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NBA Playoffs – Brooklyn Nets Shouldn’t Focus on Masai Ujiri
Counting on your fans to do the job for you is always a bad premise in the playoffs, and putting too much emphasis on the reaction Masai Ujiri will create in the arena after his f@#$ Brooklyn moments from last weekend is the wrong way for the Brooklyn Nets to be preparing themselves for game 3 against the Toronto Raptors.
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NBA Playoffs – Chicago Bulls Not Out For the Count
A championship team? How about a team about to lose a first round series with home court advantage for the second time in three seasons. The Chicago Bulls looked like a team that can win the East due to the weakness of the perceived two favorites, but two close losses to the Washington Wizards have changed that notion in most people’s minds. But a team that relies on defense and effort, not on hot shooting or a certain player getting hot, can’t be counted out, when the talent gaps aren’t that big if they’re there at all.
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Houston Rockets – James Harden Not Letting Jeremy Lin Out of his Shadow
This is close to treading water, but sometimes it is frustrating to see how badly a team is coached, and the bullheadedness of some NBA coaches with other options just there next to them to use. Kevin McHale isn’t willing, or isn’t strong enough, to move James Harden off of his perch where he feels very comfortable, but is also playing very badly at the moment, and turning to Jeremy Lin out of the blue either isn’t going to happen or isn’t going to help.
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Grizzlies Over Thunder – Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook Playing the Wrong Way
The playoffs are different from the regular season, and not everything that worked then has the same impact now. The Memphis Grizzlies are forcing to Oklahoma City Thunder to try and win by giving Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook the ball while the rest stand around and watch. The result? Grizzlies win game 3 98-95, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
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Hawks Over Pacers – Roy Hibbert Isn’t Alone
Too many are trying to make all of the Indiana Pacers problems about Roy Hibbert playing badly, but head coach Frank Vogel and selfish players like Paul George and Lance Stephenson should be blamed as well. The Atlanta Hawks, with some great basketball from Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap and a red hot Kyle Korver, have taken a 2-1 lead in the series following their 98-85 win in game 3.
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Match Highlights – Benfica vs Juventus, Sevilla vs Valencia
The first leg of the Europa League semifinal gave us a Spanish derby in which Sevilla beat Valencia 2-0 at home, giving them a big advantage and bringing them closer to the final, while an excellent match in Lisbon gave Benfica a dramatic 2-1 victory over Juventus.
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From Cristiano Ronaldo to Luis Suarez – Goal Scoring Races Around Europe
While not as important as actual championship races, the chase after a scoring title, golden boot or Pichici is quite interesting as well. Some players, like Luis Suarez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, don’t have too much to worry about, while the trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Costa and Lionel Messi will have to wait until the final day to see who is crowned in the Spanish La Liga.
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NBA Playoffs – Game 3 Predictions (Clippers vs Warriors, Thunder vs Grizzlies, Pacers vs Hawks)
Moving on to games 3 in the NBA playoffs with three series tied at 1-1: The Los Angeles Clippers taking their momentum to play in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors, the Indiana Pacers doing the same while travelling to play the Atlanta Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies, coming off a big win, hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Barack Obama Playing Soccer With a Robot in Japan
Anything the American president, Barack Obama, does or says, becomes instant news. That includes his visit to Japan and their Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, which included him meeting ASIMO and playing a little bit of soccer with him.
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Mavericks Over Spurs – A Blowout No One Expected
Even the Dallas Mavericks, feeling very confident going into game 2 after letting a lead slip away from them in the series opener, didn’t expect to look so good and beat the San Antonio Spurs 113-92 to make it an even 1-1 behind big offensive nights from Shawn Marion and Monta Ellis, but more than anything the defensive adjustments from Rick Carlisle.