For the first time in a long time, more than one former Notre Dame player played in NBA games over the course of a week. Having recovered from a torn MCL, San Antonio Spurs rookie [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] made his return in front of an NBA-record crowd at the Alamodome. The Golden State Warriors saw him record two points and one rebound, and the Sacramento Kings saw him score five points, a rebound and an assist. In the two games, he averaged 3.5 points.
[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] had an incredible scoring week for the Milwaukee Bucks, reaching double figures in three of his four games. He saved his best game for last, scoring 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds against the Miami Heat. He also recorded a steal in three of the week’s four games. For the week, he averaged 11.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists a game while shooting 38.1% from the field, mainly in the form of 3-pointers.
The NBA’s regular-season attendance record could be broken on Friday at the Alamodome.
To start their five-game road swing, the Golden State Warriors will travel to San Antonio for a game against the Spurs. However, instead of playing at San Antonio’s AT&T Center, the defending NBA champions will meet the Spurs at the historic Alamodome to honor the franchise’s 50th anniversary.
With the game set for the large arena in Texas, the Warriors vs. Spurs has the chance to set the NBA’s single-game attendance record on Friday night.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Spurs are selling over 63,000 tickets for the game at the Alamodome. The game could potentially sell 68,000 tickets.
NBA history: The San Antonio Spurs will set the league’s single-game attendance record Friday vs. Warriors at the Alamodome, selling 63,592 tickets to beat previous mark by Hawks-Bulls in 1998. pic.twitter.com/zT1aW5ESXM
The previous attendance record has stood since 1998 when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls met the Atlanta Hawks in the Georgia Dome. The Bulls vs. Hawks game brought in 62,046 people.
Outside of Bulls vs. Hawks in 1998, the only other NBA game to surpass 60,000 fans came in 1988 when the Boston Celtics met the Detroit Pistons at the Pontiac Silverdome (61,983).
Although it doesn’t count as a regular season game, the NBA All-Star Game in 2010 hosted 108,713 fans at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
From 1993 to 2002, the Alamodome was the home of the Spurs. Currently, the Alamodome hosts the UTSA Roadrunners and the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL. Since 1993, the Alamodome has hosted the Alamo Bowl in college football.
Both the Warriors and Spurs are riding three-game losing streaks heading into Friday’s game. Fans in attendance will get the opportunity to watch Steph Curry. After missing 11 games, due to a shoulder injury, the reigning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player recently returned to the court on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns. Curry tallied 24 points in 31 minutes in his first game back from injury.
Gervonta Davis was involved in hit-and-run crash in the early morning hours Thursday, according to a report.
Gervonta Davis was involved in a hit and run accident in the early morning hours Thursday in his native Baltimore, although police couldn’t confirm whether he was the driver or a passenger, WJZ-TV in Baltimore reported.
Davis was in a Lamborghini truck that crashed into a fence at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Washington Blvd., according to Baltimore police.
WJZ obtained a surveillance video showing the impact and people exiting the vehicle, one from the driver’s side and another from the passenger side. They then walked away from the scene.
Police haven’t confirmed which of them was Davis, according to WJZ.
Police got a call around 1:50 a.m. informing them that a vehicle allegedly ran a red light and hit another vehicle. The first car then drove off. Police said several people involved had minor injuries.
Davis reportedly attended an event in downtown Baltimore celebrating his knockout of Leo Santa Cruz last Saturday in San Antonio. Police said Davis arrived around midnight and left around 1:30 a.m., WJZ reported.
Gervonta Davis was involved in hit-and-run crash in the early morning hours Thursday, according to a report.
Gervonta Davis was involved in a hit and run accident in the early morning hours Thursday in his native Baltimore, although police couldn’t confirm whether he was the driver or a passenger, WJZ-TV in Baltimore reported.
Davis was in a Lamborghini truck that crashed into a fence at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Washington Blvd., according to Baltimore police.
WJZ obtained a surveillance video showing the impact and people exiting the vehicle, one from the driver’s side and another from the passenger side. They then walked away from the scene.
Police haven’t confirmed which of them was Davis, according to WJZ.
