Watch: Austin Reaves steals inbounds pass, feeds LeBron James for dunk

Austin Reaves and LeBron James combined for a highlight play in the second quarter of Monday’s Lakers versus Hawks game.

The Los Angeles Lakers have lost two games in a row and three of their last five during a critical stretch, and they’re practically starving for wins right now. They sit in 10th place in the Western Conference, and there is an outside chance they will miss the play-in tournament right now.

They took the court on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks looking to rectify things, and after a disjointed start, they asserted themselves and opened up a double-digit lead.

In the process of doing so, Austin Reaves and LeBron James combined for a highlight play. Reaves stole an inbounds pass, then went behind the back to feed a cutting James for a dunk.

James, who scored 40 points in Saturday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors, led the way early on Monday with 12 first-quarter points.

Thiago Moises knows how to wreck a leg – and crush a Dan Hooker callout, too

Thiago Moises called out Dan Hooker after his leg-kick TKO win over Mitch Ramirez at UFC Fight Night 239.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag] beat Mitch Ramirez with a third-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 239 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Moises, who put Ramirez away courtesy of leg kicks – a UFC rarity.

Paul Pierce: LeBron James needs to give up the ball a little more

Former NBA star Paul Pierce feels LeBron James has been trying a little too hard to will the Lakers to victory.

The Los Angeles Lakers faced two critical games with playoff implications in recent days versus the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, only to lose both contests. As a result, they find themselves in 10th place in the Western Conference, and their lead over the 11th-place Houston Rockets, which is currently at 3.5 games, isn’t necessarily safe.

LeBron James was strangely passive during the Sacramento game. On the other hand, he scored 40 points versus the Warriors. Thirteen of those 40 points game in the fourth quarter, when L.A. was battling from behind and got almost nothing from its other players.

Paul Pierce, one of James’ most fierce rivals early in his career, said on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed” that James needs to defer to his teammates more (h/t Lakers Daily).

“He gotta give the ball up a little more,” said Pierce. “Since All-Star break, look at his numbers: 29, nine and seven, 50 percent from the field, 45 from three. It’s not resultin’ in wins.

“When LeBron sat out, who’d they beat? Milwaukee, a contender. D-Lo (D’Angelo Russell) had 40. They went to Boston and got a win without LeBron.”

“I think he’s older, he needs to take a step back,” Pierce continued. “The less he does, the more it’s gonna be for the team. And that’s not a bad thing.”

In general, James has taken at least a bit of a step back this season. He’s averaging 25.5 points a game, which is 3.4 points fewer than last season’s average. In addition, his usage rate is at 29.3%, which is the lowest it’s been since his rookie season.

While the Lakers need to continue to trim his workload and responsibilities, when he’s faced with a situation such as the one he was in during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, he has no choice but to take over. That’s part of a superstar’s responsibilities — he must take things over, almost all by himself, when his team isn’t playing well and his teammates aren’t pulling enough of their own weight.

Fellow superstar Anthony Davis left the game late in the first quarter after getting poked in the eye, which put even more of an offensive burden on James. It likely wasn’t the type of game in which he would’ve been best off deferring to his teammates.

Alexandre Pantoja: Steve Erceg good name but ‘so lucky’ to get UFC 301 title shot

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja thinks Steve Erceg’s title shot is a case of timing luck.

UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]’s title shot is a case of timing.

It came as a surprise to many that Erceg wound up getting the next shot at Pantoja after notching just his third octagon win with a knockout of Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238. He challenges Pantoja for the flyweight title in the UFC 301 headliner May 4 in Rio.

While Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) also didn’t foresee Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) being his next opponent, he argued that everyone is talented in the top 15.

“I didn’t expect it to be Steve Erceg, but it’s a good name, too,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie. “That’s funny because if you watch my interviews, all the time I was talking about in the flyweight division, you can take someone from No. 10 and fight with the champion or the No. 1 contender, and it’s going to be a good matchup. In this division, all the guys are so good.”

