Page 1009 of 2956

      Gasol and Bynum pivotal in Lakers’ win over Thunder

      April 18, 2010 /

      I had a feeling the Lakers were going to come out and play the best basketball they had in months. Actually, most fans probably demanded it, considering the team had been playing with the intensity of a turtle. In defeating the Thunder 87-79 on Sunday, it looks like they’re back on track.

      It was clear from the opening drive that the Lakers knew how important this game was. In the first quarter, the defending champions chose their shots wisely, consistently looking for the open man and finding him. For the first time all year, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum ran the offense as a team, and it effectively stunned the Thunder when it mattered most. Kobe wasn’t worried about putting up numbers, and distributed the ball with an ability we often forget he contains. He routinely fed the ball down low to the big men, Gasol and Bynum. Both were aggressive, yet Bynum was a pleasant surprise after missing the last 13 games. The two combined for 32 points and 25 rebounds as the Thunder struggled to neutralize them.

      Still, the Thunder did play well defensively overall — the team just couldn’t match the Lakers on the other end of the court. I could say Artest and Kobe shut down Kevin Durant, but that wasn’t the case, as the scoring champion still tallied 24 points. While that’s seven points under his league average, it wasn’t greater than the differential in their loss. Instead, their 3-point shooting and weakness down in the post caused them problems. The Thunder were only 2-16 from behind the arc and were blocked nine times.

      And now, a prophetic death knell for the Thunder: Laker coach Phil Jackson has never lost a series after winning the first game. He’s 45-0, in fact, and should feel confident about this one given his team’s recent performance.

      NBA, NBA Finals

      MLS average attendance higher than NBA and NHL

      April 18, 2010 /

      The new MLS season has gotten off to a strong start with average attendance surpassing that of the NBA and NHL. Here are the numbers, courtesy of MLS Daily:

      1. NFL – 67,508.69 (2009 season)
      2. MLB – 30,213.37 (2009 season)
      3. MLS – 18,452.14 (2010 season, as of 04/11/2010)
      4. NBA – 17,149.61 (2009/10 season)
      5. NHL – 16,985.31 (2009/10 season)

      Some will try and downplay this by saying the league still isn’t making any money, but why kill the good vibe? Fans are starting to pour in and, most importantly, they’re remaining loyal.

      The league got off to a poor start, losing $350 million between its inception in 1993 and 2004. It dealt with two failed franchises (Miami and Tampa Bay), and stuck many of its teams in football stadiums. We learned a couple things during those formative years: 1) Florida wants nothing to do with professional soccer, and 2) The game doesn’t look inviting when over half the stadium is empty. Thankfully, the league and team owners wised up, building smaller stadiums and targeting smaller markets for expansion. These decisions have cut away at the massive debt, but the league still has a long way to go.

      This is where profit comes into play. With just 16 teams playing 30 games over a full season — with tickets prices that cost significantly less compared to the NBA and NHL — it’s no surprise that revenue isn’t overwhelming. The strong numbers at the season’s onset are a positive sign, but they are slightly deceptive. Obviously, opening day attendance is going to be high, and history has shown they will go down as the season progresses. When considering the NBA or NHL, those leagues have over 50 mores games on their schedule, allowing for greater profits. Also, the majority of MLS games take place on the weekend, making it convenient for a family event when coupled with the low costs. That’s great, but the league doesn’t have the elasticity to raise ticket prices, hold more games during the middle of the week, or add a couple more to the schedule. At least not yet.

      Soccer

      Okur to have MRI on injured Achilles

      April 18, 2010 /

      To add insult to injury, or possibly injury to insult, the Jazz lost more than Game 1 on Saturday night. They may have lost Mehmet Okur as well.

      Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur was helped off the court after reinjuring his left Achilles tendon in the second quarter of Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

      Okur left the arena on crutches, ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported.

      “I felt something pop,” said Okur, who will undergo an MRI on Sunday.

      This is a blow to an already thin frontcourt that is without Andrei Kirilenko for the next couple of weeks. Without Okur, the Jazz are left with two big men that get regular minutes — Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap. Kosta Koufos or Kyrylo Fesenko will have to step in and play. Otherwise, the Jazz will have to ride Boozer and Millsap and go very small when they give one or the other a rest.

