BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs took Game 1 in convincing fashion, but the Grizzlies have lost the first game in both their first and second round match-ups, then came back to win the series.  So how would this one play out?  It seemed as if the Spurs had the Grizzlies number.  They jumped out to a commanding lead that lasted all the way until the 4th quarter.  However, the Grizzlies staged a huge comeback, and a controversial flagrant foul call gave them a quick 4 points to send the game to overtime.  But at the end of the day, this was still Spurs territory, and they took care of business in OT to take Game 2.  The series now heads back to the Memphis, where the Grizzlies absolutely must win.  San Antonio 93, Memphis 89.

Tuesday night was also another major event in the NBA:  The Draft Lottery.  The Orlando Magic had the highest chance of landing the #1 pick, and they sorely need it because that franchise really struggled this season.  They need another marquee figure to replace Dwight Howard.  Unfortunately for the Magic, even though they had the best chance (meaning the most ping pong balls), they didn’t win.  The #1 pick went to the Cleveland Cavaliers — 2 years after they selected Kyrie Irving #1 overall, and 10 years after they selected LeBron at #1.  Orlando did get the #2 spot, and Washington snuck into the Top 3 by grabbing the #3 spot.  Washington was set to get the #8 spot, so this is a wonderful thing for the Wizards who were decimated by injuries in the first half of the season. It’s not a super talent packed draft, but there are always gems to be found.

Finally, in some more NBA news, even though he had a winning record these past 3 years, Vinny Del Negro is out as the Clippers coach.  This year, they had a healthy Chris Paul, a healthy Blake Griffin, and a solid supporting cast.  They got off to a hot start, but struggled down the stretch.  Then, they practically imploded when losing to the Grizzlies in the first round.  When you have that much talent and the best point guard in the NBA, you need to make some significant headway in the playoffs.  That is the job of the coach.  So with Del Negro out, the search for their new head coach begins.  And there is rumor that the Clippers are very interested in stealing away the Grizzlies Lionel Hollins.

GOLF

Sergio Garcia was joking around at the European Tour awards dinner Tuesday night.  When he was asked if he would invite Tiger Woods to dinner, he said, “We’ll have him round every night, we will serve fried chicken.” Fried chicken is often associated as a racial stereotype for African Americans. He later apologized for this completely  insensitive and racially loaded comment.