Author: pgant
Cavs’ Garland: ‘Our mindset all season is to play all 48 minutes’
The Cleveland Cavaliers have led from start to finish in three out of the last four games, including Wednesday’s 124-89 blowout win over the visiting Houston Rockets.
Cleveland led by as many as 32 points in the first half, and Houston never threatened from there. The Cavs had their largest lead of 45 in the third, and a significant part of the second half was extended garbage time.
All 13 Cavalier players scored against Houston.
The Cavaliers(18-12) swept their three-game homestand and have won five straight and nine of 11. Cleveland has won five straight for the time since LeBron James was in the Land(2018).
Houston’s(9-19) two-game winning streak ended Wednesday night.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
Where do you begin when you win by 35?
First Half: In the first quarter, the Cavaliers outscored the Rockets 35-16, and they went on an 18-0 run from the end of the first into the second quarter to take a 47-16. In the first half, Cleveland shot 54.8% from the field, including 9/17 from three-point range. Additionally, the Cavs held Houston to 30% shooting. They also forced 10 Houston turnovers and led 69-38 at the break
In the last five games at halftime, Cleveland has held the following leads:
+31 (69-38) Houston
+11 (55-44) Miami
29 (81-52) Sacramento
+21 (65-44) @Timberwolves
+9 (52-43) Bulls
First Half Rubio: Ricky Rubio gave Cleveland a great lift off the bench in the first half. Rubio scored seven points and dished out eight of his game-high 12 assists in the half. Additionally, Rubio ended the half with a team-best +29 rating. He also finished the game with four steals.
First Half Garland: Darius Garland scored 17 points in the opening half, including three threes. The third-year guard was 6/8 from the field and 3/4 from downtown. Garland had a +25 rating in the first half and finished with a game-high 21 points.
Isaac Okoro, Isaac Okoro, Isaac Okoro. He’s playing with so much confidence right now. He scored 11 of his 20 points in the first half as he shot 7/9 from the floor, including 3/3 from three-point range. This is his fourth straight game in double figures and his second 20-point game during this stretch. In those four games, Okoro is shooting 70% from the floor.
Okoro also had this sick dunk:
HAVE MERCY! 🥶 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/GzuyVwWYy6
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 16, 2021
The backcourt of Garland and Okoro combined for 41 points on 14/20 shooting from the field, including 6/9 from downtown. They were sizzling Wednesday night.
The Not So Great for the Cavaliers:
Absolutely nothing to see here. You lead by as many as 45 points, and you win by 35; you did everything right.
Bottom Line:
Five straight and nine out of 11 is impressive. The Rockets were a depleted team(Christian Wood, Eric Gordon out), and Cleveland took full advantage. The Cavs continue to blow teams out as they defeated all three teams on this homestand by a combined 60 points. Cleveland, who is the fourth-seeded team in the East, is now three games behind the number one seed in the East, the Brooklyn Nets.
“Our mindset all season is to play all 48 minutes. We did that tonight,” Garland said.
What’s Next:
The Cavaliers go on the road for three games, starting Saturday night against the world champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Best of the Rest:
Dean Wade, who started for the injured Evan Mobley(hip), had his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Love added 15 points(3/5 3pt FG), and Lauri Markkanen chipped in with 12
Alperen Sengun led Houston with a career-best 19 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
Rockets head coach Stephen Silas left the game in the first half with dehydration and did not return. Assistant John Lucas coached the rest of the way for Houston.
Watch below as Garland and Okoro react to the win over Houston:
NFL playoff scenarios for Week 15
It’s that time of the year when teams start to fight it out for the seven playoff spots in each conference. Patriots and Titans can clinch spots in the AFC, while the Buccaneers, Cardinals, Cowboys, Packers, and Rams can punch their tickets for the playoffs in the NFC.
