Month: July 2020

Bubble Boston popped by bubble Bucks 119-112 in Disney redux

The Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the Boston Celtics 119-112 in a close, exciting return to NBA basketball for both teams.

The moment finally at hand, the Boston Celtics restarted their season against the Milwaukee Bucks, and at least to start, looked every bit as rusty as they did against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first of their three exhibition scrimmage games last week.

The Bucks won the tip, with Wesley Matthews putting Milwaukee on the board. A quick layup was had after by Giannis Antetokounmpo, followed by him scoring on Boston’s basket by mistake.

Which was half of the Celtics’ offense before Milwaukee had gotten to 17 points, with forward Khris Middleton nailing a four-point play and center Daniel Theis fouling Mathews while shooting a trey.

Theis would help atone for his early sins by nailing a wide-open 3-pointer with just under seven minutes to go; diming up Gordon Hayward with an oop soon after certainly didn’t hurt.

A Marcus Smart 3 cut the lead to 22-17 with just under six minutes left in the frame, but the Bucks did not let up — and neither did Smart nor wing Jaylen Brown, both converting off timely steals. The Bucks would end the first frame up 33-25, much less than the 15 point lead they’d held early.

Boston cut into the lead further to open the second frame with a 3-pointer, and Smart would cut it to 34-32 at the 11-minute mark, but Milwaukee went on a run of their own capped by a Giannis trey putting the Bucks up 10.

Milwaukee kept pushing, going up by as much as 14, and a scary moment was had as Giannis and Smart both took a hard fall as the first half started to wind down.

The Celtics took out all of their centers in the half’s waning moments, briefly forcing the Bucks to play Giannis at the 5. Clamping down on defense and cutting the lead to as low as three, Boston went into the half down 64-58.

The Celtics came on strong in the penultimate frame, cutting the lead to 69-67 on a dunk by Brown, who would sit soon after picking up a pair of quick fouls.

Boston kept it close, Smart cutting the lead to one from the stripe, then tying it there a few plays later at 80, then taking the lead with a trey at the two minute mark.

Heading into the final frame, the game was tied at 87 as Tatum hit the first field goal of the game in one of his worst-shooting performances of his career.

The Bucks battled back, pushing the lead back to 9 points, but Boston answered with a run of their own, a Brown 3-pointer taking a 99-98 lead with just under seven to play.

Both teams battled back and forth, exchanging lead multiple times until Antetokounmpo appeared to foul Theis for what would have been his sixth foul … but somehow did not, only to evade being called for a charge soon after.

A Middleton trey put Milwaukee up six with a minute to play, but Brown would answer back with an and-1 layup to cut it to 113-110, with Giannis returning the favor on the other end.

Boston struggled mightily to recover, but couldn’t make up the gap in the seconds remaining, falling to Milwaukee 119-112.

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Texans ILB Dylan Cole, CB Gareon Conley placed on PUP list

The Houston Texans placed inside linebacker Dylan Cole and cornerback Gareon Conley on the physically unable to perform list.

The Houston Texans announced Friday the placement of inside linebacker Dylan Cole and cornerback Gareon Conley on the physically unable to perform list.

Cole is still recovering form a torn ACL that he sustained in the club’s victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12 of last season. The former 2017 undrafted free agent from Missouri State was voted team captain of the special teams unit by his teammates. Cole was signed to a restricted free agent tender worth over $2.1 million in the offseason.

Conley came over from the Oakland Raiders prior to the Texans’ Week 8 encounter with the very same team. A former 2017 first-round pick from Ohio State, the Texans were in need of cornerback help after injuries ravaged the group. Houston decided not to pick up Conley’s fifth-year option for 2021, which would counted $10.2 million against the Texans’ salary cap. The cornerback also underwent ankle surgery in the offseason.

Cole and Conley are eligible to come off of a the PUP list once they pass their physicals.

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Angelo Leo: From Albuquerque to Las Vegas to the top

Angelo Leo will take a little of his promoter, Floyd Mayweather, into the ring when he fights Tramaine Williams on Saturday night.

Angelo Leo is proud to be from Albuquerque, which produced two of his boxing idols growing up: the colorful Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia and Danny Romero.

