James Quizon

The New Orleans Pelicans have shown flashes of brilliance in the first half of the season but have been on a recent funk of late going just 1-5 in their last six games. They’ll need to get back on track if they want a shot at the playoffs when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete in a major sports history has signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets, a team he has played for in past stints in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Danny Granger was pissed when he was traded near the deadline from one of the title contenders, the Indiana Pacers to one of the bottom-feeders, the Philadelphia 76ers.

Was Australia’s three-medal haul at the recent Sochi Olympics 2014 a failure or a success? Basing on recent Winter Games history for the Aussies, it appears to be a "failure" since previous Olympics produced better results for Australians in terms of first-place finishes.

The Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns meet Sunday night in Arizona in a battle between a pair of two steadily-rising squads out West.

The Minnesota Timberwolves need toughness and defense while the Memphis Grizzlies need three-point shooting and offense. The teams could be the perfect trade partners as the NBA trade deadline nears.

Since his falling out with Denver Nuggets first-year head coach Brian Shaw, it appeared that veteran court general Andre Miller will be on his Mile High City. With the trade deadline looming a deal could happen anytime soon and one of the teams interested in his services are the Memphis Grizzlies.to

The NBA stars have converged in New Orleans, Louisiana for this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend. On Saturday, four popular sidelights will be on tap namely the Slam Dunk, Three-Points Contest, Skills Challenge and Shooting Stars. Who will reign the air this year? Who will rule behind the arc? Below is the complete schedule and list of participants in each event. Plus the betting lines and their chances to win their respective events:

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s recent surge has brought them to the top of the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Laker’s continuing slump has dropped them near the conference’s bottom. These teams going to opposite directions on Thursday in the last game in the NBA before the All-Star break.

Despite a depleted line-up because of injuries and trades, the Chicago Bulls are still proud of their blue-collar ways and have earned a trip back to respectability of late. With a match-up with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, the Bulls are hoping to bring some form of momentum before the NBA All-Star break.

Sans Dwyane Wade, LeBron James stepped up to lead the Miami Heat to a 103-97 win over the Phoenix Suns in their last game. The Heat star had 37 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists as Miami not only won the game but covered the 4.5 spread as favourites late. Chris Bosh added 21 points and 8 rebounds in the Heat’s fourth win in five games.

Here we go again: the New York Knicks are interested in Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry.According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the Knicks are once again considering a trade for their Atlantic rivals starting point guard. New York already attempted to start talks with the Canadian franchise in December but eventually backed out of any deal.

The rivalry between the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels would appear not as glamorous in past meetings as only one is considered a true contender this season. That’s not stopping the bad blood from flowing on Wednesday night when the Tobacco Road Rivalry continues at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Kevin Durant has brought his A-game against the Portland Trail Blazers all throughout his NBA career and this season he fared even better than his normal scoring average.

The Phoenix Suns have been one of the feel-good stories in the NBA this season. Pegged as a lottery-bound squad during the preseason and on rebuilding mode, no expert expected that they would be a playoff contender in 2013-2014.

The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) Awards night is scheduled roughly two months away and fans can still vote for their favourite shows and TV personalities.

Russell Westbrook has “increased activity” in Thunder practices and has joined the team’s pregame warm-ups and shoot-around in the last two games versus the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to avoid a season-high five game skid on Monday when they face the Houston Rockets, which are aiming for a sixth straight victory, longest for the James Harden-led squad this season.

No more secrets before he turns pro. Missouri’s Michael Sam has admitted that he is gay after publicly admitting his sexual orientation via the New York Times on Sunday.

Nash re-injured his left leg--- the same one he fractured in the 2012-2013 season when he missed majority of the games for the Lakers—after a contact play in the early part of the third quarter of the game versus the Chicago Bulls.

Norway added two more medals—albeit just of the bronze type—on the fourth day of the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia. Austria and Switzerland joined winner’s circle after winning separate gold medals in alpine skiing and cross country, respectively.

New York’s top gun is Carmelo Anthony, who averages 27.4 points per game for the season. That mark is just second in the league however, as he will be facing OKC’s main man in Kevin Durant, owner of the best scoring average in the league with 31.0 PPG.

Bounce back from tough losses—that’s the mission for both the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves when they meet each other on Saturday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Norway and Netherlands got ahead of the field in the early medal tally owing to a Norwegian gold-bronze finish in the ladies’ skiathlon and a 1-2-3 Dutch dominance in men’s speedskating on the third day of action at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Krasnaya, Polyana, Russia.

The NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest during the league’s midseason mania called the NBA All-Star Weekend will have six participants including Toronto Raptors high-flyer Terrence Rose, who is the defending slam dunk champion.

The Blazers (35-14) are third in their conference behind proficient scoring (107.7 PPG - first in the NBA) and rebounding (46.5 RPG – first). That Portland offense will be tested by the league's best on D with the Pacers containing their opponents to just 90.2 PPG (first in scoring defense).

For failing to rebuild properly the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chris Grant was axed from his position as the franchise’s general manager according to team owner Dan Gilbert.

The Golden State Warriors are searching for answers after recent struggles. On Thursday, they host the Chicago Bulls also looking for consistency at this point of the season.

Another athlete bites the dust. Paul George is following Dwyane Wade’s footsteps - not collecting NBA rings and championships - but getting other women impregnated out of wedlock and perhaps out of a relationship.