Police got a call around 1:50 a.m. informing them that a vehicle allegedly ran a red light and hit another vehicle. The first car then drove off. Police said several people involved had minor injuries.
Davis reportedly attended an event in downtown Baltimore celebrating his knockout of Leo Santa Cruz last Saturday in San Antonio. Police said Davis arrived around midnight and left around 1:30 a.m., WJZ reported.
Gervonta Davis said he would be interested in facing the winner of the Dec. 5 Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell fight.
Gervonta Davis has a lot of options at both 130 and 135 pounds. One possible opponent he seems to like: the winner of the Dec. 5 lightweight fight between Ryan Garcia and Luke Campbell.
Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) knocked Leo Santa Cruz out cold with an epic left uppercut this past Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, a significant step in the career of the 25-year-old slugger.
“I know about both guys, they’re tremendous fighters,” Davis told The Independent. “I can take the winner. I’ll fight either of them, they’re both great opponents. Luke Campbell is a great fighter, it certainly won’t be easy for Garcia.”
“My eyes are definitely on this fight as I’d love to take on the winner. It’s a great fight and it’s hard to pick a winner. Both can fight and both are elite. I’m a fan of the sport, so I’ll definitely be watching.
“May the best man win. And then they can fight me next. We can definitely do it in the U.K. too [if Campbell wins]. I love it there after fighting [Liam] Walsh and really appreciate the support over there.”
Davis and Garcia (20-0, 17 KOs) both have massive social media followings and both can crack. Garcia has had a string of early knockouts.
Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) won a gold medal for England in the 2012 Olympics a is a two-time world title challenger, losing to Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Gervonta Davis said he would be interested in facing the winner of the Dec. 5 Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell fight.
Gervonta Davis has a lot of options at both 130 and 135 pounds. One possible opponent he seems to like: the winner of the Dec. 5 lightweight fight between Ryan Garcia and Luke Campbell.
Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) knocked Leo Santa Cruz out cold with an epic left uppercut this past Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, a significant step in the career of the 25-year-old slugger.
“I know about both guys, they’re tremendous fighters,” Davis told The Independent. “I can take the winner. I’ll fight either of them, they’re both great opponents. Luke Campbell is a great fighter, it certainly won’t be easy for Garcia.”
“My eyes are definitely on this fight as I’d love to take on the winner. It’s a great fight and it’s hard to pick a winner. Both can fight and both are elite. I’m a fan of the sport, so I’ll definitely be watching.
“May the best man win. And then they can fight me next. We can definitely do it in the U.K. too [if Campbell wins]. I love it there after fighting [Liam] Walsh and really appreciate the support over there.”
Davis and Garcia (20-0, 17 KOs) both have massive social media followings and both can crack. Garcia has had a string of early knockouts.
Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) won a gold medal for England in the 2012 Olympics a is a two-time world title challenger, losing to Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Leo Santa Cruz says he will talk to those closest to him before deciding whether to fight again after his KO loss to Gervonta Davis.
Leo Santa Cruz told ESPN Deportes that he’s considering retirement.
The former four-division titleholder was on the wrong end of a brutal one-punch knockout – one that rendered him temporarily unconscious — against Gervonta Davis on Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
He said he’ll discuss his future with those closest to him, including his father-trainer, and then make a decision.
“Thank God we are fine, we are healthy,” he said. “We did not come out with victory, but we thank all the fans for their support, their good vibes, with all our hearts. He caught me, we went down, but thank God we are here.”
He went on: “The truth is I want to spend time with the family, spend time with them, rest. And the truth is I am going to talk with my team, with my father, to see what plans they have or what they want me to do, to see if I continue boxing or we retire.
“Let’s see what happens. Let’s talk to my dad and see if we come back. Let’s see, as my mind clears, let’s see what comes next.”
Davis and Santa Cruz engaged in a 130-pound firefight for much of five-plus rounds before the big blow came in Round 6.
Santa Cruz, the naturally smaller man, said he wasn’t overwhelmed by Davis’ strength until his lights went out as a result of a perfect left uppercut. However, he also said that he felt “a little heavy.” He fought at 126 only two fights earlier.
“At the weight we really did feel a little heavy, but I’m honest … he wasn’t feeling my punch,” Santa Cruz said. “He threw the uppercut on me, and I was blocking it well. I didn’t feel the punch, and that’s why I stayed there [in the pocket].
