#a teammate he beat 3-1 and only ended up losing to by FIVE points despite having more dnfs

[menstitsillness]

nico rosberg needs to shut the fuck up

[ladyc0312]

A Jikook Guide to RunBTS: 112-121

Yes, I'm still doing these! It's just happening more slowly than I'd like because writing for work + writing fic + trying to go to bed before midnight + so much amazing content being released that clearly must be poured over and dissected = less time to make guides. For anyone still with me, he's the next section!

Ep 112 “Dalbang School Part 1” (Ep: 5 / KM: 4)

The ones with BTS in a classroom driving Teacher Jin insane

5:58 - JM declares that he and Taehyung will pair up (by being the first to hug each other in a game), but then when Hobi blows the whistle at 6:38, JK runs over to hug JM before Tae can get to him.

6:58 - Jin asks why JM said he wanted Tae and then hugged JK. JM explains that he didn't hug him, he just found himself in JK's hug as JK cackles in the background.

7:24 - When Jin blows his whistle at the class, JK and JM mirror each other in putting a finger in one of their ears.

7:35 - Teammates JK and JM are immediately on the same page about wanting their team name to be Kim Seokjin. When they have to change it, JM quickly picks up JK's suggestion that they call their team Bang Sihyuk. These don't sound like particularly unique moments, but when you watch it, it just really strikes you how in sync the two of them are in terms of physicality, ideas, and sense of humor.

9:52 - After Jin comments that he heard JM did very well in school, JK adds that JM was the top student. When someone else asks if JM was the best or second-best, JK forcefully reiterates that he was the best student.

12:45 - When they get a question right, JK and JM clasp hands and bump their shoulders together.

13:10 - JM and JK both goof around, speaking in satoori and challenging JHope to a fight of sorts.

13:27 - When Jin repeats that they got the question right, JK and JM do exactly the same as 12:45, but seated this time.

14:22, 14:36, 15:13 - In all three of these moments, JM nearly falls over laughing at something JK did that no one else found anywhere near as funny.

23:36 - When JK says he's good at this game, JM laughs and pokes JK in the chest with a marker.

BEHIND 2:30 - JM takes a selfie of him and JK with his personal phone while they're supposed to be paying attention to Jin.

6:35 - JK cheers on JM and calls him Jimin-ssi when JM announces he's doing well on this spot-the-difference round. When Jimin modifies the brag to say he only found four, JK says "that's still quite impressive."

Ep 113 “Dalbang School Part 2” (Ep: 5 / KM: 4)

4:50 - We all know how JK is when he gets into his "focus" zone, especially in a competitive environment. But here, when JM rather rudely interrupts JK's melodica practice, JK just starts playing around with him and giggles.

7:41 - As RM & JH take their turn, jikook are whispering to each other in the back row.

11:42 - After quickly agreeing on a lunch option, jikook do a high five / handshake thing and then JM says "we think alike" and "we get along pretty well." JK responds "that's exactly it" and the on-screen captions tells us they are a "good match."

22:20 - This is where JK and JM start switching back and forth carrying each other on their backs to get under a limbo stick.

They go again at 23:35, 26:11, and 28:13.

And again at 30:22 and 32:16 and 34:30 because, even though they lost, they want to try to do it again to show that they can as a "matter of pride."

25:00 - JK points something out to JM and then pats his butt.

33:33 - JM announces they lost, and then jikook do another handshake / high five thing.

34:33 - JM does an... interesting pose for the camera where he puts his hand on a bent-over JK's back and smirks.

34:56 - Yet another handshake and JM pats JK on the back when they finally pass the limbo challenge.

BEHIND 5:55 - While examining the limbo setup, JM comments that JK is good at this. JK comes over to give a demonstration and JM watches him be silly with it and says "he's a strange kid" fondly.

6:21 - Another jikook limbo attempt - this one was cut because they did it too easily.

Ep 114 “League of Number One Part 1” (Ep: 3 / KM: 1)

The ones where BTS play games with League of Legends world champions

3:55 - After Jimin protests that he shouldn't be out, JK tells his hyung to turn around and face the back.

14:40 - JK fake-boxes JM after losing the hammer game.

18:18 - JK mimics Jimin's BWL intro.

Ep 115 “League of Number One Part 2” (Ep: 2 / KM: .5)

BEHIND

7:05 - JK comes over to check on Jimin's phone to make sure he's actually visible in the selfie the teams take.

Ep 116 “Team-Building Special Part 1” (Ep: 4 / KM: 1)

The ones with random games in that rec room-looking place that are a lot more fun than they sound

22:14 - JM and JK play around with the jump rope during breaktime.

22:26 - JM and JK play around like they're boxing with each other.

BEHIND 5:15 - JK appears to take an interest in watching JM's... back as he moves around acting out potential poses.

Ep 117 “Team-Building Special Part 1” (Ep: 4 / KM: 2)

5:30 - Despite showing pretty much everyone else touching everyone else in the pose guessing game, we don't get a single shot here or in the behind of JK feeling up Jimin. The above photo proves that it happened, though, so definitely side-eyeing the editors, here.

BEHIND 5:35 - JK keeps throwing water bottles when they're supposed to be taking a group photo. Jimin pulls him back next to him and puts an arm around his neck. JK puts an arm around Jimin's shoulders in return.

7:51 - After it's explained that JK is staying late to watch Jin do his penalty, a packed-up Jimin comes over and stands next to JK, waiting until they're done to leave.

Ep 118 “Photo Story Part 1” (Ep: 3 / KM: 3)

The ones where BTS play a Samsung-sponsored game involving getting specific pictures while a spy tries to ruin the fun

4:22 - JM appears to direct JK to go punish Tae and pats JK's back when he starts to obey. Something happens that we don't see when the angle changes - next thing we see, JM seems to be pushing JK? JM then giggles at JK pretending to beat up Tae. (After this, JK spins around like a ballerina. Not jikook-related, just adorable.)

29:51 - JK calls Jimin twice without adding "hyung."

32:28 - JM pulls JK along by the wrist. Meanwhile, J-Hope once again mixes up their names.

32:44 - Though there is now a group walking slowly together and he doesn't need to pull him along anymore, Jimin takes JK's hand again.

37:02 - There are a bunch of seats open in the room, but Jimin walks over to sit right next to JK.

BEHIND 5:40 - When JM tries to steal a post-it from JK, JK scolds him in satoori banmal. JM calls him out for not calling him with hyung and JK quickly apologizes (in a way some k-army jikookers have said is like how a married person would respond to their nagging spouse!).

6:09 - JK and JM meet up and JK tells JM he's exhausted. There's a kind of weird moment that I fully admit I may be reading too much into where JK seems to be walking right towards JM, then abruptly stops and turns, looking at the camera, before walking with Jimin in a different direction than he had been heading. Then, JM says he thinks their matching shirts are hilarious and that it's funny they're wearing them for the show.

Ep 119 “Photo Story Part 2” (Ep: 4 / KM: 3)

8:21 - "You are me, I am you" moment: Jimin does a ballet spin the same way JK did in part one.

11:18 - JK is the only one to vote for JM to be able to keep a picture in other than Jin (who has nefarious reasons for doing so).

29:40 - JM goes over to help JK see how many of his photos the spy ruined and almost falls over laughing when it becomes clear it's nearly all of them.

34:21 - JM puts his hand on JK's shaking leg to help calm him (see above photo), but JK is so irritated that it doesn't work like it usually does. Poor bunny!

35:17 - JM pulls at JK's shirt and hand, then folds over his back while trying to get him to confess that he actually lost.

38:24 - JM has a comforting hand on JK's neck when he's acting upset about losing.

38:32 - When it seems like JK is struggling to come up with an ending statement, JM helps prompt him.

BEHIND

0:55 - JK talks about how amazing it is that Jimin found so many cards.

3:51 - When JK is playing with the sequin art on the front of his shirt, JM leans over and starts rubbing on them, too.

5:11 - Jimin tells JK that, if he wins, he's going to make the loser hike Mt. Achasan. JK asks why he's looking at him when he says that and they both laugh. Jimin pats JK's chest and they laugh even harder. Jin and Tae both have "omg, these two" looks on their faces.

Ep 120 “Reply BTS Village Part 1” (Ep: 3 / KM: 2)

The ones with a real-life Mafia game inexplicably set in a 1970s village. It's... fairly difficult to follow, but the guys are into it and the outfits are great!

24:40 - Jimin breaks character and laughs when asking JK if he's the culprit.

29:40 - Caption: "The air is undeniably tense between Gamer Jeon and Chief Park." Not explicitly jikook, I just find it funny that the writers seem to be playing with some real life relationships, making sope best friends and jikook have tension that leads to banter...

BEHIND

5:34 - When Jimin is playing with the yo-yo, JK expresses concern that he's going to hurt his fingers (caption: Kook is just worrying for his hyung). Then, JK asks poutily and in banmal if he can play with the yo-yo multiple times and Jimins says no. Like, JK straight-up gives his hyung a command ("let me try that") using informal speech and no one bats an eye!

5:58 - Jimin starts singing a song about an ants. JK watches him. JK initially says to Hobi "look, he's a fool/dummy!" (in banmal again), then starts singing along. He jokes that JM doesn't know all the lyrics and Jimin says back "quiet, you."

Ep 121 “Reply BTS Village Part 2” (Ep: 3 / KM: 2)

38:48 - After having asked for it a bunch in the Behind of the previous episode, JK now has Jimin's yoyo.

non-jikook note: At the end of this one, they "time travel" to solve a mystery in Joseon-era Korea and I can't express how badly I want to see that. Please come back to that, Run!

BEHIND 0:58 - Jimin and JK play around accusing each other with exaggerated accents and formality. Jimin comes up behind JK and reaches out to touch his shoulder, but stops when Tae joins them and accuses them of plotting together.

9:05 - When JK says everyone else is so good at acting, Jimin compliments him that he was very funny towards the end.

[smoaking-greenarrow]

3 please!

“I’m sorry...did I leave you with the impression that I was a rational guy?”

Sequel to this!

Arrow Out of Context Part 4. Send me a number!

Also, check out chapter 1 of Arrow Out of Context, I’ve added an index for all AU organizing needs.

It was hot enough that Felicity could feel sweat dripping down her back. The sun was shining high above their heads in a perfect summer afternoon. And of course, there’s nowhere she’d rather be than at that stadium.

Her son Lincoln seemed to agree, because he refused to get out of his seat until the seventh inning stretch, when he’d made a mad dash for the bathroom, leaving her to chase behind him. 

Felicity glanced down at her five year old, his eyes fixated on the game and his legs swinging from his chair. He was almost tall enough that his feet could touch the ground, but not yet. Much to his disappointment.

Digging into her purse, Felicity pulled out her bottle of sunscreen, putting a generous portion on her palm before she reached for him. Like all the games before, Lincoln was too wrapped up in it to care as she fussed over him getting a sunburn. He let her apply it to his arms and legs, only squirming when she got to his face and blocked his view.

The kid had always been enthralled with the sport, so Felicity didn’t think very much of it. He’d grown up with an uncle in the major leagues, and now his mom was dating his favorite player. Lincoln’s interest in baseball was understandable.

Felicity loved it too, and always had thanks to her brother Jason. But she also loved a certain teammate of Jason’s who looked very, very good in a pair of baseball pants. Or shirtless. He looked really good shirtless. And Felicity had realized that he preferred to do most things shirtless. Like mow her lawn, exercise, and wash dishes.

Life was good.

“Up to bat is number six, Oliver Queen,” the announcer’s voice boomed over the intercoms while Oliver’s picture appeared on the screen with his stats from the last eight innings. “Queen has been playing an incredible game, one of his best all season. Not a single strike since the bottom of the first, let’s see if he can keep his lucky streak going.”

“Okay, Oliver,” Felicity mumbled to herself, leaning forward in her chair and wringing her hands together. Beside her, Lincoln mimicked her posture, mumbling the same words. Felicity smiled down at him, brushing his hair back.

Stepping up to the plate, Oliver made eye contact with the pitcher first, his eyebrow raised and his body relaxed. Felicity knew that for some reason, his ease always tended to rattle the pitcher.

When Oliver plays, he enjoys it. The excitement in his eyes every time he took the field was something Felicity would never stop marveling at.

Win or lose, that man came home with a smile and a positive attitude. It was one of Felicity’s favorite things about him. 

He tapped his bat against his heel, turning away from the pitcher. Oliver found her in the crowd easily where they were sitting behind home plate. And he smiled, taking a moment to wink at her before refocusing on the game. He’d gotten into the habit months ago, and the attention never failed to make her blush.

The look is short-lived, but long enough that the people around her always notice, which leads to plenty of staring and whispering as they realize that they’re sitting near Oliver Queen’s girlfriend. And then that leads to more blushing for Felicity.

Beside her, Lincoln tugged on her jersey, rocking in his seat. “Momma,” the five year old’s eyes lit up. “Get ready. It’s almost time!”

Her eyebrows furrow as she looked down at him. “Almost time?” Felicity asked. Lincoln had been excited since they arrived, especially whenever Oliver’s turn to bat came around, but his energy was more like the night before Christmas than a weekend baseball game. “Honey, what’s got you all—”

“Watch!” Her son gripped the sleeve of her shirt, shaking her until she focused on Oliver again.

The first two pitches, Oliver didn’t swing. And the opposing team started to get ahead of themselves, thinking their mediocre pitcher might just strike out Oliver Queen. “Come on, baby,” Felicity whispered to herself, holding her breath while Oliver got ready for his third and final swing.

Felicity tensed as the ball left the pitcher’s hand, and within the blink of an eye, a loud crack filled the silent stadium. Oliver’s bat collided with the ball, and Felicity jumped to her feet. “Oh!” She sighed, “run, run!”

The ball flew straight over the outfield and over the stadium wall just as Oliver’s foot touched first base.

And the man’s smile was everything.

Oliver didn’t stop, but he slowed down as he rounded second base, turning his hustle into a victory lap. Lincoln jumped up to stand with Felicity, both of them cheering Oliver on.

As he reached home plate, Oliver landed with a heavy foot, tossing his arm in the air and soaking in the enthusiastic energy surrounding him in that moment. Oliver’s eyes lock on her again, his pure joy sparking the same feeling in Felicity. She beamed at him, her own voice mixing with the Blue Jays’ fans as she screamed for him.

He doesn’t look away, giving his head a slight shake. Despite the craziness around them, Felicity could read him so clearly, seeing his eyes soften. And she knew that he wasn’t thinking about the score, the crowd, or the game.

The high of his home run was still radiating throughout the stadium, but Oliver doesn’t seem to notice. He was looking at her like he didn’t even hear it.

Felicity stopped, her arms dropping to her sides as she stared back at him.

Even when his rowdy teammates swarm him, Oliver pushed them back, keeping his eyes on her. He walked closer until he reached the waist-high wall that separated him from the stands.

Still, Felicity couldn’t do much more than blink at him. Especially when she noticed the footage of them on the mega-screen above his head, as if the whole field just wanted to know what he was up to. 

In truth, so did she. 

Oliver didn’t go out of his way to hide their relationship, but he was also a fairly private person. Aside from his little winking ritual each time it was his turn to bat, he hardly paid her any attention during the games. Probably because he knew it would end up projected in front of the whole stadium, just like this.

It wasn’t until Lincoln gently pushed her legs forward that she realized Oliver was waiting patiently for her to meet him halfway.

“Nice hit,” Felicity breathed, coming closer until her toes touched the wall between them. She cupped her hand over her forehead, blocking the sun so she could peer up at him.

Oliver’s eyes traveled down her body and back up. She raised an eyebrow, shifting on her feet while he smirked. “Nice jersey.”

Felicity glanced down at his number displayed over her chest, lifting a shoulder and smiling coyly. “You’ve seen me wear this thing a million times,” she pointed out.

“Yeah,” Oliver sighed happily, his gaze dropping again. “And it looks damn good on you every time.”

She had no idea what he was doing or why he was acting like he wasn’t in the middle of winning this game, but she didn’t really care. She’d go along with any plan that involved him looking at her just like this.

Rolling her eyes playfully, Felicity reached across the wall to push his chest. “All right, Romeo,” she teased, lifting her chin towards the field. “You better go figure out how the Blue Jays are going to beat those assholes.”

Oliver laughed, catching her hand and leaning closer. “We will. I kind of wanted to ask you for something first, though. It could very well be the thing I need to help us win tonight.”

“What’s that?” Felicity asked, cocking her head to the side.

He gave her a breathtaking, crooked smile, the sweat on his forehead distracting her for a moment. Seriously, how was it possible for him to be this sexy?

“A kiss,” he answered quietly, the dimple on his cheek making an adorable appearance. “You are my good luck charm, after all.”

“Well,” Felicity bit her lip, pushing onto her toes and smoothing her hands over his shoulders. “If that’s what it takes to help you go home a winner tonight, I think I can manage it.”

Closing the remaining distance, Oliver leaned down to meet her, not letting the wall stop him from running his hands down her back. “I’m already going home a winner,” he whispered, rubbing his nose against hers before their lips met.

