Nets’ Jacque Vaughn says lopsided loss to the Knicks ‘hurts’

Jacque Vaughn says losing to the New York Knicks should hurt.

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has always maintained an attitude of continuing to fight even if the win is out of reach. He has had to find ways to keep his players engaged and determined during the team’s recent stretch of losing and rough basketball.

In Wednesday’s 142-118 loss to the New York Knicks, Brooklyn seemed to be the victim of a poor start to the first quarter that they couldn’t overcome. Despite being even with the Knicks in the second half (61-61), the Nets were down 24 points heading into halftime and that deficit proved too much for Brooklyn to battle back from.

Vaughn has always preached to his players to have pride in their performances and on Wednesday, that pride was hurt a bit. Not only because of the margin of the loss, but because it was to the Knicks. Now that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are no longer in Brooklyn, it seems that the rivalry is shifting towards the team that plays in Madison Square Garden. Vaughn said after the game that his players should be upset and hurt by the loss:

“Yeah, we have some competitive guys. And so, they are concerned about winning. We’ve always made that the priority. We’re not hiding from that, we’re trying to win every single game. And so, I ask that we give just more. And, that means, whether it’s more time together, back to backs, shoot arounds, recovery days, all of the above. We’re going to have to give more to bring our group together quicker than normal. But, they’re human beings. To give up 142 points to your crosstown team, that hurts. And, it should hurt and ask them at halftime if you did hurt as a group, the care factor rising to a different level, it should hurt.”

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How Auburn’s loss to Alabama affects their KenPom ranking

Here’s a look at where Auburn stands in KenPom with one game remaining.

Auburn basketball needed a big win on Wednesday in order to pad their resume, and solidify a place in the NCAA Tournament, and was two-and-a-half minutes away from doing so.

Auburn led for 36:53 of game time on Wednesday at Alabama before Alabama’s Jahvon Quinerly connected to two free throws with 1:37 remaining to break a 73-73 tie. Auburn’s [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] made a layup with 0:55 remaining to tie the game again and force overtime.

In the extra stanza, Alabama outscored Auburn, 15-10, to earn the 90-85 win.

“We needed that (win) to get into the NCAA (Tournament), and we didn’t get it,” Auburn head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] said in an emotional postgame interview with Andy Burcham of the Auburn Sports Network.

How will the NCAA Tournament committee see Auburn’s close loss on the road to Alabama? It is too early to tell. But the Tigers have one more shot to earn a trip to the big dance when they welcome No. 14 Tennessee to Neville Arena on Saturday afternoon.

As Auburn continues to claw towards a tournament berth, here’s a look at where Auburn stands in the major categories that are recognized by KenPom following the tough loss to Alabama on Wednesday.

NFL draft: 49ers met with DB prospect who could replace free agent FS Jimmie Ward

The 49ers met with an NFL draft prospect who might be able to replace Jimmie Ward if Ward leaves in free agency.

It would behoove the 49ers to re-sign free safety Jimmie Ward, who’s scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency when the league year opens March 15. They may not have much of a choice given what his market looks like and whether he has a desire to return to the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2014. If Ward does walk though, NFL draft prospect Jammie Robinson could be someone the 49ers target to replace their longest-tenured player.

The Draft Network’s Justin Melo reported Robinson spoke formally with the 49ers at the NFL combine. They were one of five teams that met with the Florida State product.

Robinson, listed at 5-11, 194 pounds, has similar versatility to Ward according to NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein. In his write-up on Robinson, Zierlein wrote Robinson projects as either a safety or a nickel corner in the NFL.

One of the things that makes Ward most valuable to San Francisco is his ability to play the free safety spot, while bringing the coverage skills necessary to slide into the slot on occasion. Last year he wound up playing nickel cornerback for the entire year after injuries at CB and the emergence of veteran FS Tashaun Gipson. While the 49ers may not necessarily target Robinson as a nickel corner, his versatility will surely matter for a team looking to fill Ward’s shoes.

Robinson was consistently productive during his four-year college career, which saw him split time with two years at South Carolina and two years at Florida State.

In 47 games he posted 318 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions and 16 pass breakups. He also notched a sack last year for the Seminoles — the first of his career.

The 49ers may aim to bring Ward back next season, but if they don’t, it’s hard to believe their meeting with Robinson at the combine will be their last.

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Cowboys near top of NFLPA’s team report cards for facilities, amenities

Players graded their teams in 8 categories from locker rooms to travel arrangements to treatment of families. The Cowboys were 5th overall. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Not every NFL team is created equal. And it’s no secret that, especially during free agency when veteran players have a large degree of say in where they suit up next, it’s often more than just a fat contract, a contending win-loss record, and a favorable depth chart that can be the deciding factor that attracts a player to a certain organization.