“But he threw that particular uppercut with all his force. He threw it and he hit me good. I was not feeling as strong as they said. But he hit me with a good punch. I don’t take anything from him. He’s a great fighter and he caught me.
“People were worried about how I went down. Me too. Right now I looked at how I fell, knocked out, I don’t remember when he hit me, I just fell, I didn’t feel anything. It was my mistake. … Three right hands at the same time because he was studying it, and he said he was going to counter me. I threw it and he countered me and caught me.”
Leo Santa Cruz says he will talk to those closest to him before deciding whether to fight again after his KO loss to Gervonta Davis.
Leo Santa Cruz told ESPN Deportes that he’s considering retirement.
The former four-division titleholder was on the wrong end of a brutal one-punch knockout – one that rendered him temporarily unconscious — against Gervonta Davis on Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
He said he’ll discuss his future with those closest to him, including his father-trainer, and then make a decision.
“Thank God we are fine, we are healthy,” he said. “We did not come out with victory, but we thank all the fans for their support, their good vibes, with all our hearts. He caught me, we went down, but thank God we are here.”
He went on: “The truth is I want to spend time with the family, spend time with them, rest. And the truth is I am going to talk with my team, with my father, to see what plans they have or what they want me to do, to see if I continue boxing or we retire.
“Let’s see what happens. Let’s talk to my dad and see if we come back. Let’s see, as my mind clears, let’s see what comes next.”
Davis and Santa Cruz engaged in a 130-pound firefight for much of five-plus rounds before the big blow came in Round 6.
Santa Cruz, the naturally smaller man, said he wasn’t overwhelmed by Davis’ strength until his lights went out as a result of a perfect left uppercut. However, he also said that he felt “a little heavy.” He fought at 126 only two fights earlier.
“At the weight we really did feel a little heavy, but I’m honest … he wasn’t feeling my punch,” Santa Cruz said. “He threw the uppercut on me, and I was blocking it well. I didn’t feel the punch, and that’s why I stayed there [in the pocket].
“But he threw that particular uppercut with all his force. He threw it and he hit me good. I was not feeling as strong as they said. But he hit me with a good punch. I don’t take anything from him. He’s a great fighter and he caught me.
“People were worried about how I went down. Me too. Right now I looked at how I fell, knocked out, I don’t remember when he hit me, I just fell, I didn’t feel anything. It was my mistake. … Three right hands at the same time because he was studying it, and he said he was going to counter me. I threw it and he countered me and caught me.”
Gervonta Davis and Naoya Inoue turned in special performances in separate locations on Saturday night.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
It was another day at the office, another KO for Naoya Inoue. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
I always scoff when someone says that boxers aren’t as good as they used to be. The fact is the sport continues to produce special fighters who could’ve been successful in any era.
Two prime examples were in action on Saturday at different locations.
Gervonta Davis and Naoya Inoue gave fans a collective glimpse of a bright immediate future, Davis, 25, stopping Leo Santa Cruz with an epic punch on pay-per-view from San Antonio and Inoue, 27, overwhelming Jason Moloney in Las Vegas.
Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) and Santa Cruz engaged in an entertaining firefight for five-plus rounds, which generated a high level of intensity and made the sixth-round ending all the more dramatic. One punch, an epic left uppercut, rendered Santa Cruz unconscious and lifted Davis to phenom status.
Is he a pay-per-view star, as he suggested afterward? I wouldn’t go that far, at least not yet, but he’s well on his way.
Davis’ quickness? His punches fly. His accuracy? He connected on an insane 54.8% of his power punches on Saturday, according to CompuBox. His power? Well, his KO percentage and what we saw on Saturday speak for themselves.
This is special stuff, folks.
Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) stopped Moloney with a straight right from hell in the seventh round to cap a dominating performance inside the MGM Grand “bubble.” Moloney is a good, strong bantamweight but he simply didn’t have the tools to cope with Inoue’s otherworldly combination of speed, power and all-around ability.
Does the dynamic Japanese fighter have any weaknesses?