His kiss was chaste and sweet, his mouth forming around her bottom lip while she tasted the salt on his upper. And his fingers skimmed to her waist, sending a shiver through her just as he pulled back.

Felicity looked up at him, ignoring the crowd that still cheered for him. She loved the calm, peaceful look in his eyes. And she especially loved that it was an expression she caused. “Will that do the trick, Queen? Are you ready to go kick some ass now?”

Oliver’s bottom lip disappeared beneath his teeth, and he gave his head a slight shake.

“Marry me.”

Blinking, Felicity hesitated as she tried to decide if she’d heard him right. “What?” She asked, certain that she did but needing to hear it again.

With a nervous little chuckle, Oliver let go. Then he lifted a leg and easily hopped over the wall. Standing in front of her, he took both of her hands while the announcer wondered out loud ‘what the hell’ Oliver Queen was doing.

Felicity’s heart was stuck in her throat, but it went soaring when Oliver got down on one knee in front of her.

“Felicity Smoak,” he spoke again, clearer this time. “Will you marry me?”

The proposal wasn’t coming completely out of left field. They’d talked about marriage. More kids. A life together.

She’d told him that she always wanted a memorable engagement and he’d told her that he would make sure it was. When that day came. They both understood that they were ready for ‘that day,’ Felicity just hadn’t been expecting it to be today.

A giggle passed her lips as she tried to catch her breath. The crowd erupted into thunderous excitement as they realized what was happening behind home plate. And the stadium grew louder than his home run celebration. Felicity tuned it out, focusing on Oliver. 

She already knew her answer. And he did too, or else he never would have asked her like this. “Are you sure you’re not just on an adrenaline high?” She clarified anyway.

Felicity was hoping to keep him in a little bit of suspense, tease him for a moment, but Oliver just grinned as if he’d expected her not to give him a ‘yes’ right away. He shook his head. “Definitely not.”

Since he was playing along... “How would I know?” Felicity cocked her head, and he squeezed her hands. “This whole thing seems like a spur of the moment decision, Oliver. I don’t even see a ring. How should I know that you’re thinking rationally about this?”

“I’m sorry…did I leave you with the impression that I was a rational guy?” Oliver grinned, his voice sarcastic.

“True,” she pulled her lips to the side, pretending to analyze him.

“Come on, Smoak,” he winked. “I always have a plan. You don’t think I’d do something this big without some help from a teammate, did you?”

Felicity’s eyes furrowed, following Oliver’s gaze over her shoulder. And there she found her son standing there, or rather bouncing there. Lincoln looked so excited...

Oliver waved him over. “Don’t you know us at all?” He teased, bending down to lift Lincoln into his arms. 

Standing in front of her, Oliver gave her a knowing look, and then he leaned in to whisper in the boy’s ear.

With a mischievous grin, Lincoln reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a simple, gorgeous ring. Her son raised it in front of Felicity’s face, and she gasped, watching the diamond glint in the sunlight. A surprised laugh fell from her lips.

Tears sprung to her eyes, finally realizing why her son had been so fidgety all afternoon, carrying that thing around. Felicity could only hold the tears back for a moment, because as soon as she looked at Lincoln, he smiled at her as if this was his dream, too.

As if Oliver was their dream.

“Hmm,” Oliver hummed, leaning in again to whisper to Lincoln.

Her son nodded along with whatever Oliver was saying. And then he sighed, holding the ring a little higher. “Oliver would really, really like it if you said yes, momma. Because he would really, really, really, really like to marry you.”

“Yes,” Felicity laughed, shaking her head at them both. She finally snapped out of it, taking the ring from Lincoln’s tiny hand. “Of course I want to marry you. I really want to.Yes.”

The smile Oliver gave her in response was gorgeous, his eyes swimming with emotion as he took her hand, looking down at the ring now on her finger.

Felicity watched him, trying to burn the expression on his face into her brain. As much as she knew that Oliver was a dream come true for her and Lincoln’s life, Oliver proved to her every day that he felt the same way about them.

Looking back up at Oliver, Felicity cupped his chin in her hand, pulling him in for a kiss. “I already can’t wait to marry you,” she mumbled, forgetting all about the crowd, the game, and even the animated five year old getting squished between them.

Oliver didn’t break away from her this time, so they finally parted when Lincoln shoved a hand against Oliver’s cheek. “Guys!” The boy interrupted, “I can’t wait to eat cake, either! It’s okay!”

Chuckling, Oliver kissed the top of his head. “I told you buddy, that’s only part of what weddings are about.”

Lincoln rolled his eyes, “and I told you that you can marry my momma as long as it’s a chocolate cake.”

[aironwrites]

Durant’s Endless Chase for Immortality

In the summer of 2016, the NBA’s top free agent Kevin Durant made a decision that ruined his image in the eyes of millions. Three years, two championships, and two Finals MVP’s later the world was beginning to forget about that awful decision, but that’s when Kevin Durant went and proved all of the millions right.

In 2007, the Seattle SuperSonics (Who would become the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008) drafted Kevin Durant from the University of Texas with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft. Durant was coming off of an amazing year at Texas where he averaged 25 PPG (points per game) and 11 RPG (rebounds per game). He was one of the top prospects heading into the draft, but despite that he wasn’t selected number one overall. That honor, instead, went to Greg Oden.

Since being drafted by Seattle/Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant would go on to do great things in the league. He won the rookie of the year award for the 2007-2008 season and he would lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to multiple playoff appearances and even a Finals appearance. Kevin Durant led the league in scoring four separate times and eventually he would win the MVP award for the 2013-2014 season. However, the most important run in Kevin Durant’s tenure came in the 2011-2012 season when he won a scoring title and led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals. This was Durant’s moment, as he was set to face the powerhouse Miami Heat led by the once in a lifetime talent LeBron James. Durant and the Thunder would fall short of victory to the Heat and watched as LeBron would celebrate his first NBA title.

Ever since that defeat, things would begin to change for Kevin Durant. The following year, he failed to defend his scoring title but despite that the Oklahoma City Thunder still finished the season with a 60-22 record and the number one seed in the western conference. The Thunder looked good behind the leadership of Kevin Durant and other superstar teammate Russell Westbrook, up until Westbrook tore his miniscus and was forced to miss the remainder of the playoffs. Durant and the rest of the Thunder would fail to make it through the second round.

Now this is where things begin to get interesting, as Durant would follow the early loss in the playoffs by taking more action on the team. He would go on to win the MVP award the next season and led the Thunder to the western conference finals before losing to the San Antonio Spurs. However, you could see a shift in Durant’s play. He was more of a difference maker than ever before and it was almost a guarantee that the Thunder would be contenders for a long time to come. That is, until the Golden Stare Warriors started their Dynasty.

The Golden State Warriors had just begun to get hot. They had made a few playoff appearances but never seemed to get over the hump. However, during the 2014-2015 season, that seemed to change. With LeBron James signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning two titles in Miami, everybody’s focus was on the return of the King to his hometown of Cleveland. Nobody really paid attention to the Warriors. Behind a solid core of players including Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, and Andrew Bogut, the Warriors would go on to finish the year 67-15 and as the number one seed in the west, they would almost too easily find themselves in the Finals against LeBron and the Cavs. Of course, since the Cavs were the talk of the season, the Warriors were considered underdogs, but they proved everybody wrong by beating the King in the Finals to win their first championship in 40 years. Steph Curry would be awarded the MVP for the season and the Bay Area was feeling on top of the world... and they were just getting started.

The Warriors followed their championship season by looking absolutely unbeatable. They won their first 24 games in a row and would go on to break the 95-96 Bulls regular season record of 72-10 when they finished the year with 73 wins and 9 losses. Steph Curry would also go on to win his second straight MVP award. The Warriors were looking unbeatable in the playoffs as well, at least, until they ran into Kevin Durant and the Thunder. People had forgotten about the Thunder in the wake of the Warriors and Spurs success. But the Thunder were a hot team and Durant was beginning to get tired of getting overlooked. Durant and the Thunder came at the defending champs hard taking a nice 3-1 lead in the series, but that was when Steph Curry and the Warriors showed who they were exactly. The defending champs rallied to win three straight games to defeat the Thunder to advance to the Finals for the second straight year to find themselves facing LeBron and the Cavs again.

Now this is where things get REALLY interesting. The Warriors would run into multiple problems in the 2016 Finals, despite being the better team. They found themselves leading the series 3-1 before LeBron James with the help of Kyrie Irving came back to win the series and win their first championship in Cleveland’s franchise history. It’s arguable, however, that the Warriors would have won the series if Draymond Green didn’t get suspended in a game where he probably shouldn’t have. That argument aside, the Warriors fell short of a historic finish to a historic season.

The offseason of 2016 is where the story comes to a climax. Kevin Durant, after having lost to the Warriors in the conference finals, was now becoming a free agent and he was set to get paid a ton of money to be the top guy on any given team. Durant took meetings with teams such as the LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and surprisingly, the Golden State Warriors. Despite reports of Durant’s interest in staying in Oklahoma City, he announced that he would be signing with the Golden State Warriors. Yes, the team that won 73 games the year before and probably should have been a back-to-back champion, had just signed a four time scoring champion and a former MVP. You can understand why the public was upset. In fact, everybody except Warrior fans found the signing unrespectable.

Unsurprisingly, the Warriors (now centered around Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant) destroyed the league and went on to win the championship after going 16-1 in the playoffs. Kevin Durant would go on to win the Finals MVP award for being the best player on the winning team in the Finals. The following year after that, the Warriors ran into a few injury problems, but still managed to destroy the league and go on to win yet another championship. In that Finals series, Steph Curry looked like the clear favorite to win the MVP award for the Finals but somehow it ended up in the hands of Kevin Durant. The move seemed to pay off for Durant as he now had what he so desperately wanted. Two championships, two Finals MVP awards, and one more season to do it again. Yet still, something was missing for Durant.

The following year, being the 2018-2019 NBA season, the Warriors were the team to beat. From the beginning of the season there was speculation that Kevin Durant would be leaving the franchise whether they won a title or didn’t and that he would go to play for the New York Knicks after. Despite these rumors, the Warriors were still the best team in the league and they would go on to earn the number one seed in the western conference. The Warriors defeated the LA Clippers in the first round of the playoffs and were seeming to have problems with Houston Rockets in the second round. The series was tied 2-2 and it was game five when Kevin Durant went down with a calf injury. The best player on the best team in the league had been injured and for most people, they thought it would’ve been an opportunity for the Rockets to beat the monster of a team in the Warriors. Those people must’ve forgotten who the Warriors’ true superstars are. Behind their core three players, Curry, Thompson, and Green, the Warriors would go on to win game 5 and game 6, defeating the Rockets and moving on to face the Portland Trailblazers in the conference finals. They didn’t stop there though, Curry was untouchable in the next series and the Trailblazers went down quietly as they got swept by the Durant-less Warriors allowing the Warriors to advance to their fifth straight finals appearance in franchise history.

I know what you’re thinking; the Warriors never needed Durant in the first place, right? Well, it certainly looked that way, but most of us were proven wrong by that assumption. The Warriors struggled against Kawhi Leanord and the Toronto Raptors in the Finals and found themselves down 3-1. But we’ve heard this story before, haven’t we? Kevin Durant comes back in game 5 and looks untouchable in his own right, scoring 11 points in the first quarter. The Warriors looked like a team that was going to come back and defeat the Raptors, that was, until Durant tore his achilles. Only a few minutes into the second quarter, Durant went down and this time, there was no coming back. He had very obviously torn his achilles and would be gone for the rest of the series and probably all of the next season. The Warriors rallied behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, however, and found themselves able to defeat the Raptors in game 5 forcing a game 6 back in the Bay Area. Either way, Durant or no Durant, the Raptors were looking in trouble. The Warriors were competing at a high level in game 6 and were holding a lead for most of the game. And then the real shocker happened. Klay Thompson, the next best player behind Curry and Durant, would tear his ACL on a dunk. The air had been knocked out of the Warriors lungs for the last time. Curry and Green fought alongside their bench players, but Kawhi and the Raptors were too much. They would go on to lose game 6 and the Raptors had won their first NBA title in franchise history.

The story fixed Durant’s image in the eyes of millions who believed him to be a snake. All of the haters who thought that he shouldn’t have joined such a powerhouse team already, were proven wrong in just how much the Warriors needed him... or were they? The argument could be made that the Warriors still never needed Durant. Afterall, they lost only one playoff series without him in their entire tenure as this dynasty. And their record with him sitting out or being injured was pretty astonishing at 30 wins and 4 losses. Does one series really show how important Durant is?

The 2019 free agency is where all of the truths came out. Despite Durant being ruled out for the entire 2019-2020 season, many teams were still willing to offer him a max contract, including the Warriors. And despite the Warriors being the obvious best option when it comes to winning championships, Durant chose a different route. Within minutes of free agency opening, Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets to play alongside Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. That’s when everything became clear.

Durant left Oklahoma City because he wanted to win a championship, but why was winning a championship so important? Because everybody accumulates greatness with championships. At least, that’s what Durant thought. However, after winning two championships and being named Finals MVP for both of them, Durant was still not as important as LeBron James was. It could even be argued that Durant wasn’t even as important to his own team as superstar Steph Curry was. And that’s where Durant needs to come to see the reality of things.

LeBron James was the No. 1 overall pick in his draft while Durant was the No. 2. LeBron has won the MVP award 2 times and Durant has only won it once. LeBron has been to the Finals 9 times in his career and has won a title 3 times. Durant has been to the finals 4 times in his career and has won 2 titles. Despite all of that, what makes LeBron James the superstar of this generation, the same way that Jordan and Kobe were the superstars of theirs, is that he makes a difference on a team just by being on the team. Kevin Durant does not do that.

The Warriors were successful before Durant, and they will be successful after Durant. The Thunder, since Durant leaving the team, have seen Russell Westbrook win MVP and have made the playoffs without Durant. And now that Durant is on the Nets, he may or may not win a championship, but if he doesn’t then he has left that organization exactly where it started. And that is something that LeBron James has not done in his career. That is something that Kobe and Jordan did not do in their career. If Kevin Durant was to be immortalized like LeBron, Jordan, and Kobe, then he needs to be the reason why a team goes from last place to the Finals, not from losing in the Finals to winning a title. Because, guess what, they probably would’ve done that without you.

[anonthenullifier]

Fic suggestion: Wanda has trouble falling asleep/staying asleep and Vision tries to help her. This is completely coming from the fact that I’ve been having problems sleeping lately and usually turn to scarlet vision stories when that happens 😂 It also seems like it would be insanely adorable/fluffy

Hello! I’m not sure I went in the direction you were wanting, but I still hope it fulfills your prompt in that it is 1. fluffy 2. that it is something you can read while you are, unfortunately, not sleeping and 3. That you enjoy it! Also, sorry this is so late!

Insomnia is the type of friend that arrives uninvited with impeccable timing to descend when mental fortitude is at its weakest. It also has the uncanny ability to make itself comfortable, sprawling along the mattress, its ghastly arms stretched out in such an expansive way Wanda cannot escape curling into its embrace. Despite the toxic, one-sided relationship, it is also the friend that perhaps knows her the best. Sure she shares the intimate fears and shrouded thoughts with some others, Pietro had always been her source until, well, he decided to be a hero, and now she has her husband, his strong arms and gentle, spinning eyes a comfort, but she’s never as open with them as she is in the dark of night, the drone of the television muffled as her thoughts careen around the hypotheticals of life. Tonight is one of the worst in a long time, her eyes wide and burning from the oppressively stale air.

It has been six months since Thanos, since losing so many teammates, since losing Vision, and since discovering in herself an ability to alter reality, set things right. Which is why she feels unfounded in her agony, most of the losses from the battle no more, life set back to rightness (though the scars remain), yet still the specter of the what if, of the what was, will not leave her alone. Right now is particularly bad, not because the memories are stronger or the traces left from briefly being a widow are more biting, it’s because, for the first time since everything, he’s not beside her, arms protectively wound around her waist, refusing to let go. When she is reminded that she isn’t alone in her fears, can feel his own restlessness at coping with all the psychological and physical effects of the cosmic war, sleep comes easier, the waft of vibranium and the reassuring brush of his breath along her cheek soothing her into a restful slumber.

Wanda rolls over with a grunt, pulling the spare pillow to her face in hopes the frigid touch of the unused threads can chase away her thoughts. It doesn’t work, just as it didn’t work the ten times she’s done it already tonight. The mission has been going for four days, not a single one of those has she slept, eyes growing heavier every day, weighing her face down which causes her lips to respond, a perennial arc of displeasure on display (something both Carol and Strange have pointed out numerous times, which only deepens the frown). Sleep hasn’t been this difficult since losing Pietro, before Vision offered his mind to aid her, how fitting that Vision is now the reason she can’t sleep. It’s not, she has reasoned night after night, so much his physical absence as it is the reminder of how it wasn’t when they were on a mission when their lives fell into nightmares, it wasn’t during training, or anything Avenger related. They were on a date, holding hands, he’d just told her a painfully corny joke that curled his mouth up into an adorably proud smile and then it all shattered, the pieces still scattered, not fully put back together even now. The knowledge had always been there, since she was ten, but it was reiterated tenfold that day, no part of life is immune from incursion. Briefly she wonders if it she’d be in the same quandary if their roles were reversed, if she was at the compound and he on the mission, but though her brain says maybe her heart still screams, shriveling at the notion.

