 3-point line. After that season, Lopez signed a <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/7/1/8811983/brook-lopez-contract-signs-nets-free-agency-nba" rel="noopener">three-year, $60 million contract</a>.</p><p>During the 2016-17 season, Lopez firmly established himself as a stretch big by putting up 20.5 points per outing while shooting 35 percent from the 3-point line. However, it would also be Lopez’s final year in a Nets uniform.</p><h2>Brook Lopez traded to the Lakers</h2><p>With Lopez’s contract expiring, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/twitter-reactions-lakers-nets-trade-involving-dangelo-russell" rel="noopener">Nets traded Brooks Lopez</a> to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for guard D’Angelo Russell and center Timofey Mozgov. In his lone season with the rebuilding Lakers, Lopez registered 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. He also shot 35 percent from deep.</p><h2>Brook Lopez signs with the Bucks</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brook Lopez nearly had a triple-double in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a> win… </p><p>With blocks 🤯</p><p>24 PTS | 10 REB | 9 BLK (career-high) <a href="https://t.co/nQbMVb7q44">pic.twitter.com/nQbMVb7q44</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1634049440892825602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After a forgettable season with the Lakers, Lopez became a free agent. However, he would go on to leave Los Angeles to join the Milwaukee Bucks. The All-Star center <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2774898-report-brook-lopez-agrees-to-bucks-1-year-contract-after-1-season-with-lakers" rel="noopener">inked a one-year deal</a> worth $3.3 million.</p><p>Although no longer the face of a franchise, Lopez found a niche in the Bucks’ starting rotation as a reliable center. In his first season, Lopez averaged 12.5 points, 4.9 boards, and 2.2 blocks per game. With an impressive debut season with the Bucks, the franchise re-signed Lopez to a lucrative <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/report-bucks-to-re-sign-brook-lopez-to-four-year-52-million-contract" rel="noopener">four-year, $52 million contract</a>.</p><p>Fresh from signing a longer and richer deal, Lopez tallied another superb season in 2019-20. He registered 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. For his efforts, Lopez made the All-Defensive Second Team selection.</p><h2>Brooks Lopez helps Bucks win NBA title</h2><p>In the 2020-21 season, Lopez played an instrumental role in helping the Bucks make history. The center was a key piece in the Bucks’ first NBA championship in 50 years. During the championship run in the playoffs, the All-Star center averaged 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 rejections per game to also win his first NBA title.</p><p>The 2022-23 season was also impressive for Lopez from a defensive standpoint. The NBA champion averaged a career-high 2.5 blocks per game. For his defensive brilliance, Lopez was named to the All-Defensive First Team.</p><p>After his contract expired, Lopez emerged as a top free-agent target in the 2023 offseason. He reportedly received a lucrative two-year, $54 million offer from the Houston Rockets. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-brook-lopez-free-agency-two-year-48-million-contract-milwaukee" rel="noopener">Lopez turned down the offer</a> in order to remain in Milwaukee by signing a two-year, $48 million contract.</p><p>Nevertheless, were you at all stunned by Brook Lopez’s net worth in 2024?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brook Lopez’s net worth in 2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pacers-news-myles-turner-destroys-brook-lopez-potential-dunk-nba-playoffs-winner');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pacers’ Myles Turner destroys Brook Lopez with potential Dunk of the NBA Playoffs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Myles-Turner-destroys-Brook-Lopez-with-potential-Dunk-of-the-NBA-Playoffs-winner.jpg"></figure><h1>Pacers’ Myles Turner destroys Brook Lopez with potential Dunk of the NBA Playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-04-28T19:37:33-07:00">April 28th, 7:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-04-28T19:50:24-07:00">April 28th, 7:50pm</time><address><a>Brian Buyawe</a>Brian Buyawe is a sports aficionado with a passion for basketball, football, and Formula One. His hobbies include running, reading and playing in recreational leagues. Back when he was a kid, Brian stumbled upon an old Larry Bird documentary among his family's collection of movies, which made him a lifelong Celtics fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Indiana Pacers took home a 126-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks and the game had its fair share of heart-racing moments. Topping all of Sunday’s highlights would probably be Myles Turner’s powerful poster over Brook Lopez. During the third quarter, TJ McConnell attacked the paint in transition to attract two Bucks defenders, one of whom was Lopez. The Pacers guard suddenly dropped the ball off to a trailing Turner, who went straight up against a recovering Lopez. Turner <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1784746527652467171" rel="noopener">threw the ball in</a> over his defender, causing Gainbridge Fieldhouse to erupt into a frenzy.