NBA

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | April 23

April 23, 2023 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Is there The Curse of John Zeigler and the NHL President’s Trophy?

If so where did it originate and what the deal? Can the Boston Bruins endure such a curse and outlast the Florida Panthers?

Ziegler was the last President of the National Hockey League. Upon Gary B. Bettman’s hiring to the top spot in the league, aka the CEO/CMO/CFO/and/Chief Legal Officer gig, Bettman accepted the job with the condition he be named Commissioner just as the other three major North American Sports Leagues employed.

For Zeigler, there was a bit of a trap door effect and he vanished – no, not a shower curtain or table cloth was needed – Goodfellas or Sopranos style. He was simply gone.

But to its credit, the NHL has advanced mightily since Bettman’s 1992 hiring and the league has more history and more glorious hardware than the guys at True Value, and those clunky old awards – Conn Smythe or Vezina and right on down the line – are the best sports have to offer, especially the crown jewel, the Stanley Cup itself.

The President’s Trophy goes to the team with the most points in the regular season. This season, the Boston Bruins set an all-time high mark of 135 points which equated to a 65-12-5 (OTL) record over 82 games. The Bruins went 34-4-3 at TD Garden in Boston and 31-8-2 on the road. They finished the season with an eight-game winning streak and were 9-1-0 over their final 10 games.

Those numbers placed the President’s Trophy in the hands of the Bruins and no one was sure they wanted to touch it.

Since the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2013 as the President’s Trophy winner, no team has advanced to the Finals. One regular season champ lost in the 2015 Conference Finals and one team – the 2019 Tampa Bay Lightning went so low as to lose in the very first round, ousted in four-straight by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Seven President’s Trophy winner’s went “bye-bye” in the second round of Lord Stanley’s springtime grinder. Some were eliminated by a hot team with a very hot goalkeeper, others were felled by a slew of late season injuries. Maybe some due to the Curse?

Damn the curse, as three out of four President’s Trophy winners – the ‘99 Dallas Stars, the ‘01 Colorado Avalanche and the ‘02 Detroit Red Wings – went on to the win the Cup. But, for some reason right around the 2013-14 NHL season, the curse rose to ice level. John Ziegler passed away on October 25, 2018 at the age of 84, so there’s no direct connection.

This season, the President Trophy winners in the NHL Bruins drew a tough first round opponent in their current match-up vs the Florida Panthers (Bruins currently lead the best-of-seven series (2-games-to-1) with today’s TNT nationally televised Game 4 a real series-swaying game at 3:30pm (ET).

BOSTON BREWIN’ – Although the Bruins regain home-ice advantage with their Friday victory, they’re still playing with out frontline stars Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Bergeron didn’t travel to Florida for Games 3-4 and Krejci was a late scratch in Game 3 and is “50-50” for Game 4, sidelined by the know-all, tell-all NHL accepted injury report of an “upper body” injury.

Without a doubt, the never-stated key to success in the Playoffs – any sport – is to avoid injuries and illness. In addition to injuries to the two key Boston players, the flu-bug or call it the “really bad, achy cold” bug was making its way around the B’s locker.

VALUATIONS vs the RESULTS: Before the 2022-23 National Hockey League season began, Sportico listed the valuations of the current NHL franchises. They were as follows:

Here’s the Top Five:

1. Toronto Maple Leafs: $2B

2. New York Rangers: $1.87B

3. Montreal Canadiens: $1.58B

4. Chicago Blackhawks: $1.36B

5. Boston Bruins: $1.31B

While the leaders are in the billions, if you are seeking a bargain via the clubs at bottom of the NHL barrel with valuations under $525 million, you’ll find:

30. Columbus Blue Jackets: $525M

31. Florida Panthers: $520M

32. Arizona Coyotes: $410M

The RESULTS: The NHL’s final regular season standings saw these clubs as top and bottom of the ladder:

Team, Points

Boston Bruins – 135
Carolina Hurricanes – 113
New Jersey Devils – 112
Toronto Maple Leafs – 111
Vegas Golden Knights – 111
At the bottom were:

Anaheim Ducks – 58
Columbus Blue Jackets – 59
Chicago Blackhawks – 59
San Jose Sharks – 60

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Speaking of, but not dwelling on injuries, the 2023 NBA Playoffs are suffering from multiple stars being injured (and out) in the first round. In no particular order: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for the second straight game after playing only 11 minutes in Game 1 in the Bucks first round series against the Miami Heat. … On Friday night, Joel Embiid suffered a right knee sprain in Thursday night’s victory over Brooklyn and is listed with a 50% chance of playing Game 1 in Philly’s next series, assuming they advance. Memphis superstar Ja Morant went down to a wrist/hand injury on April 16th, a date that also saw Miami’s sharpshooting guard Tyler Herro go down with a broken hand. Herro is out for the season but Morant returned to play hurt on Saturday night and plunked down 45 points on the LAL … The LA Clippers were hit with injuries to their two top players. Paul George (knee) was declared out before Game 1 of the series and then Kawhi Leonard was sidelined for Thursday’s Clippers loss to the Phoenix Suns. Leonard also had to bear the pain of his sister being sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder. … Both Anthony Davis (right foot stress injury) and LeBron James (right foot soreness) are listed as probable for their game which tipped at 10pm ET Saturday. They answered the bell and scored 31 and 25 points, respectively. … Add these injuries to a slew of others, many limiting or completely stopping players – cold – in the regular season and leading into these Playoffs and you’ve got a major issue.

The team that stays 100% healthy has a MUCH better chance of surviving and advancing in the NBA Playoffs.

TIDBITS: Rafael Devers and Mr. Jordan Furniture man are hawking a promo that calls for all purchases to be deemed free of charge if (any) Red Sox player hits for the cycle between July 31 and the end of the regular season. Purchases have to be made between March 27-April 30th.

