A former Malaga player Sergio Contreras, known popularly as “Koke,’’ pleaded guilty to being the leader of a gang of drug traffickers and received a six-year prison sentence.
Contreras, 40, who also played for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo, Marseille and Sporting Club, accepted a plea deal at a law court in Malaga on Tuesday after prosecutors previously asked for a 16-year prison sentence.
Koke’s sentence will be handed down over the next few days and cannot be appealed.
He was one of the 17 defendants charged with buying large amounts of drugs that were smuggled in lorries into various European countries.
The Spanish police disbanded the ring led by Contreras in November 2019 after an intense investigation.
Koke began his football career at Malaga his home club, where he then made his senior debut in 2002. He made seven appearances in MLS for Houston in the 2011 season.
Contreras’ best seasons were spent at Aris where he scored 31 goals in 141 appearances during two stints with the Greek side before he retired in 2016.
Now that the regular season has completed one month, it is time to award eight players some due recognition for their performance with the 2023 MLB monthly award.
These are the winners of the Players of the Month, Pitchers of the Month, Rookies of the Month and Relievers of the Month for April, as listed on Wednesday on MLB Network. The Players of the Month honor is presented by Chevrolet.
Without further ado, here is the list for the 2023 MLB monthly award:
Acuña posted a strong .352/.440/.546 slash line and unleashed unimaginable terror once he made it to base, pacing all the players within 13 stolen bases. No player had more multihit games during the season’s first month than Acuña’s 13.
Cole the Yankees’ ace led the Majors with 40 2/3 innings and allowed just five runs during this span. He won five of his six starts, including a two-hit, 10-strikeout shutout of the Minnesota Twins on April 16.
Kershaw wins Pitcher of the Month for the seventh time in his illustrious career and the first time since 2016. His April he gathered a 1.89 ERA, a .174 opponents’ batting average and his 200th career victory.
Bautista was essential to the Baltimore Orioles; hot start, getting all seven of his save chances. He struck out 25 batters in 13 2/3 innings and produced a robust 46.4% whiff rate.
Hader was all except unhittable in the opening month. That is backed up by his .093 opponents’ batting average. He save an MLB-best 10 games and allowed just one run in 13 innings.
The Seattle Mariners have announced that left-hander Robbie Ray had Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, including the flexor tendon repair that was previously expected. Ray had already been ruled out of games for the rest of the 2023 season, but the extra procedure meant that he will probably miss the beginning of ‘24 too.
Dr Keith Meister, the director of sports medicine at Arlington-based Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine and the Rangers’ team physician, did both procedures.
Scott Servais the Mariners’ manager said that Ray needing the surgery to reconstruct his UCL was in line with his expectations.
“Obviously, he’s got a long road ahead of him,” Servais said. “The rehab and those situations can be challenging, but if anybody’s going to come through strong, it’ll be Robbie Ray.”
Ray injured his throwing arm in his first start of 2023 and was put on the 15-day injured list the next day. It was decided that Ray would need season-ending surgery to fix a left flexor strain after a consultation on April 224, although the Tommy John surgery was not mentioned to the public up to that point.
“He was in good spirits, as good as can be when you go through something like that,” said Servais, who FaceTimed with Ray ahead of Wednesday’s game in Oakland. “Hopefully he’ll come back stronger than ever.”
Robbie Ray will rehabilitate at the Mariners’ Spring Training facility in Peoria, Ariz. Tommy John surgery needs a recovery period of 12 to 18 months, which means he will not be ready at the start of Spring Training in 2024.
“He’s a key guy in our clubhouse,” Servais said. “Not just what he does on the mound on the day he pitches, but what he adds. We’re going to miss him. … He’s got to do what’s best for him and his family and his arm to get it back healthy and get going again.”
Ray entered the second season of a five-year, $115 million contract, which has an opt-out after the 2024 season. It should also be noted that Ray’s deal with Seattle does not have any protection for the team in the case of Tommy John surgery. When Luis Castillo was extended with the Mariners after signing Ray, they added a unique club option that would be activated if Castillo needed UCL reconstruction.
Robbie Ray’s absence will have long-term ramifications for the Mariner’s rotation, especially for top pitching prospect Bryce Miller. Miller stunned in his debut on Tuesday in Oakland and can hold the forte for the No.5 starter role, but he will prove he can handle his business in the Majors with Ray out longer than previously expected.
The Mariners’ farm system has a number of rising arms who could enter the big league rotation picture, including Emerson Hancock (the club’s No.4 prospect per MLB Pipeline), Bryan Woo (No.6) and Prelander Berroa (No.14) at Double-A Arkansas and Taylor Dollard (No.9) at Triple-A Tacoma.