A frustrated groan precedes the swing of her body, an exaggerated movement that ends with her bare feet on the carpet, toes curling into the rough fibers of the seedy hotel floor, and then Wanda stands, arms opening to the side as she stretches all the way up onto the tips of her toes. She paces the room four times, legs impatient and breath annoyed as she attempts to expel the extra energy from the tumbling blackhole of other realities. It’s on the fifth lap (not truly a lap, more of a horseshoe shaped circuit) that she decides to do what she’s put off the other nights, for reasons that seemed logical before but right now are idiotic. If she can’t sleep because her husband is back at the compound, then why not bring him along, at least in some sense. It’s reasoning not even he could find fault with, she thinks. Her decision made, Wanda journeys back to the bed, lowering herself onto the edge as she rummages through the nightstand, fingers unplugging her phone to give her free reign of movement, and then she lays down, a commanding “Call Vision” leads to his still face popping up and the steady four beat rhythm of the transmission tone. The moment the picture morphs into an actual moving face, one marred by worry, eyes squinted and mouth pursed, she smiles. “Hey Maximoff.”

“Wanda,” his voice is conflicted, half her name warm and loving and the other half reflecting concern at the odd hour of the call. “Is everything okay?”

She’d estimate perhaps a third of her worries are sloughed away by seeing his face and allowing the precise, quiet flow of his voice to wash over her. “Yeah,” one word and the wrinkles near the Mindstone ease back into a serene landscape of crimson, textured skin. “Just can’t sleep.”

“Ah,” the lack of surprise is expected, as is the subtle, cheeky shift of his mouth that is already spurring a roll of her eyes, “I am having the same issue.”

It’s at least the hundredth time he’s said it, the words no longer funny in their  unexpectedness, and yet she still feeds the behavior, a breathy chuckle joining the shake of her head because she treasures the carefree satisfaction that erupts in the wild twist of his irises. “You’re not funny.”

The phone is held a bit too close to his face for her to actually see the shrug, but she knows it exists, can parse it out from the practiced nonchalance of his mouth and the slight tilt of his head. “The available data suggests otherwise.” This too is the same argument, the intonation perfected, such an integral aspect to their conversations that it encases her in joy. “Have you slept at all during the mission?” A small, reserved shake of her head kickstarts his features, morphing them into the serious lines of contemplation that develop anytime he encounters a problem, lips set into a subtle scowl that makes it known he will, no matter how long it takes, solve the enigma of what lays before him. “Have you tried tea or warm milk?”

Wanda weakly tries to stop the grin from appearing on her face, the litany of remedies is one she has memorized, its creation occurring the first time he inquired (long before they would ever call themselves acquaintances, much less friends, and definitely not lovers) if he could aid her in sleeping. The clasped hands and nervous stutter of his voice no longer go along with the items, but the content is barely changed and the routine of it is medicinal, her limbs already growing slightly heavier in anticipation. “Yes, but the only tea we have is black.”

“Which is counterproductive to sleep.”

Something she knows quite well given the list taped inside the cabinet where the teas are stored, one he painstakingly crafted as a guide to responsible steeping. “You also know I’m not a milk before bed type of person.”

A nod of agreement, “Yes, but I determined to inquire in case you are truly desperate.”

“Not yet.”

Vision smirks at the admission which, counter to her hopes of calling him, only stokes the need within her to have him there next to her. “I hear the television.” The delicate way humans can imbue a sentence with different meanings and emotions was a skill he developed quite slowly, but once he grasped the use of purposeful inflection, he, unsurprisingly as he does with everything else, excelled at it. The good-natured but judgmental quality of the observation sparks an embarrassed ember underneath each cheek, her hand flicking to turn off the television. “Have you tried meditating?”

“Yes,” for about ten minutes but every time she closed her eyes, instead of finding a calm, centering blankness, she heard the sickening snap of Thanos’ hand around Vision’s body, her heart racing and stomach unsettled at the recollection of his screams and how suddenly they were silenced. “But that failed.”

The knowing downcast of his eyes confirms he understands why it failed, might even suggest he himself, though he isn’t trying to sleep, is ruminating as well. “Some research suggests verbalizing the worries interrupting your sleep can be helpful.”

“It’s the same thing we’ve talked about a million times, Vizh.” She says the words in a way to convey that this is not something she has any interest in right now.

“I know.”

There are five more checkboxes on his mental list, but Wanda decides to cut him off, at least reveal the one thing she knows would help. “I just,” the swirling of his irises stops her, mesmerized at the pure adoration and concern for her well-being clicking with each turn of the gear, “want you.”

His face softens, a requited desire evident in the slightly pained smile on his lips. “Captain Danvers is quite stringent concerning extraneous bodies on missions.”

“I know.”

The image on the phone bounces as he thinks, a marginally disorienting experience that thankfully stops as he stares hard into her eyes. “Perhaps we try something unconventional.”

Vision’s very existence is unconventional, yet it is not a word she would often use to describe his behaviors, her husband partial to routines and knowing precisely when and why things occur. “You going off list?” A nervous huff confirms his intent to shirk the norm. “What do you have in mind?”

“Do you have extra pillows or blankets?”

The question is odd, well not terribly odd given she’s in a bed, but without reaching into his mind (a feat that is difficult when they are an entire world apart) she finds herself in a state of ignorant vertigo, both thrilling and uneasy. “I have,” Wanda stands from the bed to assess everything, wandering into the tiny closet, the door broken so she has to use her powers to shove it aside, and then returning to the bed with her bounty. “Two pillows and three blankets.”

“Excellent,” the extra sleep aids fall onto the bed, forming a heap once she removes her powers and resumes sitting on the mattress, legs crossing as she stares at Vision’s face, curious at the jitteriness developing in his movements. “I have been unable to find empirical support for this supposition,” hence the jitters, “but perhaps we could, to the best of our abilities, replicate your typical sleeping environment.”

Wanda’s eyes narrow as she processes the words, gaze inching towards the mound of pillows and then back to his face, mind going through the routine they have set for bedtime with particular focus on how she slides into bed, head coming to rest on his chest, one arm thrown over his waist, and her leg snaking between his. “You want me to make a fake-Vision, don’t you?”

A self-conscious, dubious shrug confirms his thoughts. “It is possible you have become dependent upon physical contact in order to fall asleep.”

“Pillows and blankets are not quite the same.”

The hard, unmoving stare coupled with the unamused stillness of his features is his version of an eye roll. “I was also going to suggest I read to you, thus replicating another aspect.” The tight line of his mouth crawls into a wry smirk, “The only aspect I cannot help with is my fingers in your hair, but perhaps your powers will suffice.”

Now it’s her turn to roll her eyes, shaking her head at his attempt at levity, “I’ll pass on that.” Given nothing else has been successful, Wanda decides to play along, knowing that, even if it fails, at least it will keep him on the phone for longer. She arranges the pillows and blankets, deciding the pillows are needed for the “torso” of her “faux”sband and the blankets can wrap around her feet. His face hovers at the top of the pillow, held in place with a tendril of scarlet. “Vizh, I feel ridiculous.”

“You look quite comfortable.”

She almost counters back, informing him she’d be more comfortable if he was there, but that’s already known and thus unnecessary. “So what are we reading?”

The background on the phone changes, the picture frames on the walls of their room rotating out of view as he retrieves the book, the dark headboard of the bed filling the space behind him once he sits down. “End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov.”

“Vizh,” the zh is held out with a threatening waver, “I thought you agreed not to read anymore Asimov.”

Another hard stare and his voice develops a tinge of defensiveness, but not enough to overtake the amusement that exists as well, “This novel does not concern robots or artificial intelligence.”

Wanda mutters a “Fine,” before he begins, voice calm, developing a steady, conversational rhythm as he reads, filling her mind with Eternity and clean cut uniforms, assessing time (both past, present, and future) and controlling all of reality, razing civilizations with one small change. She is enthralled but that is antithetical to the purpose, her eyelids should be growing uncontrollable in their desire to close, breath evening out, and body sinking into the pillows. Instead she cannot stop staring at Vision’s face, tracking the emotions that flit through his eyes, longing to curl her powers into his thoughts, follow the pathways of information as he sorts through it, questions it, and then places it in the appropriate cubby. There is no doubt he’s also running hypotheticals, questioning the structure of this Eternity and the logic of the changes, but she can’t feel it, lacks the ability to do so, and it is distracting.

The story cuts out with a, “Wanda,” her thoughts tumbling into a muddied but centralized focused on his brilliant blue stare. “I believe this attempt can be marked as another failure.”

“Not all experiments work.” Unfortunately.

Vision’s shoulders move as he no doubt delicately inserts the bookmark, lining up the bottom edge with the word he last read. “There is only one more solution to try, but I will need to disconnect long enough to prepare it.”  

“Okay?” The image cuts out without an I love you, she hopes because he will be back momentarily, but the seconds stretch into a minute, balloon into ten minutes, fifteen, twenty, and there is nothing, her heart sinking all the way to her toes, mouth dry, desperate for water, and her mind is aflame with concern. Then there is a sound, a memory of sitting on Clint’s front porch, the warm summer sun tickling her toes as she stretches her feet out of the shade, the wind whispering its greetings, stirring the chimes above her. It is one of her favorite sounds, not because of the memory (though that helps), but because it is strikingly similar to the noise created when vibranium passes through a solid object, a pre-warning song it took her months to actually notice (her surprise at a body phasing through the wall had suppressed any noise up until then).  “Vizh!” Wanda bounds out of the bed, feet racing across the carpet until she can toss herself into his welcoming stance, drown herself in his embrace as she cinches her arms around his waist, refusing to let go. Thankfully he doesn’t try to move, simply holds her, a long, reverent kiss placed against the part of her hair.

“I-,” reluctantly she loosens her grip as he shifts his feet enough to meet her gaze, his palms cupping her cheeks and face hovering just above her own, “believe this may be the best option,” she begins to agree but her words drop away as he finishes, “for both of us.” Now that he is here, body pressed against hers, the comforting thump of his pulse guiding her own heart to match its rhythm, she doesn’t hesitate in entering his mind, notes the restlessness of his own thoughts, the disquiet at being separated, still convinced (despite the fact he verbally contradicts this) Thanos will return.

Wanda inches up onto her toes, just enough to close the distance between them, her lips meeting his with conviction, a surety that they are here, together, alive, and nothing will ever take that away again. The scrunch of his fingers along her cheeks and the deliberately slow move of his mouth to deepen the kiss is enough to fulfill his side of the promise. She pulls away, hand tracing his chest as he takes in a long breath, and smiles at him, “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

She nods towards the bed, heart beating rapidly despite the lids of her eyes sprouting weights, “Do you want,” a yawn interrupts her sentence and she can’t seem to find it in herself to finish it, fairly certain the intent is clear.

“Gladly.” A peck to her forehead is his parting as he steps around her before easing himself onto the mattress, hands meticulously placing the pillows so that he can prop himself up at a comfortable level to read. Wanda moves with a lethargic giddiness, crawling into the bed, sliding seamlessly under his right arm, cheek pressed into the silken synthetic fibers of his sweater, and she wraps herself around him, sprawling across the expanse of his body. “Goodnight, my love.”

Another yawn mangles her, “Night,” the tingle of his fingers along her scalp the final attack against the last of her insomniac defenses. Her mind calms, worries shoved aside for another time, and finally she sleeps.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11189247/chapters/31635333

[junker-town]

Giannis Antetokounmpo represents everything great about sports

Giannis’ greatness is the only box he fits in.

Giannis Antetokounmpo always seemed too good to be true. He was the latest international mystery man in the draft when we first learned about him in 2013, a skinny Greek teenager who had seemingly blossomed out to nowhere to become a legitimate first round NBA prospect. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress wrote the first public report on Antetokounmpo while comparing his body to Nicolas Batum and Thabo Sefolosha and his game to how UCLA used Kyle Anderson.

As we learned more about Antetokounmpo, we realized just how incredible his personal story was. The son of Nigerian immigrants, Giannis and his brothers were denied citizenship by the Greek government despite being born in the country. They sold watches and sunglasses in the streets to help their parents make ends meet. Giannis and his older brother Thanasis were playing basketball in a park one day when a coach from Greek basketball academy saw them while riding his bike. He let them join the academy free of charge.

Antetokounmpo was a 6’9 forward with a reported 7’3 wingspan who showed rare comfort handling and passing the ball. He didn’t play against serious competition in the second division of the Greek league, but the outlines for a future MVP were there. The Milwaukee Bucks, with the No. 15 overall pick, took a swing for the fences by drafting him. His story could have ended up like so many other failed international first round picks — Darko Miličić, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, and Jan Veselý just to name a few — but instead Giannis kept growing, both literally and figuratively.

The Bucks were miserable in Antetokounmpo’s rookie year, finishing 15-67 overall. There were some positive signs, though. Antetokounmpo looked comfortable in 77 games after a terrific Summer League run, averaging only 6.8 points but already showing he could compete on an NBA floor. The Bucks also unearthed another pleasant surprise that season: Khris Middleton. The Bucks had acquired Middleton weeks after drafting Antetokounmpo as a throw-in in their Brandon Jennings for Brandon Knight swap with the Pistons. Middleton, a former second round pick, quickly became a starter and ended the year as the team’s third leading scorer by averaging 12.1 points per game.

The Bucks were supposed to acquire their big prize the next year when Antetokounmpo’s rough rookie season landed them the No. 2 overall pick. They had their choice of Duke forward Jabari Parker and injured Kansas center Joel Embiid. The Bucks took Parker, and six weeks into his pro career he tore his ACL. He tore his ACL again two years later, and was off the team by the time his rookie contract expired. This was supposed to be the piece that took Giannis and the Bucks to the next level, but instead it was a bust.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo kept getting better. He averaged 12.7 points his second year and 16.9 points per game his third year as head coach Jason Kidd experimented with using him as a point guard (Giannis played point guard 40 percent of the time in his third season, according to Basketball Reference). The NBA didn’t know exactly what Giannis was supposed to be yet, but it was clear he was on his way to becoming a star.

The biggest factor in Antetokounmpo’s development was how much bigger he got: he had grown at least two inches to 6’11 and was on his way to adding over 40 pounds of muscle. Giannis put in the work to change his body and he was able to carry the extra weight without losing his quickness or explosiveness. He was starting to play with immense force on every possession — not just offensively, but defensively.

Antetokounmpo became a terror in the open court, busting out Eurosteps to unsuspecting defenders as they pleaded for travel calls. Defensively, Giannis’ length and newfound strength added burgeoning rim protecting ability to an already strong perimeter defender. The Bucks snuck into the playoffs three times early in Antetokounmpo’s career, but couldn’t get past the first round.

Everything changed when Mike Budenholzer was hired ahead of the 2018-19 season. Suddenly, the Bucks went from plucky upstarts to the team with the best record in the NBA. Antetokounmpo had gone from an emerging young star to a 24-year-old MVP who now had a case as the best player in the world.

Milwaukee blitzed the league with a 60-22 record in Coach Bud’s first season by unleashing Antetokounmpo to his full potential. He became a defensive anchor near the paint who could erase any mistake on the perimeter by his teammates. Offensively, Antetokounmpo put the pedal to the floor on every possession, charging hard to the basket through contact while still having the touch and poise to finish. Middleton was coming into his own at the same time as a 6’8 forward who had developed into one of the league’s best pure shooters. Brook Lopez was signed to a bargain contract and transformed his game from post scorer to three-point shooter to give Giannis more room on his drives.

Something special was brewing in Milwaukee, but like so many other basketball deities before him, Giannis had to take his lumps in the playoffs first. The Bucks started the 2019 playoffs at 10-1 and took a 2-0 lead over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 3 went into double overtime, the Bucks lost, and Antetokounmpo finished with only 12 points in 45 minutes. Toronto would go on to win the next three games to eliminate the Bucks in shocking fashion.

Antetokounmpo won another MVP and led the Bucks to the NBA’s best record again the next year. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and when the NBA came back after a nearly five-month pause, Giannis and the Bucks found themselves in a bubble. The Bucks drew the Miami Heat in round two, an opponent uniquely equipped to matchup with them thanks to a brilliant coach and a long, strong roster. The Bucks lost the first three games, and Antetokounmpo was injured in Game 4 before Miami completed a stunning gentleman’s sweep.

At this point, the shine surrounding Giannis started to wear off. He was a great regular season player who couldn’t get it done in the playoffs. James Harden famously said he had no skill. It didn’t matter what Antetokounmpo accomplished during the regular season this year: he wasn’t winning his third straight MVP after consecutive playoff failures.