WORLD TEAM GOLF: No one from LIV Golf asked WWYI for the perfect solution to their desire to differentiate from the PGA Tour but, if they did, the suggestion would’ve been to form “LIV World Team Golf,” and have teams of two compete together in Foursomes and Fourball each week of the season, just like the PGA Tour is doing this weekend at NOLA’s Zurich Classic. … LIV Golf attempted to name and form teams and they’ve even thought about franchising the team out, but the confusing scoring system and the individual vs team aspects of the scorecards toss viewers for a spin. … A simple two-man team, representing any nation, would’ve done the trick and created continuity in a game that’s easy to follow.

NETWORK: On April 12, NYVC Sports held its first business get-together in three years. Boston VC Sports hopes to be back-in-action in late Spring as the weather warms in New England. Since its last meeting, when start-up WHOOP was introduced by CEO Will Ahmed, the WHOOP valuation rose to $3.6b after a raise of $200,000. The latest valuation included participating investors VP, Cavu Ventures, Thursday Ventures, GP Bullhound, Accomplice, NextView Ventures, and Animal Capital.

BASEBALL BITS: As of Saturday night, 16 of the Sox’ first 22 games have been decided by three runs or fewer, including Boston’s 5-4 loss to Milwaukee. The only team in the Majors with more is Cleveland (17).

OTHER: Banished former Celtics coach, Ime Udoka, has emerged as a 2-1 favorite to be the new coach of the Toronto Raptors after dismissed coach Nick Nurse was relieved of his duties on Friday (April 21). Nurse took the Raptors to the promised land and the 2019 NBA title. Nurse is the frontrunner for the open Houston job.

Can Hawks, Trea Even Series?

April 23, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Atlanta Hawks will be looking for another big game from guard Trae Young when they attempt to pull even in their Eastern Conference playoff series with the visiting Boston Celtics by winning Game 4.

After losing the first two games of the series in Boston, the Hawks received a game-high 32 points from Young in a 130-122 victory Friday night. Young made 12 of his 22 shots from the floor and finished the game with nine assists and six rebounds.

It was Young’s best game of the series, by far, as he shot 14-for-40 from the field during Games 1 and 2 in Boston.

“I know I can play like this,” Young said. “Like I said last game, I wasn’t worried. I knew I could play the way I need to. It’s all about reading and making the right adjustments.”

Friday’s victory was the first time the Hawks have beaten the Celtics this season. In addition to winning the first two games in the series, Boston won all three regular-season matchups.

Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray scored 25 points in Game 3, and, like Young, was at his best in the fourth quarter, when the Celtics were threatening to take a 3-0 series lead. Young (15) and Murray (seven) scored 22 of Atlanta’s 30 points in the final 12 minutes.

Young Leads Hawks Over Celtics

April 22, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s Trae Young had game highs of 32 points and nine assists to lead the Hawks to a 130-122 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Friday night.

Young, who added six rebounds and two blocked shots, was 12-of-22 from the field and scored nine consecutive points as the Hawks finished up the win.

Dejounte Murray added 25 points for Atlanta, which lost the first two games of the series in Boston. Game 4 will be played Sunday night in Atlanta.

Boston trailed 124-121 and had the ball, but Jayson Tatum missed a 3-point attempt and Young made a jumper on the ensuing possession to put the Hawks up 126-121 with 45.5 seconds to play. The Celtics didn’t threaten after that.

Moments earlier, Young’s 3-pointer with 2:22 to play put the Hawks ahead 121-116 after Tatum’s three-point play pulled Boston within 118-116 with 3:02 to play.

Clint Capela had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks, who out-rebounded the Celtics 48-29.

Tatum led the Celtics with 29 points and 10 rebounds and added five assists. Marcus Smart finished with 24 points, eight assists and three steals, and Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 points.

The Celtics led 37-33 after one quarter, but the Hawks scored 41 points in the second quarter and were ahead 74-67 at halftime. Boston had a 53-50 lead with 6:32 remaining in the second quarter, but the Hawks used a 20-3 run to go ahead 70-56 with 3:15 left in the first half.

Atlanta was 30 of 46 (65.2 percent) from the field in the first half, including 8 of 16 on 3-point attempts. Atlanta also had a 34-10 edge in points in the paint in the half.

Boston tied the game at 79-79 on a 3-pointer by Jaylen Brown with 8:13 to play in the third quarter, but the Hawks responded with an 8-0 run. Atlanta had a 100-93 lead at the end of three quarters.

Brown had 15 points and three steals for the Celtics.

–Field Level Media

NBA: Post Trade Deadline Mode

February 10, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

INDIANAPOLIS – The sputtering Indiana Pacers welcome the new-look Suns to Indianapolis tonight, as Phoenix concludes its five-game Eastern Conference road swing with a renewed outlook on the season.

The Suns suffered their first defeat of the road trip on Thursday, 116-107 to Atlanta. The loss — just the third over Phoenix’s last 12 games — took a backseat to the franchise’s roster movement ahead of the trade deadline.

Phoenix sent Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, along with future draft picks, to Brooklyn in exchange for 10-time All-NBA honoree and former Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant. Jae Crowder, whom the Suns also traded in the package, was moved to Milwaukee shortly thereafter.

“It was an emotional day,” Suns coach Monty Williams said before Thursday’s game. “(Bridges and Johnson) are near and dear to my heart. They’re literally like my family. …They understand the business side of it, but they also understand that there’s a human side, an emotional side, a connection that is greater than the business side.”

The shakeup left Phoenix short-handed at Atlanta and bringing a much different roster than the squad that beat Indiana 112-107 in Phoenix on Jan. 21. Durant is unlikely to play Friday.

