Draymond Green may think the play-in games to the playoffs are beneath him, but Steph Curry apparently is going to drag Green and the rest of the Warriors there by their collective dick if he has to. Curry went off for another 49 in a pretty gutsy 107-96 win in Philadelphia. As you have to note with every NBA game at the moment, someone(s) important didn’t play, and this time it was Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris of the Sixers. That shouldn’t take away from another virtuoso performance from Curry, who went 10-from-17 from three. It was the second-straight game Curry had 10 threes or more, and the fourth in the last five games. It was the 11th-straight game he had 30 points or more, the fourth out of five, and fifth out of eight, that he had more than 40. Curry is shooting 56 perc…
1) Spurs’ battle for seventh amplifies Kane’s concerns
If Harry Kane really is making his Tottenham swansong at the King Power Stadium, he will have wished it could come with stakes rather higher than a fraught battle to cling on to seventh place. The emotions will be inescapable and the motivation to provide one last star turn presumably huge. Winning at such a difficult venue would be bittersweet for Kane and Spurs, given how costly the collapse of their away form has been to their campaign, with only two wins in their last nine. Such an outcome would also be deeply frustrating for Leicester, who are still in with a credible shout of Champions League qualification given Chelsea …
Sunday
If France are heavily reliant on Kylian Mbappé then, given his illumination of a hitherto dreary match with Poland, that may be no hindrance. This is the third time covering a game at Al Thumama and leaving it has been a headache on the previous two, taxi pickups a vigorous hike away. But on this occasion two of us learn from past experience and exit slickly: we pitch up at the InterContinental hotel only 15 minutes into England against Senegal, joining Australia’s departing media corps to watch and commiserate. It is a shame to see them go having watched a gutsy Socceroos come close to overhauling Argentina a day ago, a lesson from which Lionel Messi and company will presumably learn.
Netherlands (4-2-3-1)
Bart Verbruggen (GK) Made good saves from Kane and Foden, distributing well too on skiddy pitch. No chance with goals. 7
Denzel Dumfries (RB) At the heart of the first‑half drama. Conceded penalty, cleared off the line and hit the bar before his night calmed down. 7
Virgil van Dijk (CB) Denied by Pickford in what became a crucial moment. Headed and blocked everything but it was not enough. 7
Stefan de Vrij (CB) Solid for most the part but made critical error of giving Watkins space for trademark finish. 5
Nathan Aké (LB) Given plenty to do by Saka and Walker before interval. Got a grip, wi…
Netherlands (4-2-3-1)
Bart Verbruggen (GK) Made good saves from Kane and Foden, distributing well too on skiddy pitch. No chance with goals. 7
Denzel Dumfries (RB) At the heart of the first‑half drama. Conceded penalty, cleared off the line and hit the bar before his night calmed down. 7
Virgil van Dijk (CB) Denied by Pickford in what became a crucial moment. Headed and blocked everything but it was not enough. 7
Stefan de Vrij (CB) Solid for most the part but made critical error of giving Watkins space for trademark finish. 5
Nathan Aké (LB) Given plenty to do by Saka and Walker before interval. Got a grip, wi…
Atlanta won its second straight National League East title, but continued a run of playoff futility that dates back almost two decades. Since sweeping the Astros in the 2001 division series, Atlanta has been to that best-of-5 round eight times, and lost all eight times — plus a loss in the 2012 wildcard game for good measure. credits: NL East 2019 Standings Of course, Atlanta’s performance last October was not the memorable NL East showing in the postseason. That belonged to the Washington Nationals, who rallied to beat the Brewers in the wild card game, swept the Cardinals for the pennant, then won four games in Houston to bring the nation’s capital its first World Series title since the 1924 Senators. Both teams remain strong, but also have strong competition in 2020 with the M…
It’s time for us to take a good look at the 2018 NBA draft class. The play of that draft class’s number one overall pick Deandre Ayton and the meteoric rise of Trae Young as an NBA playoff superstar has completely shifted the thought process of how many viewed this class of players. A year ago, many would have looked at this as the Luka draft. While Young was good in Atlanta, he wasn’t winning consistently enough to turn heads. Ayton wasn’t nearly the same player he’s blossomed to this postseason and Jaren Jackson Jr. has been legit but he’s been dealing with injuries his whole career. This postseason has opened our eyes to so much talent in this draft class that we have to start considering it one of the deepest of the last decade. And not to mention the players who a…
Jaguars coach Doug Marrone announced this morning that rookie running back Leonard Fournette will not play in the team’s game today against Cincinnati, because he violated an undisclosed team rule. Fournette currently leads the NFL in rush yards per game, and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns. His 90-yard TD run is also the longest of the season so far. Update (12:05 p.m. ET): …
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, whose team lost 45-40 to Alabama in this year’s national championship game, just got a raise. His new contract will pay him more than $30 million over the next six years. Here’s what Swinney had to say when he was asked about paying college athletes back in 2014: “We try to teach our guys, use football to create the opportunities, take advantage of the platform and the brand and the marketing you have available to you. But as far as paying players, professionalizing college athletics, that’s where you lose me. I’ll go do something else, because there’s enough entitlement in this world as it is.” Hats off to Dabo Swinney. Managing to make tens of millions of dollars in a non-professionalized field is an incredible achievement. Relatedfo…
A California woman has filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that in 2011 Nick Young drugged her in a California bar, brought her back to his apartment and raped her. Young was a member of the Wizards at the time of the allegations. [Update: According to TMZ, the LAPD had dismissed her claims before she filed suit.] According to the suit, the woman's memory of the evening ends shortly after Young bought her a drink. She believes he slipped GHB, the date rape drug, in her drink. She woke up the following morning in Young's bed bleeding from her vagina and rectum. The suit alleges Young admitted they had sex but said he stopped when she passed out. According to the suit, the woman demanded to be taken home by Young — he obliged — and she beelined for the UCLA…
data-mm-id=”_qu4v1pmg2″>The NBA's crazy kowtowing to China's ire continues, as fans in Washington got a first-hand taste of that Wednesday night. With the Wizards playing a preseason game against against a Chinese Basketball Association squad, arena security was out in force confiscating any signs protesting China. During the Wizards' matchup with the Guangzhou Loong Lions, fans had protest signs ripped away and some who uttered protest chants were removed from the building. Their stories are currently being told on Twitter:Our “Google Uyghurs” sign has been confiscated. pic.twitter.com/fX4tF4oOxR— Jon Schweppe (@JonSchweppe) October 9, 2019So the Wizards security just kicked out two people in the Second level for chanting Free Hong Kong. I just saw it.— CesarCon…