Archive for April, 2019

76ers Even Series, “My Name Is Literally Jimmy”, Jokic Helps Nuggets Win Game 1

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The Philadelphia 76ers played strong to even the series with the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. 76ers Center, Joel Embiid, only scored 12 points, as he was suffering from a stomach issue and had to have intravenous fluids administered after the game, but Greg Monroe, James Ennis III, and Jimmy Butler delivered for a 94-89 win. After the game, Sixers Coach Brett Brown gave credit to Butler who had 30 points and 11 rebounds. Only thing is he got Butler’s name wrong. He said, “This was James Butler. That was the adult in the gym. … He was a stud.” At the news conference later, Butler responded by saying, “My name isn’t James. It literally is Jimmy.”  Game 3 is on Thursday back in Philly.

The Denver Nuggets had only 48 hours to rest up and take on the Portland Trailblazers in round 2 of the West Semifinals, but thanks to Nikola Jokic’s 37 points, the Nuggets owned the night and took game 1 with a 121-113 win. Game 2 is Wednesday in Denver.

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Raptors, Celtics, Warriors Win Game 1, Nuggets Advance To Semifinal, Dolphins Acquire Josh Rosen

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In game 1 of the East Semifinal on Saturday night, Kawhi Leonard posted a career playoff-high of 45 points to propel the Toronto Raptors over the Philadelphia 76ers 108-95.

In the other East Semifinal, the Boston Celtics came away with the win over the Milwaukee Bucks by shutting down their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Celtics 112, Bucks 90

The Denver Nuggets fought hard to advance to the West Semifinal round by beating the San Antonio Spurs 90-86 in Game 7 on Saturday. They will now face a well-rested Portland Trailblazer team Monday night.

The Golden State Warriors took the first game of their much-anticipated West Semifinals matchup with the Houston Rockets. The game ended with a bit of controversy, however, as the Rockets complained of biased officiating, particularly in the last few seconds of the matchup. With nine seconds left, the Rockets’ James Harden attempted a 3-pointer to tie the game. The Warriors’ Draymond Green collided with him (appearing to cause a foul), but no foul was called, and after an outburst from the Rockets Chris Paul, the game ended with the Warriors winning 104-100.

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In the second round of the NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins acquired quarterback Josh Rosen in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. Rosen was taken in the first round of the 2018 but had a rough outing in Arizona last year. When the Cardinals selected QB Kyler Murray with the first pick in this year’s draft, it wasn’t a surprise that the organization traded Rosen away.

 

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Kyler Murray #1 Pick By Cardinals, Bosa, Williams, Ferrell, White Round Out Top 5

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Recap of the first round of the NFL draft:

To no one’s surprise, the Arizona Cardinals chose Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the number one pick. At 5’10”, the Heisman trophy winner, Murray, will be the shortest quarterback in the NFL. Murray also has the distinction of being the only player to be drafted in the first round of both the NFL and Major League Baseball drafts.

The San Francisco 49er took defensive end from Ohio State, Nick Bosa, with the second pick, while the New York Jets grabbed the other highly touted defender, Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, with the third pick of the draft.

At #4, the Oakland Raiders surprised everyone by choosing defensive end Clelin Ferrell out of Clemson. Everyone assumed they’d pick Kentucky’s Josh Allen (who went to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the #7 pick).

Rounding out the top 5, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose inside linebacker Devin White from LSU.

The other major surprise in the early part of the first round was the Giants picking Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. By choosing Jones, the Giants are signaling they are looking for a future franchise quarterback to replace 38-year old Eli Manning. Draft analysts, however, seemed skeptical that Jones could live up the role of franchise player.

For the rest of the first round pics, click here.

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Clippers Avoid Elimination In Win Over Warriors, Rockets Advance To 2nd Round, NFL Draft

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The LA Clippers avoided elimination in a hard fought win over the Golden State Warriors on their home court Wednesday night. The series is now 3-2 with game 6 on Friday back in Los Angeles. Clippers 129, Warriors 121

James Harden’s 26 points helped the Houston Rockets put away the Utah Jazz to win their first round of the playoffs 4-1. Rockets 100, Jazz 93

The Rockets will face the winner of the Clippers/Warriors series in the second round of the playoffs.

