Pelicans vs. Rockets Preview: Can New Orleans go back-to-back?

The New Orleans Pelicans will look to start their first winning streak of the season with a win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Houston Rockets

When: Monday, Nov. 11, 8:00 p.m ET

Where: Smoothie King Center

How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans

After snapping their three-game losing streak on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Pelicans (2-7) will look to get their first back-to-back wins of the regular season when they host the Houston Rockets (6-3) on Monday.

Neither team has started the season the way they wanted but the Rockets are still firmly in the playoff conversation with their All-Star backcourt featuring Russell Westbrook and James Harden — each of whom has won the league MVP award within the last three years. The same can’t be said of the Pelicans, however, who are No. 13 in the Western Conference going into Monday night’s game — a team they don’t match up well with.

The Rockets are ranked sixth in the league in fast-break points led by Russell Westbrook, who is fourth among players in fast-break points per game (5.8). The Pelicans are also ranked sixth in fast-break points but they also allow the most fast-break points in the NBA (20.4). That’s not a recipe for success against any team, but especially not the Rockets.

It’s not just transition defense that the Pelicans struggle with, though — it’s defense in general. Through nine games, the Pelicans are ranked No. 29 in the league in defensive rating, allowing 113.3 points per 100 possessions. At No. 22, the Rockets aren’t much better. But Houston has the second-most efficient offense in the NBA behind the Dallas Mavericks.

New Orleans will have to be at its best defensively on Monday. But with Lonzo Ball — one of their best defensive guards — sidelined once again, their best might not be enough. Hopefully the new-look starting lineup continues to surprise people and helps the Pelicans start their first winning streak of the season.

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Meet the 2019 European Challenge Tour graduate class

Alistair Tait breaks down the Challenge Tour graduating class of 2019 and three players to look out for.

The 2019 Challenge Tour graduate class will have to play very well to top the class of 2018. Eleven of last year’s 15 graduates kept their cards on the main tour this year.

Don’t expect the class of 2019 to match that statistic. That’s not to say there aren’t good players amongst this year’s graduates, but it’s hard to see any of the 15 coming close to the likes of Victor Perez, Robert Macintyre, Adri Arnaus and Joachim B. Hansen, who are currently ninth, 13th, 36th and 52nd respectively on the Race to Dubai after getting their cards via last year’s Challenge Tour.

So who is most likely to excel in the 2020 season? Here are three names to look out for in 2020.

Key players in 2020

Connor Syme of Scotland, England’s Matthew Jordan and Pole Adrian Meronk are the likely lads of 2020.

Syme has been a potential Scottish star since he won the 2016 Australian Amateur Championship. He played in the 2017 Walker Cup, winning just one point out of a possible four. He turned that disappointment around by earning his European card for the 2018 season via the Qualifying School. Syme finished 126th on the money list, with a second-place finish in the Shot Clock Masters. He made 12 of 26 cuts in his rookie year.

With two full seasons under his belt, Syne should have enough experience to do a better job in his second tilt at the main tour. He’ll get a decent number of starts this year in good tournaments. He might not match fellow 2017 Walker Cup player Macintyre’s feats of this season, but he has the game to at least keep his card next year.

Jordan looked good in this year’s Betfred British Masters at Hillside Golf Club on the main tour, especially when he led after an opening 63 to set a course record. He eventually finished 15th, and didn’t look out of place alongside the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Eddie Pepperell, Matt Wallace and other high calibre Englishmen in the field.

Jordan also played in the 2017 Walker Cup but went 0-2. The softly spoken Englishman is a links specialist, courtesy of his membership of Royal Liverpool. He won the 2017 St Andrews Links Trophy, a major amateur championship in the British Isles. Look for him to excel on fast running courses where the wind is a factor.

Meronk is the outside bet in this trio. He spent four years at East Tennessee State, when he won four times. He becomes the first Polish player to play on the European Tour. The 6-foot, 5-inch player might not light up the main tour next year, but he has the game to have a respectable season along with Syme and Jordan.

