 The Trail Blazers were given the ax last night as the Grizzlies blazed into the second round of the NBA playoffs. The game ended with a 99-93 defeat for Portland with the sounds of, “win or go home”, cascading in their ears.
The absence of the Grizzlies’ Mike Conley apparently had any bearing on their play. They entered the game with a stunning hunger to demolish the Trail Blazers quickly and wholeheartedly. They put up 10 unanswered points to begin the game. However, the Blazers had an answer for every curve propelled toward them by Memphis. They fought back to narrow the gap several times throughout the game before succumbing to the loss. Various players contributed to the Grizzlies’ win at some point. Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, and Tony Allen all used their personal niches to cause problems for Portland down the stretch. The Grizzlies are now staring into the eyes of a resting giant--the Golden State Warriors. Regardless of the final outcome, this series is sure to be an entertaining ride.  Get the broom. There are some teams that need to be escorted off the court and out of our hearts--at least in the context of the NBA playoffs. Sadly, the Pelicans completed their last brave standoff with the Golden State Warriors. There was one glimmer of hope for Anthony Davis and New Orleans, but it was pummeled with a 20-point comeback by Golden State in Game 3 late within the 4th quarter.
The Wizards rendered their magic on the Toronto Raptors to leave them winless in the series. The Raptors were sent back to Canada with a 4-0 series record. In a predictable fashion, the Celtics were also brushed back to their origin by the Cavaliers. There was never much hope or stock put into the young, Boston Celtic team from the beginning of the series. Did you favorite team make the cut? If not, you can still catch a variance of interesting NBA face-offs. The Hawks and Nets are battling in a 2-1 series. The Grizzlies are looking to finish out their series with another sweep against the Portland Trailblazers. The Clippers and Spurs are dead even with a 2-2 series tie. The Bucks escaped the grasp of the Bulls in the last game and pulled out a win, leaving their series at 3-1. Also, just when you thought the Mavericks’ goose was cooked, they managed to come away with a win that protected them from elimination last night. Their series is now 3-1. Who do you think will be crowned the next NBA champion? Regardless, It’s definitely going to be an interesting playoff run. Well, the hunt is on for astounding talent to advance and enhance the best college football teams in the nation. Auburn University isn’t just sitting in tote. The Tigers recently picked up Tre Threat from Spanish Fort, AL. The linebacker is expect to really pack a punch with his 235 pound, 6’2 build. He was also a viable candidate for the Ole Miss team, but chose Auburn. According to the Bleacher Report, he’s considered a 3-star recruit. Hopefully, Threat will live up to his last name on the football field for Auburn. Let’s not forget to mention the stunning head of hair Threat brings to Auburn’s roster as well. War Eagle.  Photo Credit: 247Sports
 We called it. It looks like the reports have come to fruition and Scott Brooks has been dismissed as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Team officials announced today that after seven years, Brooks was no longer a part of their franchise. Brooks' fate may have been solidified after the Thunder missed the playoffs for the first time in years last week.
In a final farewell, Thunder chairman, Clayton Bennett, stated, "We have a deep appreciation for all that Scott has contributed to the Thunder organization over the last seven years. While a very hard decision, I support the need to transition to a new coach that will allow us to continue the growth and progress that will help us reach all of our goals." As Boyz II Men so eloquently put it, “It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.”  Well, they never said a NBA playoff battle would be easy, or pretty for that matter. You could really see the competitive claws emerge in the Bulls vs. Bucks game last night. During Game 2 in Chicago, John Henson of the Bucks, stumbled over Aaron Brooks on Chicago’s team. The incident escalated after Henson remained standing over Brooks in a threatening manner, while he was planted on the court. The confrontation concluded with technical fouls hitting Henson, Mayo, Butler, and Noah after they ran into the brief melee. Brooks received a personal foul.
This distraction didn’t stop the Chicago Bulls from dishing out another disheartening defeat for Milwaukee with a score of 91-82. The Bulls now lead the playoff series 2-0. Are we feeling a sweep coming on? Watch the scene unfold here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh-o6ThK08I. Golden State is looking very determined in the first quarter with a score of 23-11, while the Pelicans are looking very lackadaisical. There's still a lot of basketball left to play. Who do you have? Let us know through the poll below!  Scott Brooks may be searching for another job soon, according to Bleacher Report. The top office honchos are reportedly looking toward the sunny state of Florida for what they see as a better fit for the team. Coach Brooks led the Thunder to a 45-37 record this season, with the team just missing a playoff spot to the New Orleans Pelicans.
There has been talk about Billy Donovan, the current University of Florida coach, claiming the job if it becomes available. Apparently, he’s expressed a desire in the past to transition to NBA play. There is some good news for Brooks, however. According to reports, the Magic and the Nuggets may want to stake a claim for him. Interestingly enough, this is the first time that the Oklahoma City Thunder have not made the playoffs since the 2008-2009 season.  More sad news for Pacers fans, as Indiana was ousted out of a playoff spot amongst additional physical ailments for their star, Paul George. George was hoping to shine in last night’s game against the Grizzlies, but he would end the night being carried to the bench after scoring just two-points during his 15 minute tenure within the game.
George explained his exit to one newspaper in Indiana, stating, “Just came off a screen and felt a pop, but they looked at it and it’s nothing more than just a calf strain. It wasn’t a knee injury but it’s tough, you work so hard in rehab and have something else pop up.” Viewers could have attributed more to the downplayed injury from the manner in which George walked to the locker room. He could be seen limping, axiomatically. It gave us flashbacks of the horrendous leg injury he suffered previously and has been fighting vigorously to overcome. However, George ended his interview with the Indianapolis Star on an optimist note, stating, “The good thing is, I know we’ve got a long summer and a lot to look forward to.”  Well, it looks like Golden State’s, Klay Thompson, wasn’t the only major thrill of Monday night with his 42-point game against the Grizzlies. Although, that was truly a stunning show. Also, Monday night, the Celtics wavered their way into an inconceivable playoff spot.