In what was an uphill task, the New York Knicks managed to defeat a shorthanded Miami Heat 111-105, evening out their second-round playoff series at one. Thanks to Jalen Brunson.
Although Jimmy Butler was out due to an ankle injury, Miami still led for a greater part of the match until Brunson ended the onslaught. He finished with 30 points, five rebounds, and two steals behind 6-of-10 shooting from deep, and his strong presence aided the Knicks in overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit to leave the court with a victory.
But this was not a one-man event, Julius Randle missed a triple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists) in his return from an injury, and RJ Barrett (24 points) carried the offense in the early going.
However, Jalen got most of the adoration from fans on social media for his performance in Tuesday’s Game 2:
Jalen Brunson is on a new team and that team is in the playoffs. His former team isn’t. People watched him since HS, saw him win 2 nattys & were like nah we won’t draft him til the 2nd round. #WeNeedMoreBasketballPeopleInBasketball
Took seven and a half quarters, but Jalen Brunson has finally figured out how to isolate a bad defender in his wheelhouse. A testament to Miami’s collective paint protection.
— Mike Prada. (PRAY-duh) (@MikePradaNBA) May 3, 2023
The Miami Heat could have easily given up and waited for Game 3 with Butler absent. They had home-court advantage no matter the results of Game 2 and were still on the road against a team that desperately needed a win.
Still, they went toe-to-toe with New York for the first half and brought a three-point lead into intermission. Caleb Martin was the only player that had double figures at that point, and this balanced approach was a challenge for the New Yorkers for extended stretches.
There was lower balance on the side of the home team, as Knicks not named Barrett, Randle and Brunson scored a grand total of seven points at the half. Barrett and Randle shooting outside gave a bright spot, yet the apprehension from the Crowd at Madison Garden was easy to pick up.
Miami’s injured players’ list did not end with Butler, Tyler Herro, and Victor Oladipo, as Max Strus went to the locker room in the third quarter. During Strus’ absence, New York took the lead temporarily, with Randle, Brunson, and Barrett staying aggressive, but there was no separation entering winning time in the fourth quarter.
When it looked like Heat were going to pull away with Martin and Gabe Vincent appearing like All-Stars, Brunson delivered multiple threes and a step-back jumper. This plus, Isaiah Hartenstein creating second chances by drawing fouls and grabbing boards and a monster corner three from Josh Hartm and there was enough power to generate a victory.
Things may be different if Jimmy Butler comes back for Saturday’s Game 3 in Miami.
Embiid defeated two-time NBA MVP award winners and finalists, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić.
Keith Pompey from the Philadelphia Inquirer provided the voting results which showed that Embiid secured 73 of 100 first-place votes for the historic win. Jokić clinched second place ahead of Antetokounmpo.
The 76ers Center averaged a League-high 33.1 points on 54.8 per cent shooting, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game this season. He propelled the 76ers to a third-place mark in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record.
Embiid did nothing both dominated during the home stretch, with the highlight of this period being a 52-point, 13-rebound game against the Boston Celtics on 4th April. He also had a 10-game stretch from March 2-20 where he averaged 36.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest.
Joel proved himself to be the best player in the NBA in the final months, shooting the 76ers into one of the spots for the NBA’s top title contenders.
He is the first player from his team to the named MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. He is the third Philadelphia center to receive the award after Wilt Chamberlain and Moses Malone.
Embiid beat out some tough players to get this titled.
Antetokounmpo was the best player on the best regular-season team this season. The Milwaukee Bucks finished with an NBA-leading 58-24 to win over the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee felt his impact better this year, especially with three-time All-Star Khris Middleton absent most of the season with injuries. Antetokounmpo needed to play at his top form, and that was what he did and more on the journey to leading the Bucks to a great regular-season run.
Giannis averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.
Jokić on his own part, according to perFiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR player ratings is No.1 in RAPTOR WAR (wins above replacement) with 20.4. The second closest to this record is Embiid at 13.3.
Based on Basketball-Reference, Jokić lead the league in VORP (value over replacement player), BPM (box plus/minus), PER (player efficiency rating), true shooting percentage and win shares (total and per 48 minutes).
Nikola led the Nuggets to their first-ever first-place regular-season finish in the Western Conference after Denver secured a 53-29 mark.
Although all three finalists had great records that could win them the award, it was Joel Embiid who win it all this year.
The 2023 NBA Playoffs continue to entertain fans with exciting matches, and one of its mouthwatering offerings happening this Sunday is New York Knicks VS Miami Heat.