Here are playoff scenarios for Week 15 in the NFL:
AFC
CLINCHED: None
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-4) (vs. Indianapolis (7-6), Saturday night, 8:15 PM ET, NFLN)
New England clinches playoff berth with:
-
NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + BAL loss + CIN loss + KC loss OR
-
NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + BAL loss + DEN loss + LAC loss OR
-
NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + PIT loss or tie + DEN loss or tie + LAC loss OR
-
NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie + CIN loss OR
-
NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + BAL loss + CIN loss + LAC loss OR
-
NE win + MIA loss or tie + BAL loss + LAC loss + LV loss + CIN-DEN tie
NOTE: There are other complex scenarios for New England that involve multiple ties and strength-of-victory permutations.
TENNESSEE TITANS (9-4) (at Pittsburgh (6-6-1), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS)
Tennessee clinches AFC South division title with:
-
TEN win + IND loss
NFC
CLINCHED: None
ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-3) (at Detroit (1-11-1), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Arizona clinches playoff berth with:
-
ARI win or tie OR
-
NO loss or tie + MIN loss or tie OR
-
NO loss or tie + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
NO loss or tie + PHI loss + ATL loss or tie + GB win or tie OR
-
NO loss or tie + SF tie + LAR loss OR
-
MIN loss or tie + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
MIN loss or tie + SF loss OR
-
SF loss + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
SF tie + LAR loss + PHI-WAS tie
DALLAS COWBOYS (9-4) (at N.Y. Giants (4-9), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Dallas clinches NFC East division title with:
-
DAL win + WAS-PHI tie OR
-
DAL win + WAS loss + DAL clinches strength-of-victory tiebreaker over PHI
Dallas clinches playoff berth with:
-
DAL win + NO loss or tie OR
-
DAL win + SF loss OR
-
DAL tie + MIN loss or tie + NO loss or tie + ATL loss or tie OR
-
MIN loss + ATL loss + NO loss + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
MIN loss + ATL loss + NO loss + DAL clinches strength-of-victory tiebreaker over PHI
GREEN BAY PACKERS (10-3) (at Baltimore (8-5), Sunday, 4:25 PM ET, FOX)
Green Bay clinches NFC North division title with:
-
GB win or tie OR
-
MIN loss or tie
Green Bay clinches playoff berth with:
-
NO loss or tie + SF loss OR
-
NO loss or tie + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
NO loss or tie + LAR loss + SF tie OR
-
SF loss + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
LAR loss + SF tie + PHI-WAS tie
LOS ANGELES RAMS (9-4) (vs. Seattle (5-8), Sunday, 4:25 PM ET, FOX)
L.A. Rams clinch playoff berth with:
-
LAR win + NO loss or tie + MIN loss or tie OR
-
LAR win + NO loss or tie + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
LAR win + MIN loss or tie + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
LAR tie + MIN loss + NO loss + ATL loss or tie
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-3) (vs. New Orleans (6-7), Sunday night, 8:20 PM ET, NBC)
Tampa Bay clinches NFC South division title with:
-
TB win or tie
Tampa Bay clinches playoff berth with:
-
MIN loss or tie + SF loss OR
-
MIN loss or tie + PHI-WAS tie OR
-
SF loss + PHI-WAS tie
Williams on fight with Gore: ‘I wanted to check that off the bucket list and so here I am’
Three-time NBA All-Star Deron Williams and legendary NFL running back Frank Gore are nearing their professional boxing debuts as the two stars from opposite sports put the finishing touches on their first ever training camps. The two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Williams and the NFL’s third all-time leading rusher Gore collide in a must-watch four-round heavyweight professional boxing match on Saturday, December 18 on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley II live on SHOWTIME PPV on Saturday, December 18 at AMALIE Arena in Tampa, Fla.
Both men are eager to impress in their pro boxing debuts, and have cut no corners in their preparations for the fight. Williams has prepared at the gym he co-owns alongside trainer Sayif Saud at Fortis MMA in Dallas, Texas while the Miami native Gore is training under Javiel Centeno at Centeno’s Sweatbox Boxing Gym in Davie, Fla.
Here is what Williams had to say about the upcoming fight with Gore.
On his combat sports background…
“I don’t have any pro fights, per say, but combat sports has been a part of my life since I was growing up. I was a wrestler here in Texas and I actually won States twice as an eight-year-old and a 12-year-old. I would have continued competing but I had to make a choice between basketball and wrestling. I feel like I made the right choice.”