The Cowboys have long prided themselves on being a top-tier destination. Whether it’s the promise of extra primetime game exposure, the lack of state income tax in Texas, or simply the mystique of playing for America’s Team, Dallas always seems to be in the mix when players are seeking their next football home.

Turns out, the perception is grounded in a good bit of reality.

The NFL Players Association has released its first-ever “team report cards,” assigning letter grades to all 32 clubs in eight different categories ranging from weight room facilities to nutrition, the locker room, travel arrangements, and even treatment of players’ families.

According to union president JC Tretter, “providing players with information about each club would not only help them make important career decisions, but it would also help raise the standards across each club.”

Every NFL player on a 2022 team roster was asked to give their opinions regarding their team; over 1,300 players responded.

The Cowboys scored at or near the top in most categories and ended up in fifth place overall once all the grades were tallied into aggregate rankings. Here’s a breakdown of how they did in each category, and how they compare to some other clubs:

Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie remains positive after lopsided loss to the Knicks

Spencer Dinwiddie is remaining positive in the face of adversity during his postgame reaction to Wednesday’s blowout loss to the New York Knicks.

Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has been on various teams that have had struggles on the way to winning games and his second stint with the Nets is no exception. There are expectations for the “new-look” Nets that the team is underperforming in such as defense and bringing intensity for the full 48 minutes.

In Wednesday’s 142-118 loss to the New York Knicks, Dinwiddie did not have one of his better games. While he did have 10 assists and two steals in the losing effort, his shooting (11 points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field) left a lot to be desired in a game where Brooklyn had trouble scoring and playing good defense.

Brooklyn has lost four straight games and it seems that each game is a repeat of the previous one. This version of the Nets has trouble scoring because of the lack of a superstar and lack of practice time and this team isn’t as good defensively as expected. Dinwiddie said after Wednesday’s loss that there are positives that he can draw from the recent games:

“I mean, I think the positives will probably be the first half against the Bucks for sure. Showing that we’re capable of playing at the highest level with the best team in the league, or one of the best teams in the league, right? Out of those two games (the other game being the 129-127 loss to the Atlanta Hawks), that would be probably the main and only positive. Yeah, we just got to have an attention to detail on defense and understand that there are no excuses, right? We’re playing really good teams right now.”

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Nets’ Cam Johnson says defense will be main focus for home stretch

Cameron Johnson believes that the Nets will get better on defense soon enough.

Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson has been one of the main players of the “new-look” Nets as the team tries to stay in the playoff race and avoid the play-in tournament. Johnson, along with this teammates, were expected to be a team that played tough defense and scored by committee.

In Wednesday’s 142-118 loss to the New York Knicks, Brooklyn was anything but those characteristics. While Johnson had 33 points and two rebounds in the losing effort, the Nets allowed the Knicks 60.7% from the field and 57.1% from the three-point line. At one point in the game, New York was shooting above 70% in both cases which shows how bad Brooklyn’s defense was in this one.

After a first quarter in which the Knicks won the period by 18 points thanks to some awesome shot-making, New York was unable to dominate any of the other three quarters in the same fashion. However, the cushion that the Knicks built was too much for the Nets to overcome even as Brooklyn shot the better after the first quarter. Johnson gave his take on what the team’s priority is as it tries to finish the season strong:

“I really think the main thing is going to be just defensively. I think that first game against Philly was really solid. So, it just shows you that nothing’s ever a perfect process. I think there’s times against Atlanta, against Milwaukee, even tonight, where we were doing what we wanted to do on defense and, you know, plan the way we wanted to play. Like I said before, I sound like a broken record. But, if we continue to cut down on those bad stretches, cut down on those runs that these other teams are making on us, it’s just chunks of game where you pull out, and it’s a different story. But, when we learn to manage that better, when we learn to communicate, guard, understand better, which we will, the results will be a little different.”

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Jerry Jones to face sexual assault lawsuit in formerly dismissed case

Jones is accused of forcibly kissing and groping a woman at AT&T Stadium in 2018; the revived case is could to go trial. | From @ToddBrock24f7

A 2020 lawsuit against Jerry Jones that had previously been dismissed has been given new life, and it’s likely to bring the Cowboys owner to trial to face troubling new accusations of sexual assault.

The case in question was first dismissed by a Dallas County district court in February 2022. But according to Lana Ferguson of the Dallas Morning News, a Texas appellate court has revived the case and ruled that it should proceed.

At the center of the case is an encounter that allegedly took place at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 16, 2018, the same date as a Cowboys’ 20-13 Week 2 win over the New York Giants in a Sunday night matchup. A woman claims Jones, who would have been 75 years old at the time, “kissed her on the mouth and forcibly grabbed her without her consent.”

Several prominent personalities well-known to Cowboys fans are named elsewhere as possible witnesses.

The Dallas Cowboys Football Club is also a defendant in the lawsuit, which claims the team “knew or should have known of Jones’s misconduct.” The National Football League was listed in the original lawsuit but is not named in the new appeal.

