Page 31 - Florida Sen tinel 2-17-17

Sports
Eastern Conference Starters:
NBA All-Star Events This Weekend In New Orleans
Cleveland Cavs Look To Increase Payroll After Kevin Love Out Of 6 Weeks
KYRIE IRVING
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
DEMAR LEBRON JAMES
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO MILWAUKEE BUCKS
JIMMY BUTLER CHICAGO BULLS
According to reports,the Cleveland Cavaliers are look- ing to make a big move in the coming weeks, with a trade for New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony not out of the realm of possibility.
After it was revealed that starting power forward Kevin Love would be out at least six weeks after under-going knee surgery, Cavs ownership has given the franchise the green light to increase its payroll.
Although this doesn’t nec- essarily mean that the Cavs are going after Anthony, it does indicate that the Cavs are aware of the dire situation they’re in and are willing to
Kevin Love had knee sur- gery and will be out for 6 weeks.
make a big move before the trade dead-line.
The Cavs are currently just two games ahead of the Celtics in the East as they try to hold on to the elusive first seed in the Eastern Conference.
DEROZAN
TORONTO RAPTORS
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Eastern Conference Reserves:
Isaiah Thomas PG / Boston Celtics John Wall PG / Washington Wizards Kyle Lowry PG / Toronto Raptors Paul George SF / Indiana Pacers
Western Conference Starters:
Kemba Walker PG / Charlotte Hornets Paul Millsap PF / Atlanta Hawks Carmelo Anthony PF / New York Knicks
Jahlil Okafor To Return To 76ers
STEPHEN CURRY GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS
JAMES HARDEN HOUSTON ROCKETS
KEVIN DURANT GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS
KAWHI LEONARD SAN ANTONIO SPURS
ANTHONY DAVIS NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Optimistic that they were going to find a willing trade partner, the Philadelphia 76ers told Jahlil Okafor to stay home and not travel with the team. Okafor even changed his Twitter location to his hometown of Chicago, which only amplified the per- ception that a trade was im- minent.
Yet after a few days of re- ported trade talks which ap- parently haven’t gone anywhere, the Sixers have asked Okafor to rejoin the team and he will be available to play against the Celtics on Wednesday.
Jahlil Okafor will remain a 76er for now.
Okafor has been the sub- ject of trade discussions with the New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, and reportedly the Portland Trail Blazers, among others.
Western Conference Reserves:
Isaiah Thomas PG / Boston Celtics John Wall PG / Washington Wizards Kevin Love PF / Cleveland Cavaliers Kyle Lowry PG / Toronto Raptors
Paul George SF / Indiana Pacers Kemba Walker PG / Charlotte Hornets Paul Millsap PF / Atlanta Hawks
The starting lineups were revealed last Thursday for the 66th NBA All-Star Game, which will be played Sunday, Feb. 19, in New Orleans at the Smoothie King Cente and will be aired at 8 p.m. on TNT. And apparently Russell Westbrook's first-half per- formance wasn't impressive enough to crack the Western Conference's top five.
Then again, the West's starting guards each have a pretty good case for inclusion. Golden State's reigning two- time MVP Stephen Curry
will make his fourth All-Star appearance. Alongside Curry will be Houston's James Harden, who is second in the NBA in points (28.9) and first in assists (11.6) in his role as point guard for the Rock- ets.
Kevin Durant, who left over the summer for the Golden State Warriors, will headline the Western Confer- ence frontcourt. Durant, a seven-time All-Star, is aver- aging 26.2 points and a ca- reer-high 8.6 rebounds for the 36-6 Warriors. San Anto-
nio's Kawhi Leonard will make his second consecutive All-Star start. Leonard is the two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Starting up front alongside Durant and Leonard will be New Orleans' big man, Anthony Davis. Davis made his All-Star debut in New Orleans in 2014 as a re- serve, and this year will mark his first time in the starting lineup.
For the Eastern Conference All-Star team, LeBron James is the lone returning starter. James will be mak- ing his 14th All-Star appear- ance in his 15th NBA season.
Chicago's Jimmy Butler was selected as a reserve for the last two All-Star Games, and this season is averaging a career-best 24.8, which in- cludes a recent 52-point out- burst against Charlotte. Playing with Butler will be Milwaukee's dynamic 22- year-old Giannis Antetok- ounmpo. In just his fourth NBA season, Antetokoun- mpo is averaging 23.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.8 steals per game and 2.1 blocks per game, leading the Bucks in every category.
Big3 League Players, Coaches And Schedule Announced
Ice Cube's Big3 League, featuring a who's who of some of your favorite retired NBA players, is scheduled to tip off this Summer beginning on June 24th.
Each team will include five players (three starters, two subs) and those teams will take part in a 10-week season, four games being played each week in a new city, culminat- ing with the championship on August 12th.
The player captains are:
Allen Iverson (player/coach), Chauncey Billups, Jermaine O'Neal, Kenyon Martin, Mike Bibby, Jason Williams, Rashard Lewis, Stephen Jackson, Bonzi Wells, Al Harrington, Corey Maggette, and Ricky Davis.
Other players include:
Kenny Anderson, Ja- mario Moon, Smush Parker, Ruben Patterson, Etan Thomas, Latrell Sprewell, Earl Boykins,
Allen Iverson, pictured with Ice Cube, will be a player/coach for the Big3.
J.R. Rider, Brian Cook and Mahmoud Abdul- Rauf.
In addition to Iverson, the coaches are: Clyde Drexler, Gary Payton, George Gervin, Rick Barry and Rick Mahorn.
Some rules: The first team to 60 points wins with half- time taking place once a team hits 30. Teams must win by 4, there are no foul outs, re- bounds must be cleared be- hind the 3-point line, and there will be "4-point circles" on the court as well.
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