Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey gives his respect to Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox.
The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off an impressive rally on Saturday when they were down 21 points to a good Sacramento Kings team that was home. Despite playing without both Joel Embiid and James Harden, the Sixers rallied in SacTown.
The game featured a battle between two very good young guards. Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey was terrific. He had 32 points, including 21 in the second half, and six assists. Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox had 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting and nine assists.
Fox is a worthy adversary and after the win, Maxey gave his respect to the leading man for the Kings.
“When you play against De’Aaron Fox, he’s going to come at you extremely fast,” Maxey told reporters. “The pace is going to be pushed. He was good and it’s hard to stop when he’s moving, especially when we weren’t scoring and they were running downhill on us.”
Combine Fox’s speed and athleticism with the steady play of Domantas Sabonis and Sacramento has a duo that can be tough to stop on their offensive end of the floor.
“Sabonis is a force down there as well,” Maxey continued. “We knew coming in that they were going to play extremely fast. I think their pace at the beginning of the game was because we were turning the ball over and we were taking some quick shots. Because of those two things, they were able to run and get out in transition on us. I think that was a difference-maker in the second half when it shifted.”
Maxey and the Sixers vanquished Fox and the Kings. Now, Philadelphia looks to come home and keep the momentum going on Wednesday when it plays host to the Brooklyn Nets.
Jin Young Ko plans to return Feb. 23-26 at the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament, her manager has confirmed to Golfweek.
Jin Young Ko plans to return to LPGA competition Feb. 23-26 at the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament, her manager has confirmed to Golfweek. The former World No. 1 is currently in Vietnam for winter training after reuniting with instructor Siwoo Lee.
At last year’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, Ko said she felt pain in her left wrist from the moment she touched the club on every shot. She withdrew from the BMW Ladies Championship in October after shocking rounds of 80-79 when the pain was at its worst.
Ko’s doctor has advised her to refrain from any strenuous activities.
Floyd Mayweather is back with another exhibition bout scheduled – this time, against Bellator and “Geordie Shore” alum Aaron Chalmers.
The string of [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] exhibition bouts continues.
Monday, Mayweather announced his next fight. He’ll take on ex-Bellator fighter and former “Geordie Shore” reality series star [autotag]Aaron Chalmers[/autotag] on Feb. 25 at The O2 Arena in London.
“Different face, different name, same results,” Mayweather wrote in a caption alongside an announcement graphic.
Chalmers, who 1-0 in boxing, also commented on the bout on Instagram: “It doesn’t get much bigger than this for me!! Some 1s 0 has to go.”
Mayweather, 45, has not competed in a professional bout since a TKO win over Conor McGregor in August 2017 elevated his record to 50-0. Since then, Mayweather has competed in five exhibition bouts against athletes from other combat sports and celebrities. His opponents have included Logan Paul and Mikuru Asakura.
Chalmers, 35, walked away from MMA in 2020 with a 5-2 pro record. He fought four times for Bellator and went 2-2. Despite his brevity in the sport, he got attention for his high-profile status as a member of “Geordie Shore”, a British offshoot of the American series “Jersey Shore.”
Others Receiving Votes: Indiana 47, New Mexico 46, Rutgers 39, Illinois 37, San Diego State 33, Michigan State 21, Kentucky 19, Wisconsin 17, NC State 13, Kent State 13, North Carolina 9, Texas A&M 8, Missouri 8, Creighton 5, Seattle 4, Wake Forest 2, Oral Roberts 2, UC Santa Barbara 1.
Number in parentheses is where each team finished in last week’s rankings.
“Bellator is absolutely interested” in Francis Ngannou and will make a serious play at the former UFC heavyweight champion in free agency.
Now that he’s free of the UFC, [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] has plenty of options for his next career move – and Bellator, along with Showtime Boxing, hope he’s giving them serious consideration.
Speaking with Insider, Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza said “Bellator is absolutely interested” and explained why signing with the company should be attractive to Ngannou.
