Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – After a third consecutive sterling performance in a 76ers uniform – but first in front of fans here at the Wells Fargo Center – James Harden announced that Philadelphia feels at home.

“Just exciting,” Harden said after finishing 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Philadelphia’s 123-108 victory over the New York Knicks in front of a large crowd here Wednesday night. “Love, fans, I feel at home. Only love, support, man, from looking around, hearing, “We love you, James.”

“It makes me go out and play harder and I just wanted to do whatever it took to win.”

So far in a 76er uniform, Harden is 3-for-3 in that regard, as Philadelphia – combined with Milwaukee’s last-second victory over Miami on Wednesday night – now sits two games behind Heath for first place in the East. Conference ranking.

The only thing anyone focused on here, however, was Harden, who finally came out on the court in uniform in front of his new fans for the first time since Philadelphia acquired him in Ben Simmons’ hit exchange with the Brooklyn Nets three weeks ago. Harden’s slow build-up of hamstring injuries in his last days in Brooklyn led him to miss the team’s last home game on Feb. 15 and saw him make his Minneapolis debut last Friday against the Timberwolves before playing again on Sunday. Square Garden vs. Knicks.

Both games, such as Wednesday’s rematch with New York, ended in Philadelphia’s victories. And although it is still extremely early in this grand experiment and far more difficult opponents are ahead, all involved are quite pleased with the early progress.

“I mean, we just fit together,” said Joel Embiid, who finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, stolen and two blocks in 34 minutes. “You have someone in James who comes with his experience and ability to play, ability to score a goal and you add what he adds and he’s amazing and what we have on the team. Everything fits.”

Appropriate in part because of the continued appearance of second-year goalkeeper Tyree Maxi, who took it one step further after impressing as a full-back all season when Simmons was away from the team looking for a replacement.

Maxi’s 25-point performance on Wednesday was his third in a row with more than 20 points since Harden joined the squad. On Wednesday, 21 of Maxi’s points came after halftime when he said Harden had given him a wake-up call.

“Well, James came to me and asked me if I was going to play today,” Maxie said with a smile at their half-time conversation, “and I said, ‘Yes.’

“Having guys like James, [Embiid]Tobias [Harris], I’m just saying I have to be aggressive … I can’t stretch like I’m passive. I have to help these guys and we have to help these guys as a team as much as possible. “

“He has to be aggressive,” Harden said later. “I know it’s hard because Joel and I have the ball, but when he has the opportunity, he has to be aggressive.”

In the end, however, Philadelphia goes as far as the new superstar tandem of Harden and Embid can take them.

When the 76ers were introduced before the game, Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” echoed through the speakers and bounced through the sold-out arena.

The song, dedicated to capturing the moment and not letting your only chance at greatness slip away, was appropriate when you look at 76ers in general. The acquisition of Harden was made with the championship in mind – both for Harden, who lacks a ring in his resume for the first vote in the Hall of Fame, and for 76ers, who have not won a championship for nearly 40 years and have not won t do the 2001 NBA Finals

Early Friday, when the Cleveland Cavaliers came here, the 76ers played nine of their next 10 playoff games before embarking on a five-game trip to end the month – a far more difficult period than the first three games they played. in the Harden era.

For now, however, the 76ers will take the win when they manage to get them, as they continue to try to build on what they hope will be a long playoff cycle this spring.

“Every game will be difficult for us,” said Harden. “We are new, we are relatively new, we are still learning from each other. Every game will be a learning experience for us and we just need to find ways to keep dropping out, keep getting better, win or lose. It’s obviously better when you win to understand it, but it will be a great test for us and we are really looking forward to it. “

It seems that Islam Mahachev will have to fight once more before winning the UFC title, after it is claimed that he threw himself into a short battle for change on Saturday.

After Rafael dos Agnos lost his original opponent for UFC 272, Mahachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) was one of the fighters who offered his services. The rising lightweight contender recently won the main event over Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night 202 last weekend, but raised his hand to fight Dos Agnos in a match that has been canceled three times before.

Dos Anyos was all-in in the situation, even offering to move to the welterweight division to ease Mahachev’s pressure to lose a lot of weight. However, the momentum died down there, because shortly after it was confirmed that Renato Moikano will fight dos Anjos at UFC 272. Former UFC champion and Makhachev they later blamed each other because it fails to materialize.

