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Check out the stories below for the most memorable headlines, iconic events, and significant storylines of the year.
With Trae Young out for Game 4, it looked unlikely that the Hawks would be able to tie up the series, however everyone on the team stepped up especially Lou Williams who had big shoes to fill, replacing Trae in the starting lineup, but he ended up scoring 21 points on 7-9 shooting including 2-3 on 3PT.
Bogdan Bogdanovic also stepped up with 20 points on 6-14 3PT shooting. The Bucks’ leading scorer was Jrue Holiday with 19, but Giannis went down with an injury in the third quarter which led to a 25-10 Hawks run and added to the long list of star injuries this season.
The LA Clippers came in to Game 5 down 3-1 in the series, needing to win the next three games to clinch the franchise’s first ever Finals bid, and they picked up win number one on Monday night. LAC led after every quarter on the road, and got a stellar second half from Paul George, who had 30 points during that span and 41 for the whole game. DeMarcus Cousins stepped up in the absence of Ivica Zubac with 15 points in only 11 minutes.
The Clips will look to force a Game 7 on Wednesday night when they return home for Game 6. Clippers HC Ty Lue picked up his 10th win in an elimination game, as he is now 10-2 in such games. He is the only coach to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals with his only two elimination losses coming vs. the Super Warriors. Playoff P scored 41 PTS in 41 MIN on 15-20 FG and was a perfect 8-8 on his FTs. The Suns were led by Booker‘s 31 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome PG’s career-high performance.
In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks got out to an early lead, being up by 15 in the first quarter. Trae Young was on fire with 32 points after three quarters, including a three from the logo along with a shimmy. Towards the end of the third quarter, Trae Young went to the locker room after tweaking his ankle.
He returned in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough as Khris Middleton outscored the Hawks 20-17 in the final quarter on the way to a Bucks 113-102 victory. Middleton ended up with 38 points and Giannis finished with 33, both of them having 11 rebounds. For the Hawks, Trae finished with 35 points on 6-14 3PT shooting.
In the Clippers’ first two series this postseason, they fell into an 0-2 hole just to win their next two and take the series. However, this streak was broken with a Game Four loss to Phoenix, as the Suns went up 3-1 after never trailing for the entire game. With 6.3 seconds left, Paul George went to the line down by three but missed a key free throw that prevented their comeback, similar to Game 2.
The Suns went on to win 84-80 behind Deandre Ayton‘s 19 points and 22 rebounds and are only one win away from the Finals. The Clippers now need to win three in a row, including two in Phoenix in order to reach the NBA Finals. Fortunately for them, their HC orchestrated the Cavs’ legendary 3-1 series comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals and LA is coming off of four straight wins to put away the West’s No.1 seed Utah, so all hope isn’t lost in Clipperville.
San Diego Padres SS Fernando Tais Jr., the National League HR leader, padded his lead with a 3-HR day against the struggling D-backs. He also tied Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at 25 HR for the MLB lead in 2021. In his first three at-bats against the D-backs, Tatis hit three HR, one 2-run bomb, and two solo shots for a total of four RBI’s.
During his fourth AB of the evening, he added another hit with a single in the 7th inning and he ended up scoring another run. He ended up hitting 4-5 with 4 RBI and 4 Runs on the way to an 11-5 victory. The Padres handed the Diamondbacks their 24th straight road loss to extend the MLB record while San Diego compiled their eighth straight victory.
The defending champ Dodgers are on a 4-game skid, after being swept by their divisonal rival Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres, they returned home to play the Cubs. The Dodgers faced SP Zach Davies who pitched for 6 innings and surrendered no hits, while even getting one of his own.
The Cubs 3 relievers Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Craig Kimbrel each pitched 1 inning without any hits allowed to give the Cubs their first combined no-no in franchise history. The seventh no-hitter of the season ties the MLB record less than halfway through the season. Despite the no-hitter, the Dodgers still got walked eight times throughout the game and only struck out sevn times.
The Eastern Conference Finals got underway on Wednesday night in Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday combined for 67 points, but it wasn’t enough to outlast Trae Young and the Hawks. Ice Trae recorded his playoff career-high with an outstanding 48 points and added 11 assists as well.
He was hitting his favorite floater shot and consistently getting into the paint at will, all while shimmying before 3’s and when he didn’t finish it himself, he was lobbing it to John Collins, who had a 23-point double-double. Atlanta has now won all three Game 1’s on the road this postseason as a 1-0 lead seems to clearly be a part of Atlanta’s surprising postseason success in 2021.
Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals was a nail-biter as both teams traded buckets late. With the Clippers up by 1 the Suns were trying to make a shot, but Patrick Beverly poked the ball out of bounds while making it go out off of Booker, resulting in a Suns turnover. Paul George was immediately fouled and put on the FT line with a chance to go up 3, but he missed both chances giving the Suns another shot. Mikal Bridges shot the 3PA but missed, with the rebound going out off of LA, the Suns had one more chance.
On the inbound pass, Jae Crowder lobbed it up and Ayton threw it down to take the lead with less than a second left. Both Kawhi Leonard (knee) and Chris Paul (health and safety protocols) were out for their second straight game of this series. Cameron Payne had 29 while Ayton had 24 on 12-15 shooting along with 14 rebounds. For the Clippers, Paul George led the team with 26 points, despite shooting a horrendous 1-8 on 3PT.
In the first 7-inning game of a doubleheader against the Braves, deGrom once again showed why is the best pitcher in the league. He pitched 5 innings, only allowing 1 hit and no runs while striking out 6 batters on the way to a 4-2 Mets victory. Jacob deGrom is off to the best start to a season in the modern era of MLB history with the lowest ERA (0.50) in the first 12 GP of the season. He also has held opposing batters to an AVG of .113, while all pitchers are batting .112 this season across the MLB.
The East’s one seed was eliminated as the Hawks upset the Sixers in Game 7 thanks to Kevin Huerter‘s career-high in the playoffs of 27 with 10-18 shooting. Despite shooting just 5-23, Trae Young showed up when it matters the most delivering clutch free throws to close out the 76ers, he shot 9-11 from the line. The Hawks win was also aided by some poor play by the Sixers, Ben Simmons scored only 5 points to cap off a terrible postseason from FT shooting just 34.2%.
Simmons also passed up on a wide-open dunk late in the fourth quarter when down by 2. With 54 seconds left down 4 points, the Sixers needed to come up with points, but Embiid turned over the ball leading to a Hawks dunk, essentially putting the game away. This loss adds to the horrendous list of postseason collapses with Doc Rivers at the helm, with many blown 3-1 leads, and this time a big upset by a team with 0 All-Stars this season including some historic blown leads.
After going down 0-2 in the series, the Bucks were able to rally back, to win the series. Neither team was able to pull away in Game 7, as it was close throughout. For the Bucks, Giannis scored 40 points on 15-24 shooting along with 13 rebounds. On the other side, Durant had 48 points on 17-36 shooting including a game-tying 2-pt bucket with his toe on the 3-pt arc to send the game to OT where the Bucks eventually prevailed after KD couldn’t get a shot to fall in the extra period (0-6 FG).
Both Durant and Harden played in all 53 minutes of this OT thriller, and Giannis played in 50, while Middleton played for 52 minutes. Both benches combined for just 9 points while only 11 total players scored, the lowest in any game in NBA history (regular or postseason). The Bucks will now face the winner of the 76ers-Hawks Game 7 in the ECF while the Nets will use this offseason to get healthy and likely add some more quality defenders.
The LA Clippers are heading to their first-ever conference finals after defeating Utah at home in Game 6. They’ve now won both of their games in the postseason without star Kawhi Leonard on the floor. In his absence, Terance Mann stepped up big time, recording a career-high 39 points on 15-21 shooting and 7-10 3PT. Paul George continued to shine without his star counterpart, recording 28 points. Reggie Jackson added 27 as well.
After facing a 25-point deficit in the third quarter, the Clips ended the game on a 75-40 run aided by Mann’s 20-point third quarter. In both of their playoff series’ this year, the Clippers have rallied back from down 0-2 to advance to the next round, this time by winning four in a row. They are now set for a matchup with the Phoenix Suns to represent the West in the NBA Finals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton led the Bucks to a Game 6 victory over the Nets. Middleton had one of the best games of his career with 38 points, 10 rebounds, and shooting 5-8 from beyond the arc, while the rest of the Bucks shot just 2-25 on 3PT. Giannis also had a big game with 30 points and 27 rebounds along with 60% FG shooting.
For the Nets, Kevin Durant still had a big game with 32 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stop the duo of Giannis and Middleton. James Harden got off to a great start in the first half but faded down the stretch as he recovers from the lingering hamstring injury. Game 7 will be played in Brooklyn, and the winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks stormed back from a 26-point deficit and snatched Game 5 from Philly right on their own court. Atlanta’s star point guard had a playoff career-high 39 points to help spark the historic comeback. They outscored the Sixers 40-19 in the fourth quarter, and only two Philly players (Embiid and Curry) recorded a made field goal in the second half, showing yet again that they lack a true closer. Atlanta now has the chance to claim a spot in the conference finals at home in Game 6 for the first time since 2015.
76ers HC Doc Rivers is no stranger to blown leads as he has been the coach for 5 of the 8 largest blown leads in the last 2 years of the playoffs. Out of the 13 times, a team has blown a 3-1 series lead, Rivers was the coach for three of them, twice with the Clippers and once with the Magic. Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris combined for 0-5 on FG in the second half. With 10.9 seconds left trailing by 3, Joel Embiid went to the FT line with the chance to make it a 1-point game, but he missed both shots, and the Hawks went on to win by 3.
James Harden made his return for Brooklyn and struggled greatly, missing all eight of his three-point attempts, scoring only five points, but it was all about Kevin Durant on Tuesday night. He posted a ridiculous stat line of 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists to lead the Nets to a pivotal Game 5 comeback victory. Additionally, KD played every single minute of the game and touched the ball on almost every single possession as Brooklyn needed each one. BRK now sits one win away from their first Conference Finals since 2003.
With Kyrie Irving out with an ankle injury, KD had to have a phenomenal performance, and he did more than that. Durant put the Nets on his back after facing a halftime deficit of 16. The Nets rallied back to take a pivotal Game 5 and earn a 3-2 series lead. The Bucks were powered behind Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s 34 points and Middleton‘s 25, but it wasn’t enough to match KD’s career performance. Now the Bucks need to win their final two games to win the series.
The NBA’s 1st team all-defense consisted of Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Draymond Green, Jrue Holiday, and Ben Simmons. The 2nd team all-defense was made up of Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, and Matisse Thybulle. The players who just missed the cut were Mikal Bridges, Clint Capela, Myles Turner, Marcus Smart, and Luguentz Dort. The 76ers had the most all-defense selection across the league with three. Both the Heat and Bucks had two all-defense selections, with the Bucks having both of theirs on the 1st team.
After being blown out in Game 2 against Brooklyn, the Bucks looked like they were simply outmatched. However, after a nail-biter in Game 3 and a decisive victory in Game 4, the Bucks are back on track and have tied up this series 2-2 before heading back to Brooklyn in what is now a best-of-3 matchup.
Powered behind Giannis‘ 34-points and Middleton‘s 19, the Bucks never trailed in the second half as they outshot the Nets from beyond the arc. However, in the second quarter, Kyrie Irving went down with an ankle injury and did not return. The Nets have now lost both All-Star members of their backcourt, leaving Kevin Durant as the only remaining piece of Brooklyn’s Big 3.
The Clippers needed to win Game 3 to have any chance of taking the series, and they did just that. Behind Kawhi’s 34 points and Paul George’s 31, the Clips won Game 3 comfortably after dropping the first two games of the series. Clippers finally shot the ball well from behind the arc as they made 52.8% of their 3 PT attempts in Game 3 compared to shooting below 40% in the first two games of the series.
Donovan Mitchell still put up 30 points but midway through the fourth quarter Mitchell tweaked his ankle and did not return to the game. Game 4 will be played June 14 in LA where the Clips will have a chance to even the series before it goes back to Utah as each team has won at home so far after the Clippers’ previous series was the complete opposite.
Through 10 games, New York Mets SP Jacob deGrom has the lowest ERA for the first 10 games started in a season at 0.56. He has become the first pitcher to record more RBI (5) than ER (4) in any 10-game span since RBI became an official stat in 1920. Jacob deGrom reached 100 Ks on the season in just 61.2 IP, the fastest since 1901. He has the lowest WHIP (0.53), and opponent AVG (.121) over any 10-game span, while he has been batting .400! In a year where offense is at an all-time low, no pitcher has been anywhere close to as dominant as Jacob deGrom has been.
Khris Middleton finally made his mark on the series, recording a game-high 35 points and 15 rebounds. Giannis added 33 and 14. These two combined for a whopping 79% of the team’s points, an NBA playoff record. They also scored all 30 of Milwaukee’s first-quarter points, which gave them more than a 20-point lead in the first, however, the Nets stormed back still without James Harden.
In the third quarter, PJ Tucker got called for a foul on KD after which both players started jawing at each other before being separated and drawing a double technical. With 11.4 seconds left and the Bucks down by one point, Jrue Holiday spun around Bruce Brown to get the GW layup and Milwaukee’s defense prevented a Nets game-winner on the other end.
The Suns were dominant in Game 1, and they did it again in Game 2. Phoenix blew out Denver by 25 points to take a 2-0 series lead, fueled by Chris Paul. CP3 had 15 assists without registering a single turnover on Wednesday night. He’s the first player in NBA history to record so many assists without turning it over once more than two times in the playoffs.
It is amazing that he can still string together these performances when it matters the most in his 16th season. His team is looking as good as anyone right now, and they can make a real run this postseason if he continues on this tear after taking down the reigning champs and without any proven title contenders in the way of his first career NBA Finals appearance.
Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokic was named the 2021 NBA Most Valuable Player after averaging 26.4 PTS, 10.8 REB, and 8.3 AST per game while leading the Nuggets to the number 3 seed in the west despite Jamal Murray‘s season-ending injury in early April. During 2020-21’s 72-game regular-season, Jokic recorded 60 double-doubles (1st) and 16 triple-doubles (2nd).
He became the first MVP drafted outside the top 15 of the NBA Draft at 41st overall, the fifth NBA MVP born outside of the United States (Hakeem Ojaluwon, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo), the first Nuggets MVP, and the first Center to win the award since 2001.
Brooklyn successfully defended their first two home-court games after a near 40-point blowout in Game 2, which was the largest win in the Nets franchise history. Kevin Durant led all scorers with 32 points, and nobody on the Bucks even put up 20 points. The Nets struggled defensively all season but have really picked it up in the playoffs as they held the highest-scoring offense to only 86 points.
Additionally, Giannis and the Bucks really struggled from beyond the arc, shooting below 30% again. It was the opposite story for Brooklyn, who made a playoff franchise-record 21 3PA on 50% 3P. They were also the 1st team ever to win a playoff game by 35+ PTS despite having an MVP winner (James Harden) miss the game after he exited Game 1 with an injury.
After a season where Julio Jones didn’t play in seven games due to injury, he was traded to Tennessee along with a 2023 sixth-round pick for a 2022 second-round and a 2023 fourth-round pick. This acquisition allows the Titans to bolster their already powerful offense with Ryan Tannehill under center and Derrick Henry in the backfield.
Jones joins A.J. Brown to create one of the best receiver duos in the league. The best part of this deal for the Titans is that they didn’t have to forfeit a first-round pick. As for the Falcons, they can focus on developing their young receivers like Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage, while they rebuild their defense with the picks they out of the trade.
The second round of the NBA playoffs has finally arrived, and the Brooklyn Nets were victorious at home over Milwaukee in Game 1. James Harden only played for one minute, as he left the game due to injury. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were able to pick up the slack, combining for 54 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a game-high 34 points, but Milwaukee’s three-point shooting is what really held them back. The Bucks only made six three-pointers all game and shot the deep ball at just 20%.
Giannis Antetokoumpo also led the Bucks in 3 PT% as he shot 40% (2-5) while the rest of his team combined for 4-25 (16%) from beyond the arc. The Bucks out-rebounded the Nets 58-47 but they were no match for Brooklyn’s 3 PT shooting which could still get better if James Harden is able to return from his hamstring injury.
The LA Clippers were on the brink of elimination down 3-2 in their series against Dallas, but Kawhi Leonard put together the best game of his career to save his team and force a Game 7. The road team has now won all of the first six games, the first time this has happened in NBA history. The Klaw tied his playoff career-high with 45 points on 72% shooting to keep their postseason hopes alive. Luka Doncic had another great outing with 29 points, but it wasn’t enough to outlast Leonard and the Clips.
Kawhi accounted for half of his team’s 3PM throughout the game and scored eight straight points for LA late in the 4th quarter, to give them a 98-90 lead with 1:41 remaining. After that, the Clippers cruised to their Game 6 victory, which brings the series back to LA where the winner will face Utah in the second round.
After missing Game 5, Anthony Davis returned to the starting lineup, but not for long. He left the game due to injury after playing just five minutes, and the Suns capitalized on the opportunity. A dominant first quarter put them up 22 points after just 12 minutes of game time. Phoenix rode Devin Booker’s 47 points (including 8-10 3P), and their hot start to a 4-2 series victory. They will face the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals. This marked the franchise’s first appearance in the second round since 2010, and also became LeBron James’ only first-round series loss (14-0 previously).
The Boston Celtics have been one of the most successful sports franchises over the last two decades since Danny Ainge took over with only the San Antonio Spurs reaching the playoffs as many times as Boston in that time period. However, after seven straight NBA Playoffs trips without a single NBA Finals appearance, GM Danny Ainge decided to call it a career with HC Brad Stevens taking over as his predecessor. Stevens will help the front office search for a new Head Coach who has one of the best young tandems to work with and a long history of franchise success to build upon.
The Milwaukee Bucks became the first team to advance to the second round this postseason after dispatching the Miami Heat in four games. Trailing by seven at the break, Milwaukee dominated the second half of Game 4 en route to another convincing victory on Saturday, this time by the score of 120-103.
A rematch from last years’ postseason bubble that saw the Heat upset the NBA-best Bucks in five games was a total mismatch this season. After a tight 109-107 OT victory in Game 1, Milwaukee dominated the defending Eastern Conference champions the rest of the way, winning by 34, 29, and 17 points, respectively, in Games 2-4.
Brook Lopez led the team in scoring with 25 points, while the Bucks got another outstanding performance from Bryn Forbes, who tied his playoff career-high set in Game 2 with 22 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo was his usual dominant self, stuffing the stat sheet with a 20-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound triple-double, while Khris Middleton finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds. With the team looking as dangerous as ever, Milwaukee will get a chance to rest up for a week as it awaits the winner of the Nets-Celtics series.
The Boston Celtics were able to get back into the series and avoid going down 3-0 to the Brooklyn Nets thanks to Jayson Tatum‘s explosion in Game 3. Tatum went off for 50 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, out-dueling James Harden, who finished with 41 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds for Brooklyn.
Tatum has taken his already impressive game to another level, as he has now recorded all four of his career 50+ point games over his last 22 contests. At just 23 years old, the 2017 No. 3 overall pick has already tied Celtics legend Larry Bird for the most such games in franchise history. Tatum’s four games with 50+ points leads the entire NBA this season. While Boston likely won’t win this series vs. a juggernaut of a team in the Nets, their future appears as bright as any team’s with Tatum blossoming into a superstar in 2021.
Kevin Durant also had a big game for Brooklyn, finishing with 39 points, but the major storyline heading into Game 3 was Kyrie Irving. It was Irving’s first game back in Boston since bolting to join Durant on the Nets in 2019 during free agency. The crowd was on him from the beginning, and Irving struggled throughout the game, finishing with just 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting. The Nets will likely need a better performance from Irving if they want to rebound in Game 4 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
The Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead thanks to Austin Rivers‘ big fourth quarter Thursday night. Rivers, who was signed last month when Denver was dealing with injuries, hit four-straight 3-pointers, as he ended up scoring 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. While Rivers’ output was surprising, Nikola Jokic‘s was not. The MVP-frontrunner put on another stellar performance with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.
Portland got another big performance from Damian Lillard, who finished with 37 points while playing a game-high 40 minutes. However, it wasn’t enough once again, as the Blazers dropped their second-straight game after taking Game 1 in Denver. They will need to rebound quickly in Game 4 to avoid going down 3-1.
The Utah Jazz were able to bounce back after a surprising Game 1 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and even their opening round series at 1-1. Utah was clearly the better team throughout, leading from midway through the first quarter and on, but that didn’t stop Memphis’ Ja Morant from putting on a show.
In just his second ever playoff game, Morant broke the Grizzlies franchise record for most points scored in one game, regular or postseason with 47. He also broke LeBron James‘ record (45 points in 2006) for most playoff points by a player 21 years old or younger while also becoming the second youngest player ever to drop 45+ PTS in a postseason game, second only to LBJ. Morant is also now second all-time in points scored through his first two playoff games with 73.
Morant’s brilliance may have overshadowed the much-awaited return of Donovan Mitchell from a sprained ankle for Utah. Mitchell led the team in scoring with 25 points, but it was a team effort, as seven players, including all five starters, finished with at least 14 points. Game 2 was a must-win for Utah, who will will feel much better about where they are now that the series is even and their star player is back.
The Dallas Mavericks took Game 2 over the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night thanks to another sensational performance from Luka Doncic. The third-year superstar put up 39 points on 16-of-29 shooting (5-13 from 3), to go along with seven assists and seven rebounds. Dallas as a team shot a blistering 18-34 (52.9%) from long-range, led by Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s 6-of-8 performance from 3, as he finished second on the team in scoring with 28 points.
Kawhi Leonard‘s 41 points, including 30 in the first half, along with Paul George‘s 28 points and 12 rebounds, weren’t enough to even the series for LA. Down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Clippers face quite the uphill battle with Games 3 and 4 set to take place in Dallas. After their implosion in last year’s bubble, the Clippers are in real danger of bowing out early in the postseason once again despite having legitimate title aspirations.
The Milwaukee Bucks got off to a historically hot start to defeat the Miami Heat in blowout fashion 132-98 in Game 2 Monday night. Milwaukee shot a scorching 15-for-29 from 3, the most 3PM in one postseason half in franchise history and second most all-time, on their way to a 78-51 halftime lead.
The Bucks would finish the contest with 22 makes on 53 attempts (41.5%), their most 3-pointers made and attempted ever in a single postseason game. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team in scoring with 31 points along with 13 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday dished out a playoff career-high 15 dimes to pair with 11 points.
However, the story of the game was Bryn Forbes, who drained 6-of-9 3’s off the bench en route to a postseason career-high 22 points. If Milwaukee can continue to get secondary support from its role players, this will be the most dangerous Bucks team of the Giannis era, as the team will look to take an insurmountable 3-0 lead in Game 3.
Trae Young‘s dazzling playoff debut lifted the Atlanta Hawks past the New York Knicks in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden Sunday night. Young finished the game with 32 points and 10 assists, joining LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Derrick Rose with 30+ points and 10+ assists in their postseason debut.
