Entries by Mateo Mayorga

NBA insider attempts to correct himself for taking a shot at another journalist

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon attempted to apologize for besmirching reporter Grant Afseth as a “wannabe journalist” on Wednesday’s episode of the Hoop Collective podcast. Afseth is credentialed for Dallas Mavericks games, practices and pressers, and writes for his Substack page, Dallas Hoops Journal.   On Feb. 7, MacMahon reported that the Mavericks’ top executive of basketball […]

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat notes and summary of Jimmy Butler’s introductory presser with the Warriors

Andrew Wiggins now wears #22 for the Miami Heat after requesting it. This highlights how badly the relationship ended with Jimmy Butler, who wore the same digits since 2019 until the trade on Wednesday. If Butler was concerned with his number, he should’ve handled his exit with more class.   While Wiggins may not have […]

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Nuggets battered the Magic, winning their fifth game in a row

The Nuggets were missing Jamal Murray (knee), Russell Westbrook (hamstring), and Peyton Watson (sprained knee), but it was no problem for them to dispatch the touring Magic. Michael Porter Jr. went on a heater, scoring on cuts and downing his long jumper. And Nikola Jokić recorded his 24th triple-double of the season.   The Nuggets […]

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Nuggets couldn’t hang with the Knicks and lost their third game in a row

The Nuggets fell apart late in New York and squandered an opportunity for a quality win. Jamal Murray carried the team on Nikola Jokić’s down night, but the defense’s failure to cover screen rolls and getting clobbered in transition outweighed his impact.     After the game, coach Michael Malone said, “The big stat for me […]