Pantoja also didn’t have too many fresh matchups as options. Erceg threw his name in the hat in an interview with MMA Junkie, and Muhammad Mokaev and Brandon Royval also campaigned.

“I fought with all the division,” Pantoja said. “I fought with the No. 1 (Royval) two times, the No. 2 (Moreno) three times, No. 3 right now is Amir Albazi, who has an injury. I fought Kai Kara-France before, Manel Kape, Alex Perez, Matt Schnell, I fought everyone. I think that guy is so lucky because all these things happened.”

Pantoja is motivated by the fact that Erceg hasn’t had to go through the trenches to get to him.

“He’s coming fresh for that fight because he didn’t fight the No. 8 or No. 6 or No. 4 like me,” Pantoja said. “I needed to fight with all these guys, and I had a lot of wars with Manel Kape, Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, that gives me a lot of emotion.

“I lost a couple of years of my life in those fights, and that guy Steve comes so fresh. He didn’t fight the guys at the top of the division. All the fighters in the flyweight division are very good. He has good boxing, good jiu-jitsu, it’s going to be very interesting for me.”

As for undefeated Mokaev, who notched a win over former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238, Pantoja expects to see him very soon.

“I really thought at that time I’d fight with Mokaev, but I don’t know what plans the UFC prepared for me,” Pantoja admitted. “Maybe they want Mokaev to fight with Royval first. It’s going to be a very good matchup.

“Also, Mokaev is so young. He has a chance to prove he deserves to fight for the title. I know 100 percent if I defend my belt in Brazil, I’m going to see Mokaev next.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Chelsea Chandler: ‘Week from Hell’ led to UFC Fight Night 239 weight miss – complete with attempted home break-in

Chelsea Chandler missed weight ahead of UFC Fight Night 239. The reasons why will likely surprise you.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]’s ‘Week from Hell’ actually ended on a high note.

At UFC Fight Night 239, Chandler (6-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) became the first to defeat fellow bantamweight Josiane Nunes (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the promotion. She did so by unanimous decision.

Smiling ear-to-ear in victory, Chandler addressed the underlying issue head-on during her post-fight news conference: a one-pound weight miss.

Chandler voiced confidence that the issue would not persist. She attributed the scale blunder to a variety of simultaneous issues that emerged throughout the week, including an alleged home break-in.

“Oh God, we can get into it,” Chandler told MMA Junkie. “I’ve had the Week of Horror. My car was vandalized when I left my house. People tried to break into it. That was Monday. I’ve got that time of the month, too. So this has been… I was ready to go, and just little hiccups. I have it dialed in. My nutritionist, my weight, everything is good. So next time, I’ll be here on time, on weight, ready to go.”

Chandler’s alleged home invasion attempt comes less than two weeks after Marlon Vera said the same thing happened to him while he was away for his UFC 299 title fight vs. Sean O’Malley.

“People say, ‘Hey this fighter is going to be gone. Let’s take advantage of it.’ It sucks, but (I’ve) got to get those cameras up,” Chandler said. “… I’ve got to let someone else move into my house when I’m gone and take care of it and babysit the house.”

Chandler hopes the UFC won’t use the weight issues against her. A win over a previously UFC-unbeaten should earn Chandler a marquee fight next, she thinks.

“Listen, I don’t like begging for fights, but I want to fight,” Chandler said. “I want fight offers. After that last fight, there was a bad taste in my mouth. I went up. I took a risk going up in a weight class fighting a bigger girl. This is my home and I’m hoping to get a fight as soon as possible. I’m No. 13 in the world now and I feel like a couple of the girls below me are either out injured. I’m hoping to get someone in the top 10, big top 10 opponents, and get my way through this division. It’s wide open.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.