UFC President Dana White clarified what happened on Wednesday and pointed to Makhachev and his team to prevent a fight.

“I thought we did,” White said in an interview with Barstool Sports. “When I went to bed one night there, I thought it was over. I woke up the next morning and realized that (Makhachov) had refused.

“This is ‘What is the best match you can make?’ The best battle we could make would be him and Islam.” RDA against Islam. Islam rejects the battle: “What is the best battle you can do? Moikano.”

Although White did not express any anger or disappointment at Makhachev, who currently has a series of 10 victories and is high in the queue for the title with 155 pounds. However, it seems that Mahachev’s quest for a championship match between the winner of Charles Oliveira against Justin Getzhi at UFC 274 on May 7 will remain unfulfilled.

Instead, White said he wanted to see Mahachev fight Beneil Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC), who suffered a serious leg injury that forced him to leave UFC Fight Night 202, where was replaced by Green.

“I love the battle with Dariusz,” White said. “Since he rejected this battle, we will remake the battle with Dariusz. I’m dying to see this battle. And then (if) it goes through Dariusz, that’s very interesting. “

Connected

INDIANAPOLIS – There were so many things that went wrong for the Giants last season that it can be difficult to list and arrange the wines in the right order. So many failures in the standings.

Somewhere on the list is the sad state of affairs in the final position. The vision – Evan Engram as the elusive playmaker, the newcomer Kyle Rudolph as a veteran touchdown maker – never came into focus and the blur was another spokesman in the offensive wheel of incompetence.

Engram is an upcoming free agent and is expected to sign elsewhere. There will be a market for the 27-year-old with 262 career receptions, as Engram with a new team will be unencumbered by the high pedigree, which he failed to withstand.

Rudolph said goodbye on social media on Wednesday, after becoming the first of several salary cuts that new general manager Joe Schoen will make. This move saves the Giants $ 5 million from the ceiling.

The Giants will have to fill that position and there is no doubt that they are in the market with limited positions this week in the NFL Scouting Combine.

It is certainly not inconceivable that the Giants have been thinking long and hard about the secret end of the second day (2nd and 3rd rounds) of the NFL draft. Somewhere in Day 3 (4-7 rounds) it’s probably more reasonable. New head coach Brian Dabol needs some sort of threat in the end to make Daniel Jones’ life easier by entering a season of standing up or breaking up. Not surprisingly, the Giants hosted a formal meeting Wednesday night with Trey McBride of Colorado, who is set to be one of the first tights off the board.

McBride called Andy Bischoff, the Giants’ new coach, a “great man” based on a conversation they had earlier in the day.

A man from a small town in Fort Morgan, Colorado, McBride won the John Mackie Award for Best Tight End in College Football in 2021. As a senior, he caught 90 passes for 1,121 yards and likes to compare his game to that of George Keatle. at 49ers. To hear his name first, before any other tight end, would be something special.

“It really would be a dream come true,” McBride said. “Just being the first person to be chosen would be an incredible honor and something I am constantly working on to achieve that goal.”

The giants cannot lose this position. They have only one healthy end of the list, Chris Myarick. Jake Houseman was signed with a reserve / future contract. Three secret ends – Caden Smith, Levine Toilolo and Raisen John – are on the reserve / wounded list.

Engram, selected from the first round of 2017, had 46 assists of 408 yards and three touchdowns in his fifth and almost definitely final season with the Giants. Four passes to the Giants in 2021, a total of 78 catches in 715 yards and five touchdowns.

McBride is the most successful tight end to pass in this draft. Jeremy Rockert of Lindenhurst on Long Island is near the other end of the spectrum. He caught 54 passes for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in his four-year career in Ohio. With a set of Buckeyes weapons, the narrow end was often the fourth or fifth option, and the accumulation of eye-catching numbers would not happen.

“I don’t know if underestimation is the right word,” Rockert said of the perception that he has a suspicious ability to make passes. “I am confident. People may not think this is one of my strengths, but I believe in myself, I know what I can do.

“I knew that going to Ohio, the production might not be there, but the person I became, the player I became, the flexibility I was able to adapt to, I don’t regret it at all. That’s what brought me here. “

Other options for the Giants: Cade Otton (Washington), Jalen Weidermeier (Texas A&M), Isaiah Lickley (Coastal Carolina) and Jake Ferguson (Wisconsin).