Read on for more information on the Knicks VS Heat game to find out the NBA Predictions Tonight, odds, and picks by MatchPlug. Read similar betting previews on our site too.
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks scored an upset in the first round when they sent the Cleveland Cavaliers packing from the playoffs in just five games. Brunson commanded, New York in that game with 24.0 points on 43.7 per cent shooting from the field, while RJ Barrett gathered 17.4 points on 44.1 per cent shooting from the floor.
The Knicks didn’t exactly shoot well in the opening round, but this team wins ugly matchups, mostly because of its rebounding.
New York ranks second in the playoffs so far with a 54.9 per cent rebound rate. The Knick’s frontcourt presents a problem for the Miami Heat, with New York wielding, Mitchell Robinson, who grabbed 18 rebounds in the series-winning Game 6 versus the Cavaliers, Julius Randle, and Isaiah Hartenstein. Randle injured an ankle in the last match, so his status should be regularly monitored.
The Miami Heat managed to scale through the first round, thanks to Jimmy Butler. Butler delivered a series of all-time incredible performances in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Milwaukee Bucks to knock out Giannis Anetokounmpo and co.
In the five games against the Bucks, Butler churned out 37.6 points, as he buried 59.7 per cent of his attempts from the field. Considering what this team did in the first round, there will be no counting the Heat.
New York looks good, but Miami is bringing a heated offense rooted in Butler’s powers. So far in the playoffs, the Heat is second overall with 119.0 points per 100 possessions and tops with a 60.5 effective field goal percentage.
Sacramento Kings VS Golden State Warriors leaves some questions to be answered about both teams in this NBA playoffs series, with the main one being “Will Sacramento be allowed to score in the series?’’
The Warriors won a crucial game on the road and are now one victory away from advancing to the quarterfinals. These teams played 61 matches together, Golden State won 42 games and Sacramento won 19 times.
And in the most recent matchup held on April 28th, the Kings beat the Warriors to a score of 118-99.
Matchplug has done another betting preview that shows the NBA Prediction Tonight, picks, odds, and analysis for Sacramento VS Golden State.
The Sacramento Kings had the most successful start to the playoffs but may be eliminated according to results from recent matches. Sacramento was dealt three defeats in a row, one of them was at home for 123-116.
It is still too early in the playoffs to write them off, especially since they haven’t done anything to warrant this. The Kings won 25 times out of 41 matches on the road in the regular season, the best indicator in the Western Conference.
On Friday, they defeated the Golden State Warriors in a 118-99 game victory. When backing this team, this is part of the results to consider for your bets.
The Golden State Warriors are in high spirits for this upcoming matchup. They lost in the series with a 2-0 score but turned this result around and are now one game away from making the quarterfinals.
Bettors should pay attention to the fifth game, where the Warrior secured their most vital victory; they were better than their opponents in almost all the key indicators.
Additionally, when predicting Golden State, consider that team effort played an important role in the victory. Four players for the Warriors scored 20+ points at a go.
The Golden State Warriors lost the series with a 2-0 score but later won three consecutive matches. Now, they have enough home wins to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Although nothing has been decided for this matchup yet, they have enough to remember the fourth game between The Kings and Warriors which ended in a 126-125 score. In that game, Barnes could have secured a road victory for Sacramento but lost momentum at a crucial moment.
When predicting for Sacramento VS Golden State, not that the Kings did well in away matches this season; 26 wins out of 43 (one of the best indicators in the championships. They must bring the Warriors a fight.
Two Atlantic Division Rivals play in the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs in Boston Celtics VS Philadelphia 76ers. This matchup promises to be packed with action for a series that kicks off on Monday.
Go through our preview to see the NBA Prediction Tonight for the Celtics VS 76ers. We have picks, odds, and predictions for both sides. You can also visit MatchPlug to view similar writeups for other NBA games.
The Boston Celtics needed to play 6 matches to put a stop to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, but they eventually got the job done. The Celtics have a shorter breaker heading into the second round than the Philadelphia 76ers, although they have a homecourt advantage. Moreso, it appears that Boston has Philadelphia’s number this year.
During the regular season, the Celtics won three of four matches with the 76ers. The only win for the Phillies in those games was when Joel Embiid scored 52 points. It is hard to expect that type of performance from Joe again for the second round, especially since he is not 100% and it will it is not easy to get through Boston’s defence.
Boston ended the regular season second place in the league with a 110.6 defensive rating.
The Philadelphia 76ers are entering this game from a long break after a quick play in the first round. They ended the Brooklyn Nets in four games during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, with Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris leading the scoring.