The lawsuit was dismissed last year after the judge claimed the woman- identified only as “Jane Doe” in the original case paperwork- failed to provide “fully identifying information” about herself and a more specific location for the incident. Those details, Jones’s legal team argued, were needed in order to make the lawsuit valid.

The state appellate court has found that the woman, in fact, “made a good faith effort to amend her pleadings” by providing that information upon request. They reversed the earlier dismissal, stating that the trial court “abused its discretion in dismissing” the claims.

In the revised complaint, the woman (whose identity is known to Jones’s attorneys) is now listed by the initials “J.G.” and the incident in question is described as having taken place inside the stadium’s Tom Landry Room, a luxurious suite where gameday meet-and-greet events are often held.

Per League of Justice‘s Amy Dash, J.G. accuses Jones of “sticking his tongue in her mouth and forcibly grabbing and groping her.” The suit claims the room was full of witnesses; J.G. believes those who were present include former head coach Jason Garrett, running back Ezekiel Elliott, offensive lineman Tyron Smith, and ex-defensive end Tyrone Crawford.

Current Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and Jones’s wife Eugenia are allegedly listed as also being present in the room when the assault occurred.

The incident caused J.G. “severe injuries,” “emotional distress,” “psychological pain and suffering,” and medical expenses, according to the suit.

“Plaintiff has nightmares about what Jerry Jones did to her,” read the original complaint. “She has trouble focusing and completing day to day tasks at work and at home. Plaintiff gets nervous around men and has trouble being alone with men. Plaintiff cries often because of what Defendant Jerry Jones did to her and does not want any other woman to experience such assaults.”

J.G. is reportedly seeking monetary damages of over one million dollars and wants a jury trial to decide the matter.

“Jerry Jones has a sleazy history of allegedly sexually assaulting and assaulting females, and it appears that both the Cowboys and NFL have turned a blind eye to said illegal behavior over the years,” her original complaint continues.

A response from Jones called the allegations “malicious and hurtful.”

The Cowboys owner is currently in another legal battle, having been ordered to take a paternity test to determine if he is the biological father of a Texas woman named Alexandra Davis, who sued him last year.

The Davis case is ongoing.

The J.G. case could go to trial after all, now that last year’s dismissal has been reversed.

“We always knew we were going to win because the law was on our side,” said Thomas Daniel Bowers, the attorney for Jones’s latest accuser. “A victim’s finally going to get her day in court, and that’s very important.”

Bowers also represented Jana Weckerly, who accused Jones of sexual assault in 2009. Weckerly said Jones threatened her and tried to make hush-money payments to keep her quiet about that well-publicized incident, which included racy photos leaked on the internet. Jones’s attorneys called those allegations a “shakedown by a lawyer who is a solo practitioner just trying to make a name for himself.”

The Weckerly case was ultimately settled.

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10 dynamic prospects for the Eagles to watch at the NFL scouting combine

With the workouts set to begin, we’re looking at 10 dynamic players for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

The Eagles are at the NFL scouting combine and with two first-round picks for the second year in a row, they’ll look to retool with 18 pending free agents set to hit the open market.

Philadelphia could lose Isaac Seumalo and Miles Sanders on offense, but the unit is intact at the most critical positions and will likely use their six draft picks on dynamic defenders.

The Eagles have 9 key contributors on defense set for free agency, and GM Howie Roseman has acknowledged that he won’t be able to retain his core of free agents with Jalen Hurts set to land a huge contract extension.

With the onfield portion of the combine set to heat up, we’re looking at 10 dynamic prospects for the Eagles to watch.

Cornerback Tevis Metcalf schedules return visit to Auburn

He has also scheduled visits to Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Colorado.

[autotag]Tevis Metcalf[/autotag] was in attendance for Auburn’s big Junior Day and is set to return to watch spring practice. The three-star cornerback prospect has scheduled a visit for Friday, March 3.

He is fresh off the Under Armour Next camp where he was named the MVP of the defensive backs and his stock is going up. The Tigers were one of the first schools to offer him, extending an offer back on Nov. 19, 2022.

The Birmingham, Alabama, native also announced visits to Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Colorado.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder comes from quite an athletic family, he is the brother of 2023 Arkansas signee TJ Metcalf and the cousin of Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf.

Metcalf is ranked as the No. 81 cornerback by 247Sports. He is also the No. 61 player from Alabama.

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Eagles to host joint practices with the Browns during 2023 training camp

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that the Browns will travel to Philadelphia during training camp for joint practice sessions hosted by the Eagles

Training camp for the Eagles is four months away, but we already have an idea of joint training camp sessions with one NFL team.

Zac Jackson of The Athletic is reporting that the Eagles and Browns will hold joint training camp practices at the NovaCare Complex in the second week of training camp.

The two teams participated in joint practices last summer, with Philadelphia traveling to Berea, Ohio for two days of joint practices before a Saturday preseason game.

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