That leaves Milwaukee, which has been the subject of Paul trade rumors since the July deal that brought CP3 to OKC. The theory goes that the Bucks need to go all-in on this season, with Giannis Antetokounmpo up for free agency in 2021. But the Bucks are playing great, 10-3, and Milwaukee never is ready to jump into the luxury tax. Taking on Paul’s salary would put the Bucks in luxury tax jeopardy not necessarily this season, but in years to come.
The Lakers remain the team most likely …
The Lakers remain the team most likely to covet Paul. Money is no object to the Lakers. And while Davis and LeBron are going great guns, Davis is injury-prone and LeBron is almost 35. Paul would be an insurance policy. Of course, the Lakers don’t have a lot to offer. They can’t trade a first-round pick until 2026, and outside of Kyle Kuzma, LA has no young talent that would interest the Thunder.
And right up until last week, Anthony …
And right up until last week, Anthony was embroiled in the fight of his life, a tug of war with his mind, body and heart over whether he wanted to continue to love her, love her all the way back to the NBA. “There was a time when I actually thought that I was about to let go,” Anthony said Tuesday.
His voice cracked, and he swallowed …
His voice cracked, and he swallowed hard to push back that painful memory. There were times, he said, when his body didn’t feel like getting out of bed for morning workouts. There were times when his mind doubted whether all the work, all the discipline, was worth it. And he found his heart yearning more and more for his other love, his family — wife, La La, and 12-year-old son, Kiyan. “I had to get over that hump, mentally and emotionally,” Anthony said. “It was challenging, I will tell you that.”
Perhaps the most impressive thing about …
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic’s statistical line Wednesday night was that it wasn’t surprising. Doncic lit up the depleted Golden State Warriors for 35 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the Mavs’ 142-94 win. Doncic exited the game for good with a few minutes left in the third quarter, playing only 25 minutes, 30 seconds, the least playing time in NBA history by a player to produce a 30-point triple-double, according to Elias Sports Bureau data.
ESPN Stats & Info: At 20 years-265 days …
ESPN Stats & Info: At 20 years-265 days old, Luka Doncic is the youngest player with consecutive 35-point triple-doubles. Oscar Robertson was the previous youngest at 22 years-34 days old in December 1960.
“Look, he’s a very special player on a …
Philadelphia’s had early playoff exits …
Philadelphia’s had early playoff exits the first two years of Simmons’ NBA career as opposing teams hung off the Australian because they knew he was reluctant to shoot. Social media caught fire, with Simmons’ shot the top trending topic on Twitter within minutes. He said in an on-court interview post game that he had been “repping” the shot in practice. “It felt good,” he said, when asked about making the shot. “I just like to come out here and play.”
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech Fearless Prediction, Game Preview
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech fearless prediction and game preview.
[jwplayer PkCtjTd4-boEY74VG]
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech fearless prediction and game preview.
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech Broadcast
Date: Saturday, November 23
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Network: ESPN2
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Pitt (7-3) vs. Virginia Tech (7-3) Game Preview
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Why Pitt Will Win
So here’s the deal. If Virginia Tech wins this game, next week’s showdown against Virginia is the for the ACC Coastal title. But if Pitt wins, it’s going back to the ACC championship if it beats Boston College next week and the Hokies get by the Cavaliers.
First, the Panthers have to take care of business with a defense that’s been every bit as nasty at times as any in the ACC.
Pitt has the nation’s best pass rush – coming though time and again with five sacks to stop North Carolina in last week’s overtime thriller. The Virginia Tech offensive line is fine, but it’s not a killer, and it’s not going to blast away enough for the running game to take over.
To pull this off, the Hokies have to be solid at moving the chains, getting past the swarming rush, and hit the third down plays. Pitt, though, has been excellent at coming up with the key stops – again, to beat this into the ground – because it’s getting to the quarterback.
The Hokies have rushed for 200 yards or more in four of their last five games. So far this year they’re 1-3 when they’re under 140 yards – struggling way too much in the win over a miserable Old Dominion team – and 6-0 when they’re over.
How many times this season has Pitt allowed more than 140 yards?
