Rivers said he didn’t read the report, but, “it’s a pretty empty story. There’s nothing there.” How would he know? Anyway, he also said, “They investigate every year. I don’t know why that is news. Every year, someone signs, there is going to be an investigation. That’s fine. The key is once you’re clear. From what I know, I don’t think we were the only ones. The NBA investigated six teams. I don’t know that. But I know there was more than one. We should. That’s what we have to do and make sure things are done right. The NBA said it was.” I checked with a source in the NBA’s front office. No, six teams were not investigated. The Clippers, on the other hand, were fined $50,000 last year because Rivers compared Leonard to Michael Jordan on TV.
In this particular case, the NBA found …
In this particular case, the NBA found the Clippers are not at fault because they didn’t give Robertson what he’d asked at least two other teams for. But the asks were made. If nothing else, that goes back to the power Leonard and his camp wield in the NBA. Leonard, with his speech delivery — a slow talker — comes off as unassuming. But it’s not how he operates, on the court or off it.
Ryan Ward: Kawhi on atmosphere of …
Ryan Ward: Kawhi on atmosphere of Christmas Day matchup w/ #Lakers: “It was another road game. Christmas didn’t have nothing to do with it. Our mindset was coming in and trying to win the basketball game on the road and we were able to do that.”
Texans should expect to see Titans RB Derrick Henry
The Houston Texans should expect to face Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry in Week 17 at NRG Stadium.
The Tennessee Titans missed running back Derrick Henry in their 38-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 at Nissan Stadium.
The former 2016 second-round pick from Alabama was out with a hamstring injury. With a win ensuring the Titans qualify for the postseason for the second time in three seasons, and the first in the Mike Vrabel era, Tennessee could sure use their feature back.
“We’re just trying to get everybody that’s healthy back for the game that can help us win,” Vrabel told the Houston media on a conference call Tuesday. “It’s the playoffs for us, it’s not quite the playoffs for everybody else, but it’s the playoffs for us.”
Though neither team practiced on Christmas Day, both the Texans and Titans released injury reports of estimated participation had there been practice. Henry was listed as a “full participant.”
If the Titans can get Henry back, it will be an added dimension the Texans would have to manage as they count down the time to the postseason.
“Derrick’s run hard for us,” Vrabel said. “He’s tried to break some tackles, and again, you can’t block everybody. You have to make somebody miss or break a tackle. His attitude has been great. Like the rest of us, he needs to try to continue to improve late in the season.”
For the Texans, they have their ticket punched for the playoffs as their 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured the AFC South title for them in Week 16. A win against the Titans is immaterial unless paired with a Kansas City Chiefs loss. Then, Houston would move up to the No. 3 seed. However, they are locked into wild-card weekend (Jan. 4-5) as the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots are set to have the AFC’s only two first-round byes.
Henry may be back for the Titans, which is beneficial for them. As it relates to the Texans, they are counting down until the playoffs.
Vikings have 2 players on projected all-decade team
Adrian Peterson and Cordarelle Patterson were two of the best players at their position from 2010-19.
With the decade coming to an end, Chris Wesseling over at NFL.com made his predictions for the all-decade team.
The Vikings have two representatives.
At running back, Adrian Peterson made the team.
As far as the decade is concerned, Peterson spent 2010-2016 with the Vikings, 2017 with the Saints and Cardinals and 2018-19 with the Redskins. During that time, Peterson has made four Pro Bowl teams, two All-Pro Teams. Peterson has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark five times and has led the league in rushing twice. Peterson has totalled 9,654 yards and 71 rushing touchdowns during that stretch.
The second player is kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson spent 2013-2016 with the Vikings, 2017 with the Raiders, 2018 with the Patriots and 2019 with the Bears. During that time, he’s made three Pro Bowl teams and two All Pro teams.
He has a combined seven kick returns for touchdowns, and in 2019 with Chicago, he led the league with 825 kick returning yards.
You can check out the full team here.
By the numbers: Stats to know for Rams’ final game at Coliseum
Here are all the stats and historic numbers you should know for the Rams’ final game at the Coliseum.
For one last time, the Rams will take the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. It’s their final game at the historic venue that they’ve called home since 2016, also spending 1946-1979 there, too.
The team will wear commemorative patches on their jerseys for the last game at the Coliseum, while fans will be allowed to go on the field after the final whistle for a post-game fireworks show.