LeBron James Passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as NBA’s All-Time Top Scorer

February 8, 2023 by Terry Lyons

LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James parlayed his offensive versatility over 20 seasons into the NBA all-time scoring record, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Tuesday for most points in league history.

James eclipsed Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 38,387 career regular-season points on a fallaway shot with 10.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter of the Lakers’ Tuesday game against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.

He stepped back from the defense of Kenrich Williams near the foul line and sank the record-breaking jumper.

Abdul-Jabbar, who was sitting courtside, stood and applauded as James celebrated. The former Lakers star and NBA commissioner Adam Silver both shook James’ hand and gave him brief hugs at center court.

James then got on a microphone and said, “Everybody that has ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I want to say thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without all y’all. All y’all helped. All y’all’s passion and sacrifices helped me to get to this point.

“And to the NBA, to Adam Silver, to the late great David Stern, thank you very much for allowing me to be a part of something I always dreamed about. I would never in a million years dreamt this to be even better than what it is tonight. So (expletive) man, thank you, guys.”

James ended the night with 38 points, leaving his career total at 38,390 points, but the Lakers lost 133-130.

Silver subsequently released a statement that read, “Congratulations to LeBron on breaking one of the most hallowed records in all of sports by becoming the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. It’s a towering achievement that speaks to his sustained excellence over 20 seasons in the league. And quite amazingly, LeBron continues to play at an elite level and his basketball history is still being written.”

After the game, James said, “I don’t know if it’s hit me. It hit me a little when my family got out on the floor after it happened and I saw all my friends and family, but it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. …

“To be able to play at this level, 20 years in and the minutes I played, the games I played, through the regular season and the postseason, to still be at the apex of my game is a really surreal feeling.

“Hopefully I can keep doing it but at the end of the day it’s just been a pleasure to be in this league for 20 years. And however long I can go and however long that can be, I’ve had a hell of a run.”

Asked whether he is the best NBA player of all time, James replied, “I’ll let everybody else decide who that is or just talk about it, but it’s great barbershop talk. Me personally, I’m going to take myself against anybody who’s ever played this game. But everyone’s gonna have their favorite, decide who their favorite is.

“I know what I bring to the table every single night and what I can do out on this floor. I always feel like I’m the best to ever play this game, but there are so many great ones and I’m happy to be just a part of their journey.”

The star-studded crowd included tennis legend John McEnroe, music stars Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Bad Bunny, actor Denzel Washington and former Lakers players Bob McAdoo and James Worthy, among others.

With the skills of a point guard, the shooting prowess of a wing and the strength of a power forward, James entered Tuesday’s game averaging 30 points per game this season and needing 36 on the night to break the record.

James, 38, has averaged 27.2 points per game in his career while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14) and the Lakers (2018-present).

Not counted in his regular-season record total are James’ 7,631 playoff points, also the most by a player in NBA history. He has played in 266 career postseason games while winning four NBA championships.

James missed his first two shots against the Thunder before scoring his first basket on a 3-pointer from the left wing with 7:03 remaining in the first quarter. He had eight points on 3-of-6 shooting in the opening period and 20 points by halftime by going 6 of 10 from the floor, although Los Angeles trailed 76-66 at the break.

In an example of just how consistent of a scorer James has been, he also extended his record streak of double-digit games to 1,140.

James’ record performance wasn’t enough for the Lakers, though, as the Thunder emerged with the win.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, “The guys, they wanted to see Bron do what he did tonight. A lot of times I think the focus was more about trying to get Bron to the record as opposed to just playing natural basketball. We were able to make some good plays and he did what he did, he eclipsed the record. But we just had too many mistakes.”

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | February 5th

February 5, 2023 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Welcome to the Dog Days of Winter. It’s the first Sunday without NFL football since the weekend of September 11, 2022. That disregards the event formerly known as the Pro Bowl, now being staged in forms other than football.

What do the Dog Days of Winter bring to our sports-loving fandom?

A good look at the NBA of late brings altercations as in fights with guys coming off the bench to “give it a go.” There’s a laundry list of other assorted violations that will keep the NBA Dean of Discipline, the great Joe Dumars, up to his eyeballs with accounting paper and incident reports. Dumars, the most professional, wonderful, honest, down-to-earth player that’s ever played in the NBA, now knows what it was like when his predecessors (Rod Thorn, Stu Jackson) had to deal with the 1987-88-89-90 “Bad Boys” aka the elbow throwing, cheap-shotin’ Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons.

Suffice to say, Dumars has his hands filled, as did the Veeps of Violence of years past. It’s simply that time of year.

Since February 1st, Dumars has seen his officiating staff dole out 19 technical fouls. They’ve resulted in six ejections, a $25,000 fine for Donovan Mitchell and a one game suspension without pay for Dillon Brooks, estimated to cost the player a cool $78,621 for their efforts this past Thursday.

On Friday night, one of the crazier altercations of out time on earth began with Mo Bamba coming off the Orlando Magic bench to confront Minnesota’s Austin Rivers, who threw several punches as Orlando’s Jalen Suggs joined the melee to tangle with Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince both joining the fracas.

Facing the facts? There will be more.

Players, coaches, referees, and even the hot dog vendors have “had it” at this point in the year. They’re “banged up.” They’re playing hurt and the pressure is being turned up as the playoffs grow closer and closer. From a slow simmer on the back burner of January to a full boil come April, there’s no more room for understanding. The Dog Days call for dukes. No questions asked.

Even the G-League experienced the doldrums of the Dog Days of Winter in balmy Sioux Falls when Skyforce guard Mychal Mulder was suspended one game without pay for making contact with a game official and escalating an on-court altercation while Birmingham Squadron forwards James Kelly, Sr. and Kelan Martin were suspended one game without pay for leaving the bench area and escalating that altercation. The incident resulted in the ejections of Kelly, Sr. and Mulder.