However, perhaps ironically, Leo had to leave his hometown and head due west about 600 miles to follow in their footsteps. Las Vegas is where he and father/trainer Miguel Leo decided he needed to be to take the next step in his career.

Smart move.

Leo (19-0, 9 KOs) ended up on Team Mayweather and now is on the precipice of realizing a dream. He fights Tramaine Williams (19-0, 6 KOs) for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title in the main event Saturday at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., the first post-lockdown show for Showtime and PBC.

“I’m really excited,” he said on The PBC Podcast. “This is really a dream come true. I’ve worked my whole life for this opportunity. And now it’s come. It’s time to seize the moment.”

That’s what the Leos did when they decided to move their lives to Las Vegas. Leo had a successful amateur career, finishing with a reported record of 65-10 and building sound fundamentals, and was based in Albuquerque when he started his pro career.

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Then he outgrew the town in terms of boxing and headed out in March 2017. Father and son had a both a gym and a certain all-time great in mind when they made the move.

“We really weren’t getting the fights we wanted,” Leo said of Albuquerque. “… The promoters weren’t able to put out the money we needed to fight out there, the sparring wasn’t there. We felt Vegas was the place to be.

“Vegas is the mecca of boxing. Why not be where the best are training?”

The Leos moved in with a friend for a few weeks and then found an apartment of their own, not far from the Mayweather Boxing Club. Soon the young 122-pounder was working out at the gym and it wasn’t long before he caught the eye of the man himself, future Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather.

Mayweather liked what he saw, signed Leo to a promotional contract and now they’re on a roll.

“Floyd put me in there to spar with Gervonta Davis,” Leo said. “I looked pretty good against Gervonta. From there, he always had his eye on me, watching me train, watching me spar. That was basically how it all kind of happened.”

Leo’s principal mentor is his dad, who has guided him every step of the way in his career. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a second set of eyes on you, especially when those eyes belong to Mayweather.

Leo said Mayweather gives him tips on everything boxing related, which continues to make him a better fighter.

“We have a real good relationship,” Leo said. “He always gives me good advice. Every time he walks into the gym, he gives me pointers, advice on things I need to work on and all that. We keep it strictly boxing.

“You know, it’s an honor to work with him. I’m really blessed to have him in my corner.”

So what has he gleaned from the master?

“Mainly his worth ethic,” Leo said. “It’s just incredible the way he works, the way he’s able to outwork his opponents. That’s what I’ve learned from him. The one who works the hardest – and the one with skills – is the one who wins.

“Basically, that’s what Floyd has. He has the skill and the worth ethic to go with it.”

Leo, No. 1 in the WBO rankings, had better have the ability to adjust on the fly. He was scheduled to fight No. 1-ranked Stephen Fulton for the title on Saturday. However, Fulton tested positive for COVID-19 days before the fight and had to pull out.

No. 6 Williams, scheduled to fight Ra’eese Aleem on the card, replaced Fulton as Leo’s opponent.

Fulton has a bigger name than Williams but they are similar in that they’re both undefeated, both good, athletic boxers and have comparable experience. One significant difference: Fulton fights from an orthodox stance, Williams is a southpaw.

Leo doesn’t seem fazed.

“It’s the same focus, the same mindset to go out there and do my job and get the the ‘W,’” he said. “It’s a minor adjustment since he’s a southpaw. Tramaine is undefeated as well. He’s no pushover. I’ll come in with the same mentality. …

“These things happen in boxing. I just have to stay focused.”

Leo has never had a problem with focus, as his record indicates. He needs just one more victory – on Saturday night – to realize his dream of becoming a world champion. The fight with Fulton could come after that, assuming Fulton has recoved.

Then, as he put it, “the sky’s the limit.”

“It would mean a lot to me,” said Leo, referring to the title. “This is what I’ve worked so hard for. Becoming world champion is one of my dreams. Doing that would take me one step closer to what I want to be.

“The sky’s the limit for me right now. I want to become a multiple-time world champion, pound-for-pound. I’m going to take this as far as I can.”

