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Mavs’ Doncic on 53-point game: ‘I did some good work’
After missing two games with a sprained ankle, Mavericks star Luka Doncic was back against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, and he picked up where he left off.
He scored 24 points in the first quarter and had 34 points at the break and 45 after three quarters. Ultimately, Doncic finished the game with 53 points (17-24 FG, 5-11 3FG, 14-18 FT), eight rebounds, and five assists as the Mavs(27-25) defeated the Pistons(13-39) 111-105 at American Airlines Center.
Doncic’s 53 points is a team record for the most points in a regulation-length game. He’s back, but according to him, he’s not entirely healthy.
“It’s good,” he said. “It’s not 100%, but it’s good. I did some good work.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Doncic and the team were connected in his return.
“I think we were connected,” Kidd said. “I think sometimes when someone comes back, you tend to wait. Spencer [Dinwiddie], after the last two games, was playing at a high level. I thought he was letting Luka dictate everything instead of just playing the game he was playing the last two [games]. Luka’s going to join the party; he’s too talented not to, the ball is going to find him.
Doncic handled the scoring load for the first three quarters, and Spencer Dinwiddie, who was the only Dallas player besides Doncic to score in double figures on Tuesday night, took over in the fourth. He had 10 of 12 points in the final stanza and gave Dallas their first lead in the fourth since the second quarter, which the Mavs never relinquished.
Doncic was impressed by the play of Dinwiddie.
“I mean, he’s an amazing player,” he said. “He needs to stay aggressive and play his game and get going. He’s an amazing player.”
Dallas gets back at it on Thursday night as they host the Pelicans.
Notes:
Doncic now has four games this season with 50-plus points, which leads the NBA (four players tied with two games). The Mavericks are 4-0 this season when he goes for 50-plus points. Doncic joined Kobe Bryant, James Harden (3x), and Michael Jordan as the only players to post four games with 50-plus points over the last 50 years.
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Vikings’ Hunter to replace Reddick in Pro Bowl Games
Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter has been named to the 2023 NFL Pro Bowl Games. Hunter, who will be appearing in his third Pro Bowl, is replacing OLB Haason Reddick of the Philadelphia Eagles, who is unable to participate due to the Super Bowl.
Hunter, 28, started in all 17 games this season and registered 65 tackles (46 solo), a career-high-tying 22 quarterback hits, a team-leading 10.5 sacks and a career-high three passes defensed. His 10.5 sacks are the fourth-most sacks he’s had in a single season in his career. Hunter also totaled 76 pressures this season, the eighth-most in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
The seven-year pro is slated to participate in this year’s Pro Bowl Games alongside QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, LS Andrew DePaola, TE T.J. Hockenson, WR Justin Jefferson and OLB Za’Darius Smith.
The NFC and AFC teams will face off in the 2023 Pro Bowl Games on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Cedi Osman shines as Cavs rout Clippers
The last time the Cavs played a depleted team at home, they lost to the Golden State Warriors, who sat four of their five starters.
On Sunday night, they had another depleted squad coming to town, the Los Angeles Clippers, who had defeated the Hawks in Atlanta the night before.
Los Angeles(28-25) was without Kawhi Leonard(injury management), Paul George(right knee soreness), and Reggie Jackson(Achilles soreness), and this time, the Cavs took advantage of it.
Cleveland(31-21), who had five players in double figures, led from start to finish and by as many as 40 points, and they defeated the Clippers 122-99 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Clippers.
The Great:
Cedi Osman had a career-high 29 points(11/13 FG, 7/7 3-PT FG) off the bench. Sixteen of his 29 points came in the fourth when the game was well in hand, but still, an excellent performance from Osman. Ironically, Osman, who played for the Turkish national team, did all this on “Turkish Heritage Night” at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Darius Garland had 16 points and 10 assists. This is Garland’s second straight double-double.
Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds, and he made this list because he hit his first three-pointer of the season and the first since November 2021.
First Half: This game was over at halftime. Cleveland led 64-34 at the half. In that first half, the Cavs shot 57% from the field and 53% from deep. The Cavs led by as many as 35 in the first half and cruised from there.
Not So Great:
You lead by as many as 40 and win by 23. Life is all great!
Bottom Line:
Cleveland handled their business. Nothing more, nothing less. Sidenote: It has to be frustrating for fans to pay a bunch of money for tickets and not see their favorite NBA stars. Cavs fans have not seen Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard this season, essentially due to rest. That’s unfair to the fans, and something should be done.
What’s Next:
The Cavs continue their three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Heat.