The Dog Days know no bounds! But, it can get very dangerous. “Rudy T” dangerous because the players are BIG and STRONG and QUICK and they can pack a punch. There’s very few face masks, no padding and maybe a couple dozen mouth guards being worn by otherwise fully exposed players. Sheer momentum can bring two players together at warp speed.

It’s time for the league to get the word out – the officials are going to enforce the rules on the books. They need to T-up any and all verbal jabs and the players will adjust. The Holy Grail in the NBA is “Playing Time” and the players know where to draw the line when they know the league, from those in the office to officials at the games are going to come down on the B.S. and a suspension and $78k fine gets the word out.

AT PRESS TIME: The NBA league office came down with the hammer. Here’s the news release on fines and suspensions for the Orlando v Minnesota bout:

Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba has been suspended four games without pay and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Austin Rivers has been suspended three games without pay for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.

In addition, Magic guard Jalen Suggs has been suspended one game without pay for escalating the altercation by aggressively grabbing Rivers around the neck and pulling him to the floor.

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels has been fined $20,000 for his role in the altercation which included running into the scrum and pushing Bamba in the back.

The incident, for which all four players received technical fouls and were ejected, occurred with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter of the Magic’s 127-120 win over the Timberwolves on Feb. 3 at Target Center.

Bamba and Rivers engaged in an altercation in front of the Magic bench, with both players throwing punches. Suggs and McDaniels then entered the altercation as non-peacemakers, which resulted in a continued escalation of the situation.

Following the incident, Bamba attempted to continue to engage with Rivers in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms where he also aggressively shoved a security representative. Both Bamba and Rivers continued the escalation on social media following the game.

GET THE REMOTE: As you begin your Dog Day Sunday Morning & Afternoon, your viewing choices can range from a 9:00am (ET) Leeds United v. Nottingham Forest Premier League soccer game on USA Network to a 12 Noon (ET) DePaul at Seton Hall tilt on FS1.

If you prefer to stick with USA Net, the Fordham Rams and Richmond Spiders will be awaiting tip-off in an A-10 tussle. Or, you can watch Six Nations Rugby or Bowling or Figure Skating or Rodeo or Horse Racing or Women’s Pro Hockey or wait-out some NASCAR race at the LA Coliseum at 8pm (ET) – it’ll be Sunset Grills in Southern California.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Only eight days until Pitchers & Catchers report to Spring Training for Major League Baseball teams. That’s a sure sign, Spring is on the way and this cold blast (-10 here) will blow back to Canada and beautiful Spring days are not too far away. Spring Training leads to March Madness and WWYI favorite event of the year with the BIG EAST tournament scheduled for March 8-11th, the 41st year the tournament will be staged at The Garden. … The PLAYERS Championship is aligned with the BIG EAST and will be staged at TPC Sawgrass from March 7-12th. The signature 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass gets the vast majority of the attention, but the entire course is gorgeous and one of the most famous in the world. (More on that later in the column). … After a sometimes chilly March 30th Opening Day for Baseball their are a few other sure signs of Spring in the Northeast United States. The Masters will take place at beautiful August National from April 6-9 and it will be followed by the single best day of the year in Boston. Patriots’ Day, Monday April 17th, and the running of the Boston Marathon is only 71 days away. The great day is enhanced by the 11:00am LA Angels at Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Sheer perfection for a day when the entire city of Boston and the Commonwealth as a whole revolves around sports and celebrates the marathoners as they weave their way through eight local towns and cities: Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston. … Of recent years, the Boston Marathon was set back severely when the 2013 race was marred by a bombing incident. Two crazed radicals manufactured two homemade bombs and set them off within minutes of each other and some 200 yards from the finish line in Copley. Three spectators will killed immediately while some 260+ people were injured, 17 losing limbs. A few days later, while trying to escape a citywide manhunt with residents sheltered in place, the two brothers killed an MIT police officer and fled to the suburbs. The crime fighters of multiple agencies located the two bothers and one was killed in a shoot-out and subsequent fatal rundown as his younger brother fled the scene. Later, the younger brother was located, hiding in the backyard of a Watertown home, shot and critically injured in a winterized boat. His trial resulted in multiple charges meriting the death penalty. He is currently incarcerated in the Supermax ADX detention center in Florence, Colorado. A March, 2022 court ruling reinstated the death penalty verdict handed down but was being scrutinized by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Here’s a look at some select dates you can circle on your calendar (Partial List of Great Sports Events from Feb to June 1):

February 4 – March 18 – Six Nations Rugby
February 12 – Super Bowl (Phoenix, AZ)
February 19 – NBA All-Star Game (Salt Lake City, UT)
March 7-12 – The PLAYERS (TPC Sawgrass)
March 8-11 – BIG EAST Tournament (New York City)
March 12 – NCAA Selection Sunday (Indianapolis, IN)
March 8-21 – World Baseball Classic (Miami and other cities)
March 14-15 – NCAA Men’s Basketball First Four (Dayton, OH)
March 16-17 – NCAA Men’s Basketball First Round (Multiple cities)
March 18-19 – NCAA Men’s Basketball Second Round (Multiple)
March 23-24 – NCAA Sweet 16
March 25-16 – Elite 8
March 30 – Opening Day in MLB (Multiple cities, all 30 teams)
March 31-April 2 – NCAA Women’s Final Four (Dallas)
April 1 – Final Four (Houston, TX)
April 3 – NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game (Houston, TX)
April 6-9 – The Masters (Augusta, GA)
April 11-14 – NBA Play-In Tournament (Multiple Cities)
April 15 – NBA Playoffs Begin
April 17 – Patriots’ Day – Boston Marathon + Red Sox at 11am (Boston, MA)
April 17 – NHL Playoffs Begin
May 6 – Kentucky Derby – (Churchill Downs)
May 16 – NBA Draft Lottery –
May 18-21 – PGA Championship – (Oak Hill, Rochester, NY)
May 20 – The Preakness Stakes – (Baltimore, MD)
May 28 – Indy 500 – (Indianapolis, IN)
May 28 – French Open – (First Matches) – (Paris, France) – until 6/11