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">MYLES TURNER PUT BROOK LOPEZ ON A POSTER 😱</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/1eRjff0nEN">pic.twitter.com/1eRjff0nEN</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1784746527652467171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>With the victory in Game 4, the Pacers are now up 3-1 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-bucks-are-doomed-vs-pacers-after-damian-lillard-injury-update">against the Bucks</a>, who already faced multiple obstacles to start the night. Ahead of the clash, it was announced that Milwaukee would be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/is-bucks-damian-lillard-playing-in-game-4-after-major-injury-scare-vs-pacers">ruling out Damian Lillard</a> due to an Achilles injury. The Bucks entered the series without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. With Lillard out, the Wisconsin-based squad was without their two top scorers — and the Pacers took full advantage.</p><h2>The Pacers take a 3-1 series lead</h2><p>The game was close at first, but sooner or later, the absence of Lillard and Antetokounmpo would take its toll on the Bucks. In the third quarter, Tyrese Haliburton would shoot three triples to spark a run that would give the Pacers a double-digit lead. Indiana outscored Milwaukee in the said quarter, 31-21. As the final period ensued, the Pacers were up 98-85.</p><p>In the fourth, Indiana would continue to hold off their opponents until the final buzzer. Myles Turner led the team with 29 points on seven three-pointers made. The center shot an efficient 77.8% from deep and added nine rebounds to his name as well. Haliburton followed with 24 points on 50% shooting from the floor. All in all, six Pacers players finished with double-digit points, five of whom were starters.</p><p>The last time Indiana won a playoff series was in 2014, during the days of Paul George, Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert. That squad managed to win two rounds and reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Fast forward a decade later and this new generation of Indiana players is a game away from ending the drought. With Turner and Haliburton leading the way, the Pacers are making more noise than they’ve ever had in recent years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pacers’ Myles Turner destroys Brook Lopez with potential Dunk of the NBA Playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-brook-lopez-breaks-down-damian-lillard-missed-opportunity-blazers-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Brook Lopez breaks down Damian Lillard missed opportunity in Blazers loss');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Brook_Lopez_breaks_down_Damian_Lillard_missed_opportunity_in_Blazers_loss.webp"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Brook Lopez breaks down Damian Lillard missed opportunity in Blazers loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-01T09:25:52-08:00">February 1st, 9:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-01T09:26:59-08:00">February 1st, 9:26am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks have been under the microscope in recent weeks as a result of making the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-officially-hired-after-adrian-griffin-firing" rel="noopener">first head coaching switch</a> of the season. After replacing first-year head coach Adrian Griffin after 43 games with long-time coach Doc Rivers, the Bucks made it clear that their only focus was to win a championship right now. Well, the same problems that existed with Griffin on the sidelines appear to exist with Rivers, as the Bucks lost to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-spoils-damian-lillards-return-sparks-mixed-fan-reactions" rel="noopener">Damian Lillard’s homecoming game</a>.</p><p>With Rivers at the helm, the Bucks are now 0-2, but the veteran head coach is not necessarily the one to blame. From the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-gets-brutally-honest-on-awful-defense-vs-blazers" rel="noopener">lack of intensity</a> the Bucks have displayed defensively to their questionable shot selection, many factors played a role in Milwaukee’s demise against the Blazers, who entered this game with only 14 wins on the season. One of these questionable shots came by Brook Lopez late in the fourth quarter, with the Bucks trailing by one point with about 17 seconds remaining.