      I thought Utah would squeak out a series victory, but with Okur and Kirilenko out, they face an uphill battle.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News

      Sam Bradford to command $50 million guaranteed?

      April 18, 2010 /

      An ESPN.com report by Adam Schefter says that Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford will command in the range of $50 million in guaranteed money when he signs as the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s draft.

      The contract for the No. 1 overall pick will likely be staggering. Bradford’s contract is expected to pay him an average of $13 million a season with roughly $50 million in guaranteed money. These figures are based on the past two drafts, when Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford were the first quarterbacks picked.

      Two years ago, the Falcons’ Ryan received $34 million in guaranteed money on a deal that averages $11 million a season. Stafford, who was picked No. 1 last season by the Lions, received $42 million in guaranteed money on his deal, which averages $12 million a season.

      It’s no secret that the rookie salary structure is completely ludicrous in the NFL and it’s something that the league will eventually have to change or else it’ll keep getting worse. A player that has never once stepped on the field should never command more money than anyone on the team’s current roster. It just doesn’t make any sense.

      That said, Bradford might as well cash in when he can. If the owners and player’s union come together on a new CBA deal for next season, one of the items that might be changed is the salary structure for rookies. Commissioner Roger Goodell is on record saying that the league could make a change, but he’s going to need the approval of the player’s union first, which could prove to be a high hurdle to jump.

      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Cavs, Hawks and Celtics hold home court

      April 17, 2010 /

      Cavs 96, Bulls 83
      Derrick Rose (28-7-10) pretty much had is way, but no other Bull scored more than 12 points in the loss. The Cavs looked great at the start and cruised to a 15-point halftime lead behind a svelte and energetic Shaquille O’Neal, who scored 10 points in the first two periods. The Bulls did cut the lead to seven with 6:20 to play in the game, but a 16-10 run by the Cavs put the game out of reach. LeBron posted 24-6-5 and Mo Williams added 19-4-10 in the win.

      Hawks 102, Bucks 92
      Atlanta got off to a blistering start and led by 17 after the first quarter and by 22 at halftime. But the Bucks fought back behind 34 points from Brandon Jennings and 16 points from John Salmons, and managed to cut the lead to seven with an Ersan Ilyasova three-pointer with 7:56 to play. But there was just too much Mike Bibby, who hit 8 of 9 from the field for a surprising 19 points. Joe Johnson led the way with 22-7-5 and Al Horford added 15-7 with five blocks. Scott Skiles may want to rethink his matchups. To start the game, his best defender, Luc Mbah a Moute, was watching Johnson, but that put Carlos Delfino on Josh Smith, who just owned him down low. If Johnson would’ve had a bad game, sure, keep Mbah a Moute on him, but if he’s going to score 20+ anyway, you might as well make things more difficult for Smith on the block.

      Celtics 85, Heat 76
      We’ve wondered all season if this lackluster Boston team can simply flip the switch, and they managed to do it in Game 1. Miami led by 14 with about seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but the C’s clamped down defensively and rattled off a 38-15 run over the remaining 19 minutes. There was a strange scene late in the fourth when Paul Pierce collapsed near the Miami bench with under a minute to play. Contrary to Hubie Brown’s analysis, Pierce injured his neck when his head got caught on the official as he headed out of bounds. While he was down, Quentin Richardson came over (for some unknown reason) and Kevn Garnett, who was standing over Pierce, threw a little elbow into Richardson to keep him back. The two started talking shit, and next thing you know, KG throws another elbow and gets tossed from the game. We’ll see if the league steps in and hands down any suspensions. There also may be an argument that a few Heat players “left the bench area” even though the scrum happened right in front of the Miami bench. In the end, someone for the Heat needs to step up and make some shots. Dwyane Wade (26-8-6) is a great, great player, but he can’t do it all by himself. Jermaine O’Neal and Michael Beasley combined to go 6 of 22 from the field for 14 points. That’s not going to get it done. (By the way, what the hell happened to O’Neal? He’s only 31 and should be in his less-explosive-but-savvy-enough-to-score-at-will phase.)

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