Clip and Save ⬆️

TIDBITS: Pick a job, any job. What would you rather do for gainful employment? If you are Secretary of Labor, a Cabinet position, reporting to the President of the United States of America OR become the head of the NHL Players Association? … Similarly, would you prefer to be the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association? … That is the question for former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and recently replaced Governor of Mass, Charlie Baker, who did not seek a third term after serving from 2015 to 2023. Both jobs are prestigious, yet thankless positions with much public scrutiny. The NHL Players association gig potentially pays the most while the NCAA President job has the most heavy-lifting to do, fighting off the influences of the “Power 5” NCAA football programs while juggling multiple issues, including Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) issues and the equal treatment of women within the collegiate framework. … The realities? WWYI can NOT see Baker living in Indianapolis nor Walsh living in Toronto or NYC. … Let’s see how this plays out.

MORE WORDS, PHRASES AND CLICHES TO AVOID: While We’re Young (Ideas) provided the STRONG recommendation to NOT use the word “Narrative” any longer in your written or verbal communications. While you read that piece of advice, you were also urged to stop “Unpacking” or having a “lot to unpack” from a situation. The advice came with a few other gems. … Today, a few more:

“Just like that”
Ball screen
“The crowd is electric”
“No Question”
True freshman
Bubble team
“The car’s running a little loose”
‘Turnovers (or protecting the ball) will be the key”

Let’s play cliche BINGO at Super Bowl parties everywhere?

A PEBBLE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: The PGA Tour made its way to the fabulous Monterrey Peninsula and 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach. Thursday was a gorgeous day until the winds kicked-in late in the first round. The scenic course layout prompted the question: Name the most beautiful golf courses in the USA? Here’s WWYI’s take on that open-ended question:

Augusta National (Augusta, GA)
Pebble Beach Golf Links (Pebble Beach, CA)
Cypress Point (Monterrey, CA)
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Oakmont CC (Chicago, IL)
Seminole GC (Palm Beach, FLA)
Winged Foot (Westchester, NY)
Muirfield Village (Ohio)
The Country Club (Brookline)
Riviera Country Club (Pacific Palisades, CA)

Noteables: Torrey Pines (San Diego); The Plantation Course, (Kapalua, HI), Whistling Straits (Wisconsin); Bethpage Black, (Long Island, NY); Kiawah Island Golf Resort: The Ocean Course (South Carolina); Shadow Creek (Las Vegas, NV); Pinehurst No. 2 (North Carolina); Baltusrol (Lower) (Springfield, NJ).

Across the Pond?

Old Course at St. Andrews
Muirfield, East Lothian, Scotland
Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland
Turnberry, Scotland
Royal St. George’s, Sandwich, England
Royal Birkdale, Southport, England
Carnoustie Golf Links is in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland

NBA Sports Desk: Christmas Round-Up

December 26, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston forward Jayson Tatum posted his fifth straight 30-point game, leading the Boston Celtics with 41 en route to a 139-118 Christmas Day win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

Embed from Getty Images

Tatum and Jaylen Brown (29 points) combined for 70 points in a game for the eighth time in their careers. Tatum added seven rebounds, five assists and three steals as Boston won back-to-back games.

Derrick White, Grant Williams and Al Horford also scored in double figures, helping Boston shoot 19 of 39 from 3-point range. Marcus Smart handed out eight assists.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a team-high 27 points, while Jrue Holiday finished with 23, Brook Lopez scored 16 and Massachusetts native Pat Connaughton added 15 on four 3-pointers in Milwaukee’s third straight loss.

Nuggets 128, Suns 125 (OT)

Nikola Jokic had 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists, Aaron Gordon added 28 points and 13 rebounds and host Denver beat Phoenix in overtime.

Jamal Murray scored 26 points for the Nuggets, who have won four straight. Denver trailed by eight midway through the final period before rallying.

Landry Shamet tied his career high with 31 points for Phoenix, which lost its third game in a row. Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 16 rebounds and Chris Paul amassed 17 points and 16 assists, but Devin Booker exited due to a groin injury in the first quarter.

76ers 119, Knicks 112

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid had 35 points and eight rebounds, James Harden added 29 points and 13 assists and Philadelphia defeated host New York at Madison Square Garden..

Georges Niang contributed 16 points and De’Anthony Melton had 15 for the Sixers, who won their eighth in a row without injured guard Tyrese Maxey.

Julius Randle led the Knicks with 35 points and eight rebounds while Jalen Brunson added 23 points and 11 assists. Brunson went to the locker room with 3:59 left in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury and sat out the remainder of the game on the bench.

Mavericks 124, Lakers 115

Luka Doncic scored 32 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out nine assists, and Dallas outscored visiting Los Angeles by 30 points in the third quarter to take control in a Christmas Day win.

The Lakers held a 54-43 lead at halftime behind LeBron James’ strong start, but they gave up a season-high 51 points to the Mavericks in a pivotal third quarter. James went on to finish with 38 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Christian Wood had 30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals, and Tim Hardaway Jr. shot 6 of 14 from beyond the arc en route to 26 points for the Mavericks.

Warriors 123, Grizzlies 109

Jordan Poole bombed in a team-high 32 points before getting ejected and the short-handed Golden State Warriors outgunned the foul-plagued Memphis Grizzlies 123-109 on Sunday in San Francisco in a highly anticipated rematch of the Western Conference semifinals.