</p><p>Lillard received the ball from the official on the sideline with exactly 17.6 seconds remaining. After immediately inbounding the ball to Lopez, Lillard received a screen from Giannis Antetokounmpo, only to give the ball back to Lopez due to some good defense from Deandre Ayton and Malcolm Brogdon. After pump-faking and side-stepping Toumani Camara, Lopez had a chance to get the ball back to the Bucks star guard for a potential game-winning basket. Instead, the veteran big man took about a 30-foot jumper from deep that came up short.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’m still baffled at the fact the Bucks opted for a three in this situation instead of getting the ball to Giannis and having him drive downhill. </p><p>Especially since Milwaukee was out of timeouts. <a href="https://t.co/QtMjbn9FSd">pic.twitter.com/QtMjbn9FSd</a></p><p>— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1753105845854900396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>A play that had a lot of potential and could have been a storybook ending for Lillard’s return to Portland was abruptly ended by Lopez’s <a href="https://x.com/eric_nehm/status/1752951011583627655?s=20" rel="noopener">decision</a> to take his 10th three-point attempt of the night, tied for the most perimeter shots taken in a game by him this season.</p><p>“Obviously, there are multiple looks. We wanted to get Dame coming off initially and we had Giannis rolling. It came back to me and they closed hard,” Lopez said after the game, via The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “I put it down and out of my peripheral, I thought Malcolm was a bit more up on Dame that he really was, so I just stepped into it and took my shot.</p><p>“Looking back at the film, Dame was a bit more open than I thought he was, but I’m definitely confident in the shot.”</p><p>Overall, Lopez did get a good look to put the Bucks up two points with just seconds remaining on the clock. Already hitting two big perimeter shots in the fourth, there is a reason why Lopez was confident in his shot. As they say, third time’s the charm, right?</p><p>Although he may not be the best three-point shooter, the 35-year-old big man has drastically improved his play from the perimeter in recent years. The Bucks, who tend to heavily rely on the three-ball this season, definitely can’t complain all that much about the thinking behind this shot, with Lillard somewhat covered. Then again, Bucks fans certain have some questions to ask, seeing as Lillard, Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton all seem like better options to be taking this shot with the game on the line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Brook Lopez breaks down Damian Lillard missed opportunity in Blazers loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-brook-lopez-pretty-close-houston-move-alperen-sengun');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brook Lopez vocal on ‘pretty close’ Rockets move, pairing up with Alperen Sengun');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Rockets_news_Brook_Lopez_vocal_on__pretty_close__Houston_move_pairing_up_with_Alperen_Sengun_copy.webp"></figure><h1>Brook Lopez vocal on ‘pretty close’ Rockets move, pairing up with Alperen Sengun</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-06T14:55:00-08:00">January 6th, 2:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-06T14:55:00-08:00">January 6th, 2:55pm</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks have a great big-man duo in Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo. But apparently Lopez <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/rockets/article/bucks-brook-lopez-consider-rockets-sign-free-agent-18593172.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&amp;utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener">nearly left Giannis for Alperen Sengun</a> and the Houston Rockets this offseason, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.</p><p>Writes Feigen, “The Rockets’ rebuild that Brook Lopez considered joining as a free agent last summer had gone as he anticipated. He believed a pairing with Alperen Şengün, who has blossomed at the center spot the Rockets wanted to make Lopez’s could have worked, with Lopez even comparing it in theory to his championship-winning partnership with Giannis Antetokounmpo. He had no regrets about his decision to stay in Milwaukee, but also did not have to wonder why he considered leaving.”