It’s going to be a special day at the Coliseum, closing out the Rams’ tenure there against the Arizona Cardinals at 4:25 p.m. ET. Next year, they’ll play their home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which is nearing completion.
But before they move out of the Coliseum, here’s a list of stats and numbers to know from their 38 years of calling it home.
163: Rams went 163-97-8 at Coliseum (including playoffs)
12: Rams playoff games played at Coliseum (6-6 record)
843: Touchdowns scored by Rams
639: Touchdowns allowed by Rams
14: Number of division titles won by Rams while playing at Coliseum
202: Number of Rams Pro Bowlers during days at Coliseum
6,825: Points scored by the Rams
400: Touchdown passes thrown by Rams players
400: Interceptions thrown by Rams players
53,434: Passing yards by Rams
73.8: Combined passer rating of Rams players
360: Rams rushing TDs
39,214: Rams rushing yards
311: Field goals made by Rams kickers
365: Field goals attempted by Rams
83: Total returned touchdowns
171,385: Yards combined by both teams in Rams games
1,413: Total turnovers by Rams and opponents
171: Number of players that threw a TD pass
11,843: Passing yards by Roman Gabriel (most of any player)
89: Touchdown passes by Gabriel (most)
4,371: Yards rushing by Marcus Allen (most of any player)
48: Rushing touchdowns by Allen (most)
3,074: Yards rushing by Lawrence McCutcheon (most by Rams player)
26: Rushing touchdowns by Dan Towler (most by Rams player)
3,527: Yards receiving by Jack Snow (most of any player)
31: Touchdown catches by Snow (most)
21: Interceptions by Eddie Meador (most of any player)
65.5: Sacks by Greg Townsend (most of any player)
21.5: Sacks by Aaron Donald (most by Rams player)
554: Most passing yards in a single game (Norm Van Brocklin, 1951)
6: Most touchdown passes in a game (Patrick Mahomes, 2018)
247: Most rushing yards in a game (Willie Ellison, 1971)
238: Most yards receiving in a game (Harold Jackson, 1973)
12: Most solo tackles in a game (Mark Barron, 2017)
Are Colts a team to watch for Tua Tagovailoa?
Could Tua be an option for Indy?
When the season officially concludes Sunday night for the Indianapolis Colts, the attention will fully shift to the upcoming offseason and the moves the front office could possibly make.
There are several avenues the Colts could explore this offseason and many are wondering if a new quarterback will be added to the room. Could Indy be a team to watch for Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa?
In the opinion of Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, he believes the Colts could be a team to watch for Tua if he falls to the middle of the first round in the draft.
I love the fit in Indy. With Tagovialoa in the saddle, Bama ran one of the most innovative RPO packages in the sport, and rode it to two record-breaking years. Frank Reich, as you guys know, is excellent in that area. And I know they still like Jacoby Brissett. But if Tua is sitting there for you in the middle of the first round, it might be hard to say no.
Now, this isn’t an official report that the Colts have an interest in the southpaw quarterback. Nor is it based around any information that the Colts want to add to the quarterback room.
However, most would say that the biggest need for the Colts this offseason is to upgrade at the quarterback position given the disappointing regression of Jacoby Brissett.
The Colts themselves might not feel that way, but Brissett showed in 2019 that he isn’t going to elevate the play of the unit around him.
Tua’s biggest question obviously comes with his health. He suffered a dislocated hip, among other things, which has given his draft stock several question marks.
However, if all of his medical tests check out in February and March, the outlook of his future could still be as a high first-round pick. The risk could also push his draft stock down, which would give the Colts the opportunity to grab him if they feel so inclined.
What the Colts will do this offseason remains to be seen but if Tua is healthy and available, it can’t be dismissed out of hand.
Texans vs Titans: Point spread, over/under for Week 17
The Houston Texans are favored by -4.5 at home against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 at NRG Stadium.
The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans meet for their Week 17 rematch Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.
For the Texans, who have won the AFC South, a loss won’t hurt them. With a 10-5 record, the Baltimore Ravens possessing a No. 1 seed with a 13-2 mark and the New England Patriots a 12-3 record at No. 2, Houston can’t get out of wild-card weekend. The only moving up they could do is if the Kansas City Chiefs lose to the Los Angeles Chargers in the noon game at Arrowhead Stadium. All that would help Houston do is avoid the Buffalo Bills, the No. 5 seed, in the wild-card round.
