(Basketball news) The Brooklyn Nets are back to their winning ways thanks to Kyrie Iriving who dropped 60 points to lead them to a blowout 150-110 victory over the Orlando Magic. For the Nets, Irving scored a career-high 60 points, most in the Nets' NBA history as he shot 20 for 31, including 8 of 12 on 3-pointers, in 35 minutes. He made 12 of 13 free throws in matching the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season. Irving also scored 41 points in the first half which was the most in the first two quarters since Kobe Bryant had 42 against Washington on March 28, 2003 as Durant added 19 points in the Nets' fourth straight win. For the Magic, Cole Anthony had 19 points and seven assists and Wendall Carter finished with 18 points. With this result the Nets improved their record to 36-33 and sit in 8th in the Eastern Conference standings.

''It just shows you we're on our way to history,'' Irving said.

'The night after Karl Towns had an incredible performance, and then to have Kyrie do it the next night, the league is in an amazing place right now,'' teammate Kevin Durant said. ''We're seeing a lot of talent displayed every night, and this was one of the elite ones.''

''It was just about the team really, just getting in the flow,'' Kyrie said. ''That's the true purity of this game, doing it efficiently on both ends of the floor and coming out with a W.''

''A few shots I probably shouldn't have taken. Tough ones, with double-teams and triple-teams coming,'' he added. ''But as long as I can do it with a smile on my face and my teammates weren't too angry with me, it was worthwhile.''

''There's times he's shooting over two people,'' said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. ''You try to double-team him, he's smart enough to know when to go and when not to go. He's fast in transition so you can't speed up and try to deny him. They're setting backscreens. He's crafty enough and he's seen every coverage and he knows how to play with a pace. That makes it hard.''

The Phoenix Suns continued their golden form as they beat the New Orleans Pelicans 130-115. For the Suns, Booker capped his 27-point performance with six points in a 33-second span at the end of the third quarter which was crucial in the end for the victory, Deandre Ayton added 18 points and Mikal Bridges went 4 of 5 from deep and scored 20 for them. For the Pelicans, Herb Jones scored 22 as CJ McCollum returned from a two-game absence and scored 21 points,  Jonas Valanciunas added 17 points and 12 rebounds. With this result the Suns extended their record to 55-14 and sit comfortably on top of the Western Conference table.

''It's demoralizing because you're right there, you're looking to get over the hump and then he comes down and hits a couple shots like that,'' Pelicans coach Willie Green said.

''More important than making the shot with 33 seconds left was making sure you're taking the shot with 33 seconds, playing the possession game,'' Booker said, alluding to the NBA's 24-second shot clock. ''We've just been stressing on finishing quarters the right way.''

'When they don't miss a shot, it's pretty hard,'' Pelicans forward Jaxson Hayes said. ''They're just hard to match up with.''

We just come together, man. It's fun to be a part of,'' Booker said. ''Just everybody vs. us, just taking that approach to it, just enjoying the road games, just enjoying being the bearer of bad news coming through here. It's something I think that we definitely own.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose two in row as the Warriors are back to winning ways

The other results were:

• Pacers 102 - 135 Grizzlies
• Heat 105 - 98 Pistons

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Cavs vs 76ers
• Wizards vs Nuggets
• Hornets vs Hawks
• Nets vs Mavericks
• Knicks vs Trail Blazers
• Timberwolves vs Lakers
• Spurs vs Thunder'
• Jazz vs Bulls
• Kings vs Bucks
• Warriors vs Celtics
• Clippers vs Raptors
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State continued from where they left off before the All Star break as they destroyed the Portland Trail Blazers 132-95. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry had 18 points and 14 assists as Klay Thompson also had 18 points for the Warriors, the Warriors at the end of the match had 8 players in double digits scoring. For the Trailblazers, Anfernee Simons had 24 points for Portland as they had won four straight going into the break. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 43-17 and sit comfortably in second place in the Western Conference table.