TV analyst Andre Ward suggested that he doesn’t move his head enough. OK. He still has room to grow. Let’s be clear, though: Inoue has a top-of-the-line tool chest. That includes resilience, which he demonstrated in his victory over Nonito Doniare in his previous fight.
Again, special stuff. Let’s savor it.
***
BAD
Oleksandr Usyk proved he could beat a big, capable heavyweight. Dave Thompson / Matchroom
I’ve thought all along that former cruiserweight champ Oleksandr Usyk would have problems against big heavyweights. We got a glimpse of that on Saturday, when he was pushed by Derek Chisora, who was 38.5 pounds heavier than he was.
There’s no way around it: A natural 200-pounder is at a distinct disadvantage against one of the sport’s behemoths. Even Evander Holyfield, an all-time great, struggled against Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis.
That said, I don’t understand the criticism of Usyk based on his performance against Chisora in London. That’s the reason this item is filed under “bad.”
The Ukrainian withstood Chisora’s early aggression – taking some good shots, in the process – and eventually used his superior speed and technique to take control of the fight even though Chisora never stopped coming.
I scored it 117-111 for Usyk, nine rounds to three. Judge Robert Williams had a similar score, 117-112. That’s decisive. The other two judges – Jan Christensen and Yuri Koptsev – had it 115-113, seven rounds to five.
Was it a perfect performance by Usyk? No. We might never see one of those against a capable fighter of Chisora’s size for the reasons stated above. That doesn’t mean he can’t continue to win these fights, though.
Remember: Usyk was fighting at heavyweight for only the second time and he hadn’t fought for a year. He is still adjusting. And Chisora, obviously fit and motivated for the fight, couldn’t have fought much better than he did.
If I were in Usyk’s camp, I would be encouraged by what I saw on Saturday. He proved he could handle pressure from a big heavyweight and could use his advantages to win a clear decision. That’s a good night’s work.
That doesn’t mean he’ll necessarily have a similar experience against the likes of Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua. He could be taken out by a single punch at any time. I believe it does mean that he’d have a chance against anyone.
***
WORSE
Leo Santa Cruz paid a stiff price for his bravery. Esther Lin / Showtime
We all admire fighters who tempt fate by taking on monumental challenges, as Leo Santa Cruz did on Saturday.
The problem is that the fallout can be disturbing. Mikey Garcia was embarrassed by Errol Spence Jr. when he dared to fight him. Kell Brook suffered a broken face when he moved from welterweight to middleweight to face monstrous puncher Gennadiy Golovkin.
And, at least in terms of immediate appearances, Santa Cruz’s demise was particularly upsetting.
I know I’m not alone when I say I’ve grown to admire the Mexican-American, a hard-working, blue-collar champion who almost always makes for entertaining fights. He’s also one of the nicest people you’ll ever want to meet.
To see him lying unconscious under the ropes – knowing that he probably never should’ve fought Davis in the first place – was painful to see. It’s a stiff price to pay for having the bravery to challenge oneself in this way.
I take solace in two things. One, Santa Cruz will have no regrets. He knew the risk but dived in anyway. He’s a true warrior. And, two, I thought of something Manny Pacquiao said after he was stopped by Juan Manuel Marquez with one punch.
The Filipino icon said, in so many words, that bad things can happen in boxing. If you can’t accept that, then you shouldn’t be in the ring.
Pacquiao was born to be in the ring. So was Santa Cruz. “El Terremoto” will be just fine.
Gervonta Davis and Naoya Inoue turned in special performances in separate locations on Saturday night.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
It was another day at the office, another KO for Naoya Inoue. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
I always scoff when someone says that boxers aren’t as good as they used to be. The fact is the sport continues to produce special fighters who could’ve been successful in any era.
Two prime examples were in action on Saturday at different locations.
Gervonta Davis and Naoya Inoue gave fans a collective glimpse of a bright immediate future, Davis, 25, stopping Leo Santa Cruz with an epic punch on pay-per-view from San Antonio and Inoue, 27, overwhelming Jason Moloney in Las Vegas.
Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) and Santa Cruz engaged in an entertaining firefight for five-plus rounds, which generated a high level of intensity and made the sixth-round ending all the more dramatic. One punch, an epic left uppercut, rendered Santa Cruz unconscious and lifted Davis to phenom status.
