It’s not often that an NBA team can add an MVP after the season starts.

When things got messy between James Harden and the Houston Rockets, the Brooklyn Nets were ready to pounce. When the Rockets were blown out by the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night and Harden said in his postgame news conference that he didn’t think Houston could be fixed, a trade was inevitable. Harden, the MVP in 2018, was sent to the Nets on Wednesday afternoon. The Nets already were one of the league’s most intriguing teams with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (when and if he returns to the Nets), and they just added a player who averaged 29.6 points per game over his nine Rockets seasons. It’s a fun move and the Nets are adding an undeniably talented star but does that make them a better team from a betting standpoint?

If you believe the shift in championship odds after the trade, the Nets are now one of the two best teams in the NBA. The team with the best odd is still the Los Angeles Lakers.

In results from the NBA last night: Clippers defeated the Pelicasns 111-106. Lakers defeated the Thunder 128-99. Trailblazers defeated the Kings 132-126. Bucks defeated the Pistons 110-101, while the Nets defeated the Knicks 116-109.

(Photo: theguardian.com)

Manchester City extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches in all competitions with a hard-fought win over struggling Brighton.

Phil Foden grabbed the only goal just before half-time when he collected Kevin de Bruyne’s pass, created space and fired into the bottom corner. The hosts had chances to extend the lead, Riyad Mahrez shooting just wide, Ilkay Gundogan seeing an effort saved by Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and Bernardo Silva hitting the crossbar. Most culpably, Raheem Sterling sent an injury-time penalty over the bar after Sanchez had fouled De Bruyne. Alexis Mac Allister had perhaps the Seagulls’ best chance to equalize but shot over the top. City’s fourth straight win in the league moved them up to third. Brighton, meanwhile, have now not won in nine league matches and are just two points ahead of 18th-placed Fulham, who have two games in hand.

(Photo: strettynews.com)

Steven Gardiner became one of the fastest men in history when he won the gold medal in the 400m at the World Championships in Doha last year.

The 25-year-old Bahamian crossed the finish line in 43.48s, the sixth-fastest time ever run over the distance. But while he dreams of one day breaking Wayde van Niekerk’s four-year-old world record of 43.03, he would prefer for it to come as a surprise. “I would say that is everybody’s dream! If I do set the world record, I want it to be a surprise,” Gardiner said in a recent interview with World Athletics. “I just want to go out, compete and then when I look at the clock, find that I’ve set a world record.” The soft-spoken Bahamian harbors hope to have a good year competing in 2021 culminating with another gold medal in Tokyo.

With most of the major meets cancelled or postponed during 2020, Gardiner said he spent much of the time focused on improving his speed, a potentially critical element in any attempt at a world record. “I had a lot of fun. During the pandemic, we decided to focus on the shorter sprints and leave competing again in the 400m to 2021.”

(Photo:tribune242.com)