'It was a good way to kind of come back from the break and establish ourselves on both ends of the floor,'' Curry said.

''Steph was brilliant tonight,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''I loved his patience and the way he ran the team tonight. He played a beautiful game.''

''(Curry) has always been able to pass like this. His scoring is so good it can get overlooked sometimes,'' Thompson said.

''I thought they played hard and they played well, they just came up against a juggernaut,'' Billups said. ''They kind of took off on us there, they had 39 points in the second quarter, that really hurt us and we could never really recover.''

The Phoenix Suns won their 8th consecutive match against the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-104. For the Suns, Devin Booker had 25 points, 12 assists and a career-high six steals as Cameron Johnson and Mikal Bridges each scored 21 points for the Suns, who have won 19 of 20. For the OKC, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led them with 32 points on his return as Rookie guard Josh Giddey, who had 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. At this moment the Suns are the best team in the league by a mile and they are consistently winning matches for fun. With this result the Suns improved their record to 49-10 and sit on top of the Western Conference table.

''I thought Devin managed the game well,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said.

''I feel like we can only get better from this,'' Suns forward Jae Crowder said. ''Obviously, we've put ourselves in a position to have a cushion. But at the same time, we're playing for something. We're playing purposeful basketball each and every night.''

'Love playing with him,'' Giddey said. ''I think that chemistry is getting better and better over time. I think in a few years, we're going to be one of the best backcourts in the league. So growing with him is something I love doing.''

''The good thing is, we got that game out of the way,'' Williams said. ''I thought we had some rust in the pipes tonight, and we were able to get some of that out and get used to Book (Booker) playing some point.''

Also read: Team LeBron wins over Team Durant as Steph Curry won the Kobe Bryant MVP award

The other results were:

• Pistons 106 - 103 Cavs
• Nets 106 - 129 Celtics
• Timberwolves 119 - 114 Grizzlies
• Bulls 112 - 103 Hawks
• Kings 110 - 128 Nuggets

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pacers vs Thunder
• Magic vs Rockets
• Hornets vs Raptors
• Wizards vs Spurs
• Knicks vs Heat
• Timberwolves vs 76ers
• Suns vs Pelicans
• Jazz vs Mavericks
• Lakers vs Clippers
• Pistons vs Celtics
   

(Basketball news) Team LeBron won his 5th straight all star match as Steph Curry won the Kobe Bryant MVP award. Curry was initially booed but the fans couldn’t boo him anymore as he put in one of the greatest long-distance shooting performances in All-Star Game history, as James made a nice jumper that gave Team LeBron a 163-160 victory over Team Durant on Sunday night. Curry made 16 3-pointers and scored 50 points which was only two off Anthony Davis' record in an all star game. For team LeBron, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, and James finished with 24 in his old hometown as Joel Embiid led Team Durant with 36 points. LeBron made it 5 wins a row as he has been winning the AllStar game since its inaugural system in 2018. 

''It's pretty special, obviously being back in Ohio,'' Curry said, seconds after being handed the inaugural Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy. ''The trophy is very special. Very humble, very blessed.''

''This guy is from a different planet. He literally has an automatic sniper connected to his arm, and when he lets it go, not only himself, but everybody on the floor, in the stands, on TV, on their phones, whatever you are watching, you think it's going in every time,'' James said. ''Nine times out of 10 and sometimes 10 times out of 10, it does go in.''

“To be out there and watch that kid from Akron as well shoot the ball the way he shot it, it was unbelievable,'' James said. ''It was pretty cool.''

New York Knicks second-year forward Obi Toppin won the 2022 AT & T Slam Dunk contest on State Farm All-Star Saturday Night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse over Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson. Toppin won on a final dunk as Warriors player Toscano-Anderson finished with a cumulative score of 69 in the third round and 30 on his second dunk after failing to convert his final attempt on a dunk attempt, throwing the ball from behind the basket and then trying to dunk it. Toppin completed an in-between-the legs, one-handed dunk attempt that actually finished as a layup and it was enough for him to win the Dunk Competition.

