The Los Angeles Lakers started off kind of slowly in the first quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night but once they got their footing they absolutely ran away from the Miami Heat for a 116-98 win.
The game never even felt that close during the second half, as the Lakers led by 26 after three quarters before putting it in cruise control in the fourth quarter.
Making things worse for the Heat, and for this series, were the injuries suffered by Bam Adebayo (shoulder) and Goran Dragić (ankle). Both players left Game 1 and didn’t return.
While the game was pretty much a blowout, the best moment came right after the horn sounded for halftime because that’s when LeBron casually threw down this sweet dunk that didn’t count:
Anthony Davis had a monster performance and LeBron James put on the finishing touches but the Heat lost Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic.
LeBron James had previously gone 1-8 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals but he didn’t let that get in the way of he and the Los Angeles Lakers from taking care of business and making a brutal impression on the Miami Heat who came into tonight’s game with the same record (12-3) as the Lakers through the first 3 rounds of the playoffs. The Lakers defeated the Heat 116-98 in Game 1 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, in a game which the Lakers led by as many as 32.
Making matters worse for Miami, two of their three best players left the game and didn’t return to due to injury, starting guard Goran Dragic and All-Star big man Bam Adebayo. Jimmy Butler turned his left ankle in the game and came back to play but was quickly pulled in the 4th quarter after hobbling. Anthony Davis was the star of the night, finishing with 34 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Meanwhile, LeBron had 25 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. The Lakers also made and attempted more 3-pointers than the Heat on the night, something that was unexpected coming into the night, as the Lakers had at least five players hit multiple 3-pointers.
The Heat cut the lead to 13 in the 4th quarter but it was more likely due to the Lakers simply trying to play out the string with a huge lead without getting hurt. While we await Game 2 on Friday night, it’s clear the injury updates regarding Dragic and Adebayo loom large in the outlook of the rest of the series, no matter how badly the Lakers dispatched them on Wednesday night.
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Why Navy Will Win
It took six quarters to get there, but Navy finally looked like the team it was supposed to be in the comeback win over Tulane. Can that team make the trip to the Air Force Academy?
This is a terrific Navy team that got steamrolled by BYU, but it finally started to move the ball late against the Green Wave with the running game able to take over with the precision needed – along with more of a passing attack than expected.
Air Force isn’t totally starting over, but six of the top seven tacklers are gone and just enough is gone off of the offensive line to be a problem. As long as the Navy lines are up to speed now after not getting physical enough this offseason through the BYU game, it should be way ahead of the game.
It’s possible Navy isn’t that good and it just so happened to get a good half of football to pull up out of the nosedive.
The running game isn’t dominating like it should, the big dashes aren’t there on the outside, and the O is desperately missing a playmaker like Malcolm Perry of last year.
Thee hasn’t been any pass rush, the the run defense has been way too shaky, to be kind. If Air Force can come out strong and take an early lead, it can take over control against a Navy team that needs it, and will have a hard time getting it if the Falcon offense is close to precise.
Navy is impossible to figure out so far – it seems like it’s on the verge of flipping a switch to on, but it’s been way too mediocre so far. Air Force might trying to hit the ground running as it hopes to get the Mountain West season going, but it’s got the lines to be able to hold up well.
Air Force’s biggest early concerns should be the secondary and the receiving corps shouldn’t be an issue as it plays great out of the gate.
Pro Football Focus has graded every college football offensive line in the nation a month in and you-know-who is rated first.
The first four weeks of college football have come and gone and as we turn our calendars to October, we look back a bit on the first month of the season of college football.
When you do that with Notre Dame a good place to look in terms of performance level is their offensive line unit.
Why?
Well, it’s not just because the program has developed into “O-Line U” in recent years but because this was the unit that was supposed to be the strongest of any for Notre Dame entering 2020.
Now a month in (just two games in this case) Notre Dame’s offensive line is graded by Pro Football Focus to be the best so far early on in this young college football season.