Is he a pay-per-view star, as he suggested afterward? I wouldn’t go that far, at least not yet, but he’s well on his way.
Davis’ quickness? His punches fly. His accuracy? He connected on an insane 54.8% of his power punches on Saturday, according to CompuBox. His power? Well, his KO percentage and what we saw on Saturday speak for themselves.
This is special stuff, folks.
Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) stopped Moloney with a straight right from hell in the seventh round to cap a dominating performance inside the MGM Grand “bubble.” Moloney is a good, strong bantamweight but he simply didn’t have the tools to cope with Inoue’s otherworldly combination of speed, power and all-around ability.
Does the dynamic Japanese fighter have any weaknesses?
TV analyst Andre Ward suggested that he doesn’t move his head enough. OK. He still has room to grow. Let’s be clear, though: Inoue has a top-of-the-line tool chest. That includes resilience, which he demonstrated in his victory over Nonito Doniare in his previous fight.
Again, special stuff. Let’s savor it.
***
BAD
Oleksandr Usyk proved he could beat a big, capable heavyweight. Dave Thompson / Matchroom
I’ve thought all along that former cruiserweight champ Oleksandr Usyk would have problems against big heavyweights. We got a glimpse of that on Saturday, when he was pushed by Derek Chisora, who was 38.5 pounds heavier than he was.
There’s no way around it: A natural 200-pounder is at a distinct disadvantage against one of the sport’s behemoths. Even Evander Holyfield, an all-time great, struggled against Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis.
That said, I don’t understand the criticism of Usyk based on his performance against Chisora in London. That’s the reason this item is filed under “bad.”
The Ukrainian withstood Chisora’s early aggression – taking some good shots, in the process – and eventually used his superior speed and technique to take control of the fight even though Chisora never stopped coming.
I scored it 117-111 for Usyk, nine rounds to three. Judge Robert Williams had a similar score, 117-112. That’s decisive. The other two judges – Jan Christensen and Yuri Koptsev – had it 115-113, seven rounds to five.
Was it a perfect performance by Usyk? No. We might never see one of those against a capable fighter of Chisora’s size for the reasons stated above. That doesn’t mean he can’t continue to win these fights, though.
Remember: Usyk was fighting at heavyweight for only the second time and he hadn’t fought for a year. He is still adjusting. And Chisora, obviously fit and motivated for the fight, couldn’t have fought much better than he did.
If I were in Usyk’s camp, I would be encouraged by what I saw on Saturday. He proved he could handle pressure from a big heavyweight and could use his advantages to win a clear decision. That’s a good night’s work.
That doesn’t mean he’ll necessarily have a similar experience against the likes of Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua. He could be taken out by a single punch at any time. I believe it does mean that he’d have a chance against anyone.
***
WORSE
Leo Santa Cruz paid a stiff price for his bravery. Esther Lin / Showtime
We all admire fighters who tempt fate by taking on monumental challenges, as Leo Santa Cruz did on Saturday.
The problem is that the fallout can be disturbing. Mikey Garcia was embarrassed by Errol Spence Jr. when he dared to fight him. Kell Brook suffered a broken face when he moved from welterweight to middleweight to face monstrous puncher Gennadiy Golovkin.
And, at least in terms of immediate appearances, Santa Cruz’s demise was particularly upsetting.
I know I’m not alone when I say I’ve grown to admire the Mexican-American, a hard-working, blue-collar champion who almost always makes for entertaining fights. He’s also one of the nicest people you’ll ever want to meet.
To see him lying unconscious under the ropes – knowing that he probably never should’ve fought Davis in the first place – was painful to see. It’s a stiff price to pay for having the bravery to challenge oneself in this way.
I take solace in two things. One, Santa Cruz will have no regrets. He knew the risk but dived in anyway. He’s a true warrior. And, two, I thought of something Manny Pacquiao said after he was stopped by Juan Manuel Marquez with one punch.
The Filipino icon said, in so many words, that bad things can happen in boxing. If you can’t accept that, then you shouldn’t be in the ring.
Pacquiao was born to be in the ring. So was Santa Cruz. “El Terremoto” will be just fine.
