Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo raced to the basket and took a hard fall.
Antetokounmpo’s fall may have put the championship dreams of the top-seeded Bucks in jeopardy.
Giannis slammed the floor with his backside after a foul in the first quarter and left Milwaukee’s Eastern Conference playoff opener for good at the beginning of the second quarter on Sunday. The Bucks lost 130-117 to the Miami Heat.
“There was an X-ray that was clear here,” Milwaukee’s coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ll monitor him and see how he does, see how he wakes up, how he feels the rest of tonight and tomorrow.”
Game 2 of the series happens on Wednesday in Milwaukee, and the Bucks hope that Antetokounmpo will be better by then.
“We have to wait and see what the doctors say, most importantly what Giannis says,” Budenholzer said. “Certainly we’ve been blessed with him being resilient and quick to heal, but you’ve just got to take it day by day, see how he’s doing and see how he feels.”
When he was taken out of the game, Giannis went to the locker room. He came back with 9:56 left in the second quarter but had to leave again with 8:33 left in the half and did not return.
“Didn’t look comfortable, confident,” Budenholzer said. “It felt like the right thing (to keep him out).”
Giannis Anetokounmpo had six points and three rebounds in 11 minutes.
The Heat had their own injury concerns. Miami’s Tyler Herro broke his right hand late in the second quarter, putting his status for the rest of the postseason in question.
This will be the second consecutive season where a Bucks key player suffered an injury early in their playoff run.
Khris Middleton three-time All-Star, Khris Middleton sprained the medial collateral ligament of his left knee in Game 2 of the Bucks’ opening-round series with the Chicago Bulls last season and missed the Bucks final 10 playoff games. Milwaukee lost a seven-game series to the Boston Celtics in the East Semifinals.
Two seasons ago, Antetokounmpo hyperextended his left knee and was absent for the last two games of the East finals. Giannis came back from the injury to claim the MVP title of the NBA finals after scoring 50 points in the title-deciding Game 6 victory over the Phoenix Suns that gave the Bucks their first championship in a half-century.
Milwaukee hopes that Giannis Antetokounmpo will show strength again.
“That’s our guy,” Middleton said. “We hope he’s going to be well, he’s going to be back out there with us Wednesday, but we’ve just got to focus on who’s out there at the same time. They had a guy go down also, and they continued to compete and play well. The same mindset we tried to have. It sucks when our guys go down or can’t return but we’ve still got a job to do out there.”
Ja Morant, point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies has a new injury which is causing grave concern among the Grizzlies fanbase. He hurt his right hand during the 2023 NBA Playoffs loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday and disclosed that his status for Game 2 is ”in jeopardy”.
Morant’s injury happened halfway through the fourth period when he tried dunking over Anthony Davis. A foul was called on Morant who grimaced in pain and raced to the locker room. He came back to the bench later but sat out the final stretch of the game.
The point guard addressed reporters after the loss, saying he couldn’t undo a pair of socks with his right hand, stating that “it seems like it’s one thing after another.”
Taylor Jenkins the Grizzlies’ head coach said Morant’s X-rays came in negative, ruling out a fracture, but he was in pain.
The Memphis Grizzlies play well without Ja Morant
Last season, the Memphis Grizzlies held a 20-5 record in Morant’s absence and went 10-8 without him this year.
The Grizzlies were undone after Morant left the game on Sunday, but the Lakers still have to succeed in Wednesday’s Game 2, because there are still many threats.
After being away from the spotlight for much of the NFL pre-draft process, quarterback Hendon Hooker has been selected as one of the hottest names in the 2023 draft class.
The Tennessee star’s recovery from a season-ending knee injury prevented him from impressing scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine and the Volunteers’ pro day, but it appears draftniks are catching up on his tape because he has been rising in the ranks lately.
As a skilled QB prospect with 6,080 passing yards and a 58:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his past two college seasons, Hendon is a dart thrower that can deliver the football with touch, timing, and anticipation at a short and intermediate range. Hooker complements his pinpoint changeup pitches with rainbow tosses that are high-arching and fall from the sky into the waiting hands of light-footed pass catchers running various vertical routes.