Speculation over Giannis’ impending free agency had reached a fever pitch. LeBron James and Kevin Durant both left the small market organizations that drafted them because they didn’t have enough help to win a championship. Antetokounmpo could have said the same thing about the Bucks. Instead, he signed a five-year max extension just before the season. Whether he would eventually win a title or not, he was going to try to do it on his own terms.

As a superteam formed in Brooklyn mid-season, the Bucks became something of an afterthought. They took their foot off the gas in the regular season, experimenting with different defensive strategies and integrating new guard Jrue Holiday at the expense of some regular season wins. After finishing with the league’s best record in consecutive seasons, seven teams ended up winning more games than the Bucks before the playoffs, including two teams in their own conference. Antetokounmpo finished fourth in MVP voting.

Unlike the previous two seasons, the Bucks entered this year’s playoffs without overwhelming expectations. Antetokounmpo’s extension had taken away some of the immediate urgency. Not making it out of the East wouldn’t be seen as a failure anymore, not with three veteran superstars teaming up on the Nets while the 76ers coalesced into conference power.

For once, Giannis and the Bucks had room to breathe. It might have been the best thing that ever happened to them.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Every NBA champion needs good fortune to raise a banner. You can of course say the same about the Bucks.

After avenging their playoff loss to the Heat in the first round with a decisive sweep, the Bucks met the Nets in the second round. In the first minute of the first game, Harden went down with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the first four games of the series. Brooklyn still went up 2-0 on their home floor and seemed to have the Bucks on their way to a second straight second round exit. Then Kyrie Irving got hurt in Game 4 and never returned.

The Bucks forced a Game 7 in Brooklyn. Durant capped an incredible game with a game-tying shot in the final seconds of regulation that would have been the game-winner if his foot wasn’t on the three-point line. The Bucks won in overtime and kept their championship dream alive.

On the other side of the Eastern Conference bracket, the Atlanta Hawks upset the Sixers. The Hawks stole Game 1 of the conference finals in Milwaukee, but the Bucks would take the next two. In Game 4, Antetokounmpo suffered a scary leg injury and immediately exited. After so many injuries to superstars in this postseason, it sure felt like the worst case scenario was on the table. The Hawks won to tie the series with Giannis sidelined, but Middleton and Holiday powered wins in the next two games. The Bucks were in the Finals.

The Phoenix Suns had their own luck on the other side of the bracket. Phoenix knocked out the defending champion Lakers in the first round after Anthony Davis suffered an injury late in the series. They swept a Jamal Murray-less Denver Nuggets team in round two. They beat the Clippers in the conference finals after Kawhi Leonard partially tore his ACL. Both the Suns and Bucks were legitimately great teams, but it’s impossible know if they would have advanced to the Finals against a fully healthy field that wasn’t set against the backdrop of a pandemic.

Antetokounmpo entered the series doubtful to play in Game 1. Hours before tip-off, he was upgraded to questionable. After suffering an injury many believed would bleed into next year, Giannis was in the starting lineup for the first game of the Finals. He didn’t look like he was 100 percent, but he still played 35 minutes and finished +1 in a game the Suns won by 13 points.

Milwaukee’s only chance was for Giannis to fully return to form and assert himself as the best player in the series. That’s exactly what happened.

Giannis’ performance in the Finals was nothing short of remarkable.

He finished with 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting in Game 2, but the Suns still won to take a 2-0 lead. As the series came to Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo was even better: he put up 41 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in a decisive Game 3 victory that gave the Bucks’ a puncher’s chance.

In Game 4, Antetokounmpo sealed the win with one of the best blocks you will ever see on an alley-oop meant for Deandre Ayton. In Game 5, he helped deliver an even more incredible play when he slammed home a lob off Holiday’s tremendous steal in the final seconds. The Bucks had won three straight games and now had a chance to end the series on their floor in Game 6 on Tuesday night. Giannis already had two defining plays and a gaudy stat line during these Finals, but he saved his best for last.

It is no exaggeration to say Giannis played one of the great games in NBA history to carry the Bucks in Game 6. On a night when Holiday couldn’t make a basket and Middleton struggled to get open, Antetokounmpo absolutely dominated the game on both offense and defense. With the Bucks trailing by seven points at halftime, Giannis put up 20 points in the third quarter while deterring so many Suns scoring opportunities with his help defense.

He brought home the win in the fourth quarter by overcoming his biggest weakness: free throw shooting. After shooting about 55 percent from the foul line throughout the playoffs, Antetokounmpo somehow made 17-of-19 free throws in the biggest game of his career.

The end result: 50 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks, and Milwaukee’s first NBA championship since 1971.

Giannis’ greatness has never fit into a box.

He was drafted as a nominal small forward, but he was always the type of player who never really had a position. While the Bucks used him to initiate offense on the perimeter from the early days of his career, his massive growth spurt after entering the league made him something closer to a big man.

We know what big men look like and we know how they score. Antetokounmpo didn’t conform to those norms. While Hakeem Olajuwon had deft footwork in the post, Giannis mastered his footwork in the open floor. While Shaq unleashed his power after planting himself deep in the paint, Giannis backed up 30-feet away from the hoop to get a running start before unfurling his force. While NBA fans pleaded with Budenholzer to use Giannis as a roll man, the Bucks preferred to put him in space and let him attack.

As it happened, it became easy to see the holes Giannis had in his game. He didn’t have a three-point shot in a league obsessed with three-pointers. He struggled to shoot free throws. His ball handling ability never fully leveled up. Instead, Giannis was said to succeed because he was simply bigger and faster than everyone. That led to jealousy from his peers and confusion from some fans who could only see greatness through the lens of how Michael Jordan and (to a lesser extent) Kobe Bryant accomplished it.

Giannis was said to have ‘no bag’ — the ultimate diss for a hooper. While some saw a lack of crossovers and pull-up jumpers, Antetokounmpo’s skill showed up in different ways. It often felt like his apparent lack of appreciation from other NBA stars was because he wasn’t from America and had no interest in running in the same cliques as they did.

The discussion about Antetokounmpo’s skill level missed several key points. For one, he had become the best defensive player in the world, someone with a length and quickness of prime Kawhi Leonard on the perimeter with the shot blocking ability of Rudy Gobert near the basket. It also discounted how hard this man played. Giannis never took off a single possession on either end of the floor and established himself one of the most competitive athletes on Earth. The questioning of his offensive game was wildly out of place, too. He just averaged 35.2 points per game on 61.1 percent shooting from the field in the NBA Finals, in a series some feared he wouldn’t even play in against a team that was favored to beat his Bucks.

Giannis’ greatness is a testament to his incredible work ethic to go from a skinny teenager to a physical freak. He should be held up on a pedestal for his motor. The fact that he committed long-term to the small market team that drafted him rather than running away to play with other superstars makes this championship even more meaningful.

Antetokounmpo’s awards cabinet is filling up. He’s two-time MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, the winner of the Most Improved Player, a five-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection, and a four-time All-Defense selection. Now he can add an NBA championship and a Finals MVP. He’s still only 26 years old.

We are watching one of the greatest athletes of this generation in any sport in the prime of his career. He is an immigrant who found a new home in Milwaukee after not even knowing where it was when he got drafted. He does it all with a humble approach that is devoid of ego. His press conferences were almost as good as his play during the games in the NBA Finals.

Basketball is now a global game, and Giannis is a global icon. He represents the dream of how sports can change anyone’s life. He plays the game the right way, giving all he’s got on every possession. He doesn’t run away from challenges.

A championship was always going to elevate Giannis into the land of legends, and the way he did it will define his career forever. What a story, and what a player. For once, something that always felt too good to be true actually lived up to the hype.

[anisanews]

Conn Smythe Trophy power rankings, odds 2021: Carey Price, Brayden Point among top five candidates for NHL’s playoff MVP

The weather is heating up and so is the “Coolest Game on Earth.” The 2021 Stanley Cup Final is finally upon us.

After a 56-game sprint and three rounds of high-octane playoff hockey, the NHL is down to the final two teams: the defending champion Lightning and the NHL’s most decorated franchise, the Canadiens.

While a team-first mentality is always the key component to a successful postseason run, there are a few players who have risen to the top for the coveted Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the best player in the postseason. Will this be the year we see the trophy handed to someone on the losing team? Or will it be someone skating away with not one, but two trophies in July?

MORE: Six of the biggest award snubs in NHL history

Sporting News ranks the top five MVP candidates entering the Stanley Cup Final:

2021 Conn Smythe power rankings

(Getty Images) https://ift.tt/3xgZfqZ

5. Phillip Danault, Canadiens

You’re probably wondering how he got here. While he only has three assists in 17 games, Danault has become an integral role in the Canadiens reaching this point. The Quebecois centerman — alongside linemate Brendan Gallagher — has shut down the opposition’s top guys: The Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner and 2021 Rocket Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews in the first round, the Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor in the conference semifinals and the Golden Knights’ Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone in the finals. Zero goals by six guys who all scored more than 20 in a 56-games-or-fewer regular season when facing Danault and crew.

Plus, he breaks out the pizza for the postgame press conferences so he’s got swag too.

Stanley Cup Final: Predictions, schedule, odds for Lightning vs. Canadiens

4. Nikita Kucherov, Lightning

Kucherov missed the entire regular season recovering from hip surgery and, despite not playing a lick between the end of September and May, has returned in tip-top scoring form. In 18 games he accumulated five goals and 27 points — 17 of those on the power play.

3. Brayden Point, Lightning

It was hard to pick a No. 2 between Point and Kucherov but the Calgary native’s three game-winners push& him past his teammate. Like last season’s Cup run, Point has been a game-changer for the Bolts. Last season he collected 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 23 games. This season he has already hit the 14-goal mark in just 18 games and has chipped in six assists. He tickled the twine in nine straight games — one behind the record by Reggie Leach — and has scored in all but five games this postseason.

2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning

Once again, Vasilevskiy has put together a stunning postseason run: He has posted a .936 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average in 18 starts. At 5v5, his save percentage rises to .939. He has an NHL-best Goals Saved Above Average (4.85) and High-Density GSAA (5.55), according to Natural Stat Trick. The 26-year-old, who is up for the 2021 Vezina Trophy as the league’s best regular-season goalie, has pitched shutouts in every series clincher, including a Game 7 win over the Islanders to reach the ultimate series.

(Getty Images) https://ift.tt/3dgfNY3

1. Carey Price, Canadiens

If the Canadiens can pull it off to beat the star-studded Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final, it’ll all be because of Price. An always-calming presence between the pipes, he has once again elevated his game in the postseason. The netminder has been stellar in net, posting a .934 save percentage, 2.02 goals-against average and a shutout.

While shorthanded, he has allowed just three goals on 63 shots (.952 save percentage). with two of those being from high-danger spots. Even if the Canadiens can’t pull it off, Price has a good chance of being just the sixth guy to win from the losing squad, joining Roger Crozier (Red Wings, 1966), Glenn Hall (Blues, 1968), Leach (Flyers, 1976), Ron Hextall (Flyers, 1987) and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Mighty Ducks, 2003).

2021 Conn Smythe odds

Player Team Odds Andrei Vasilevskiy Lightning +135 Carey Price Canadiens +195 Nikita Kucherov Lightning +300 Brayden Point Lightning +400 Victor Hedman Lightning +5000 Cole Caufield Canadiens +5000 Steven Stamkos Lightning +6000 Nick Suzuki Canadiens +6000 Tyler Toffoli Canadiens +6000 Corey Perry Canadiens +7500 Alex Killorn Lightning +10000 Brendan Gallagher Canadiens +12500

Odds as of June 28 and courtesy of DraftKings.com.

from Anisa News https://ift.tt/3dqdKAF

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON: BEARS BURY PACK DESPITE LETTIERI HAT TRICK

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Vinni Lettieri and Devante Smith-Pelly matched hat tricks while John Gilmour’s and Nathan Walker each had three helpers for their respective teams, but in the end, it was the Hershey Bears who pulled off a 5-3 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack. The loss effectively removed any chance the Wolf Pack might have had in catching the Bears, whose record improves to 33-22-2-4 (72 points). They hold an eleven point lead over the Pack with just thirteen games left to play. The loss drops the Pack record to 26-28-6-3 (61 points). The Bears' win ended their current, and longest, losing streak in over two months. They are 0-1-2-1 over the span. Penalties and loose defensive zone play cost the Wolf Pack another loss, which also ended a modest three-game winning streak. “When you're killing penalties, your shot totals are going to be going up, and the first part we're putting ourselves to be in a position to take those penalties. At the top of my list, we were mismanaging pucks in critical areas and we know this Hershey team set a record for consecutive wins. Anytime you give a team a free play on turnovers like that, there's a very good chance it's going to wind up in the back of your net,” Wolf Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said. The Bears took a 3-2 lead as the Pack was, once again, unable to clear the puck or get to a loose puck off a rebound. Rookie Wolf Pack goalie, Adam Huska, stopped ex-Pack Ryan Sproul’s left point drive with a pad save. The Bears Nathan Walker got to the loose biscuit after a center ice turnover by Tim Gettinger, who was going off for a line change.  Walker fed another ex-CT Whale, Jayson Megna, for a quickly developing two-on-one. Megna, a right-handed shot, was playing on the left wing. He slid the pass over to Smith-Pelly on the right wing. The NHL veteran deposited his second of the game at 1:52. The Bears nearly got another with a Sproul shot that that was stopped, but on the net-front battle, Walker seemingly scored, but a lengthy review determined there was no goal. The Bears kept the pressure on as the Wolf Pack took penalties allowed the Bears quality O-zone time. At 8:53, and on the powerplay, Megna redirected Michael Sgarbossa's perfect pass from the left point. Megna had inside position on Josh Wesley and put it past Huska giving the Bears a two-goal advantage at 4-2. The Wolf Pack followed with 1:16 of five-on-three late but didn’t connect until six seconds after it ended. After passing it back-and-forth several times, Lettieri took a cross-ice pass from Gilmour and buried his third goal of the game past a diving Bears goalie, Vitek Vanacek at 16:45. The goal completed Lettieri's hat trick and some of the crowd of 4,685 followed the hockey signature rituals by throwing hats on the ice. It was Lettieri’s 21st goal of the season, which leads the team. Lettieri was the second Pack player to record a hat trick in two weeks, but just the third hat trick in three years and sixth in the last seven years. Gilmour's third assist of the game gave him 48 on the season to become the AHL leader for points by a defenseman passing Zach Redmond of the idle Rochester Americans. ‘Our line has been doing great,” remarked Lettieri. The team’s number one unit consists of Lettieri, Steven Fogarty, and Ryan Gropp, “When I get the puck. I always try to get it to Gropp or Fogarty and then try to get ahead of the play and they always seem to find me.” Smith-Pelly matched Lettieri’s hat trick restore a two-goal lead as the trailer on Walker’s breakaway. Huska made the pad save, but Smith-Pelly went unchecked and was able to sweep and bury that a shot just 44 seconds after Lettieri’s goal at 17:29. The play started when Gabriel Fontaine blew a tire at center ice. Sean Day was unable to get back to contain Walker allowing Smith-Pelly to record his seventh point in six games. McCambridge was happy with his rookie goalie who showed flashes of his UCONN form. “I like the way Adam played. I really can’t fault (him) on those rebounds against us, but he did give us some chances to win the game. He had to fight thru traffic to find those pucks and he did so. There are going to be rebounds, and that’s our defenseman’s job to clear those rebounds.” The Wolf Pack came out at the start of the second as they did in the first attacking Hershey defense and gained the lead back at 2-1. Gilmour wired a shot off the left pad of Vanacek and Lettieri was right there to easily deposit the loose change for his second of the night at 30 seconds. Two milestones were reached on the play. Lettieri became the second Wolf Pack to reach 20 goals. The other was the now traded, Peter Holland. With his second assist of the night, Gilmour broke the record for assists by a defenseman passing Andrew Hutchison in the 2007-08 season. Hershey came back at 5:53 on the powerplay. Huska made a save with the shoulder on Jusso Ikonen, but the Wolf Pack didn't get to a loose puck, but Walker did at the left side of the net. Walker sent the puck behind the net to Juuso Ikonen. He quickly fed Garret Pilon who rifled his seventh goal of the season to the far side past Huska, evening the game at two and completing a well-executed three player sequence. Pack grabbed the first goal of the game on the powerplay. Gilmour fed Lettieri at the right point. Lettieri then unloaded a heavy snapshot that sailed past Vanacek who was screened by Gabriel Fontaine 12:39. Hershey bounced back with Smith-Pelly, in his sixth game since being demoted by the Washington Capitals, when he scored his first of the game from the left wing. Smith-Pelley's perfect redirect of ex-Sound Tiger Aaron Ness’s left point shot beat Huska to the short-side at 17:29 to tie the score at one. SCRATCHES: Dawson Leedahl (upper body, week-to-week) Rob O’Gara (lower body, week-to-week) Chris Bigras (ankle, out for the season) Drew Melanson (healthy) Julius Bergman (healthy) LINES: Fogarty-Lettieri-Gropp Fontaine-Beleskey-Meskanen Ronning-Gettinger-St. Amant O’Donnell-Butler-Wallin Gilmour-Lindgren Raddysh-Day Wesley-Crawley NOTES: The Pack will host the Binghamton Devils on Wednesday at 7:00 pm, the last mid-week game of the season and the last home game for the next two weeks. Gilmour’s next goal will be his 19th and will break the Wolf Pack team record for goals by a defenseman set by Andrew Hutchison in the 2007-08 season. Hutchinson was the Wolf Pack captain and became the only Eddie Shore trophy winner for Best Defenseman in franchise history. Matt Beleskey's powerplay goal last night in Springfield against the Thunderbirds broke a 23-game scoreless streak that dated back to January 5th against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. With Huska now in the red, white, and blue, Chris Nell became expendable and was reassigned to the team's ECHL affiliates, the Maine Mariners, who in turn released veteran Hannu Toivonen. Wolf Pack Fan Jersey of the Night: Plenty to choose from #15 Greg Moore, #36 Craig Weller, #40 Steve Valiquette, #42 Jeff State, CT Whale #5 Blake Parlett, a Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) #27 Tim Gettinger, and a special tip of the chapeau to a #27 Hershey Bears Dennis Bonvie plus two beautiful blue Maine Mariner’s road uni’s. Former team captain and head coach, Ken Gernander’s #12 jersey was sighted as well. Speaking of Moore, he is now the head coach of the Chicago Steel (USHL). Moore was the second Wolf Pack captain following Gernander's retirement. Their first captain was Craig Weller who is not currently active in hockey. One of 38 players to play for both the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the Wolf Pack, Valiquette is now an MSG-TV hockey analyst on Rangers' broadcasts. He was part of the greatest Wolf Pack goalie tandem ever with Jason LaBarbera. Speaking of the 6'5 Jeff State, who also played for the wildly, infamous Danbury Trashers, then Wolf Pack head coach, Ryan McGill, now an assistant with the Las Vegas Golden Knights, and who was never one for mincing words said, “He was like a human pillon out there,” Blake Parlett is now playing in Beijing, China with Kunlun Red Star (KHL). Bonvie, the AHL's all-time PIM leader with 4,493 in 871 games and was one of the most honest and decent players in the game, is currently scouting for the Boston Bruins. Bonvie's fight with Richard Scott in Hartford was one of the greatest toe-to-toe bouts in XL Center history. Scott was smiling throughout the tilt. At the time, Scott's teammate Jeff Toms, said after the game, “If you couldn’t get juiced after watching that you need to check your pulse.” Read the full article