The Pro Football Focus writeup on the Notre Dame offensive line:
The Fighting Irish came in at No. 1 in our preseason rankings, and they have certainly played like it thus far. On true pass sets (i.e., no play action, screen, quick throw, etc), The Irish have the highest-graded offensive line (88.5) in the country among those with at least 25 such reps. For perspective on how good that is, second place has a 76.2 grade. As you can find in CFB Premium Stats, the Irish offensive line is also the highest-graded unit in the run game.
Starting left tackle Liam Eichenberg leads the unit and is the highest-graded tackle in the country. He’s the only tackle to produce grades above 85.0 in both pass protection and as a run blocker. Center Jarrett Patterson also leads his position in PFF grade, while guard Aaron Banks and tackle Robert Hainsey each crack the top 10 at their respective positions. Guard Tommy Kraemer may not have a top-10 grade like his peers, but it’s still a solid mark relative to his counterparts. He has also allowed just one pressure in 2020.
Because of questions at running back coming in and injuries and a lack of production early on from the wide receivers, it’s more important than ever to get great results from the offensive line and through a pair of games its safe to say that Notre Dame is getting exactly that.
Joining the Irish in the top 5 were:
2. BYU
3. Appalachian State
4. Clemson
5. Marshall
Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Jimmy Butler suffers an ankle injury as the Miami Heat fell to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Philadelphia 76ers are obviously not in the playoffs anymore, but there are a few former Sixers who are still playing right now in the NBA Finals.
Jimmy Butler is the one who has the most eyes on him after a dramatic exit from the Sixers to join the Miami Heat. People were confused as to why he would leave a talented team like Philadelphia for a team like the Heat that just missed the playoffs, but he has them in the NBA Finals taking on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Unfortunately for Butler, he suffered an ankle injury toward the end of the first half and it clearly bothered him throughout the night. He was not the same player and injuries then caught up to Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo as well as the Heat fell to the Lakers in Game 1 by a score of 116-98.
Butler did finish with 23 points and five assists, but if he cannot recover from this little setback and the injuries to Dragic and Adebayo are severe, then the Heat might be cooked. The Lakers are a terrific defensive team and their shooting was equally as excellent in Game 1. [lawrence-related id=38023,38016,38008]
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat have yet to announce the details on injuries to key players suffered in Wednesday’s Game 1.
The Los Angeles Lakers had basically everything go well in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, pushing their lead to over 30 points in the game and effectively dominating the game after Miami jumped out to a hot start very early in the 1st quarter. Even the players who suffered injuries in Game 1, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Rajon Rondo, which is sure to be a victory, was medically cleared to return to the game.
Caldwell-Pope suffered an injury to his chest muscle while Rondo got hit in the eye in the final moments of the 3rd quarter, where the Lakers basically put the game away.
Lakers say KCP has some cramping in his chest muscle and Rondo got hit in the eye. Both available to return
Meanwhile, the Heat have seen two of their key players go to the locker room with no update as of this writing. Starting point guard Goran Dragic and All-Star center Bam Adebayo both went to the locker room with injuries. Anthony Davis leads all players with 32 points.
LeBron James threw down a reverse dunk with authority just after the halftime buzzer sounded in the first game of the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has never participated in the NBA Dunk Contest, but in the first game of his 10th Finals appearance, he reminded the league just how casually he can throw down dunks with authority.
With just a few seconds left in the first half, James grabbed a rebound and flipped it up ahead instead of attempting a half-court shot. Kyle Kuzma quickly turned and flipped up a layup, but it was a wild attempt and bounced off the back of the rim. The buzzer went off before it left his fingers, anyway.
Yet there was still excitement. James had continued running down the court.
As the ball bounced off the rim, James soared in, grabbed it in the air and threw down a reverse dunk.
At 35 years old, James is in his 10th Finals and aiming for his fourth championship.
Los Angeles went on a huge run after falling behind by double-digits the first quarter and took a 65-48 lead at the half. The Lakers kept the pressure on the Heat, pulling ahead 93-67 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Through three quarters, James had 17 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Anthony Davis had 30 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Teofimo Lopez has been ahead of the curve throughout his boxing career but faces his biggest test in Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Teofimo Lopez Jr. has always been ahead of the curve.