Playing without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors still managed to outscore the Grizzlies 54-27 from 3-point range en route to their 13th home win in 15 attempts this season.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | Oct. 30th

October 30, 2022 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – For those who’ve followed the NBA for decades, there’s a cynical, “We’ve seen EVERYTHING” attitude even when we look back at the extremes of Allen Iverson’s pontifications on “PRACTICE,” Ron Artest (Metta World) and the Pacers having an all-out brawl against the Detroit Pistons (a.k.a. Malice at the Palace), Gilbert Arenas packing heat intended for his teammate, Jarvis Crittenton, or a rogue and incredibly stupid former referee and his high school buddies getting knee-deep with the FBI and creating a gambling scandal of the ages, complete with jail time for the nimrod ref. If that weren’t enough, just this year, it became public knowledge that Phoenix Suns team governor Robert Sarver was conducting business in toxic fashion for decades. That followed dufus former LA Clippers team governor Donald Sterling’s racially charged remarks caught on tape back in 2014, with both team owner transgressions resulting in their requirement or desire to sell their NBA clubs.

There’s been team GMs (Daryl Morey) tweeting the NBA into an all-out business-crushing conundrum with its Chinese-based broadcasters and business partners, not to mention the authorities. Morey expressed his opinion on China’s human rights issues, especially focusing on Hong Kong back in October of 2019, and just as the NBA was beginning preseason games in Asia and India.

There’s been players clocking coaches (Latrell Sprewell vs PJ Carlesmo), players fighting teammates (GS’s Draymond Green vs Jordan Poole), and a head coach getting fined and suspended for gross violations of team rules – that being Boston’s Ime Udoka’s unbelievable implosion just as the 2022-23 NBA season was about to begin.

We’ve seen everything, right?

Wrong.

This week, five games into the season, the San Antonio Spurs abruptly waived guard Joshua Primo, the No. 12 (overall) first-round pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. At the time of the announcement, the Spurs’ guard put out a statement, referring to mental health issues and seeking privacy.

In a statement to ESPN on Friday night, Primo acknowledged a need to continue “mental health treatment more fully.”

“I know that you all are surprised by (today’s) announcement,” read the Primo statement. “I’ve been seeking help to deal with previous trauma I suffered and will now take this time to focus on my mental health treatment more fully. I hope to be able to discuss these issues in the future so I can help others who have suffered in a similar way. I appreciate privacy at this time.”

On Saturday, ESPN dropped the sledgehammer, and apparently the truth, as Primo was waived for allegedly exposing himself to women, apparently on multiple occasions. With ESPN’s pipeline into the Spurs’ front office, the word “allegedly” seems to be the legal formality of this unimaginable story.

“It is our hope that, in the long run, this decision will serve the best interest of both the organization and Joshua,” Spurs CEO R.C. Buford said in a statement as NBA teams – coast-to-coast – scrambled to obtain information of the behind-the-scenes reasoning for the transaction. Primo played in the Spurs’ first four games of the 2022-23 season, sat out the fifth game and then was banished in the hours surrounding the club’s sixth game.

Now, if all that wasn’t enough, reports are surfacing on Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving’s involvement in a motion picture he’s promoting entitled, “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America.” The movie apparently includes antisemitic references and other controversial content, according to a review in Rolling Stone Magazine.

With all the off-court controversy, the NBA dealt with the Robert Sarver incident(s) promptly and the Boston Celtics dealt with the internal issues of their coach and unnamed code-of-ethics transgressions. Isn’t it well past the time when the NBA Players Association step-up to address the situations of the likes of Irving, Primo, Green vs Poole – all who make the players (as a whole) look ridiculous? It’s time for the Union to hold its members to higher standards while the League works hand-in-hand to provide Player Programs, Orientations and frequent team visits by the Player Programs and Basketball Ops league staffers. The players’ union itself needs to enforce some sort of discipline for conduct unbecoming a union member.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As the 2022 World Series began, the Houston Astros had approximately a 61% chance of winning the MLB crown while the upstart Philadelphia Phillies had a 31% chance.

Those odds were turned inside-out when Philadelphia rallied from an 0-5 deficit to defeat the Astros 6-5 Friday in a four-hour and thirty minute extra innings epic. Phils catcher J.T. Realmuto had game hero status with a two-run double in the 5th inning and the game-winning HR in the top of the 10th inning.

On Saturday night, Houston staked a 3-0 early lead and went on to a 5-2 home victory to even the series – 1-1 – a best-of-seven that has six or seven games written all over it.

Scheduling has been a challenge. Baseball will tip its cap to the NFL on Sunday and then return to action with three games in Philly on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday (Oct 31, Nov. 1 and 2), before returning to Houston for games on Friday and Saturday, (November 4 and 5, if necessary).

DIAMOND DUST-UP: The World Series has become The Local Series as fans in Houston and Philadelphia are going bonkers over the event, but fans outside the two competing cities have little to zero interest in the results of the games. National draws like the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, the LA Dodgers, and the NY Mets were all eliminated, much to the chagrin of MLB and FOX Sports tv ad sales crews and Nielsen tv ratings watchers.

PICKS FROM THE PARQUET: Last week, we had the Opening Weekend anticipation of the NBA and predicted the teams that will be there at the end. Today, it’s a “what did you do for me lately” look at the NBA, as teams settle-in, each with about five games in the books.

Last things first: The LA Lakers (0-5) have yet to win a game.

The Milwaukee Bucks (5-0) have yet to lose a game and the Portland Trail Blazers who were expected to win fewer than 40 games, are a red-hot (5-1).

It’s far too early in the long NBA season to think anything in the first five games of the season will determine long-term trends. After all, the Boston Celtics looked invincible with three opening wins against the 76ers, Heat and Magic, but fell down to mediocrity with two consecutive losses this week (vs. Chicago and Cleveland). For the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics, their Sunday night (10/30-6:00pm ET) game against the Washington Wizards will be a key indicator.