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After months of speculation, the NFL draft is finally here. Tonight, we’ll find out where the top ranked college players will start their NFL careers. All eyes will be on Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray who is expected to be the #1 pick by the Arizona Cardinals. For more predictions, click here. The live draft will begin at 7:00 pm EST.

 

 

 

 

 

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Lillard’s 37-Ft Buzzer Beater, Trailblazers, 76ers, Raptors Heading To Second Round, Nuggets Pull Ahead

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Three more teams are heading to round 2 of the playoffs. Thanks to an inspired 50 points from Damian Lillard, the Portland Trailblazers put away the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lillard’s 37-foot three-point buzzer beater to seal the game is worth watching. Click here.

The Philadelphia 76ers made their game 5 look easy. The Sixers came out strong from the beginning and never looked back, trouncing the Brooklyn Nets 120-100.

The Toronto Raptors are also heading to round 2 after beating the Orlando Magic 115-96. The Raptors and Sixers, who will play each other in the second round of the playoffs, have something in common. They both lost their first game of the series before rebounding strong and winning their next four.

The Denver Nuggets pulled ahead of the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night with a decisive 108-90 win. They could head to round two if they win Thursday night in San Antonio.

 

 

 

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Antetokounmpo Lead Bucks To Second Round, Jazz Stave Off Elimination, Wilson Gifts $12K Amazon Stock To Linemen

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Thanks to a career high 41 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a game four 127-104 win over the Detroit Pistons. Milwaukee will now move on to round two of the playoffs, the first time since 2001 the Bucks have won a first round playoff series. The Bucks will face the Boston Celtics in Round 2.

The Utah Jazz fought hard in game 4 Monday night to  stave off elimination with a 107-91 win over the Houston Rockets. The Jazz can thank Donovan Mitchell for the win, as he scored 19 of his 31 points in the critical fourth quarter. Wednesday night, Houston will host game 5.

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A few weeks ago, the Seattle Seahawks made Russell Wilson the highest paid player in the NFL with a $140 million contract extension. To show his gratitude to the guys on the offensive line who protect him every week, Wilson gifted all 13 of them $12,000 in Amazon stock. He wrote, “You sacrifice your physical and mental well-being to protect me, which in turn allows me to provide and care for my family. This does not go unnoticed and it is never forgotten.” He went on to say, “You have invested in my life. this is my investment into yours.”

 

 

 

 

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NBA Playoff Weekend Update

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NBA Playoffs First Round Weekend Wrap-up:

The Brooklyn Nets Jared Dudley and Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons mixed it up Saturday night after Joel Embiid tried to block the Nets Jarrett Allen. Dudley then shoved Embiid, and when the Sixers Jimmy Butler got into the mix, a ruckus broke out leading to Dudley and Butler’s ejection from the game. Philly beat the Nets (gaining a 3-1 series lead), but the focus was on Embiid’s postgame interview where he called Dudley “a nobody”.  And, the fracas didn’t end there as Nets general manager Sean Marks was suspended a game and fined for walking into the referees’ locker room to complain about Embiid .76ers 112, Nets 108

The Denver Nuggets rebounded on Saturday night with a 117-103 win to even the series with the San Antonio Spurs 2-2.

James Harden had a rough Saturday night (missed his first 15 points) but the Houston Rockets still found a way to beat the Utah Jazz and now lead the series 3-0. Rockets 104, Jazz 101

The Milwaukee Bucks also took a 3-0 lead in the series by beating the Detroit Pistons 119-103 on Saturday.  Bucks 119, Pistons 103

On Sunday, the Boston Celtics completed their sixth 4-game sweep in franchise history by shutting out the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics will face the winner of the Pistons-Bucks series. Celtics 110, Pacers 106

The Toronto Raptors took a 3-1 series lead over the Orlando Magic thanks to a dominant Kawhi Leonard who scored a game-high 34 points on Sunday. Raptors 107, Magic 85

Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined for 51 points as the Portland Trail Blazers took a 3-1 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Trail Blazers 111, Thunder 98

The Golden State Warriors also grabbed a 3-1 lead over the LA Clippers after a solid outing from both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.  Warriors 113, Clippers 105

 