Towns scored 29 points in the final to surpass Clippers Luke Kennard by three baskets. Kennard and Young had no chance to tie or beat Towns with their final shots. Karl Anthony Towns became the tallest winner since 7ft Dirk Nowitzki won the competition in 2006 and the first center to do so. Towns this season is shooting 41% from deep this season and 39.6% for his career. He had previously mentioned that he was begging the NBA for years for him to participate in the three point competition and was motivated when finally his time came to be a contestant in Cleveland.

Towns said  “I’m super happy to win. I have such high standards for myself. Nobody can be harsher on my game than me. I didn’t come here to compete. I came here to win.”

Also read: The NBA All Star week is set to kick off as Team LeBron take on Team Durant

We will not spend too much time defining NFTS or Metaverse as per their lawful definitions. You can of course search on Google, look at Wikipedia or industry experts' definitions explaining the words in entirety.

Let's jump to NFTS in our sports sector straight, some of the leading sports experts feel that they can solve real-world problems. Just ask Daryl Morey, president of basketball operations for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, who says, “I just moved from Houston to Philly, I had to move 10,000 comics. I had to move all of my wall art. I had to move all of this and with digital stuff you just move it. It’s definitely superior. And it’s the start of a major, major trend which is about to shape the industry differently.

Yes there are a plenty of integrations of these digital tokens ranging from smart ticketing in the sports sector to extended reality fan engagement but If we closely analyse major chunks of the sports industry considering something like a sports collectible, It’s quite comprehensible that they are a natural application of NFTs, NBA Top Shot being a pioneer has already started dominating the market, a platform where people can collect NFTs of officially licensed video highlights. Selling for $387k, the most expensive Top Shot was a clip of a LeBron James highlight where he emulates a famous Kobe Bryant dunk. Likewise, Autograph, a Tom Brady-backed start-up, is an up-and-coming NFT platform that has partnered with big names, such as Tiger Woods, Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles and this is just the start of the trend amongst American athletes and shall be seen very soon 

Industry experts and some reports predict that NFTs for sports media will generate more than US$2 billion in transactions in 2022, about double the figure for 2021, which basically means that 4–5 million sports fans globally will have purchased or been gifted an NFT sports collectible. One of the most interesting and often the most debatable topics still remains the pricing of these NFT’s. The way I understand the business scale cycles of the sports sector ideally the value of each NFT should depend on the prominence of the athlete, the significance of the event, any additional content included within the NFT, the exclusivity which offered by directly by the athlete/federation/representer and of course the fan surge demand.

There are other developments within the sports sector which NFTS plan to oust in the coming years, The state of affairs which I’m updated with I can surely commit will see many upcoming launches within this year only.

Gaming and nfts 

Let’s talk about the most successfully conceptualised project in recent times. This new model for gaming touted by crypto enthusiasts is “play to earn.” Players play games to earn NFT items that can be sold on marketplaces for higher prices. These items can often be used to achieve a higher performance in the game. One of the most prominent instances of the model is Axie Infinity, people are quitting their job to play the game full-time, and merchants now accept SLP as currency. 

Why I feel this is going to stay and not expire like any other social media trend is because NFTs can be integrated into the gaming world by allowing NFT cross-platform playability. NFTs give game developers another way to expand their brand and create another revenue stream, while gamers are given more incentive to keep playing a game if they already own characters or items within it, hence it’s a win-win on both sides of the graph.

This opens up all kinds of possibilities in the gaming sector like never before purchasing weapons or other equipment. The way I see this inside-game purchasing consumerism moving the numbers, we should not be surprised to see the trade digits shooting 5x within the next two years.