Spinning Back Clique LIVE: Diaz-Masvidal boxing rematch, UFC 301’s main event, Jose Aldo’s return, Islam Makhachev speaks

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal 2, UFC 301’s headliner, the return of Jose Aldo, and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia, live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] and [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] will run it back in June, but this time, the rivals will meet inside a boxing ring rather than an MMA cage. The former UFC mainstays will compete independently of the organization where they made their names and, in fact, will fight on the same night as UFC 302. The name power is there for this rematch between two of the more popular MMA fighters in recent memory, but should it have been in a cage like the first meeting?
  • [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] has his next flyweight title challenger: [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]. UFC 301 has its headliner, and it’s a flyweight title fight that nobody saw coming. Pantoja gets the opportunity to defend his title on home soil, but the challenger in UFC-ranked No. 10 Erceg caught many, including several peers in his division, by surprise. Is this a case of perfect timing for Erceg, or there a larger message being sent to the division?
  • After walking away from the UFC after his 20th fight, to an instant Hall of Fame induction while dabbling in professional boxing, former featherweight king [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] is back. At UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Aldo will return to action against Jonathan Martinez, adding some much-needed weight to a light pay-per-view event. More importantly, what should be expected of the 37-year-old Aldo in return to the UFC?
  • [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] crossed paths at a sports convention this past weekend. The viral moment saw the two heavyweights exchange respectful words in a face-to-face encounter. Aspinall, the heavyweight interim title holder, placed his hand on Jones’ shoulder, which prompted the UFC champ to immediately remove it before continuing with the brief interaction. You could feel the respect, and also the tension. Should the UFC change course here from Jones’ expected fight against Stipe Miocic and unify the UFC title next?
  • [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] spoke to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, hitting on several interesting topics. Among them were the reasons for wanting Dustin Poirier to be his next title challenger, his thoughts on the BMF title fight between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway, and why he could not take on Leon Edwards in a champ vs. champ fight at UFC 300. What struck you the most about this interview with the UFC lightweight champion?

Stephen A. Smith scolds D’Angelo Russell for not knowing importance of Lakers-Kings game

Why did D’Angelo Russell say he didn’t know what was at stake during the Lakers’ game versus the Kings on Wednesday?

Several days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers still had a slim chance of climbing the Western Conference standings and finishing in the top six. Such a finish would allow them to bypass the play-in tournament and make the playoffs outright.

Such a finish would also earn the team some extra rest right before the playoffs begin, something that would benefit LeBron James, who has been dealing with an ailing ankle.

But L.A. lost to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, literally ending any real shot it had at getting the sixth seed. Sacramento entered the game in seventh place two games ahead of the Lakers, making it a critical contest for the Lakers.

D’Angelo Russell said after the game that he didn’t know what was at stake in terms of the standings. ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith took Russell to task as a result (h/t Lakers Daily).

“That’s embarrassing,” said Smith. “He should be ashamed of himself. And nobody else gon’ say it. I’m gon’ say it. That is inexcusable. You’re a guard on this team. We know how much of a liability you are on the defensive side of the ball. They rely on your offense. You’re not gonna always have it — I get that.

“It’s not about the points. It’s not about the lack of offensive production in those two games. It’s about the fact that you sat up there in front of a microphone with the cameras rollin’ and talkin’ about you didn’t know what was at stake.”

To make matters worse, Russell, who has been playing very well over the last two months, shot 2-of-9 and scored just six points versus the Kings. He attempted one shot and went scoreless in the decisive third quarter, a quarter in which the Kings outscored the Lakers, 28-17, and took control of the game.

The Purple and Gold are now in 10th place with a 36-32 record and are three games behind the eighth-place Phoenix Suns. Meanwhile, Sacramento has clawed its way into sixth place.

Even at 40, Ovince Saint Preux to ‘continue to make everybody mad’ like he did at UFC Fight Night 239

Ovince Saint Preux is one of the most senior (both in age and experience) fighters on the UFC roster but Saturday proved he still has more left.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] is one of the most senior (both in age and experience) fighters on the UFC roster, but Saturday proved he still has more left in the tank.