“There is no one else in the world who can give him the opportunities in both boxing and MMA at the level Bellator and Showtime Boxing can do,” Espinoza said before adding: “Showtime and Bellator can give him the best flexibility and bang for his buck, the biggest most lucrative financial opportunity, all while really allowing him to develop all elements of his career simultaneously.”
Showtime’s boxing business, as well being the broadcast home of Bellator MMA events, would provide Ngannou, 36, the opportunity to do what he’s long wanted: compete in both sports.
Ngannou asked for that flexibility – and more – from the UFC during negotiations that UFC president Dana White said lasted almost two years. Ultimately the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement, making Ngannou, the UFC heavyweight champion until two weeks ago, perhaps the biggest free agent in MMA history.
To Espinoza, the outcome should serve as a cautionary tale for UFC fighters.
“To be completely honest, a lot of this is not about Ngannou or about a particular fight,” Espinoza said. “It’s about the precedent and the message that is sent to everyone else in the UFC and to future deals in the UFC. So, what Ngannou was trying to do was break the mold a little bit, and he certainly had leverage to at least have that conversation. But ultimately, from my perspective, the UFC felt they had far more at stake. They have a particular business model. Ngannou was not a fan of that business model, and that I think was a step too far for the UFC.
“They’ve got a business structure they’re not going to threaten for even something as attractive as an Ngannou.”
[lawrence-related id=2610716,2610454,2610306]
The UFC’s loss will be someone else’s gain. The PFL also has expressed interest and could be attractive to Ngannou given it’s venturing into pay-per-view this year, with a 50-50 revenue split in play from shows that stream on ESPN+. Ngannou could join PFL and have similar flexibility in boxing with Top Rank, which has a broadcast deal with ESPN.
At least on the MMA side of things, Espinoza doesn’t think there’s much of a comparison.
“When we look at the roster of talent, Bellator is much, much deeper both in terms of established talent and up-and-coming talent, and that’s not a sleight on the talent in PFL, because there’s some very talented fighters there,” Espinoza said. “But if we look overall at the talent in the organization, then anybody knowledgeable in MMA can see that Bellator has a stronger base with its top-10 fighters in the roster as a whole. PFL is a bit louder about their boasts, whereas Bellator goes about it quietly and lets the talents of the fighters speak for themselves.”
Bottom line: The world is Ngannou’s oyster as he ponders his next move, and Espinoza knows this.
“Without question, whoever ends up with Ngannou is going to get a big boost,” Espinoza said. “Because of the interest in boxing, and he still has a lot of opportunities within MMA. … If he wants to go into a big heavyweight matchup right away, if he wants to do a long-term build or bounce back and forth, the world is his oyster. There isn’t an organization that wouldn’t want to call him up and try to do business with him.”
Others Receiving Votes: Duke 102, Indiana 61, San Diego State 57, Rutgers 31, Kent State 24, North Carolina 12, Michigan State 10, Creighton 9, Illinois 9, Arkansas 9, Missouri 8, Wisconsin 6, North Carolina State 4, Kentucky 3, VCU 2, Boise State 2, Memphis 1, Wake Forest 1, Oral Roberts 1
Number in parentheses is where each team finished in last week’s rankings.
Does it get any better than having your 12-year-old daughter plead your case in writing to the WM Phoenix Open tournament director?
A little less than a month ago, Aaron Baddeley’s 12-year-old daughter Jolee asked him if daddy would be playing in the WM Phoenix Open, which begins Feb. 9.
The 41-year-old resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, played in his hometown event for 18 consecutive years beginning in 2003 and won the title in 2007. But he has missed the last two playings of the “People’s Open” due to his limited status on the PGA Tour in recent years — he plays out of the past champion category. He answered his daughter that it wasn’t looking too good for him again this year. Even if he were to finish in the top 10 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am the week before, he’d likely not get into the 132-man field, which should be even more loaded now that the event has been upgraded to designated status and the purse soared to $20 million.
