NBA

Bill Russell steals thunder on a night when Russell Westbrook captures MVP

NEW YORK CITY — The 83-year-old man may have been surrounded by five men representing a total of nearly 35 feet in height, but the octogenarian clearly wasn’t intimidated. After pointing to each member of the group, the smiling 11-time champ Bill Russell raised a conspiratorial hand alongside his mouth and announced, “I would kick…

Power Rankings: Rockets, Jazz continue runs toward the top

It’s still hard to pick against the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers meeting again in The Finals. And the build-up to their Christmas Day meeting should be great. But, especially in the Western Conference, some threats to a Finals rematch are building up. The San Antonio Spurs just keep rolling along, getting better and…

Power Rankings: Rockets, Jazz continue runs toward the top

It’s still hard to pick against the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers meeting again in The Finals. And the build-up to their Christmas Day meeting should be great. But, especially in the Western Conference, some threats to a Finals rematch are building up. The San Antonio Spurs just keep rolling along, getting better and…