 

 

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Sixers, Warriors, Spurs Up 2-1, Yankees Replace Smith’s Version of “God Bless America”

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The Philadelphia 76ers blew away the Brooklyn Nets, thanks to a career-high 31 points from Ben Simmons. Joel Embiid sat out the game with a sore left knee, but with Simmons on fire and another 29 points from Tobias Harris, the Sixers take a 2-1 lead over the Nets. Philadelphia 131, Brooklyn 115

Next up, Keven Durant was on fire with 38 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to an easy win over the LA Clippers. Steph Curry added 21 points, and the Warriors take a 2-1 lead in the series. Golden State 132, LA 105

Rounding out the night, the Spurs’ Derrick White posted a career-high 36 points and DeMar DeRozan added 25 points (19 in the 3rd quarter), to help the team overcome a sloppy first half and emerge with a 2-1 lead over the Denver Nuggets. San Antonio 118, Denver 108

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According to the New York Daily News, the New York Yankees replaced their version of “God Bless America” this season with other versions of the song when it was revealed to them that Kate Smith, whose rendition they had been using for 18 years during the seventh-inning stretch, had recorded other songs with racist lyrics. Smith’s top hits in the 1930s were “That’s Why Darkies Were Born” and “Pickanniny Heaven”. A spokesman for the team said, “The Yankees have been aware of a recording that had been previously unknown to us and decided to immediately and carefully review this new information. The Yankees take social, racial and cultural insensitivities very seriously. And while no final conclusions have been made, we are erring on the side of sensitivity.”

 

 

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NFL 100th Season Schedule, Falcons’ ‘Game Of Thrones’ Reveal, Gronk Leaves Mark On Lombardy Trophy, Harden’s Triple-Double

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The NFL published the schedule of games for their 100th season. The season kicks off with the Chicago Bears hosting the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, September 5th. For a breakdown of winners and losers in the matchups for all 32 teams, click here.

The Atlanta Falcons got creative in how they revealed their 2019 schedule. The team unveiled the schedule in a video set to the iconic ‘Game of Thrones’ opening. Watch the video called “Football is Coming” and notice the not so subtle dig at the Los Angeles Rams playoff win over a blown call against the New Orleans Saints. The video shows a Ram leveling a Saint, and the referee ruling the play incomplete.

Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the Patriots, but left his mark (literally) on the Vince Lombardy trophy when he used the trophy to “bunt” on a warm-up pitch from teammate Julian Edelman. Gronk and the Patriots were honored at the Red Sox home opener for their Championship win, and Gronk, Edelman and Stephon Gilmore were on the mound to throw out the first pitch.  According to Brian Hoyer, “Rob’s parting gift to the organization was leaving his mark on his last Super Bowl trophy.”

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Boston, Milwaukee, and Houston all won their Wednesday night playoff games for a 2-0 game lead over their opponents (Indiana, Detroit, and Utah) respectively.  One of the highlights of the night was watching Houston’s James Harden put on a show for the fans with his triple-double (32 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists) in another route of the Utah Jazz.

 

 

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Portland Takes 2-0 Lead Over OKC, Murray’s Pretzel Leads Spark, Raptors Steamroll Magic, Cousins Out Indefinitely

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NBA game 2 playoff wrapup:

The Portland Trail Blazers took a 2-0 lead against the Oklahoma City Thunder after their 114-94 win Tuesday. CJ McCollum added 33 points and Damian Lillard 29 points for the Trail Blazers.

The Denver Nuggets came back from a 19-point deficit to even the series with the San Antonio Spurs. The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray set the tone in the 4th quarter. For most of the game, Murray’s shot was off, but he said his teammates kept encouraging him. It paid off as he scored 21 of his 24 points in the 4th quarter, sparking his team to a big comeback win. Check out Jamal grabbing a pretzel from a kid after he fell into the stands. Fans think Murray should eat more pretzels as his shooting improved after his third-quarter snack. Nuggets 114, Spurs 105

Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard made 37 points and Kyle Lowry hit 22 to help the Raptors steamroll over the Orlando Magic 111-82 and tie the series 1-1.

In other NBA news, the Golden State Warriors received reports that Center DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quad and will be out indefinitely.

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