The giants could add a tight end to the free agency, but they won’t have much to spend. The draft is a more affordable option. With nine choices, there’s room for maneuver, and if Daboll sees the prospect of becoming a tight-end target, it makes sense to add it to the mix.

“I think I’m having a hard time doing anything,” McBride said.

If the Giants agree with this assessment, it could be a match.

DALASUS – Clay Thompson has rejoined the Warriors on Wednesday in Texas after missing the previous two games due to illness. Although he was named as controversial for Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Thompson was clear that he came to Lone Star State for one reason.

“I play,” the Warriors guard told reporters after training, through Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I didn’t come all the way to Dallas to watch.”

The Warriors lost both games with Thompson out of the squad. They conceded a 21-point lead over Mavericks on Sunday in San Francisco and remained tied with a 129-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Thompson said he started to feel bad after the Warriors’ victory over the Portland Trail Blazers last Thursday, but he finally felt better.

“I had a severe headache after Thursday night’s game,” Thompson said. “I just got really sick. It sucks. Maybe you want to keep your distance, to be honest. These things suck.”

RELATED: Poole tries to “play” the changing role of Warriors

Thompson watched the Warriors take the lead over Dallas and find themselves relatively uncompetitive against the T-Wolves in Minnesota. After he and Draymond Green left, Thompson realized that the weight on Steph Curry’s shoulder was increasing tenfold.

“He will see a lot of double teams and a lot of attention,” said Thompson. “I hate that feeling because you want to be able to help your team. We have not yet seen our full team. It has a silver lining. ”

After a 941-day absence from the court, Thompson was disappointed to miss more time, especially as the Warriors entered a brutal part of the schedule, playing with eight teams for the playoffs or a 13-day caliber game.

“It sucks when you look, man,” Thompson said. “I’ve watched a lot in the last few years and you just feel helpless. I hate this.”

Thompson slowly settled into his furrow after returning from a torn ACL and a torn Achilles. In his last seven games, Thompson has averaged 19.3 points per game, while shooting 44.8 percent off the field and 45.6 percent off distance with a true shooting rate of 60.0.

Finally in one stream, Thompson is eager to upgrade this recent stretch when he came out on the court on Thursday.

With the Warriors slipping and Curry having to take on a huge burden, Thompson’s return will be a welcome sight for a team that is still looking for ways to get out of the downturn that has engulfed them for most of the 2022 calendar year.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk podcast

2022 MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP PAC-12

As we announced earlier, the Pac-12 Championship in 2022 will be a solid race between the 4-time reigning champions Cal, Stanford and ASU. Technically, the match started last week, when diving competitions were held, in which Cal scored 0 points.

Stanford is currently leading with 131 points from the jump, while ASU is 131 behind with 31, and Cal has yet to score. However, the swimming competition will start tonight with 200 mixed relays and 800 freestyle – giving Cal a chance to take some preliminary points.

Heat sheets

Men’s 200 Mixed Relay

• NCAA Record: 1: 21.54 – Texas (2017)
• Pac-12 record: 1: 21.82 – USC (2018)
• Pac-12 Championship record: 1: 22.16 – Cal (2020)
• NCAA Standard A – 1: 24.22
• NCAA Standard “B” – 1: 24.83

Top 3:

1. Stanford – 1: 22.74
2. ASU – 1: 22.95
3. Cal – 1: 23.26

The men from Stanford won the first Pac-12 swimming title of the match with a 1: 22.74 victory in the 200 mixed men’s relay. Leon McAllister started things for them with a split 21.03 back, lagging behind Cal Daniel Carr which opened with 20.97 and Arizona state Jack Dolan, who threw 20.96.

After McAllister, Ron Polonsky was 23.40 on the breaststroke, leading Stanford to ASU. However, the division of the competition came from Andrey Minakov who scored a 19.49 butterfly leg to put Stanford in first place, hitting the wall for 1: 03.92.

This split by Minakov is the 3rd fastest split in history Joseph School19.36 and 19.45 are separated from his time in Texas. He replaces Dalton Lowe of Louisville as the number two man in history. Lowe swims to split earlier this season in the ACCs.

TOP 50 FOR ALL TIME RELAYS OF THE FLY

1. 19.36 – Joe Schooling – 2016
2. 19.45 – Joe Schooling – 2017
3. 19.49 – Andrey Minakov – 2022
4. 19.50 – Dalton Lowe – 2022
5. 19.52 – Blaise Vera – 2021
6. 19.57 – Luke Urlando – 2022

Lowe’s swim to Louisville contributed to their 1: 21.84 in the match, which is currently the best time in the country this season. Stanford is now a №7 team with their 1: 22.74.