[junker-town]

TITLELESS: 16 NBA teams that flamed out too soon

Were Gary Payton’s Sonics the best team to never win an NBA championship?

Our quest to uncover the best NBA team to not win a title begins with the teams that suffered mind-boggling playoff disappointments.

Our quest to uncover the best NBA team to not win a title begins with the teams that suffered mind-boggling playoff disappointments. These 16 clubs fell short of their ultimate goal due to an early-round upset, a brutal collapse, or both. Meet the Flameout Division.

As always, we will count down from worst to best. We begin with a long-forgotten upstart and end with one that has become a cultural icon.

16. 2012-13 Denver Nuggets

ERA: The Post-Carmelo trade.

RECORD: 57-25

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in first round to No. 6 Golden State Warriors (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): None

COACH: George Karl

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari (injured in playoffs), Kenneth Faried, Andre Miller, Wilson Chandler, Kosta Koufos, Corey Brewer, JaVale McGee

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

These guys were the victims of Stephen Curry’s loud arrival on the league’s biggest stage. The Warriors’ eventual rise and the Nuggets’ immediate demolition conspired to turn this Denver squad into a footnote. Too bad, because they were innovative, a joy to watch, and a cool example of the power of depth. If only Danilo Gallinari didn’t tear his ACL late in the regular season...

15. 1986-87 Atlanta Hawks

ERA: Dominique.

RECORD: 57-25

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.2

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in second round to No. 3 Detroit Pistons (4-1)

KEY STAR(S): Dominique Wilkins.

COACH: Mike Fratello.

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Kevin Willis, Doc Rivers, Randy Wittman, Tree Rollins, Cliff Levingston, Spud Webb, Mike McGee, Jon Koncak, Gus Williams, John Battle.

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1987-88, 1993-94

Dominique Wilkins’ inability to even advance to a conference finals is framed as a casualty of the deep Eastern Conference. He was great, the argument goes, but his teams didn’t have enough to beat the Bostons and Detroits of the world.

That’s largely true, but 1986-87 was different. Nique’s Hawks earned the No. 2 seed in the conference, and he was lauded for improving his all-around game. With Boston wobbly due to injury and Detroit still a year or two away, this was Atlanta’s chance.

They didn’t lack for confidence. Before their second-round series with Detroit began, Hawks power forward Kevin Willis was asked if the series would go the distance. “No, I think it will go five,” he replied.

Technically, he was right. Atlanta lost Game 1 at home after Wilkins shot just 7-18 from the field, then fell behind 3-1 after Isiah Thomas drove from the top of the key for a layup in the closing seconds of Game 4.

Atlanta then blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead in Game 5 when they suddenly forgot how to score. That was their title shot, and they blew it.

14. 1946-47 Washington Capitols

ERA: Red Auerbach, pre-Boston

RECORD: 49-11

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +9.9

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in BAA semifinals to No. 2 Chicago Stags (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Bob Feerick

COACH: Red Auerbach

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Bones McKinney, Fred Scolari, Johnny Norlander, John Mahnken, Irv Torgoff

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1948-49

Meet professional basketball’s original chokers! Coached by Red Auerbach – yes, future Celtics legend Red Auerbach – the Washington Capitols were the standout team in the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America, a precursor to the NBA. They were known for their excellent team play, high-octane offense, conditioning, and unique triangle zone defense that toed the line of legality. A skinny forward named Bones McKinney was the fulcrum, while a quick guard named Bob Feerick was the offensive star.

Feerick in particular was a stylistic marvel for his time. If you have 30 minutes to spare – and I know you do – this rare footage of a 1949 Capitols-Baltimore Bullets game is a delight.

Heat check!

And contrary to popular belief, Tracy McGrady wasn’t the first player to try to pass it to himself off the backboard.

Let’s talk about that zone more. Midway through the season, the BAA banned zone defensive styles that attempted to slow the game down. (Remember, this was the pre-shot clock era.) But the Capitols’ triangle approach was still legal because it actually sped the game up. Here’s how a 1947 New York Daily News article described Washington’s strategy:

“Standing zone defenses were banned earlier this month by the progressive BAA, in the interest of more action for the fans, but this stratagem is a triangle of weaving tall men the Caps use under either backboard that insures them of nearly every rebound. The other two are used for fast breaks or give and go plays.”

So, cherry-picking. What visionaries!

So how did these dudes not win the title? After losing just one game at home during the regular season, they inexplicably dropped the first two games of their conference finals series against the Chicago Stags by double digits. Told you they were chokers.

13. 1968-69 Baltimore Bullets

ERA: Wes and Earl the Pearl, pre-Elvin Hayes.

RECORD: 57-25.

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +4.3

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East semifinals to No. 4 New York Knicks (4-0 with home court)

KEY STAR(S): Earl Monroe, Wes Unseld.

COACH: Gene Shue.

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Kevin Loughery, Gus Johnson, Jack Marin, Ray Scott, Leroy Ellis.

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1969-70

The Bullets of the late 60s and 70s were one of the league’s forgotten powerhouses. Ironically, it was their worst regular-season team — an aging 44-win unit that turned back the clock in the 1978 playoffs — that gave D.C. its lone title. I considered the 1973 trade for Elvin Hayes as the line of demarcation between eras, which made these Bullets of Earl Monroe, Gus Johnson, and a rookie Wes Unseld the obvious choice.

Their four-game series loss to the hated Knicks had a slight asterisk because Johnson missed the series due to injury. Still, the Bullets had the NBA’s best record that season thanks largely to Unseld and Monroe. They should not have been swept.

They got their revenge on the Knicks two years later to reach the Finals, but that Bullets team was just 40-42 in the regular season. The 68-69 edition was much better.

12. 2017-18 Toronto Raptors

ERA: Kyle and DeMar

RECORD: 59-23

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.8

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in second round to No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0)

KEY STAR(S): DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry

COACH: Dwane Casey

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, CJ Miles, Jakob Poeltl, Norman Powell

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2015-16, 2016-17

I toyed with the idea of excluding all Raptors teams due to last year’s title, but considered the Kawhi Leonard-DeMar DeRozan trade and the firing of Dwane Casey as significant enough changes to split the era up. That means we get to flash back to a time when the Raptors were known for choking in the playoffs and getting owned by LeBron James. Ahh, memories.

11. 1976-77 Los Angeles Lakers

ERA: Kareem before Magic

RECORD: 53-29

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +2.8

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West finals to No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers (4-0)

KEY STAR(S): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

COACH: Bill Sharman

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Lucius Allen, Cazzie Russell, Don Chaney, Kermit Washington, Don Ford, Tom Abernathy, Earl Tatum, Mack Calvin

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

The only decent Lakers team of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era before Magic Johnson showed up was exposed as a one-man band in an embarrassing Western Conference Finals sweep. The contrast between Bill Walton’s speedy, team-oriented Blazers and Kareem’s slow, battered Lakers was stark. Kareem outscored Walton, but none of Kareem’s teammates showed up.

It didn’t help that starting power forward Kermit Washington missed the series (this was before he became a pariah after punching Rudy Tomjanovich) and point guard Lucius Allen barely played due to a toe injury.

10. 1994-95 San Antonio Spurs

ERA: Admiral, pre-Timmy

RECORD: 60-22

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to No. 6 Houston Rockets (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): David Robinson

COACH: Bob Hill

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Sean Elliott, Dennis Rodman, Avery Johnson, Vinny Del Negro, Chuck Person, J.R. Reid, Terry Cummings, Doc Rivers, Willie Anderson

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1989-90, 1990-91, 1993-94, 1995-96

This was the best of the David Robinson teams Before Timmy, and also the one that suffered the most humiliating defeat. The 1995 title race was wide open, and San Antonio had home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and the league’s MVP. In the end, that MVP was outplayed by Hakeem Olajuwon in a Western Conference Finals where the Spurs dropped all three of their home games.

This was one deep team. Dennis Rodman got weird by the end, but he was still a force during the regular season. Nine players averaged at least 15 minutes a game, and each position had a top backup. They could go big or small depending on the matchup and the needs they had during each game. But all of those advantages faded away as Olajuwon dominated.

9. 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs

ERA: Post-Big 3

RECORD: 67-15

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +10.6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in second round to No. 3 Oklahoma City Thunder (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan (last season)

COACH: Gregg Popovich

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Tony Parker, Danny Green, Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills, David West, Kyle Anderson, Kevin Martin, Jonathon Simmons

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2016-17

You’re probably wondering why this team (and the 61-win version the year after that lost to Golden State when Zaza Pachulia slid under Kawhi Leonard’s ankle) is eligible for the tournament despite retaining four key core pieces and the legendary head coach from the 2013-14 title squad. Two reasons

The 2015 signing of LaMarcus Aldridge qualifies as a core-altering event.

This was the year the Spurs became Leonard’s team. His usage jumped nearly three points from 2014-15 and would leap up to beyond 30 the next season. Meanwhile, Tim Duncan ended up retiring after the season.

This was a forgotten powerhouse due to the presence of the 73-win Warriors. Ultimately, they were a paper tiger who couldn’t raise their level to get past a Thunder team that coasted in the regular season.

8. 2008-09 Cleveland Cavaliers

ERA: Young LeBron

RECORD: 66-16

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +8.9

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to No. 3 Orlando Magic (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): LeBron James

COACH: Mike Brown

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Mo Williams, Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Daniel Gibson, Joe Smith

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2009-10

The regular-season fundamentals of these Cavaliers are as good as any in the tournament. Sixty-six wins, a differential approaching nine, and arguably LeBron James’ best individual season. Putting them as a No. 8 seed seems tough.

On the other hand, Mo Williams was their second-best offensive player.

7. 2013-14 Los Angeles Clippers

ERA: Lob City

RECORD: 57-25

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6.9

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in second round to No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Chris Paul, Blake Griffin

COACH: Doc Rivers

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes, Jamal Crawford, Darren Collison, Jared Dudley

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16

Choosing between Lob City teams was tough. The 2014-15 team was nearly as good as the 2013-14 edition and fell in much more excruciating fashion. The 2015-16 team wasn’t as good, but their title window was briefly opened by Stephen Curry’s ankle injury before both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin got hurt. The 2012-13 version under Vinny Del Negro has a great case, too, though there was plenty of dysfunction lurking beneath the surface.

But I chose the 2013-14 edition for three reasons:

It had the best point differential of the bunch.

It was the most well-rounded thanks to J.J. Redick’s arrival, Matt Barnes’ underrated season, and DeAndre Jordan’s improvement.

Their playoff run was the weirdest of all, from Donald Sterling’s demise to Paul’s out-of-body experience in Game 5 against the Thunder.

6. 1999-00 Portland Trail Blazers

ERA: Pre-Jailblazers

RECORD: 59-23

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6.5

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen

COACH: Mike Dunleavy

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Steve Smith, Damon Stoudamire, Arvydas Sabonis, Detlef Schrempf, Brian Grant, Greg Anthony, Bonzi Wells, Jermaine O’Neal

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1998-99

If you want to break Portland fans’ hearts, send them this video.

5. 1992-93 New York Knicks

ERA: Patrick Ewing’s Knicks

RECORD: 60-22

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6.2

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to No. 2 Chicago Bulls (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Patrick Ewing

COACH: Pat Riley

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: John Starks, Charles Oakley, Charles Smith, Anthony Mason, Doc Rivers, Greg Anthony, Rolando Blackman

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1991-92, 1993-94, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00

It’s easy to wonder in hindsight how a team with John Starks as its second-leading scorer had any shot against Michael Jordan’s Bulls. At the time, though, the Knicks seemed to have Chicago’s number, pushing them to seven games in the 1992 playoffs before upgrading their roster the next season. They led 2-0 in the East Finals and had a chance to win Game 5 before Charles Smith was stripped, stopped, stopped, and STOPPED AGAIN right under the basket.

That denied Patrick Ewing his best shot at a ring – the 93 team was comfortably better than the ‘94 team that lost in the NBA Finals and a tad more formidable than the ‘97 club that added Allan Houston and Larry Johnson to their regular core – and our chance to watch a repeat of one of the wildest brawls in NBA history.

4. 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks

ERA: Dirk, Before Carlisle

RECORD: 67-15

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in first round to No. 8 Golden State Warriors (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Dirk Nowitzki

COACH: Avery Johnson

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Devin Harris, Erick Dampier, Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, DeSagana Diop

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2002-03, 2005-06

It was tough picking between the 2006-07 edition of the pre-Rick Carlisle Mavs and the 2005-06 one that was 2-0 up on Miami in the NBA Finals before Dwyane Wade’s never-ending free-throw parade turned the tide. The 2002-03 edition that went 60-22, beat the Kings in Round 2, and battled San Antonio despite key injuries deserves more love too.

The 06-07 team ended up getting the nod because they were the clear favorites that year and because this was Dirk Nowitzki’s finest regular season. Maybe things would be different if they played anyone other than that weird We Believe Warriors team that matched up so well with them.

3. 1990-91 Portland Trail Blazers

ERA: Clyde’s prime

RECORD: 63-19

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +8.7

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to No. 2 Los Angeles Lakers (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Clyde Drexler

COACH: Rick Adelman

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, Buck Williams, Kevin Duckworth, Clifford Robinson, Danny Ainge

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1989-90, 1991-92

The other two Portland contenders of the Clyde Drexler era made the NBA Finals, but this was their best team of the bunch. They went 27-3 to start the season, handily beat the eventual champion Bulls twice, and also won 16 in a row to end the year before giving their starters limited minutes in the season finale.

But after slipping by Seattle and routing Phoenix, the Blazers blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to the Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Terry Porter missed a three that would’ve tied the game, and Buck Williams bricked two free throws with 30 seconds left. The Blazers elected to defend the Lakers straight-up on the ensuing possession instead of fouling, but surrendered an uncontested dunk to Sam Perkins at the shot clock buzzer.

They never recovered from that collapse and fell in six after Magic Johnson flung the ball down the court to nobody in the closing seconds.

Imagine these Blazers in the 1991 Finals instead of a Lakers team that didn’t have a healthy James Worthy. Wouldn’t they be the favorites against the Bulls?

2. 2018-19 Milwaukee Bucks

ERA: Giannis and Bud

RECORD: 60-22

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +8.8

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to No. 2 Toronto Raptors (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Giannis Antetokounmpo

COACH: Mike Budenholzer

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez, George Hill, Nikola Mirotic

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

Is it harsh to put last year’s Bucks on this side of the bracket considering Toronto’s eventual title? I don’t think so. Milwaukee had the league’s best point differential by a mile, a 2-0 series lead, and had Toronto on the ropes in overtime in Game 3. What happened thereafter is a collapse, even if history rewrites it as Kawhi Leonard’s triumph over a too-green Giannis Antetokounmpo.