Larry Nance Jr. is a ‘huge fan’ of LaMelo Ball: ‘Nothing but good things to say about that family’

Despite not yet taking a step onto the NBA floor, LaMelo Ball already has current players in the league rooting for him.

Despite not yet taking a step onto the NBA floor, LaMelo Ball already has fans in the league rooting for him.

During a Q&A on Bleacher Report, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr., was asked about the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft and which prospect he would like his side to draft. Nance admitted ignorance on the draft class but did note he was a fan of one specific prospect.

“I’m so naive on the draft this year, it’s hard to pay attention to. I do know from watching I’m a huge fan of LaMelo, I love his play style basketball IQ. I personally have nothing but good things to say about that family.”

Nance played with Lonzo Ball for half a season in Los Angeles during the latter’s rookie season. Clearly, Ball and his family left some sort of a lasting impression on Nance.

Last off-season, Nance signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Cavaliers to stay in Cleveland, his hometown, for the foreseeable future. Ball, meanwhile, has been heavily linked to the Cavaliers during the pre-lottery process.

Cleveland has not ruled out drafting Ball despite having both Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. In fact, Ball is the top-ranked player on at least one person’s draft board inside the Cavaliers’ organization.

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Billy Donovan doesn’t sound ready to commit minutes to Andre Roberson

Andre Roberson’s minutes and effectiveness will continue to be a major storyline for the Thunder as they resume their 2019-20 season.

As the Thunder make their final preparations between restarting their 2019-20 season against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, head coach Billy Donovan was asked bluntly about Andre Roberson and his status in the team’s rotation.

Consistent with the coach’s comments on Thursday, Donovan wouldn’t commit to giving any player anything in the realm of an endorsement and, at the very least, left open the possibility that finding minutes for Roberson could be something that is determined by the game and the specific circumstances.

“Andre’s done a really good job and we’ve gotta utilize him,” Donovan told reporters on Friday.

“I think the three scrimmages, we played a whole entire roster — that’s not gonna be feasible going into tomorrow’s game, and we’ll work out the rotations.”

As of Friday, Donovan declared his entire roster to be healthy, which essentially means that Roberson will be battling the likes of Terrance Ferguson, Hamidou Diallo, Luguentz Dort, Dennis Schroder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chris Paul for minutes in the backcourt.

Having depth is a good thing in the NBA until you find that you have more players who need minutes than rotation minutes available.

“I think what’s made our team a good team this year, is that when we have had guys down and out, somebody else just stepped in and has really filled a role, and we’re gonna need everybody to stay engaged,” Donovan said.

“We’re not gonna be able to play every player tomorrow night but that doesn’t mean that if someone’s not playing tomorrow night they couldn’t possibly be playing later here in August.”

In other words: someone is going to get squeezed out. One thing that does bode positively for his chances of getting some increased run is that Donovan has made it clear that Roberson’s length allows him to play multiple positions on the court, and the coach has made it clear that the former starting shooting guard could see minutes at power forward.

“I think keeping everybody engaged is really important and Andre falls into that category,” he said. “Like I said before, I’ve got a lot of confidence and belief in him, I know he can do a lot of different things, he’s played in a lot of meaningful games throughout his career. He’s extremely bright and intelligent as a player, he’s got a wealth of experience and however we use him — whether it’s at a perimeter spot or a power forward spot — I feel comfortable doing that.”

Thanks to his somewhat triumphant return, Roberson has emerged as one of the major storylines for the Thunder as they begin their schedule of seeding games on Saturday.

It’s been four months in the making, but they’ll finally get a crack at the Utah Jazz.

Matt Mitchell returns for Senior Season

Matt Mitchell returning to SDSU makes them an instant favorite.

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Contact/Follow @aztecbreakdown.

Matt Mitchell, Forward for San Diego State, announced on Friday, July 31st that he would be withdrawing his name from the Draft and returning for his senior season. It is not much of a surprise, as Mitchell had said publicly that entering his name in the draft process was always about getting feedback, and unless he got great news he planned on returning to school.

Still, it is great news for San Diego State fans now that it is official. In his Junior season, Mitchell finished as a 1st team all-conference player, tallying up 12.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.7 APG. He also finished with a PIPM of 4.73, which was good for 5th in the conference last season and is second highest among returning players, behind only Justin Bean.

