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🏎 Good morning to all, however particularly to …
WILLIAM BYRON
It ain’t over ’til it is over, and the Daytona 500 tends to get wild proper earlier than it is over. Sunday evening was no exception. William Byron prevented an enormous wreck on the ultimate lap of extra time to grow to be the fifth driver to win The Great American Race back-to-back.
- Austin Cindric led to start out the ultimate lap, however Denny Hamlin made a rapid transfer outdoors to take a momentary lead.
- Cole Custer then took issues three broad, however issues obtained too crowded. Automobiles went each which manner, however Byron — ninth at the beginning of the ultimate lap — scooted by on the excessive aspect and held off Tyler Reddick for the checkered flag. Cindric led simply 9 laps all race.
- It is the sixth time in eight years the race has gone to extra time.
- There was additionally a climate delay, President Donald Trump in “The Beast” pre-race and a wild crash in the closing laps that despatched Ryan Preece airborne.
👍 Honorable mentions
🏀 It isn’t such a very good morning for …
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THE NBA ALL-STAR GAME
One other yr, another format, one other dud of an NBA All-Star Recreation. Crew Shaq — aka the OGs — defeated Chuck’s Global Stars in the final of the mini tournament.
There have been moments of effort, even perhaps higher effort than we have seen shortly. Stephen Curry hit some wild 3s and won MVP. Victor Wembanyama said he’d try, and he adopted by means of. Perhaps he and other youngsters can lead a better future for a recreation that has fallen off a cliff, Invoice Reiter says. The brand new format confirmed promise of ultimately working.
However general, it stunk. There have been gimmicks galore, random big pauses for odd skits/unfunny commentary. The ultimate rating of the championship recreation was 41-25 after Alperen Sengun subbed in and instantly allowed an uncontested Jayson Tatum dunk. Wembanyama appeared considerably upset. Most guys — even the winners — simply shrugged and had been pleased it was over. In any case, there was a 15-minute in-game pause to honor Contained in the NBA, a show that will continue to air after its run with TNT ends on the conclusion of the season.
Even when the video games had been considerably improved, a brutal broadcast made it a tough watch. There was so little basketball. Three video games with a goal rating of 40 meant about 30-35 minutes of recreation motion stretched throughout a broadcast that ran for about three hours. (Once we’re asking for extra half-hearted basketball, you recognize the non-basketball elements had been dangerous.)
This situation is just not distinctive to the NBA. The NFL has scrapped the Professional Bowl for talent contests and a flag soccer recreation. The NBA can hold attempting. I am certain it is going to. However the extra issues change, the extra they keep the identical.
The evening earlier than, Mac McClung turned the first three-peat Slam Dunk Contest champion, scoring an ideal 50 on all 4 of his dunks. He jumped over a automotive. He jumped over folks. He dunked two basketballs directly. It was jaw-dropping, and Colin Ward-Henninger says McClung proved the event doesn’t need stars to keep it alive.
- Henninger: “McClung has creativity, charisma and — most of all — an unbridled ardour for dunking. By his personal admission, he spent ‘eight or 9 months’ engaged on the dunks that all of us ogled on Saturday evening. A part of that, presumably, is as a result of he is not saddled with the calls for of being an NBA famous person.”
What he does want, nevertheless, is competitors. Sam Quinn proposed ways the event can be improved.
There was different motion, too:
👎 Not so honorable mentions
- Aaron Rodgers reportedly “pleaded” with the Jets to stay their quarterback.
- You may cross Brad Stevens off the list of candidates to be Indiana‘s subsequent coach.
- World No. 1 males’s tennis participant Jannik Sinner obtained a three-month ban for a optimistic doping check.
🏀 School basketball recap: No. 1 Auburn wins at No. 2 Alabama
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The largest Iron Bowl of basketball didn’t disappoint, nevertheless it actually left a whole lot of house followers disillusioned. No. 1 Auburn made a resounding statement with a 94-85 win at No. 2 Alabama, the Tigers’ nation-leading third win over an AP top-five group.
- Auburn obtained double-digit factors from six gamers — three starters, three subs — with Johni Broome (19 factors, 14 rebounds, six assists) main the way in which regardless of showing to re-aggravate his ankle damage.
- Fearless freshman Tahaad Pettiford had 13 factors, 11 within the second half.
- Regardless of the excessive rating, Auburn flexed its defensive muscle, too, limiting Alabama to five for 26 (19%) from 3. The Eagles personal the SEC’s greatest 3-point protection this season.
