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Suns’ Booker named Western Conference Player of the Week
Phoenix guard Devin Booker has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for Feb 27-March 5, the NBA announced Monday.
Booker and the Suns were a perfect 3-0 record over the past week.
In the three games, Booker averaged 36.0 points on 56.0% shooting (50.0% from three-point range), 7.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds.
He had 37 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in a 105-91 win at Charlotte. His 37 points tied as the second-most points scored by a Suns player over the Hornets in franchise history and with his fourth assist in the game, he surpassed Paul Westphal for seventh on the Suns’ all-time assists list.
Booker followed-up his performance against the Hornets with 35 points, six assists and five rebounds in a 21-point, 125-104, win at Chicago. He knocked down six three-pointers in the win to match his career high for triples in the regular season, which he’s now done 20 times. Booker concluded the week with 36 points on 60.0% shooting, 10 assists and five rebounds in the Suns’ win at Dallas on Sunday. The game marked his seventh-career regular season game with 35+ points and 10-plus assists.
This marks Booker’s seventh career NBA Player of the Week, which ties Steve Nash for the most Player of the Week nods in franchise history.
Jags tag Engram; Ridley gets reinstated
The Jacksonville Jaguars have placed the franchise tag on TE Evan Engram, the team announced Monday.
Engram is expected to make $11.3 million next season, but Engram is hoping for a long-term deal from Jacksonville, and the two sides have until July 17 to get that done.
Lord knows how excited my family and I are to be staying in Jax! Hopefully we can get a long term deal done soon 🙏🏽
— Evan Engram (@eazyengram) March 6, 2023
Engram, who spent his first five seasons with the Giants before signing with the Jaguars last offseason, appeared in all 17 regular season games with 14 starts in 2022. He totaled career-highs in receptions (73) and receiving yards (766) and posted four touchdowns. Engram’s 73 receptions and 766 receiving yards both marked single season franchise records by a tight end.
In six seasons in the NFL, the 28-year-old has posted 335 career receptions, 3,594 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
Engram was originally drafted by the New York Giants in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2017 draft from Ole Miss.
Ridley gets reinstated:
Also, on Monday, the NFL reinstated wide receiver Calvin Ridley. The 28-year-old, suspended indefinitely since March 2022 for violating the NFL’s gambling policy, is eligible to participate in all team activities, effective immediately.
In November, Ridley was acquired from the Falcons for conditional 2023 sixth-round and 2024 fourth-round picks.
In 49 games spanning four seasons with the Falcons, Ridley has 248 career receptions for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Ridley had this to say about his reinstatement:
“Today’s reinstatement by the NFL brings an end to a challenging chapter of my professional career, one that was self-inflicted and began with an isolated lapse in judgment. I have always owned my mistakes, and this is no different. I have great respect for the game and am excited for the opportunity to restart my career in Jacksonville. I look forward to showing my new coaches, teammates, and the entire Jaguars organization exactly who I am and what I represent as a player and person.”
Fulton-Inoue set for May 7 in Japan
Naoya “Monster” Inoue conquered the bantamweight division. He’s now moving up in weight to capture the biggest fish at 122 pounds.
Philadelphia’s WBC & WBO junior featherweight world champion, Stephen Fulton, will defend his titles against Japan’s pound-for-pound king Sunday, May 7, at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The showdown pits two of the world’s top fighters, as Inoue aims to become only the fifth Asian boxer to win world titles in four weight classes.
Fulton-Inoue and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ in a special early-morning presentation.
Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs) is 19-0 with 17 knockouts in world title fights, a championship run that started in 2014 when he knocked out Adrian Hernandez for the WBC light flyweight world title. He went on to rule the junior bantamweight division with seven title defenses, including a second-round stoppage over Omar Narvaez. At bantamweight, Inoue became the division’s first undisputed champion in a half-century, stopping Emmanuel Rodriguez in two rounds to win the IBF strap, outlasting Nonito Donaire in the 2019 Fight of the Year to add the WBA belt, starching Donaire in the second round of their June 2022 rematch to snatch the WBC title, and stopping then-WBO champion Paul Butler in the 11th round. Inoue vacated all four bantamweight titles to move up four pounds for a shot at “Cool Boy Steph.”
Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) turned pro in 2014 and defeated five undefeated prospects in his first 12 bouts. In January 2021, he defeated Angelo Leo to capture the WBO junior featherweight world title. Ten months later, he added the WBC belt to his collection with a majority decision over then-unbeaten Brandon Figueroa in one of the year’s most action-packed championship showdowns. Fulton defended both titles last June with a one-sided unanimous decision over former unified world champion Daniel Roman. Fulton will enter the Inoue bout, his first away from American soil, coming off an 11-month layoff. The 28-year-old Fulton, however, is the naturally bigger man, holding advantages in height and reach.
Booker on Durant: ‘His skill set for his size is second none’
On Thursday night, the Dallas Mavericks(33-32) got a combined 82 points(Doncic 42, Irving 40) from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and they defeated the visiting 76ers 133-126.
On Sunday against the visiting Suns(36-29), Doncic and Irving became the first pair of Mavericks teammates to each score 30-plus points in consecutive games. Doncic had 34 points, while Irving scored 30 points.
However, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker almost did to the Mavs what Doncic and Irving did to the 76ers. Booker had 36 points, and Durant had a game-high 37, including the game-winning jumper with 14.2 seconds to go as the Suns defeated Dallas 130-126 at American Airlines Center.
“I’ve been on the other side of it,” Booker said about Durant’s shot. “I know it’s a tough cover. It’s one of those situations where no matter what you do, he’s playing with just him and the hoop out there. His skill set for his size is second none. That was another example of that tonight.”
Durant added on the final shot: “Once I had him on my hip, I felt like I was in good position to just stop on a dime.”
Mavs coach Jason Kidd showed love to Durant.
“I thought that’s what KD [Kevin Durant] does,” Kidd said. “He went away from the double team, and when he rises, he’s longer than 7 feet, and he got to his spot.”
Dallas had a chance to tie, but Doncic’s short floater rimmed out.
“I just missed that one,” Doncic said. “I thought it was in, but I just missed it. One of my friends texted me saying, ‘I would have even made that.’”
After the miss, Doncic and Booker had a little altercation, and the two went face-to-face.
However, neither Doncic nor Booker would say what words were said to cause the confrontation.
“I don’t think you can say it on camera,” Doncic said. “He was talking to me. It’s not for TV. I would get fined… It’s just a competitive game; just next time, don’t wait till there are three seconds left to talk.”
Booker, who added five rebounds and a season-high 10 assists, says he has no issues with Doncic.
“I’m not here to tattle tale,” Booker said. “I was talking to the ref. He said something to me; first, I responded. You guys [the media] always say you don’t want everyone to be ‘friendly-friendly,’ so there you go, you got some smoke. It’s just two competitors going at it. Everybody speaks on how friendly the NBA is now, and they don’t like that. I have no problem with Luka [Dončić] on or off the court, but when we’re competing, we’re competing. You guys are just trying to stir the pot. I don’t have problems with nobody.”
There is a little rivalry between the Suns and Mavs after Dallas defeated Phoenix in 7 in the Western Conference semifinals last season, and Irving can feel it.
“You see it from afar. It’s definitely different, obviously, being out here,” Irving said. “The level of play rises. Emotions rise. I think we see everyone display that on their facial expressions or communicating with the refs, going back-and-forth. At the end of the day, No one is really going to fight out there. “
With the loss, the Mavs are the seventh seed in the West. Dallas is 2-3 on their current six-game homestand, and they conclude the homestand on Tuesday night against the Jazz.
Notes:
The Suns move to 3-0 with Durant in the lineup.
-Doncic added nine rebounds and four assists, and Irving added four rebounds and seven assists.
-Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21 points on 6-8 shooting from 3-point range. Hardaway Jr. finished the first half with 18 points, helped by his 5-6 shooting clip from 3-point range. The first half was his highest-scoring first half of the season and tied his career-best for the most 3FG in the first half.
-Christian Wood came off the bench for 17 points on 5-7 shooting to go with three rebounds. Wood has scored 10+ points in nine straight games, averaging 15.3 points per game in that span.