Having a look at how it can help the sports community in large ? Sports NFTs for charity

One more great way to employ NFTs in sport is fundraising for charity. Teams and team members can create various NFTs and give the money to charity. I feel if the federations try to promote this culture and introduce some inventive movement it can surely be a success story. This brings benefits to all parties. The athletes do good things and become more popular - the fans can buy their desired NFTs - vulnerable members of society get help. 

Also read: I want to see India become the next global sports manufacturing hub - Pranav Yadav, Assistant Director at FICCI - Sports and Youth Affairs

(Basketball news) Lakers fell under .500 as they lost 130-108 against the Celtics, Jayson Tatum who grew up idolising Kobe Bryant scored 37 points. With LeBron James coming into the line up after missing eight games the Lakers still looked very sloppy. Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 31 points and James finished with 23 in 32 minutes. They each had six rebounds and two assists.Marcus Smart had 22 points and Dennis Schroder 21 for Boston (8-8), which climbed back to .500. Tatum had 11 rebounds and Al Horford added 18 points. With this result the Lakers record slump to 8-9 as they dropped down to 9th.

It's a surreal moment, obviously, Bill Russell and the impact he had on the Celtics and the NBA,'' Tatum said. ''Having someone like Paul come to the game and someone I have a relationship with.''I remember watching him play,'' Tatum said, breaking into a smile. ''Now he's watching me play, that's crazy

''I felt OK,'' James said. ''Obviously being out 2 1/2 weeks, I felt kind of like a rookie again, just being away from the game. Excited. Felt good enough that I could trust my body.''

'We stress making quick decisions,'' Boston coach Ime Udoka said. ''When he holds it, the crowds get to him. He was extremely aggressive.''

The Golden State Warriors won 105-102 against the Detroit Pistons. Poole scored 22 of his season-high 32 points in the first half and Wiggins had 27, as both made the most of their opportunity to step up as scorers in Stephen Curry's absence.The NBA-leading Warriors sat out Curry with a bruised hip, a night after the two-time MVP and the league's leading scorer had 20 of his 40 points in a fourth-quarter comeback victory at Cleveland. They also also without Draymond Green because of a bruised thigh after he had 14 assists in 29 minutes against the CavaliersDetroit's Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick, had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jackson scored a season-high 27 points, Grant had 19 and Hamidou Diallo added 10 points.

I'm really proud of Jordan,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''He struggled the last few games. He was locked in right at the beginning.''

'We competed and fought to get back,'' Casey said. ''Those guys are heartbroken because they put themselves in a position to win and just couldn't get that last shot to go in.'

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Denver Nuggets by 114-108. Zach LaVine took over the night as he scored 36 points,LaVine scored 12 of his 36 points in a pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter, DeRozan hit eight straight late free throws and the Bulls won in Denver for the first time since 2006.DeRozan finished with 26 points, including a 12-for-12 performance at the line. LaVine and DeRozan were sizzling in helping the Bulls win. Aaron Gordon had a season-high 28 points for the Nuggets, who've dropped three straight. He was 10 of 12 from the field and had nine boards as they were without the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. LaVine has now scored 20-plus points 15 times this season, tied with Kevin Durant of Brooklyn for most in the league

''They've got to pick either me or him,'' LaVine said of the tandem with DeRozan. ''One of us is going to get a good look or create a play.''''I haven't heard that in my tenure here,'' he said. ''Hearing the fans and having them travel and be supportive on the road is incredible.''

'They were making big shots. We were making big shots,'' LaVine said. ''Obviously, if the ball is in me and DeMar's hands, we're going to make the right play, I think, pretty much every time.''

'It's remarkable to watch him,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''He's one of the best tough-shot makers in this league.''