Baddeley explained that he likely would need to secure one of three spots available at the Monday Qualifier or be granted one of five unrestricted sponsor invites. Jolee was none too happy with this response and decided she was going to do her part to help his cause.
“I’m going to write them a letter,” Jolee said.
Baddeley didn’t blink.
“Go for it, babe,” he said.
Does it get any better than having your 12-year-old daughter plead your case in writing to the WM Phoenix Open tournament director?
“It was pretty awesome,” proud papa Baddeley said. “I didn’t have anything to do with it. She told him the reasons why they should invite me.”
Baddeley couldn’t recall word for word what his daughter wrote on his behalf but said it went something like this: He’s a local boy, past champion, works hard, almost won in Bermuda, still has a lot of game and is on the edge of playing great.
“She did it better than I ever could’ve done,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get in there.”
Aaron Baddeley celebrates with a “club drop” after making a birdie putt on the 16th hole during first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz. on January 31, 2019. (Arizona Republic photo)
Chance Cozby, the WM Phoenix Open’s executive director, received the letter and wrote back to Jolee, one of Baddeley’s six children.
“First time I’ve received a letter from a child of a player,” Cozby confirmed. “It’s a nice touch. I thought it was unique, thought it was heartfelt.”
It’s too soon to say whether it will sway the tournament to grant Baddeley an exemption this year. Cozby noted that the decision ultimately rests in the hands of the tournament chairman, who this year is Pat Williams of the Thunderbirds, the charitable organization that hosts the event. In 2019, when Cozby was tournament chairman, he did grant Baddeley a sponsor invite into the tournament, so he has been a beneficiary of the tournament’s philanthropy before.
Of the tournament’s five sponsor invites, the WM Phoenix Open has announced two already: Charley Hoffman, a longtime ambassador for tourney sponsor WM, and J.B. Holmes, a two-time WM Phoenix Open champion; both Hoffman and Holmes were in need of a sponsor invite into the tournament for the first time.
Baddeley’s daughter’s letter brings to light how precious sponsor invites have become, especially in the age of the designated tournament era. A $20 million purse and $3.6 million share for the winner can be life-changing. It has sparked #LetterWritingSzn. Cozby said some are handwritten, some are pdf attachments and some are requests from agents on behalf of the player.
“We have 43 players that have written a letter. They’re all great players and we have to say no to most of them and that’s not fun,” he said. “We have eight players requesting a spot who are top 150 in the world and four who are top 100 in the world. Taylor Montgomery is 52nd (after capturing his eighth top 15 and fourth top-10 finish of the PGA Tour season at the American Express) and isn’t going to be in the field unless we give him a spot.”
Nathan Grube, longtime tournament director for the Travelers Championship, which also got bumped up to designated tournament status this season, can relate to how difficult a decision it is to make.
“It is one of the coolest and one of the hardest parts of the job,” he said of doling out sponsor invites, noting that the sheer number of requests means he can’t accommodate everybody but he will get back to anyone who writes in.
When told about Baddeley’s daughter and asked if he’s ever had the child of a player write a letter, he chuckled and said he had not. “That’s great,” Grube said. “You totally pulled the trump card. I don’t know how I can beat that.”
Baddeley failed to finish in the top 125 of the season-long FedEx Cup standings for the third straight year – he ranked 196. As a result, he can’t pick and choose his schedule and last season only got 13 starts in the regular season as a past champion. Baddeley has earned some early-season starts by Monday Qualifying, including at the season-opening Fortinet Championship, where he shot 7-under to make a playoff and made eagle on the second playoff hole to secure a spot in the field at Napa. He finished T-36 that week, T-6 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and converted a sponsor invite at the Sony Open in Hawaii into a season-best T-5 finish, which got him into The Amex last week.