With the score knotted at 105-a-piece and less than five seconds to go, Young drove to the basket and drained a seven-foot floater with 0.9 seconds remaining to seal the win. With his heroic shot, Young became the first player to hit a GW-FG in the final five seconds in their playoff debut since Dwayne Wade in 2004. Young couldn’t have asked for a better debut, as he and the Hawks will look to build on their performance in Game 2.
The Milwaukee Bucks took Game 1 of their opening round series with the Miami Heat thanks to Khris Middleton‘s game-winning buzzer-beater in overtime. With the clock winding down, Middleton held the ball before driving right and pulling up to hit the dagger with 0.5 seconds remaining.
Middleton led the Bucks in scoring with 27 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds, but struggled from the floor, hitting just 10 of his 27 shots. This was an extremely important game for a Bucks team looking to get over the hump and avenge last season’s shocking 4-1 series loss in the second round to Miami.
Things looked like they might be trending in that direction once again after Jimmy Butler tied the game at the end of regulation to force overtime with a buzzer-beater of his own despite a poor shooting night from himself and Bam Adebayo, as Miami’s top two scorers combined to shoot 8-37 FG (22%). Overtime went back-and-forth, but Milwaukee stayed composed and was able to earn an important Game 1 victory that is sure to give them the confidence they need moving forward.
The 2021 NBA postseason field is now officially set with the Memphis Grizzlies earning the final spot after defeating the Golden State Warriors Friday night. The Grizzlies were led by explosive second year PG Ja Morant, who’s late-game heroics sealed the 117-112 overtime victory.
The 2019 No. 2 overall pick scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, including his game-sealing shot off a spin move in the paint with 4.5 seconds remaining in the extra frame. It was an all-around excellent performance for the 21-year-old, who recorded six assists, six rebounds, and four steals while hitting 5-of-10 3’s and 14 of his 29 shots overall.
Morant will be making his playoff debut after the team just missed out on the postseason last year in the bubble. The win over Golden State snaps the Grizzlies’ three year playoff drought, as they are now set face the top-seeded Utah Jazz, who finished the regular season with the league’s best record at 52-20.
This is a disappointing end to the season for the Warriors, who finished as the hottest team in the NBA with six straight victories, only to lose both their play-in tournament games in nail-biting fashion. Steph Curry put on a show and finished with a game-high 39 points while Draymond Green recorded a triple-double (11 PTS/16 REB/10 AST). However, both were a little too loose with the ball, combining for 13 of Golden State’s 21 turnovers. This is now the second straight season the Warriors haven’t made the playoffs, as questions will arise about whether they can ever recapture their dominant play from 2015-19.
At the March 25th trade deadline, the Washington Wizards had a 0.4% chance of making the postseason as they owned a disappointing 15-28 record. However, that was before Russell Westbrook TOOK OVER as the leader of the team in the locker room and the best player on the court with a triple-double damn near every night. Another huge factor in DC’s rise was the acquisition of Daniel Gafford who has significantly improved Washington’s biggest weakness: rim protection.
The Wizards played their best game of the season when it mattered most as they destroyed Indiana pretty much throughout the entire game in front of the nation’s capital. Not many people are giving the Wizards a chance against the No.1 seed Philadelphia 76ers (like most 8 seeds), but this DC squad has been on a tear in the second half of the season and sports a very respectable 17-6 record when Daniel Gafford plays, proving him to be a true difference-maker. They’ll need him and the rest of the bigs to do their best in limiting Joel Embiid while the Westbrook vs. Embiid storyline will be brought back to the forefront.
Despite playing on an injured ankle and getting poked in the eye late in the fourth quarter, LeBron James came up huge in clutch time for the Lakers. His incredible long-range, go-ahead 3-pointer, over Steph Curry no less, with 58.2 seconds remaining, secured a 103-100 win over the Warriors in the West’s 7-vs.-8 play-in matchup Wednesday night.
This was nothing new for LeBron, who owns the second most game-tying and go-ahead FGM (97) during the final minute since play-by-play data began in 1996. He wound up finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, and now sits just two triple-doubles behind Magic Johnson for most ever in the postseason.
With the win, Los Angeles is now set to face the No. 2 seed Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. It will no doubt be tough matchup considering Phoenix finished with the second best record in the league this season (51-21). However, if there is anyone up for the challenge, it’s LeBron and the defending champs, as the Lakers are likely the most dangerous seventh seed ever.
Curry finished with a game-high 37 points in 41 minutes on 6-of-9 shooting from deep, but it wasn’t enough. Despite being the better team most of the contest and owning a 13-point halftime advantage, Golden State couldn’t hold on, as the Lakers were able to claw their way back to take their first lead of the game early in the fourth. It went back-and-forth from there until James’ game-winner. With the loss, the Warriors will now host the Memphis Grizzlies with their postseason lives on the line for the final playoff spot in the West.
Celtics F Jayson Tatum put on the best performance of his young career, leading Boston to a 118-100 victory over the Washington Wizards in the play-in tournament. Tatum scored 32 of his 50 points in the second half, while Kemba Walker added 29, as the Celtics officially punched their tickets to the playoffs and a first round matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.
With three Eastern Conference Finals appearances in the last four years, Boston entered this season with high expectations. Unfortunately, they have been among the most disappointing teams in 2021, finishing just 36-36 and failing to avoid the play-in tournament. However, now they have a chance to put that disappointment behind them and make a playoff run. It will be daunting challenge though, as they will be heavy underdogs against an absolutely loaded Nets squad.
The Wizards’ backcourt duo of Russell Westbrook (20 PTS/ 6-18 FG/ 0-4 3PT) and Bradley Beal (22 PTS/ 10-25 FG/ 1-6 3PT) each struggled with their shots vs. Boston. Now, after a red-hot finish to the season, Washington finds itself in a win-or-go-home matchup with the Indiana Pacers for the eighth seed where they’ll look to overcome the 0.4% chances of making the postseason they had just two months ago.
Gerrit Cole broke the all-time record for most K’s without giving up a BB with his 61st consecutive strikeout, passing Corbin Burns‘ mark of 58 set earlier this season. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as New York’s ace didn’t have his best stuff in the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Texas Rangers. Cole saw his historic streak, that began April 12, end after giving up two BB and five ER while striking out seven batters in 5.0 IP.
Even with his subpar performance Monday night, Cole is still in the midst of his best season as a Major League starter. The 30-year-old righty is tied for the AL-lead in wins with five while owning a 2.03 ERA and a sterling 85-5 K-BB ratio. Cole has lived up to the lofty expectations and then some since inking a 9yr/$324M deal with New York last offseason. The Yankees will need Cole at his best this season with the AL East shaping up to be the most competitive division in baseball, with the top four teams all above .500 and separated by just 2.5 games.
The 2020-21 NBA season concluded on Sunday, as all 30 teams were in action on the final day of the regular season. The day was highlighted by a huge performance from Steph Curry, who led the Warriors to a crucial win over Memphis to nab the No. 8 seed. Curry dropped 46 points, and in doing so, clinched his second-career scoring title (32.0 PPG).
This was a historic season for Curry, likely his best ever, which is saying something for the greatest shooter in history and the only player ever to win an unanimous league MVP. He is the oldest player (33) since Michael Jordan to lead the league in scoring, and recorded the most 30+ GP (38) in a season, also the most since Jordan. Curry shattered several 3PT records, including a record fourth season with 300+ 3PM (led NBA with 337), seven GP with 10+ 3PM (most ever), and the most 3PM/GP (5.3) in NBA history.
Curry wasn’t the only PG to have a ridiculous season though, as Russell Westbrook put up insane numbers in his first season with the Wizards. Russ extended his own NBA-record with his fourth season averaging a triple-double (22.2 PTS/11.7 AST/11.5 REB). It seems only fitting that he concluded the regular season with a triple-double (23 PTS/15 REB/10 AST), his 38th of the season (third-most ever), in Washington’s win over Charlotte to clinch the No. 8 seed with the right to earn the No. 7 seed vs. Boston.
Now with the regular season in the books, the play-in tournament is set to begin Tuesday, May 18th. There are some exciting matchups set, but none more so than Lakers-Warriors, as LeBron and the defending champs will face off with his old NBA Finals nemesis in Steph. Celtics-Wizards is sure to be entertaining as well, even without Jaylen Brown and maybe not a 100% Bradley Beal. Despite the injury concerns, the NBA has to love how the matchups turned out, which means the play-in tournament likely won’t be going anywhere.
After being delayed due to the pandemic, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finally inducted the 2020 class on Sunday. While all Hall of Fame classes are special, the 2020 class will go down as one of, if not the best classes of all time, featuring three legendary figures in basketball history in Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett.
Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett combined for the most All-Star selections (48), All-NBA Teams (39), and All-NBA First Teams (25) of any class ever. While their statistical success and awards were unmatched, even more impressive was their winning legacies. Kobe (5x champion), Duncan (5x), and KG (1x) won 11 of 16 NBA titles between 1999 and 2014 while combining for four other finals appearances. Each player will leave a lasting impact on the game of basketball due to both their team and individual success, and now will be forever immortalized in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Jordan Poole dropped a career-high 38 points as the Golden State Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 125-122 Friday night. Not only was this Poole’s best game ever as a pro, but he came up huge at the end for his team when it mattered most. Poole hit the go-ahead layup with 21.4 seconds remaining and then converted two free throws with less than a second left to seal the win.
The win for Golden State was even more impressive considering they were without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins due to various injuries. Poole wasn’t the only unlikely Warrior to have a big night though, as Mychal Mulder also registered a career-high in scoring with 28 points. This was a much-needed win for the Warriors, who remained in the eighth spot for the play-in tournament, but are tied with Memphis after their win Friday night as well.
Chris Paul and Cameron Payne were huge in the fourth quarter for the Phoenix Suns Thursday night. Payne recorded 11 points down the stretch while CP3 scored eight, as the two combined to shoot 8-9 in the final frame to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-117.
It was Devin Booker though, who brought home the dub. The sixth-year Kentucky product hit the go-ahead free throws with 2.4 seconds left after a controversial foul call to seal the win. The victory brings Phoenix to within one game of the top-seeded Utah Jazz with only two contests remaining.
Portland was led by Damian Lillard‘s 41 points, and CJ McCollum, who finished with 27 points including hitting 5-of-9 of his 3’s. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the Blazers, as their lead for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot has dwindled to just half-a-game due to the Lakers’ three-game win streak. Those two teams, along with Dallas, are separated by just one game, as the race to avoid the play-in tournament is coming down to the wire with the West’s 5th vs. 7th seed making all the difference.
The NFL unveiled its full 17-game schedule for the upcoming 2021 season on Wednesday. The season is set to begin on Thursday, September 9th, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to kick off their title defense by hosting the Dallas Cowboys in primetime. With the newly added Week 18 in the fold, the regular season will wrap up on Sunday, January 9th, meaning each team will play two games in January.
This offseason, the 32 owners voted to expand the regular season for the first time 43 years, adding an additional 17th game. The added contest for each team will be an inter-conference matchup based on the prior years’ standings on a rotating basis. This matches up two teams who finished in the same place in their divisions from opposite conferences with the contests being based on the cross-conference games that each team played two seasons prior. All in all, the schedule is full of enticing matchups.
Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors won important contests with postseason implications Tuesday night. Still without LeBron James, the Lakers were able to get the OT win in Madison Square Garden vs. the Knicks thanks to contributions from several players, most notably Talen Horton-Tucker, who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 21.1 seconds left to seal the win. Anthony Davis played lockdown defense and finished with 20 points while Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers in scoring with 23 points off the bench.
A night after defeating the NBA-best Jazz, the Warriors earned a second-consecutive impressive victory, this time against the team with the second best record in the league, the Suns. It was the Andrew Wiggins show, as the former No. 1 overall pick had one of his best games of the season, tallying 38 points and earning player of the day. Steph Curry had a rough shooting night, finishing 1-for-11 from 3, but still managed to score 21 points while dishing out six assists and drained the dagger.
Currently the 8-seed in the West at 37-33, the Warriors are officially locked into the play-in tournament. If the season ended today, Golden State would face the Lakers in the play-in tournament, with the winner earning the 7-seed and a likely first round matchup with Phoenix. However, LA (39-30) sits just a game back of both Portland and Dallas with three games to go. Despite all the injuries, the defending champs have a real shot to earn the fifth seed and a likely first round matchup with either the Nuggets or Clippers.
Russell Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson‘s all-time record for triple-doubles with the 182nd of his career Monday vs. Atlanta. Westbrook broke the 47-year-old record with just under nine minutes remaining in the game and wound up finishing with 28 points, 21 assists, and 13 rebounds. It wasn’t enough though, as the Wizards fell 125-124 after Westbrook missed the game-winning 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
While the loss will sting, of greater concern for the Wizards is the health of leading-scorer Bradley Beal, who is dealing with a strained left hamstring. Washington already announced he will be sidelined for the teams’ rematch with Atlanta on Wednesday. With D.C. gearing up for the play-in tournament, it could be a fatal blow to their chances of advancing without one half of the best backcourt in the NBA this season.
Anthony Davis put up his best performance of the season when his team needed him the most, as the Lakers topped the Suns 123-110 in LA. Davis finished the contest with a season-high 42 points along with 12 rebounds and five assists. However, he made just as much of an impact on the defensive end, registering three blocks and three steals for the reigning champs.
This was a much needed win for Los Angeles, who has struggled mightily with both Davis and LeBron James missing large chunks of time this season due to injury. At 38-30, the Lakers are one game back of Portland (39-29) for the sixth seed and the final guaranteed playoff spot in the West.
LA will be looking to avoid the play-in tournament, especially since it is looking like they could find themselves matched up with the 8th seeded Warriors. While one would have to favor LA, any opponent led by Steph Curry would be a difficult matchup for any team considering Curry could explode for 50 on any given night. Whatever happens though, this postseason is set to be as exciting as ever with the new format.
Russell Westbrook made history Saturday night, tying Oscar Robertson‘s career mark for triple-doubles with the 181st of his future Hall of Fame career. Also, Westbrook’s clutch play, along with Bradley Beal‘s 50-point outburst, powered the Wizards to a nail-biting 133-132 OT victory over the Pacers.
Westbrook finished the evening with 33 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists, but his game defining play came on the defensive end. Westbrook registered the game-winning block on the Pacers’ final shot to seal the road win. This outcome was especially significant as Washington now owns a half-game lead for the ninth spot in the play-in tournament over Indiana.
From a historical perspective, Russ is in the midst of an absolute tear. He is the first player to record 15+ rebounds and 15+ assists during consecutive games in NBA history and the first player to post 15+ assists in four straight games in Wizards history. He is also the first player since the 1976 merger to finish a contest with 33+ points, 19+ rebounds, and 15+ assists during a game. Westbrook has been everything the Wizards envisioned when they acquired him and now he has them in position to make the postseason.
Reds starting pitcher Wade Miley threw his first career no-hitter as Cincinnati defeated the Cleveland Indians 3-0. Miley’s no-hitter is the second in a three-day span, following Baltimore’s John Means‘ no-hitter vs. the Mariners on Wednesday. This was the fourth no-hitter of the season, the fastest there have been four no-hitters since 1917.
Miley is also the third left-handed pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season, joining Means and Carlos Rodon, tied for the most individual no-hitters by lefties in a season in MLB history already. Unfortunately for the Indians, they become the first team to get no-hit twice through their first 31 games in over 100 years after getting no-hit earlier in the season by Rodon. With no-hitters happening at a historic rate in 2021, this season has become the year of the no-no with plenty of time to break the all-time record of eight in one season.
The Detroit Lions and Center Frank Ragnow agreed to a 4y/$54M contract extension that includes $42M in guaranteed money. Signed through 2026, the extension makes Ragnow the highest paid player at his position in NFL history with an average annual value of $13.5M.
The 24-year-old is entering his fourth NFL season after being drafted in the first round (20th overall) by Detroit out of Arkansas in 2018. He has started all 45 games he has played in and is coming off his best season yet as a pro, earning his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2020.
Ragnow is a foundational piece for the rebuilding Lions, who are looking to build up the offensive line to protect newly-acquired QB Jared Goff this season and beyond. Detroit also addressed their O-line in this years’ draft, selecting top OT prospect Penei Sewell No. 7 overall after the Oregon product somewhat surprisingly fell to them. The deal also means that Ragnow becomes the second first rounder from his draft class to receive a long-term extension, joining fellow O-Lineman, Kolton Miller (Raiders).
Orioles starting pitcher John Means came about as close to perfection as possible vs. the Mariners on Wednesday. Only a wild pitch in the dirt that resulted in a dropped third strike prevented him from the rare perfect game. Instead, he’ll have to settle for his first career no-hitter.
The no-hitter was historic for both Baltimore and the league. It was the first individual no-hitter thrown by an Orioles pitcher since 1969, snapping the longest active streak in the majors. His 12 K’s were also the most recorded by a pitcher in a no-hitter in Orioles franchise history. Means is the first pitcher ever to throw a non-perfect no-hitter without allowing any BB, HBP, or errors. Finally, his brilliant performance resulted in the first no-hitter during which the only base runner came via a dropped third strike in MLB history.
Now in his fourth MLB season since debuting in 2018, Means is off to the best start of his career. In seven games started, the 28-year-old lefty owns a 4-0 record with a sterling 1.37 ERA and an AL-leading 0.674 WHIP. He has been among the best pitchers in baseball this season and will be looking to earn his second All-Star nod after previously making the roster in 2019.
When discussing the top teams in the East this season, the Bucks have often been the third team mentioned behind the Nets and 76ers. However, after defeating Brooklyn for the second time in three nights and now owning a 5-1 record vs. those two squads, Milwaukee has proven it deserves to be included in that discussion.
Despite struggling from the floor (11-for-30 shooting), Giannis Antetokounmpo still piled up 36 points and 12 rebounds to propel the Bucks to the 124-118 home win. Most importantly, Giannis received plenty of support from Milwaukee’s other top players. Jrue Holiday(23 & 10) and Khris Middleton (23 pts) both came up big which will be key for them to get over the hump in the playoffs.
The story of Milwaukee’s past two playoff exits, despite having the league’s best record entering the postseason each time, has been the lack of a supporting cast surrounding Giannis. Both Toronto (2019) and Miami (2020) were able to exploit this by limiting Giannis (by his ridiculous standards) and forcing his teammates to step up, which they were unable to do in both series losses.
It will be a tall order for the Bucks to get out of the East, considering they will likely have to go through both Philadelphia and Brooklyn in the second and third rounds. However, there’s no denying this is the best roster surrounding Giannis, and perhaps being an underdog will serve them well. While it remains to be seen if they can get over the hump, if their performances vs. the top teams are any indication, they have a real shot to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974.
Russell Westbrook keeps putting up historic numbers as the Wizards continue to add more W’s to the win column. The 32-year-old 9x All-Star and former league MVP put up an absurd stat line of 14 points, 24 assists, and 21 rebounds to propel Washington to a 154-141 OT victory over the Indiana Pacers Monday night.
Now with 32 on the season, Westbrook clinched his fourth season averaging a triple-double, the most in NBA history (Oscar Robertson has the only other such season). Not only that, but it was his fifth 20+ assist triple-double, surpassing Magic Johnson for the most in league history as well as his second career 20+ assist and 20+ rebound triple-double, also the most ever. Now with 178 triple-doubles and seven games to go this season, Westbrook has a shot at breaking the all-time record for most in a career, trailing Robertson by just three.
Most importantly, the Wizards improved their record to 30-35, sitting comfortably ahead of Toronto (3 GB) for the final play-in spot in the East. The win also brings them to just half a game behind Indiana (30-34) for the ninth seed and a game-and-a-half behind Charlotte (31-33) for eighth.
With the way Washington is playing (13-3 in their last 16 GP), no playoff team will want to face them in the play-in tournament and perhaps even the first round. With their explosive offense led by the dynamic backcourt duo of Westbrook and Bradley Beal, D.C. will pose a legitimate threat to one of the East’s top teams.
Sunday Night Baseball continues to churn out classic ballgames, as this time it was the contest between the Mets and Phillies. New York won 8-7 thanks to late defensive miscues by Philadelphia along with a controversial replay reversal. It was back-and-forth throughout, as both teams’ bullpens couldn’t hold on to their teams’ leads.
The Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins hit a three-run homer that initially tied the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the 9th after facing a 8-4 deficit to start the bottom half of the inning. However, the game-tying bomb was overturned after replay showed the ball hit the top railing, never clearing the wall, resulting in Hoskins being placed on second. The Mets were able to hang on from there, earning a controversial win over their division rivals after striking out Bryce Harper in the very next at-bat.
This was just the latest in a string of entertaining Sunday night matchups that included the classic Braves-Phillies outing in April as well as last Sunday’s epic matchup that saw the Padres complete a comeback vs. the Dodgers to cap off an exhilarating seven-game regular season NL West series.
Luka Doncic out-dueled Russell Westbrook as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Washington Wizards 125-124 Saturday night. The win didn’t come easy though, as Dallas came back from a nine point fourth quarter deficit before Dorian Finney-Smith sank a 3-pointer on a Doncic assist with 9.3 seconds left to secure the win, elevating the Mavericks to the fifth spot in the West at 36-27.
Doncic finished with a historic stat line of 31 points, 20 assists, and 12 rebounds, becoming the first Mavericks ever to post a 20+ assist triple-double in franchise history. Doncic is also the first player since 1977 to finish a game with 30+ points, 20+ assists, and one turnover or less.
Westbrook finished the night with a near triple-double, recording 42 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists as the visiting Wizards were unable to hold on to a fourth quarter lead. Bradley Beal finished the contest with 29 points, but was just 1-of-5 from beyond the arc, including missing the potential game-winner at the buzzer. Washington fell to 29-35, but still remains on track to secure their place in the play-in tournament with a three game lead over Chicago for the 10th spot.
Jayson Tatum dropped 60 points, including 31 in the fourth quarter and overtime, leading the Celtics to a 143-140 win over the Spurs after trailing by as many as 32 points. Not only did Tatum’s historic scoring output tie Larry Bird for the most points scored in a game in Celtics history, but he also became the first Celtic ever to record multiple 50+ point games in a season. At just 23 years and 58 days old, Tatum is also the second youngest player to ever drop 60+ points in a game.
The win was also historic for Boston as a whole, as their 32-point comeback was the third largest in NBA history. The Celtics also became just the second team to force overtime after trailing by 29+ points at halftime in league history. With the win, Boston improved to a still disappointing 34-30 record, good for sixth in the East and a half-game ahead of Miami.
The 1st Round of the 2021 NFL draft did not disappoint with excitement, as several notable storylines emerged from the NFL’s biggest offseason event. As expected, QB’s headlined the draft, as Trevor Lawrence (No. 1), Zach Wilson (No. 2), and Trey Lance (No. 3) were the first three selections, marking just the third time in the Common Draft Era (since 1967) that QBs have been selected with the top three picks in the draft.
After weeks of speculation, many expected HC Kyle Shanahan to pick Mac Jones after the 49ers traded up to the third spot. However, San Francisco somewhat surprisingly selected the likely more talented but raw option in Lance. With three of the top options off the board and several teams thereafter not necessarily needing a QB, the Bears were able to trade up from No. 20 to the Giants’ No. 11 spot to grab Justin Fields. These moves subsequently allowed the Patriots, who many thought would have to trade up to get their next potential franchise QB, to stand pat and still get their guy in Jones with the 15th pick.