Mitchell will likely step into the Power Forward role he played for most of last season. At 6’6”, 240 lbs. Mitchell is quick enough to attack bigger players off the dribble and strong enough to post up on smaller, quicker players. He also shot 39.3% from deep on 3.5 attempts per game, which will force opposing power forwards out of the paint, and help open up driving lanes for Aztec guards.

Mitchell will likely be a favorite for Mountain West Player of the year, and he raises the Aztecs’ ceiling considerably. Look for the Aztecs to once again break into the top 25 discussion at some point, as well as be the likely favorites to win the conference regular season for a second year in a row.

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Former Jags CB Will Blackmon shares story of how he once became team’s emergency WR

Former Jags veteran Will Blackmon started in over 10 games at corner but was close to seeing some time at receiver, too, under Gus Bradley

For both players and fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars, there weren’t many fun times to reflect on during the Gus Bradley era as the team garnered a 14–48 (.226) record in just under four full seasons. The team was one plagued with draft busts from the past tenure alongside the infancy of Bradley’s head coaching career and Dave Caldwell’s general manager career.

There were also times where off the field things like Justin Blackmon’s trouble with the law and injuries hurt the roster, which pretty much needed to be at 100% (or close to it) to win games. In fact, there was a point where the Jags were so bad off in terms of receiver availability to the point where they gave cornerback Will Blackmon practice snaps at receiver for an emergency situation.

In a Twitter post by the former Jags veteran, Blackmon reflected on his time at receiver and jokingly went into details of how he struggled with the arm strength of then quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Thankfully, Blackmon didn’t have to line up at receiver but at least we know Bradley was prepared for anything.

Ultimately, Blackmon registered five career punt returns in Jacksonville and 12 starts at cornerback. Afterward, he spent time with the Washington Football team where he registered 16 more starts from 2015-16.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

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Twitter Mailbag: Will Georges St-Pierre vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov happen?

MMA Junkie’s Nolan King tackles that question and more in this week’s Twitter Mailbag.

Questions on your mind about recent happenings in the UFC or the sport of MMA in general? MMA Junkie’s Twitter Mailbag with @mma_kings is here – and this week he answers:

  • Will [autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] happen?
  • What are your thoughts on [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]?
  • Who should be next for [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]?
  • What August fight is flying under the radar?

Those are answered in the video above. You can also read on a few more topics below.

* * * *

Which Contender Series prospect, with the assumption they win their fight, do you think will make the quickest impact in the UFC?

This a great question, Doug. Every Dana White’s Contender Series season has a different vibe. This season, the vibe is great matchmaking – something that I thought was lacking the past two seasons. There are a lot more toss-ups, which makes it harder for fighters to stick out of the crowd in a prediction sense.

If I had to throw out a few names:

  • [autotag]Matt Dixon[/autotag]: A talented, undefeated welterweight who has largely been tied up with a regional scene contract finally gets a shot at the big show after his LFA debut.
  • [autotag]Mana Martinez[/autotag]: Fans might not know his name yet, but Martinez is about as stylistically pleasing a fighter as is possible. He’s a flashy knockout artist who is still improving leaps and bounds in between every fight.
  • [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag]: Kasnaganay is a legitimate anomaly. His pro career began in January 2019. His DWCS, Season 3 performance was one of the best of the season – yet he didn’t get a contract. Another strong performance and that should change.

Where will Sean O’Malley be in three to five years?

That’s a lot of time. Anything can happen. But if [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] continues his improvement at his current clip, he could very well be a UFC champion.

I’ll admit it, I wasn’t buying the hype after O’Malley’s DWCS appearance in 2016. He had flash, style, charisma, and flair, but at the time I needed to see improvements.

Before long, however, he made the adjustments. Each and every fight since he’s showed new wrinkles in his game. He’s battled adversity inside and outside the cage like a champ. That’s huge.

There are all really promising signs, indicative of a fighter destined for greatness – championship greatness.

To ask a question of your own, follow @MMAjunkie on Twitter and let us know.

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