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Goran Dragic retires from basketball in charity match with teammates, legends

August 26, 2024 No Comments

Goran Dragic, one of international basketball history’s underrated successes, retired from the sport with a charity match that featured legends and teammates who were close to him. The “Night of the Dragon,’’ which was held on Saturday in his home country Slovenia, was headlined by a match placing Dragic and few teammates against Slovenian star Luka Donic. Other players present were Steve Nash, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, and Nikola Jokic. They honored Dragic’s last high-profile appearance on the basketball court. Proceeds from the charity game and adjacent contests were donated to the Botrstvo v sportu program of the Friends of Youth Foundation Ljubljana Moste-Polje and the Goran Dragic Foundation. Dragic also played against his brother, Zoran, whom he was briefly teammates with on the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat in 2014-15. The evening closed with a mini-soccer match and on-court moments with family, including his son, father, and nephew. The Suns traded for Dragic’s rights after he was chosen 45th overall in the 2008 Draft. He shone as a substitute point guard behind Nash, before he was traded to Houston. His time at Houston was marked by a 23-point fourth quarter in Game 3 of the 2010 Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. He returned to Phoenix in 2012 through free agency, where he became the lead guard and won the award for 2013-14 Most Improved Player and All-NBA Third Team honors. Dragic took another step forward in his career when he joined the Miami Heat in 2015. The 6-foot-3 lefty led Slovenia to an unexpected and unprecedented championship at EuroBasket 2017. He was named an Eastern Conference All-Star the following season. Dragic also played a significant role in the Heat reaching the 2020 NBA Finals. He averaged between 16 and 21 points per match in five different seasons while playing 946 games. His 4,405 career assists place 97th all-time. The Slovenian basketball team retired Dragic’s No.3.

JuJu Smith-Schuster back to Chiefs after release from Patriots

August 26, 2024 No Comments

JuJu Smith-Schuster has returned to Kansas City. The former Super-Bowl- winning receiver signed with the Chiefs. Smith-Schuster led Kansas City wide receivers in 2022, scoring 933 yards on 78 catches with three touchdowns. He trails only Travis Kelce in yards and catches. JuJu signed a three-year contract with the New England Patriots last season but struggled with injuries and was inconsistent. He caught only 29 passes for 260 yards in 11 matches. New England released him earlier this month. With the dead money present in his release from the Patriots, Schuster’s deal with Kansas City is likely a minimum level one. The Chiefs have been battling Hollywood Brown’s shoulder injury, which could be why the added Smith-Schuster this late in the game. With Brown absent, the Chiefs have been working with Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson atop the depth chart. They may just want another veteran to the squad. This could also be because of Rice’s legal situation. Andy Reid’s team has conducted a battle for the last WR spots during training camp. Adding Smith-Schuster could determine if Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney or Justyn Ross make the squad.

Predators trade Askarov to the Sharks

August 26, 2024 1 Comment

The San Jose Sharks traded Yaroslav Askarov to the Nashville Predators on Friday and signed a two-year, $4 million contract ($2 million average annual value). The contract starts with the 2025-26 season. “It’s a really big day for our franchise, I believe,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said of acquiring the goalie. “… To have an opportunity to add him to our group is really exciting, and I think it kind of breathes some more positive energy into the group.” Nashville bought prospect David Edstrom, goalie prospect Magnus Chrona and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft (formerly acquired by San Jose from the Vegas Golden Knights). If that pick is in the top 10, San Jose will have to either transfer their first-round pick in the 2025 draft or the Golden Knights selection. San Jose also bought minor-league forward Nolan Burke and a third-round pick in the 2025 draft. Askarov could have been a restricted free agent after this season. “He’s in the fold, he’s all in, he’s excited to be here,” Grier said. Nashville chose Askarov with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He is 1-1-0 with a 2.58 goals against average and .914 save percentage in three matches over two seasons with the Predators. He was the top-rated European goalie in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2020 draft and became the third Russia-born goalie in NHL history to be selected first at the position. He joins Ilya Samsonov (Washington Capitals, No. 22, 2015 NHL Draft) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning, No. 19, 2012 NHL Draft). “We’ve talked about him kind of off and on over the whole year, probably,” Grier said. “… He’s obviously a super-talented goalie, and there’s not too many opportunities where you have the chance to go after a young goalie like this and add him to your group.” Grier said San Jose are confident Askarov can become a No. 1 goalie in the NHL because of his size (6-foot-3, 178 pounds) and athleticism, plus the way he handles the puck and read the game. “When you’re that size and you have the ability to anticipate and read plays and the athletic ability he has, I think it’s all about him just putting it all together,” Grier said. NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes reported that Askarov requested a trade. Nashville then released a statement on Monday from Barry Trotz saying the expectation was for him to report to training camp in September and compete for the position. Trotz while speaking to The Tennessean on Friday said that the Predators discussed privately with Askarov in recent weeks about trading him. Once that trade request became public it hastened the team’s timeline for doing that. “We talked about exploring some things, working together to see where this process would go through training camp,” Trotz told the newspaper. “But once it became public, it pushed to a different place in terms of the decision time.” The Predators have three other goaltenders on their roster: No. 1 goalie Juuse Saros, Matt Murray and Scott Wedgewood.

