Page 369 of 2957

Cavs get some measure of revenge on LeBron, Heat

March 30, 2011 / John Paulsen

A 14-win team doesn’t have much to play for this time of year, but give the Cavs credit, they showed up on Tuesday night to face LeBron, riding a thirsty crowd to a 102-90 victory.

The Cavs led by 23 points with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter, but the Heat went on a 22-4 run to close the quarter and cut Cleveland’s lead to five at the break.

Mike Bibby’s seventh three-pointer of the game tied the score at 83-83, but the Cavs went on a 12-0 run (sparked by Luke Harangody of all people) that included four points from Ryan Hollins and six points from Anthony Parker.

LeBron finished with a 27-10-12 triple-double, but the Cavs had the last laugh, breaking the Heat’s five-game winning streak and knocking Miami out of a tie with Boston for the #2 spot in the East.

As a side note, Chris Bosh had another clunker, shooting just 5-of-14 from the field for 10 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. He was thoroughly outplayed by J.J. Hickson (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Hollins (13 points, three blocks). Bosh was coming off seven double-doubles in his last eight games, but his performance in tough environments on the road is something to keep an eye on.

Here are the highlights:

External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2010-11 NBA season Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James Miami Heat

Police issue felony warrants for the arrests of Aqib Talib and his mother

March 29, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Texas police have issued felony warrants for the arrests of Bucs’ cornerback Aqib Talib and his mother, Okolo “Momma Be Packin’ Heat” Talib. (I’m kidding – that’s not her real nickname. I actually don’t know what her real nickname is. Probably “O” or something.)

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Talib could face five to 20 years in prison after he turns himself in for the second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Talib’s mother was also charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and surrendered to police on Tuesday. The warrants stem from an incident that occurred on March 21 in which Talib allegedly opened fire on his sister’s boyfriend outside her home in Texas.

As I wrote yesterday when this news first broke, it sounds like Talib was trying to defend his family. He and his mother do have the right to bear arms (assuming the weapons were registered, of course) and if he felt that his life or the lives of those around him were in danger then maybe he should have fired the gun. Who knows? I wasn’t there and therefore can’t pass judgment.

That said, Talib is fortunate that he didn’t kill an innocent bystander by firing the weapon while trying to hit his sister’s boyfriend. He may wind up going to jail a la Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress because he didn’t think before he reacted. (Again though, I wasn’t there so I’m just basing everything off the published reports.)

We’ll see how everything plays out but this kid is in some serious trouble. Whether or not he broke any laws and will face punishment in court is uncertain at this point. But the NFL will monitor the situation and if he is charged, Talib can expect a suspension.

External Sports, NFL

Aqib Talib Aqib Talib arrest Aqib Talib fight aqib talib gun aqib talib mom aqib talib shooting aqib talib sister

Your quick and dirty Final Four preview

March 29, 2011 / John Paulsen

Butler vs. VCU

Spread: Butler -2.5; Sagarin: Butler -1.45; Pomeroy: Butler 55.3%
Butler is the slight favorite, and if this game comes down to the final few possessions, I have to give the Bulldogs the edge due to their amazing ability (fortune?) to triumph in close games. However, Butler has only won their four tournament games by a total of 13 points, so they have hardly been as dominating as the Rams, who have beaten #1 Kansas, #3 Purdue, #6 Georgetown and #11 USC by an average of 14.8 points. Their lone tight game was against #10 Florida State, which went to overtime.

The key for the Rams has been their lights-out three-point shooting. They have hit 44% of their attempts in the tourney, after shooting just 36% during the season. Will this hot shooting continue in a football stadium against Butler, which very good at defending the three-point line (32.4%)? If the Rams hit 40%+ from long range, they have a chance for a 10- to 15-point win, especially if they use their depth to press, something that has rattled the Bulldogs in this tournament.

My pick: VCU

Kentucky vs. UConn

Spread: UK -2; Sagarin: UK -2.32; Pomeroy: UK 58.4%
After watching UConn play in a tough environment against both SDSU and Arizona, there’s no doubt that the Huskies are mentally tough enough to leave Houston with a title. Kentucky has the more talented rotation, but the key to this game will be how the Wildcats defend Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb. Against both SDSU and Arizona, Walker carried the Huskies early, but at some point in the second half, Lamb stepped up with several big shots to help to put those two games away.

If you go with the “best player on the floor” argument, UConn probably has the edge because of Walker. He’s lightning quick and can usually get a good look at the basket whenever he wants. The Wildcats have more balance, with four players averaging double-digits and two more averaging 7.9 ppg or more. Brandon Knight has hit some clutch shots and UConn hasn’t had to wrangle a guard of his caliber so far in the tournament.

In the end, the Wildcats have the edge. They own the 4th-best Pomeroy rating and look more like a national championship-caliber squad with their elite (#7) offensive efficiency and more than capable defense (#20). That said, if Walker and/or Lamb get hot, this will be a close game.

My pick: Kentucky

College Basketball, External Sports, March Madness

2010-11 college basketball 2011 NCAA Tournament Butler Bulldogs Connecticut Huskies Kentucky Wildcats

Erik Ainge: “I would’ve made Charlie Sheen look like Miss Daisy.”

March 29, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Jets’ quarterback Erik Ainge recently opened up about a drug problem that he has apparently had since he was 11. In an exclusive interview with ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Ainge admitted that he needed to get help before his addiction killed him.

Ainge says that he was addicted to the hardest of drugs – heroin, cocaine and alcohol – and said that at the height of his problems he “would’ve made Charlie Sheen look like Miss Daisy.” (Apparently Miss Daisy wasn’t doing crack and heroin in the back of that car? Not sure if that reference applies, but I’ll cut Ainge some slack and move on.)

Ainge isn’t the only human being to suffer from drug problems and he certainly won’t be the last. If he stays sober, then good for him. He knew he needed help and he sought it. There are many people who never reach out and they wind up six feet under, so hopefully Ainge won’t be among those who have suffered a fatal ending.

As he said in the video, maybe him going public with his issue will help those who suffer from similar addictions.

External Sports, NFL

Erik Ainge erik ainge drug addict erik ainge drugs erik ainge video New York Jets