He was 6 or 7 when he first walked into a Brooklyn gym with his father. In a matter of minutes working with a coach, he said, he learned two or three combinations that might take an average child weeks or even months to master. He was a natural.
As a pro he fought in his first scheduled 10-rounder in only his 10th fight and was a unified world titleholder in his 15th.
And now, in only his 16th outing, he is scheduled to face Boxing Junkie’s No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound – Vasiliy Lomachenko – for the undisputed lightweight championship and the right to call himself true star.
“I think Top Rank (his promoter) definitely had a different route planned for me,” Lopez told Boxing Junkie. “I changed that route quickly. I told them, ‘Listen man, you gotta bump up my opposition. This is too easy for me.
“You could see that my ring IQ was very high. I know this business a little bit.”
Teofimo Lopez needed less than two full rounds to destroy Richard Commey and win his first title. Al Bello / Getty Images
All that doesn’t mean Lopez’s rise from child prodigy to one of the hottest fighters in the world was entirely smooth.
Lopez had issues as an adolescent. He struggled with grades at one point. He admitted that he experimented with “weed” and drinking. And, like most young people, he was susceptible to whatever bad elements surrounded him.
Teofimo Lopez Sr., his father, trainer and mentor, decided at a critical time to take action. He told his son that he would homeschool him if he didn’t get his act together. Not long afterward he was pulled from school.
That and his dedication to boxing, he said, “Probably saved my life.”
“I have to respect that,” the younger Lopez said. “He really helped me. I learned a lot in home schooling. I learned what I needed to do, what I needed for myself. And I think it allowed me to be more in tuned with boxing.
“I was 16 or something. I easily could’ve been doing God knows what.”
Lopez was doing boxing. And he thrived. He was one of the top amateurs in the USA Boxing system as the 2016 Olympics approached, ultimately winning the U.S. Olympic Trials at lightweight.
Lopez has unusual skills and celebrations. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
However, U.S. officials gave another in the division, Carlos Balderas, a spot on the team because of his success in the World Series of Boxing. Thus, Lopez fought for the country of his father – Honduras – in the Rio Games and was eliminated by Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha 3-0 in the first round.
Lopez still has disappointment in his voice when he discusses his Olympic experience.
“It was tough,” he said. “Winning the Olympic Trials and not representing your country. They take this other guy because of x, y, z. Tough. I represented another country, my bloodline, which is Honduras.
“It’s tough to face a big country like France when you’re representing Honduras. Everything just went wrong. I got robbed. It was crazy.”
Lopez rebounded from the setback like a champion, shooting up the lightweight ladder with a special blend of skill, speed, power and moxie.
He put Mason Menard away in 44 seconds in December 2018. He stopped two-time title challenger Diego Magdaleno in seven in April of last year. He KO’d Edis Tatli in five two months later. And he nearly shut out previously unbeaten Mayaoshi Nakatani the following July to earn a shot at Richard Commey’s 135-world title in December.
The hard-punching Ghanaian lasted a total of 4 minutes, 13 seconds. Just like that, Lopez was a world champion at 22 years old. Ahead of the curve.
Lopez has had everything go his way as a pro but now he faces an enormous test. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
“That’s why I say I’m very grateful,” said Lopez, referring to his early success. “God has definitely put me on the right path. Now is my time to showcase everything I have. I want to prove I’m best there is.”
That opportunity – or certainly something along those lines – comes on Oct. 17 inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
The elder Lopez has been calling out Lomachenko for a few years, far earlier than his son’s accomplishments might’ve suggested was appropriate. It was as if he knew something the rest of us didn’t.
And, finally, Lopez built the kind of reputation with his series of sensational victories that was attractive to both Lomachenko — who was hungry for a big fight — and the fans, who are obviously fascinated with the unusually intriguing matchup.
So here we are: Hall of Fame-bound master boxer vs. gifted, brash youngster for all the lightweight marbles.
Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) isn’t Oumiha. He isn’t Menard, Magdaleno, Tatli, Nakatani or Commey. The two-time Olympic champion and three-division professional titleholder is a fine-tuned boxing wizard – without question one of most-skilled boxers of his generation — who has made a fool out of a number of good opponentss.
Lopez, confident, arguably cocky, isn’t fazed.
Some have suggested that Lomachenko has begun to slip at least somewhat at 32 years old. They point to harder-than-expected victories over Jorge Linares and Luke Campbell as evidence, although he stopped Linares in 10 rounds and defeated Campbell by a wide decision.
And Lopez says he has something else going for him: size. Lomachenko started his career at 126; Lopez has fought at 135 or above from the start.
“I believe that everybody has his time. His time has come to an end,” Lopez said. “And I believe 135 is too big for him. I heard he recently weighed only five, six pounds over [the limit]. That’s nothing in the industry we’re in.
“I just believe that time is definitely ticking really quick for him.”
Lomachenko has asked a reasonable question about Lopez: Who has he beaten? Lopez’s aforementioned opponents are all solid professionals but, no question about it, the Ukrainian veteran represents a significant step up for the young star.
Lopez acknowledged that fact but, at the same time, provided a twist in perspective that reveals his unusual confidence.
“It’s not about who you’ve beaten,” he said, “it’s about who you’re about to beat.”
Teofimo Lopez has been ahead of the curve throughout his boxing career but faces his biggest test in Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Teofimo Lopez Jr. has always been ahead of the curve.
He was 6 or 7 when he first walked into a Brooklyn gym with his father. In a matter of minutes working with a coach, he said, he learned two or three combinations that might take an average child weeks or even months to master. He was a natural.
As a pro he fought in his first scheduled 10-rounder in only his 10th fight and was a unified world titleholder in his 15th.
And now, in only his 16th outing, he is scheduled to face Boxing Junkie’s No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound – Vasiliy Lomachenko – for the undisputed lightweight championship and the right to call himself true star.
“I think Top Rank (his promoter) definitely had a different route planned for me,” Lopez told Boxing Junkie. “I changed that route quickly. I told them, ‘Listen man, you gotta bump up my opposition. This is too easy for me.
“You could see that my ring IQ was very high. I know this business a little bit.”
Teofimo Lopez needed less than two full rounds to destroy Richard Commey and win his first title. Al Bello / Getty Images
All that doesn’t mean Lopez’s rise from child prodigy to one of the hottest fighters in the world was entirely smooth.
Lopez had issues as an adolescent. He struggled with grades at one point. He admitted that he experimented with “weed” and drinking. And, like most young people, he was susceptible to whatever bad elements surrounded him.
Teofimo Lopez Sr., his father, trainer and mentor, decided at a critical time to take action. He told his son that he would homeschool him if he didn’t get his act together. Not long afterward he was pulled from school.
That and his dedication to boxing, he said, “Probably saved my life.”
“I have to respect that,” the younger Lopez said. “He really helped me. I learned a lot in home schooling. I learned what I needed to do, what I needed for myself. And I think it allowed me to be more in tuned with boxing.
“I was 16 or something. I easily could’ve been doing God knows what.”
Lopez was doing boxing. And he thrived. He was one of the top amateurs in the USA Boxing system as the 2016 Olympics approached, ultimately winning the U.S. Olympic Trials at lightweight.
Lopez has unusual skills and celebrations. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
However, U.S. officials gave another in the division, Carlos Balderas, a spot on the team because of his success in the World Series of Boxing. Thus, Lopez fought for the country of his father – Honduras – in the Rio Games and was eliminated by Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha 3-0 in the first round.
Lopez still has disappointment in his voice when he discusses his Olympic experience.
“It was tough,” he said. “Winning the Olympic Trials and not representing your country. They take this other guy because of x, y, z. Tough. I represented another country, my bloodline, which is Honduras.
“It’s tough to face a big country like France when you’re representing Honduras. Everything just went wrong. I got robbed. It was crazy.”