Once. To Penn State. No one else has been able to average more than four yards per carry.
– “Go to the bank!” Today’s top pick of the day just released
Why Virginia Tech Will Win
Virginia Tech has a pass rush, too.
The Hokies are getting enough out of their defense to hold on in a few shootouts, and come up big lately in big moments against everyone but Notre Dame.
The pressure in the backfield is getting the job done for a run defense that’s holding its own, and unlike last year, Pitt doesn’t have the ground attack good enough to take over.
Pitt is able to survive on just enough of passing attack to get by at times – Kenny Pickett threw for 359 yards against UNC – but it’s not a consistent attack. Virginia Tech is a bit better equipped to handle the Pitt pass rush than the other way around.
Hendon Hooker has the mobility and the accuracy to keep on pushing the ball down the field when everything is swarming around him. The freshman quarterback has yet to throw an interception in his five games of major work, he’s averaging over ten yards per pass, and he’s taking off just enough to make defenses worry.
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What’s Going To Happen
Pitt’s been playing with fire just a wee bit.
Since getting blasted by Virginia in the opener, seven of Pitt’s last nine games have been decided by seven points or fewer, and the other two were decided by ten points.
This team knows how to handle itself in tight spots, but in Virginia Tech’s final home game of the year, it’s about to dial up something special.
The defense has been fantastic over the last three weeks – it all started right after the 43-41 win over North Carolina – and it’s going to be every bit as effective up front as Pitt’s D.
The difference? The Hokies will run just enough to be okay. Pitt won’t be able to get its running attack going at all.
Pitt vs. Virginia Tech Prediction, Line
Virginia Tech 26, Pitt 20
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Virginia Tech -3.5, o/u: 46.5
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
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Must See Rating: 4
5: Citizen K
1: Frozen II
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Predicting The Rest of the Season
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Chargers offensive line not to blame for Philip Rivers’ woes vs. Chiefs
The Chargers offensive line had their best performance last Monday against the Chiefs.
The Chargers offensive line has taken a hit all season for being the reason why quarterback Philip Rivers has underperformed.
Following the Monday night game, the narrative that Rivers’ four-interception performance was because he didn’t trust his offensive line, thus making him feel rushed to make throws was still arisen.
The truth is, the offensive line wasn’t the issue. In fact, the unit that boasted two backup tackles and center had their best outing of the 2019 season against a stout Chiefs front.
After re-watching the game, there were only a couple plays in which Rivers was under duress. The first came when defensive end Frank Clark beat offensive tackle Trey Pipkins with speed and a dip move to force Rivers into throwing the interception.
The second came in the third quarter. Clark beat Pipkins with power off the line of scrimmage and caught him off guard with a chop-dip move to disrupt Rivers’ throw.
Outside of those plays, along with a couple others, the protection for Rivers was rock solid.
Trent Scott holds his own against Clark’s long arm move, giving him no ground.
Here, Pipkins latches on to Clark, resetting his hands and giving Rivers enough time to throw. On this play, you can see Hunter Henry is open in the middle of the field, but Rivers is locked on Austin Ekeler, which shows he isn’t going through his reads.
Very clean pocket here, as running back Melvin Gordon and fullback Derek Watt pick up the defenders attempting to blitz.
Again, Pipkins and Scott give there block no time to get into the backfield. Rivers has a clean pocket, but panics and opts to roll to the right when it’s too late.
Rivers has a clean pocket, but he steps up in a panic matter and is picked off by safety Tyrann Mathieu in a pass intended to wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Guard Michael Schofield is called for illegal hands to the face on this play, but look at Scott and Pipkins eliminate their blocks to give Rivers time. Just a very poor decision and great play by the Chiefs.
The offensive line isn’t as stout as others across the league, but they showed major improvement from the previous week against the Raiders, where they allowed five sacks.
With a lot of the focus being put on the line because of Rivers’ 14 interceptions this season, it is fair to say they weren’t the problem this past Monday.
Rivers’ issues are due to misreads, lack of anticipation and poor pocket awareness. It may not seem like it, but the Chargers offensive line has done well with their initial protections of Rivers with what they have after the slew of injuries to the position.
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