The Challenge Tour Class of 2019

  1. Francesco Laporta, Italy, 29 – Made five trips to the Qualifying School and succeeded in 2015 only to finish 189th on the money list. Has two Challenge Tour wins.
  2. Callum Hill, Scotland, 26 – Has three Challenge Tour wins including twice this year. Failed to get his card for main tour at 2018 Qualifying school. Has played just five European Tour events.
  3. Richard Bland, England, 46 – Veteran European Tour pro who epitomizes the term “journeyman.” He has two seconds in main tour events but has never won in 448 starts. His best season was 2016 when he finished 28th on the Race to Dubai.
  4. Sebastian Heisele, Germany, 31 – Played college golf at Colorado, graduating in 2011 with a degree in architecture. Has one Challenge Tour victory. Made six visits to the Qualifying School, with success in 2016 and 2017 but failed to keep his card both times.
  5. Adrian Meronk, Poland, 26 – Won this year’s 57º Open de Portugal @ Morgado Golf Resort. Played college golf at East Tennessee State, and becomes first Polish golfer to hold a full European Tour card.
  6. Jack Senior, England, 31 – Has made eight unsuccessful trips to the European Tour Qualifying School. Has two Challenge Tour victories, including one this year. Won the 2011 Lytham Trophy and went on to play in that year’s victorious GB&I Walker Cup team, winning two and a half points out of four.
  7. Robin Roussel, France, 26 – Has one Challenge Tour win, this year’s Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open. He also won on the MENA Tour. He’s made four unsuccessful trips to the Qualifying School.
  8. Antoine Rozner, France, 26 – Won back-to-back events on the Challenge Tour this year, taking the Challenge de España by four shots and then running out a seven-shot winner of the Prague Golf Challenge. Has made two unsuccessful trips to the Qualifying, 2017 and 2018.
  9. Matthew Jordan, England, 23 – The softly spoken Englishman won the Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil to pave his way to the European Tour. The Royal Liverpool member made a splash on the European Tour this year in the Betfred British Masters when he set a course record at Hillside Golf Club with an opening 63. He eventually finished 15th. Played in the 2017 Walker Cup at Los Angeles.
  10. Ricardo Santos, Portugal, 37 – The Tour veteran had a full card for three straight seasons between 2012 and 2014. He won the 2012 Madeira Islands Open in his homeland. He won this year’s Swiss Challenge Presented by Swiss Golf on the Challenge Tour. He’s made nine unsuccessful visits to the Qualifying School
  11. Cormac Sharvin, Northern Ireland, 27 – Sharvin helped Great Britain & Ireland win the 2015 Walker Cup at Royal Lytham, winning three points out of three. In 2015, he won the prestigious Brabazon Trophy. He failed to get his tour card at the 2016 Qualifying School and has spent the last three years on the Challenge Tour.
  12. Oliver Farr, Wales, 31 – The Welshman has had a full European Tour card twice before, 2015 and 2018, both times via the Challenge Tour top 15. He has three Challenge Tour wins, including this year’s Lalla Aïcha Challenge Tour in Morocco.
  13. Darius van Driel, The Netherlands, 30 – Winning the Rolex Trophy, his second Challenge Tour win, helped him finish in the top 15 of the money list. Gave up the game at 18 because of a broken right hand after falling off a banana boat. Took it up again in 2015 and topped the Alps Tour money list.
  14. Connor Syme, Scotland, 24 – Won the 2016 Australian Amateur and reached eighth on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Played in the 2017 Walker Cup. Got his card at the 2017 Qualifying School, but finished 126th on last year’s Race to Dubai. Won this year’s Turkish Airlines Challenge to ensure a return to the main tour.
  15. Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez, Spain, 30 –After four fruitless attempts at the Qualifying School, the Spaniard took 15th and final spot on the Challenge Tour money list by €1,437.50. Didn’t win on the circuit but had seven top 10s including two seconds.

Broncos still on pace for 9th overall pick in 2020 NFL draft

The Broncos are on pace to select ninth overall in the 2020 NFL draft in Las Vegas.

