Month: February 2021

Pistons’ Saddiq Bey now has the longest double-digit scoring streak by a rookie

Pistons guard Saddiq Bey scored 10 points on Sunday to pass LaMelo Ball for the longest double-digit scoring streak by a rookie this season.

Jerami Grant produced his 24th 20-point game of the season on Sunday, but the effort was not enough as the Detroit Pistons lost to the New York Knicks, 109-90.

The contest for the Pistons marked the first matchup against the Knicks since trading Derrick Rose to New York on Feb. 8 for Dennis Smith Jr. Rose finished with 14 points and five assists, while Smith had seven points and seven rebounds.

Saddiq Bey led the Pistons’ rookies with 10 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes of work. He has now scored at least 10 points in 11 straight games, marking the longest such streak by a rookie this season and the longest by a Pistons rookie since Grant Hill during the 1994-95 season.

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The 19th overall pick has emerged as one of the most productive rookies this season. In 32 games played, Bey is averaging 9.8 points, four rebounds and one assist on 40.6% shooting from 3-point range. He ranks ninth in scoring average and fourth in 3-point shooting.

The Pistons knew coming into the season that the team likely wouldn’t win very many games, but the play of Bey and the rest of the rookies on the roster has given the organization some hope for the future.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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The 5 most memorable Notre Dame/Florida State match-ups

The history between Notre Dame and Florida State might not be too terribly deep but it is incredibly rich.

Notre Dame and Florida State have met 10 times in history as the Fighting Irish are riding a two-game winning streak with victories in both 2018 and 2020.

Florida State however took six of the first eight match-ups and leads the overall series with Notre Dame, 6-4.

Before the 11th match-up kicks off to open the 2021 season in September, take a minute and look back at the five most memorable match-ups all-time between Notre Dame and Florida State.

Watch: Highlights of Notre Dame’s weekend sweep at Michigan State

Notre Dame hockey maybe .500 on the year but they have been flat-out great away from home. Highlights from the weekend here:

The Notre Dame hockey team went on the road this weekend for the final time in 2020-21 and came home victorious after beating Michigan State 2-0 on consecutive nights.

The pair of shutout victories improved the Irish to 12-12-2 on the season as they sit in third place in the Big Ten at 10-10-2 in the league.

Highights from Friday’s 2-0 win at Michigan State:

More highlights below, these from Saturday’s win at Michigan State, also a 2-0 Irish victory:

‘This was embarrassing’: Rockets lose 11th straight in historic loss to Memphis

In a 49-point loss to Memphis, Houston missed 41 3-pointers and shot its lowest percentage from the field (27.7%) in franchise history.

In a historic defeat at home, the Rockets lost to the Grizzlies, 133-84 (box score), on Sunday at Toyota Center. By margin, it was the biggest win in Memphis franchise history, and the third-largest loss for Houston.

It’s the 11th straight loss for the Rockets (11-21), who shot the lowest percentage from the field (27.7%) of any game in team history. Houston shot 4-of-45 on 3-pointers (8.9%). Their 23 made field goals tied the lowest of any game by the Rockets, ever.

Asked if this was rock bottom for the Rockets, head coach Stephen Silas responded postgame: “I hope so. This was embarrassing.” It’s now the franchise’s longest losing streak in more than 20 years.

Veteran point guard John Wall led the Rockets with 14 points, but he shot just 4-of-16 from the field (25.0%). He had five turnovers and did not have any assists, rebounds, steals, or blocks.

The Grizzlies were led by strong bench performance from Justise Winslow (20 points) and Brandon Clarke (16 points, 12 rebounds), each in just 21 minutes. Overall, the Grizzlies (15-15) had more combined points from their reserves (85) than Houston’s entire team did in the game.

Victor Oladipo did not play due to planned maintenance on the front end of a back-to-back for the Rockets, with Cleveland set to visit Toyota Center on Monday night. Oladipo should return for that game, though the status of Wall is not yet clear. To this point in the season, neither veteran guard has participated in both ends of a back-to-back scenario. As has been the case throughout the 11-game losing streak, star center Christian Wood (right ankle sprain) remained out, as well.

For now, see below for postgame reaction from a somber locker room. Monday’s game versus the Cavaliers tips off at 8:00 p.m. Central.

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Possible reasons why Jodie Foster thanked Aaron Rodgers in her Golden Globes speech

What’s going on with Aaron Rodgers and Jodie Foster?

Earlier this month Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers surprised a lot of people by announcing during his NFL MVP acceptance speech that he was engaged to who we later found out is actress Shailene Woodley, who he had been dating for a few months.

Rodgers also confused a lot of people when, during that same speech, he thanked legendary actress Jodie Foster. It was just so random.