On training in boxing and MMA…
“I’ve always been drawn to boxing. I’ve always been drawn to MMA and been a UFC fan for as long as I can remember. I started training while I was still playing in the NBA and became part owner of Fortis MMA in 2015. I’ve been training here ever since.”
On how this fight came to be…
“I got a call about doing a boxing match and I always wanted to do a fight. At least once in my lifetime. I wanted to check that off the bucket list and so here I am.”
On Frank Gore…
“Frank was a beast on the football field. I know he’s going to be tough. I know he’s going to be in shape. He’s always been regarded as a really hard worker in his sport. He’s taken the most snaps of any rusher in the NFL which is a tremendous feat in itself. I know he’s been training and putting in the work. I think it’s going to be a fun fight to watch.”
On a career in combat sports…
“I’m just focused on this one fight. Especially in fighting, I don’t think you can look past your opponent. I’m focused on Frank. This was a box I wanted to check off and I’m getting to do that. Whatever else happens, we’ll see after that.”
Porzingis on win over Hornets: ‘It’s weird, but I almost feel better on the second game of a back-to-back’
Without Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks needed others to step up to beat the Charlotte Hornets Monday night, and Kristaps Porzingis did just that. He had 22 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks, all in the first half.
Dallas(14-13), who never trailed against Charlotte(15-14), led by as much as 30 points in this game. They took a 70-43 lead into halftime and would defeat the Hornets 120-96 at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks, who have struggled with shooting of late, especially from three-point range, shot 51.8% from the floor, including 19/41(46%) from downtown.
Dallas is 5-0 this season when they shoot 50% or better.
Porzingis, who played only nine minutes in the second half, finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks.
“He was great,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said about Porzingis after the game. “He was great from the start. On the defensive end, he was great on the help, protecting the rim. Offensively, I thought, again letting the game come to him, letting the ball find him. He was great. I thought the bench, the energy from the voices over there even before the game started, got guys into the game. On a back-to-back, it’s easy to have that built-in excuse against a very talented offensive team, and I thought the guys did a great job.”
The Mavericks were playing the second half of a back-to-back after they defeated the Thunder Sunday, but according to Porzingis, he felt fresher against Charlotte than OKC.
“It’s weird, but I almost feel better on the second game of a back-to-back than when I have to get my body going for the first one,” Porzingis said. “I felt good. Some games are physically more taxing. Yesterday wasn’t one of those games. But I felt better today than I did yesterday in a weird way. My body, once it gets going, I just need to keep it up. Even on off days, I try to get some work in so I stay moving. I’m still young, but some days my body gets a little rusty. I’ve just got to keep working.”
The last time the Mavericks played the Hornets was the preseason, and in that game, they defeated Charlotte by 68 points. Trey Burke, who scored 22 points off the bench Monday, said he thought about that preseason game.
During the game, I personally thought about that,” Burke said. “I figured that they would have this game marked already, so I tried to continue to let them know we can’t come out flat like we usually do and try to regain the lead in the third or fourth quarter.”
Dallas gets back at it Wednesday night against the Lakers; However, Doncic will miss his third straight game with a sore ankle.
Watch as Kidd talks win over Hornets:
Cavs’ Love: ‘We’re living in the moment, but our big-picture goals are toward the end of the year’
The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their winning ways Monday night as they defeated the Miami Heat 105-94 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland led the whole second half, but in the fourth, Miami cut the Cavs lead to five with over eight minutes left. However, Cleveland would go on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 13. From there, the Cavs would have their largest lead of 16 and would coast the rest of the way.
The Cavs had five players in double figures Monday night.
Cleveland(17-12) has now won four straight for the third time this season, while the Heat’s(16-12) two-game winning streak was snapped.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
Second Half Kevin Love: The 13-year veteran got hot in the second half. Love scored a season-high 23 points, all in the second half. Love was 6/8 from the field in the second half, including five threes(5/7). He also added nine rebounds.
Love is shooting the ball well right now and has made three-plus threes in five consecutive games.
-Isaac Okoro has been solid in the last three games. He scored 18 points, including four threes(ties career-high) Monday night, and he also helped limit Duncan Robinson to six points on 1/7 from downtown.