Best of the Rest:
-The Clippers had six players in double figures as Brandon Boston Jr led the way with 24 points off the bench.
-Donovan Mitchell, who returned after missing two games with a groin injury, scored 11 points for the Cavs.
-Back to Osman, According to Cavs Notes, Osman is just the third player in team history to finish a game a perfect 7-7 or better from three(Kyrie Irving (7-7, 3/12/15) and Mo Williams (7-7, 11/28/09).
In addition, on Sunday, Osmam moved up to number six in threes made in team history.
-Kevin Love(back) missed his third straight game.
Jalen Hurts leads Eagles to the Super Bowl
The Eagles will return to the Super Bowl after defeating the 49ers 31-7 in the NFC title game at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
With the win, the Eagles, who won Super Bowl in the 2017 season, will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona on February 12.
The man doubted in college at Alabama and Oklahoma, and in his first two seasons in the league, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has proven that he can lead a team to a Super Bowl.
Hurts, who finished 15/25 for 121 yards and ran for 39 yards and a touchdown against San Francisco, says there’s still more work to be done.
“I said early in the week that this is not a time for reflection,” he said. “It’s really hard for me to do that. I try to enjoy the moment, but my joy comes in winning. I know the job isn’t done. I never knew how far we would come, I never knew how far we’d go, but I never said it couldn’t be done.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said he saw the potential in Hurts when Philly drafted him in the second round back in 2020.
“He is a great young leader,” Lurie said. “He is a terrific young quarterback. When we drafted him, it was the upside we were banking on. We thought he had a huge upside. It takes a couple years. And somebody so dedicated as [QB] Jalen [Hurts] and such a great teammate. Inevitably he is going to maximize everything he has, and that’s what he’s done.”
When the Eagles drafted Hurts, many were shocked because they had just signed Carson Wentz to a big contract the season before. Hurts reflected on that moment after the win.
“It was a big surprise to many,” he said about Philly drafting him. “My favorite [bible] verse, I went through a lot of stuff in college, and it kind of stuck with me, John 13:7: ‘You may not know now, but later you’ll understand.’ Hopefully, people understand.”
To think Hurts would lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl after how he looked in the playoffs against the Buccaneers last season is quite remarkable, but as he said, the job isn’t done.
Notes:
–Jalen Hurts recorded his 15th rushing touchdown on Sunday to set the new single-season record for a quarterback.
-This is the third Super Bowl appearance under Jeffrey Lurie’s ownership, having previously reached the league’s championship game during the 2004 and 2017 seasons.
-Currently, Philadelphia is the fourth NFL team to reach three Super Bowls dating back to 2004, joining New England (seven), Pittsburgh (three) and Seattle (three). The Eagles are also the fourth franchise to appear in multiple Super Bowls since 2017, joining Kansas City (two), L.A. Rams (two) and New England (two) in that span.
-Philadelphia is the first NFL team to allow 7-or-fewer points multiple times in the same postseason since the 2000 Baltimore Ravens (also W, 38-7 vs. N.Y. Giants). Philadelphia outscored their opponents 69-14 in these playoffs.
-The Eagles scored a franchise-playoff-record 4 rushing TDs in today’s game (2 TDs by Miles Sanders and 1 TD apiece by Jalen Hurts and Boston Scott). Philadelphia’s 4 rushing TDs were the most allowed by San Francisco’s No. 2-ranked rushing defense this season.
-Haason Reddick finished the game with 2.0 sacks, 1 FF and 1 FR. Reddick now has totaled 3.5 sacks this postseason, which are the most by an individual Eagle during a single playoff run. Overall, Reddick has recorded 19.5 sacks in 19 games this season (including playoffs).
76ers’ Embiid is motivated by winning
On Thursday, the NBA announced the starters for the 2023 All-Star game in Utah, and 76ers center Joel Embiid, who leads the NBA in points per game(33.4), was not one of them.
On Saturday against the reigning two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic and the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets(34-16), he showed everybody why that was a mistake.
Embiid scored a game-high 47 points(18/31 FG, 4/7 3-PT FG), 12 of which came in fourth, and grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds as the 76ers(32-16) overcame a 15-point second-half deficit to defeat the Nuggets 126-119 at Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia has won seven straight and is 20-4 in their last 24 games.
According to the five-time All-Star, he’s not motivated by the All-Star snub; he’s motivated to win.