</p><p>As the Rockets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-massive-favorites-sign-brook-lopez-away-from-bucks" rel="noopener">were the betting favorites last summer</a> to land Lopez, there was widespread belief that Lopez had led Houston to believe he would be coming. Feigen writes that Lopez didn’t cop to that:</p><p>“He did not, however, confirm the widespread speculation that he led the Rockets to believe he was joining them, or even pledged to join Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks as their three-pronged free agency rebuild plan. “It was pretty close,” Lopez said. ‘There was a lot of mutual interest. Watching this season, they’ve obviously done some great things. I love what Ime (Udoka, the Rockets’ first-year coach) has been doing. Obviously, the group of guys they have here have done great stuff.'”</p><p>Sengun in particular has excelled this season. Following the Rockets win against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, Sengun became the first Rockets center since Dwight Howard with at <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-joins-exclusive-houston-club-amid-scoring-outburst" rel="noopener">least five games of 30+ points</a> in a season.</p><p>Continued Lopez, “I’m sure it would have worked out,” Lopez said. “Sengun is such a talented, smart basketball player, he would have definitely made my life easy. The way he can score the ball, he can share the ball, you don’t typically see those things in a young player. He’ll continue to grow and continue to be great. He’s a tough cover. You can see he’s a winning basketball player. Just being (in Milwaukee) and seeing the way Giannis and I benefit one another; we have games that definitely fit together and improve each other and the team. I think obviously, as great as (Şengün) is at what he does, we could have meshed similarly.”</p><p>The Houston Rockets are 17-16 and in 9th place in the Western Conference. They take on Lopez and the Bucks on Saturday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brook Lopez vocal on ‘pretty close’ Rockets move, pairing up with Alperen Sengun

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-hilariously-proposes-new-starting-point-brook-lopez-emerges');   ga('set', 'title', 'Giannis Antetokounmpo hilariously proposes new Bucks starting 5 as Point Brook Lopez emerges');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Giannis_Antetokounmpo_hilariously_proposes_new_starting_5_as_Point_Brook_Lopez_emerges.webp"></figure><h1>Giannis Antetokounmpo hilariously proposes new Bucks starting 5 as Point Brook Lopez emerges</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-30T06:09:57-08:00">December 30th, 6:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-30T06:09:57-08:00">December 30th, 6:09am</time><address><a>Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano has been covering the NFL, College Football, NBA and College Basketball for well over a decade, but he's never claimed to be an expert ... just a sports fan who cares WAY too much. Follow Sonny on Twitter (or X, whatever Elon's calling it) @SonnyCG for his sports and pop culture takes</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>All of the early-season concerns regarding the viability of the new-look Milwaukee Bucks seem to be in the past. After a slow 5-4 start to the season that included ugly, double-digit losses to Atlanta, Toronto and Orlando, the Bucks have since gone 19-4 and solidly established themselves as an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-damian-lillards-honest-take-milwaukees-improvement-will-scare-nba">inner circle title contender</a>. In fact, things are so rosy in Milwaukee right now that two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo feels comfortable enough to suggest some thinking-outside-of-the-box lineup changes prompted <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1740917354110816578" rel="noopener">by the surprising emergence</a> of “Point Brook Lopez.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Point Brook with the cross and the lob for the lead! <a href="https://t.co/ZtF0l6tClV">pic.twitter.com/ZtF0l6tClV</a></p><p>— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1740917354110816578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Though his handles aren’t exactly on the level of Allen Iverson, this is still a pretty impressive play being made on the perimeter by a 35-year-old seven-footer. After the game, likely prompted by the fact that he was on the finishing end of the Lopez lob, Giannis Antetokounmpo shared that he sees some minutes at point guard in Brook Lopez’s future. But hey, at that point, what do you do with current starting point guard Damian Lillard?</p><p>“We should start the game with Brook at the point guard and Dame at the five,” Giannis suggested, per Eric Nehm of <a href="https://twitter.com/eric_nehm/status/1740949947103523263" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a>.