Coming off their bye week, the Denver Broncos (3-6) are still on pace to select ninth overall in the 2020 NFL draft. Here’s a look at the current order of the top-10 selections, courtesy of Tankathon.com:

  1. Cincinnati Bengals (0-9)
  2. Washington Redskins (1-8)
  3. New York Giants (2-8)
  4. Miami Dolphins (2-7)
  5. New York Jets (2-7)
  6. Atlanta Falcons (2-7)
  7. Cleveland Browns (3-6)
  8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6)
  9. Denver Broncos (3-6)
  10. Arizona Cardinals (3-6-1)

After trading wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the San Francisco 49ers, Denver will have seven selections within the first four rounds of next year’s draft. The Broncos are expected to have at least nine picks next year and that total might increase depending on possible compensatory selections yet to be announced.

Depending on how Drew Lock looks to close out the season, Denver might consider drafting another QB in 2020. The top candidates will likely include Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Georgia’s Jake Fromm and LSU’s Joe Burrow.

The 2020 NFL draft will take place from April 23-25, 2020 in Las Vegas.

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What we learned from Bills’ Week 10 loss to Browns

What we learned, Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns, NFL Week 10

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

Coming into week 10, the Bills had survived several games this season where they did not play well, but found a way to win. Their luck finally ran out in another ugly game Sunday along the banks of Lake Erie.

The Bills faltered on both their final defensive and offensive possessions of the game after coming from behind to take a lead in the fourth quarter. Cleveland went on a 10-play, 82-yard drive to take the lead on a Baker Mayfield to Rashard Higgins seven-yard touchdown pass with 1:44 to go. Josh Allen and the Bills got the ball back with a chance to either drive for a game-winning touchdown or game-tying field goal. Buffalo got to the Cleveland 35, but faltered from there as Allen threw incomplete on a back-shoulder toss on third down. Stephen Hauschka trotted onto the field to attempt a 53-yard field goal that would tie the game, but was both wide and short as Cleveland held on to win, 19-16.

There was a lot to be concerned about following this game for Buffalo, including questions on offense, defense, and with the coaching staff. The Bills offense again failed to deliver enough production to win the game, while the defense again had trouble stopping the run. Sean McDermott and the Bills’ coaching staff also had a rough day as there were game management decisions to question in the final two minutes.

The Bills are now 6-3 and suddenly find themselves falling back toward a gaining pack in the AFC wild card race as Buffalo has now lost two of its last three.

Here are four things we learned from the Bills’ loss Sunday in Cleveland:

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NFC playoff picture: Who should Rams be pulling for in Seahawks-49ers?

The Rams have to hope San Francisco gets a win on Monday night.

The Los Angeles Rams’ playoff hopes took another big hit on Sunday following their loss to the Steelers. However, thanks to a few other NFC foes losing, the Rams are still in the hunt for a postseason berth.

It’s just that a win over Pittsburgh would’ve helped their chances greatly, pushing them closer to the No. 6 seed. As it stands right now, the Rams are seventh in the conference, bunched in a tie with the Eagles and Panthers, and just one game ahead of their Week 11 opponent, the Bears.

Let’s take a look at the playoff picture as it stands right now.

NFC standings

1. West: 49ers (8-0)

2. North: Packers (8-2)

3. South: Saints (7-2)

4. East: Cowboys (5-4)

5. Wild card: Seahawks (7-2)

6. Wild card: Vikings (7-3)

In the hunt

Rams (5-4)
Eagles (5-4)
Panthers (5-4)
Bears (4-5)
Lions (3-5-1)
Cardinals (3-6-1)

Clearly, things are tight in the NFC. The Rams are 1.5 games out of a wild-card berth behind the Vikings, and two games back of the Seahawks. They trail the 49ers by 2.5 games in the division and have very little chance to catch San Francisco.

Monday night’s matchup between the Seahawks and 49ers only complicates things for the Rams. On one hand, they’ll pick up half a game on someone. On the other, one of the teams is sure to move another step ahead of the Rams – barring a tie, of course.

So who should the Rams (and fans) be rooting for tonight? Following Los Angeles’ loss on Sunday, that answer is much clearer: San Francisco.