On Sunday night at the Golden Globes Foster won Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture for her performance in The Mauritanian and gave Rodgers a shoutout during her acceptance speech.

Because of course.

Here’s Foster thanking the NFL MVP:

So why did she do that? I’m not entirely sure (I really have no clue) but here are some possible reasons why:

1. She’s a nice person and thought it would be nice to return the favor.

2. Woodley is in The Mauritanian and maybe Foster somehow got the couple together or has been nice to them. Again, I have no clue and my research for this was done by reading tweets written by strangers.

3. Foster told Jimmy Kimmel a few weeks ago that Rodgers “knows I’m his biggest fan.” So maybe her love for the way Rodgers plays quarterback has inspired her to be even better at her job and for that he deserves a thank you. Again, I got NO CLUE. Wait, more research shows that she told Conan O’Brien a few years ago that she loved the Packers… so this could be it! Probably not, though.

4. She enjoys how random this all is and decided to keep it going to have more fun. Again, no clue. Though I feel like this one could be the one.

Twitter loved the shoutout:

https://twitter.com/JeffDLowe/status/1366226648123797504

Lakers vs. Warriors: LeBron leads stifling defense again as L.A. rolls Golden State

The Los Angeles Lakers defense was dominant once again as they made quick work of the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

It’s been at least a month since the Los Angeles Lakers had a game like the one they had on Sunday night. Their defense was spectacular at times on Friday but on Sunday they finally got their offense up to speed with their defense in a complete dismantling of the Golden State Warriors, who entered Sunday night having won their last three games.

LeBron James had a game-high 19 points to go with six rebounds, and four rebounds, as well as three 3-pointers, to help pace the Lakers to back-to-back victories. Sunday night marks their first back-to-back victories since losing Anthony Davis to injury exactly two weeks ago.

The Lakers shot 11 for 31 from the 3-point line and they also scored 22 points off of Warriors turnovers, taking advantage of 20 turnovers from the Warriors, which was largely helped by the absence of Draymond Green, who left Sunday night’s game with an ankle injury in the first half and did not return.

 

Irish End Regular Season with 78-61 Loss to No. 6/5 Louisville

Notre Dame saw their regular season come to an end with a home loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s basketball team (10-9, 8-7) ended the regular season on Sunday with a 78-61 loss to No. 6/5 Louisville (21-2, 14-2) inside Purcell Pavilion. As a result, the Fighting Irish will be the No. 6 seed in this coming week’s ACC Tournament.

Sophomore forward Sam Brunelle led the Irish in scoring with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, in which 11 points came in the third quarter. In addition, Olivia Miles recorded her fourth straight game in double figures with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. The freshman guard also dished out a career best six assists.

The Irish suffered from 25 turnovers in the game, in which the Cardinals converted into 25 points. In addition, Louisville shot 32-of-62 (.516) compared to Notre Dame’s 25-of-55 (.455).

“I thought Louisville was fantastic. Dana Evans, played like the player of the year in the ACC. They shot the ball extremely well and we didn’t set the tone. Credit to Louisville. Something we can definitely learn from. Thought we had a good week going 2-1. We’ll learn to take care of the ball. Even with this loss, we can learn and grow from it, regroup and be ready for the ACC Tournament,” Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey stated.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Notre Dame was plagued by turnovers, mostly in the first half, where they incurred 16, including nine in the first quarter. The Cardinals turned that into 17 of their 44 first-half points.

Louisville recorded a stretch in which they recorded 7-of-8 from the field, which included four three-pointers. As a result, the Cards jumped out to a 22-11 advantage and eventually a 28-18 lead after one. Louisville shot 11-of-17, which included 12 points from Dana Evans; however, Notre Dame was able to stay within striking distance, shooting 8-of-13 from the floor.

The hot-handed Cardinals fired off a 12-4 scoring spree to start the second to build their largest lead of the game up 44-22. The Irish showed some grit by ending the half on a 6-0 scoring run to pull within 44-28, receiving baskets from Miles, Anaya Peoples and Katlyn Gilbert.

Brunelle powered the Irish in the third, scoring 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting. In fact, the sophomore recorded a solo 7-0 run to pull the Irish within 10 at 55-45 with 46 seconds left in the quarter. Yet, the Cardinals stymied the momentum with a short 4-0 scoring burst to push it to 59-45 heading into the fourth.

Louisville edged Notre Dame 19-16 over the final stanza to bring it to the 78-61 final. Maddy Westbeld finished with nine points, six boards and three assists. Dara Mabrey added seven points while Peoples tallied seven points and seven rebounds.