This was Okoro’s third straight game of at least 16 points or more, and during this stretch, he’s averaging 18 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. Furthermore, in the last three, Okoro is 7-14(50%) from three-point range.
-Jarrett Allen had 12 of his 18 points(6/6 FG) in the first half, and while his three-game double-double streak was snapped, he did grab eight rebounds and added a block.
Second Quarter: Cleveland outscored the Heat 32-19 in the quarter, and after trailing 25-23 in the first, the Cavaliers took a 55-44 lead at the break. Cleveland turned things up defensively as they held the Heat to 38% shooting from the floor, including 2/12 from three-point range(16.7%).
-Lamar Stevens did not give the Cavaliers much offensively(three points), but he gave Cleveland a big lift with his energy. He, along with Okoro, helped limit Miami’s three-point shooting as Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson were a combined 1/10 from three-point range.
The Not So Great for the Cavaliers:
Third Quarter: Miami started the third on a 10-0 to cut the Cavs’ 11-point halftime lead to one. The Heat outscored Cleveland 29-23 in the quarter. Miami shot the ball well in third as they ended the quarter, shooting 58% from the floor and making five threes(5/9). The Heat cut the Cavs’ lead to 78-73, heading into the fourth.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland is now 8-2 in their last 10 games and won those eight games by at least 11 points or more. In addition, five(Heat twice) of those eight wins are against teams above .500.
Every night it seems like someone different steps up for this team. Tonight, it was Love and Okoro.
The chemistry Cleveland has is special, and after 29 games, they are the fourth seed in the East. Unreal!!
“We’re living in the moment, but our big-picture goals are toward the end of the year,” Love said.
What’s Next:
Cleveland’s three-game homestand concludes Wednesday night against the Rockets.
Best of the Rest:
Ricky Rubio had seven points and seven assists. Rubio hit a significant milestone Monday night as he recorded his 5,000 assist to the man he started his career in Minnesota with, Kevin Love.
Fitting that @rickyrubio9's 5,000th assist went to an old friend ❤️💛
📺 #CavsHeat on @BallySportsCLE pic.twitter.com/XrT2SBGCTb
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 14, 2021
Darius Garland had 16 points, five assists, and three steals.
P.J. Tucker led Miami with 23 points and nine rebounds, including five threes, and Kyle Lowry added 22 points(four threes) and five assists. Miami had five players in double figures.
Watch below as Love, Okoro, Allen react to Cavs’ win:
Joseph Parker: ‘I want the best Derek Chisora’
Joseph Parker says his “career is on the line” when he meets British veteran Derek Chisora for a second time at the AO Arena in Manchester this Saturday December 18, live worldwide on DAZN (with the exception of New Zealand and Samoa).
The New Zealand star (29-2, 21 KOs) overcame a first-round knockdown to edge past former World Title challenger Chisora last time out at the same venue back in May via a hard-fought split decision in his first fight with former WBO Middleweight king Andy Lee.
Ranked at No.2 in the world with the WBO, former World Champion Parker heads into this weekend’s huge rematch knowing that a loss to Chisora would prove to be disastrous in his pursuit of becoming a two-time Heavyweight ruler.
“The first fight wasn’t the longest camp together with Andy, we were just getting to know each other and getting ready for the fight,” said Parker. “A longer camp is more beneficial as I am understanding more what Andy is trying to teach me. We’ve worked so hard every day and I think that it’s really going to show on the night.
“Andy and I have been working on a lot of things in camp and the goal is to go in there and look better, and win but win well. I can say that I am going to be more dominant, more aggressive, and that sort of stuff, but I just want to go out there and fight and I will let my actions do the talking for me.
“I want the best Derek Chisora. I got a hard pressure fighter in the first fight with Derek and I think that he’ll be looking to make little adjustments to improve, so I am looking forward to what he’s going to bring. As long as I do what I can do it’s not going to go the distance, but I know he feels the same way. There’s no issues for me in the build up with a great camp and injury free.
“I like Derek and respect him, but this is not the time to be friends before the fight. I need to take care of business because my career is on the line here. He’s achieved a lot and I respect him, but that can wait until after the fight.