The state of Arizona came in with 1: 22.95 for the silver, and Cal did not lag behind with 1: 23.26 for the bronze medal. It should be noted that all 6 teams competing here fell under the NCAA rankings A of 1: 24.22, as the USC finished 4th with 1: 23.76, Utah was 5th with 1: 23.87, and Arizona rounded out the top 6 with 1: 24.10.

Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay

• NCAA Record: 6: 05.08 – Texas (2019)
• Pac-12 record: 6: 07.31 – Cal (2019)
• Pac-12 Championship record: 6: 10.94 – Cal (2019)
• NCAA Standard A – 6: 16.80
• NCAA “B” Standard – 6: 21.32

Top 3:

1. ASU – 6: 07.51
2. Stanford – 6: 08.73
3. Cal – 6: 09.98

The ASU men rose to victory in the second relay of the evening with 6: 07.51, breaking the Pac-12 championship record by more than 3 seconds. ASU made the fastest swim in the history of this match, beating Cal’s 2019 swim by 6: 10.94.

Grant House was first here for ASU, setting a solid time of 1: 30.54, which is the 8th fastest swim in NCAA history and # 2 this season. He replaces Shine Casas‘1: 30.59 and now he’s sitting right in the back Drew KiblerIt’s # 7 time of 1: 30.39 from last year’s NCAA Championship.

The leader in the whole country for 2021-2022 Kieran Smith with his 1: 30.42 from the SEC Championships, while Matt Sates is already 3rd with his 1: 31.16. House also set a new school record here, beating Cameron Craig 1: 31.71 in 2017. House’s previous PB of 1: 31.73 was ASU’s number 2 before that.

After House Carter Swift came out 1: 33.61, Julian Hill 1: 32.20 and Leon Marchand 1: 31.16 to give ASU a total time of 6: 07.51. ASU is not №1 in the nation this season, replacing 6: 08.00 Florida by the SEC.

The next Stanford took second place with 6: 08.73 with the kind assistance of Luke Maurer (1: 32.99 lead), Leon McAllister (1: 33.09), Ron Polonsky (1: 31.50) and Preston Forst (1 : 31.15). Both McAllister and Polonsky swam in both the 200m medley and the 800 freestyle relays for Stanford, both setting new school records for the team.

Cal finished second in the evening here, reaching 6: 09.98, while the University of Arizona finished 4th in 6: 14.43. This means that 4 of the fastest teams were in the NCAA rankings A of 6: 16.80, while USC and Utah finished with their respective times of 6: 17.03 and 6: 26.63.

Team results after day 1

1. Stanford – 207 points
2. Utah – 183 points
3. Arizona – 148 points
4. USC – 137 points
5. ASU – 105 points
6. Cal – 64 points

One of the great television lines in history comes from The Wire, when Omar reminds Wee-Bey: “Come to the King, you better not miss.” Luka Doncic went to the King on Tuesday night. There was some context in the decision to change the hunt and isolate LeBron, which we will consider. But in the end Luke went to the King. And he didn’t miss it.

Doncic, by his standards, did not have a great night in the Mavericks’ 109-104 victory over the Lakers. He finished with 25 points, but shot only 9-for-21 and missed all five of his 3 points. But Doncic took the time to make money, and LeBron could do nothing about it.

Here Doncic calls a ball from Dorian Feeney-Smith to get James involved. Doncic obviously wants a one-on-one match, and although LeBron is doing well with Doncic’s strengths, cutting off the paint and forcing him to leave, Luca hits him with a nasty fading of one leg, making LeBron helpless.

Thirty seconds later, Doncic chased LeBron again, who again played a pretty decent defense, even initially disrupting Luca’s dribble. But he can only stay with him that long, and Doncic eventually defeats LeBron down, launching the domino effect of weak assistant Stanley Johnson, who must step up, leaving Dwight Powell wide open behind his forehead.

Less than a minute later, Doncic called on the screen again to direct LeBron to him. Again, LeBron made it difficult for Luca to cut off his path with a physical blow, but Doncic did not worry. The big, physical player himself, he just bounces off LeBron, turns the corner and launches a high arc shot, which is not as easy a shot as it seems.