Not just QBs, but offense as a whole dominated the opening round, as the first seven picks were all from that side of the ball, the most consecutive offensive selections to start a draft since 1967. Thursday night also saw some dominant duos from three recent CFB championship teams reunited. LSU’s Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase (CIN), Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne (JAX), and Alabama’s Tua Togovailoa and Jaylen Waddle (MIA) will all be hoping to replicate their success that made them nearly unstoppable in college.
Tagovailoa and Waddle weren’t the only former Crimson Tide players to team up, though. The Eagles traded up with division rival Dallas to 10th, above the division foe Giants, to select former Heisman Trophy winner WR DeVonta Smith. The move reunites Smith with likely starter Jalen Hurts, who Philadelphia drafted in the 2nd round of last years’ draft. With day one in the books, teams will look to add more talent with plenty of exceptional players still available in the remaining rounds.
Two days after seeing their eight-game win streak come to an end, the Wizards got back to their winning ways by taking down the Lakers 116-107 on national TV. Washington was once again led by their dynamic backcourt duo of Russell Westbrook (18 PTS, 18 REB, 14 AST) and Bradley Beal (game-high 27 PTS). Westbrook recorded his 30th triple-double of the season, the third time he’s hit that mark during his 12-year career all other players have combined for two such seasons in history.
However, their two stars weren’t the only ones who put on a show vs. the reigning champs. Rui Hachimura, Chandler Hutchison, and Daniel Gafford all threw down thunderous dunks for the Wizards. Gafford in particular, has had quite the impact since being acquired from the Bulls in a trade earlier this season.
In the 13 games that Gaford has played with DC, the Wizards own an impressive 11-2 record. Coming off the bench, Gafford has excelled on both ends of the floor, and is dwarfing his numbers across the board from his two seasons in Chicago. He is averaging career-highs in PTS (10.6), REB (6.0), STL (0.8), and BLK (2.0) while averaging the most playing time of his career (17.8 MPG). Although it’s only a small sample size, the early returns from the former second-round pick appear very promising for a Wizards team looking to both win now and build for the future with several key young players.
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put on a power display vs. the Nationals, blasting three home runs and seven RBIs in the Blue Jays’ 9-5 victory. Even more impressive, he did it against Washington ace, Max Scherzer, who had only given up 1 earned run in 19 innings over his previous three starts.
At 22 years, 42 days old, Guerrero became the youngest player to hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in MLB history along with being the second youngest player over the past 50 seasons to record a 3-HR game. He is the youngest player in franchise history to hit three homers in a game as well as the youngest Blue Jay to record three career grand slams, and the youngest player ever with 3 HR & 7 RBI during a single game. Also of note, his Hall of Fame father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., never recorded three home runs in one outing during his illustrious career.
Vlad Jr. is off to an explosive start since debuting three seasons ago at just 20 years old. He is hitting .360 with a majors-leading seven home runs along with 19 RBIs while sporting an OBP of .484, a .693 SLG, and an OPS of 1.177. He is firmly in the conversation of best young players in the game along with the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuna Jr., and Juan Soto to name a few, giving baseball plenty of young superstar talents to take over as the faces of MLB in the near future.
The two hottest teams in the NBA both saw their winning streaks come to an end Monday night. The New York Knicks fell to the Phoenix Suns at home, snapping their 9-game win streak, while the San Antonio Spurs ended the Washington Wizards’ 8-game run in overtime.
Phoenix earned the 118-110 victory thanks to Chris Paul‘s fourth quarter performance. With the Suns up by four with a minute-and-a-half remaining, Paul took over, scoring Phoenix’s final seven points to ice the contest. The 11x All-Star finished the night with 20 points, as the Suns improved to 43-18, while the Knicks dropped to 34-28, tied for fourth with Atlanta in the East.
Meanwhile, the game of the day saw the Spurs defeat the Wizards despite Bradley Beal scoring 45 points and Russell Westbrook recording another triple-double (22 PTS/14 AST/13 REB). Even with Washington’s star players putting up ridiculous numbers, the story of the game were the performances by San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan and Dejounte Murray.
The Spurs were able to pull out the OT victory largely thanks to DeRozan’s 37 points, 10 assists, and 13-13 shooting from the charity stripe combined with Murray’s 25 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists. The win gives the Spurs (31-29) a half-game lead over Golden State for the ninth seed in the West, while the Wizards (27-34) hold the 10th and final spot for the play-in tournament in the East.
The Chiefs vs. Ravens, Lakers vs. Nets, and Dodgers vs. Padres. That is likely what many would consider the most exciting matchup in each of the major sports right now. However, Chiefs-Ravens has been pretty one-sided during the Mahomes vs. Lamar era and Lakers-Nets have never played each other yet with all of their superstars on the court. There is no matchup in sports right now that is more consistently exciting than the Dodgers vs. Padres, whether it’s on paper with their collection of star talent or on the actual field with games that consistently become late-inning thrillers.
This 7-game regular-season series pretty much came down to the very final pitch possible with bases loaded on a 3-2 count in extra innings where the Dodgers could’ve walked away victorious, but Tim Hill rang up DJ Peters on a high fastball above the zone. It seemed like every at-bat featured a 3-2 count and every inning had bases loaded as the suspense is this series has been insane. The two most exciting teams in the league have played games within a run or two pretty much the entire time, and the best part is this is just the beginning!
The Padres would’ve had no chance in this series if it wasn’t for a historic performance from Tatis Jr. He made history in LA (as seen in the interesting facts section) and was a huge catalyst for San Diego’s offense, all while electrifying MLB fans with his bombs and celebrations. MLB is letting the kids play and Tatis Jr. played as well as any visiting player has ever played in LA before.
The team that’s been constructed in Southern California is as stacked as any with a rotation, lineup, and bullpen that can go toe-to-toe with any team in the league. However, their defense has been a major disappointment with Tatis Jr. being the main issue so far with nine errors through 15 games. This is very uncharacteristic for the enigmatic superstar after only three errors in 57 games last year, so this could very well turn around but the Padres as a team currently leads the league in defensive mistakes and must clean that up if they want to compete come the postseason.
Lost in the background of the Dodgers dominant rotation, the young Dustin May is just scratching the surface of what he can become. Armed with a lethal 2-seam fastball and nasty offspeed stuff, May has the repertoire and command to develop into a perennial Cy Young candidate. As good as LA’s rotation is now, it could get even better once May and Julio Urias continue to develop into certified frontline starters.
Just like every game in this series, the Dodgers and Padres were battling with two or fewer runs separating them pretty much all game. However, that changed in the bottom of the 6th inning when LA’s offense unloaded bombs galore on Nick Ramirez. Ramirez single-handedly blew a 2-1 lead, turning it into a 7-1 deficit. The Padres’ bats were able to mount the improbable comeback later on, but Ramirez likely won’t be there the next time these two teams play after that pathetic performance.
While Nick Ramirez was lit up in this Game 7, multiple Dodgers relievers were unsuccessful in holding a 6-run lead with 3 innings. LA was heavily taxed this series with all four games coming down to the wire, so they didn’t have many options on Sunday. However, if they don’t make some additions before the trade deadline, Dodgers fans will witness another collapse in LA come October with this game being the latest piece of evidence.
While the Dodgers’ unimpressive bullpen struggled once again on Sunday, San Diego’s top-tier unit could’ve easily joined them as they allowed base runners to fill each and every base on four separate occasions. Except, a great bullpen is able to manage those tough situations and that’s exactly what they did (besides Ramirez) as they got out of all four of those occurrences to keep their chances of a win alive in what became a very suspenseful evening.
An important part of both of these rosters is just how deep they are. Notorious for their luxurious depth, it was certainly tested and put to use over the last four games. Basically, every single player was used in the starting lineup, out of the bullpen, or as a pinch-hitter at some point. That depth will help these teams maintain high-quality records throughout a 162-game season and keep things fresh in this exhilarating matchup.
While Alex Rodriguez has lost a number of fans along his professional journey, he’s done everything in his power to get them back in his post-playing career. His main impact on today’s game is in the announcer’s booth during MLB’s primetime game of the week, where he’s regularly predicting pitches and strategies, similar to Tony Romo in the NFL. Two former legends that played on iconic franchises with a controversial past, who are now analyzing the game and proving themselves as impressive prognosticators in their respective sport.
Eric Hosmer has been San Diego’s most productive hitter this season, Fernando Tatis Jr. is the next face of baseball, and Manny Machado might be the most likely Hall of Famer on the team as of right now. Those three have been responsible for a lot of their runs against LA this year and Game 7 was no different as Hosmer had the GW-RBI in the 11th, Machado came through with the game-tying RBI in the 9th, and Tatis Jr. scored both of those critical runs. Their Big 3 is great when healthy and productive, but that won’t always be the case this season, and SD will need other hitters to step up in those big moments if they want to win it all this year.
It seems like every game between the Dodgers and Padres this season has come down to the wire with exciting storylines across the board. Saturday was no different as MLB superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. belted two bombs off reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer. However, the real story was what happened after he hit those dingers, as the $330M man remembered Bauer’s antics in Spring Training of closing one eye against San Diego, and decided to return the favor.
It didn’t stop there as the young phenom added another multi-HR game to his growing collection and decided to pull the McGregor walk as he touched home plate the second time around, another notorious antic of the polarizing Bauer. Arguably the most popular pitcher in baseball (at least on the internet) did that exact same McGregor walk after ringing up Tatis Jr. in a big spot during their matchup last week.
Tatis Jr. got the last laugh (for now) this time, but the Dodgers still got the win after Corey Seager‘s clutch RBI’s came after SD pulled Blake Snell in the 6th, a familiar feeling for the former AL Cy Young winner. Snell famously got pulled early during the 2020 World Series against LA, and felt some deja vu during their loss Saturday after the bullpen blew the lead he and Tatis built. With the season series now tied 3-3, all eyes are on these two electric teams for a highly-anticipated Sunday Night Baseball matchup.
Jacob deGrom pitched a complete game, striking out a career-high 15 batters and giving up just two hits in the New York Mets’ 6-0 win over the Washington Nationals Friday night. The incredible performance by deGrom put the New York ace in rare company, becoming the first pitcher ever to record 15+ K’s and zero BB with two runs scored on offense in one game.
This season, the 32-year-old righty is off to an unbelievable start, posting a Majors-leading 0.31 ERA in 29 IP along with a 0.552 WHIP. He is the first SP ever with 14+ K’s and one or fewer BB in three consecutive starts and now has the most K’s (50) through four starts during a season in MLB history. New York has needed every bit of DeGrom’s brilliance to begin this season, as the Mets offense hasn’t lived up to its preseason hype early on.
Jake Cronenworth made a pair dazzling plays to help the Padres defeat the Dodgers 3-2 in a low-scoring affair between the two division rivals. After Los Angeles took two of three in San Diego last weekend, the Padres were able to answer with excellent pitching, timely hitting, and incredible defense in the eighth inning. They evened the season series at two apiece, making this contest just the latest in a string of well-played, tightly contested matchups between two of the most stacked rosters in the Majors.
Having ended a three-game skid since their last victory over LA, San Diego (11-10) will hope this win serves as a spring board in their attempt to catch the Dodgers (14-5) atop the NL West. However, LA isn’t the only team they need to worry about at the moment, as the Giants (12-7) are off to an excellent start as well. It remains to be seen whether SF can keep it up, but as of now, the NL West is shaping up to be one of the best divisions in baseball.
Julius Randle dropped 40 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists to lead the Knicks to an 137-127 overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night. It was New York’s eighth straight win, the longest current streak in the NBA. The victory also vaulted the Knicks into the fourth spot in the East, giving them a half-game lead over the Hawks.
The biggest takeaway from Wednesday though, is the continued rise of Julius Randle. In his second season with the Knicks, the 26-year-old Kentucky product has blossomed into one of the best PF’s in the game. He is averaging career-highs in MIN (NBA-leading 37.5), PTS (23.9), REB (10.5), 3P% (41.0), FT% (80.7), and STL (1.0), while dwarfing his previous high in AST (3.6 to 6.1).
Randle has taken a massive leap forward this season, becoming an all-around threat whenever he steps foot on the court. That was recognized earlier this season when Randle was named to his first All-Star team. Perhaps the biggest impact of his development though, is that he has given Knicks fans something that they haven’t felt in a long time: hope.
Paul George dropped 33 points, including two clutch free throws with 4.8 seconds remaining to lift the Los Angeles Clippers past the Portland Trail Blazers 113-112 in the game of the day. George also grabbed 11 rebounds and shot 13-of-22 from the field for the Clippers, who were without Kawhi Leonard due to right foot soreness.
George has been playing some of the best basketball of his career recently with Leonard having missed five of LA’s last six games. While having to carry a heavier load, George has delivered for his squad, scoring at least 32 points in six of his last seven games. Despite Leonard’s absence, the Clippers are amongst the hottest teams in the league with nine wins in their last 10. At 41-19, Los Angeles is sitting comfortably in the third spot in the West and are within striking distance (3 GB) of top-seeded Utah, who are without Donovan Mitchell.
Meanwhile, Portland was without Damian Lillard, who missed his third straight game due to a hamstring injury. In his absence, CJ McCollum scored 28 points, but shot just 11-for-26 (3-of-12 from 3), including the missed jumper at the final buzzer. The Blazers have struggled lately with just three wins in their last 10 games, falling to sixth in the West. They are now in real danger of having to compete in the play-in tournament if they don’t turn it around, as Portland holds just a game-and-a-half lead over seventh-seeded Dallas.
Longtime QB Alex Smith announced his retirement on Monday after 16 NFL seasons. Smith, who turns 37 in May, was drafted No. 1 overall by the 49ers in 2005. He spent his first eight seasons in San Francisco, leading the 49ers to the NFC title game his last full season as a starter. However, he lost his starting spot to Colin Kaepernick after getting hurt midway through the 2012 season.
Kaepernick never relinquished the starting job, leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance that season, and Smith was subsequently traded to Kansas City that offseason. He spent five seasons there, leading the Chiefs to four postseason appearances while earning three Pro Bowl nods. Then, in 2017, Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes 10th overall, allowing him to sit a year behind Smith before trading the veteran QB to Washington in 2018.
In his first season in Washington, Smith led the team to a 6-3 record before suffering a gruesome compound fracture in his right leg vs. Houston. The injury nearly cost him his life and leg, requiring 17 surgeries after the wound became infected. It took nearly two years of rehab and recovery before Smith made his improbable return to the football field in Week 5 after starter Kyle Allen went down.
Smith started six games in 2020, leading the team to a 5-1 record and helping the franchise capture the NFC East title at 7-9. However, he missed three of Washington’s final four games due to a bone bruise, including the team’s wild card loss to Tampa Bay. Smith’s incredible return to the gridiron was one of, if not the greatest returns in sports history, leading him to earn the 2020 Comeback Player of the Year.
Over the last decade, Smith won wherever he went, accumulating a 99-67-1 career record as a starter with the 49ers, Chiefs, and Washington while leading all three to the postseason a combined six times. He finished his career with a 62.6 CMP%, 35,650 PASS YDS, 199 TDs, 109 INTs, and an 86.9 QB RTG. His ability to win games throughout his career and then overcome so much adversity is why his legacy is cemented as one of the greatest comeback stories in sports.
The Miami Heat earned a 109-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday thanks to Bam Adebayo. With the clock ticking away, Adebayo drove left, stopped, and sank a 13-foot jumper as time expired to give Miami the win. It was Adebayo’s first career buzzer-beater, as the 23-year-old Kentucky product responded well after teammate Jimmy Butler called him out for not being aggressive enough recently. His performance was especially impressive considering Butler was sidelined with an ankle injury.
After a breakout 2019-20 season that saw him earn his first All-Star nod, Adebayo has continued to grow into one of the best young bigs in the game. In his fourth year in the Association, Adebayo is in the midst of his best season yet, averaging career-highs in PTS (19.0), AST (5.2), and FT% (80.3).
Miami will need a more aggressive Bam, along with a healthy Butler, if they want any shot at duplicating last season’s surprising run to the NBA Finals. Having dealt with a plethora of injuries and COVID issues this season, the Heat currently occupy the seventh spot in East, meaning a first round playoff matchup with the Nets potentially looms.
Brooklyn has to be worried after Kevin Durant left with another injury. He had just recently come back after missing about two months with a hamstring injury. Brooklyn has played remarkably well despite dealing with several injuries and/or absences from their Big 3. However, if they want to live up to their lofty expectations as title favorites, they will need everyone healthy and focused in time for the playoffs.
In the battle of Golden State vs. Boston, it ended up becoming Curry vs. Tatum with both superstars going off for 44+ points on the evening. Curry’s in the midst of the greatest stretch of his future Hall of Fame career, but even his 47 points (including clutch buckets and miraculous shots) weren’t enough to slow down the red-hot Celtics who won their sixth game in a row and are playing their best basketball of the year.
Jayson Tatum‘s rise to the occasion is nothing new as he’s now earned Player of the Day for the third time in just the last 10 days after failing to win the honor one time this season before that. His recent tear after the All-Star break has fueled Boston’s success, which also benefitted from a clutch Kemba Walker dagger with about 20 seconds remaining. Tatum stepped up without Jaylen Brown as the promising duo continues to reach new heights and prove their elite status by doing what a superstar would do: stop another superstar from entering the building and walking away victorious.
The most anticipated matchup in baseball did not disappoint. Widely considered as the top two teams entering the 2021 season, the Dodgers and Padres battled it out in the first of 19 games, as the newest rivalry in sports saw LA outlast SD 11-6 after scoring five runs in the 12th inning.
LAD got contributions across the lineup, including Corey Seager, who’s leadoff homer in the 12th opened up the decisive five-run onslaught in the final frame while David Price earned the win for the Dodgers. Price has been exactly what LA needed in the bullpen thus far this season. This was the Dodgers’ seventh-straight win, as they continued the greatest start ever (12-2) to a season by a defending World Series champion.
Meanwhile, in his first game back after missing 10 days with a shoulder injury, Fernando Tatis Jr. blasted a 410-foot homer in the fifth inning to give San Diego a 2-1 lead. The lead was short-lived though, as the two clubs went back-and-forth the entire night. The Padres had plenty of chances to win the game, but the defending champs seemed to always have an answer, as San Diego fell to 9-6 on the season.
LaMarcus Aldridge announced his retirement due to an irregular heartbeat seemingly out of nowhere on Thursday. Aldridge was selected No. 2 overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. In nine seasons in Portland, Aldridge was a perennial All-Star candidate before signing with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015.
Injuries plagued him towards the end of his tenure in San Antonio, leading to him being bought out by the Spurs this season. Able to go anywhere, he chose to join Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Blake Griffin in Brooklyn. He played five games with the Nets before Thursday’s announcement.
Aldridge averaged 19.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 blocks during his 15-year NBA career. One of the best mid-range shooting bigs in the game, Aldridge was named an All-Star seven times and an All-Pro five times.
Now that he is officially retired, the debates of him being a Hall of Famer will officially begin due to his superb individual numbers. However, at the end of the day, Aldridge never made it to a conference championship, failed to ever be in the MVP consideration, and lacked the super longevity to reach various milestones that would be worthy of induction. While his individual accolades will put him in consideration, he’ll have a hard time getting in without any championships, MVP votes, or major milestones.
White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon earned his first career no-hitter in Chicago’s 8-0 shutout win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. However, it could have been an even greater achievement, as he was just two outs away from a perfect game. With one out in the ninth inning, Rodon hit an Indians batter, ending his chase for perfection.
The 28-year-old threw 114 pitches in the complete game, looking strong and maintaining good velocity throughout. While Rodon will likely be disappointed with coming so close to the rare perfect game (there have only been 23 in MLB history), the no-hitter is still an incredible accomplishment considering all he’s been through.
Drafted third overall by Chicago in the 2014 amateur draft, Rodon has had a difficult time living up to his draft status, mostly tied to injuries. That came to a head in 2019, when Rodon underwent Tommy John surgery, missing the rest of that season. After a limited and difficult 2020 season, it seemed unlikely that Rodon would even crack the rotation this season, especially after getting non-tendered by the White Sox this offseason.
However, Rodon now appears to be fully healthy and is off to an amazing start in 2021. In two starts (both wins), he has yet to allow an earned run while leading the AL with a 0.357 WHIP. He also made history with the no-hitter, becoming the first pitcher ever to record a no-hitter less than two years removed from Tommy John surgery. While it’s only a small sample size to this point, if his start to the season is any indication, batters beware.
Nuggets G Jamal Murray will be out indefinitely after suffering a torn ACL in Denver’s loss to Golden State on Monday night. This is a devastating blow to a Nuggets team with championship aspirations that is looking to return to the conference finals and beyond after their surprising run in the bubble.
Murray spearheaded last years’ run, helping Denver overcome two 3-1 series deficits, the first time ever that a team has accomplished that feat twice in a single postseason. He out-dueled Utah Jazz G Donovan Mitchell in a legendary first round series that saw each player go for 50 points twice, before helping lead Denver to an upset over the Clippers after Los Angeles imploded.
Against all odds and facing elimination in three-straight games, the Nuggets, led by Murray and Nikola Jokic, kept their composure despite trailing by as many as 16, 19, and 12 points in each game, respectively. Unfortunately, Denver couldn’t recapture the magic in the conference finals, falling to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in a hard-fought five games series.
Murray was unbelievable in the bubble, shattering all expectations and making a name for himself. In 19 games, he averaged 26.5 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting a blistering 45.3 percent from 3 and 50.5 percent from the field. While he hadn’t quite matched those levels this season before getting hurt, the five-year pro was still in the midst of his best season yet. His absence will be extremely difficult for the Nuggets to overcome, particularly in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference.
Steph Curry dropped 53 points to pass Warriors legend Wilt Chamberlain for the most points scored in franchise history. Curry finished the game shooting 14-of-24 from the floor and 10-of-18 from deep to lead Golden State past the Denver Nuggets 116-107 Monday night. It was his seventh career game with 50+ PTS and 10+ 3PT, more than any other player (all other players have eight combined).
Curry has been doing it all for Golden State recently, putting the team on his back in order to secure a playoff spot, as this was his seventh consecutive game with 30+ PTS, the most by a Warriors player since Rick Barry in 1967. At 26-28, Golden State currently holds the final spot for the postseason play-in tournament. With how tough the West is, the Warriors will need more superhuman performances like this from Curry if they want to return to the playoffs this season.
Sunday, April 11th, will be remembered as the day of the dunk, as monster jams were thrown down across the league, starting in Charlotte, where Hornets F Miles Bridges hammered home the dunk of the year vs. the Hawks. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough though, as Charlotte fell just short, losing 105-101.
Bridges wasn’t the only one taking souls though as Paul George gave Isaiah Stewart a rookie initiation in the Clippers’ win over Detroit. The Spurs-Mavericks game saw a pair of posterizing dunks, as Dallas’ Dorian Finney-Smith yammed it on Jakob Poeltl, while San Antonio’s Lonnie Walker returned the favor over Nicolo Melli. Finally, Karl-Anthony Towns slammed home two ferocious dunks vs. Chicago in a game dedicated to his mother.
With Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet out with injuries, Raptors SG Gary Trent Jr. put on a show for Toronto in their blowout 135-115 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Trent finished with a career-high 44 points on a ridiculously efficient 17-of-19 from the field and 7-of-9 from 3.
Now out of the shadow of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum and able to take (and make) more shots, Trent has come into his own in Toronto. In nine games since being acquired from Portland at the trade deadline, he is averaging career-highs in nearly every category, including FG (6.9) and FGA (15.0), as well as MIN (33.3), PTS (17.9), and FG% (45.9). Trent looks like he could be a potential cornerstone for Toronto to build around as the team transitions to the likely post-Kyle Lowry era this offseason.
Before April 9th, 2021, 29 of the 30 MLB teams had thrown a no-hitter in their franchise’s history, with the New York Mets being the most recent addition to join the non-exclusive club in 2012 when Johan Santana finally accomplished the feat. Now the 30th team has pulled it off as hometown hero Joe Musgrove cemented his name in the San Diego record books forever with an absolutely dominant performance over the Rangers.
Musgrove was close to achieving the 24th Perfect Game in MLB history, but a HBP prevented him from accomplishing such a rare feat. He still walked away with an unprecedented no-hitter as the Padres simultaneously broke the record for the longest streak of games without a no-hitter to start a franchise ever.
An interesting factor about the pitching gem was actually who was behind the plate. The newly-acquired Victor Caratini caught all 27 outs of Musgrove’s outstanding outing and made MLB history in the process. He also caught Alec Mills’ no-hitter in 2020 as a member of the Chicago Cubs, which was the MLB’s most recent no-hitter before Musgrove’s. Caratini is now the first Catcher to ever catch consecutive no-hitters MLB-wide while playing for two different teams. What a night for Joe Musgrove and the Friar faithful.
Thursday’s contest between the Miami Marlins and New York Mets ended in controversy when Mets OF Michael Conforto was hit by a pitch. It is unclear whether he leaned into it or not, and only Conforto knows his intentions, but regardless, it allowed New York to earn a win in their home opener.
The walk-off HBP would have never happened though, if it weren’t for Jeff McNeil, who hit a homer to knot the game at 2-2 in the bottom of ninth. The clutch game-tying shot was especially significant for him considering it was his 29th birthday. Though it didn’t come without controversy, the home opening win for the Mets was quite the way to kick off a new era of baseball in New York under new owner Steve Cohen.
The top two teams in the league went head-to-head Wednesday night in what felt like a playoff-type atmosphere, as the Suns outlasted Utah 117-113 in an overtime thriller. Phoenix was led by Devin Booker, who scored 35 points despite missing all six of his attempts from beyond the arc, while Chris Paul finished with 29 points and nine assists.
No team has been hotter than the Suns as of late, who earned their seventh straight victory and their 10th in their last 11 games. They now own a sterling 36-14 record and find themselves just 1.5 GB of the Jazz atop the conference and league. Thought of as a potential dark horse contender in the West before the season started, Phoenix has completely shattered expectations. The biggest reason for that is Chris Paul, who has stabilized a once directionless franchise, turning the Suns into a respected NBA team.
The Jazz were led by Donovan Mitchell, who’s clutch game-tying 3 with 10.8 seconds left sent the game to overtime. Mitchell finished with a game-high 41 points, but it wasn’t enough, as Utah dropped it’s second straight game, falling to 38-13 on the season. With the scorching-hot Suns drawing closer to the top spot, the Jazz will need to put an end to their mini skid if they want to secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and push toward their first Championship in franchise history.
Steph Curry scored 41 points, including 30 in the second half, to help the Warriors knock off the Bucks 122-121 on Tuesday. Curry’s explosion sparked Golden State’s rally from a 10-point deficit with under five minutes remaining, culminating in Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s clutch go-ahead free throws with 7.7 seconds left to secure the win. Oubre finished with 19 points while Kent Bazemore chipped in with 18 off the bench, as the Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak.
This win was massive for the Warriors, who are hanging on in the final spot for the play-in tournament, something that would have been unfathomable just a couple years ago. At just 24-27 with the regular season creeping closer to conclusion, Golden State will need to string together some wins if they want to any chance at competing past mid-May, let alone into June.
Milwaukee was without 2x reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out the game due to knee soreness. The Bucks still nearly pulled off the road win, thanks to big games from their other top players, as Jrue Holiday finished with 29 points while Khris Middleton scored 28. Now 2.5 GB of the 76ers and Nets, the third place Bucks will need similar performances from Holiday and Middleton to alleviate pressure off Giannis if Milwaukee wants to take the next step and make it to the NBA Finals.
The Carolina Panthers acquired QB Sam Darnold from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2021 sixth round pick along with their second and fourth round picks in 2022. Having now traded away the former No. 3 overall pick after months of speculation, the Jets have made it clear they intend to draft their next franchise QB with the No. 2 pick in this month’s draft.
Darnold, who doesn’t turn 24 until June, gets a chance to hit the restart button after a difficult three seasons with arguably the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchise. In Carolina, Darnold will finally be put in a position to succeed with a significantly upgraded supporting cast that includes RB Christian McCaffery and WR’s D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, whom Darnold threw to during their two seasons together in New York.
Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism in Carolina though, is coaching, as Matt Rhule is a significant upgrade over Darnold’s former coach in New York, Adam Gase. Not to mention, his OC will be Joe Brady, who transformed the LSU offense in his lone season as OC with the Tigers, famously helping develop now-Bengals QB Joe Burrow from a late round selection into the 2020 No. 1 overall pick. Now that Darnold is in a much better situation with Carolina, only time will tell whether the Jets failed him or if he failed the Jets.
One night after leading the Bucks to a victory over Sacramento without their reigning 2x MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as the PSO Player of the Day, Milwaukee awarded two-way Guard Jrue Holiday with an extension that can reach $160M with bonuses. The Bucks acquired Holiday from New Orleans this offseason in a trade that sent several players and future assets to the Pelicans.
When Milwaukee gave up a lofty amount of picks for Jrue Holiday over the offseason, it served multiple purposes. The biggest one was to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign with the Bucks long-term while the other main purpose was to add a standout two-way player to play alongside Giannis and Khris Middleton.
The 30-year-old has fit in seamlessly with his new team as he’s putting up quality offensive production while still shining as one of the NBA’s premier on-ball defenders. While his numbers are slightly down from his time in New Orleans, Holiday has been more efficient than ever with a career-high 57.9 eFG% this season. With Holiday’s efficient two-way play, the Bucks title window is as open as ever now with Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday all locked up for at least the next 2.5 seasons.
Top NBA draft prospect Jalen Suggs hit one of the most iconic buzzer-beaters of all-time Saturday night to propel his team to the National Championship game. The shot helped No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga earn an incredible 93-90 OT victory over No. 11 seed UCLA in the Men’s college basketball Final Four. At 31-0 with a matchup set in the final vs. No. 1 seed Baylor on Monday, Gonzaga is now just one win away from completing the first undefeated campaign since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers, with Suggs leading the way.
A legit five-star talent coming out of high school, Suggs has lived up to the hype and then some as the highest-rated recruit in Zags history this season. He is a natural PG with good size (6’4″, 198 lbs), which allows him to play effective defense and grab rebounds. Not to mention he displays excellent basketball IQ along with a smooth jumper, all of which add up to him being a true leader on the court. He is a near lock to be a top-five pick, with some scouts even considering him No. 1 overall, especially after proving he can deliver in the biggest of moments.
The Toronto Raptors walloped the Golden State Warriors 130-77 Friday night, as the 53-point win was Toronto’s largest margin of victory in franchise history. Leading the way for the Raptors was Pascal Siakam, who went off on his 27th birthday for 36 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
While it doesn’t excuse losing by such a ridiculous margin, Golden State was without both Steph Curry and Draymond Green due to minor injuries. Even with Klay Thompson out for the year, the Warriors were still expected to be a playoff team this season.
However, they have been extremely inconsistent and now find themselves sporting a disappointing 23-26 record, barely hanging on for the 10th and final play-in spot. This squad is unrecognizable compared to the Warriors dynasty that won three titles in five seasons from 2015-19, and will need to figure things out quickly if it wants to even qualify for the postseason in a loaded western conference.
The new baseball season kicked off on April 1st, 2021, with MLB’s Opening Day getting off to an explosive start. There were several fantastic finishes, as the Phillies, Brewers, and Mariners all won their contests via walk-offs, while first ballot Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera launched a homer in the snow, helping Detroit take down Cleveland.
Fresh off his record-setting contract, Fernando Tatis Jr. wasted no time showing his five-tool skills the Padres paid him for with his incredible matrix slide at first base. Cody Bellinger hit a home run vs. Colorado that didn’t count due to a base-running error, and the game’s best player Mike Trout announced his intention to win his fourth MVP with a clutch RBI to help the Angels top the White Sox.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers played a ridiculous first inning that saw each team score five runs in the opening frame for the first time in MLB Opening Day history. If all this excitement just on Opening Day is any indication, baseball fans are in store for a 2021 season filled with memorable moments, broken records, and wild finishes.
After several unsuccessful negotiations regarding length and dollar amount, the New York Mets and SS Francisco Lindor finally agreed to a 10y/$341M extension that includes a limited no-trade clause and no opt-outs. The largest contract ever given by New York, new owner Steve Cohen has delivered on his promise to spend big to compete.
The historic deal is the third largest contract based on total value in MLB history behind only the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (12y/$426.5M) and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts (12y/$365M). It is the richest deal ever given to a shortstop, surpassing Fernando Tatis Jr.‘s 14y/$340M contract signed with the San Diego Padres in February.
New York acquired the 27-year-old Puerto Rican native from Cleveland earlier this offseason. Lindor is a 4x All-Star, 2x Gold Glover, and 2x Silver Slugger in six seasons with the Indians, who drafted him No. 8 overall in 2011. He hit .285 with an average of 29 HRs, 86 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases per 162 games played.
The Las Vegas Raiders signed OT Kolton Miller to a 4y/$68.7M extension with a fifth-year team option for the 2025 season. This includes $42.6M guaranteed and will pay Miller an average of $18M/year. Selected No. 15 overall by Las Vegas in 2018, the UCLA product is the first player from his draft class to sign a contract extension.
Miller struggled mightily with pass protection and penalties during his rookie season, but has steadily improved every year. He is coming off his best season yet after allowing a career-low 31 pressures in 2020. However, that was still more than two per game, which doesn’t quite justify currently making him the league’s fourth-highest paid LT in terms of average annual salary.
Miller has also become one of the only constants for the Raiders in 2021 after the team traded OT Trent Brown, OG Gabe Jackson, and C Rodney Hudson, three main pillars from one of the better O-lines in the league. They will now be extra reliant on Miller’s continued improvement, which is exactly what the Raiders are banking on with this extension. The first Raiders draft pick in the Jon Gruden era is still only 25 and has shown enough promise for Vegas to believe that he can become the prominent blindside protector they envisioned on draft day.
Wizards G Russell Westbrook had his best game in a Wizards uniform Monday night since joining Washington this offseason. Westbrook finished with a ridiculous stat line of 35 points, 21 assists, and 14 rebounds while also hitting the clutch dagger to put the Pacers away.
With his legendary performance, Westbrook became the first player ever to drop 35pts/20ast/10reb during a game in NBA history. Not only that, but he broke the Wizards franchise record for most triple-doubles (16 in 38 GP) previously held by Darrell Walker (15 in 283 GP). This was his sixth game with 20+ points and 20+ assists over the last five seasons while the rest of the NBA has one combined (Chris Paul).
With the team struggling around him, Westbrook will need to continue to put the Wizards on his back like he did on Monday. With the team currently sitting two games back of the final play-in spot at 17-28, Westbrook will need to keep going in Super Russ mode to elevate Washington to the postseason, especially if Bradley Beal misses more time.
The arms race in the NBA continued on Sunday, as the Los Angeles Lakers signed C Andre Drummond just a day after the Brooklyn Nets signed F LaMarcus Aldridge off the buyout market. Drummond, 27, agreed to a buyout on Friday with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired him last year after spending nearly eight seasons in Detroit.
After clearing waivers, Drummond elected to join LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the defending champions. He will need to get up to speed with his new team after sitting out the past six weeks while Cleveland explored a trade, but ultimately couldn’t find any partners. Drummond’s elite rebounding and solid inside scoring should be a boost for the Lakers, who are trying to hold on to a top seed in the West with James and Davis on the shelf.
In 25 games with the Cavaliers this season, Drummond averaged 17.5 PTS and 13.5 REB per game. In his nine NBA seasons after being drafted No. 9 overall by Detroit in 2012, Drummond has averaged 14.6 PTS and 13.8 REB as a perennial rebounding champion contender. He has twice been named an All-Star and has led the NBA in total rebounding four times.
LaMarcus Aldridge signed with the Brooklyn Nets for the rest of the season on Saturday after the 35-year-old agreed to a contract buyout with the San Antonio Spurs. Aldridge will team up with former All-Star Blake Griffin, who Brooklyn recently signed after he was bought out by Detroit, as front court reinforcements in the Nets’ pursuit of the franchise’s first championship.
In 15 seasons in the NBA (nine with Portland, six with San Antonio), Aldridge averaged 19.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while hitting 49.1% FG and a spectacular 81.1% FT as a big man. He has earned seven All-Star appearances and five All-NBA nods. His addition makes Brooklyn the odds-on favorite to win the title, especially with the injury concerns the Lakers are currently dealing with.
Zion Williamson‘s career night wasn’t enough for the Pelicans, as New Orleans fell to the Denver Nuggets 113-108 at home. Zion scored a career-high 39 points on an absurdly efficient 16-19 (84.2%) shooting, while also adding 10 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. The young superstar was the lone bright spot for the Pelicans, as the team’s next highest scorer was Eric Bledsoe with 16 points.
A tight final frame saw New Orleans let an 11-point lead midway through the quarter slip away, as Nikola Jokic led the way for Denver with 37 points and nine assists in the comeback win. He wasn’t the only one who had himself a night though, as Michael Porter Jr.dropped 25 points while Jamal Murray finished with 23 points and 11 assists.
The win for the Nuggets draws them even with the Trail Blazers at 27-18, tied for fifth in the Western Conference and a game-and-a-half behind the injury-riddled Lakers. Denver will have a real shot to catch LA after their trade deadline acquisition of Aaron Gordon, who’s insertion in the lineup will add much-needed defense on the perimeter, something they’ve sorely missed since the departure of Jerami Grant in the offseason.
Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline saw lots of movement as buyers looked to strengthen their squads while sellers decided part ways with assets to build for the future, starting in Orlando. The Magic traded away Nikola Vucevic to Chicago, Aaron Gordon to Denver, and Evan Fournier to Boston.
The Rockets, after recently ending a 20 game losing streak, sent Victor Oladipo, whom they just acquired in the James Harden blockbuster deal, to South Beach for an underwhelming package as Pat Riley made an impressive deal with Houston’s rookie GM.
In an attempt to break into the top tier of contenders, the Portland Trail Blazers upgraded from Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood with Norman Powell from Toronto. Also, J.J. Redick was acquired by Dallas from New Orleans as a shooter alongside Luka Doncic while No.1 seeded Philadelphia added G George Hill to solidify their depth in the backcourt. Finally, the LA Clippers swapped longtime sixth man Lou Williams for 2x NBA champion Rajon Rondo with Atlanta.
Longtime Colts WR T.Y. Hilton will return to Indianapolis in 2021 after agreeing to a 1y/$10M deal that includes $8M in guaranteed money. The 31-year-old played in 15 games this past season, catching 56 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns from QB Philip Rivers in his final season.
Drafted in the third round (92nd overall) by the Colts in 2012, Hilton blossomed into one of the most dangerous receivers in the league catching passes from former No.1 overall pick Andrew Luck. From 2013-2018, Hilton recorded five 1,000+ REC YD campaigns, including leading the league in 2016 with 1,448 yards. Over that span, he was named to four-consecutive Pro-Bowls (2014-2017).
In nine NFL seasons, Hilton has registered 608 receptions for 9,360 yards (15.4 AVG) and 50 touchdowns. However, since Luck retired just before the 2019 season, Hilton has struggled to produce at the levels he once did without that elite quarterback throwing him the ball. He and the Colts will be hoping that changes after the team traded for former MVP candidate Carson Wentz.
After two years of unspectacular quarterback play in Indy, the Colts believe Wentz can prove that his disastrous 2020 season was just a fluke. The Colts have a far superior roster across the board compared to the Eagles, and Hilton, even coming off back-to-back down seasons, is likely the best receiver Wentz has ever thrown to.
No Kyrie Irving, no Kevin Durant, no problem for James Harden. Brooklyn’s third superstar scored 25 points and tied his season-high with 17 assists to lead the Nets past the Portland Trail Blazers 116-112. Jeff Green scored 20 points while Blake Griffin finished with eight points and five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench for the Nets, who sit just a game back of Philadelphia for the top spot in the East.
Brooklyn may have gotten some help from an unlikely source, though, as Portland became the first full team to receive the COVID-19 vaccine just 24 hours before tip off. Damian Lillard wasn’t his usual self, as the man with more clutch genes in his body than anyone on the planet came up short in clutch time during this one (0-2 FG, 2 TOs in final 5:30).
Chalk it up to an off night, or maybe the vaccine could have affected his play down the stretch. There’s no way to know, and Lillard won’t make any excuses for his performance. However, it will be interesting to see what the NBA does moving forward if this becomes a trend as more teams receive the vaccine.
For the Nets, the additions of Griffin, and especially Harden mid-season have been crucial in in the team’s ability to keep pace in the East and even thrive without two of their superstars. Irving has missed several games this season due to various reasons while Durant has been out since February 13 dealing with a hamstring injury. The Nets are 16-4 over that span, but they will need both he and Irving healthy and focused if they are to reach their ultimate goal of winning the franchise’s first ever title.
Just two days after landing the top free agent at WR in Kenny Golladay, the New York Giants made a second major investment by signing CB Adoree’ Jackson. The 3y/$39M deal includes a $13.5M signing bonus with $20M fully guaranteed and could be worth up to $44.5M with incentives. This past season, Jackson suffered a knee injury before Week 1 that kept him out for all but three games in 2020.
Drafted by the Titans with the 18th pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Jackson accumulated 33 passes defended, two interceptions, and 200 tackles in 46 games played in Tennessee. During his four years with the Titans, he has flashed elite potential on several occasions. Jackson should solidify the No. 2 cornerback spot, allowing Isaac Yiadom to add depth as the No. 4 corner and be the primary backup behind shutdown corner James Bradberry.
This is a make-or-break year for GM Dave Gettleman, who has now overseen a complete transformation of the Giants’ secondary over the last two years. New York acquired SS Jabrill Peppers along with a first and third round pick in a trade that sent WR Odell BeckhamJr. to Cleveland in 2019. That same offseason, the Giants let 3x Pro Bowler and 2016 All-Pro SS Landon Collins go to a division rival in free agency and have since added Bradberry, Jackson, and Logan Ryan to form one of the NFL’s top DB units.
The Kansas City Royals and long-time C Salvador Perez agreed to a 4y/$82M extension on Sunday. The deal is the largest ever given to a Royals player and will take effect in 2022, where Perez will earn an average annual salary of $20.5M. The deal runs through 2026, where the team can either exercise a fifth year $13.5M club option or a $2M buyout.
The 30-year-old Venezuelan native has spent his entire career in Kansas City since making his debut in 2011. In nine seasons in the Majors, Perez owns a career .269 BA with 152 HRs and 535 RBIs and is a 6x All-Star, 5x Gold Glover, and a 3x Silver Slugger.
Perez’s crowning achievement came in 2015 when he earned World Series MVP honors after helping lead Kansas City to the franchise’s second ever world championship. In their 4-1 series win over the New York Mets, he hit .364 with two doubles and two RBIs. Perez is a legend in Kansas City for his heroics in the Fall Classic and is arguably the best catcher in Royals history. With his intent to spend his entire career in KC, he could go down as the greatest player in franchise history (besides maybe George Brett).
Former Detroit Lions WR Kenny Golladay and the New York Giants agreed to a 4y/$70M contract on Saturday in a deal that can be worth up to $76M and includes $40M guaranteed. Golladay was widely regarded as the top free agent WR on the market this offseason.
Drafted in the third round (96th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft by Detroit, Golladay amassed 3,068 receiving yards on 183 receptions and 21 touchdowns in his first four years in the league. In 2019, he was named to his first Pro Bowl after leading the NFL in touchdown catches with a career-best 11 touchdowns while also setting career marks in yards (1,190) and average yards per catch (18.3). Golladay missed all but five games last season dealing with a hip injury, registering 20 catches for 338 yards and two touchdowns.
New York will hope that Golladay’s addition will speed up the progression of third year QB Daniel Jones, who has flashed immense potential but has also struggled with consistency thus far. The Giants will look to their neighbors in Buffalo as a guide, as the addition of Stefon Diggs last offseason unlocked Josh Allen‘s massive potential in his third year, turning him into an MVP candidate. The pressure is now squarely on Jones to prove that he can be the franchise QB the Giants envisioned when they drafted him No. 6 overall in 2019.
The Denver Broncos and Pro Bowl S Justin Simmons agreed to a 4y/$61M contract extension with $35M guaranteed on Friday. With an average annual salary of $15.25M, Simmons will be the highest-paid player at his position in the league. The move comes after Denver placed the franchise tag on Simmons for the second straight offseason on March 5.
Playing on the franchise tag during the 2020 campaign, Simmons made his first career Pro Bowl after racking up 96 tackles, one fumble recovery, and a career-high five interceptions. The 27-year-old has blossomed into one of the best safeties in the NFL over the past three seasons, nabbing 12 interceptions while playing every defensive snap since 2018. The Boston College product has spent his entire five year career with the Broncos, who selected him in the third round in the 2016 NFL draft.
Rookie Anthony Edwards dropped a career-high 42 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 41 as the Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the West’s No. 3 seed Phoenix Suns on Thursday. Minnesota used the dominant Edwards-KAT duo to mount a comeback, turning an 11-point fourth quarter deficit into a 123-119 road win.
Edwards and Towns became just the second pair of teammates to each register 40 points in the same game in Wolves history. This game was especially significant for Edwards, who became the third youngest player (19 years, 225 days) ever to score 40 points in a game while also breaking the franchise record for points scored by a rookie.
Winners of three out of five since the All-Star break, Minnesota’s future looks very bright over the next three to five years, even with this season already lost with the current worst record in the Association (10-31). Edwards and Towns, along with D’Angelo Russellcould form a Big 3 in the Twin Cities that has all the makings of a force to be reckoned with for years to come. Not to mention, the Timberwolves have an inside track to add even more talent with one of the top picks in the draft (top-4 protected) that could accelerate the franchise’s long-awaited return to contention.