“I think the result was right. I did enough to win, it wasn’t the most dominant or best performance, it was a close fight but I believe I won it and it’s good to be able to run it back and to show the improvements I’ve made with Andy. It’s the first rematch of my career so I am excited for that and I just want to go out and fight hard, beat him up and put on a better performance and win in better fashion.”
Parker vs. Chisora 2 tops a huge night of action in Manchester, ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (20-2-1, 9 KOs) returns to the scene of his Fight of the Year contender with Felix Cash back in 2019 as he clashes with Kevin Lele Sadjo (16-0, 14 KOs) for the vacant EBU European Super-Middleweight crown following his win over Avni Yildirim in July, Manchester Super-Featherweight contender Zelfa Barrett (26-1, 16 KOs) hopes to make it three wins from three fights in 2021 as he meets Australia’s Bruno ‘The Terminator’ Tarimo (26-2-2, 5 KOs) in an Eliminator for the IBF World Title, undefeated New Malden Super-Middleweight talent Lerrone Richards (15-0, 3 KOs) looks to build on his impressive EBU European Title win against Giovanni De Carolis in May when he takes on unbeaten IBO 168lbs World Champion Carlos Gongora (20-0, 15 KOs), Croatian Heavyweight knockout artist Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (9-0, 9 KOs) looks to make it ten knockouts from ten fights, New Zealand Cruiserweight David Nyika (1-0, 1 KO) fights in the UK for the first time against Anthony Carpin (5-6-2, 2 KOs), Derby Super-Lightweight prospect Sandy Ryan (2-0, 1 KO) is out to impress against Maria Soledad Caprialo (7-13-4) after her vicious body shot knockout win over Aleksandra Vujovic in Italy, unbeaten Cruiserweight Jordan ‘Troublesome’ Thompson (11-0, 9 KOs) meets Clement Oppenot (5-1, 3 KOs) over six rounds, former Team GB standout Cyrus Pattinson (2-0, 1 KO) takes on Evgenii Vazem (9-21, 4 KOs) over six rounds at Welterweight and Anthony Crolla-trained Lightweight Rhiannon Dixon (3-0) fights Paola Pamela Benavidez (8-5-3) over six rounds.
Jags’ Meyer thought about benching Trevor Lawrence
On Sunday against the Titans, Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence had the worst game of his young career. The number one pick was 24/40 for 221 yards and a career-high four interceptions as the Jags were shoutout 20-0.
Lawrence was off yesterday, and according to Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer, the coaching staff discussed benching the rookie quarterback.
“There were some conversations about what would be best for Trevor [Lawrence] at this point,” Meyer said Monday. “I obviously relied on Bev [Darrell Bevell] and Schotty [BriaSchottenheimer] to give their opinions. We thought, all three of us, that it would be best to let him finish.”
Meyer was asked if he thought about sitting Lawrence down for a game, but at this point, Meyer is not looking to go in that direction.
“I don’t think so,” Meyer said about possibly sitting Lawrence. “I’ll go have that chat with—. I think this is a learning experience for Trevor [Lawrence]. We need to go win a game, and if we believe Trevor is our best chance to win a game and he’s going to be our quarterback here, then to keep just fighting through it, fighting through it.”
In the last seven games, Jacksonville has not scored more than 17 points, and while Meyer is seeing frustration, he is not seeing players turn on each other.
“Yeah, on offense, I feel when things aren’t performing to the level that we expect, you would expect frustration,” he said. “I don’t see finger-pointing, I don’t see yelling at each other, I don’t see fist-fights on the sideline like I’ve heard about, I don’t see any of that. But I see frustration.”
Jacksonville should stick with Lawrence. Young quarterbacks struggle, and they have bad games. Look, Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions as a rookie, so interceptions come with youth. Lawrence will get better, but unfortunately, there will be struggles.
Donaire on body shot that stopped Gaballo: ‘My wife and my dad were telling me to go to the body’
WBC Bantamweight World Champion and future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire scored a fourth-round knockout over previously unbeaten Reymart Gaballo to successfully defend his title in the SHOWTIME main event Saturday night headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.