After Hendon Hooker was transferred from Virginia Tech, he showed Knoxville that he can take on defenses like a championship fighter, deploying jabs (dink and dunk tosses) and right hooks (deep balls) that cause opponents to fight to defend every grass from the sideline to sideline and end zone to end zone. Hooker’s gait, patience, and precision make him a plug-and-play prospect at the next level.
While unbelievers will say that Hooker’s numbers are inflated because of Josh Heupel’s explosive system, the tape shows a cerebral player with a clear understanding of concepts and coverage. Hendon’s knowledge and football IQ aid him play the sport in slow motion while other players (Levis and Richardson) move at a frenetic pace, causing inconsistent production and performance.
Matter of fact, Hendon Hooker’s dominating multiple seasons in the SEC makes it an easy decision to give him the draft cap as the third quarterback off the board. He is more refined and productive than his SEC counterparts from Kentucky and Florida, and teams going for the toolsy guys could regret overlooking the prolific passer.
Hooker’s game brings to mind Geno Smith’s play and just like the veteran, Hendon can excel as a pro if given the opportunity and a solid supporting cast.
Ex-NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the workings of the NFL and offers insight from his notebook. He covers some potential trade fits for star linebacker Devin White.
More than two years after winning the Lombardi Trophy, the Tampa Bay Buccanneers seemed to have fallen from the top.
Last season did not go as they expected. Although the Buccanneers finished top of the NFC South, they posted an 8-9 record before losing on their home field on Wild Card Weekend. A while after this, they lost NFL’s greatest quarterback to retirement. And now one of the key players in the team wants to leave.
Tom Pelissero an NFL Network Insider reported this week that Bucs linebacker Devin White requested a trade recently. White should earn $11.706 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, but the trade is probably because of the lack of a long-term extension.
While White has not talked about the matter in public, Jason Licht did. On Thursday, the Buccaneers’ general manager said that the team does not intend to trade the linebacker who played a significant role in the 2020 Bucs’ Super Bowl LV triumph before he made his first Pro Bowl in 2021.
“I have all the respect in the world for Devin,” Licht said to reporters. “He’s done some great things for us as a player, and we look forward to more from him in the future, so he’s on our team. We are looking forward to this season. We are gearing up for this season with the draft right now, free agency, and, you know, looking forward to him being a part of this team. If he has the kind of year that we all think he’s capable of, we can hopefully put this to rest and everybody’s happy.”
Licht may be right and the whole matter will die out, the defensive captain might stay in Tampa Bay for at least one more season. However, with Devin White’s disappointment and the team’s current status adjusting to a post-Tom Brady existence, it will not hurt to explore which other NFL teams would be interested in having an off-ball linebacker in his prime. Especially with the dearth of mouthwatering options at the position in the 2023 NFL Draft, as shown by Lance Zierlein ranking linebacker as the weakest position group in this year’s prospect crop.
In four NFL seasons, Devin White has been a stat-building machine with 483 tackles, 55 QB hits, 35 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, and an interception. He has constantly shown disruptive potential as a designated playmaker in the midst of defence. From punishing opposing quarterbacks to running down ball carriers from behind. White is a sideline-to-sideline menace defensive coordinators covet in a traditional Mike ‘backer’.
On that note, White has been criticized most times for being more flashy than consistent. Last October, Hall of Famer and Buccanneers icon Warren Sapp took him to task for loafing or taking plays off in the middle of games, while focusing on a couple of lacklustre snaps on film.
However, as a powerful tackler with incredible instincts, awareness, and diagnostic skills, Devin White becomes a blur when is locked in and ready to go. His pass-rush skills distinguish him from other players in this position. White’s impact could make him an in-demand commodity in the trade market.
With all these in mind, here are five NFL teams that will be a good fit for Devin White.
It is difficult to know the Minnesota Vikings’ plan presently, with Kirk Cousins entering the final year of his contract. Minnesota should be in a transitional mood, having moved on from Adam Thielen and Erick Kendricks.