The San Francisco 49ers and OT Trent Williams agreed to a 6y/$138M deal, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. The contract includes $55M in guaranteed money as well as a $30M signing bonus. An 8x Pro Bowler, Williams spent his first nine seasons with Washington before being acquired by the 49ers via trade during the 2020 NFL Draft.
There was some doubt as to how Williams would perform this year after sitting out all 2019-20 due to a dispute over Washington’s handling of his injury situation as well as his contract. However, the 32-year-old put those doubts to rest early, finishing with the fourth best pass block win rate among OTs in 2020 (93.6%), according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Williams wasn’t the only free agent who made waves on Wednesday though, as long-time Arizona Cardinals CB Patrick Petersondecided to head up north and sign with the Minnesota Vikings on a 1y/$10M deal. In his 10 seasons in the desert, Peterson was an 8x Pro Bowler and a 3x All-Pro while being named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2010s.
Other notable moves included two WRs signing elsewhere, as Washington landed Curtis Samuel on a 3y/$34.5M deal ($24.5M gtd) and Arizona added A.J. Green (1y/$6M plus $2.5M incentives). Also, the Patriots brought back LB Kyle Van Noy (2y/$13M) and the Cowboys re-signed CB Jourdan Lewis (3y/$16.5M). With more players going off the table every day, teams will be looking quickly to sign the remaining available free agents before it’s too late.
It appears that no obstacle is too difficult to overcome for Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard scored 20 of his season-high 50 points in the fourth quarter, including outscoring the Pelicans himself 15-7 in the final six minutes to pull out a miraculous one-point win over New Orleans.
The comeback wasn’t without help, though, as two Pelicans mishaps ultimately doomed New Orleans in clutch time. Up 124-121 with 7.2 seconds left, Pelicans F Brandon Ingram had a chance to seal the game at the free throw line. However, he missed both attempts, opening the door for Portland. Right after that on the other end, Lillard made both of his free throw attempts to close the deficit to one.
Then, on the Pelicans’ next possession, Nickel Alexander-Walker lost the ball out of bounds with 4.2 seconds left. That led to another shooting foul on Lillard, who proceeded to sink both shots from the charity stripe to give the Blazers a 125-124 lead. Portland still had to hold their breath though, as Lonzo Ball‘s perfectly placed heave found Zion Williamson, who’s turn-around shot at the buzzer nearly went in, which could’ve spoiled Dame’s latest example of heroics.
This is just the latest appearance of ‘Dame Time’ in what seems like a nightly occurrence for the NBA’s most clutch player. This game was also significant as CJ McCollum returned after missing two months due to a left foot fracture. McCollum, who had been averaging a career-high 26.7 PPG before suffering the injury, will be a huge boost in Portland’s attempt to break into the upper tier of contenders in the West.
The New England Patriots made a plethora of moves on the first day of free agency to shore up their roster on both sides of the ball. To improve the weapons around recently re-signed QB Cam Newton, New England signed a pair of WRs in Nelson Agholor (2y/$22M plus $4M incentives) and Kendrick Bourne (3y/$22.5M), as well as TE Jonnu Smith (4y/$50M, $31.3M gtd).
The Patriots also addressed their defense by signing EDGE Matt Judon (4y/$56M, $32M gtd), S Jalen Mills (4y/$24M, $9M gtd) and DL Davon Godchaux (2y/$16M, $9M gtd) along with re-signing DL Deatrich Wise (4y/$30M, $10M gtd). New England’s aggressive approach signals that the team believes it can still contend with the right pieces added and that it will do anything it takes to return to the postseason after missing out last year for the first time since 2008-09.
Aside from the Patriots, a number of other teams made big moves to improve. The Chargers signed C Corey Linsley to a 5y/$62.5M deal, making him the highest-paid Center in NFL history while the Chiefs alleviated some of their concerns up front by signing top free agent OG Joe Thuney (5y/$80M). Washington made Ryan Fitzpatrick their starting QB in 2021 on a 1y/$10M deal plus $2m incentives, and the Jets added WR Corey Davis (3y/$37.5M, $27M gtd) to their offense.
Teams addressed their pass rush by signing some impact EDGE players. Bud Dupree (5y/$82.5M to TEN), Yannick Ngakoue(2y/$26M to LV), Carl Lawson (3y/$45M to NYJ), and Trey Hendrickson (4y/$60M to CIN) were among the most biggest names to change teams. Despite a number of notable free agents having signed already, there are still plenty of impact players remaining.
After months of speculation over his future, Drew Brees finally decided to hang up his cleats, capping a legendary 20-year career in the NFL. Brees, 42, retires as the all-time leader in career passing yards (80,358) and completions (7,142) while ranking second in both career passing touchdowns (571) and completion percentage (67.7%).
Brees will always be revered for helping revive New Orleans both on and off the field. In 2006-07, Brees, along with coach Sean Payton in their first seasons in New Orleans, led the Saints to their first ever conference championship appearance just months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Three years later in 2010, Brees capped a magical season by winning the franchise’s only Super Bowl, with him being named MVP of the game.
Brees finished his career with a 172-114 regular season record and 9-9 in the postseason over 15 years with the Saints and five with the San Diego Chargers. He led the league in passing yards seven times, including five 5,000 yard seasons (no other QB has more than one such season). Despite shockingly never winning league MVP, Brees earned 13 Pro Bowl nods and was named a First Team All-Pro in 2006 (when RB LaDainian Tomlinson won MVP after a NFL-record 28 RUSH TD).
What makes Brees’s career accomplishments even more incredible is his underdog story. At just six feet tall, Brees posted some of the most eye-popping numbers the game has ever seen. In doing so, he opened the door for quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson to be given a chance to succeed in the NFL despite their lack of height. Against all odds, Brees will go down as a New Orleans and NFL legend as well as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Several star players rose up to help get their teams important wins, as an NBA-record five separate players recorded a triple-double in one day. Giannis Antetokounmpo (33 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST) and Russell Westbrook (42-10-12) exchanged triple-doubles in the game of the day that saw the Bucks defeat the Wizards in D.C. 125-119.
New York Knicks star F Julius Randle (26-12-12) recorded his second triple-double of the season in his teams’ 119-97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Randle became the first Knicks player in the last 30 years to have multiple triple-doubles in a season.
James Harden (24-10-10) posted his ninth triple-double with the red-hot Nets in their 100-95 win over the Pistons while Domantas Sabonis (22-13-10) continued his All-Star season with another all-around phenomenal performance as the Pacers defeated the Suns 122-111.
Cam Newton will stay on as quarterback in Foxborough for another season after re-signing with the Patriots on Friday. The contract is just a 1y/$3.5M deal guaranteed, however, it is incentive-laden and will be worth up to $14M if the former No.1 pick performs to the level he’s shown he’s capable of in the past. The 31-year-old signed with the Pats on a modest one-year deal last offseason after Tom Brady left in free agency.
Newton’s first season in New England was a mixed bag, as he threw for just 2,657 yards along with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. However, he was as dangerous as ever on the ground, rushing for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns, his most rushing scores since the 14 he scored his rookie season, and the most among QBs in 2020.
Newton came out playing well with his new team despite the abnormal offseason. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 in Week 4, and his production took a noticeable dip upon his return. The Patriots finished 7-8 with Newton under center and 7-9 overall, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
The Kansas City Chiefs released both LT Eric Fisher ($12M) and RT Mitchel Schwartz ($6.3M) to save over $18M in cap space for the upcoming season. The moves were necessary for Kansas City, who is projected to be over the $182.5M salary cap. However, they don’t come without questions, as the offensive line will be a major concern heading into 2021.
Both players are coming off injuries, though. Schwartz, a 2018 All-Pro, is considered one of the top RT in the league when healthy. However, the 31-year-old missed 10 games this season, snapping his 7,894 consecutive snaps streak, the longest in the NFL at the time. Meanwhile, Fisher, the 2013 No. 1 overall pick by Kansas City and 2x Pro Bowler, suffered a torn Achilles injury in the AFC Championship Game that forced him out of the Super Bowl as well.
The Chiefs missing both tackles was a major storyline heading into the Super Bowl that came to fruition against Tampa Bay. The Bucs D-line completely dominated the line of scrimmage, continuously harassing Patrick Mahomes, who didn’t show the same level of trust in his depleted O-line as he did with the veterans in there.
Along with Fisher and Schwartz, four other O-lineman are set to be free agents, including starting C Austin Reiter and starting G Kelechi Osemele. The offensive line was already a major concern that prevented the Chiefs from running it back, but now the challenge will be even harder with their two most accomplished OT’s no longer in the fold.
A number of NFL teams made moves to free up cap space as a result of the 2021 salary cap lowering to $182.5M from $198.2M last season. With free agency coming up, some notable names found themselves searching for new homes after being released by their former teams.
A few contenders released multiple impact players to free up cap space, starting in New Orleans, where the cap-strapped Saints saved $17M by releasing both WR Emmanuel Sanders ($4M) and LB Kwon Alexander ($13M). Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills released both WR John Brown ($7.6M) and DL Quinton Jefferson ($6.5M) to save $14.1M. The Tennessee Titans released two players in their secondary, as CB Malcolm Butler ($10.2M) and S Kenny Vaccaro ($3.9) were both let go as well, saving $14.1M.
Other notable players that were released included Dolphins LB Kyle Van Noy ($9.8M) after just one season in Miami, and Arizona Cardinals CB Robert Alford ($7.5M), who hasn’t played since the 2018 season. Two respectable O-Lineman were also cap casualties as the New York Giants cut RG Kevin Zeitler ($9.6M) and the Minnesota Vikings parted ways with LT Riley Reiff ($11M).
Several notable players were franchise tagged by their teams, highlighted by a pair of standout WRs in Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson. Godwin followed up his breakout 2019 campaign with another solid season in Tampa despite missing multiple games due to various injuries. Meanwhile, Robinson set a career-high with 102 receptions in 2020 despite some shaky QB play in Chicago.
Three offensive lineman were tagged, headlined by 4x Pro Bowler and 2020 All-Pro G Brandon Scherff staying with Washington. Meanwhile, two former 2017 second round OTs Cam Robinson and Taylor Morton will be playing their fifth seasons in Jacksonville and Carolina, respectively.
Four defenders were also tagged, led by Giants DL Leonard Williams. The 2015 No. 6 overall pick was tagged for a second consecutive season after leading New York with 11.5 sacks in 2020. A trio of safeties in Justin Simmons, Marcus Maye, and Marcus Williams were also tagged with only Williams’ tag coming on deadline day.
After two years of negotiating, the Dallas Cowboys and QB Dak Prescott have finally agreed to a long-term contract. Prescott signed a 4y/$160M deal with $126M guaranteed that includes a no-trade and no-tag clause. The contract also includes an NFL-record $66M signing bonus, meaning that he will earn $75M in 2021. Set to earn $40M per year, Prescott is now the second highest paid NFL player ever, behind only Patrick Mahomes‘ 10y/$450M contract with Kansas City.
Prescott was off to the best start of his career last season, averaging 371.2 YPG before suffering a compound fracture and dislocation of his ankle in Week 5. He was carted off the field and taken to the hospital, where it was announced that he would miss the remainder of the season. Dallas struggled mightily without it’s franchise QB along with several other starters, limping to a 6-10 record.
Now under contract long-term and his recovery appearing to be ahead of schedule, Prescott’s future has never looked better. He is surrounded by an offense that is stacked at every skill position and an O-Line that, while not what it once was, is still good enough to help the Cowboys’ explosive offense. Most importantly, Prescott now has a chance to do what no one else has done in 25 years: lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl if they can finally stay healthy.
Team LeBron took down Team Durant to cap off an exciting NBA All-Star Sunday that featured the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Competition, and Slam Dunk Contest all wrapped up into one evening for the first time ever. The All-Star Game was highlighted by teammates Damian Lillard and Steph Curry exchanging DEEP 3’s just before halftime.
‘Dame Time’ even made an appearance, as Lillard ended the game on a 3-pointer from half-court to punctuate a dominant 170-150 win for Team LeBron. Despite Lillard (32 points) and Curry’s (28) big nights, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo who took home the MVP after finishing with 35 points on a perfect 16-16 from the field.
However, Curry still came away with a trophy after his clutch performance in the 3-point competition. After trailing going into the final rack, Curry nailed his final money ball to defeat Mike Conley by one point in the last round. The win gives Curry his second 3-point championship, making him just the seventh player to win multiple crowns in the event’s 35-year history and first to do so in non-consecutive years.
The Skills Challenge saw a pair of bigs battle it out in the final as Domontas Sabonis defeated Nikola Vucevic to earn his first win after finishing as the runner-up in last year’s event. Finally, Anfernee Simons out-dunked Obi Toppin in the final to win the dunk contest.
Trevor Bauer looked good in his second start with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Spring Training. However, what made it even more impressive was what he did in the first inning against the division rival San Diego Padres. Bauer finished off the inning by striking out a batter with one eye closed.
Bauer wound up pitching three scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and one walk along with allowing two hits in the Dodgers’ 2-1 Spring Training win over their division-rival that looks poised to be the most exciting rivalry in baseball this year.
The Washington Football Team and quarterback Alex Smith agreed to part ways on Friday. The move saves Washington $14.7M in cap space with an $8.6M dead cap hit, as the 36-year-old was due to count $24.4M against the salary cap in 2021. Smith had two years remaining on his 4y/$94M contract extension that he signed in 2018.
Smith earned Comeback Player of the Year honors after helping lead Washington to an NFC East division title and a playoff berth in 2020 with a 7-9 record. His presence, experience, and leadership were invaluable to a young Washington team this past season. He posted a 5-1 record as a starter with six touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 66.7 percent of his passes.
Smith struggled to stay healthy last season though, missing multiple games due to injury, which is understandable given what he has gone through. He suffered a broken right fibula and tibia in November 2018 that required 17 surgeries.
It seemed unlikely that he would ever play again after nearly losing his leg due due to a life-threatening infection. However, Smith persevered, and made his first appearance almost two years later in October 2020. During his three years in Washington, Smith went 11-5 as a starter, while every other quarterback combined to go 6-27.
The 2021 NBA All-Star teams were officially revealed as LeBron James and Kevin Durant made their their roster selections. Both teams are stacked, but LeBron’s starting lineup has the edge, beginning with first overall pick Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic.
Any starting five with eight combined league MVP’s between them (LeBron 4x, Giannis and Steph 2x each) and two potential future MVP’s in Doncic and Jokic will be difficult to match. That doesn’t even include Damian Lillard, who many thought should be a starter, coming off the bench.
Meanwhile, KD used his first picks in each round on his Brooklyn teammates Kyrie Irving and James Harden (as a reserve). Joining KD and Kyrie as starters are current MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid, 2x DPOY Kawhi Leonard, NBA leading scorer Bradley Beal, and first time starter Jayson Tatum.
Both benches are pretty even, but Team Durant has slightly more offensive firepower with the likes of Harden, Devin Booker, Zach LaVine, and Donovan Mitchell. However, Team LeBron has the edge on defense thanks to Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, and Rudy Gobert. But again, Lillard coming off the bench for LeBron could be the difference in a tightly contested game.
Perhaps the most interesting storyline from the draft was where the two best players from the NBA’s best team were selected. The Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell (22nd overall) and Rudy Gobert (23rd) wound up as the final two picks in the draft as they continuously get overlooked. Regardless, NBA fans will be excited to watch the league’s biggest stars go at it on Sunday, March 7th.
The Portland Trail Blazers will always have a chance no matter the situation as long as they have Damian Lillard. The NBA’s most clutch player showed up once again when his team needed him the most, this time against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. With the Trail Blazers down by three with just over two minutes left on the clock, Lillard took over after having a quiet night up until then.
Lillard exploded to score all eight of his team’s final points, beginning with a game-tying 3 with 2:06 remaining. However, Golden State answered with a 3PM of its own from Draymond Green. Following misses by both teams, Lillard sank two free throws with 51.5 seconds left, cutting the deficit to one.
Then, following a Curry miss on the other end, Lillard proceeded to hit a deep step-back 3 with 13.7 seconds left to put Portland up 108-106. He made his final impact on the defensive end by taking a charge on Green with 4.1 seconds left to seal the game.
Lillard finished with 22 points, six assists, and just 3-of-10 from 3. However, his two clutch makes from deep were enough for Portland, who sit in the fifth spot in the conference at 20-14. Curry finished with 35 points on 13-of-28 from the floor and 5-of-14 from 3, but Golden State fell to 19-17, tied with Dallas for the eighth seed in the ultra-competitive West.
The players who will be competing in the 2021 3-point contest, dunk contest, and skills challenge were revealed for the NBA’s upcoming All-Star event on March 7th in Atlanta. The skills challenge and 3-point competition will take place before the All-Star game while the dunk competition will take place at halftime.
This year’s 3-point contest is stacked with star power. Steph Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Devin Booker, and Zach LaVine will all put their lethal shooting strokes to the test to find out who the best shooter in the league is, at least for one night. Curry and Booker, the likely favorites having previously won the competition, will each look to be crowned champion for a second time.
LaVine, twice a dunk contest champion, is making his second appearance after finishing fourth last year. He will be looking to become the first player ever to win both contests while Mitchell, Tatum, and Brown will be making their 3-pt contest debuts.
The skills challenge will also feature a number of big names, as Robert Covington, Luka Doncic, Nikola Vucevic, Domontas Sabonis, Julius Randle, and Chris Paul will all compete with each other. Finally, the dunk contest will only feature three contestants this season, as Anfernee Simons and a pair of rookies in Cassius Stanley and Obi Toppin will look to make a name for themselves on the big stage.
J.J. Watt is heading to the desert after signing a 2y/$31M deal with the Arizona Cardinals, the team announced Monday. Watt signed as a free agent after mutually parting ways with the Houston Texans earlier this offseason. The 31-year-old pass rusher spent his entire 10-year career in Houston where he was a 5x All-Pro and 3x Defensive Player of the Year.
The move reunites Watt with his former teammate, DeAndre Hopkins, who spent seven years with the Texans before being traded last offseason to the Cardinals. In Arizona, Watt will be paired with 2x All-Pro Chandler Jones on the edge. If they can both stay healthy, the two EDGE defenders will form one of the most accomplished and ferocious pass-rushes this upcoming season.
Injuries have slowed Watt down in recent seasons while Jones missed all but five games in 2020 with a bicep injury that required season-ending surgery. If Jones can bounce back and Watt can regain even some of his form that made him a generational pass rusher, the Cardinals could be a dark horse contender with an improved defense to pair with their explosive offense.
The Milwaukee Bucks rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Los Angeles Clippers thanks to some stifling defense and their superstar’s dominant performance to close out the game. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 17 of the his team’s final 22 points to turn a 90-83 deficit into a 105-100 Bucks win. The reigning back-to-back MVP outscored the entire Clippers team 17-10 in the final 8:30.
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were Los Angeles’s top scorers, but couldn’t get it done with the game on the line. The two superstars took every shot for the Clippers down stretch, but combined to go 0-for-8 in the final 3:30. George finished with 16 points on an inefficient 7-of-21 shooting while Leonard led the way with 25. The Clippers continued their inconsistent stretch of basketball, having followed up each of their last four wins with a loss.
Antetokounmpo made a huge impact on both ends of the floor, finishing with 36 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and one steal. It was his fourth straight game with 35-plus points, becoming the first Bucks player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1973.
Khris Middleton finished with 19 points and eight assists while Jrue Holiday returned after missing 10 games due to health and safety protocols, scoring two points in 18 minutes as he tried to shake off the rust. With five straight wins, the Bucks sit at third place in the East, just a game back of the No.1 seeded 76ers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off the major upset of the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night with their 112-109 overtime victory. Cleveland came in as 11-point underdogs, but wound up recording the impressive road win despite Joel Embiid‘s huge performance. Embiid finished the game with 42 points and 13 rebounds, his 16th 20-point/10-rebound effort of the season. The loss dropped the 76ers to 14-3 at home and 22-12 on the season, both still tops among Eastern Conference teams.
The Cavaliers have now won three in a row following their recent 10-game skid. They were led by their young backcourt duo of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. Sexton finished with 28 points while Garland recorded 25 points and nine assists as Cleveland (13-21) earned its first road win since January 7th and just its fourth overall this season.
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Houston Rockets 122-111 without head coach Nick Nurse, his coaching staff, and Pascal Siakam Friday night. In all, Toronto was without six coaches and one of its star players due to health and safety protocols, meaning that interim head coach Sergio Scariolo and the rest of the squad would have to step up in their absence. That’s exactly what they did.
Kyle Lowry came up huge when his team needed him, finishing with a 20-point, 11-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double, his 16th as a Raptor. Lowery was extremely efficient shooting, hitting 6-of-9 field goals and 4-of-5 from deep in 33 minutes of action. His backcourt mates, Norman Powell and Fred VanVleet, also stepped up big time, finishing with 30 points and 25 points, respectively. With their short-handed victory over Houston, Toronto is now at 17-17, having shaken off their 2-8 start to open the season.
The Washington Wizards secured a 112-110 road win Thursday night thanks to a late miscommunication by the Denver Nuggets. With under five seconds to go and Bradley Beal as Washington’s sole defender, Jamal Murray raced up the court on a 4-on-1 fastbreak for the Nuggets. Beal elected to deny Murray the game-winning 3, anticipating that someone would cut to the basket for the game-tying layup. However, all three Nuggets stayed on the outside, forcing Murray to bounce it to Facundo Campazzo, who’s hurried 3pt shot clanked off the rim at the buzzer.
The botched 4-on-1 fastbreak is the epitome of the NBA in recent years. All four Nuggets players were trying to stretch the floor and hit the 3 instead of taking the wide open layup. Mid-game, this likely wouldn’t have been an issue. But, with the game on the line, it ended up costing the Nuggets a chance at overtime and resulted in their second two-point loss to the Wizards in eight days.
Washington continued their hot streak with their sixth win in seven contests, bringing their record to 12-18. They are just two games out of the final spot in the East’s play-in tournament after sitting in last place in the conference as recently as mid-February. With their latest close victory, the Wizards improved their record to 6-1 in games decided by three points or fewer. Their coolness under pressure and recent success will need to continue if they are to climb out of the early-season hole they dug themselves into.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped a career-high 42 points and Lu Dort hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder past the San Antonio Spurs 102-99 Wednesday night. With the score tied, San Antonio’s Patty Mills turned the ball over on a double dribble with 3.9 seconds left, giving Oklahoma City a chance to win the game. The Thunder didn’t miss their opportunity.
Al Horford took the inbounds pass and drove down the lane before kicking it out to a WIDE open Dort in the corner, who sank the game-winner. According to Second Spectrum, Dort’s shot was the most open (14.4 feet) game-winning buzzer-beater since they began monitoring play-by-play data in 2013.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s career night came just a day after the NBA released its All-Star rosters, with his name not on it. Averaging 22.8 PTS with a 50.6 FG% and a 40.7 3P%, the 22-year-old was one of the highest scoring players left off the rosters. His elevated play is the biggest reason why the Thunder have been competitive this season despite the team entering a full rebuild.
