Author: Bennett Ervin

Bennett Ervin has been a sports writer for Hardwood Heroics since January 2024. Reporting for the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, and other NBA news as well as discussing Fantasy Basketball news such as trades and weekly wavier wire pickups.

The Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark as the No.1 pick of the WNBA Draft. The Fever selected Aliyah Boston from South Carolina with the first pick in last year’s draft. Boston had a very productive first season, winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year award during the 2023 season. The Caitlin Clark Effect The outcome of the selection has been a forgone conclusion this entire season, but the rise of Caitlin Clark in this year’s tournament, along with the Women’s Basketball National Championship game between South Carolina and Iowa, showcased an unprecedented level of viewership, drawing an average of 18.7…

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The Los Angeles Lakers started out slow against the Milwaukee Bucks but turned it around in the second half, erasing a big lead to secure a massive win in a tight Western Conference on the first night of a back-to-back.  Lakers Comeback After Big First Half Deficit At Halftime, the Bucks were up 58-42, having dominated the first half. However, Los Angeles opened the second half on a 13-5 run to trim the deficit to just eight points, putting themselves in position to make it a game. And that they did, outscoring the Bucks 59-43 over the final two quarters…

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Behind the historic performance of their star big man, Sabonis, the Sacramento Kings got a 108-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. Sabonis Records 54th Consecutive Double-Double The win on the night gave the Sacramento Kings their 10th winning season since moving to Sacramento 39 years ago. Kings standout center Domantas Sabonis recorded his 54th consecutive double-double, breaking the record for the longest streak since the 1976-77 NBA and ABA merger. The record was previously held by Kevin Love during his 2010-2011 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Sabonis now surpassing Kevin Love’s record, the last time a player had a double-double streak…

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Best Waiver Wire adds Fantasy Managers can make for Week 22 based on Yahoo Fantasy Scoring and Roster Percentages. Kelly Oubre Jr., SG/SF, 67% Rostered Kelly Oubre has had a hot start to March and the question is if he can continue his offensive output with Embiid still sidelined for the 76ers. In the month of March, Oubre is averaging 20 points per game, six rebounds, two assists, with one steal and one block per game. Amen Thompson, PG/SG/SF, 66% Rostered  Rocket’s rookie, Amen Thompson is breaking out at the right time for fantasy managers. Amen Thompson has started the…

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Shams Charania recently announced that the NBA G-League Ignite Team will shutdown after the conclusion of the 2023-2024 G-League schedule.  The Start of the Ignite Team  The NBA G-League began in 2008 and has been an avenue for college and international prospects to show their skills and bid to be drafted or signed to a team roster. This changed with the introduction of the Ignite team, which allowed elite high school prospects to take another route to the league besides playing in college or overseas.  In April 2020, the G-League announced a raised salary for elite prospects and a one-year…

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The news surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers injuries to multiple key role players is becoming strange as multiple insiders are reporting players may be out for the season while others state the players may be on the court by next week. Here’s the breakdown of all the recent reports on the Lakers injuries. CBS Sports NBA Insider Bill Reiter Report CBS Sports NBA Insider Bill Reiter reported early today that the Los Angeles Lakers expect Christian Wood and Gabe Vincent to miss the remainder of the season while Jarred Vanderbilt has a chance to, but “the expectation is that will…

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Best Waiver Wire adds Fantasy Managers can make for Week 21 based on Yahoo Fantasy Scoring and Roster percentages. Ayo Dosunmo, SG/SF, 64% Rostered  Fantasy Managers have to love Ayo’s upside, with Coby White now sidelined due to a mild hip sprain. In his last game, he scored 34 points with nine assists, shooting four of seven from deep. Since the All-Star break, Dosunmo has averaged 15.7 points per game, six assists, and a steal while shooting 45% from the field while playing 38 minutes per night.  Jeremy Sochan, PG/PF, 58% Rostered  So far this month, Sochan has averaged 13.6…