(Interesting question: if the 2019-20 edition fails to win the title, would they be this tournament’s No. 1 overall seed?).

1. 1993-94 Seattle Supersonics

ERA: Kemp and Payton

RECORD: 63-19

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +9

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in first round to No. 8 Denver Nuggets (3-2)

KEY STAR(S): Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp

COACH: George Karl

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Detlef Schrempf, Kendall Gill, Sam Perkins, Nate McMillan, Michael Cage

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1992-93, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98

It was tough choosing between these Sonics and the 95-96 edition that made the Finals. The 95-96 team won more games and went deeper in the playoffs. Their two stars, Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, were better versions of themselves. Maybe they’d have given the 72-10 Bulls more of a series if George Karl put Payton on Michael Jordan from the start.

But the 93-94 edition had a better point differential (+9 to +7.8) in a season without expansion teams, as well as a stronger supporting cast and a much scarier trapping defense. Kendall Gill was an emerging star, Nate McMillan wasn’t injured, Sam Perkins could do more, and Michael Cage was significantly better than Ervin Johnson in the middle. Plus, Bob Kloppenburg, the architect of Seattle’s famous SOS pressure defense, was not on the staff by 1996.

It’s easy to forget how monumental that Nuggets first-round upset was at the time. Michael Jordan was retired, so the title was up for grabs. Seattle’s net rating was higher than any other team and nearly double of the eventual champion Rockets. They won 16 of their first 17 games and 30 of their first 35. They had blown out the Nuggets in each of the first two games of the playoff series. This was the peak version of one of the most enthralling non-champions in NBA history, not the 1995-96 version.

[your-dietician]

South Jersey Times boys tennis postseason honors, 2021

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/tennis/south-jersey-times-boys-tennis-postseason-honors-2021/

South Jersey Times boys tennis postseason honors, 2021

During his remarkable tennis career at Clearview, Martin Lacsamana often found ways to stand apart from the crowd with his play on the court.

But his most treasured memories came from just being one of the guys.

Cheering on teammates, joking with coaches, trekking back and forth to Williamstown or some other rival with the rest of the Pioneers — those are the times he savored the most, even more than his 69 career wins and three Gloucester County Tournament titles.

“I play competitively so I don’t really play with a team, which is why I always looked forward to high school tennis,” said Lacsamana, the South Jersey Times Player of the Year for 2021. “I loved the team camaraderie. If you ask me my favorite moments, it would have to be every single time I was with my teammates. I was blessed to have really funny teammates and ones that matched my energy. Practices were always fun, bus rides to games and back were awesome. Those are probably the best moments, just hanging out with people I care about and playing tennis.”

Kevin Hanrahan, a longtime teacher at Clearview and an assistant for the girls tennis team, became the head coach for the boys team this season. He had always heard about Lacsamana’s talent but never had him in class, so he had never seen him play or even met him before this year.

He quickly came to realize that Lacsamana is the total package: honors student, class president, outstanding player and devoted teammate.

“He’s a great student in the classroom, obviously — he’s going to Cal-Berkeley — he’s a great athlete and nobody outworks him,” Hanrahan said. “But what I didn’t learn until the end of the year is that this season was all about the team aspect of things. Even at the end of the year when he was going to states, he didn’t necessarily care about it. He had done the individual thing with all his USTA stuff, but he was telling me that he really enjoyed going to sectionals and playing with the team. He was always cheering on his teammates, even in the middle of his match. He’s a real, real special athlete.”

That’s not to say he didn’t still shine as an individual. In April, playing at a tournament that he always enjoyed, Lacsamana became just the fourth person to win three Gloucester County crowns when he defeated teammate Kyle Deacon in the final. Had the pandemic not wiped out his junior season, he almost certainly would have become only the second player with four titles.

Later in the season at the South Jersey Interscholastic Championships, Lacsamana reached the quarterfinals for the first time before losing to Lenape sophomore Milan Karajovic, who he graciously called a terrific young player.

Finally, Lacsamana capped his career by notching his first win in the state singles tournament, a 3-6, 7-6 (7-6), 10-6 marathon over Jacob Rha of Whippany Park.

“That was important to me,” he said. “It is more satisfying to win like that although my body didn’t feel like it in the moment.”

Lacsamana, who went undefeated in team matches and finished his senior season with a 25-2 overall record, is not exactly sure about the next step in his tennis career. He has thought about trying to walk on at the University of California-Berkeley, but since he’ll be majoring in electrical engineering and computer science, his workload might not leave time for athletics.

“I definitely want to have a good balance at Berkeley,” he said. “I asked all the alumni and they said balance is the No. 1 thing you want to have. Academics comes first, so if it doesn’t intervene with academics then I’ll try to play, but if it does then I have to pick academics any day of the week.”

But tennis has always been an important part of his life, a passion passed on from his father, Nathaniel, and he doesn’t plan on retiring even if he can’t play at Cal.

“My dad is still playing and he’s killing it on the court, so I don’t see why I won’t keep playing,” he said. “I’m competitive so I won’t let my kid beat me at tennis. I have beaten my dad though. We go back and forth but I’ll never admit to him that he’s better.”

As for Lacsamana’s place in Clearview tennis history, there is no question he left his mark.

“In the 20 years that I’ve been at Clearview, he’s the best to come through,” Hanrahan said.

The humble Lacsamana would surely appreciate those words from his coach. But he hasn’t given much thought at all to whether he’s the best player in school history.

“Legacy is a tough thing to live up to,” he said. “Legacy or not, I just know that I gave everything I had to the program. It wasn’t just tennis season for me, it was the whole year. I loved Clearview, I loved being a Pioneer and I loved being part of the program. I gave everything I had and put my best foot forward. … It was definitely a memorable time.”

TEAM OF THE YEAR

First singles Mike Parker helped lead Kingsway to its third straight Gloucester County Tournament team title.Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media

When it comes to the Tri-County Conference Royal Division and the Gloucester County Tournament, one school has established itself as the team to beat in recent seasons.

But all signs were pointing to the end of Kingsway’s reign this spring.

With a completely new starting lineup from two years ago and only one player with any varsity experience, the Dragons’ streak of three straight division titles and two consecutive county crowns appeared to be in major jeopardy.

The roster may have looked a lot different, however, but the end results turned out to be the same old, same old.

Kingsway extended its streaks in the Royal Division and Gloucester County, and now the Dragons are the South Jersey Times Team of the Year for the second season in a row as well.

“I know every year our team is going to be competitive and we’re always going to push the envelope and push our guys to get better,” Kingsway coach Drew Laverty said. “But when you only have one guy with varsity experience coming back, you just don’t know how those new guys are going to compete against other competition and how they’re going to react to match play situations and crucial moments, all those things that you can only gain with match experience. Luckily we had some seniors playing varsity, which I think made a difference. They did a great job and I’m super proud of the team this year.”

Kingsway showed right from the opening match of the season that it should not be overlooked. The Dragons earned a 3-2 win over Royal Division rival Clearview — featuring standouts Martin Lacsamana and Kyle Deacon at first and second singles, respectively — to set the tone early.

“It’s funny, I try to tell my AD not to schedule Clearview first because in recent years it’s been us and them for the division,” Laverty said. “It’s tough to have the division on the line in the first match of the year when you don’t know how your team is going to play and react. They had two outstanding singles players but luckily we were able to work out the other three spots and get those done.”

Clearview did win the rematch later in the season, but that was Kingsway’s only division loss and its first to a Royal opponent in five years. The Dragons went 13-3 overall and 7-1 in the division, ending their season with a 3-2 loss to Lenape in the South Jersey, Group 4 quarterfinals.

Despite a hip injury early in the season to third singles Chris Spicer, Kingsway never skipped a beat. Junior Nick Tanzola moved up from second doubles to take Spicer’s spot, and following senior Mike Parker at No. 1 and junior Kyle Kirwin at No. 2, he gave the Dragons a strong singles lineup.

Senior David Glanfield and junior Gavin Springer played first doubles and went undefeated during team matches while claiming the county title. Sophomores Jack Arena and Andrew Altmann, junior Nikit Chhita and senior Rohan Nambiar all contributed at second doubles.

“For a lot of teams it would have destroyed them to lose that (third singles) spot and really change up the lineup,” Laverty said. “It changed us but it didn’t hurt us in too many ways. We’ve always predicated our team on being balanced all the way through in singles and doubles and we’re going to continue to create teams like that going forward.”

COACH OF THE YEAR

Millville coach Tom DeCou, talking with Andrew Crain during a match this season, led the Thunderbolts to a 20-4 record.Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media

In some seasons, the Coach of the Year is an easy choice, with one person standing out and demanding to be recognized. Other seasons, like this one, there are plenty of worthy candidates and picking just one almost seems unfair.

From George Rhea guiding Penns Grove its first winning season in decades and a share of the Tri-County Diamond title to Bill Kennedy helping Cumberland improve by eight wins and go undefeated in the Tri-County Liberty, area coaches stepped up in a huge way this spring. Our nod goes to Millville’s Tom DeCou, who was expecting a .500 record at best from his inexperienced group but ended up leading the Thunderbolts to their best season of his 17-year tenure.

Despite bringing back only two starters — juniors Jacob Lewis and Andrew Crain, who went from second doubles as freshmen to first and second singles, respectively — Millville finished with an impressive 20-4 overall record and won the the Cape-Atlantic League American Conference with a 15-1 mark.

“The most wins I’ve had as the Millville coach was 15, and we’ve done that a couple of times,” DeCou said. “I told the kids when we got to 14 they had a chance to tie the record for me as a coach. We still had six matches left and they ended up smashing it. That was one of the goals when we got to 14 and it was fun to see them do it. Then we won the conference and everything ended up coming together for a great year.”

The conference championship was Millville’s first in more than two decades. A key 3-2 victory over old nemesis St. Augustine late in the season helped clinch the outright title.

“The first time we played them we were at their place and I’ll tell you, it was one of the toughest losses of my career,” DeCou said. “We lost 3-2 and there were like three 3-setters. They had lost to (Egg Harbor Township) so we knew we had a chance to beat them and we lost. Then they came to Millville and we had to beat them to have a chance of winning it outright, and we did 3-2. The kids came up big.”

The victory over The Prep was satisfying considering DeCou’s last win over the Hermits came under different circumstances back in 2018.

“Long story short, they came to Millville, I think it was on a prom weekend and they didn’t have a couple of their top players,” he said. “They had a couple of JV kids and I think they took us lightly and we kind of surprised them. But this year we beat them with their full lineup so it felt good. That’s always a big deal.”

While even DeCou was surprised by Millville’s success this season with so many new faces in the lineup, all seven starters will be back so the bar has been raised for 2022. In addition to Lewis and Crain, junior No. 3 Nicolas Meehan had a solid season at singles. Sophomore Russell Corson and freshman Matthew Sooy had a terrific run at first doubles and sophomores Shawn McCarthy and Parker Swift played well at second doubles.

The key will be all of those players hitting the court in the offseason to continue their progress.

“I’m going to make sure of that,” DeCou said. “I have a tennis camp and we’re going to work out this summer. … Hopefully we’ll get as many of them out there as possible.”

ALL-AREA TEAM

Singles

Kyle Deacon, Clearview, Sr.

Martin Lacsamana, Clearview, Sr.

Justin McCullen, West Deptford, Sr.

Doubles

Liam Quick, Sr. and Perry Stanger, So., Cumberland

David Glanfield, Sr. and Gavin Springer, Jr., Kingsway

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La Liga Week 3 Preview: In-form Sevilla go for three wins and Real Madrid aim to bounce back

A big competition day two in La Liga saw Seville and Atletico Madrid comes out of the chase while Real Madrid dropped points to Valladolid at home.

Barcelona bounced back from a defeat on the opening day to break five past Real Betis, while Leganes made two losses of two to increase their poor start to the campaign.

There are plenty of great bands to look forward to this weekend … so it's time for Sportsmail to lead you through every match in match day three.

Antoine Griezmann was the star of the show last weekend when he scored twice for Barcelona

Friday

Sevilla vs Celta Vigo – 7:00 pm

The weekend's action starts with the in-form team in the division that Celta Vigo host. Under their new manager – former Spain and Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui – Seville started brilliantly with two wins of two.

He needed it too, after his reputation had a big hit on the Bernabeu. Seville has to allow another goal in the league this season and Celta Vigo wins without away games in their last 12 La Liga games, so expect the home team to romp to victory.

However, Celtic did make it to the last time-out and beat Valencia with a goal to zero. However, they need new signature Denis Suarez and club legend Iago Quotes to be in top shape if they want to get something at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium.

Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad – 9pm

It's still early in the season, but we already have a huge derby to look forward to. Basque rivals Bilbao and Sociedad have both enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, winning and signing one.

They enter the game tonight with confidence and knowing that a victory will take them – albeit temporarily – to the top of the La Liga table that enters the weekend.

Their rivalry is not violent and fans will gladly mingle in the stands while watching the match – but with both sides desperate to insure some European football at the end of the season, the result is important.

Inigo Martinez moved from Real Sociedad to Athletic Bilbao and faces club this week

Saturday

Osasuna vs Barcelona – sixteen

There was bad news for Barca this week after it turned out that Lionel Messi is still offside with a calf injury, without a date for his return. He was initially set to stand aside again this week, but is now going to miss the trip to Pamplona.

With that in mind, it is once again all eyes on Antoine Griezmann as he seems to be adding to the two goals he scored last week in the five-target group of Betis. You would expect the champions to win these too, despite Osasuna & # 39; s decent start to life in the top tier.

After their promotion last season, the underdogs defeated struggling Leganes in their opener, but were kept at home at Eibar's last time out. If they can take a scalp against Barcelona, ​​it will fall as one of the greatest results in their history.

Without Messi in the other team, they may never get a better chance.

Lionel Messi was in the Champions League match on Thursday and plays this weekend not

Getafe vs Alaves – 18:00

It is up to Getafe to bring the game to Alaves on Saturday night, because they want to continue last season's dream campaign in this one. They started with a draw and a defeat in their first two, but in all honesty the loss came against Atletico Madrid.

Alaves, meanwhile tipped to demolish their May lives, are unbeaten in their first two after defeating. Get up and sign with Espanyol. This is their first real test, although goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco has proven that he is skilled in the opening games.

Meanwhile, Enric Gallego is still looking for his first La Liga goal after signing for Getafe from Huesca in the summer. Marc Cucurella is another player to watch, on loan from Barcelona and tipped for a great future in Spanish football.

Enric Gallego (left) is still looking for his first La Liga goal after joining Getafe this summer

Levante vs Real Valladolid – 18:00

It was an impressive start to the season for visitors in this, after their 1-1 draw at Real Madrid last weekend. On the opening day, they beat Real Betis away from home, and the smart money is that they continue their fine form on Rise on Saturday night.

The home team has since been heavily tipped for relegation this season, so it was a bit surprising to see that their last 2-1 winners were over Villarreal.

If they want to achieve a similar result this week, they are highly dependent on Roger Marti, their forward star who has been netted twice this season. He of course enjoyed two earlier impressive loan spells at Valladolid, so don't expect a wild celebration if he just plays against his old side.

Roger Marti is Levante & # 39; s star forward and they will depend heavily on him against Valladolid

Real Betis vs Leganes – 20:00

A crucial match for both teams, because they are sitting 19th and 20th at the La Liga table after their first two games – the only sides in the competition without a single point.

Betis has already shipped seven goals in their first two La Liga games, although the most recent was against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, it is difficult to give too much contempt for their performance.

However, it is expected that Nabil Fekir and Co will be desperate to get rid of the target after their humiliation last week, and this should be a fairly routine home win.

Also watch out for Leganes & # 39; Youssef En-Nesyri. He came very close to a £ 18 million move to Brighton this summer, but it was blocked at the last minute, making him furious. He is back on the Leganes team, but he will certainly still be a part of that resentment against a hierarchy and claim & # 39; worry too much about money & # 39 ;.

Nabil Fekir and his Betis teammates will bounce back desperately after their thrashing

Sunday

Valencia vs Real Mallorca – Sixteen

After having gone through the second playoffs until the beginning of the summer, it will almost certainly be a difficult season for La Liga new boys Mallorca. They got off to a flyer in a week, but crashed back on the ground last week and admitted a late goal to lose against Real Sociedad.

This week brings their toughest test to date, against a Valencia team without a win so far this season. After a draw against Sociedad and a defeat of Celta Beam, they receive the Balearic in the Mestalla, desperately looking for some important points.

Dani Parejo and new signing Maxi Gomez will probably be the key, while goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen will be in the goal again after completing his £ 16 million summer move from Barcelona

Atletico Madrid vs Eibar – 18:00

The in-form team in the division is Atletico Madrid, which is perhaps not surprising considering the huge amount of money they spent this summer to replace Antoine Griezmann.

Joao Felix was the name of the squad, for £ 113m, and he helped them to start back-to-back victories to start the campaign. It would be a huge surprise if they didn't make it three against three against an Eibar team with a draw and a loss behind them.