On the UFC Fight Night 239 main card, Saint Preux (27-17 MMA, 14-12 UFC) thrilled with a three-round slugfest against Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), whom he defeated by split decision.

The fight as a whole, but particularly the third round, saw the two men stand in the pocket and go blow-for-blow. Saint Preux’s boxing and aggression proved to be the difference, as two of the three judges sided with him.

“Man, to be honest again, I knew he don’t have that one (punch) knockout power,” Saint Preux told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “He was landing shots. I was landing shots. Actually, my trainer’s wife Taylor, the other day, we were doing something. She said, ‘You can do anything for five minutes. If you do it in five minutes, you can do anything in five minutes.’ I was like, ‘All right, cool.’ If you end up being in a phone booth for five minutes, you can do that. I was like, ‘I’m going to make it a fight. I’m not going to go down.’ We stayed in there. I knew he was getting tired of hitting me and I wasn’t going to get tired of hitting him.”

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Saint Preux, 40, has been on the promotion’s roster since 2013. Saturday’s fight positioned him at No. 1 atop the promotion’s all-time light heavyweight appearances leaderboard.

So having won two of his most recent three outings, where does OSP go from here?

“(I’ll) continue to make everybody mad,” Saint Preux joked. “I mean, it was a good fight, man. He came out orthodox and I was like, ‘OK.’ We kind of prepared for that but we were expecting to stay southpaw. Then, his jab was kind of landing. I was wondering, ‘Man, why is his jab landing kind of good.’ He went right-handed. Given the fact he went southpaw, with his dominant hand, he was able to pop up out a little bit faster. But once I got the timing down and stuff, I think my head movement did pretty good and I kind of messed up his timing. … I’m trying to fight two more times this year.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.

Gerald Meerschaert reacts to tying Anderson Silva’s record at UFC Fight Night 239

Gerald Meerschaert hasn’t held or fought for a UFC title – but he’s found a way to make his mark on the promotion’s record books.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] hasn’t held a UFC title. He hasn’t fought for one, either. But he’s found a way to make his mark on the UFC record books.

Saturday at UFC Fight Night 239 at the UFC Apex, Meerschaert (35-17 MMA, 10-9 UFC) defeated [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (18-11 MMA, 9-9 UFC) by submission. The finish tied Anderson Silva’s all-time middleweight record at 11. He already held, but extended, the division’s all-time submission record.

“That’s pretty cool,” Meerschaert told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I’ve got the most submissions at middleweight. I think I would’ve bumped another spot all-time to like fourth or fifth or something of most submissions at any weight and then tying Anderson Silva, that’s awesome. And I still have all my wins by finish in the UFC. It’s over 10 wins and that’s pretty nuts.”

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Meerschaert has 52 professional fights with 19 in the UFC. Only seven of his fights have gone to the decision. He has 34 finishes, and has been finished 12 times, making him truly a “do or die” fighter.

“Pretty much,” Meerschaert said of that categorization. “If you watch my fights, that’s generally how it goes. It’s not just submissions, either. This is probably one of the few times that I went out there and just straight grappled somebody, put them in a bad spot, and choked them. Usually, we get in a standup battle, or I punch them in the face a lot first, which makes choking them a lot easier.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.

Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Tai Tuivasa after UFC Fight Night 239 loss?

Tai Tuivasa is on the worst losing skid of his career after being submitted at UFC Fight Night 239, now his future is in question.

(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Marcin Tybura after UFC Fight Night 239 win?)

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] was unable to turn things around against Marcin Tybura at UFC Fight Night 239, and is now facing a career crossroads.

After being taken down and choked out by Tybura (25-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) in the opening round of Saturday’s heavyweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Tuivasa (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) now finds himself on a four-fight losing skid. The performances haven’t offered much in terms of redeeming qualities, either, and that’s cause for concern.

Can Tuivasa right the ship, or has his time already expired at just 31 years old? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Tuivasa’s future after UFC Fight Night 239.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.