If the 49ers win tonight, they’ll move to 9-0, which is four games ahead of the Rams. With only seven games remaining, that’s a margin too wide for Los Angeles to close. More importantly, it’ll drop the Seahawks back to 7-3, which is 1.5 games ahead of the Rams. That’s not an impossible gap to close, especially with the two teams having one matchup left this season.

Seattle winning would give the 49ers their first loss and drop San Francisco to three games ahead of the Rams, but it would also give the Seahawks a 2.5-game cushion for a wild-card spot. That’s a recipe for disaster for the Rams and would create an even steeper climb to the fifth or sixth seed.

There’s no doubt the Rams need a lot of help. They need the Cowboys, Eagles, Seahawks, Vikings and even the Panthers to lose quite a few games. The 49ers crumbling wouldn’t hurt, but San Francisco’s cushion is likely already too big for the Rams to overcome.

On Monday night, the Rams have to hope San Francisco comes away victorious and pushes further ahead in the division – simultaneously knocking the Seahawks back a bit.

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Oleksandr Usyk could face Derek Chisora next, says manager

Oleksandr Usyk said he wanted to fight for a title after his successful heavyweight debut but might face Derek Chisora first.

Oleksandr Usyk didn’t waste any time. He went from a predictable victory in his heavyweight debut to saying he wanted a shot at a title in his next fight.

Not so fast.

It’s beginning to sound as if Usyk is altering his timetable.

Usyk manager Egis Klimas said the former cruiserweight-turned-heavyweight would be interested in a bout with Derek Chisora. No title there. But Chisora would keep Usyk busy in what would also be a chance to get some more experience at his new weight.

Usyk plans to be Saudi Arabia on December 7 for the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch on DAZN. Three of the major belts are at stake in that one. The fourth is at stake on November 23 in champion Deontay Wilder’s rematch with Luis Ortiz in Las Vegas on pay-per-view.

“We don’t know what happens on December 7,’’ Klimas told Sky Sports. “But if it is possible to fight in between and not to wait for another six months, I think Chisora will be a good fight for Usyk.”

Usyk, who held all of the cruiserweight belts, is already the mandatory challenger for one of the heavyweight belts held by Ruiz, who upset Joshua on June 1 in New York.

Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn has said that the December 7 winner will probably vacate one of the belts.

 

Artem Lobov says there’s still some unfinished business with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Artem Lobov says there’s definitely some unsettled business with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The SBG Ireland vs. Dagestan war may be far from over.

It all started with [autotag]Artem Lobov[/autotag], good friend and training partner of former UFC dual champion Conor McGregor, who was confronted by lightweight champ [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and his crew backstage at UFC 223.

McGregor came to Lobov’s defense soon after and flew to New York, where he threw a hand truck through the window of a bus that carried Nurmagomedov and his team. Eventually, McGregor and Nurmagomedov fought at UFC 229, where Nurmagomedov retained the lightweight title with a fourth-round submission.

Following his win, Nurmagomedov jumped the cage and attacked McGregor’s corner, and a brawl ensued. But after a few altercations, a brawl, suspensions, and a fight, the bad blood has not boiled over.

Ever since then, McGregor has been campaigning for a rematch, and the man who was initially in the center of it all, Lobov, said things are certainly not cordial between him and Nurmagomdov.

“Definitely, things are not fine,” Lobov told Chael Sonnen. “There’s some unsettled business there, and I think in due course it will all be settled. But as of now, it’s definitely not. Not even close.”

But Lobov admits he doesn’t mind that the beef is not settled, after all, it keeps his name relevant, and his bank account pretty.

“It’s Khabib’s fans obviously, I have a lot of Russian fans, myself, that support me – and obviously he has a lot of guys that support him,” Lobov said. “So obviously his guys that support him, they always have a lot to say about me, but I don’t mind. It keeps my name in the headlines, it keeps my name in the Internet searches, and as a result, it keeps my salary nice and high.”

Since being released by the UFC, Lobov has signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, where he picked up unanimous decision wins over fellow UFC veteran Jason Knight and former boxing world champion Paulie Malignaggi, who infamously had a falling out with McGregor when helping him prepare for his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather.

Lobov is set to rematch Knight at BKFC 9 on Nov. 16 in the night’s headliner.

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