NOTES

  • Notre Dame still leads the overall series 16-10, with a 6-4 record at home. Louisville has now won four straight in the series.
  • With the loss, the Irish fall to the six-seed in the ACC Tournament. The first bout will be on Thursday, March 4, against Clemson at 8:30 p.m. EST
  • The Irish are now 66-93 all-time against AP top-10 ranked teams.
  • Since returning from the team’s Covid pause, Westbeld has compiled 46 points and 29 rebounds over three games.
  • Olivia Miles registered her fourth straight game in double figures with 11 points. Also dished out a career high six assists.
  • Brunelle recorded her seventh game in double figures, leading the Irish with 13 points.

UP NEXT

The Irish head to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the ACC Tournament. The sixth-seeded Irish battle 11th-seeded Clemson on Thursday, March 4, at 8:30 p.m. EST. If victorious, Notre Dame would play fourth-seeded Georgia Tech on Friday.

Kings’ Tyrese Haliburton will be ‘day-to-day’ with calf injury

The Kings rookie has now missed two straight games due to the injury.

Sacramento Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton will be listed as day-to-day moving forward with left calf soreness, according to Jason Jones of The Athletic.

Haliburton did not play on Friday in a win over the Detroit Pistons while he also missed Sunday’s game versus the Charlotte Hornets. Haliburton was evaluated by the team medical staff on Saturday to determine the severity of the injury.

The Kings have not set a firm timetable for Haliburton to return, but with two games remaining before the All-Star break, there is a chance Haliburton could play in either of those contests.

Haliburton has emerged as perhaps one of the top rookies to this point of the season. In 30 games played, Haliburton is averaging 13.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.6 assists. He ranks third in scoring, second in assists and second in steals among rookies.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Notre Dame Mourns the Loss of Louis Nix III

University of Notre Dame’s official release on the passing of Louis Nix, III.

The following release is from the University of Notre Dame:

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — University of Notre Dame football All-American Louis Nix III passed away in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, at the age of 29. The winner of Notre Dame’s Moose Krause Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, Nix led the Irish to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.

During the Irish’s 2012 undefeated regular season, Nix was an impact player who helped anchor the defensive front. He started 11-of-13 games and led all Notre Dame defensive linemen with 50 tackles. He ranked fourth on the team with 7.5 tackles-for-loss and added 2.0 sacks. Additionally, Nix posted a team-high five pass breakups and recorded five tackles (all solo) in BCS National Championship Game versus Alabama, including 2.0 TFLs against the Crimson Tide.

Following his All-American junior season, Nix entered his senior year on both the Maxwell and Bednarik Award Watch Lists. In his final season in South Bend, Nix started each of the first seven games in 2013, but then played (and started) only one of the final six games due to a knee injury. He recorded 27 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage, and added a pair of pass breakups.

Affectionately known as “Irish Chocolate” or “Big Lou,” Nix had a breakout
sophomore season after not seeing any game action as a freshman in 2010. In
his second season playing for the Irish, he started 11-of-13 games at nose guard, collecting 45 tackles, including 4.5 tackles-for-loss.
A four-star prospect, Nix chose to attend Notre Dame after a stellar high school career at Raines High School in Jacksonville, where he was tabbed a SuperPrep All-American and was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game.

A third-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft by the Houston Texans, Nix played three seasons in the NFL. He was on the 2014 roster for the Texans, before suiting up for the New York Giants (2015), Washington Football Team (2016) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2016).

In May 2014, Nix earned his Notre Dame degree in film, television and theatre from the College of Arts and Letters. He is survived by his parents Louis Nix and Stephanie Ancrum.

Related:

Louis Nix found dead in Jacksonville

Louis Nix photo gallery memorial

Watch: Louis Nix’s memorable two-point conversion

Former defensive linemate Stephon Tuitt remembers Louis Nix

Cowboys Week in Review: Prospects the team covets, QBs who want to be in Dallas

One of the biggest headlines this week included a proclamation by Russell Wilson he has interest in playing for the Dallas Cowboys. While those rumors swirl, quarterback Dak Prescott will be the center of attention, if even the idea of letting him …

One of the biggest headlines this week included a proclamation by Russell Wilson he has interest in playing for the Dallas Cowboys. While those rumors swirl, quarterback Dak Prescott will be the center of attention, if even the idea of letting him walk has been thrown out there. Prescott is the No. 1 priority in free agency, but he’s not the only veteran who’s tenure is in question, Jaylon Smith is on the list, too.

Meanwhile on the draft front, profiles for the week include Alabama corner Patrick Surtain II and Kentucky corner Kelvin Joseph. Both could be tremendous assets for a team struggling to cover down field. There’s some talk about defensive backs the Cowboys are letting it be known they have their eyes on. Whoever joins the club in the offseason, through free agency or the draft, could they be a feature star of the league’s running reality series?

As always, it’s an interesting time in Dallas. Find out what else is going on in the week in review.