In an all-Filipino battle, Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) continued to build up his Hall of Fame resume, landing his signature left hook, this time to the body, to eventually end the fight. Gaballo (24-1, 20 KOs) came out employing a high guard, clearly working to avoid that vaunted left hook.
“I’ve been in this game for such a long time and I’ve had so many fights, I didn’t think I was going to have to feel him out,” said Donaire. “But he came out differently than I thought he would. He tried to nullify my left hook, but I just had to have no mercy.”
The four-division world champion in his second reign at 118 pounds, Donaire was able to remain patient as he searched for an opening for his preferred attack. Heeding the advice from his corner, Donaire found his spot for the left hook in the fourth round, connecting to the body and putting Gaballo down late in the round.
“My wife and my dad were telling me to go to the body,” said Donaire. “I had to set it up by bouncing up and down to open up that shot. I was throwing the right hand in the earlier rounds and then he didn’t expect the left hook to the body.”
While Gaballo was able to momentarily rise to his feet after the blow, he quickly retreated back to the floor, prompting referee Ray Corona to halt the bout 2:59 seconds into the round.
“I thought he was going to get up because I know he has a lot of heart, but that was a tremendous punch that landed,” said Donaire. “I just told him after the fight not to be down. Because he’s a great fighter. I had trouble figuring him out and I’m here to help him with anything he needs the rest of his career.”
With his first defense of the WBC title under his belt, the 39-year-old Donaire will now seek a rematch against unified bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, after their 2019 Fight of the Year clash.
“It’s my team’s job to work on the rematch with Inoue,” said Donaire. “I believe my team is going to make it happen. I’m able to keep fighting at this age because I just have faith in myself and have a lifestyle that’s good for me. There is no such thing as a cheat day. It’s a choice day, and it’s my choice to train and to be me.”
In the co-main event, Cody Crowley (20-0, 9 KOs) was able to overcome an early knockdown to defeat Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (18-1, 10 KOs) by unanimous decision in a 10-round battle of unbeaten welterweight contenders.
“I rate my performance a ‘B’ tonight,” said Crowley. “He was a tough competitor, the former IBF No. 1 contender. I was going in the underdog so I knew I was going to have to bring the fight to him the whole time. I knew that he was going to run and stop and pop with awkward shots. I was prepared for that.”
The action-packed fight heated up early, as Crowley landed a powerful left hand in round two that appeared to buckle the knees of his opponent. However, the top-rated IBF contender Abdukakhorov was able to connect with a straight left power jab that landed flush on an unsuspecting Crowley and put him on the mat with 30 seconds left in the round.
“I have a granite chin,” said Crowley. “That was the first time I have been dropped. It’s the first time my knee has ever touched the canvas, in sparring or in a fight. But I was not hurt and I got right back up.”
Despite the knockdown, Crowley was undeterred and continued to impose his aggressive style, stalking Abdukakhorov around the ring and peppering him with shots to the body and right hooks to the head. Abdukakhorov was able to land powerful counter punches and held a 31% to 23% lead in punch accuracy, but was unable to overcome the nonstop activity from Crowley.
The Canadian Crowley threw 898 punches across the 10 rounds, out landing his opponent 206 to 123, including a 182 to 99 edge in power punches. Crowley closed the fight strong, landing over 20 power punches per round in each of the final four frames on his way to victory by the scores of 98-91, 97-92 and 96-94.
“When I come to fight it’s going to be a helluva fight,” said Crowley. “It’s going to be a dog fight and you are going to see blood. You are going to see guys go down.”
Unbeaten rising contender Brandun Lee (24-0, 22 KOs) delivered a spectacular seventh-round knockout over Juan Heraldez (16-2-1, 10 KOs) with a devastating straight right hand that ended their welterweight clash, marking the first time Lee has gone past four rounds as a pro.
“I have to watch the fight back but my dad (trainer Bobby Lee) didn’t like my performance,” said Lee. “He’s a perfectionist. Everyone here thought I would take Juan out earlier, but I wanted to show everyone I can box.”