Hurd: ‘I wish I could have finished it, but my lip was cut too bad’
The end could be near for former unified 154-pound champion Jarrett Hurd. In the co-main event of Figueroa-Magsayo on Saturday night, Mexican Armando Reséndiz (14-1, 10 KOs) battered Hurd (24-3, 16 KOs), and the ringside physician stopped the contest five seconds into the tenth and final round due to a severe laceration on Hurd’s lip.
At the time of the stoppage, Reséndiz was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards.
Unfortunately, Hurd has had a hard time with his defense, and he got hit early and often by Reséndiz, who landed 280 of his 780 punches thrown, the most connected punches of any Hurd opponent. 206 of the 280 punches landed were power shots.
Hurd, who is coming off a 21-month layoff, had his moments in this fight as he landed 228 of his 562 (40 percent) punches thrown. However, he could not dodge or duck Reséndiz’s punches.
“I knew this was going to be a tough, toe-to-to fight based on our styles,” said the 32-year-old Hurd, who lost inside the distance for the first time in his career. “But I only had to make it one more round. I wish I could have finished it, but my lip was cut too bad… At no point was I hurt at all in that fight, but I have to respect what the doctors say, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Hurd has lost his last two fights and three of his previous four; he’s always gotten hit a lot in his career, but the accumulation of punches might be taking its toll on him. If his money is right, Hurd will hopefully move on from boxing.
Garcia shines:
In the telecast opener, fast-rising teenager Elijah Garcia (14-0, 12 KOs) rose to the occasion in a massive step-up fight, dropping and stopping previously undefeated middleweight contender Amilcar Vidal, Jr. (16-1, 12 KOs) with a barrage of punches at 2:17 of the fourth round. Watch the KO HERE.
From the opening bell, Garcia initiated a two-way action fight that came to a sudden end when Vidal was stunned by a right hand to the head and retreated against the ropes in search of cover. The 19-year-old Garcia sensed he had hurt his opponent and pounced, unleashing a flurry of punches that dropped Vidal and forced referee Jack Reiss to stop the fight.
“This is what everyone dreams of, so this isn’t a surprise,” said Phoenix’s Garcia, who has now stopped six of his last seven opponents. “This is what I worked for since I turned pro so we’re going to keep moving forward one step at a time.”
Through just three-and-a-half rounds of a back-and-forth affair, both fighters were bloodied and combined for 189 punches landed and 593 punches thrown. The power punches were the difference in the fight as Garcia landed 54 percent of his power punches to Vidal’s 46 percent. In the fourth round, Garcia landed 62 percent of his power punches including the all-decisive final blows.
“I stay ready and mentally I’m strong,” Garcia continued. “I know mentally I might have lost the first couple of rounds, but I was breaking him down. He started backing up. He’s a great opponent. No disrespect to him. I caught him and I finished him. I’m not sure what I hurt him with, but I know I hurt him and for me being 19 I have the maturity to tell if they’re hurt or not.”
After emphatically announcing himself to the boxing world in his national television debut, Garcia promised that his newly earned fans would be seeing plenty more of him.
“I might become a champion before I’m 21 or 22,” he said. “I might be ahead of schedule.”
In other action:
U.S. Olympian and super welterweight contender Terrell Gausha (23-3-1, 12 KOs) scored three quick knockdowns to overpower and stop Brandyn Lynch (12-2-1, 9 KOs) in the ninth round. Plus, sensational welterweight prospect Travon Marshall (8-0, 7 KOs) scored a thunderous third-round knockout over veteran Justin DeLoach Dock (19-6, 10 KOs) and SHOBOX veteran Samuel Teah (19-4-1, 8 KOs) rode a first round knockdown to a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated super lightweight Enriko Gogokhia (13-1-2, 8 KOs).
Figueroa: ‘I want to fight for a world title’
In a thrilling contest between two former world champions desperate to return to world title glory, Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa improved round-by-round to win a unanimous decision over Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo, capturing the vacant Interim WBC Featherweight Title live on SHOWTIME from Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. topping a Premier Boxing Champions event.
“Man, I just went out there and wanted it and took the fight right to him,” said Figueroa. “I wanted this fight so bad. He came back a little, but once I hit him with a body shot it affected him and I put pressure, pressure, pressure on him.”