They lost on Mallorca on the opening day and then did not score in a scoreless draw in Osasuna … and Sunday will be their third straight away game of the season. They may be desperate to go home after 90 minutes in the Wanda this weekend.

Joao Felix was the marquee of Atletico and he helped them to consecutive La Liga victories

Espanyol vs Granada – 18:00

After a Thursday evening trip to Ukraine to face Zorya Luhansk in the Europa League, there is maybe a small hangover for the Espanyol players. That said, a 2-2 tie made sure they were safe in a group stage, so they'll be happy with that.

Grenada has a draw and a defeat from two difficult opening games – one of which is the game of the season so far in a 4-4 draw at Villarreal in game week one.

The roadside is likely to fight relegation at the end of the season, but now is a good time to face Espanyol, so this is a very difficult decision.

Villarreal vs Real Madrid – 8:00 PM (ITV4)

The last match of the weekend and the only broadcast match in the UK. On Sunday evening at 8 p.m. Real Madrid sees Villarreal trying to bounce back from a very disappointing 1-1 draw at home in Valladolid last weekend.

Meanwhile, Villarreal also has to prove a lot after a draw and a defeat in their opening games … but all the smart money comes from the men of Zinedine Zidane

Gareth Bale plays for Los Blancos this season , but despite a hectic summer he has both started the games by his side and will play desperately this weekend on one of his happiest hunting grounds.

The Welshman made his Real Madrid debut at Villarreal & # 39; s Pottery Stadium and has netted six times in his six games against them. Don't be surprised if he is a couple this weekend.

Gareth Bale likes to play in Villarreal and is expected again for Real Madrid

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Jags' frustration with Blake Bortles is boiling over – 'It is no secret what’s going on here right now'

A gray hoodie draped over his head, his bottom lip curled under his top lip, Jalen Ramsey tried to remain composed as he spoke to the media in front of his locker following the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 20-7 home loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

But Ramsey is too honest for his own good, too passionate about winning to be stone-faced in the midst of a nightmare. So when he was asked why the Jaguars — who went to the AFC championship game last season — now sit at 3-4 after their third loss in a row, the source of the Jaguars’ ills can still be deciphered, despite the All-Pro cornerback’s best efforts at being a good teammate.

Were you surprised by the quarterback change?

“It’s not my call — I ain’t got nothing to do with what they got going on over there,” Ramsey said. “Coach is handling it however he sees fit. We gotta roll with it.”

What changes has the team made since last week?

“You have to ask Coach. I don’t know. Felt the same to me.”

Was there anything the team emphasized in practice?

“They tried to be tougher on us in practice. The result didn’t do nothing.”

When asked, “Do you sense frustration in the locker room?”,  Ramsey could no longer take it.

Jalen Ramsey couldn’t stop this touchdown catch by Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins in Jacksonville’s third straight loss. (Getty Images)

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“What you think, man?” Ramsey said, smiling and wide-eyed. “You all walk in here, you all see how it is in here, you all see how we vibe with each other, you all see how we vibe towards the coaches, you all see how it is.

“It is no secret what’s going on here right now. Ain’t nobody going to say it because we can’t, but it ain’t no secret what’s going on and it ain’t right right now.”

Bless Ramsey for being honest. We know the Jaguars stink right now because, well, their 22nd-ranked offense stinks.

The blame for that, of course, lies (primarily) with the quarterback. There are more people to blame — and we’ll get to that later — but in a league that’s never been more passer friendly, Blake Bortles has answered the question of what Tyler Cherubini — Cap Rooney’s original backup in “Any Given Sunday” before he got his job snatched by Willie Beamon — would look like if he started three games in a row.

The Jaguars’ offense has been so poor, it’s effectively sabotaged the spirits of a potentially generational defense, the roots of which began with Bortles’ miserable five-turnover game against the Chiefs two weeks ago and crested in the entire team’s embarrassing performance in a 40-7 blowout to Dallas a week ago.

And the postgame media accounts seemed to reflect a frustrated team that’s teetering on the edge of a lost season. Daniel Popper of The Athletic noted that the team briefly opened the doors to the locker room long enough to see defensive end Yannick Ngakoue being held back from someone by captain Calais Campbell. There was plenty of other yelling, too, so much so that players like Ramsey — while still careful not to reveal too much — didn’t even try to hide there were issues.

“Frustration is a part of the game — we’re emotional people and this is an emotional game,” Campbell said.

Even head coach Doug Marrone explicitly admitted he’ll have to manage a frustrated team this week as it prepares to face the Philadelphia Eagles in London.

“You think I’m not frustrated?  We’re all frustrated,” Marrone said. “It’s very easy to see, you know what I’m saying?  We’ve got to stop turning the ball over and then we can create turnovers, too.”

After finishing fifth in turnover margin a year ago at plus-10, the Jaguars now sit dead last at minus-12 through seven games. The defense shares some of the blame for that; after placing second in turnovers created with 33 a year ago, it’s now in a four-way tie for 28th with five.

Since beating the Patriots, Blake Bortles has a QB rating of 74.8 and the Jaguars are 1-4. (Getty Images)

More

Story Continues

The primary reason the defense has struggled is because of the toll the Jaguars’ inept quarterback play has had on their overall psyche. That’s what tends to happen when the defense has to repeatedly do all the heavy lifting, as it has since last season.

Back in the day, teams used to be able to get away with that. No longer. This is 2018, and in the pass-happy NFL — where average quarterbacks regularly throw for over 300 yards and the great quarterbacks regularly complete 70 percent of their passes — if a team doesn’t have a gunslinger under center, it’s going to be outgunned more often than not.

Now to be fair, it’s clear the Jaguars — a run-dominant team — miss stud running back Leonard Fournette, who has missed the past three games (all losses) with a nagging hamstring injury. But they don’t miss Fournette as much as they miss having a foundational quarterback, and no one would have batted an eye if the Jaguars’ front office had selected Deshaun Watson fourth overall in 2017 (Kansas City’s selection of Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 was a surprise to many).

Fittingly, the Jaguars lost to Watson — the player they should have taken — on Sunday. He was just OK, completing 12 of 24 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, but given the fact he’s recovering from a lung injury, the Texans will take that performance in a “W.” He was still better than Bortles, who completed only six of 12 passes for 61 yards before he was lifted in the third quarter for Cody Kessler after his second lost fumble.

Kessler, a third-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2016, possesses smarts and an average arm. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 156 yards, a touchdown and an interception in relief of Bortles, but it wasn’t good enough to get the win. His insertion was the type of move a coach makes when he feels like he’s on the cusp of losing his team, but the truth is the Jaguars’ front office has no one but itself to blame for this.

Instead of letting Bortles, 26, play out his fifth-year option in 2018 — we all know the contract year is undefeated, by the way — and then franchising him if he played up to expectations, the Jaguars decided to double-down on a player whose consistency and mechanics have been a problem since he was taken No. 3 overall in 2014, and sign him to a three-year, $54 million extension in February.

Now, they’re basically stuck with him. According to Over The Cap, the Jaguars are already $7 million in the red for 2019, and if they release him after the season, they’ll create only a paltry $4.5 million in cap room (while trying up $16.5 million in dead space).

That decision isn’t the worst part about this miscalculation for the Jaguars, even giving them the benefit of the doubt for extending Bortles. His numbers weren’t terrible last year — he completed 60 percent of his passes along with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions — and he led them to the doorstep of a Super Bowl berth. But there was absolutely no reason for the Jaguars to pass on a quarterback in the 2018 draft. This was a massive error, as they could have hedged their bets against a Bortles regression in 2018, since nothing brings the best out of a quarterback than competition.

Even Hall of Famer Troy Aikman had to compete with Steve Walsh for the starting job in Dallas, and I saw the way that type of competition can push the incumbent firsthand in 2017 as Alex Smith silently took the Chiefs’ decision to move up and select Mahomes personally and had a career year before he was dealt to Washington.

The Jaguars had the opportunity to copy this model in this year’s draft, as Louisville star Lamar Jackson — a dual-threat dynamo — was still available for the taking at pick No. 29. Jackson has his share of issues, particularly as it relates to pocket efficiency, but there’s little doubting his overall talent as a runner and playmaker. He would have either lit a fire under Bortles or, if forced into action, given the ground-oriented Jaguars a creative, elite playmaking threat that could keep teams honest as he learned on the job.

Instead, the Jaguars selected talented Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan (who has eight tackles this year), which allowed the Ravens — who had a shaky incumbent of their own at quarterback in Joe Flacco — to select Jackson at No. 32 overall.

And, wouldn’t you know it, the Ravens are 4-3 and Flacco — who has completed 62.1 percent of his passes while throwing for nine touchdowns and four interceptions — is on pace to have his best season since 2014.

None of that matters now for the Jaguars, who find themselves in the middle of a quarterback controversy. Marrone said after the game the starting QB job is open, which is probably a good way to start the healing with a frustrated defense.

At this point, whether Marrone settles on Bortles or Kessler is of little consequence; what matters is results, especially with the next opponent being the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, who enter their International Series showdown on Sunday with a 3-4 record and thus, a similar desperation as the Jaguars.

“The obvious thing is to win — we’ve just gotta win, man,” inside linebacker Myles Jack said. “That’s the biggest thing.”

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Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/jags-frustration-blake-bortles-boiling-no-secret-whats-going-right-now-020116315.html?src=rss

[spursroundup]

From Edwards to Sterling - How Tottenham's nine loan stars are getting on around the world

I've been a bit of a tea leaf because this was originally here at football.london but that domain is blocked on this sub so I've pasted the text here. I hope the mods agree that it is worthy of a post. I don't think this breaks any rules but apologies if that is so.

​

Marcus Edwards

The 20-year-old came off the bench for the second half on Sunday as Dutch side Excelsior Rotterdam rescued a valuable point in their relegation battle.

Former Spurs striker Mounir El Hamdaoui grabbed the potentially vital late goal which ended a run of seven straight defeats in the league.

It lifted Excelsior to third from bottom in a relegation play-off spot, and five points above bottom club NAC Breda in the only automatic relegation spot with three games remaining.

Edwards has now got 22 Eredivisie appearances under his belt, four from the bench, and has scored twice and laid on three assists.

Georges-Kevin Nkoudou

The French winger remains sidelined for loan club Monaco.

The winger moved to the Ligue 1 side on transfer deadline day in January but as he did on his Burnley loan last season he has found opportunities in the team hard to come by.

He struggled to tie down a first team place upon moving to the principality, and has since got injured, suffering a thigh problem, which has kept him out of action since mid-February.

It is not clear when the Frenchman will be back in action.

Kazaiah Sterling

The youngster missed out on the matchday squad as Sunderland drew 1-1 at Peterborough on Easter Monday as the Black Cats went ahead in the 87th minute only to conceded a last gap leveller. He also missed out on the squad for Friday's 2-0 win against Doncaster Rovers.

Last week Sterling had been involved in a rollercoaster of a game on Saturday as Sunderland lost 5-4 at home to Coventry City.

Needing to win the match in the battle for promotion, the Black Cats ended up on the losing side despite coming from behind three times at the Stadium of Light.

Sterling came on for his sixth appearance for the club that day but he couldn't help his side to victory in his 25 minutes on the pitch.

Anthony Georgiou and Samuel Shashoua

Two young Spurs players came up against each other in the Spanish third division on Saturday.

Samuel Shashoua scored Atletico Baleares' first goal in a 2-1 win against Levante B, who had Anthony Georgiou coming off the bench for the second half.

Shashoua and league leaders Baleares are now 20 points ahead, with a game in hand, of Levante B who are in tenth after moving away from the relegation zone following Georgiou's arrival.

Shashoua has scored six goals and laid on two assists in 29 appearances in the league, while Georgiou, who moved on the January transfer deadline day, has one goal in nine appearances.

Josh Onomah

Onomah has finally made his return after a nightmare campaign.

After returning to first team training with Sheffield Wednesday following one injury, the 21-year-old midfielder dislocated his elbow and Onomah's last appearance had come against Ipswich Town at the beginning of February.

However, he returned this week with 67 minutes in the Owls' 2-2 draw with Championship leaders Norwich City on Friday and then came off the bench for 31 minutes as Wednesday beat Bristol City 2-0.

Due to injury, Onomah has only made nine starts this season, with five substitute appearances, and has bagged three assists, but he will be hoping to finish the campaign strongly.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

USA international Cameron Carter-Vickers played 90 minutes in both Swansea's 4-3 win against Rotherham on Friday and their 1-0 victory against Rotherham on Monday.

Carter-Vickers, 21, has been a virtual ever-present for 10th-placed Swansea in 2019 and has made 30 appearances in all competitions this term as he continues his development.

Connor Ogilvie

Ogilvie also played 90 minutes in Gillingham's 3-1 win against Plymouth on Friday and the 1-1 draw at Bradford on Monday.

Those points helped push them away from the drop zone in a tight lower half of the League One table and into 13th.

The 23-year-old defender has been a near ever-present for the League One side since November, appearing 35 times in all competitions.

Ogilvie's contract ends this summer and he's likely to move on, but he should be able to pick up a new club in the English game with little problem.

Shayon Harrison

Harrison headed even further afield than his Spurs teammates this season after making the loan move to Melbourne City in Australia's A-League.

The 21-year-old striker has played nine A-League games and he's scored two goals for his new club.

He played the full 90 minutes as City lost 3-2 at Wellington on Saturday.

submitted by /u/LondonSeoul [link] [comments]

[ravensale46-blog]

Bulls end 4-game losing streak with 124-116 win over Suns

On a day we give thanks, let us all be thankful for the Phoenix Suns and their insistence to leave the basket unprotected all evening.

Reluctant to defend the paint or prevent a typically stagnant Chicago Bulls offense from entering into a rhythmic flow, the visiting Suns couldn’t deny the Bulls a win on their home floor on Wednesday night.

Down by nine points early in the third quarter, the more disciplined Bulls were able to use a 17-point swing to snap a four-game skid, winning 124-116.

In his best game as a Chicago Bull, Jabari Parker was influential in the win. Scoring 20 points (6-of-10 shooting), grabbing 11 rebounds and assisting on eight baskets, Parker was a team-high plus-14 in his best and most complete performance of the young season.

Unlike most games in his short Bulls tenure, Parker was consistently providing effort on defense, and more importantly, didn’t force the issue on offense, fitting in within the natural flow of the offense and finding teammates with his crafty playmaking ability:

With Parker having himself a night, life was made that much easier for Zach LaVine, who returned to the lineup after a bout with illness. Starting slow and forcing the issue early, at one point during the second quarter LaVine had only registered four points (1-of-6 shooting) and some questionable defense that brought back memories from last season.

In the second half, though, we saw the best version of LaVine emerge, with the Bulls guard controlling the outcome and taking over down the stretch. Scoring 12 of his team-high 29 points in the fourth quarter, LaVine also dished out six assists while only committing two turnovers.

As good as Parker and LaVine were, in my unbiased opinion, the game ball goes to stand-in starting point guard Ryan Arcidiacono. Asked to defend Suns leading scorer Devin Booker all evening, Arcidiacono was his usual active self on defense, competing against a bigger opponent and hustling hard all over the floor, including this insane attempt at saving the ball during the first quarter:

Too bad if that guy was enjoying his beer.

To go along with his typical grit, Arcidiacono was also lights out from 3, making 4-of-6 of his shots from distance, en route to 14 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Beyond the numbers, Arcidiacono’s intensity seemed to inspire his teammates, with the Bulls having one of their better defensive performances thus far this season.

Coming into the game, the key matchup most were interested in was the battle in the middle between the two rookie centers, Wendell Carter Jr. and Deandre Ayton. Despite some gaudy box score numbers, neither big heavily influenced the outcome. In foul trouble for most of the game, Carter finished his night with 14 points and five rebounds (in 21 minutes), while Ayton posted an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double and also adding five assists.

Likely to be one of many great battles, Ayton can take home the individual matchup points.

Despite the impressive basic numbers, Ayton failed to protect the rim, often being caught in the middle of showing out high and falling back to the basket. Without rim protection stopping them at the basket, the Bulls were able to feast inside against the Suns, scoring 60 of their 124 points in the paint.

One advantage the Suns did have over the Bulls was their depth on the perimeter. Without rookie forward Chandler Hutchison, who was ruled out prior to the game due to back spasms, an already thin Bulls wing rotation was forced to play small. Off the bench, Cameron Payne saw spot minutes at backup shooting guard, pushing Antonio Blakeney up to the reserve small forward position. Thankfully for all involved, Blakeney had himself a good night, scoring 14 points (6-of-10 shooting) off the bench, largely playing within himself and with some level of control.

Joining Blakeney off the bench with a solid performance of his own was backup point guard Shaq Harrison. Waived earlier in the season by the Suns, Harrison was notable against his former team, posting nine points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

With Arcidiacono emerging as an NBA-caliber backup and Harrison performing strongly in limited minutes, it’s clear these two have earned the trust of coach Fred Hoiberg. Once Dunn recovers from his knee injury, expect both to remain in the rotation, supplanting Payne all together.