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In a highly anticipated matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, fans witnessed a thrilling game that ultimately ended in disappointment for the Lakers and all those in attendance as they waited through a multitude of reviews late in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis Goes Down as Los Angeles Loses Lead The first quarter started strong for Los Angeles as LeBron James showcased his dominance early on with 10 points and four assists, while Anthony Davis contributed 8 points and four rebounds. The Lakers and Warriors displayed solid shooting performances, with Los Angeles shooting 60% while…

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NBA

During the Thursday night matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns, Jaylen Brown scored 37 points, while Jayson Tatum added 26 as Boston became the first team to clinch a spot in the postseason, powering past Phoenix 127-112. Though the court was filled with All-Stars, the main story after the game revolved around a block attempt coming during a timeout where Boston coach Joe Mazzulla rushed from the bench to contest a Royce O’Neale three-point attempt. Joe Mazzulla Following Team Rules After the game, when Mazzulla was asked about the block attempt on Royce O’Neale, he spoke simply,…

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NBA

On February 9th, 2023, a midseason trade sent D’Angelo Russell from the eighth-place Timberwolves to the 13th-place Lakers, the franchise that initially drafted him second overall in 2015. Russell helped Los Angeles climb to seventh place in the Western Conference standings during the final two months of the 2022-23 season, but the Western Conference Finals concluded with a controversial coaching decision in a matchup with the Denver Nuggets.  Was Russell Benched For Favoritism or Poor Performance In Game 6 of the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies, Russell showcased his scoring ability with a 31-point performance, shooting an impressive 12-for-17…

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Best Waiver Wire adds Fantasy Managers can make for Week 20 based on Yahoo Fantasy Scoring and Roster percentages. Naz Reid, PF/C, Minnesota Timberwolves, 71% rostered With Karl-Anthony Towns expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a meniscus injury, Naz Reid got his first start for the Timberwolves this season, scoring 25 points and hitting five 3-pointers in a loss on Sunday night against the Lakers. On Thursday, Reid posted 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists with a steal, a block, and a 3-pointer in 26 minutes and followed that up on Friday, Reid had a career…

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The Los Angeles Lakers got a massive 120-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. Anthony Davis dominated the paint, while the Timberwolves were slim in the center department. Karl-Anthony Towns missed his third straight game with a meniscus injury, and Rudy Gobert sat out after a hard-fought overtime game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday Night.  Anthony Davis Dominates As Reaves and LeBron Add to Highlight Reel Anthony Davis came out hot in the first quarter, scoring 11 points, and tied his season high with four steals. The only other time in his career he did this was…

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The Los Angeles Lakers are fighting to gain ground in the extremely competitive Western Conference as D’Angelo Russell stepped up on Friday night, leading the Lakers to a massive 123-122 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. D’Angelo Russell Leads Los Angeles Lakers Past The Milwaukee Bucks Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell displayed clutch shotmaking for the Lakers with back-to-back 3s to cut to within two points with just a minute left. With the big shot, Russell surpassed his season-high of 39 points and tied his career-high with nine made shots from beyond the arc. After a colossal stop in which Hachimura…

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The Los Angeles Lakers looked like they could be blown out early, down 20-8 to start the first quarter. After mounting an impressive comeback midway through the 1st quarter, the Lakers surged ahead and didn’t look back. Los Angeles outscored the Oklahoma City Thunder 44-23 on their way to a nine-point halftime lead. Despite the Thunder’s youthful energy, the Lakers’ physicality and size proved overwhelming as Los Angeles secured a decisive 116-104 win Monday night. Los Angeles’ commanding victory over the Thunder sheds light on the Lakers’ five key strengths and the team’s potential heading into the postseason. 1. D’Angelo…

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Best waiver wire adds fantasy managers can make for week 19 based on Yahoo Fantasy Scoring and Roster percentages. Josh Hart, SG/SF, 72% Rostered Josh Hart has been dominant for the past several weeks since being moved into the starting lineup for the Knicks and may receive an even more substantial role with Brunson exiting Sunday’s game after a knee injury. Though most fantasy managers won’t be able to add Josh Hart to their lineups, some 8-10 team league managers should check if the do-it-all guard is available. Josh Hart has started the last 15 games for the Knicks, averaging…

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