Anthony Ronzone is a world-renowned basketball coach and player developer who has run clinics in 57 countries and notably coached the USA Olympic team from 1997-present-day, never having lost a game, and earning two gold medals in the process. More recently Mr. Ronzone has worked with NBA Basketball without Borders. We caught up with Anthony Ronzone to discuss some of the latest happenings in basketball this season.
LeBron James Ejected and Might Face Suspension
During Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons, forward
LeBron James was ejected for striking Piston’s player Isaiah Stewart in the face, causing Stewart to bleed profusely on the court. After reviewing the offense, officials declared James at fault and handed him a ‘flagrant two penalty’, causing his ejection from the game.
Anthony Ronzone notes that this is only the second time in his illustrious career that superstar LeBron James has been ejected from a game, the first being back in 2017 during a November game against the Miami Heat.
This week’s event happened during the third quarter of the game with just over nine minutes remaining on the clock. As the Lakers trailed 78-66, James flailed his arm to reach for a rebound, striking center Isaiah Stewart directly in the eye. A short scrap between the two players then ensued with both players eventually being ejected.
During the affair, Lakers guard Russel Westbrook joined in, causing him to also receive a technical foul for fighting on the court, according to Anthony Ronzone. With three players reprimanded, the game continued with the Lakers going on to win 121-116.
Stewart later received eight stitches and both James and Stewart will face a possible suspension for their role in the scrap during the game. James is known for being a fair player and will likely be able to play but for the time being the Lakers may have to play without their star forward.
Warriors’ Poole and Wiggins Rack Up 65 in Warriors' Win
Anthony Ronzone reports that Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors blew the Toronto Raptors out the water this Sunday with a combined score of 65 points, boosting the Warriors’ total score to 119 against the Raptors’ 104. This brought the Golden State Warriors a much-anticipated home victory in a rematch of their 2019 finals against the Raptors.
Andrew Wiggins pulled through with a 32-point performance, including six individual 3-pointer shots while Jordan Poole managed to outmatch him with an additional 33 points, including a fourth straight and 12 points off a 2-for-10 shot from Warriors front guard Steph Curry.
This marks the seventh loss out of nine games for the Raptors, who we unable to hold off a 20-point lead during the first quarter. Although they made a slight comeback during the mid-game, they were never able to come with a 9-point margin, eventually
losing 119-104.
DeMar DeRozan Manages to Pull Bulls Ahead for Win Against Knicks
The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks played a close game on Sunday, with the Bulls barely managing to pull ahead to a
109-103 win thanks to the combined efforts of shooting guards DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. DeRozan managed to score a combined total of 31 points with LaVine scoring another 21 points.
Meanwhile, Julius Randle of the New York Knicks managed 34 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulls, helping to score a 74-72 lead by the end of the third quarter. Anthony Ronzone notes that their edge didn’t last long, though, as Derrick Jones Jr and Coby White grabbed another 6 points for the Bulls within the first minute of the fourth quarter, relates Anthony Ronzone.
The Bull’s win comes as a welcomed victory for the Bulls after they managed to slip from a 12-0 run against the Knicks earlier in the season. The two teams aren’t scheduled to play again until later in the season during games set for December 2 and March 28.
Phoenix Suns Extend Winning Streak After Crushing Nuggets
With a devastating
126-97 win over the Denver Nuggets, the Phoenix Suns sauntered on to an uninterrupted twelve-victory winning streak this past Sunday. This marks the longest winning streak of the season thus far and stands as the Suns’ best performance since their 17-win streak back in 2006.
Despite solid performances from Jeff Green and Aaron Gordon, this stands as the Nugget’s fourth consecutive loss and third loss within a double-digit margin of the season. This largely comes down to a blitzkrieg first quarter from the Suns who managed to score 48 points within the first quarter, followed by double-digit leads throughout the remainder of the game.
Anthony Ronzone reports that the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets are not set to play each other again until March of next year, so it’s unclear if the Suns will be able to continue their winning streak until their next matchup.