Of note: Brooklyn (1-4) with 121.6 ppg allowed should send alerts throughout the Association.

FORE SCORE: When we last left you, Rory McIlroy was laying claim to World No. 1 with a win at The CJ Cup in South Carolina, topping the field that included 21 of the top 30 best golfers (outside of those who went to LIV it up).

This week, the PGA Tour is in beautiful Bermuda and there isn’t a hurricane in sight. Nor are there any of the Top 40 players in golf. Seamus Power, at No. 48, is the top-ranked player and he happens to be the tournament leader after 54 holes, shooting 65-65-65 for (-18) and a tie for first with Ben Griffin (65-64-66).

Meanwhile, LIV is finishing-up the semifinals of their final event, a match play tournament in Miami. LIV has been operating in obscurity the last two tournaments, one in Bangkok (Thailand) and one in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). The time zone challenges were enough to keep any North American TV entity far and away, asking, ‘If a golfer cards a birdie in the desert, does it Tweet?” … The answer is yes, as it’s the only way a golf fan would know it happened.

Regardless, Dustin Johnson claimed an extra $18m as regular season champion. This weekend’s Match Play will help decide team champions, a nuance the golfing public has yet to embrace. The various formats – within and without the normal competition of stroke play, team play and match play – are a little too much in the gimmicky category and not enough of a distinction between the LIV and the PGA Tour’s normal stroke play.

WORDS AND PHRASES: There’s a growing list of buzzwords and phrases that are far too deep in the lexicon of life. This columnist could “Talk About” the “Talk About”command sideline reporters and even veteran journalists and reporters bark at their interview subjects, but instead we’ll get the readers of WWYIs started with just a couple of the zingers we all hear, intertwined in sports, news and everyday language. In Twitter language, I’ll go first:

The overuse of the word “Narrative” is the end-all of current buzzwords. When any reporter, network anchor or seminar presenter uses the “Narrative” word, I’m OUT.
“At the END of the DAY” – Oy vey. There must not be a blessed ounce of work done in the morning and throughout midday, but people must be bustin’ ass to get their work completed as promised to the masses, by the “END of the DAY.” From now-on, I want to know what’s been done by the MIDDLE of the DAY.
I don’t want to hear we need to “Drill Down” to get the “Low Hanging Fruit.” I don’t want to “Un-Pack” anything. Do you HEAR that ESPN’s Greeny on “Get Up?” Go Un-Pack your own news and headlines, I’m not doing it anymore.
No more “Thought Leadership” conferences or pitches for self-taught seminars at industry trade gatherings to impress everyone in the boardroom. And, please no more “Thinking Out of the Box.” What box? None of us were ever in a box.
On Conference Calls or Zoom-meetings, I don’t think it’s a good idea to shelve the most important topic being discussed and take it “Offline.” Let’s talk about it NOW because if it goes “Offline,” no one will ever do the hard work it takes to complete that job “by the END of the DAY.”

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | October 23

October 23, 2022 by Terry Lyons

They’re playing basketball (to the beat y’all)

We love that basketball (yeah)

They’re playing basketball (uh huh, uh huh)

We love that basketball

– Kurtis Blow

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The basketball season was 1968-69 and the New Jersey Americans relocated to Long Island to become the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association, a rival league to the heralded National Basketball Association.

The year ahead was going to be great for New York sports fans. The New York Jets, behind the guarantee provided by quarterback “Broadway” Joe Namath upset the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. It was the victory that put the then-rival American Football Conference (AFC) on par with the National Football Conference (NFC) and it made the National Football League (NFL) the most popular sports property in the United States.

As that Summer of ‘69 turned to Fall, the Miracle Mets, behind the pitching of Jerry Koosman (two World Series wins, including the series clincher) backed by Hall of Famer Tom “Terrific” Seaver and Gary Gentry, defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in five games to take the first Series victory in franchise history. Donn Clendenon, Cleon Jones and improbable offensive might of everyone from 2B Al Weisto reserve catcher J.C. Martin provided key hits while incredible defensive plays by center fielder Tommie Agee and right fielder Ron Swoboda made the Mets – Amazin’ and sent NYC and the Borough of Queens and most Long Islanders into a frenzy.

A flip of the calendar brought yet another championship to New York when the New York Knicks of the NBA defeated the LA Lakers and Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylorand Jerry West in a memorable seven-game series. While Willis Reed and his gutsy Game 7 return to action after seriously injuring his knee in Game 5, grabbed the headlines and Walt Frazier’s 36-point, 19-assist, 7-rebound performance went somewhat unnoticed because of Reed’s return.

Those championships were almost too much for a 10-year old to handle. But this (then) 10-year old harkens back to December 19, 1968 as the day the championship was solidified. It was the day Knicks GM Eddie Donovan had the guts to trade All-Star center Walt “Bells” Bellamy, and guard Howard “Butch” Komives, to the Detroit Pistons for eight time NBA All-Star power forward Dave DeBusschere.

Hit “The Open Man” became the Knicks’ mantra and, in fact, was the title of DeBusschere’s book chronicling the season day-by-day. It’s simple philosophy, honed by Knicks Coach Red Hozman was the perfect offense to deploy for the ‘69-’73 Knicks.

With Knicks tickets tough to come by in suburban Long Island me and my basketball-loving’ family would get our hardwood fix with regular attendance at (nearly) all St. John’s University home games. We attended dozens of Island Trees H.S. basketball games where both of my oder brothers played and then 100% of the Holy Trinity H.S.games from 1973 to 1977 and beyond as coach Bob McKillop and Matt Doherty hung banner after banner at HT.