The chips were up in the air before the Brooklyn Nets faced off against the Chicago Bulls yesterday evening. However, after the 113-86 massacre proved victorious for the Bulls, the Celtics walked into an uncontested playoff spot with a record of 20-33. Many NBA fans are wondering, will this be a good learning experience for the Celtics or will it just hurt them in the long-run? As of now, the most practical and likely first round match-up will be against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Is making the playoffs going to sabotage future draft choices for the Celtics and ultimately lead to an embarrassing defeat? These questions can be put to rest by reviewing the face-offs between the two teams during the regular season. The Celtics have hoisted wins over the Cavaliers’ heads this season, despite their record. The Celtics were at one point very low on the totem pole for any playoffs hopes, but they’ve made a steady rise late in the season. Do you think they’ll be viable candidates in heated playoff battles? Only time will tell.  Many tuned in to witness the Final Four Championship game on Monday night. During this time, there were a variance of calls that seemed to benefit both Wisconsin and Duke some time throughout the game. However, the Badgers’ coach, Bo Ryan, had other views. Ryan went on a rant about officials costing them the game to CBS Sports.
Most people categorized the comments as below the normal integrity level of the coach. One of the calls Ryan is referencing included Justise Winslow not being ruled out of bounds before a pass that led to a successful shot for Duke. There was another similar call that went in Duke’s favor. Still, Ryan’s criticisms may seem unwarranted since there were calls that did go in favor of Wisconsin that were questionable as well. Viewers can attest to this with the non-response of the shot clock violation that led to points by Nigel Hayes of Wisconsin at one point in the game. What do you think? Was a fair game played here? Maybe Bo Ryan is simply singing a song we’ve all heard before.  Nick Marshall was an undisputed standout at Auburn University, leading several unexplainable plays that left viewers and spectators speechless. However, his NFL aspirations are now leading him down a more arduous path. In order to boost his chances in the current NFL class, and effectively transition into the franchise, Nick is looking to switch from a quarterback position to cornerback.
When you analyze previous statistics, the bricks seem to be stacked against Marshall in this court. There have been very few players within the NFL that successfully made the jump from quarterback to cornerback. According to ESPN, an easier transition would be to make the jump to wide receiver versus the new task he has taken on. Still, Dog Graber, a positional coach for Marshall, is rallying behind him. He stated, “It was surprising the first day I worked with him.” He went on to comment on Marshall’s play by stating he showed great athleticism that convinced him the switch would be successful. One thing is for sure, as Marshall continues his pursuit of NFL play, it will not be an easy road to travel.  Mark Cuban apparently has some controversial thoughts on college basketball. Where does all this stem from? Let’s just say the comments from Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan were echoed again loud and clear. The Dallas Mavericks owner told an ESPN affiliate in Dallas that between the bad officiating and the shot clock stipulations, college athletes are being effectively deterred from going pro. Cuban claims that this style of play is not teaching university athletes how to play a strenuous and complete game of basketball. Basically, he’s against too much stop and go. According to statistics, college teams are scoring less than they have in the years after some officiating changes were made to the game. Cuban went straight at the issue by stating, “It’s horrible. It’s ridiculous. It’s worse than high school. You’ve got 20 to 25 seconds of passing on the perimeter and then somebody goes and tries to make a play and do something stupid, and scoring’s gone down.” There has been no word from the NCAA about these concerns as of yet.  Reports are just coming in that Illinois State’s assistant head coach, Torrey Ward, was involved in a fatal plane crash early Tuesday morning in route from the NCAA Final Four Championship game in Indiana. There were 6 other people on the plane that are presumed dead. Although, there have been no details released on the cause of the plane crash, there were visibility issues involving fog reported.
Ward played for UAB in his earlier years and also overseas. He joined the Illinois State personnel in 2012 according to CBS Sports after leaving Ole Miss. This story is developing.  Are you a Blue Devil? If so, yesterday may have been one of the best days of your life. Your nerves may have been a tad on edge throughout the game, however. Duke was down and many thought out, during much of Monday’s game with Wisconsin. The battle was dead even at halftime, but Wisconsin aimed to complete a final knockout for Duke with a 48-39 lead after they returned from the break. Just as many Duke fans began to shuffle for the remote, the Blue Devils gained a resiliency like no other. They snatched the lead back from Wisconsin at 4:08 after Tyus Jones sank a three pointer. There were some questionable calls from the game officials that circulated through social media. However, this did not deter either team from battling till the end for their championship right. Duke’s defense continued to hammer Wisconsin in the second half. They held the Badgers to 41 percent shot success. This would eventually lead to the Badgers falling to the Blue Devils, 68-63 in a stunning victory for Duke.  University coaches are presumably hired not to just shape and enhance the athletic capabilities of students, but also to mold their moral and behavioral intricacies to make them a better overall individual in life. Well, this is our definition of a coach. Bowling Green coach, Chris Jans, may have a different connotation.
Jans was fired without pay for the rest of his contract after a video surfaced from March 21st by the media showing him physically touching/harassing a woman in public. However, official statements from the university stated that Jans was released because his conduct was not conducive to his obligations as a head coach there. He eventually admitted to the allegations and 2 more incidents involving the same type of conduct while he was under the influence of alcohol. Jans was also the previous head coach of Wichita State. They actually had quite an impressive season while he was there. This was his cardinal year at Bowling Green, and regrettably, his last. |