“I’m used to it,” he said. “It’s not the first time. I think it’s more of a motivation to go out there and try win the whole thing. I guess that’s the only way I’m probably going to get that respect. I think that we’ve got a pretty good chance. You play the best team in the west down 15 points or something like that. To come back and be able to win that game, it gives us a lot of confidence. If we can clean up a lot of areas defensively, I think we could be even better. It’s good to see. We’ve got a chance to win. We’ve got to keep winning. The key is to stay healthy.”
Tobias Harris, who scored all 14 points in the second half, said Embiid, who had 28 second-half points, got his groove in the second half.
“He [Joel Embiid] was dominant,” Harris said. “I thought once the second half came, he was really able to settle down and be in the zone of the game. Just understand to get us all going out there to get in a flow to make the game easier for him. For him to just continue to pick his spots. I thought he did a great job of that in the second half as well.”
Jokic had 16 points at halftime but scored only eight points in the second half. Philadelphia decided to switch P.J. Tucker onto Jokic in that half, and according to 76ers head coach Doc Rivers, that was the difference in the game.
“I watched the Miami [Heat] game from a year ago, and I thought Tuck [P.J. Tucker] did a really good job on him [Nikola Jokic],” Rivers said. “We just felt like at halftime; we weren’t up into him. He was catching it where he wanted to catch it. And he’s such a focal point of their offense that if Tuck can get up under him and make him catch it above the three-point line, now those handoffs that go under, they don’t matter anymore. In the first half, he caught everything on the elbows and down low. I thought Tuck, listen, Joel [Embiid] was phenomenal. He had 47 points, but we don’t win the game if P.J. Tucker doesn’t play. And the way he played in the second half was extraordinary.”
Philadelphia is getting healthy and playing at a high level right now. The 76ers are becoming the team that many thought they would be when the season started, which is scary for everybody in the Eastern Conference.
Notes:
James Harden recorded 17 points and 13 assists, marking his 19th game this season with at least 15 points and 10 assists.
Georges Niang poured in 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc off the bench.
Beterbiev: ‘I want [Dmitry] Bivol’
That was fun! Unified light heavyweight champion(WBC/WBO/IBF) Artur Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) did what he always does on Saturday night, and that’s knock people out.
Beterbiev retained his 100% knockout ratio by scoring an eighth-round technical knockout victory against Anthony Yarde (23-3, 22 KOs) at OVO Arena Wembley in London.
Yarde had success in this fight and, at times, was getting the better of the action. In fact, at the time of the stoppage, two judges had Yarde winning the fight (68-65 and 67-66). while one judge had it for Beterbiev(67-66).
By the end of the fight, both men had sustained cuts. Yarde had one below his right eye, and Beterbiev had one above his left eye.
In the eighth round, Beterbiev ended the night. He landed a right hand that sent Yarde to the canvas. Yarde got to his feet but clearly was hurt; Beterbiev moved forward to finish him, but fortunately, Yarde’s corner stopped the action at 2:01 of the round.
Beterbiev got the win, but he felt he could have been a little better.
“I can’t say I did a very bad fight,” he said. “But if I could do it again, I’d do it better. But I feel good. To be honest, I prepared for the all the punches he did. That’s why I could come back. It’s because we expected those punches.”
After the win, Beterbiev made it clear that he wants to be undisputed at 175, which means a showdown with WBA 175-pound champion Dmitry Bivol.
“I want [Dmitry] Bivol,” he said. “Right now, it’s everything. In that fight, we’ll have four belts. It’s really good fight, I think.”
Even at 38, it’s hard to imagine anyone surviving the power of Beterbiev. However, Bivol is challenging and can box circles around anyone, so let’s hope it happens next.
Cavs run out of gas in OKC
The Cavs(30-21) finished their three-game road trip in OKC against the Thunder(24-25) on Friday night. Cleveland was without Donovan Mitchell(groin), Ricky Rubio(rest), and Kevin Love(back) and was on a second half of a back-to-back after their win over the Rockets in Houston on Thursday night.
Cleveland led early but faded late and fell to the Thunder 112-100 at Paycom Center.
The Cavs finished their three-game road trip 1-2.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Thunder.
The Great:
Darius Garland led the Cavs with 31 points and 13 assists. 23 of his 31 points came in the second half.
Evan Mobley had another strong performance with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks. This was Mobley’s second straight 20-10 game, and Mobley grabbed his 1,000th career rebound on Friday night.
Not So Great:
Caris LeVert was 1/12 from the field, including 0/6 from deep; he finished with two points and nine assists. Without Mitchell, the Cavs needed LeVert to be better.