Lopez rebounded from the setback like a champion, shooting up the lightweight ladder with a special blend of skill, speed, power and moxie.
He put Mason Menard away in 44 seconds in December 2018. He stopped two-time title challenger Diego Magdaleno in seven in April of last year. He KO’d Edis Tatli in five two months later. And he nearly shut out previously unbeaten Mayaoshi Nakatani the following July to earn a shot at Richard Commey’s 135-world title in December.
The hard-punching Ghanaian lasted a total of 4 minutes, 13 seconds. Just like that, Lopez was a world champion at 22 years old. Ahead of the curve.
Lopez has had everything go his way as a pro but now he faces an enormous test. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
“That’s why I say I’m very grateful,” said Lopez, referring to his early success. “God has definitely put me on the right path. Now is my time to showcase everything I have. I want to prove I’m best there is.”
That opportunity – or certainly something along those lines – comes on Oct. 17 inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
The elder Lopez has been calling out Lomachenko for a few years, far earlier than his son’s accomplishments might’ve suggested was appropriate. It was as if he knew something the rest of us didn’t.
And, finally, Lopez built the kind of reputation with his series of sensational victories that was attractive to both Lomachenko — who was hungry for a big fight — and the fans, who are obviously fascinated with the unusually intriguing matchup.
So here we are: Hall of Fame-bound master boxer vs. gifted, brash youngster for all the lightweight marbles.
Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) isn’t Oumiha. He isn’t Menard, Magdaleno, Tatli, Nakatani or Commey. The two-time Olympic champion and three-division professional titleholder is a fine-tuned boxing wizard – without question one of most-skilled boxers of his generation — who has made a fool out of a number of good opponentss.
Lopez, confident, arguably cocky, isn’t fazed.
Some have suggested that Lomachenko has begun to slip at least somewhat at 32 years old. They point to harder-than-expected victories over Jorge Linares and Luke Campbell as evidence, although he stopped Linares in 10 rounds and defeated Campbell by a wide decision.
And Lopez says he has something else going for him: size. Lomachenko started his career at 126; Lopez has fought at 135 or above from the start.
“I believe that everybody has his time. His time has come to an end,” Lopez said. “And I believe 135 is too big for him. I heard he recently weighed only five, six pounds over [the limit]. That’s nothing in the industry we’re in.
“I just believe that time is definitely ticking really quick for him.”
Lomachenko has asked a reasonable question about Lopez: Who has he beaten? Lopez’s aforementioned opponents are all solid professionals but, no question about it, the Ukrainian veteran represents a significant step up for the young star.
Lopez acknowledged that fact but, at the same time, provided a twist in perspective that reveals his unusual confidence.
“It’s not about who you’ve beaten,” he said, “it’s about who you’re about to beat.”
As anticipated, Jacksonville Jaguars receiver DJ Chark returned to practice Wednesday – albeit on a limited basis. His return came after missing the Jags’ last game against the Miami Dolphins with chest and back injuries. Joining Chark as a limited …
As anticipated, Jacksonville Jaguars receiver DJ Chark returned to practice Wednesday — albeit on a limited basis. His return came after missing the Jags’ last game against the Miami Dolphins with chest and back injuries.
As for the surprises on the injury report, newly signed place kicker Stephen Hauschka (right knee) was on it and didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice. With him just signing Monday, nobody was expecting to see him on the injury report as he’ll be replacing Jags kicker Brandon Wright, who was filling in for veteran Josh Lambo who currently is on IR.
The last notables to surface on the injury report were offensive lineman A.J. Cann (illness) and Brandon Linder (knee). Cann’s illness is obviously a non-COVID related one and he could be back over the next few days. Linder, on the other hand, was seen at practice but didn’t take the field. The veteran was able to work off to the side Monday, per coach Doug Marrone so his situation will be one to watch, too, for the sake of the run game.
Brandon Linder, Devine Ozigbo, and what appears to be Jarrod Wilson are also at #Jaguars practice