Also read: NBA: Curry magic sinks the Cleveland Cavaliers as Miami Heat beat the in-form Washington Wizards

The other results were:

• Hornets 121 - 118 Pacers
• Nets 115 - 113 Magic
• Pelicans 94 - 81 Clippers
• Bucks 96 -  89 Thunder
• Suns 112 - 104 Mavericks
• Kings 89 - 108 Raptors

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Knicks vs Rockets
• Wizards vs Heat
• Pacers vs Pelicans
• Celtics vs Thunder
• Hawks vs Hornets
• Bucks vs Magic
• Trail Blazers vs 76ers
• Kings vs Jazz
   

(Basketball news) The iconic Staples Center in Los Angeles, home to the L.A Lakers, LA Clippers, NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and Women’s NBA’s Los Angeles Sparks will be renamed after being in operation for 22 years to Crypto.com Arena, as announced by arena owners Anschutz Entertainment Group last night. According to multiple reports, it is estimated that the deal would cost $700 million with Crypto.com paying the sum over a 20 year period, however, the financial terms of the deal are not yet made public.

Ever since it opened in 1999, the 20,000 seat venue was named the Staples Center after a 20 year naming rights agreement was reached with American office-supplies retail company Staples Inc. That will end when the Lakers take on the Brooklyn Nets at the NBA’s annual Christmas showcase this December. Headquartered in Singapore, Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform which was founded in 2016 and has already invested heavily in the sports landscape globally, signing sponsorship deals with the UFC, Formula 1, Paris Saint-Germain, NHL's Montreal Canadiens and also purchasing the Philadelphia 76ers' uniform sponsorship patch.

The future Crypto.com Arena has been the go-to venue for many major events, not just restricted to sports. The venue has hosted 19 Grammy Awards ceremonies, concerts, important public events such as the memorials of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson as well as three NBA All-Star Games and two NHL All-Star Games. In the first three years of operation, the venue saw the Lakers win three successive NBA Championships along with three more in the subsequent years. WNBA team Los Angeles Sparks have also won three WNBA titles at the Staples Center while the Kings have won two Stanley Cup Championships in 2012 and 2014 at the venue.

After being unveiled as the Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day, owners AEG will spend the next six months swapping the arena’s external signage for the 2022-2023 NBA, WNBA, NHL season. The venue is also said to be used for basketball events at the Olympics 2028 hosted in Los Angeles with Dan Beckerman, CEO of AEG saying “It’s the biggest of stages, we’re in the epicenter of the sports and entertainment world”.

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the spirited Bulls as Washington Wizards continued their fine form with a victory over the Pelicans

(Basketball news) Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol has retired from the sport after a long and successful career that has spanned 23 years. The 41 year old won two NBA Championships and three Olympic medals in his illustrious career. Speaking from an opera house in Barcelona, Gasol said “I'm going to retire from professional basketball. It's a difficult decision after so many years, but it's a decision that I really thought over." In attendance were his former teammates and family members, including his wife, his brother Marc and his young daughter.

Gasol made his professional debut in 1998 for Barca as a centre after which the 7 foot 1 inch player was signed by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001. The Spaniard was selected in the All-Star team on six occasions and won the NBA title with the L.A Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He has also played for Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and spent four months at Portland Trail Blazers despite not playing due to injury.

Gasol had a successful playing career for his country, winning the World Championship in 2006 and European titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015. He helped Spain win a silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012 and guided his country to a bronze medal in 2016. Despite being injured for almost two years, Pau Gasol made a full recovery to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where Spain was eventually knocked out of the quarter-finals to eventual winners USA. 

While announcing his retirement, Gasol spoke about his battle to overcome the stress fracture he suffered on his left foot in 2019. "Not many doctors thought I'd be able to recover but I'm a person who likes challenges and I wanted to fight to do the improbable. I got to the point where I was relaxed about my career ending, I was at peace, but, when things went well, I took the decision to sign for Barcelona, which wasn't in my plans. I managed to win the league with the club where it all began and where I made my debut. It's been very special."

The 41 year old also paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with whom he won two NBA titles. “I'd have liked him to have been here today but sometimes life is unfair. He taught me to be a better competitor, a real winner, I considered him like an older brother.” 

Also read: Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets: The battle between two superteams