This was the Spurs first game in 10 days after their previous four contests were suspended due to health and safety protocols. San Antonio’s roster was still depleted, as they were without several players. Most notably, DeMar DeRozan, the team’s leading scorer, missed the contest due to his father passing away. Despite the loss, the Spurs remained in first in their division and sixth in the West.
How’s that for not being clutch? Luka Doncic hit two go-ahead 3-pointers in the final 15.3 seconds to lift the Dallas Mavericks past the Boston Celtics Tuesday night. With Dallas trailing by one, Doncic hit a step back 3 over 6-foot-8 Daniel Theis to put Dallas up 107-105 with 15.3 seconds to go. Then, after a Jaylen Brown layup knotted the game back up for Boston, Doncic proceeded to drill another step back 3, this time over Kemba Walker, with 0.1 seconds left to ice the game.
Doncic’s heroics helped the Mavericks avoid a fourth quarter collapse after leading by 12 points with just under four minutes left. He finished the game with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists while hitting a sizzling 6-of-8 from 3, including the two daggers. Doncic was forced to carry more of the load without his All-Star teammate Kristaps Porzingis, who missed his second straight game.
Much has been made of Doncic’s struggles in clutch time this season. However, nobody can question his mentality when it matters, similar to that of Michael Jordan‘s and the late, great Kobe Bryant‘s. He isn’t afraid of the biggest moments, no matter what the outcome may be. He wants to take the last shot, and, the results this time were two of the biggest shots of his career and a Mavericks victory.
The Washington Wizards extended their longest winning streak in three years with a 127-124 overtime win over the slumping Los Angeles Lakers. Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook combined to score all 12 of Washington’s points in extra time to secure their fifth straight win.
Beal, the NBA’s leading scorer, led the way with 33 points in a game-high 44 minutes. Westbrook, who matched his backcourt mate in total minutes, nearly captured his fourth straight triple-double with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. At 11-17, the Wizards suddenly find themselves just 1.5 games back of the final spot for the East’s play-in tournament after an abysmal start to the season. Now with the trade deadline coming up (March 25), the team will need to decide what direction it wants to go in.
LeBron James once again struggled from deep (2-for-10), but still managed to score 31 points, along with 13 assists, and nine rebounds. The Lakers were without two key starters in Anthony Davis (strained calf) and Dennis Schroder (COVID protocols) for a third straight contest. At 22-10 and having lost three in a row and four out of their last five, Los Angeles will need to get healthy if it wants to keep pace with the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Just days after defeating the Lakers, the Nets wrapped up a perfect 5-0 road trip vs. the Western Conference with a 112-108 win over the Clippers. It didn’t come without controversy, though. Holding on to a 110-108 lead after the Clippers made a late rally, Kawhi Leonard was called for a questionable offensive on foul on James Harden on his way to the basket for the game-tying layup. The call wound up sealing the game, as Harden iced two free throws to give the Nets an insurmountable four-point lead with seconds remaining.
Harden finished with a game-high 37 points along with 11 rebounds while Kyrie Irving dropped 28 points and a game-high eight assists. However, late in the game, it felt like Irving was doing too much. He shot the ball seven times with only one make during the final 5:18 of play, as his inefficient play nearly cost Brooklyn the win with Uncle Drew in hero mode.
A win is a win, though, and the Nets have been getting plenty of those recently. With victories over both LA squads and a current six-game winning streak (all without Kevin Durant besides the victory over his former team in the Bay), Brooklyn all of a sudden looks like the best team in the NBA, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the health of Lakers F Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat squared off in a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals. In a low-scoring affair, it was the Heat who came out on top, securing a tough 96-94 road win over the defending champs. Miami barely hung on, though. Clinging to a two-point lead with just seconds remaining, the Heat turned the ball over on a LeBron James steal. Miami quickly double-teamed James, who made the right decision by passing to an open Alex Caruso for the game-tying shot. However, Caruso’s shot missed off the front of the rim, and Miami was able to escape with the win.
James had a rough shooting night, finishing the game with 19 points on 7-of-21 shooting and 1-of-8 from 3. However, he was particularly ineffective in the second half, hitting just 2-of-9 of his shots and missing all four 3pt attempts. James’s recent 3pt struggles this month continued, as he is now just 20-for-75 (26.7%) from beyond the arc in February. The Lakers will need him to regain his shooting form to keep up with the Jazz and Clippers atop the West with Anthony Davis out for at least the next few weeks.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Denver’s Jamal Murray were simply unstoppable Friday night. Embiid’s monster 50-point, 17-rebound double-double propelled the 76ers past the Bulls while Murray’s 50-point outing came on an absurd 21-for-25 from the floor and 8-of-10 from 3, helping the Nuggets dispatch the Cavaliers.
With his 76ers in first place in the East, Embiid has played himself into the MVP conversation, if not the favorite to take home the honor. He is averaging 30.5 PTS and 11.0 REB per contest with an efficient 54.7 FG% and a ridiculous 40.0 3P%. If he keeps up this level of production and Philadelphia keeps winning, Embiid very well could be the first center to win the MVP award since Shaquille O’Neal did so in 2000.
Meanwhile, Murray’s performance set NBA records for the highest eFG% (100.0) in a 50-point game and the first 50-point game with no free throw attempts. He also set the Nuggets franchise record for most career 50-point games (3). While that production isn’t sustainable, the young and talented Nuggets will need a consistent level of play from Murray if they are to unleash their full potential and make a deep run in the stacked Western Conference.
The Philadelphia Eagles have traded disgruntled QB Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. In the return, the Eagles received a 2021 third round pick and a 2022 second round conditional pick that will turn into a first round pick if Wentz plays 75% of the 2021 snaps or 70% and the Colts make the playoffs.
The trade reunites Wentz with his former offensive coordinator and now head coach in Indianapolis, Frank Reich. Under Reich, Wentz had his best season in 2017, and, if not for a late season-ending injury, likely would have won MVP. After that season, Reich took the head coaching job with the Colts. Since then, Wentz has struggled with health and inconsistent play, a rotating cast of receivers, and a declining O-Line, culminating in his worst season as a pro in 2020 and subsequent benching.
The QB job in Philadelphia is now likely Jalen Hurts’ to lose unless they elect to draft a quarterback in April. Regardless, the deal signifies that the Eagles are entering a full rebuild with a new head coach in Nick Sirianni, a new signal caller, an aging roster, and no cap space. For the Colts, if Wentz can match his 2017 form, this deal will be a steal. If that happens, Indianapolis will be a dark horse Super Bowl contender with a great coaching staff, an elite O-Line, solid skill position players, and an excellent defense.
The San Diego Padres and superstar SS Fernando Tatis Jr. have come to terms on a historic 14y/$340M extension. The deal is the third largest contract based on total value in MLB history, behind only Mike Trout (12y/$426M with the Angels) and Mookie Betts (12y/$365M with the Dodgers). The 14-year deal is the longest contract in sports history, breaking Giancarlo Stanton‘s 13y/$325M deal in 2015 and Bryce Harper‘s 13y/$330M deal in 2019. The deal will keep Tatis Jr. in a Padres uniform through his age-35 season.
Since being promoted to the majors on opening day in 2019, Tatis Jr. has blossomed into a star. The young slugger is well on his way to being the face of baseball, owning a .301 BA with 39 HRs and 98 RBIs in 143 career games. In 2020, Tatis Jr. won the Silver Slugger and finished fourth in NL MVP voting. Most notably, he helped snap San Diego’s 13-year postseason drought, where they won their wild-card series against the Cardinals before being swept by the rival Dodgers in the NL Division Series.
The deal sets up the Padres to compete with the Dodgers for the foreseeable future, as both clubs are building the two best rosters in baseball. Each has their cornerstones under contract for the next decade and have stockpiled talent around them. Their rivalry should be an exciting one to watch in the years ahead led by the two most electrifying players in baseball in Tatis Jr. and Betts.
With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on the sidelines, James Harden took over to lead an epic Nets comeback over the Phoenix Suns. Trailing by as many as 24 points, Brooklyn didn’t take their first lead until there was under 30 seconds remaining on Harden’s go-ahead 3-pointer that put the Nets up 126-124.
The Suns next possession saw Brooklyn make the final stop on Devin Booker’s attempt to tie the game on a post-up shot against Landry Shamet that rimmed out. Harden’s two points from the charity stripe then sealed the 128-124 comeback win.
Harden finished the contest with 38 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds while hitting five 3-pointers, including the game-winner. With his latest performance, The Beard earned his fifth PSO Player of the Day award since joining Brooklyn, the most of any player in 2021. All that despite having to acclimate to an entire new team, role, and city.
Harden has been on another level since joining the Nets. In 16 GP with his new team, Harden has never been facilitating better (NBA-leading and career-high 11.8 APG) or a more efficient shooter (50.2 FG%, 40.7 3P%, and 60.0 eFG% all career-highs). Averaging nearly a triple-double at 24.3 PPG, 11.8 APG, and 8.4 RPG, Harden has arguably been Brooklyn’s best player and is the engine that makes the historically great Nets offense go, with or without his other two superstar teammates, as proven on Tuesday.
In his first game back in D.C. since being traded to Houston, John Wall recorded season-highs in points with 29 and assists with 11. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the reeling Rockets, as they fell for a sixth straight time, losing to the Wizards, 131-119. Despite his totals, Wall struggled from the floor, converting just 10-of-26 shots and just 1-of-7 of his 3-pointers.
In nine seasons in Washington, Wall earned five consecutive All-Star nods from 2013-2017 along with an All-NBA Defensive team honor in 2014-15 and All-NBA in 2016-17. He was thought of as one of the best all-around point guards in the league, averaging close to a double-double (19.1 PPG, 9.2 APG) with the Wizards. However, he struggled to stay healthy his last three years in D.C., never topping more than 41 GP, including missing all of last season. The former 2010 No. 1 overall pick has been solid for the Rockets this season, averaging 20.0 PPG and 6.2 APG.
Wall’s former backcourt mate in the D.C., Bradley Beal, dropped 37 points for the Wizards, who followed up Sunday’s surprising win over Boston with another victory over Houston. In the midst of his best season as a pro, Beal has taken off the last two years without Wall.
Always a threat to put the ball in the basket, he has now become one of the most prolific scoring guards in the league. Beal upped his average from a career-high 30.5 PPG last season to a league-leading 33.1 this year. Unfortunately for him, his team around him has struggled mightily, leading to plenty of speculation about his future in the nation’s capital but DC is 5-5 over their last 10 games, hanging on to a chance at postseason contention.
Damian Lillard came up huge for his club once again as the Trail Blazers held off the Mavericks to earn an impressive 121-118 win on the road. Owning a 13-point lead with just under seven minutes to play, Portland appeared to have the game in hand. However, a late Dallas comeback saw the Mavericks tie the game at 116-116 with 49.5 seconds left on Dorian Finney-Smith‘s corner-3 from a Luka Doncic assist. But, there’s a reason why they call these moments ‘Dame Time’.
Lillard took the ball up the court and with 32.8 seconds left, drilled a step-back 3-pointer in Finney-Smith’s face to give the Blazers a 119-116 lead. Dallas still had a chance, though. Trailing by three with with five seconds to go, Doncic had a golden opportunity to tie the game on a 3-point attempt he couldn’t have had a better look for. However, his shot rimmed out, and the Trail Blazers were able to hold on for the win.
Lillard, who was forced to carry the offensive load once again with CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic still out, finished the contest with 34 points and 11 assists, while hitting 5-of-11 of his 3-pointers. The Blazers, 16-10, were able to extend their winning streak to four games despite missing multiple key pieces in their lineup.
It was a disappointing end for Doncic, who continued his brilliant stretch of basketball. Doncic finished the game with 44 points, just two days after dropping a career-high 46 points in a win over the Pelicans. He also finished with nine assists and seven rebounds in the loss, which snapped the Mavericks (13-15) four-game winning streak.
The NBA’s primetime Saturday matchup saw Kevin Durant make his much anticipated return to the Bay Area as the Brooklyn Nets took on the Golden State Warriors. Durant won back-to-back titles with Golden State in 2017 and 2018, capturing both Finals MVPs. After missing his last three games due to COVID-19, Durant did a little bit of everything against his former squad. He finished the night with 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds as the Nets showcased their full potential in a dominant 134-117 victory.
James Harden, who has taken over as the de facto point guard, registered 16 assists, the 12th time out of 14 games since joining the Nets that he has finished with 10 or more assists. While he is averaging just 23.6 PPG, the lowest total since his OKC days coming off the bench, Harden currently leads the NBA in assists with 11.2 per game. He also finished the contest with 19 points and eight rebounds, coming close to recording his fifth triple-double with Brooklyn.
Kyrie Irving, who has shifted from PG to SG so he can focus purely on scoring, paced the team with 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting while connecting on 2-of-5 from the outside. Brooklyn’s Big 3 has fit well together offensively, as Irving and Durant appear to be the top scoring options while Harden is clearly the facilitator while still being capable of going off on any given night. They have even played a little defense when they have needed to, something that will have to continue if the Nets are to consistently reach their full potential.
Meanwhile, Steph Curry led both teams in scoring with 27 points. However, he struggled mightily from deep, as did the rest of his team. Curry hit just 2-of-9 3-pointers as the Warriors shot a porous 9-for-34 (26.5 percent) from the outside. The shots have been there all season, they just haven’t been able to knock them down consistently, which is the difference between this Golden State team from year’s past. Steph is still the same amazing superstar fans are accustomed to, but the team around him has changed drastically.
J.J. Watt is no longer a Houston Texan after it was announced Friday that the two parties have agreed to mutually part ways. Watt spent the first 10 seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Houston, where he racked up 101 sacks, 172 tackles for loss, 25 forced fumbles, and 61 passes defended.
Injuries have slowed him down recently, as he has just one double-digit sack season in the last five years soon after becoming the only player in league history to record multiple seasons of 20+ sacks. Watt was simply the most dominant pass rusher in the league, earning three Defensive Player of the Year honors and five All-Pros nods from 2012-2018.
The decision to cut Watt comes after weeks of speculation over the future of franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has demanded to be traded. After a number of questionable front office moves and an ugly 2020 season, the organization appears to be in a free fall, culminating in Houston likely losing its star quarterback in Watson in addition to its greatest player in franchise history in Watt this offseason.
Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 24 points off the bench as the Trail Blazers defeated the 76ers 118-114 at home. Melo saved his best for when it mattered most, though. Entering the fourth quarter down 93-89, Anthony erupted for 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including a sizzling 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to propel the Blazers past the East’s top squad.
Anthony has been heating up lately with four 21-plus point games in his last five outings, two of which came against Philadelphia (both wins). While his numbers are down across the board, including a career-low 13.0 PPG, the 18-year vet has been valuable coming off the bench for a Portland team looking to break into the West’s top tier. Anthony’s elevated play is especially important right now for the Blazers, who have been without both CJ McCollum (11 games) and Jusuf Nurkic (12 games) for nearly a month. Melo might be 36 years old, but he’s still showing why he’s one of the greatest scorers of all-time.
Damian Lillard dropped 30 points, including 19 in the first quarter for Portland (14-10), who sit in fifth place in the West just a game behind Phoenix (15-9) for the fourth spot. The 76ers dropped to 18-8 as MVP candidate Joel Embiid‘s big night (35 PTS, 9 REB) and Ben Simmons‘ near triple-double (23 PTS, 11 REB, 9 AST) weren’t enough to secure the road win. Despite the loss, Philadelphia still holds a game-and-a-half lead over second-place Milwaukee (16-9) in the East.
The Buccaneers held a boat parade on Wednesday to celebrate their Super Bowl LV win as thousands of fans lined up around the Hillsborough River in Tampa, hoping to catch a glimpse of the champs celebrating the franchise’s first title since 2003. The parade was highlighted by several entertaining moments, most notably from Tom Brady.
Brady was seen tossing the Lombardi Trophy from his boat across the water to another boat full of Bucs players. And just like on the field, Brady’s pass was completed, this time to his shirtless TE Cameron Brate. Then, Brady tweeted a reaction to a video of him drunk being walked out after getting off the boat.
It wouldn’t be a party without Gronk doing Gronk things, as the legendary TE was feeling himself. Known for always having a good time, Rob Gronkowski was seen dancing on the side of his boat and nearly falling into the water. Like most parties, though, it didn’t go without any accidents, as WR Scotty Miller dropped fellow receiver Chris Godwin‘s phone into the river.
Head coach Bruce Arians vowed to keep LB Lavonte David and Godwin, who are both scheduled to be free agents. Both players were key pieces in the Bucs Super Bowl run and appear to be leaning towards re-signing, along with free agent EDGE Shaq Barrett, who has let his intention to return be known as well.
Arians also spoke of going for back-to-back next season with the same group in an explicit speech that captured his excitement. If Tampa Bay can come back mostly intact, there is no reason to believe they won’t be favored to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl next season and possibly win it all once again.
Steph Curry continued his MVP form against the Spurs as the Warriors used a dominant second half to earn a resounding 114-91 win in San Antonio. Curry finished with a game-high 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the floor and 4-of-10 from 3pt. The highlight of his night, though, came in the first quarter when Curry hit an improbable, behind-the-back, no-look shot when driving in the paint.
When Steph Curry is mentioned, the first thought is shooting, and rightfully so. Curry’s long-range daggers and efficiency from deep revolutionized the game and have made him the greatest 3pt shooter ever. However, no one outside of Kyrie Irving has Curry’s lethal combination of handles and his ability to make ridiculously difficult shots off the glass around the rim. His shooting, handles, and finishing, along with a championship pedigree, is what elevates Steph above every other point guard in the league, including the likes of Irving, Damian Lillard, and Chris Paul.
Curry is in the midst of another all-time season to his illustrious 12-year career. That is an incredible accomplishment for a 3x champion and a back-to-back MVP winner (including the only unanimous winner in NBA history). He is averaging 29.5 PPG, the second highest of his career, while hitting nearly five 3-pointers a night, all while having the Klay Thompson-less Warriors in playoff position. If he continues to light it up and lead Golden State to the playoffs, Curry will undoubtedly be on the shortlist to take home his third MVP award.
LeBron James recorded his third triple-double of the season, propelling the Lakers past the Thunder in extra time for their fifth straight victory. James finished the contest with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists in the 119-112 OT win for LA, who needed 2OT in their last game to defeat the Pistons on Saturday.
It was the 97th career triple-double for James, who now has the most triple-doubles ever after turning 35 (9), and the most by any player during their 18th season (3). Los Angeles needed James’ best performance against the pesky Thunder, as they were without Anthony Davis due to right Achilles Tendinosis.
After trailing by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Lakers took their first lead since early in the opening frame on Dennis Schroder‘s pullup jumper with 34.6 to go. Then, with 15.9 seconds remaining, Schroder converted 1-of-2 free throws to give LA a 110-107 lead.
However, OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knocked down three clutch free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining to force OT after being fouled on a potential game-tying 3pt attempt. That didn’t phase LA, though, as they outscored OKC 9-2 in OT. The win improves the Lakers record to 19-6 and just a half-game behind the West-leading Jazz, while the Thunder fall to 10-13 on the season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first team to win the Super Bowl on their home turf after taking care of the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. It was one of the most shocking outcomes in recent memory as the defending champions were thoroughly outplayed and out-coached in every facet of the game. The win gives Tampa Bay its second championship in franchise history and its first since 2002.
Most of the talk entering the game surrounded the QB matchup between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. The 43-year-old GOAT vs. the 25-year-old superstar on the greatest run ever to start a career. It was supposed to be a passing of the torch from one generational QB to the next, as Mahomes’ Chiefs were favored, and rightfully so, in their quest to win back-to-back titles. However, the Buccaneers did something that no has been able to do the past few seasons: make the Chiefs offense look stoppable.
Tampa Bay’s ferocious D-Line decimated KC’s depleted O-Line, completely shutting down the most explosive offense in the league. They constantly harassed Mahomes, who played on an injured foot that will likely require surgery, forcing him out of the pocket all game long. It was the worst stat-line of his career, as he finished the game 26-49 for 270 yards, 0 TDs and 2 INTs. It wasn’t just his struggles that were the Chiefs downfall though, as untimely drops and killer penalties ultimately doomed the AFC champs as well. Despite the evolution of offense and scoring, the Bucs proved that defense still wins championships.
This game was reminiscent of New England’s glory days, as Tom Brady found Rob Gronkowski for two more TDs, breaking the NFL postseason record with 14. Gronkowski joined Jerry Rice as the only players with multiple REC TD in multiple Super Bowls. Meanwhile, Brady earned his fifth Super Bowl MVP after finishing 21-29 for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He now has 21 PASS TD in the Super Bowl, more than any other two QBs combined. With his seventh Super Bowl win, Brady proved yet again that nobody is cooler under pressure on the biggest stage, further cementing his legacy as the greatest winner in SPORTS history.
With just one game to go before the 2020 NFL season is in the books, the league announced its annual awards on Saturday. The award winners were headlined by Aaron Rodgers taking home his third MVP after one of the greatest seasons ever by a quarterback. He finished the season with a league-leading 70.7 CMP% for 4,299 YDS with 48 TD (led the NFL) and just 5 INT. He also led the NFL in RTG (121.5), QBR (84.3), TD% (9.1), and INT% (1.0%). He quarterbacked a talented but flawed Packers team to the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 13-3 record and came within one game of reaching the Super Bowl, losing the NFC title game to the Buccaneers.
Other major award winners included generational DT Aaron Donald winning his third DPOY after another special season, and Derrick Henry earning the OPOY after leading all RBs in YDS (2,027), TD (17) and YPG (126.7). Browns HC Kevin Stefanski earned COY as he led Cleveland to its first playoff appearance since 2002 and first win since 1994. This year’s rookie class showed out, as QB Justin Herbert won the OROY after breaking numerous rookie records, while DE Chase Young anchored a dominant D-Line in DC. After nearly losing his life two years ago from a broken leg, QB Alex Smith earned Comeback Player of the Year for his inspirational return.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms with free agent and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer on a 3y/$102M deal that includes player options for each of the last two years. The deal will make Bauer the highest-paid player in MLB history over the next two seasons, as he is set to earn $40M in 2021 and $45M in 2022. He is coming off a dominant season with the Cincinnati Reds that saw him lead the National League in ERA (1.73), ERA+ (276), and WHIP (0.795) while leading the Majors in complete games and shutouts.
Bauer joins a stacked LA rotation already featuring a combined four Cy Young Awards in David Price and 3x winner Clayton Kershaw, along with All-Star Walker Buehler. That quartet will certainly form the best rotation in baseball and has a chance to be the best ever assembled, especially considering the promise of Dustin May and Julio Urias as well. The Dodgers are now the first team to have three former Cy Young winners and three former MVPs (Kershaw, RF Mookie Betts, and 1B Cody Bellinger) on their roster. They are built to run it back and have a potential dynasty with the most talented roster in the game (sound familiar Lakers fans?).
While Bauer’s addition does give them an edge, nothing is a guarantee in sports, as the Dodgers are not a lock to win their own division. The young, up-and-coming San Diego Padres have put together a similarly talented roster that is built to contend for the foreseeable future. The Padres could very well be the Dodgers biggest obstacle in their attempt to win back-to-back titles, a feat not accomplished since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. With the two most talented rosters in baseball, the NL West clubs have formed one of the top rivalries in the game and are set to duke it out for years to come.