The 22-year-old was impressive from the outset, landing a powerful stunning overhand right on Heraldez in round one that set the tone for the rest of the fight. Heraldez was able to have moments of success with counter left hooks and attempted to keep the powerful Lee away from him with jabs, throwing 129 throughout the fight.
After several closer rounds following the first, Lee began to pick up the pace again in round five, mixing in a body attack that quickly opened up Heraldez’s head for more power punches. By round seven, Lee had full control of the bout and was able to land the decisive blow, distracting Heraldez with a left hand before firing the straight right hand that put Heraldez down.
“I kept seeing that Juan was moving to his right and my right hand was coming up short,” said Lee. “So I knew I had to jab and box him and make him forget about that right hand. Then I made the adjustment in the seventh round and got him out of there.”
Referee Gerard White eventually waved off the count, halting the contest at 2:11 into the seventh round. This victory marked 15 consecutive knockouts for Lee as he continues his rise toward a possible world title shot.
“I’m ready for anyone,” said Lee. “It’s ultimately up to my team, but I say bring them on.”
Photo: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME
Cavs’ Garland: ‘The sky is the limit because we have so much talent’
For the second straight game and night, the Cleveland Cavaliers led from start to finish, and for the second straight game and night, the Cavaliers had seven players in double figures as they defeated the Sacramento Kings 117-103 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Saturday night.
The Cavaliers routed the Timberwolves 123-106 in Minnesota Friday night.
Cleveland led by as many as 29 points against Sacramento and took a 23-point lead into the fourth. The Kings would cut the lead to seven after a 18-2 run, but they ran out of time.
The Cavs(16-12) have won three straight and are 7-2 in the last nine games; Sacramento(11-16) dropped their second consecutive game.
Here is the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Kings.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
Second Quarter: What a first half for Cleveland! They scored 81 points, which tied a team record for the most points in a first half, but let’s go back to that second quarter. The Cavaliers put up a near-team record of 45 points. They turned a 13-point first-quarter lead to a 29-point halftime bulge(81-52). Cleveland finished the quarter on an 18-4 run and shot 62% from the floor.
Second Quarter Cedi Osman. He went off in the quarter, scoring 13 points, including 3/3 from downtown. At one point, Osman scored eight straight points for the Cavaliers. Osman, who has been solid off the Cavs’ bench this season, finished the game with 18 points(all in the first half/career-high for a half).
-After recording a season-high 16 points Friday night against Minnesota, Isaac Okoro scored 11 of his season-high 20 points in the first quarter. He scored on drives and was 2/3 from downtown. Okoro finished the game shooting 7/8 from the floor. He also had four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
-Darius Garland had his second consecutive double-double with 15 points and a career-high 13 assists. He also added six rebounds and three steals. This was Garland’s eighth double-double of the season. Over the last nine games, he’s averaging 20.6 points, 9.1 assists on 50.7% shooting, including 47% from downtown.
-Jarrett Allen did what Jarrett Allen always does, and that’s record a double-double. Allen had his third straight double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He also did it on the defensive end with three blocks and two steals. Allen had his 10th double-double in the last 11 games, and he recorded the 100th double-double of his career.
-Evan Mobley is just so good. He had 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and he became the first rookie for Cleveland to have a 15 and 15 game since Tristian Thompson, who was in the house Saturday as a member of the Kings.
-Ricky Rubio had 15 points, three assists, and three steals. He also had two big threes in the fourth when the Kings were making their run.
Not So Great for the Cavaliers:
Fourth Quarter: Look, the Kings cut the lead to seven and outscored Cleveland 25-16 in the final period, and at one point went on a 18-2 run. It appeared Cleveland let it up a little bit, but this could a lesson for them, they have to learn how to close teams out, which will come in time.
Bottom Line:
The Cavaliers should have beaten the Kings, and they did, and they are not just beating teams; they are blowing them out. Cleveland has won the last three games by at least 14 points.
Cleveland scored 81 points in the first half, which is so impressive.
Also, if Okoro keeps playing at a high level on the offensive end, to go along with his stellar defense, the Cavaliers will be tough to beat.
“The sky is the limit because we have so much talent, and we’re so young, but we also have some veterans to help lead the way,” Garland said.