When you hear the “switch hunt” in today’s NBA language, the implication is that it is a weak defender. A man like Luke calls out a screen from the most vulnerable defender, gets the switch, and then prepares the sitting duck.

But in this case, isolating Doncic to LeBron is probably more about eliminating James as an assistant defender. It was actually a compliment. Or at least a blow to the other Lakers defenders. Malik Monk, Russell Westbrook, Stanley Johnson and Tallon Horton-Tucker are not the same threat that comes to disrupt Doncic’s creative endeavors.

If LeBron – a smart, overtaking defender – stays out of the ball, he is more likely to miss the pass or double Doncic late and affect his shot. Since LeBron is keeping the Doncic heads-up, Luca knows that help is a less important factor and he can at least play one on one. Even against a better individual defender, Luca rightly likes his chances of isolation to create a lever for his own strike or for a teammate. And he was right.

When Dallas hired Jason Kidd as its head coach, assessments began to be made of how bad the decision was. Kidd had not shown in previous stops that he was capable of creating advanced Xs and Os advantages. In fact, he often did things to the detriment of his team. But it’s time to pay tribute to Kidd for his role in building a defensive culture in Dallas, and this strategy against LeBron and the Lakers was another sensible move.

Kidd did not make Luca chase LeBron throughout the game. He waited until the score was in balance, then devised a strategy when the Lakers did not expect it, and it won the Mavericks three decisive passes in a section of play that could have developed in any way. Coaching matters. Not so much as having great players like Luca and LeBron, but it matters. Dallas looks more and more in better hands than we thought.

Even Red Panda was out of the game on Wednesday night.

Alabama fell apart in the second half with an insensitive last 20 minutes of an 87-71 loss at the sleepy Coleman Coliseum. It never got stronger than the halftime show, when he rode a unicycle, a spinning bowl, a Red Panda stopped in Tuscaloosa, but drop in the grand final heralds the flop of the second half of the home team.

Texas A&M led by 16 several times at the end of the game, while Alabama wasted some momentum from the end of the season to focus on the post-season game.

The team and coaches stayed in the locker room much longer than usual, before the players left 51 minutes after the signal to talk to reporters. Nate Oates described a ceremonial scene after the game in the locker room when he addressed the team.

“They didn’t say anything tonight,” Oates said of his players. “They may have said some things before I went in there. I was hoping they would say something. Nobody wanted to say anything. I think they are ashamed too. I am ashamed. They are ashamed. “

This series of two wins is now over, Crimson Tide (19-11, 9-8) heading to LSU for the regular season finale at 11 a.m. CT Saturday.

Unlike the Red Panda, which managed to redeem himself the last act, Alabama, would not change as fans went out at the start of the final at home.

Texas A&M (19-11, 8-9 SEC) won its third straight victory after being eliminated eight in a row earlier in the conference game. He took advantage of Alabama’s 19 turnovers to overtake Tide by 29-18 in hand points.

Aggies beat Alabama 50-31 after halftime, scoring the first eight break points to set the tone that will continue throughout.

“Our defense was a disaster in the second half,” Oates said.

Alabama won 13 of 15 home games before Wednesday, both against the top 10 teams in Kentucky and Auburn. Texas A&M entered number NET.

Jaden Shackleford led Alabama with 16 points, followed by 14 by Javon Quinnerley and 13 by Keon Ellis.

“We had to be a little tighter,” Shackleford said. “We knew Texas A&M was a tough team, the top three in the country for turning people over. We knew we had to be tougher on that and take care of the ball. “

Texas A&M surpassed Tide 33-24 and finished 13-2 with a second chance point.

Oates mentioned the effort several times – a consistent theme of his third Alabama team – and his disappointment at failing to reach that group.

“The end will come quickly if this is the effort we make,” Oates said in a statement to the locker room. “We are as good as our efforts and it would be really disappointing for some of these guys to end their careers here in Alabama with this type of loss.”

No team was able to split much in the first half with seven draws and eight changes in the lead. Alabama’s biggest lead was 40-34 in a goal by Juvan Gary, a possession after JD Davison’s strike.

Both teams had nine turnovers in the first half and both scored 14 points from these possessions, but were stable with a touch touch when holding the ball. Alabama was 51.7% of the field (15 vs. 29), while A&M made half of its 28 shots. They both finished with 20 points in the first half.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.