MLB EXPERT PICKS: Chicago White Sox VS Detroit Tigers betting Predictions

August 26, 2024 No Comments

The Detroit Tigers will take the road to conclude a four-game Sox VS Tigers series against the Chicago White Sox tonight. MatchPlug has the MLB Expert Picks, predictions, and odds for Sox VS Tigers. We are a Hot Prediction Site that offers accurate MLB previews and match analysis. Predictions And Betting Preview For Chicago White Sox VS Detroit Tigers Odds as seen on 1XBet. Betting On The Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox lost their second straight and sixth in the last seven matches, as they were beaten in the second game of this series on Saturday night. Chicago enteres Sunday 31-99 on the year and are at the bottom of the AL Central. The White Sox are 43.5 matches behind the Guardians for top place. They are no longer in the race for playoffs. Davis Martin will pitch for the White Sox in what is his sixth appearance and fifth start of the season. Martin is 0-2 with a 3.22 ERA, a 1.388 WHIP, 12 walks and 22 strikeouts over 22.1 innings of work this term. He lost in his last start against the Giants on the road on Wednesday. Martin threw 4.1 innings, permitted three runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in a 4-1 White Sox loss. Betting On The Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers won for the ninth time in 12 matches as they advanced to a one-sided victory over the White Sox in the second match of this series on Saturday night. Detroit entered Sunday 64-66 on the season and were fourth in the AL Central, 10.5 matches behind the Cleveland Guardians for the top spot. They were 8.5 behind the Twins and Royals, who were tied for the last two wild card spots in the AL playoff picture. Brant Hurter will make his fifth major league appearance in this contest. Hurter is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA, 0.792 WHIP, one walk and 17 strikeouts over 17.2 innings of work this season. He won in his last outing, which was against the Cubs on the road Wednesday night. Hurter threw 3.2 innings, permitting two runs on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts in an 802 Tigers victory. MatchPlug Prediction For Chicago White Sox VS Detroit Tigers The White Sox are not advancing and they have don’t have much players in their offensive unit. Martin can keep them in the match for a bit, but the Tigers are the better squad. Back Detroit to win this series. Final Prediction: Detroit Tigers Moneyline.

MLB EXPERT PICKS: St. Louis Cardinals VS San Diego Padres betting Predictions

August 26, 2024 No Comments

The St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres will meet at the Busch Stadium for a Cardinals VS Padres MLB matchup. MatchPlug has the MLB best bets today which you can rely on for Cardinals VS Padres. We are one of the Best sports betting sites to get previews for MLB matches. Predictions And Betting Preview For St. Louis Cardinals VS San Diego Padres Odds by 1XBet. Betting On The St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals enter this game on the back of a series win against the Minnesota Twins thanks to their 3-2 victory on Sunday. That victory gave the Cardinals consecutive series wins after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers last week. After their battle with the Padres, they’ll face the New York Yankees. Nolan Arenado has 128 hits with 19 doubles and 60 RBIs while Brendan Donovan has 124 hits and 56 RBIs with 27 doubles. Nolan Gorman has 19 homers with 50 RBIS in addition to 15 doubles. Masyn Winn scores a .278 batting average, 128 hits, and 10 stolen bases. Paul Goldschmidt has 147 Ks. Gorman leads St. Louis in strikeouts with 151. Alec Burleson has 21 homers and 70 RBIs. Betting On The San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres start this series after a split with the New York Mets courtesy of their 3-2 walk -off victory in Sunday’s series finale. That split helped San Diego build their victory over the Minnesota Twins to begin the week. For the Padres, Jurickson Profar has 135 hits including a .291 batting average and 24 doubles with 21 home runs and 89 RBIs. Jake Cronenworth has 74 RBIs while Fernando Tatis Jr. delivered 14 homers, 86 hits, 71 strikeouts and 8 stolen bases too this seeason. Manny Manchado has 20 homers and 74 RBIs, including 99 strikeouts. Ha-Seong Kim has 94 hits with 3 triples, 16 doubles, 11 homers, 47 RBIs and a team-high 22 stolen bases. MatchPlug Prediction For St. Louis Cardinals VS San Diego Padres The Padres cannot be trusted to win this game as Randy Vasquez isn’t a reliable starting pticher. Kyle Gibson also can’t be trusted as he seems to be regressing and has a low ERA this season. Experts back this game as an over. Final Prediction: Over 9.5.