With Kendricks’ loss at linebacker, it could be hard for Kevin O’Connell and his team to pass up a chance to add a key playmaker to the defence that could disrupt opponents with new coordinator Brian Flores’ pressure packages.
White is a wrecking ball as a second-level pass rusher who has great instincts and timing. His skills match Flores’ aggressive tactics perfectly. If the Vikings can get this playmaker in the midst of his prime, they can keep chasing a title while flipping the roaster with interesting new puzzle pieces.
If the Texans’ new head coach DeMeco Ryans wants a bully in the AFC South, Devin White could be the key component for this job. As a former Pro Bowl linebacker too, Ryanss created elite defenses in San Francisco around the playmaking talents of blue-chip ‘backers’ Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, who constantly caused trouble between the tackles.
White’s game is unique, but his potential for disruption and Super Bowl experience can jumpstart the Texans’ rebuilding effort. Ryans and general manager Nick Caseiro have enough salary cap space and draft capital to make this trade happen.
Despite the Eagles being reluctant to pay big money for off-ball linebackers in the past, general manager Howie Roseman may see White as a vital piece of a championship-calibre defense.
White would give Philadelphia another player who would be part of a dynamic pressure package under the guidance of new defensive coordinator Sean Desai.
Devin White could bring a new dimension to a defense with a deep-and-talented rotation along the front line.
Bill Belichick can make a move for White if he wants to improve his defense and upgrade his linebacking corps. White who was a second-team All-Pro in 2020 is a pass-rushing specialist with a talent for getting to the quarterback that would cause problems for opponents who attempt to slow down edge rushers Matt Judon and Josh Uche in pass protection.
Now that Belichick wants to adapt and adjust his tactics to play to the strengths of his top players, the Patriots could become a blitzing machine to destroy the timing and rhythm of the murderers’ row of quarterbacks in the AFC.
The ultra-aggressive scheme of Vance Joseph makes Denver the perfect landing spot. Devin White’s disruptive tendencies as a pass-rushing ILB will allow the Broncos to attack from the inside out to force opposing quarterbacks to move off their spots within the pocket.
White’s experience in neutralizing Patrick Mahomes is an ability that Sean Payton can use now that he’s assembling a lineup to threaten the Kansas City Chiefs’ unending reign in the division.
When offered a chance to upgrade the middle of their defense with a young and dynamic defender, the Broncos may want to take in the disgruntled linebacker from Tampa Bay.
Toronto Maple Leafs VS Tampa Bay Lightning faceoff in the First Round, with both sides coming into the series with impressive seasons and unique playoff histories.
Tampa Bay went 46-30-6 this season and wants to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth year in a row. Toronto went 50-21-11 with a four-game win streak to end the season but they haven’t won a playoff series since 2004 or won a Stanley Cup since 1967, which is the longest drought in the NHL.
The Lightning struck the Maple Leafs in a seven-game series last season and this series, beginning with Game One looks like it will be good.
The Maple Leafs season was great with their offense improving and scoring 3.39 goals per game including 16 goals in the last four games to end the season. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander share 110 goals and 161 assists to head the top two lines but the whole offense squad have been good this season.
Michael Bunting and Calle Jarnkok combine for 79 goals and 89 assists while defensemen Morgan Rielly and Mark Giordano contributed 8 goals and 57 assists from the point to place the offense over the top.
Toronto’s offense has been excellent, but the defense has done well too, allowing just 2.68 goals per game. Mark Giordano and Justin Holl combine for 9.6 defensive point shares and 286 blocked shots while Timothy Liljegren, T.J. Brodie, and Jake McCabe combine for 9.3 defensive point shares to add depth to the unit. Goaltender Ilya Samsonov is not left out of a good performance too, with a .919 save percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average on 1184 shots with 17.4 goals saved above average.