In a fight that didn’t appear as one-sided as the judges’ scorecards, Figueroa (24-1-1, 18 KOs) won by scores of 117-109 twice and 118-108. SHOWTIME’s Hall of Fame unofficial scorer Steve Farhood saw the fight 114-112 in favor of Figueroa, with two Magsayo point deductions for holding the difference in the fight on his scorecard.
“I thought the fight was much closer than the scores indicated,” Magsayo said. “I don’t know how to explain the scorecards or the point deductions. It’s very disappointing. I plan to move up to 130 pounds after this fight.”
Figueroa, who averages 92 punches thrown per round throughout his career, was limited to 54 punches thrown per round against Magsayo (24-2, 16 KOs). Figueroa threw 60 more punches than Magsayo but landed three fewer punches and the fighters were separated by more than four landed punches in just three of the twelve rounds.
Figueroa started slowly and had to withstand Magsayo’s best shots early in the fight, demonstrating that he has one of the best chins in boxing. But Magsayo tired as the rounds went on and was twice penalized for holding in rounds eight and eleven.
Figueroa, the former 122-pound world champion, is now in line to face WBC Featherweight World Champion Rey Vargas next. Vargas was ringside Saturday night.
“I felt strong,” the 26-year-old native of Weslaco, Texas said. “I just don’t stop. I don’t get tired and I’m relentless and I came forward and I wanted the fight. Whoever wants to fight me, I’ll fight. I want to fight for a world title. I just want to give the fans the fights they want.”
Cavs dominate, rout Pistons on Saturday night
The Cavs returned home on Saturday night to battle the Pistons.
Fortunately for Cleveland, they did not have much trouble with the lowly Pistons as they won handily, 114-90.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Pistons.
The Great:
Darius Garland scored 10 of his game-high 21 points in the third. Garland made five threes and added seven assists and two steals.
Donovan Mitchell, who left in third with a sprained left finger and did return, mainly because of the score, added 20 points, four assists, and two steals.
Evan Mobley was a beast for the Cavs on both ends. He scored 16 points, grabbed 11 rebounds; and had six assists; on defense, Mobley had four blocks and recorded his 200th career block.
Third Quarter: Cleveland led 54-45 at halftime, and they blew things open in the third. The Cavs were red-hot, shooting 73% from the floor, including 57% from deep. In addition, they created eight turnovers, which led to 12 points. Cleveland took its largest lead of 33 points in the third, and a nine-point halftime lead turned into a 29-point lead(96-67) at the end of three.
Not So Great:
Check back another night.
Bottom Line:
At this point, all wins are significant. The Cavs took advantage of the schedule and took advantage of a depleted Pistons team, who was down four starters, including leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic.
The Knicks, the fifth seed in the East, who have won eight straight, are coming, so again, the Cavs have to keep on winning.
Currently, the Knicks are 1.5 games behind the fourth-seeded Cavs.
What’s Next:
Cleveland hosts the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
Best of the Rest:
-Jarrett Allen, who played in his 400th NBA game on Saturday, added 15 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
-Mitchell also played in his 400th NBA game
-Isaac Okoro, who played in his 200th NBA game, chipped in with five points.
-For the Pistons, Marvin Bagley had 20 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, and three blocks.
According to Cavs Notes, this was Cleveland’s 28th win by double-digits and their 21st game holding an opponent to under 100 points, both tops in the NBA.
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Cavs sign Sam Merrill to 10-day contract
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Sam Merrill to a 10-day contract, the team announced Friday.
Merrill, 26, has appeared in 35 games (34 starts) this season for the Cleveland Charge(Cavs’ G League affiliate), averaging 16.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.7 minutes.
In 36 career NBA games (two starts) with Milwaukee and Memphis, Merrill has connected on 28-70 (.400) from the three-point arc. During the 2020-21 season, he ended his rookie season as a NBA Champion with the Bucks.
The second-year guard also appeared in five games with the Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies G-League affiliate) with averages of 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 28.9 minutes.
Merrill was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the 60th overall pick in the 2020 draft after a four-year collegiate career at Utah State University. He was a two-time All-Mountain West First Team selection (2019 & 2020) and named Mountain West Player of the Year in 2019.
Merrill is a decent shooter, and the Cavs need shooting, so this is a great opportunity for him to showcase his talents.