Maxey concluded the first round with an average of 21.8 points on 47.1 per cent shooting from the field, while Harris delivered 20.3 points on 56.7 per cent shooting.
Joe Embiid and James Harden are still top assets for the 76ers, but the fact that neither of these players played at a high level, and yet Philadelphia thrashed the Nets speaks loud about this team’s depth. Embiid’s knee injury raises concern amongst the Sixers, but he should make an appearance for Game 1 of the Boston series, thanks to the long break.
Embiid’s form is a source of worry for Philadelphia and there is no guarantee that Harden will take on his deadly form. Due to this, the Celtics are expected to win Game 1.
Two strong houses in the Western Conference faceoff in the second-round series that begins today at Ball Arena in Denver, as Denver Nuggets VS Phoenix Suns clash.
Keep reading for more information about this Nuggets VS Suns game in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, plus the NBA Predictions Tonight, odds, picks, and analysis on which team will win this clash.
You can also read other betting previews on MatchPlug to get more information on the other NBA playoff matches happening today.
The Denver Nuggets didn’t have much of a challenge in the first round, as they eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves from the NBA title competition after only five games.
Jamal Murray made a Playoff comeback that boosted Denver this season, and he’s expected to maintain this form as the main source of offense for Denver. In the first round, Murray scored an average of 27.4 points per game, shooting 44.2 per cent from behind the arc.
Nikola Jokic remains the Nuggets’ No.1 weapon. An MVP award favourite, Jokic ended the first round averaging 26.2 points, 12.4 boards, and 9.0 dimes per contest while knocking down 50 per cent of his shots from the arc. Nikola can control the post, from the deep and especially with his playmaking. He’ll a problem for the Phoenix Suns, who didn’t deal with him in the first round.
The Phoenix Suns are ready for the second round after schooling Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. They knocked out Los Angeles in five games.
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant took turns dealing with the Clippers, with Booker leading the Suns with 37.2 points per game on 60.2 per cent shooting from the floor, while Durant averaged 28.4 points on 51.8 per cent shooting from the field.
Phoenix has the power of two talented scorers (Booker and Durant) on their side, which means fans can expect Denver’s defense to be stretched thin. Not to mention Chris Paul who has the ability to create scoring spaces for his teammates.
Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic will handle the Nuggets’ offense, while Denver will win the rebounding battle too. Fans can back the Nuggets to win Game 1.
Both clubs playing today need to gather points so that they don’t lag behind in the conference standings. The Vancouver Whitecaps VS Colorado Rapids game should be a thrilling one, especially since they are both recovering from crucial losses and are falling in the rankings.
Both teams are in need of points as they risk falling behind in the conference standings. The Vancouver Whitecaps vs Colorado Rapids match promises to be an exciting one, as both teams are coming off of crucial losses and are starting to slip in the rankings.
MatchPlug is ready with some soccer information and MLS Predictions about the Whitecaps VS Rapids matchup. Keep reading to find out what experts say is in store for both teams.
The Vancouver Whitecaps’ 3-0 loss to the LAFC in the CONCACAF Champions League was a hard blow for them. They couldn’t come back in the league as they drew 0-0 against Austin FC, lacking in offensive strength with few attacking opportunities.
Vancouver holds the 8th position in the Western Conference, winning just two out of eight games played. They focused too much on the continental tournament, and now that it’s out of their brains, they can start growing in the League.
It should be noted that the Whitecaps are a high-scoring team, with 11 goals, 8 of which were scored at home, where they don’t forfeit many goals, only conceding three.
Possible Lineup: (4-3-3): Yohei Takaoka, Javain Brown, Ranko Veselinovic, Tristan Blackmon, Luis Martins, Julian Gressel, Andres Cubas, Ali Ahmed, Brian White, Simon Becher, Ryan Gauld.
Betting On The Colorado Rapids SC
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 4.1
The Colorado Rapids won just one game in the tournament despite being undefeated in their last five games, with four of those five results ending in draws. Colorado is gradually growing as a club, managing to improve its defense, but enhancing its offense is still an ongoing project.
Averagely, the Rapids shoot just three times per game, which is low in a league as offensive as the American League. In their past two matches, they managed to score, but they conceded the same number of goals in the 2-2 draw against Charlotte FC and the 1-1 draw against St. Louis FC.
Possible Lineup: (3-4-2-1): William Yarbrough, Lalas Abubakar, Andreas Maxso, Danny Wilson, Keegan Rosenberry, Bryan Acosta, Connor Ronan, Steven Beitashour, Max, Diego Rubio.