The Titans need a win to ensure they are the No. 6 and final seed in the playoffs. It is possible they could lose, but the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will be playing a Ravens squad that is going to rest players, would also have to lose. Tennessee will be going all out to claim that last ticket to the tournament.
How do odds-makers see the game going?
According to BetMGM, the Texans are favored by -4.5, which is right in the middle of the pack for odds. The Philadelphia Eagles, who are on the road at the New York Giants, have similar odds. The highest odds for the week go to the Patriots at -15.5 as they host the Miami Dolphins. The slimmest odds go to Buffalo Bills at home against the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home against the Atlanta Falcons, and the Minnesota Vikings at home against the Chicago Bears — all three home teams are favored by -1.5.
In terms of over/under, the game is set at 45.5, which represents the fifth-highest point total of Week 17. The highest is 48.5 in the Atlanta-Tampa Bay game and the lowest is 36.5, which is shared by New York-Buffalo and Chicago-Minnesota.
For more information on the rest of the NFL and college football, please check out our sister site, the Sportsbook Wire.
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Report: Pelicans have a target date for Zion to return to practice
As Zion Williamson ramps up his recovery efforts, the organization has a date in mind for when the No. 1 pick will return to practice.
No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson has started participating in on-court training exercises in recent weeks with the New Orleans Pelicans and is making progress in his recovery from knee surgery.
Jorge Sedano of ESPN reported on Wednesday night that the process for Williamson has been more about just recovering from knee surgery on Oct. 21. The organization is also training Williamson to walk and run differently to work on the kinetic chain on his body.
Williamson has been seen publicly doing shooting drills and he has also gone through group drills but he has not yet started 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 workouts. Williamson participated last week in an extended workout with team coaches running up and down the court and going through plays.
As Williamson ramps up his recovery efforts, the Pelicans would eventually like the former Duke star to participate in two or three practices before making his debut. The team expects Williamson, per Sedano’s report, to begin those practices shortly after the new year.
A source within the organization told ESPN that before Williamson makes his on-court return, the team would like him to undergo at least two or three practices doing full work. A source told Sedano the team is targeting just after the new year for those practices.
The Pelicans have stated that they will not rush Williamson back to the court in order to ensure he is 100% healthy. They are prioritizing his long-term health and future, which is also why the team is working on re-programming his body by changing the way he walks and runs.
Without Williamson this season, the Pelicans are 14th in the Western Conference and have posted a 9-23 record after defeating the Denver Nuggets on Christmas Day.
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Chris Paul not surprised OKC competing for playoff spot
The Thunder are over .500 for the first time this year. ESPN’s NBA BPI Playoff Odds gives OKC an 85.4% chance to make the postseason.
Oklahoma City is over .500 for the first time this year, thanks in part to a season’s best four-game winning streak.
Dennis Schroder just won the Western Conference Player of the Week and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set and then matched a career-high 32 points against the Suns and the Clippers.
OKC has continued on after losing their top two stars off of last year’s rosters.
They’ve found a way to deal with injuries to some of their key players. And they’ve competed in almost every game.
With low expectations heading into the season, there may be a lot of people that are surprised that the Oklahoma City Thunder contending for a playoff spot in the West.
But Chris Paul isn’t one of them.
“Yup,” Paul told Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman after practice on Monday. “I thought we’d actually have a better record. I don’t know who I said it to at some point, but I said, no offense, but as long as I’m on the court I feel like we’ve always got a chance. I don’t care what the team is, what it looks like, who it is or whatever.”
As noted by Mussatto, the oddsmakers are siding with Paul.
As of the time of writing on Thursday, December 26, FiveThirtyEight gives Oklahoma City a 79% chance to make the postseason while ESPN’s NBA BPI Playoff Odds have the Thunder at 85.4%.
Don’t get too crazy though, both sites place OKC’s odds of winning a championship at less than .1%.
However, those numbers reflect the Thunder as they are now, with Paul, Danilo Gallinari, and Steven Adams. And with those players available to be traded, a roster shakeup in Oklahoma City could be imminent.
But Paul’s not worried about that right now. He’s focusing on the “small victories”.
“Everybody always tries to tell your story,” Paul said. “Everybody said I didn’t want to be here either. You know what I mean? I think for us it’s just about continuing to play hard and not get ahead of ourselves. Understand it’s a lot of season left. We just got above .500. You take the small victories.”
Oklahoma City will try and complete a perfect homestand with a win over the Grizzlies on Thursday night.
Tip-off against Memphis is at 7 p.m. inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.