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The Best of the Day: January 15th, 2021
See the best of the day in sports from January 15, 2021 including NYY re-signing LeMahieu and adding Kluber, SGA's emergence in 2021, & more!
NJ.com
The ‘Best of the Day’ is a daily PSO original series showcasing the most significant stories, highlights, and facts going on in the land of the NFL, NBA, & MLB every day. Get a recap on EVERYTHING that happened on 1/15 here.
The Yankees announced Friday that they have re-signed 3x All-Star 2B DJ LeMahieu and added 2x Cy Young winner SP Corey Kluber. These moves will put them among the favorites to take home the World Series pennant for the 2021 season. Also, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged this season as the face of the Thunder franchise with another dazzling performance, a review of all of Friday night’s NBA action, and a look at the most significant sports history on January 15th encapsulates all the best of the day from 1/15/21.
Here is the best of the day from January 15, 2021:
Yankees make moves: Re-sign DJ LeMahieu & add Corey Kluber
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).
Breaking: DJ LeMahieu and the New York Yankees are finalizing a six-year, $90M contract, sources tell @JeffPassan. pic.twitter.com/L4pEXAGJeR
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 15, 2021
DJ LeMahieu is here to stay 💙 pic.twitter.com/FQllUXPylV
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) January 15, 2021
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
Corey Kluber is Bronx bound.
— MLB (@MLB) January 16, 2021
Yankees reportedly finalizing deal with the 2-time Cy Young winner, per @JeffPassan. pic.twitter.com/KbiFWP9N5j
Yankees' rotation:
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 16, 2021
1. Gerrit Cole
2. Corey Kluber
3. Jordan Montgomery
Other options:
Domingo German
Luis Severino
Deivi Garcia
Michael King
Clarke Schmidt
Related: Stories of the Day
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the face of OKC and a future perennial All-Star
Considering he’s stuck playing in a small market for a losing team, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be the most underrated basketball player in the league. After a breakout rookie year in LA, the Clippers sent him and every pick they owned to the Thunder as part of the Paul George trade. Shai, along with Chris Paul, were the main reasons the Thunder surprised the league and made the playoffs last season. When OKC went into full rebuild mode this offseason and traded just about everybody on their roster for picks, there was one untouchable: SGA.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken yet another leap in his game this season, and is again the main reason that the Thunder are surprisingly winning games. The 22-year-old out of Kentucky is averaging over 21 points and six assists per game, and has the Thunder as one of the most difficult teams to take down night in and night out.
On Friday, SGA had a career-high 33 points while tying his personal assists record (10) in a come-from-behind OT win against the Bulls. Down by as many as 22, Shai and the rest of the gritty Thunder never gave up, and now sit at 6-6 with some impressive wins for a team that had minimal expectations. The Thunder are still rebuilding, as they continue to transition from the KD-Westbrook era. With SGA running the show and the overhaul of upcoming draft picks over the next decade though, it could be sooner rather than later that there’s a new All-Star duo in OKC leading them through the playoffs.
SGA AND-1! 👀
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 16, 2021
OKC and Chicago are heading to OT #Crunchtime pic.twitter.com/ZGTzTHbaq5
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped his career high tonight:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 16, 2021
33 PTS
10 AST
5 REB
68 FG%
60 3P%
SGA is cold. 🥶🥶 pic.twitter.com/tbeZVP2UAU
Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day
King James said to put respect on his name
👀 EVERY ANGLE of LBJ's putback SLAM...the @Lakers face GSW on Mon. (1/18) at 10pm/et on TNT. pic.twitter.com/4jZuVfgtnF
— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2021
Related: NBA Highlights | Los Angeles Lakers Highlights
SG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC (W v.CHI): 33 PTS (13-19 FG | 3-5 3P), 10 AST, 5 REB, 0 BLK, 1 STL, 1 TO
#PlayerOfTheDay (1/15/21) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) January 16, 2021
THE FACTS:
- Scored 12 of his career-high 33 PTS in 4th Qtr
- Led OKC on 22-pt comeback; Down 10 under 2 min left
- Converted and-1 layup to tie it up and take it to OT
- AVG 20.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.8 APG, 49% FG, & 35% 3PT https://t.co/lIYyPnhEVC
Related: Players of the Day
Chicago Bulls (125) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (127) (OT)
[Highlights] @THUNDER (+119; $8.06) d. BULLS (-119; $9.62) 127-125 (OT) [OKC +2 | o224.5]
Related: Games of the Day
Related: Facts of the Day
NBA Game Reviews: January 15, 2021 by Noah Camras
Friday night’s action saw some close games and blowouts, exceptional individual performances, and ridiculous highlights
OKC pulled off the comeback in a situation where teams were 1-2,930 over the last 5 years while some major dunks and a Luka-Giannis duel fueled an exciting night in the NBA ⬇️ https://t.co/DfRtJNQt2u
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) January 16, 2021
Related: Latest PSO Posts
FULL ARTICLE: Most Significant Sports History on January 15th
YEAR: 1967
SIGNIFICANCE: Packers defeated the Chiefs in the 1st AFL-NFL World Championship, later known as the “Super Bowl”
Related: Significant Sports History
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