Betting On The Tampa Bay Lightning
Season Record: 46-30-6
1XBet Spread: +1
1XBet Moneyline: 3.184
1XBet Over/Under: Under 5.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: Over 6
BetMGM Over/Under: 2.30
Tampa Bay Lightning delivered another unforgettable season with their offense assisting them, scoring 3.41 goals per game. Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Steven Stamkos scored 115 goals and 177 assists to lead the top two lines but the other offense members improved too.
Brandon Hagel, Alex Killorn, and Nick Paul share 74 goals and 86 assists while defensemen Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev added 19 goals and 94 assists from the point to open up the offense.
The Lightning’s offense is good but their defense struggled, allowing 3.07 goals per game. Hedman and Sergachev combine 9.0 defensive point shares, but the rest of the unit faced challenges, leaving the opposing offense to find open shots on the net at will. The goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is the one bright spot for Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy has a .915 save percentage and a 2.65 goals-against average on 1875 shots with 20.5 goals saved above average.
MatchPlug Prediction
Today’s matchup will be a good one between two teams that are evenly matched. Tampa Bay will want to clinch a game on the road, but Toronto wants to make an impression in Game One and control the clash on their home ice.
The Maple Leafs who have averaged 3.39 goals per game, should continuously find the back of the net with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and the other forward unit members taking charge of the puck in the offensive zone and creating open shots.
Toronto which allows just 2.68 goals per game, will limit the Lightning’s offense with Mark Giordano, Justin Holl, and the other defensive unit members making turnovers in the defensive zone and curbing shooting lanes, creating space for goaltender Ilya Samsonos to make many big saves.
The Maple Leafs should have no problems winning Game One with a powerful home performance.
Milwaukee Brewers VS Seattle Mariners will open the 4th week of the 2023 season in an interleague game today at the T-Mobile Park, Seattle Washington. Seattle is the favourite (-155) with 8.0 total sets.
The Brewers and Mariners have not played a game together since 2019 when Seattle won two of the three games in Milwaukee. Both teams have split in the last 10 meetings.
The Milwaukee Brewers won the San Diego Padres on Sunday, 1-0, winning three of the four contests in San Diego. This was after they lost two of three to the Arizona Braves early in the week, as they are now in first position in the NL Central and 6-4 on the road.
Milwaukee has conceded three or fewer runs in 6 of their last 8 matches, but gave up 10 to the Padres on Saturday and seven to the Braves on Wednesday. But they are third in team ERA (2.94) and fourth in WHIP (1.19). The Brewers bullpen has been a delight this year, posting a 2.26 ERA, the best in MLB. This is good news for Colin Rea, who was excellent on his first start of the season, allowing one run in 5.2 innings to San Diego on April 13.
The Brewers are not just a team that can pitch, but they rank number 7 in team batting average (.263) and are tied for 9th in runs scored (77). The offense averages 3.94 runs per game over their last 10 contests and hits .250 during this span.
Betting On The Seattle Mariners
Regular Season Record: 8-8
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.64
1XBet Over/Under: Over 7.5
BetMGM Spread: -1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.65
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 8
The Seattle Mariners defeated the Colorado Rockies during the weekend, and have now won four consecutive games. The Mariners are in second position in the AL West and are 5-5 at home this season. Their four-game winning streak preceded a three-game losing skid.
Seattle’s pitching staff were fantastic in the series against the Rockies, allowing 5 total runs and 7 total runs over their last four games. This helped the Mariners to become the fifth team in ERA (3.44) and their bullpen has been good too, 9th overall with a 3.30 ERA.
Over the course of the last 10 games, the starting staff has a 3.52 ERA and right-hander, Logan Gilbert has played a key role. Gilbert is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts. He has conceded a single run in two of his three starts this season.
The Mariners don’t have the same offensive strength as the Brewers, but they are still solid. They have 15 homers and scored 74 runs, but are hitting .232 with a .310 on-base percentage. Over their last 10 games, they hit .238, with a .342 on-base percentage which aided them to average 6.21 runs per game.
MatchPlug Prediction
Today’s game looks like an outstanding pitching match, and the Milwaukee Brewers may have the advantage. Colin Rea played against the Seattle Mariners once in 2016 when he was with the San Diego Padres, allowing 5 earned runs in 5.1 innings.