This Auburn group may very well be a historically great, Matt Norlander writes
- Norlander: “At 23-2, one month from Choice Sunday, one thing particular is beginning to come into sight right here. Auburn is already shaping up as an important group within the context of this season. But when this continues, we’ll have an entire new stage of domination in play. Bruce Pearl‘s group is properly on its solution to having the most effective NCAA résumé of the NET period (which dates again seven seasons). Auburn wants 4 extra Quad 1 wins to interrupt Kansas‘ file of 17 (from 2022-23), a file that appears destined to be damaged.”
As for previous title winners, two-time reigning-champ UConn blew five-point leads late in regulation and extra time in a 69-68 loss to Seton Corridor. The Pirates had final 9 straight and had been on the backside of the Massive East standings getting into the sport. The Huskies, unsurprisingly, landed among the many “losers” of our weekend winners and losers.
The reigning champs on the ladies’s aspect did not fare significantly better: No. 4 South Carolina obtained blown out by No. 7 UConn, 87-58. It ended the Gamecocks’ 71-game house successful streak and was their largest house loss since 2008, Daybreak Staley‘s first yr with South Carolina. All this comes after then-No. 4 Texas beat South Carolina final week, ending the Gamecocks’ 57-game SEC winning streak.
- UConn went 13 for 28 (46%) from 3. The Gamecocks went 3 for 17 (18%).
- The Huskies additionally grabbed 15 offensive rebounds.
- Azzi Fudd scored 18 factors within the third quarter and completed with 28, persevering with her sturdy play of late. That is a good sign for both the Huskies and her own WNBA aspirations, Jack Maloney writes.
Here is extra:
🏒 USA hockey tops Canada after three fights in opening seconds
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They fought and fought and fought once more.
After which the USA took it to Canada on the ice, notching an impressive 3-1 win in 4 Nations Face-Off spherical robin play to ensure a spot in Thursday’s remaining in Boston.
- When the puck dropped, the gloves dropped, too. Two seconds in, Matthew Tkachuk fought Brandon Hagel. One second later, Brady Tkachuk and Sam Bennett went at it. Six seconds after that, it was JT Miller and Colton Parayko.
- Connor McDavid gave the hosts the early lead with a nifty flip previous Connor Hellebuyck, however Jake Guentzel tied it up, beating Jordan Binnington by means of the 5 gap.
- Dylan Larkin ripped a shot previous Binnington within the second interval, and Guentzel’s late empty netter ended issues.
The USA’s largest energy — in web — was on clear show. So, too, was a reignited rivalry, Austin Nivison writes.
- Nivison: “These rivals hadn’t performed a real best-on-best recreation in 9 years, and it took no time to get the juices flowing once more. … There was a frenzied tempo, offensive talent, lockdown protection and distinctive goaltending. The truth that hockey followers did not get to see this matchup for practically a decade is legal as a result of the diehard followers will tune in each time, and informal followers will likely be drawn in by the large names and depth of the rivalry.”
Canada performs Finland this afternoon, and Sweden performs the USA tonight to conclude what ought to be an thrilling day of round-robin play. There is a three-way tie for second, however a regulation win between Canada and Finland will advance to face the USA within the championship. If the early recreation reaches extra time, Sweden can advance if it may well notch a win in regulation within the nightcap.
Seven extra therapeutic massage therapists accuse Justin Tucker of sexual misconduct
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Seven extra therapeutic massage therapists allege that Justin Tucker engaged in sexual misconduct, per a report from The Baltimore Banner. This brings the overall variety of accusers to 16, spanning eight completely different spas. The alleged habits came about from 2012 to 2016.
- Six girls initially accused Tucker of inappropriate habits Jan. 30. Three more came forward Feb. 1.
- Among the many allegations are that Tucker uncovered himself and touched therapists inappropriately.
- Tucker denied the allegations, calling them “unequivocally false” and “determined tabloid fodder.”
📺 What we’re watching Monday
🏀 Iowa at No. 9 Ohio State (W), midday on Fox
🏒 4 Nations Face-Off: Canada vs. Finland, 1 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 No. 14 Kansas State at No. 18 West Virginia (W), 2 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 13 Duke at No. 2 Notre Dame (W), 6 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Michigan at No. 17 Maryland (W), 6 p.m. on BTN
🏀 No. 3 Duke at Virginia (M), 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 4 Nations Face-Off: Sweden vs. USA, 8 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 No. 13 Arizona at Baylor (M), 10 p.m. on ESPN