LeBron James continues to reach heights never seen before in year 18 of his career in the midst of yet another MVP-caliber season. Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets, LeBron passed NBA and Lakers legend Wilt Chamberlain for third most career FGM with 12,691, behind only Karl Malone and the all-time leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James also sits third all-time in points (34,819) behind those two NBA greats as well and fifth in points per game at 27.03 for his career. Despite his scoring prowess, LeBron’s biggest strength remains his distributing.
James’s uncanny passing ability was on full display against the Nuggets with 10 more assists on a number of highlight-reel passes. He is eighth on the career leaderboard in assists (9,522) and is the only player to be in the top eight all-time in scoring and assisting. James also recorded 27 points and 10 rebounds against Denver for his second triple-double of the season and 96th of his career, putting him fifth all-time and second among active players behind only Russell Westbrook. The NBA has never seen a player like LeBron James be this good at so many things for this long, and may not ever again.
NBA fans were treated to a night full of exciting basketball on Wednesday as several contests came down to the very end. The Kings found a way to defeat the short-handed Celtics thanks to their young backcourt’s stellar performance. De’Aaron Fox registered 26 points and 11 assists while rookie Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points off the bench. In a battle between two teams struggling to match expectations, the Wizards took down the Heat behind NBA scoring leader Bradley Beal‘s 32 points, as Tyler Herro missed game-tying 3-pointer before the final buzzer.
Another close one saw the Spurs rally from a 16-point fourth quarter deficit to upend the Timberwolves as DeMar DeRozan hammered down a huge dunk. Meanwhile, the Knicks had to sweat out a close win in Chicago after nearly blowing a 19-point lead to the Bulls. Finally, Luka Doncic out-dueled Trae Young in a matchup of the top two cornerstones of the 2018 NBA Draft. Doncic finished with 27 PTS, 14 AST, and 8 REB as the Mavericks snapped their six-game skid despite Young nearly rallying the Hawks late with nine points in the final 1:15 of the game.
In arguably the biggest game of the season to this point, the Clippers (16-6) visited the Nets (14-9) in a matchup of two top title contenders featuring an unprecedented level of individual talent. Los Angeles’s dynamic duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George vs. Brooklyn’s Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. It did not disappoint.
When the final buzzer sounded though, it was Brooklyn who earned an impressive victory, in large part due to a dominant fourth quarter from its star players. Harden, Durant, and Irving combined to score 25 of the team’s final 27 points, including their decisive 13-0 run that put the Nets up for good. The lone basket not from the trio may have been the biggest, though. Clinging to a one-pt lead with 5.5 seconds to go, Jeff Green hit an and-1 on a touchdown pass from Harden to put Brooklyn up 122-119. However, Green missed the free throw, so the Nets elected to foul the rest of the game to prevent the Clippers from attempting a game-tying 3-pointer.
The strategy paid off, as Los Angeles never got off a potential game-tying shot. Irving, who finished with a game-high 39 points, iced the contest by hitting both FTs with 1.9 seconds left. He, along with Harden (23 PTS, 14 AST, 11 REB) and KD (28 PTS, 11-13 FG) were particularly effective in the fourth quarter when attacking Nic Batum (5-5 FG with him as the primary defender), who returned from a one game absence due to injury. Despite the loss, Leonard (33 points) and George (26) still had big nights. That being said, Brooklyn played solid defense when it mattered, an encouraging sign for a team that’s been amongst the worst defenses ever.
Honorable Mention: Fred VanVleet set UDFA & Raptors record with 54 PTS & Twins re-signed DH Nelson Cruz
The Phoenix Suns earned their second win in three days over the Dallas Mavericks Monday night by a razor thin 109-108 margin. It looked murky for the Suns, who trailed 77-66 with 4:48 remaining in the third. However, as was the case on Saturday when they were down by 15 in the third quarter in their win over the Mavericks, Phoenix rallied. A dominant stretch saw the Suns turn an 11-point deficit into a five-point lead midway through the fourth. From there, both teams traded buckets until the end when, with his team trailing 108-106 as the clocked approached zero, Devin Booker hit a 25-foot 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining.
Luka Doncic’s missed shot at the buzzer secured the comeback win for the 11-8 Suns, who have now won three in a row. Booker, after missing the previous four games with a hamstring strain, finished with 24 points in 31 minutes, connecting on 4-of-8 of his 3-pointers, while Chris Paul, who assisted on the game-winner, had 34 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds. For the struggling Mavericks, this will run their streak up to six consecutive defeats, bringing their record to 8-13 on the season, including 13 straight losses in one-score games.
Honorable Mention: 4x All-Star Dustin Pedroia announced his retirement
The Nets appeared to be on their way to a fifth consecutive win when Kyrie Irving converted both free throws to put his team up 146-141 with 12.3 seconds remaining. However, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook had other plans. Washington’s backcourt duo hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a wild 3.8-second span in the final seconds to take a 147-146 lead. Beal’s free throws with under a second left sealed the stunning 149-146 win over the Nets.
Westbrook (41 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST) played his best game as a Wizard by far, while Beal, the NBA’s leading scorer, dropped 37 points to improve to 34.9 PPG on the season. The two combined for over half of Washington’s points as the 4-12 Wizards will need this level of play from their two stars on a nightly basis to climb out of the basement of the Eastern Conference. DC got their first win in three weeks with half of their wins this season coming against the Eastern Conference favorite Brooklyn Nets in two epic shootouts.
A career game from Joe Harris (30 PTS, 8-13 3PT), who’s costly turnover led directly to Westbrook’s game-winning 3-pointer, wasn’t enough for Brooklyn (13-9), playing without James Harden due to a thigh contusion. Kevin Durant, the clear Comeback Player of the Year, had another brilliant performance with 37 points while Irving finished with 26. The loss further highlights the Nets deficiencies on defense, as Brooklyn must improve in that department either through effort or more acquisitions if it wants to make a serious run at a title.
A day after the St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado trade rocked the baseball world, the former St. Louis Rams and Lions announced a blockbuster deal involving their franchise QBs that sent ripple affects throughout the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams sent Jared Goff, their 2022 and 2023 first round picks, along with a third round pick in the upcoming draft to Detroit in exchange for Matthew Stafford. With the dust settled, here’s a look at how each team made out.
For the Rams, just two seasons removed from a Super Bowl appearance, it is a clear upgrade at quarterback, even though they got older at the position by swapping Goff, 26, for Stafford, who turns 33 in February. It was a high price to pay, as LA is now on track to make it seven straight years without a first round pick (2017-2023). By trading Goff, LA will also take on a dead cap hit of $22.2M in 2021, but will wind up saving $12.75M. Stafford will bring 2y/$43M left on his deal, a reasonable price to pay. The 2009 former No. 1 overall pick could be the missing piece that elevates this talented Rams squad into a true championship contender.
It was inevitable that Stafford would be traded this offseason, as his frustration after another losing season was publicly known. In return for trading their franchise QB, DET landed Goff, who in 2017 and 2018, looked to be a rising star under Sean McVay, but has since regressed, leading the front office to openly talk about a future without the 2016 No. 1 overall pick. Goff will start an expensive 4y/$134M contract with $110M guaranteed this season. It is clear that Detroit will be hitting the reset button after adding draft capital, hiring a new head coach and GM in Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes, respectively, and now bringing in a new QB in Goff.
Honorable Mention: Dame drains GW over Bulls; Lakers-Celtics comes down to the wire
In a deal that sent shockwaves throughout the baseball world, the St. Louis Cardinals landed Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies. In exchange, the Rockies are expected to receive LHP Austin Gomber, RHPs Jake Woodford & Angel Rondon, 1B Luken Baker, and OF Jhon Torres. Colorado will also pay $50M of the 6y/$199M remaining on Arenado’s contract. It may take a few days to become official due to Arenado’s no-trade clause that must be waived and his opt-out clause after the 2021 season that may need to be reworked. The MLB and MLBPA will also need to approve the trade due to the large sums of money involved.
Arenado, 29, dealt with a shoulder injury for much of 2020 that limited him to just 8 HRs and 26 RBIs in 48 GP. Despite his subpar season, the 5x All-Star and 4x Silver Slugger remains one of the game’s best hitters, averaging 35 HRs and 114 RBI per 162 GP for his career. He is also considered perhaps the best defensive third baseman in baseball and one of the most valuable gloves regardless of position. An 8x Gold Glove winner (one in each of his eight seasons) and a 4x Platinum Glove winner, Arenado brings amazing defense and an impact bat to a team that ranked 28th in runs scored during 2020, lifting STL to among the top-tier in the NL.
With the Rockets trailing 30-10 with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter, it appeared that the Trail Blazers were on their way to an easy win. However, from there to the end of the third, Houston had the upper hand, outscoring Portland 76-47. After the Blazers took an 88-86 lead on a 9-0 run of their own to open the fourth, both teams traded buckets in a back-and-forth final 10 minutes. In the end, though, Houston was able to complete the comeback on newly-acquired SG Victor Oladipo‘s clutch layup to extend the lead to three points with 26.2 seconds left. Subsequent team free throws secured the 104-101 victory for the Rockets.
Houston has now won four straight and are 5-3 since trading James Harden (3-6 before). Further, all three losses are without John Wall, who missed the games due to left knee soreness. Their defensive rating has surged from 111.1 (22nd in the league) with Harden to 102.7 (ranked first) in the eight games since the blockbuster trade. If Wall can stay healthy and the team continues to focus on the defensive end, Houston can be dangerous. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard‘s 30-point, 9-assist night wasn’t enough for Portland (9-8), who was without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. The Blazers now fall to the West’s eighth seed after their second straight defeat.
The top teams in each conference took the floor Wednesday night when the West-leading Lakers visited the East-leading 76ers. Philadelphia looked like the better team most of the night, leading from early in the first quarter on until 11.2 seconds remaining thanks to Anthony Davis‘ made layup from a LeBron James assist to give LAL a 106-105 lead. That basket capped a 13-0 run that began with just over three minutes remaining with the Lakers trailing 105-93. The lead was short-lived, though, as Philly’s Tobias Harris drained a 15-foot jumper with 3.0 seconds remaining to lift the 76ers to a huge win over the defending champs.
Harris, in the midst of arguably his best season as a pro, finished the night with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers. Through 16 games played, Harris is averaging 20.1 PPG on an efficient 52.5 FG% and 46.1 3P%. Philly’s other two stars had big nights as well, with Joel Embiid adding 28 points while Ben Simmons registered a 17-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, his third of the season. The win keeps PHI (13-6) atop the East and improves their home record to an NBA-best 10-1, while LA (14-5), who had their 10-game road win streak to open the season snapped, fell to second in the West behind the red-hot Jazz.
Among the many notable moves to occur on Tuesday, none were more significant than the announcement of Philadelphia’s deal to bring back their All-Star Catcher on a record-breaking contract. The 5y/$115.5M deal carries an average annual value of $23.1 million, topping former Minnesota Twin Joe Mauer’s annual salary of $23 million as the highest ever for a catcher. Realmuto, who will turn 30 in March, was acquired by the Phillies in 2019 from the Marlins in an inner-division trade.
In his first season in Philadelphia, Realmuto hit .275 with 25 HRs and 83 RBI, earning his second straight All-Star appearance along with his first Gold Glove and his second Silver Slugger award. He followed up his best season in the majors by hitting .266 with 11 HRs and 32 RBI in 47 games during the shortened 2020 season. Realmuto re-signing is massive for a Phillies club looking to finally get over the hump with Bryce Harper and make the postseason for the first time since their five straight appearances from 2007-11 that included a World Series title in 2008.
Marcus Semien’s market was hard to gauge. He had an amazing MVP-caliber season with the A’s in 2019, but that was the only year he’s been well above-average offensively. Semien hit .285 with 33 HRs and 92 RBI while playing all 162 games for Oakland that season. However, his previous career highs playing at least half a season were .257 in 2015 along with 27 HRs and 75 RBI, both in 2016 (hit .238 that season). His production took a nose dive in 2020 when Semien hit a career-low .223 with 7 HRs and 23 RBI in 53 games while struggling with a rib injury.
The Blue Jays were intent on making big moves this offseason and have now officially done so with their trio of George Springer, Kirby Yates, and now Semien. The 1y/$18M deal is low-risk for the Jays, who will be hoping that Semien can regain his 2019 form, but if he doesn’t, they will only be stuck with him for one season. With Semien’s addition and likely improvement from a down year, Toronto’s lineup will have improved greatly. They will also no longer have to rely on Vlad Jr. moving back to the hot corner where he struggled defensively as a rookie as Semien will move to 2B with Bichette at SS, forcing Cavan Biggio to take over 3B.
The Twins have signed SS Andrelton Simmons to a 1y/$10.5M deal. The 4x Gold Glover, who had played his previous five seasons with the Angels, will be an immediate upgrade defensively for Minnesota, especially after Jorge Polanco’s poor defensive performance at SS in 2020. Simmons’ defense is so highly thought of that he has received MVP votes three times during his career strictly because of his success on that side of the ball. He also has a decent bat, hitting .269 with 67 HRs and 406 RBI over nine years in the MLB. His addition gives MIN ultimate depth, and strengthens what was already one of the best benches in the MLB.
LeBron James had his best night of the season in his first game back in Cleveland in more than two years. James registered a season-high 46 points along with eight rebounds and six assists while shooting a ridiculous 19-of-26 from the field and hitting 7-of-11 3-pointers against the Cavaliers. He was even more special in the final frame. Trailing 89-87 entering the fourth quarter with the game on the line, LeBron took over, exploding for 21 points while only missing one shot (9-10 FG). James’ incredible performance helped propel the Lakers to the 115-108 win.
Monday night’s result vaulted Los Angeles back into first place in the Western Conference with a 14-4 record. The defending champs also improved to 10-0 on the road, further extending their franchise record to open a season. To this point, Los Angeles looks like the class of the league and the clear-cut favorites to repeat. What must be even more disheartening for opponents, though, is that LA appears to be better than last years’ squad that dominated its way through the playoffs with a 16-5 record en route to the franchise’s 17th NBA title. It’s all spearheaded by the aging King who has yet to show any signs of decline.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will square off in Super Bowl IV on February 7th. It will be Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes in the QB battle of a lifetime as the two will go head-to-head at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. Brady and Mahomes have split their four previous matchups. Brady won the lone playoff game between the two in an OT thriller in the 2018 AFC Championship game. The Chiefs and Bucs faced off in the 2020 regular season, a game that saw Kansas City defeat Tampa Bay 27-24 on the road. With the legendary matchup now set, here’s a look at how the teams got to this point.
The Bucs finished the season 11-5 and in second place in the NFC South, earning the fifth seed. They defeated Washington in the Wild Card round, the Saints in the Divisional round, and then upset the top-seeded Packers and likely MVP Aaron Rodgers in the NFC title game. The Bucs took a 28-10 lead on the Packers early in the third quarter before hanging on to win 31-26 after GB HC Matt LaFlauer’s questionable decision to kick a FG instead of attempting to tie the game on 4th & Goal with just over two minutes left. Tampa is now looking to become the fourth team in NFL history to win three road playoff games and the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs, winners of the AFC West at 14-2, earned the top seed in the conference for the third straight season along with a first round bye. They hung on to beat the Browns in the Divisional round after Mahomes was forced to leave the game due to injury, and then dropped the Bills in the AFC Championship game. After trailing 9-0 early, Kansas City righted the ship and dominated Buffalo behind the trio of Mahomes, TE Travis Kelce, and WR Tyreek Hill, outscoring them 38-15 from there en route to a comfortable 38-24 victory. The defending champs are now seeking to be the first team to repeat since Tom Brady’s Patriots did so in 2003 and 2004.
For the second time in two nights, the Nuggets and Suns needed overtime in the desert to settle their contest. And, just like Friday night, it was Denver that came out on top on the road, this time in double OT, thanks to Jamal Murray’s heroics. Murray hit a game-tying 3-pointer to send the game to OT. Then, after a back-and-forth extra period, with his team down by three, Phoenix’s Jae Crowder hit a clutch 3 of his own with 0.7 seconds left to ensure a second OT. However, that wasn’t enough to lift the Suns to victory, as the Nuggets were able to pull away in the sixth frame, earning a tough 120-112 win.
Denver’s superstar duo of Murray and Nikola Jokic led the way, as Murray finished with 26 points, while Jokic led all players with 29 points and grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds. This was the second straight impressive win by Denver (9-7), who has come on strong after starting the season 1-4. If they are to catch the Lakers, Clippers, and Jazz in the standings, the Nuggets must continue to get this level of production from their stars. Meanwhile, Phoenix (8-7), who was without Devin Booker Saturday night, will need to regain their early-season form that had them looking like a dark horse contender in the West when they started the season 7-3.
Baseball legend and long time Braves player Hank Aaron passed away on Friday at the age of 86. Aaron played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1954-1976. During his career, he played 12 seasons for the Milwaukee Braves before the team was sold and moved to Atlanta in 1966. He spent nine more seasons in Atlanta before finishing his career back in Milwaukee with the Brewers. During his 23-year Hall of Fame career, Aaron was a 21x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove winner, 2x Batting Title champion, MVP, and World Series champion with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957.
On April 8, 1974, Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record of 714. He would go on to finish with 755 career home runs. That mark wasn’t surpassed until the steroid era in 2007 when Barry Bonds topped it, finishing his career with 762 homers. However, most baseball purists view Aaron as the legitimate HR record holder. He is also the all-time leader in career RBI (2,297) and Total Bases (6,856). Hank Aaron is widely regarded as a baseball titan and one of the greatest to ever play the game.
The West-leading Lakers (12-4) extended their franchise record with an eighth straight road win to open the season after defeating the Bucks 113-106. LeBron James out-performed Giannis Antetokounmpo in a battle between two of the NBA’s top title contenders. LeBron had the hot hand all night, draining 6-of-10 3PA, including a few long-range bombs, on his way to a season-high 34 PTS along with 8 AST and 6 REB. James appears to have turned his one weakness throughout his career – shooting – into a strength. Through 16 games, he is shooting 39.6% on 3PA’s, his second-highest mark ever, on a career-high 6.6 3PA per game.
Giannis put up 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting to go along with 12 boards and three assists. However, his jump shot continues to be inconsistent. He was 1-for-3 from deep, 2-for-4 from the charity stripe, and missed badly on a few jump shots. For the season, he is hitting just 30.9% of his 3’s and 58.3% of his FT attempts. Of more concern, though, is the Bucks (9-6) inability to beat top contenders. They now fall to 0-4 against the Celtics, Nets, Jazz, and Lakers. Their bench, outscored 31-16 by the Lakers bench, must improve if Milwaukee is to secure the top seed in the much-improved Eastern Conference for a third-straight season.
Philip Rivers will be retiring from the NFL after 17 seasons in the league. Rivers, 39, played 16 of his 17 seasons with the Chargers, earning eight Pro Bowl nods, before playing his last season with the Colts. He was acquired by the then-San Diego Chargers in 2004 in a draft-day trade that sent Eli Manning, who the Chargers drafted No.1 overall, to the New York Giants. He spent his first two seasons in the league backing up Drew Brees before taking over as the starter once Brees joined the New Orleans Saints in free agency. Rivers never missed another game after that, starting 252 consecutive games, including the playoffs, to close out his career.
Rivers will end his NFL career with 134 wins, eighth all time and the second most by a QB without a Super Bowl. He made the playoffs seven times, finishing with a 5-7 postseason record. Despite not having a ring or even a single Super Bowl appearance, Rivers is still one of the most accomplished QBs to ever play. He finished his career completing 64.9% of his passes for 63,440 YDS with 421 TDs and 209 INTs. His 95.2 career passer rating ranks 12th all time while he is fifth in both yards and touchdown passes. It remains to be seen whether he will get a gold jacket, but there is no doubt he was among the top QBs of his generation.
The Blue Jays announced Tuesday that they have signed OF George Springer to a 6y/$150M deal. A centerpiece in the Houston Astros rise over the last half decade, Springer, 31, was a clubhouse leader and Houston’s best player in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Springer hit .265 with 14 home runs and 32 RBI in 51 games and hit four more home runs in the playoffs during the Astros run to the ALCS.
A 3x All-Star and 2x Silver Slugger across his seven MLB seasons (all in HOU), Springer played his best on the biggest stage. In his two World Series appearances, Springer hit .339 with seven home runs and 11 RBIs, and was named MVP of the Fall Classic in 2017. In Springer, the Blue Jays have finally landed a coveted star that can help lead their young and talented core to the top of the highly-competitive American League East division.
Toronto also signed RP Kirby Yates to a 1y/$5.5M deal. Yates, 33, struggled last season in just six appearances with a 12.46 ERA for the Padres before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right elbow. However, prior to that, he was one of baseball’s top relievers over the past two seasons, leading the MLB in saves in 2019 with 41. Yates is a welcome addition to the Toronto bullpen, and if he can regain his 2019 form could potentially lift the Blue Jays to among the top contenders in the AL alongside Springer in a big day for the Jays.
Steph Curry and the Warriors are making a habit of second-half comebacks against LA teams. Less than two weeks after erasing a 22-point third quarter deficit to defeat the Clippers, Golden St. found themselves trailing by as many as 19 in the second half against the Lakers. It appeared to be over for the Dubs after Los Angeles stretched the lead back to 14 early in the fourth on a LeBron James 3-pointer. However, Golden State kept their composure and fought back, taking a 110-108 lead, their first of the night, on Draymond Green’s clutch layup with 2:40 remaining. GS never trailed after that, securing the come-from-behind road victory.
Curry had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night (8-22 FG, 3-12 3PT), but his 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining gave the Warriors a five-point cushion. Steph finished with 26 points and seven assists while Kelly Oubre Jr. set a season-high with 23 points, but struggled again on 3PAs (2-8). For LA, Dennis Schroder’s season-high 25 points weren’t enough to top their Cali rivals, as LeBron (19 points) and AD (17 points) couldn’t find their shots, hitting on a combined 12-32 FG’s and 2-8 3’s. GS (7-6) will need to keep the momentum to earn a playoff spot in the stacked WCF while LA (11-4) needs to ensure blown leads won’t become a habit.
The Buccaneers are headed to the NFC Championship game for the first time since the franchise’s first and only Super Bowl title in 2003. Tampa Bay knocked off their NFC South rivals in New Orleans on Sunday, 30-20. Tom Brady, who struggled in his two regular season matchups with a combined 2 TDs and 5 INTs in two losses to the Saints, was efficient in the game that mattered. His numbers don’t stand out, but Brady was in control most of the evening against an excellent Saints defense, finishing 19-33 for 199 yards and two TDs. The story of the game was the Tampa Bay defense, which forced four New Orleans turnovers.
The Bucs shut down the Saints passing game, blanking All-Pro WR Michael Thomas (0 REC) and causing Drew Brees to have the worst playoff peformance of his career. Brees finished 19-34 for just 134 YDS, 1 TD and 3 INT. Questions have surrounded the NFL’s all-time leading passer, as Brees, 42, has mulled retirement this season. And, it now appears that this was likely the legendary QB’s final game. If it is the end, then, despite another bitter postseason ending, Brees and HC Sean Payton can hang their hats on an era filled with unprecedented levels of success in NOLA that culminated in capturing the franchise’s only Lombardi Trophy in 2009.