Many things have happened to Rea since then, as he took 4 years to get back to the big leagues and he is making his second start since 2021. The right-hander has learned a lot from past experiences, so he is expected to have a massive outing, in fact, a big season for the Brewers.
Logan Gilbert has never played the Brewers before and wants to capitalise on a 2022 season that saw him go 13-6 with a 3.20 ERA.
No one is placing either side as having a big advantage. The match will be a low-scoring one where the Brewers have the edge in bullpen strength. Experts say this could be a one-run victory for Milwaukee.
Philadelphia Phillies VS Chicago White Sox will meet for the first time since 2019. The Phillies (6-10) and Sox (6-10) are contending for their division crown in 2023 but had a slow start to the season because of injuries and inconsistent pitching.
The Phillies enter this matchup after splitting a series with the Cincinnati Reds, while the White Sox will want to perform better than they did in their lost series against the Baltimore Orioles.
The first pitching for this match is slated for 7:10 p.m. EST in Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Philadelphia Phillies only needed one pitch to take the lead on Sunday. After three outs, they were well on their way to winning the game. They scored 9 times during the opening frame, parlaying it into a 14-2 victory. All the starters sans Nick Castellanos finished with multiple hits. The bullpen entered and threw 3 shutout innings. Every player played their role in keeping the Reds with another tally in the win column. Bryson Stott hit his first home run of the season, extending his hitting streak to 16 games to begin season. Stott is batting .380, heading an offense with the most batting average and second-highest slugging percentage in the league. Philadelphia isn’t top 10 in scored runs, but its offense has many weapons. The Phillies’ pitching has been a different ball game, they enter this series 27th in ERA at 5.48. Just two teams have a higher BB/9 than them. Their bullpen has been particularly vulnerable, starting play on Sunday with the second-highest ERA. Zack Wheeler will start today, and he gets better with each game this season. While the Phillies lost, in Wheeler’s last start he allowed one run over 6.0 innings of work. He only allowed 3 hits in the match, leaving with the lead secure.
Betting On The Chicago White Sox
Regular Season Record: 6-10
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.09
1XBet Over/Under: Over 8.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.05
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 8
The Chicago White Sox’s relievers are recorded as the worst in baseball this season and scored a 6th loss against Baltimore on Sunday. They took a 4-0 lead during the first inning of the game, before allowing 8 unanswered runs. The Orioles scored 4 runs over the last two innings to end the game against Chicago.
Chicago’s pitching staff is 28th in ERA with a 5.72 mark. They are among the few teams whose BB/9 is higher than Philadelphia. including the highest reliever ERA in the majors. The White Sox do well in racking up punchouts, but not so much in other areas.
Lance Lynn will get the ball today hoping to secure his first win. He’ll be making his second start at home too, with a chance at redeeming himself after a bad outing against the Giants in the first one. Lynn conceded 8 runs in his first home start, plus 3 long balls in 4.1 innings.
White Sox has had a productive offense this season, but Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada are missing for this series. These players are the most important hitters in the team. Presently, the expectation is for Luis Robert to keep mash, as he has a .569 slugging percentage earlier. Chicago is great on bases as well, stealing 13 bags without getting caught.
MatchPlug Prediction
Throughout three starts this season, Zack Wheeler’s performance has been more impressive than Lance Lynn’s.
When fans compare offenses entering this series, the Phillies should be rated as hotter, heading MLB in batting average after a 14-run performance. Even if White Sox clinch a lead early on, it will be difficult to trust the league’s worst bullpen.
The game should end as a Phillies win no matter what.
Napoli and AC Milan will continue their recent rivalry this Tuesday when they meet at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League tie.
The hosts are looking to be third-time lucky against AC Milian, having lost their last two head-to-head meetings with the San Siro side. That run includes a 1-0 loss in the first leg of this tie, with an early goal from Brahima Diaz the difference that night.
Luciano Spaletti’s side has followed that loss with a disappointing goalless draw with Hellas Verona at the weekend, meaning that they have failed to score in their last two games. The return of star hitman Victor Osimhen will be a big relief for the hosts, who have enjoyed a solid return of goals when the Nigerian is in the team.