Despite ending a horrid run of blowout losses with an impressive victory, it’s important to remember who the Bulls beat. Owners of the third-worst record in the league, the Suns are a complete mess.

It’s important to apply this caveat to the win, particularly when projecting forward. As good as he was, nearing a triple-double, will Parker be this good again against better competition, or will he revert back to what we’ve seen earlier this season? Can we expect the Bulls offense to hum this well over their next four quarters?

We’ll find out on Friday when the Bulls welcome the struggling Miami Heat to the United Center before hitting the road to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

Source: https://www.blogabull.com/2018/11/22/18107614/bulls-vs-suns-final-score-chicago-ends-4-game-losing-streak-with-124-116-win

[dpinoycosmonaut]

A BREAKTHROUGH TRIUMPH

by Bert A. Ramirez / November 18, 2018

               Everybody knows by now that the Magnolia Hotshots beat arch-rival Giñebra 112-108 in Game 4 of their semifinal showdown for a slot in the finals of the 2018 Governors’ Cup.  Everybody knows as well that the Hotshots had to work hard and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds (both import Romeo Travis and star guard Paul Lee were hobbled by injuries and the referees, as expected, tried to help the Gin Kings in crucial stretches) in order to survive this game and hold on for the win.  The victory, of course, clinched for the Hotshots this semis matchup and eliminated the two-time defending champion Gin Kings in the season-ending conference 3-1 while laying to waste the “three-peat” bid of Giñebra coach Tim Cone, Justin Brownlee and company.

               What people didn’t fully realize is the fact that the series victory represented a breakthrough for Magnolia.  This is because this is the first playoff matchup win for the franchise over the Gin Kings since Tim Cone was pulled from its bench and handed over to Giñebra in the 2015 offseason obviously to try to end the latter’s eight-year championship drought.

               Just look: in the 2016 Philippine Cup, Giñebra knocked the then-Star team out in the quarterfinals, coming from behind an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime and eventually win it 92-89 on LA Tenorio’s buzzer-beating three-pointer.  Then in the 2017 Philippine Cup, the Gin Kings came from behind 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the semifinals to beat the Hotshots in seven games and frustrate the latter’s bid to get into their first finals since Cone left.  After losing the last two games of that series, the Hotshots would lose five more games in succession to their arch-rivals in the ensuing conferences, extending their losing skid in their Manila Clasico rivalry to seven games.

               It was only in this just-concluded semifinal matchup between them that the Hotshots finally snapped that seven-game losing streak to Giñebra, beating the Gin Kings in the first game 106-98 and in the second 101-97 before the Gin Kings came back to pull out a 107-103 victory in the third.

               The Gin Kings in Game 4 then looked like they were going to extend the Hotshots to a fifth and deciding contest, and, quite possibly, prolong their playoff frustration against them as they led by as many as 10 points in the opening period.  But Travis, who carried the Hotshots on his shoulders in this game with a career-high 50 points just after finishing with a career-low 12 because of a pulled left hamstring in the previous contest, kept Magnolia in the game with 20 points as Giñebra took a 53-51 lead at the half.

               It was obvious, however, that the referees were at least willing to help extend this series to the limit, calling touch fouls on the Hotshots while allowing the Gin Kings to get away with more than what’s supposed to be tolerated.  Jio Jalalon, for example, was tagged with three early fouls right in the first quarter while Marc Barroca had five by the end of the third period.  The Gin Kings, meanwhile, did whatever they pleased, perhaps knowing that the refs, as is usual in big games, were on their side. In one blatant sequence, for instance, Tenorio sent Barroca sprawling on the floor as the Gin Kings guard intercepted the ball, but the refs let it go as if there was no contact at all.  They then called a foul right on the next play against Lee.

               The Hotshots, not surprisingly, got into penalty way early in every quarter while Giñebra hardly had any problem at all in that regard, as borne out by the 19 total fouls called on the Gin Kings and the 31 called on Magnolia.  In the third quarter, for instance, the refs put the Hotshots in penalty as early as the eight-minute mark while allowing Giñebra to foul with hardly any call, and this no doubt helped the Gin Kings keep it close despite PJ Simon and Robbie Herndon heating up for the Hotshots to keep them ahead 81-79 at the end of the period.

               This went on in the fourth quarter as the Gin Kings capitalized on the Hotshots’ getting into penalty with more than six minutes left, cashing in from the charity stripe (they were 25-of-31 from there compared to the Hotshots’ 19-of-20) to erase a six-point Magnolia lead and inch ahead at 92-91 before Travis put the Hotshots back on top with a three-point play 97-95.

               But the worst call (or non-call) of the evening came with a little less than two minutes left.  With Giñebra ahead 103-101, Lee drove on a fastbreak play and banked in a layup, but Brownlee (as the TV replays confirmed) swatted it away after it hit the backboard.  The refs, however, never made a goal-tending call to the chagrin of Magnolia coach Chito Victolero, who almost instinctively entered the court in reaction and got a technical foul that Tenorio converted into a free throw to make it 104-101. Brownlee then added two more freebies after a Lee turnover to pad it to five 106-101, time down to 1:44.

               If anyone expected the Hotshots to capitulate at that point, that would be understandable.  The world and the refs, after all, seemed to have conspired against them under the circumstances.  Except that Travis and his mates still had one big fight left in them.  Travis scored inside for 106-103, and Jalalon then made two clutch free throws to make it 106-105.  After another stop by the Hotshots, Travis then scored his 48th, 49th and 50th point on a three-point play to put Magnolia back up 108-106 with 44 seconds to play.

               One more stop led to two more pressure-packed free throws by Jalalon for 110-106, and though Brownlee scored with 15 seconds left to end that nine-point binge by Magnolia and make it 110-108, Lee countered with two clutch free throws of his own to seal the outcome with 14.7 seconds to go as Joe Devance and Scottie Thompson both missed desperation three-point tries in the end.

               Travis, of course, was the big difference in this landmark victory for Magnolia, but the rest of the Hotshots also contributed big time, particularly Lee who could have partly shed off that bad reputation in the clutches, Jalalon, Ian Sangalang who chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and six assists (including that feed that led to Travis’ lead-regaining three-point play near the end), Simon and Herndon, whose three-point shots kept the Hotshots in the driver’s seat in the third period.

               The 33-year-old Travis, a high-school teammate of LeBron James who got a congratulatory message from the NBA great right after his 50-point, 13-rebound, three-steal and two-assist performance, really defied the odds as he shot 20-of-26 from the floor, punctuating that performance with 21 points in the final quarter despite having been a game-day decision because of that hamstring injury.

               “It’s definitely a special day for me.  I’ve never had scored points like this before in my life,” Travis said even as he revealed he just decided to keep his cool even when things seemed to have turned bleak for the Hotshots.  “Just stay the course.  Throughout the game, there will be good times and bad times.  As long as you stay the same, and you stay to your principles, everything will stay out fine.”

               Former Purefoods franchise coach Ryan Gregorio, meanwhile, believed that the Hotshots showed their fighting heart after that non-call on the goal-tending infraction committed by Giñebra.

               “Great fight-back!” RG said.  “Fantastic turnaround after the no-call goal tend.”

               For the Hotshots, the real journey has now begun.  They’ll be shooting for the crown and trying to prove they can win without Tim Cone on the bench when they tangle with Alaska in the best-of-seven championship series that starts on December 5.  And for those who have witnessed their series against Giñebra, it will be hard to bet against them.  That’s what breaking through against a heavily-favored team and proving one’s toughness against the odds does for you.

 (Photo from ESPN)

[junker-town]

The 8 dumbest mistakes from NFL Week 16, ranked

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Baker Mayfield got his own teammate injured, Vernon Butler punched the wrong person, and in the NFC East, as Hans Gruber would say, “Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mr. Cowboy?”

Santa gifted NFL fans an early present on Saturday of Week 16, when each game of a triple-header was increasingly more exciting than the last. All three results were pivotal to the playoff race too. The Texans won the AFC South for the fourth time in five years, the Patriots won the AFC East for the 1,100th time in the last 20 years, and the 49ers kept their No. 1 seed hopes alive.

It was fun, watchable, and even if the ending was predictable, there was still meaning behind it all. Kind of like the NFL’s version Home Alone, minus Macaulay Culkin (this year, anyway).

What Saturday’s games didn’t deliver on, however, was anyone stepping on nails or setting their hair on fire, figuratively speaking. Well, other than the turnover-fest that Texans-Bucs quickly devolved into, but whenever Jameis Winston takes the field, that’s implied at this point, right?

Luckily, there were plenty of missteps to go around Sunday. The results of the games were slightly less predictable, but there were also some heart-pounding moments (from the Dolphins-Bengals and Giants-Washington, no less!) and some straight-up carnage (mostly, the Cowboys’ dignity). Kind of like NFL’s version of Die Hard, minus Reginald VelJohnson.

Does everyone else want to marathon Christmas movies now? Yeah, us too. But first, let’s gather around the yule log and toast to Week 16’s eight dumbest mistakes:

8. The Seahawks’ cowardly punt set the tone early against the Cardinals

Nobody is going to argue that a punt in the first quarter ultimately decided the course of that game. But what it can do is set the tone for the next three quarters, especially when one team has so much on the line.

While the Seahawks have already clinched a spot in the postseason, and the NFC West comes down to their Week 17 game against the 49ers, there is still the matter of seeding — and that means they needed a win against the Cardinals on Sunday.

They did not get one. More than that, they had one of the most cowardly punts of the season. From the Arizona 39-yard-line on fourth-and-7 late in the first quarter of a tie game, the Seahawks punted.

SEA decided to punt to ARI from the ARI 39 on 4th & 7 with 3:51 remaining in the 1st while tied 7 to 7. With a Surrender Index of 15.42, this punt ranks at the 97th percentile of cowardly punts of the 2019 season, and the 95th percentile of all punts since 2009.

— Surrender Index 90 (@surrender_idx90) December 22, 2019

It’s also worth noting the punt came after a delay of game penalty. They could have attempted a field goal like they had planned before the penalty, or just gone for it with Russell Wilson. But nope, Pete Carroll decided to punt. The Seahawks wouldn’t sniff the Cardinals’ side of the field again until late in the third quarter, and they would go on to lose, 27-13.

7. The Saints ran a great fake punt (until Justin Hardee dropped it)

New Orleans had overcome an early 14-3 deficit to take a 31-28 lead in Nashville. However, a fourth-and-7 at the Titans’ 38-yard line threatened to hand the ball back to Tennessee with a little more than four minutes remaining for a potential game-winning drive.

Head coach Sean Peyton had other plans. Instead of a punt, he had the ball snapped to upman/third-string quarterback Taysom Hill. Hill rolled to his left and delivered a perfect pass to defensive back Justin Hardee just over the first-down line.

And Hardee showed us all why he plays defense, not offense:

Justin Hardee is gonna be sick about this one pic.twitter.com/1CLkhlwBy9

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 22, 2019

That gave the Titans the ball close to midfield, but Tennessee couldn’t capitalize. Khalif Raymond fumbled the ball back to the Saints the very next play after taking a hit that probably should have been flagged for unnecessary roughness for contact with a ballcarrier’s head.

6. Mike Vrabel challenged a play he had no chance of winning

Logan Ryan made a great play to break up Drew Brees’ pass to Michael Thomas early in the third quarter of his game against the Saints. It just wasn’t as good as Vrabel thought.

Ryan knocked the ball from Thomas’ hands, leaving the ball bobbling in the air as the two players jousted for position before it fell to the turf. Officials correctly ruled the play an incompletion, but that wasn’t good enough for Vrabel.

hours later and i'm still trying to figure out why Mike Vrabel challenged this incomplete pass ruling pic.twitter.com/d514cFxmV8

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 23, 2019

The replay left no doubt about the outcome of the play. The officials had gotten it right; there was no chance it could be a fumble or an interception — it wasn’t even close. All Vrabel had done was burn a timeout and a challenge while gifting New Orleans a free timeout before facing third-and-12. The Saints converted that long third down en route to a 70-yard touchdown drive and a 24-14 lead.

5. Baker Mayfield nearly got his running back killed

During the Browns’ 31-15 loss to the Ravens on Sunday, Mayfield threw a late pass to Dontrell Hilliard that caused his running back to get absolutely lit up when he made the catch. Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters was screaming toward Hilliard when Mayfield threw this ball:

Baker Mayfield just set Dontrell Hilliard up with an ambulance pass pic.twitter.com/ivqzMxTgWD

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 22, 2019

Right after the play, Hilliard left the game with a knee injury and did not return.

There’s a lot that’s gone wrong for the Browns this season — this is just another one to add to the list.

4. Mitchell Trubisky threw a 3-yard pass on fourth-and-23

The Bears didn’t have much of a shot trailing the Chiefs by 20 points with less than eight minutes to play Sunday night. That doesn’t mean Trubisky shouldn’t at least have tried to pick up fourth-and-really-long.

Mitchell Trubisky really threw a three-yard checkdown to his tight end on 4th-and-23 pic.twitter.com/bYEOYgv6wl

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 23, 2019

Jay Cutler is the Bears quarterback that gets crap for never caring, but this was a “f—- it” moment that may eclipse all others in Chicago.

3. The refs gave Odell Beckham a 15-yard penalty for waving at the Ravens’ sideline

The Browns took an early lead against the AFC-leading Ravens thanks to Baker Mayfield’s revitalized passing game. Beckham played a role in that surprising start — but his 22-yard catch in the first quarter was turned into a 7-yard net because ... uh, he, waved at some Baltimore players?

this was a 15-yard penalty for Odell Beckham, somehow pic.twitter.com/YtDXV8rfA9

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 22, 2019

C’mon, refs.

The flag was Beckham’s first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of the day, which also meant another flag for excessive friendliness could’ve forced him out of the game — a point that apparently led to a heated exchange between Beckham and Freddie Kitchens.

2. Panthers DT Vernon Butler punched a player — the wrong one, at that

Butler managed to make two dumb mistakes in one play. First and foremost, he punched someone. Not only is it an easy way to injure your hand, but Butler also got an ejection for doing it.

The second mistake what that his game-ending tantrum was directed at the wrong player. He punched Colts tight end Jack Doyle for zero reason.

Vernon Butler ejected for punching Jack Doyle #Colts #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/cCr7eJ7Pyh

— Roto Street Journal (@RotoStJournal) December 22, 2019

The only explanation for the right cross delivered to Doyle’s face is that Butler got the tight end confused with the offensive lineman he was tussling with seconds earlier.

Butler was the Panthers’ first-round pick in 2016, but he has barely cracked the starting lineup in four seasons. His time in Carolina was already coming to an end and his lack of composure in Week 16 isn’t going to do him any favors when he’s hunting for a new team.

1. The Cowboys really took their top WR out with the season on the line

All the Cowboys needed to do was beat the Eagles, and they’d be in the playoffs. Similarly, all the Eagles had to do was beat the Cowboys and they’d be in control of the NFC East.

Despite the Eagles leading all game, the Cowboys still had a chance to win late. Then came the iffy decision-making that we’re used to from Jason Garrett.

Trailing 17-9 (one score) in the fourth quarter, Dallas faced a fourth-and-8. Instead of Amari Cooper, a 1,000-yard receiver and Dak Prescott’s favorite target, lining up for what would ultimately become Dallas’ final offensive snap of the game, he was ... on the sideline.

In his place was Tavon Austin, who has 12 catches on the season, because:

A #Cowboys source disputes the notion WR Amari Cooper was benched. Instead they wanted to give Tavon Austin a shot at the DBs because Eagles having hard time w smaller quick guys. They got in hurry up mode so they had to wait to put Cooper back in. “Rotation change, not bench.”

— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) December 23, 2019

On the fourth-down play — with another veteran receiver, Randall Cobb, on the bench as well — Prescott threw a fade to Michael Gallup:

Fourth down and eight to go, Dak throws deep to Gallup and Sidney Jones tips the ball away! pic.twitter.com/W8R9SrUMr2

— DIE-HARD Fans (@Eaglesfans9) December 23, 2019

And that was it for the Cowboys in Week 16 — and probably the season.

It feels silly to keep your rotation going with the entire season on the line, no? Cooper should never have left the field. Nobody can say for sure that Cooper would have made a huge play that would have saved Dallas’ season. After all, he and Prescott failed to find a rhythm all day, connecting on just four of 12 targets.

But to not even get the opportunity is just downright negligent.

Cooper later insinuated that the coaches didn’t know what they were doing (accurate):

Amari Cooper seemed to question the coaching staff for his ineffectiveness. When I asked his explanation, Cooper talked about all the short routes he ran and then said, “I feel like the go ball was a good route to run tonight and we didn’t really get to it.’’

— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) December 23, 2019

That’s how a team with elite talent, one of the most efficient offenses, and a +82 point differential ends up 7-8, with its playoff hopes resting on the Giants pulling an upset.

Perhaps the NFC East crown simply pulled a John McClane and decided, “But, all things being equal, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.”