</p><p>Yeah, you know, I personally don’t see the Bucks continuing to look all that viable if Damian Lillard is logging serious minutes at the five, but then again, who am I to second-guess the strategic suggestions of one of the 25 best basketball players who have ever lived.</p><p>If rookie head coach Adrian Griffin does plan to give this inverted lineup a look, I’d suggest waiting until mid-January to give it a shot. The Bucks have two consecutive road games in Detroit on January 20th and 22nd, and at this point, it feels like just about any starting five can give the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/where-pistons-sit-on-nbas-longest-losing-streak-list">Pistons all kinds of trouble</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giannis Antetokounmpo hilariously proposes new Bucks starting 5 as Point Brook Lopez emerges

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-dillon-brooks-elbow-vs-bucks-nba-referee-explanation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets: NBA refs explain difference of Dillon Brooks’ elbow to Brook Lopez’s Fred VanVleet hit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Rockets_news_NBA_refs_explain_difference_of_Dillon_Brooks__elbow_to_Brook_Lopez_s_Fred_VanVleet_hit.webp"></figure><h1>Rockets: NBA refs explain difference of Dillon Brooks’ elbow to Brook Lopez’s Fred VanVleet hit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-18T11:41:57-08:00">December 18th, 11:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-18T11:43:06-08:00">December 18th, 11:43am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Things got a little heated on Sunday between the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-ime-udoka-calls-out-inconsistent-officiating-over-fred-vanvleet-dillon-brooks-incidents" rel="noopener">multiple reasons</a>. Both Dillon Brooks and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka were <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1736574834120040778?s=20" rel="noopener">ejected</a> with under a minute remaining in regulation for arguing with the officials, but Brooks had been upset with the way the game was called for all 48 minutes. Everything started when Brooks fiercely drove to the rim, swinging his arms in a dangerous manner and striking Bucks forward Pat Connaughton in the face.</p><p>Originally ruled a basket by Brooks, the officials went to the monitor to review what occured due to Connaughton being hit in the face. Upon review, the referees ruled that Brooks “made an illegal act” on Connaughton while attempting to score. As a result, this play was deemed and offensive foul and play resumed.</p><p>This call did not sit well with the Rockets or Brooks simply because a similar act happened earlier in the game. While underneath basket and attempting to score, Bucks big man Brook Lopez swung his arms and struck Rockets guard Fred VanVleet in the face. No call was made here and VanVleet was shaken up as a result of the contact. After the game, Crew Chief Bill Kennedy was asked about the two plays and how they differed from one another.</p><p>“During live play we deemed that contact between Lopez and VanVleet was part of a normal basketball move therefore no replay review was triggered,” Kennedy told Jim Owczarski of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, via the NBA’s <a href="https://official.nba.com/pool-report-on-two-different-replay-scenarios-and-the-first-technical-foul-called-on-dillon-brooks-during-tonights-houston-rockets-at-milwaukee-bucks-game/" rel="noopener">pool report</a>.</p><p>It is tough for officials to make all of the right calls during a game. This is why they are able to go to the monitor and check out certain relays to ensure that no hostile acts were made. Seeing as they did not go to evaluate what occured between Lopez and VanVleet, it came as a shock to the Rockets to see Brooks’ driving layup reviewed and overturned.</p><p>Brooks was frustrated the rest of the game, ultimately leading to his ejection when he disrespected a game official by “using profanity” in the words of Kennedy.</p><p>“Very similar to the call they called on Dillon,” Udoka said in his postgame remarks regarding Brooks’ foul. “Fred got elbowed too. One goes one way and one goes the other. I can see it from the opposite end and three refs can’t see it right there.”</p><p>Brooks was also extremely unhappy after the game, calling out the officials and claiming that he is “sick” of the referees making bad calls when they are right in front of the action. Both Udoka and Brooks could face fines from the NBA for their public criticism of the officials from Sunday’s game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.6	4.7	1.5	2.0	0.9

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.6	4.7	1.5	2.0	0.9

Brook Lopez news

Brook
Lopez news