Also, returning to their home will boost their confidence as the hosts boast a proud home record in this competition. They have avoided defeat in their last 12 UCL games at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium (W9, D3). Notably, all four matches in this year’s edition of the competition delivered victories.
Meanwhile, AC Milan could now become the first team to beat Napoli three times in one season since Lazio back in 1994/95, having enjoyed back-to-back success in their last two meetings.
However, the visitors could not take their form against Napoli to the league at the weekend as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Bologna. Even though they remain in fourth position, that result complicated their quest for the Serie A top four.
But Stefano Piolli’s side has been different gravy in the UCL this season, especially at the back. The Rossoneri have shut out their opponents in their last five UCL matches – their best consecutive run of clean sheets since 2004/05 when they went to the competition’s final.
So, we can predict another low-scoring game unless Napoli succeeds in turning on the screw.
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has shrugged off criticism from his club boss Mikel Arteta following the Gunners’ recent stumbles in their Premier League title bid.
The North London side has seen their lead at the top of the table cut to four points after back-to-back 2-2 draws against Liverpool and West Ham.
Both games saw the Gunners give away a two-goal lead, leading to Arteta asking questions about the “mindset” of his players.
After the game, the Spaniard said: “When the game is there for the killing, you have to do it. When you don’t have that ruthless mindset in the Premier League, at some stage, the momentum will turn around.”
However, midfielder Xhaka insists mental strength is not an issue at the club: “This is not about our mentality, and I am certain everyone will see a reaction against Southampton on Friday. Everything is still in our own hands if we win our remaining games, so nothing has changed on that front. We go into our next matches with the same objective. We’re not looking at what Manchester City are doing.
“Sunday’s game was similar to the match at Liverpool last week where we started very well, scored two goals but couldn’t get the win. We need to analyse why this happened twice in a row. But if anyone thinks that we’d get to this point of this season by smashing all our opponents without dropping points, I think they’re not in the right position. We are disappointed, and when things are not going well, it’s easy to show the finger to someone else. But now is the time for everyone to be together. We have taken on a challenge which no one was thinking about before this season started, and now we have seven games to go, so let’s carry on.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal had the opportunity to go 3-1 up in the game but failed to take their chance when Bukayo Saka missed from the penalty spot.
But Xhaka is backing the Englishman to take a spot-kick again if needed. “The reason we didn’t win the last two games is because we gave away too many easy goals, and nobody is blaming Bukayo for the penalty miss,” he added.
“The guy is so strong mentally, so we’re not worried about him. It’s not as though we’re saying, ‘If he scores, the game is finished’ because there were another ten players on the pitch. He needs our support more, but he will bounce back and show a reaction in our next game. If we get another penalty against Southampton, I will push him to take it.”
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher will decide on his future at Stamford Bridge when he meets the new permanent Chelsea manager.
According to reports, Gallagher wants to know what the next Chelsea manager and the club, in general, have in mind for him before committing to a new deal or seeking a move away from Stamford Bridge.
The England international, who will enter the final two years of his contract this summer, has been a regular for Chelsea this season. However, he has struggled to hold down a permanent starting spot, making just twelve out of 28 Premier League outings as a starter.
Interim manager Frank Lampard fancies the 23-year-old. But the ex-Chelsea man will not be at the club beyond the summer, so Gallagher cannot be guaranteed what will happen to him beyond June.
The signing of Enzo Fernandez in January and Chelsea still hunting for a new midfielder has left Gallagher questioning his future at the club. However, several Premier League clubs have established their interest in signing the Blues academy graduate Gallagher if he becomes available.
Liverpool are in front of the race, while Tottenham, Newcastle, Leicester City, and Crystal Palace, with whom Gallager enjoyed a successful loan spell, are all watching Gallagher as he approaches what could be a crossroads in his career.
Chelsea are unwilling to let any players enter the final two years of their contracts, so Gallagher may have to decide in the coming weeks.
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