The Bills are headed to the AFC Championship game for the first time since 1994. Buffalo smothered the Baltimore offense, holding the NFL’s top rushing team to 150 yards on 32 carries in the 17-3 win. The Bills limited Lamar Jackson to 162 yards and a pick with just 34 yards on nine carries while K Justin Tucker had an off night (1-3 FG). Josh Allen only had 206 yards and was held mostly in check, but his third quarter TD to WR Stephon Diggs proved to be the winner. Buffalo sealed the game with CB Taron Johnson’s 101-yard pick six in the final minute of the third. The Bills are now set to either host the Browns or visit the Chiefs in the AFC Title game.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will be hosting their first NFC Championship game in the HOF QB’s career. Green Bay defeated the Los Angeles Rams 32-18 to advance to their second consecutive championship game. The Packers, who never trailed, nearly doubled the Rams in total yards (484-244). Their three-headed monster of Rodgers (296 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 RUSH TD), RB Aaron Jones (99 RUSH YDS, 1 TD), and WR Devante Adams (9 REC, 66 YDS, 1 TD) all showed out. Rodgers’ 58-yard strike to WR Allen Lazard with 6:52 remaining ended any hope of a Rams comeback. The top-seeded Packers now await the winner of Bucs-Saints part III Sunday.
The New York Yankees strengthened their club Friday with the announcement that they are bringing back 2B DJ LeMahieu on a 6y/$90M deal and have signed SP Corey Kluber to a 1y/$11M deal. In his two seasons donning the pinstripes, LeMahieu has finished fourth (2019) and third (2020) in the AL MVP voting. The 32-year-old is a 3x All-Star, 3x Gold Glover, 2x Silver Slugger, and has captured two Batting Titles during his 10 major league seasons. He is coming off arguably his best season in which he led the MLB in BA (.364), and led the AL in OBP (.421), OPS (1.011), and OPS+ (177).
Kluber, 34 is much more of a risk after missing the majority of his last two seasons due to injuries. However, prior to that, he was one of the top pitchers in baseball. From 2014-2018, he was a 2x Cy Young Award winner (2014, 2017), a 3x All-Star (2016-2018), and led the Majors in ERA (2.25) in 2017. With Kluber’s addition and with LeMahieu re-signing, the Yankees are now back in the Championship picture and possibly at the top. They’ve fallen short year after year over the past half-decade, but have all the continuity, playoff experience, and chemistry after these moves that make up the ingredients to host a parade at the end of the year.
After much speculation, it was officially announced Thursday that Urban Meyer will be the new Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 17 seasons, Meyer went 187-32 and won National Championships at Florida (2006, 2008) and Ohio State (2014). Meyer, who last coached in 2018, will take over for former HC Doug Marrone, who was fired following a 1-15 season. Holding the right to draft QB Trevor Lawrence with the No.1 overall pick was likely a huge factor in convincing Meyer to come out of retirement. Meyer and Lawrence, both legends at the college level, will form one of the most interesting HC-QB duos in the NFL.
The Jets also announced that former 49ers DC Robert Saleh will be the next HC in NY. Saleh is the kind of culture changer a team like the Jets needed. Unlike their last hiring that could be seen as a clear failure right from the first press conference, New York finally got this one right. No Jets HC has ended their tenure with a winning record since 2000, so Saleh’s up for quite the challenge. His first major decision will be at QB, where he must decide between resetting the franchise by drafting a QB at No.2, or build around Sam Darnold, who has flashed at times but has also struggled. This decision could make or break his tenure in East Rutherford.
When a team is able to add a MVP, 3x scoring champion, and 8x All-Star, they usually do whatever it takes. That’s exactly what Brooklyn did as they showed desperation in the wake of Kyrie Irving’s recent absence that could turn into a disaster if he retired early. Now that they have another all-time great on their roster, that will surely convince their best player Kevin Durant to re-sign once he can opt out after next season. The question will be how do they fit these pieces together and can they surround them with enough defensive talent to overcome this trio’s shortcomings on that side of the ball.
There’s no doubt this is the greatest scoring trio ever assembled, but there’s only one ball for three of the greatest iso scorers to all share. It will be a challenge for rookie HC Steve Nash, one of the greatest passers of all-time, to figure out the best possible way for these three superstars to sacrifice touches and work together, especially considering Harden, Durant, and Irving all rank in the top 20 on the all-time leaderboard for usage percentage.
All three do have experience playing with other superstars in their primes, though. Durant won two titles in GS, Irving won one in CLE alongside LeBron, and Harden could have knocked off Durant’s Warriors in the WCF if not for Chris Paul’s injury. Big 3’s aren’t unprecedented either. There have been multiple “super teams” put together with varying levels of success, and none of those trios, even the Heat or Warriors, had this level of pure, individual offensive talent. It’s championship or bust for Brooklyn, who mortgaged their future by shipping out 1st Rd picks and young talent, but a title for a starved organization would be well worth the cost.
Along with the Thunder, nobody has more draft picks to look forward to in the 2020s than Houston now after pulling off the largest haul of draft picks in NBA history. When the smoke settled, Houston received three 1st Rd picks from Brooklyn (2022, 2024, 2026), one 1st Rd pick from Milwaukee (2022), and four Brooklyn 1st Rd pick swaps (2021, 2023, 2025, 2027). The Rockets also got Victor Oladipo from the Pacers, Dante Exum from the Cavaliers, and Rodions Kurucs from the Nets.
In Oladipo, Houston will be able to pair him with a reinvigorated John Wall to potentially form one of the more underrated backcourts in the NBA. In a contract year, the Rockets could also flip Oladipo before the trade deadline, or decide to sign him long-term depending on how he fits in. Fliers on Exum and Kurucs are just icing on top. After having no direction and a dark cloud hanging over the organization, the future for Houston is suddenly as bright as it’s ever been. Regardless of what happens this season, the Rockets received a kings ransom for their disgruntled superstar that can set them up with a prosperous future thanks to a plethora of picks.
On an expiring contract, it was looking unlikely that Victor Oladipo was going to re-sign in Indiana in a few months, so the Pacers were able to trade the 2x All-Star for 26-year-old SG Caris LeVert, who’s just scratching the surface on his offensive potential. Playing alongside Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner will provide great opportunities for LeVert to use his elite quickness to blow by defenders and make plays. LeVert improved his play every season in Brooklyn, and was averaging a career-high 6.0 AST along with 18.5 PTS this season prior to coming over to Indiana.
Cleveland having Dante Exum on an overpriced $9.6M salary actually turned into a blessing in disguise as it allowed them to play salary matchmaker in the deal to help offset the difference between the Nets and Rockets’ packages. CLE was able to offload Exum and a 2022 Bucks 1st Rd Pick (which lost significant value once they re-signed Giannis) and gained one of the most promising defensive anchors in the entire league in Jarrett Allen. Allen is on an expiring contract so he’ll be due a raise in short order, but he gives them exactly what Drummond does with plenty more upside at only 22 years old.
The Los Angeles Lakers recorded their second blowout win in Houston over the Rockets in three nights. LeBron James was the best player on the floor, finishing with 26 PTS, 8 REB, and 5 AST, hitting 10-of-20 shots and 4-of-9 3PT attempts. His best play of the game came in the second quarter with LA already up big. LeBron hit a no-look corner three reminiscent of Steph Curry, that put the Lakers up by 24 and silenced any thought of a Rockets comeback.
So much for a potential slow start to the season for the Lakers with roster turnover and the shortest offseason in American professional sports history. Los Angeles has the best record in the NBA at 9-3 and LeBron has seemingly picked up where he left off last season when he lifted his fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy. He has yet to take a night off and is averaging 24.2 PTS, 8.3 REB, and 7.5 AST in just 32.3 minutes a night, the lowest total of his HOF career. LA was already the title favorites entering the season, but if LeBron and the Lakers continue making it look this easy, the championship is theirs to lose.
The Philadelphia Eagles announced Monday that they fired head coach Dough Pederson, who led the franchise to its only Lombardi Trophy in 2017. That season, he coached Philadelphia to a 13-3 record and an improbable run to the Super Bowl with backup QB Nick Foles after Carson Wentz, an MVP candidate, went down in Week 15 with a season-ending injury. The magical run culminated in a 41-33 upset win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII, in which Foles earned MVP honors. The pairing of Pederson and Wentz, who would be entering just his third year in the league in 2018, appeared to set up an exciting future for the Eagles.
Each year following 2017 though, the Eagles have regressed. They finished 9-7 in 2018 with one playoff win and then won the division at 9-7 in 2019, but were eliminated in the Wild Card round. Then, this offseason, Philadelphia made the questionable decision of drafting QB Jalen Hurts in the second round after having signed Wentz, 28, to a massive extension. Despite the downward trend in recent seasons and questionable draft decisions, Philadelphia was thought of as a playoff contender once again entering 2020.
The wheels fell off, though, as the team was hit hard by injuries, especially along the O-Line, and Wentz’s play took a nose dive. He finished with a 72.8 PASS RTG after posting a 98.3 RTG from 2017-19. Wentz’s struggles ultimately led to him being benched for Hurts in Week 13 for the remainder of the season. Pederson then made the controversial decision to pull Hurts for Nate Sudfield in their Week 17 loss to Washington. With Pederson gone after finishing in last place in the NFC East at 4-11-1, Philly faces crucial offseason decisions regarding the franchise’s future, headlined by who the next coach will be and what to do at the QB position.
The Cleveland Browns are moving on to the divisional round for the first time in 26 years after securing their first playoff win since 1994. Cleveland was given little chance to pull off the upset over their biggest rival and AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers given the history between the two sides. Coming into Sunday night’s clash, the Browns had lost 17 straight in Pittsburgh and were just 6-44 in the Steel City since the 1970 merger. It seemed even less likely when HC Kevin Stefanski, Pro Bowl G Joel Bitonio, and top CB Denzel Ward all tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the game.
Despite the odds stacked against them, it was Cleveland who came out and punched Pittsburgh in the mouth. The Browns took a 28-0 first quarter advantage to lead 35-10 at half. The Steelers made it interesting, cutting it to 35-23 in the third, but never got within one score, as the Browns held on to win 48-37. Turnovers were the difference as the Steelers had five and the Browns had none. Mayfield threw for 263 yards and three TDs while Ben Roethlisberger had 501 yards and four TDs, but also threw four INTs. CLE moves on to KC in the divisional round while PIT faces an offseason full of questions, most notably Big Ben’s future.
The early window saw Baltimore and Tennessee square off in a rematch of last season’s divisional round matchup that witnessed the Titans upset the heavily-favored top-seeded Ravens. Just like last year, the road team came out on top, but this time it was BAL, who were able to exact revenge and come away with a 20-13 victory. Early on, it looked like this game would be a repeat of last year when Lamar Jackson threw an early INT and they fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter. However, the Ravens were able to right the ship in the second quarter with a FG and LJ’s incredible long RUSH TD to tie the game 10-10 at the break.
Baltimore was the better team in the second half, shutting down RB Derrick Henry and the Tennessee offense, holding the Titans to just three points after the break. Henry was a non-factor, as the back-to-back rushing champ ran for just 40 yards on 18 carries. The Ravens sealed the game on CB Marcus Peters’ clutch interception just after the two-minute warning and subsequently ran out the clock to move on to the divisional round, where they will visit the Buffalo Bills. Jackson finished with 136 rush yards and one TD, making hime one of just two QBs to have 100 yards and a TD on the ground in a playoff game in NFL history.
Super Wild Card weekend kicked off Saturday when the Indianapolis Colts visited the Buffalo Bills. Unlike last season against the Houston Texans, Buffalo ensured that it wouldn’t endure another second-half playoff collapse to end their season. The Bills, who led 27-16 with just over eight minutes remaining, stopped the Colts on the final plays of the game to secure the 27-24 win, the team’s first postseason victory in 25 years. Josh Allen proved why he’s an MVP candidate after accounting for nearly 400 total yards and three total TDs while leading Buffalo to its first divisional round appearance since he was born.
NFC West rivals collided in the second game of the afternoon as the Rams and Seahawks squared off after splitting their two regular season meetings. Both QBs struggled, as Jared Goff, two weeks removed from thumb surgery, and Russell Wilson failed to complete 50 percent of their passes and were held to under 175 yards. However, Rams rookie RB Cam Akers carried the offense with 176 total yards and one TD in LA’s 30-20 win. It’s another early playoff exit for Seattle, who has failed to make it past the divisional round since their 2014-15 Super Bowl appearance, while Los Angeles won its first playoff game since their 2018-19 Super Bowl appearance.
Saturday’s night cap saw the Buccaneers defeat Washington by a closer-than-expected score of 31-23. Without QB Alex Smith, Washington turned to Taylor Heinicke, who in his second career start, threw for 306 yards with a beautiful TD in the back of the end zone, and led the team in rushing with 46 yards and a sensational score. However, he was unable to out-duel Tom Brady, who threw for 381 yards and two TDs. Brady earned his 31st career playoff win, while also leading Tampa Bay to its first postseason win in 18 seasons. Meanwhile, Washington, in its first playoff appearance since 2015, is still looking for its first playoff win since 2005.
The best 29 players in the league (including the 6 special teamers) were represented on the 2020 NFL All-Pro Teams on Friday. Only Travis Kelce and Aaron Donald were given the prestigious honor of unanimous selections. The rest of the team had amazing years that will be solidified forever now.
New Mets owner Steve Cohen made a promise of a new age in New York, full of spending and being among the most aggressive teams in acquiring top-end talent to build a consistent winner. He delivered with his biggest move yet, landing 4x All-Star SS Francisco Lindor from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal on Thursday involving six players. Also heading to New York is SP Carlos Carrasco, while Cleveland received INF’s Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, RHP Josh Wolf, and OF Isaiah Greene.
Lindor, 27, is a 4x All-Star, 2x Gold Glover, and a 2x Silver Slugger. He spent his first six seasons in Cleveland and was a major contributor on the team that came within one run of winning the World Series in 2016. For his career, Lindor has slashed .285/.346/.488 with 138 HRs and 411 RBIs. He is coming off a down season in 2020 where he hit just .258 with eight home runs in 60 games, but, from 2017-19, Lindor averaged 34 home runs and a .278 batting average. Lindor, one of the most talented and marketable players in baseball, increases the Mets offensive ceiling and significantly improves their defense up the middle.
Carrasco, 33, is coming off an excellent season in which he posted a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts. He earned the AL Comeback Player of the Year after returning from a life-threatening chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosis. In his 11 MLB seasons, all with Cleveland, Carrasco has a 3.77 ERA, with his best season coming in 2017 when he finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting. He will add another proven starter to the top of an already solid rotation that includes Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman.
The deal comes at a cost though for New York, who sent Cleveland two of their highest-regarded young players that they have developed over the last decade in Rosario and Gimenez. Gimenez was one of the top prospects in all of baseball for both his glove and hit tools. Wolf and Green are excellent prospects as well, rated as NYM’s No. 9 and 10 prospects, respectively. It remains to be seen which team will get the better end of this trade, but no one can argue that the Mets are likely the most improved team in the majors with their offseason additions outside of the Padres.
The Boston Celtics narrowly escaped an epic collapse Wednesday night in their 107-105 win over the Miami Heat. Leading 105-95 with 1:17 left on the clock, Boston had a 98.1 percent chance to win according to the ESPN win probability metric. However, the Celtics couldn’t buy a bucket in the closing minute while the Heat got red-hot, hitting three 3-pointers (including a made and-1) to tie the game 105-105. Just when it seemed like overtime was inevitable, Celtics rookie G Payton Pritchard snuck into the lane, secured Marcus Smart’s missed layup, and converted the putback with 0.2 seconds to win the game for Boston.
The Celtics were able to exact some revenge on the Heat, who eliminated them in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The status of the game, though, was uncertain before its start after what the nation witnessed as pro-Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building to protest elected officials confirming Joe Biden as President. Both teams left the floor and released a joint statement prior to tipoff, speaking of racial inequality and the differences in how protestors during the spring and summer were treated versus how the protests were handled by authorities on Wednesday. Most players from both teams took a knee during the National Anthem.
Peaceful protests took place all around the NBA, including in Milwaukee, where the Bucks and Pistons united in protest immediately following tipoff. Both teams kneeled on their first possessions before tossing the ball out of bounds. In Philadelphia, following their 141-136 win over the Wizards, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers commented on the contrast between how Black Lives Matter protestors in D.C. were handled versus how the pro-Trump supporters were dealt with in the nation’s capital. This certainly won’t be the last time that teams, athletes, and coaches will use their enormous platforms to promote social justice and equality for all.
Alabama WR DeVonta Smith earned college football’s most prestigious award when he received the Heisman Trophy Tuesday night. Smith, likely a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, finished ahead of second-place vote-getter Trevor Lawrence, the consensus top prospect. Rounding out the top four were two other potential first-round picks at QB in Smith’s teammate at Alabama, Mac Jones, and Florida’s Kyle Trask. Smith is just the fourth WR ever and the first since 1991 to win the Heisman Trophy. He is also the third Alabama player to win the award, joining standout NFL RBs Mark Ingram and current back-to-back rushing champ Derrick Henry.
Smith, Alabama’s all-time leading receiver in yards (3,750) and touchdowns (43), was flat-out dominant this season. He led the nation in receptions (105), yards (1,641), and receiving touchdowns (20) in just 12 games. What makes Smith’s play even more special is that fellow WR and likely first-round pick Jaylen Waddle went down midway through the year with a season-ending ankle injury. He has had to shoulder an even bigger load as the clear-cut No.1 WR with defenses scheming up specifically for him in the pass game. Smith will be just the latest elite NFL WR prospect to come out of Bama, who’s recent history in producing WRs is second-to-none.
The Indiana Pacers came away with a tough 118-116 win on the road over the New Orleans Pelicans thanks to G Malcolm Brogdon’s basket with 1.7 seconds left in OT. The one-handed floater capped a 21-point, 11-assist night for Brogdon, who’s been excellent so far, leading Indiana (5-2) in scoring with 22.0 PPG. His backcourt mate, Victor Oladipo, led the team in scoring Monday night with 25 points on 5-of-11 from three while Domantas Sabonis recorded his seventh straight double-double to open the season with his 19-point, 11-rebound performance. All three players are averaging 20+ PPG, forming one of the most underrated Big 3’s in the NBA.
Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans (4-3) in scoring with 31, but hit just 12 of his 31 shots. Despite the inefficient night, Ingram has been New Orleans’ best player this season, leading the team in points (25.0) and assists (5.7). Zion Williamson recorded his fourth double-double this season with 24 points and 10 boards. This was the second straight game the Pelicans, who led 104-94 in the fourth, held a double-digit lead in the final frame. But, unlike against the Raptors, their late-game collapse cost them this game. Though New Orleans is as young and talented as any team in the NBA, they will need to learn from this experience and not make it a habit.
After nearly two decades of dysfunction, questionable draft picks, and constant coaching changes, the Cleveland Browns are finally postseason-bound. They defeated a Steelers squad resting a number of key starters to clinch their first playoff appearance since 2002. At 11-5, Cleveland finished with its first winning record since 2007. The Browns playoff opponent will once again be the Steelers, their postseason nemesis. Pittsburgh ended Cleveland’s season in each of their last two playoff appearances – the 2002 Wild Card round and the 1994 Divisional round. That 1994 season was also their last postseason win, when Bill Belichick was their head coach.
The most improbable participant in the postseason is the Washington Football Team. They defeated the Eagles on SNF to clinch their first division title and first playoff appearance since 2015. Picked to be among the worst teams, Washington sported a 2-7 record through nine games. However, they rallied around Coach of the Year candidate Ron Rivera and Comeback Player of the Year favorite Alex Smith to finish in first place in the historically bad NFC East at 7-9. They will have a difficult matchup with the Bucs, but history is on their side. The two previous teams to make the playoffs under .500 won a playoff game, and Rivera was the coach for one of them.
For the second time this season, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Toronto Raptors faced off. And, for the second time, the Pelicans came out on top, this time thanks to Brandon Ingram and Eric Bledsoe. Ingram kept New Orleans in the game with 17 first half points. He finished the game with 31, the fourth time the Pelicans’ leading scorer has had at least 24 points this season. Ingram has proven so far that last year’s breakout performance in his first season with the Pelicans since coming over in the Anthony Davis deal was no fluke. He, along with Bledsoe, were huge for New Orleans against the Raptors Saturday night.
Bledsoe hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Pelicans a five-point lead at the end of the third quarter. That helped the Pelicans, who led by as many as 12, maintain a comfortable lead for most of the fourth quarter. However, TOR stormed back with a 14-2 run to take a 113-111 lead with 2:47 remaining. It was Bledsoe and Ingram who took over from there. Bledsoe made two game-changing plays on both ends of the court in the final minutes. He forced a TO with the game tied 113-113 and then drained a corner three with 41.6 seconds left. Ingram proceeded to go 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the final seconds to seal the 120-116 victory.
Bledsoe hit 4-of-6 three-pointers and finished the night with a 19-point, 10-assist double-double, his first with New Orleans. He has been a solid addition for a young Pelicans squad, averaging 12.2 points and 4.2 assists per game so far this season. He was acquired via an offseason trade that saw New Orleans send Jrue Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Bledsoe, George Hill, and three future first round picks. The Pelicans currently sit tied for second in the West at 4-2. The Raptors, 1-4, forced to open the season in Tampa Bay due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, continued their disappointing start to the 2020-21 season.
The matchup between Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence was inevitable considering how stacked their two teams were and after the way last season’s playoff classic between the Buckeyes and Tigers ended. Their previous battle was a gut-wrenching loss for Fields, who threw the game-sealing interception on a miscommunication with his receiver. This time around though, there was no doubt about who the better team was, as Ohio State thoroughly outplayed Clemson, winning 49-28.
Justin Fields’ performance was the story of the game, as he delivered a legendary stat-line. What made it even more special was how he played after taking a vicious hit to the side that left him clearly less than 100% the rest of the night. Fields showcased his toughness, tossing a TD pass on his first play back after missing just one snap. With him not able to be his usual duel-threat self that makes him such a tantalizing NFL prospect, Fields was able to maneuver inside the pocket and deliver strike after strike, absolutely torching the Clemson secondary with his arm. He finished the game 22-28 for 385 YDS and 6 TDs (both Sugar Bowl records).
Trevor Lawrence played well in the loss, finishing 33-48 for 400 with 3 TDs (1 rush) and 1 INT. However, he also lost a fumble and was clearly affected by the Ohio State D-Line, missing on a few key throws that could have made the game closer. Lawrence is still clearly the top QB prospect and No. 1 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft with three years’ worth of tape to show for it, but Fields may have cemented his place just behind Lawrence as the No. 2 pick. The two Georgia natives have been connected since high school as the top two overall players in the 2018 recruiting class, and now very likely could be the top two players selected in this years’ draft.