“It’s definitely hard,” Baddeley said of relying on the goodwill of tournaments and going the Monday Qualifying route. “It’s probably harder on my family I would say than it is on me because it’s like, oh, you try and make plans and then you either get an invite or you’re top 10 or you Monday qualify or you don’t Monday qualify and you get back home.”
When he does get in a field, he said he treats the four-round tournament as if it is a Monday qualifier to get into the next event.
“Just a four-day qualifier, and there’s 10 spots instead of four,” he said.
At last year’s WM Phoenix Open, Sahith Theegala received the fifth and final exemption into the tournament after getting hot on the Tour’s West Coast Swing, and nearly won the tournament, finishing third. So, a good result at the Farmers Insurance Open this week could go a long way to helping Baddeley’s cause for one of three remaining exemptions still available. Jolee is counting on it.
“If we give him one that will be a nice story and if we don’t it makes us look like we don’t have a heart, but we do,” Cozby said.
After a split decision in hostile territory over Warlley Alves at UFC 283, Nicolas Dalby would love to get on the UFC’s return to London.
RIO DE JANEIRO – [autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag] beat Warlley Alves with a split decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 283 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
Take a look inside the fight with Dalby, who has back-to-back wins and seven victories in his past eight fights.
“Marcus has shown resiliency and perseverance in pursuit of a professional playing career.”
Dating back to 2009, an exemption has been given to a minority golfer for the Genesis Invitational as a way to represent the advancement of diversity in golf. In 2017 the exemption was re-named the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption in honor of Sifford, the man who broke the PGA Tour color barrier.
On Monday morning, tournament host Tiger Woods announced Marcus Byrd would receive the exemption for the upcoming event, Feb. 16-19, at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles.
“Marcus has shown resiliency and perseverance in pursuit of a professional playing career,” Woods said via a release. “These are qualities that remind me of Charlie and his journey. I look forward to watching Marcus compete at Riviera.”
A former star for Middle Tennessee State and 2019 Conference USA Golfer of the Year, Byrd currently competes on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour, where he finished atop the standings for the Farmers Insurance Fall Series back in November. The Genesis Invitational will be Byrd’s second career start on the PGA Tour after he debuted at the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship.
“It’s a true honor to receive the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2023 Genesis Invitational,” added Byrd. “To think that I’ll forever be a part of this tournament’s storied history means a lot. I cannot wait to compete at Riviera and represent Mr. Sifford with my play.”
Former recipients of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption include the following:
Spencer Dinwiddie lists some differences between Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden and Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden and Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic have been viewed as similar players due to their offensive skills. Both are elite scorers, playmakers and rebounders.
Both Harden and Doncic have an innate ability to lift their teams to greater heights and take games over in the blink of an eye. Obviously, Harden is not the same player he once was, but he still has a big effect on the Sixers — just as Doncic has on Dallas.
Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie hopped on “Outta Pocket” and was asked about the differences between Harden and Doncic and this is what he had to say:
I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad comp. I think where there’s a separation between Luka and Harden — I think Harden probably played with a little more pace so that would be where I would give him an edge, but the edges that I would give Luka, and these are pretty big ones, he participates on the defensive end. I think Harden, obviously, is a phenomenal player, athletically gifted and capable of doing so, I don’t think he did. I think Luka does have some athletic deficiencies, but he definitely participates and tries. He leads our team in steals and he puts effort there, and also, offensively, he’s a better post-up player than Harden was. So I would say in terms of ball-dominance, a lot of pick-and-rolls, and things like that, and loving the step back 3, I definitely see the comparison there. Savants in terms of passing the ball and stuff, get their teammates open looks, great guys, MVP caliber guys, those are the similarties I see, and then the distinctions are what I named.
Doncic is obviously becoming one of the faces of the league while Harden is more on the downside of his career. But The Beard is still averaging 21.5 points, 11.2 assists and 6.5 rebounds for the 2022-23 season. He still makes a big impact on the floor, and he and Doncic have many similarities in their games.