All the while, the ABA Nets were our mainstay. After head coach York Larese flamed-out, the Nets recruited Little Louie Carnesseca away from his post at St. Johns, along with trusty assistant John Kresse (who gave me my college tour at St. John’s). The great Rick Barry was on the Nets, along with former Johnnies Joe DuPre and Sonny Dove. Bill Melchioni held down the point, while Laverne Tart was the shooting guard. The bigmen included Jim Ard, Manny Leaks, and another young Johnnie who made playoff appearances as much as the Kardashians appear in the Super Market tabloids.

Suffice to say, a good game of hoops was available every night of the week and we took advantage of that fact growing up. And it changed for the better when the Nets acquired Julius “Dr, J.” Erving who was at the height of his career.

At one point in 1977, an interview with Nets head coach Kevin Loughery and an intro to his then-assistant, Rod Thorn, began a life-long friendship as they led the Nets to titles in 1974 and 1976 over formidable ABA clubs from Kentucky (Artis Gilmore and Dan Issel), Denver’s (David Thompson), and Indiana Pacers’ big (Mel Daniels), just to name a few. Thorn would eventually join the NBA league office as the head of Basketball Operations and the so-called Dean of Discipline.

All-in-all, a pretty good apprenticeship in the sports of basketball and one that turned into a career come December 1980 when this columnist began a 26+ year career at the NBA league office, working under Commissioners Larry O’Brien and David Stern.

In the early ‘80s, the NBA league office was like Camelot. It was just a matter of time – and some hard work – to build the global platform and stage the game for the way its played today by the World’s Greatest Athletes.

THE NBA TODAY: It’s quite early for any meaningful predictions for the on-going 2022-23 NBA season, but that won’t stop us from doing the very first Power Rankings” of the NBA season. Truth be told, the real power ratings are Post NBA All-Star Break.

Here’s a look at the Top 8 from each conference:

EAST:

Milwaukee Bucks
Boston Celtics
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards
Brooklyn Nets
Miami Heat
Philadelphia 76ers
Detroit Pistons

WEST:

Golden State Warriors
New Orleans Pelicans
Memphis Grizzlies
Houston Rockets
Denver Nuggets
LA Clippers
Phoenix Suns
Dallas Mavericks.

Check back in mid-December for a more educated prediction.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The Cleveland Charge selected Sam Merrill (6-4, 205, Utah State) with the first overall pick of the 2022-23 NBA G League Draft on Saturday afternoon, which was held virtually. The Wisconsin Herd selected Joe Wieskamp with the second overall selection, while the Greensboro Swarm selected Aaron Wheelerwith the third pick.

RATINGS GAME: The NBA on Tuesday saw its best opening night doubleheader viewership since 2017, as TNT averaged 3.3 million viewers for 76ers- Celtics and Lakers- Warriors.

TID-BITS: I can figure out who is pouring more money into the economy – legal inquiries on Camp Lujeane, the folks funding CrytoLef hack campaign or Big Pharma selling every drug manufactured under the sun. … Coach Jim Calhoun will be the special guest Sunday, October 30, at Lavietes Pavilion. when Harvard hosts its annual fantasy day for Friends of Harvard, and local coaches. Basketball Hall of Famer and New England native, Calhoun, won three NCAA Division I men’s basketball championships as the head coach of the University of Connecticut. With over 900 NCAA victories (917-397), Coach Calhoun has extensive experience across all three divisions of NCAA athletics. Coach Calhoun will share his depth of perspective with our community, and we would be thrilled if you can attend! In addition to hearing Coach Calhoun speak, you will also be able to watch a Harvard Basketball practice and receive lunch as part of the day’s events. Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker will be running the show. … Tickets go on sale Monday, October 24, 2022 for the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. This year’s conference is on March 3 – 4th, 2023 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

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Students Learn: Heroes Are Human

September 30, 2022 by Sports Staff

JERSEY CITY – (Staff Report) – New Jersey City University students, faculty and staff spent time on Sept. 30 with NBA Cares Ambassador and NJCU alumnus Bob Delaney, who shared the message of his new book, Heroes are Human: Lessons in Resilience, Courage and Wisdom from the COVID Front Lines (City Point Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster).

“It was great to be back on campus speaking with students pursuing noble careers in nursing, law enforcement, firefighting, teaching and other service-oriented professions,” said Delaney, an elite NBA referee for 25 years before his retirement in 2011, and prior to that a New Jersey State Trooper whose dangerous undercover mission inside the Mafia in the 1970s was chronicled in his first book in 2008, Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob.

Delaney, a member of the NJCU Sports Hall of Fame, presented his message of self-care and trauma awareness – one he has been delivering for four decades with the military, first responders and many other groups. That message was showcased in Delaney’s second book, 2011’s Surviving the Shadows: A Journey of Hope Into Post-Traumatic Stress.

Heroes Are Human, written with the co-author of all three books, veteran journalist Dave Scheiber, tells the stories of members of the healthcare community who have been at war with an “invisible enemy” – sharing lessons on how caregivers can navigate the resulting stress and potential burnout through an uplifting message of self-care and post-traumatic stress education.
Delaney and the NBA “gifted” books to students, faculty and staff, allowing the important topic of what he calls “mind health” to be discussed on the NJCU campus.

Students and Faculty at New Jersey City University (file photo)

“Not all wounds bleed ” is a common theme presented by Delaney, who earned his criminology bachelor of science degree from New Jersey City University, and later learned about post-traumatic stress first-hand from his three-year undercover investigation of the Mob. His riveting talks about his experiences underscore peer-to-peer conversations as a first line of defense when dealing with trauma.

Dr. Richard Mollica, Director Harvard Global Mental Health Trauma Recovery Program, wrote of Delaney in the Heroes are Human foreword, “His down-to-earth style, charisma and honesty – delivered by a man who has walked the walk connects universally with his varied audiences.”