Second Half: Cleveland led 54-47 at halftime, but they were outscored 65-46 in the second half. OKC shot 59% from the field in that second half and 7/11 from deep, and they closed the game the right way. Conversely, the Cavs shot 39% from the field.
Bottom Line:
No Mitchell, no Love, and no Rubio, and the Cavs just ran out of gas in the second half of a back-to-back. The Cavs did not have the energy to hold OKC off.
However, this is not a bad loss. You’re without your best player on a back-to-back against a solid Thunder team on the road, so the loss is excusable.
The Cavs are a very good team, but their road woes(10-16) prevent them from being great.
What’s Next:
Cleveland returns home on Sunday to face the Los Angeles Clippers.
Best of the Rest:
-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Jalen Williams added 17 points, including 3/3 from deep; Josh Giddey chipped in with 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
-Jarrett Allen had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers.
Golden Boy Promotions sign super welterweight prospect Eric Tudor
Golden Boy Promotions announced Friday the signing of super welterweight prospect Eric Tudor (7-0, 6 KOs) to its coveted promotional banner.
Tudor,21, is a boxer-puncher who’s foundational arsenal makes him a well-rounded pugilist. With over 200 amateur fights, the Romanian-born combatant was part of the Romanian National Team. Raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the 21-year-old also won the Silver Gloves and National PAL Boxing Championships here in the U.S. He has fought a number of times on Golden Boy Fight Night Series cards, impressing fans with his quick, knockout stoppages.
“I’m excited to be a part of a great promotional company like Golden Boy and showcase my talent to the world on such a great platform,” Tudor said. “I want to use this opportunity to show that I’m one of the best prospects in boxing.
“Like many other fighters, my goal is to fight for a world title. Activity was a key factor for me when signing with a promotional company. I want to be in the ring as many times as possible and Golden Boy will make it happen.”
“We have been impressed by the raw talent we see in Eric Tudor,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “His skillset mixed with the Golden Boy tools to make a star, we expect for him to thrive under our promotional banner and one day become champion if he continues his steadfast commitment to be the best. No one can build fighters like we do, and we are excited to welcome Tudor to the Golden Boy Family.”
Jake Paul-Tommy Fury set for February 26
Jake “The Problem Child” Paul will face undefeated pro boxer Tommy “TNT” Fury, younger brother of Heavyweight World Champion Tyson Fury, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday, February 26, MVP Promotions announced Friday.
The main event, titled “The Truth,” will also feature two-weight world champion Badou Jack “The Ripper” challenging WBC Cruiserweight world champion Ilunga Makabu in the co-main event. The card will also showcase Ashton “H2O” Sylve, an MVP undefeated fighter, as he is set to face former WBC world title challenger Maxwell Awuku (48-5-1, 33 KOs), from Accra, Ghana.
Paul vs. Fury will stream live on ESPN+ PPV (2PM ET / 11AM PT), the exclusive digital distributor for the event in the United States. Additionally, it will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers and will be priced at $49.99
Paul and Fury were originally slated to face off in December 2021, but Fury withdrew from the bout because of a medical issue. Paul went on to record a scintillating one-punch knockout of Tyron Woodley, who stepped in as a late replacement for a rematch of the pair’s August 2021 clash. Paul is giving Fury another chance next month so he can silence the critics who claim he has yet to fight a professional boxer. The 26-year-old Cleveland native started his pro boxing journey in January 2020 and will go head-to-head with Fury, a more experienced boxer from a prominent boxing family.
Paul, who boasts a professional record of 6-0 with 4 knockouts, continues to make waves in the boxing world. His latest win against the legendary Anderson Silva, won him ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year, by dropping Silva in the 8th round. Paul began his pro career in January 2020 with a stunning debut against British YouTube star AnEsonGib and a subsequent, jaw-dropping knockout of former NBA star Nate Robinson in November 2020. From there, “The Problem Child” shocked the industry with a first-round KO of former MMA champion Ben Askren in April 2021 and two wins over Woodley, including a vicious knockout which won him ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of The Year.
“The moment of truth has finally arrived,” said Paul. “On February 26th, I will get in the ring with a ‘real boxer,’ an 8-0 fighter from a storied fighting family and show the world the truth about who Jake Paul, the boxer really is.”
Hailing from Manchester, England, Fury began boxing at the age of 12. He had 12 amateur fights, winning two regional titles and reaching the U.K. national final in 2016. Fury made his professional debut in 2018, winning by decision. He then knocked out his next four opponents, drawing attention from the boxing world. In 2021, he fought three times, including his U.S. debut on Paul’s undercard, earning his seventh victory against Anthony Taylor.