mlb expert picks: rangers vs twins betting predictions

MLB EXPERT PICKS: Texas Rangers VS Minnesota Twins betting Predictions

August 18, 2024 No Comments

The Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins will meet at the Globe Life Field for the fourth instalment of their four-game Rangers VS Twins series. MatchPlug has the MLB Expert Picks, predictions, and odds for Rangers VS Twins. We are a Hot Prediction Site that offers accurate MLB previews and match analysis. Predictions And Betting Preview For Texas Rangers VS Minnesota Twins Odds as seen on 1XBet. Betting On The Texas Rangers The Texas Rangers played against the Boston Red Sox in their last set. Texas lost 5-4 and 9-4 in the first two matches before a 9-7 victory in the finale. On Saturday, they messed up a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning. Tyler Mahle will start for the Rangers in this game. So far, Mahle is 0-1 with a 2.79 ERA over his two starts. He is 33-42 with a 4.28 ERA in 125 (124 starts) career games. Betting On The Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins played the Kansas City Royals in their last series. They won the first two instalments of that set 8-3 and 13-3 before losing 4-1 last Wednesday. The Twins won the first two against Texas, then powered out a 5-2 victory on Saturday. Pablo Lopez will start for the Twins in this finale versus Rangers. So far this season, Lopez is 11-8 with a 4.67 ERA in 24 starts. In 150 career starts, he is 5047 with a 3.99 ERA. MatchPlug Prediction For Texas Rangers VS Minnesota Twins On Saturday against the Rangers, the Twins had a decent night at the plate, but the bullpen delivered with 4.0 innings, no earned, two hits and no walks. Experts support Minnesota to secure another victory on Sunday. Final Prediction: Minnesota Twins Moneyline.

mlb expert picks: phillies vs nationals betting predictions

MLB EXPERT PICKS: Philadelphia Phillies VS Washington Nationals betting Predictions

August 18, 2024 No Comments

The Philadelphia Phillies will host the Washington Nationals at the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for Phillies VS Nationals. MatchPlug has the MLB best bets today which you can rely on for Phillies VS Nationals. We are one of the Best sports betting sites to get previews for MLB matches. Predictions And Betting Preview For Philadelphia Phillies VS Washington Nationals Odds by 1XBet. Betting On The Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are 73-50 this season and have won four consecutive matches. The Phillies won the first three matches in this series by 13-3, 3-2. And 5.1 scores. Before that, they split two matches with the Miami Marlins, lost three out of four against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and won two out of three against the Dodgers. They are 7-4 in their last 11 games. Philadelphia’s pitching staff has an ERA of 369, a 1.20 WHIP, and a .236 opponent batting average. Their offense scored 602 runs with a .258 batting average and .328 on base percentage. Alec Bohm is batting .296 with 13 home runs and 85 RBI’s for the Phillies this season. Betting On The Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are 55-69 this year and have lost four straight matches. They lost the first three matches in this series and have scored only six runs in three games. Before that, the Nationals split two matches with the Orioles, won two out of three against the Los Angeles Angels and lost three out of four against the Giants. Washington is 3-7 in their last 10 matches and are fourth in the NL East. Washington’s pitching staff has a 4.37 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and .261 opponent batting average. The Nationals offense has scored 524 runs with a .243 batting average and a .311 on base percentage. CJ Abrams bats .246 with 17 homers and 59 RBI’s for Washington this term. MatchPlug Prediction For Philadelphia Phillies VS Washington Nationals The Phillies and Nationals are headed in different directions this season. Tijuan Walker, the starting pitcher for Philadelphia has some poor numbers in limited play this season. Meanwhile, Washington wants to avoid their fifth consecutive loss and will start Jake Irvin, who has been reliable this season. Experts back the Nationals to win this match. Final Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies Moneyline.

NCAA record holder, Frank Selvy dies at 91 with 100 points in a game

August 15, 2024 1 Comment

Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division-I record 100 points in a match, died on Tuesday at 91. Selvy also played nine NBA seasons. Selvy’s family announced that he passed away at his home in Simpsonville. The Furham athletic department released the news. The school’s vice president of intercollegiate athletics, Jason Donnelly, called Selvy “Furman’s all-time greatest athlete.’’ However, a cause of death was not revealed. Selvy, who was 6-foot-3, was born in Corbin, Kentucky. He played for Furman from 1952 54 and led the NCAA twice in scoring, averaging 41.7 points as a senior. That year, he made history by scoring 100 points (41 field goals, 18 free throws) in a 145-95 victory over Newberry on February 13, 1954 in Greenville. Selvy scored 40 points or higher 22 times in 79 collegiate games. Frank was named Southern Conference player of the year in 1962-53 and 1953-54 and was a three-time All-America selection. He was the No.1 overall draft pick in 1954 by the Baltimore Bullets, and a two-time All-Star during his nine-year NBA career. He played for five NBA franchises. Selvy spent his last 4 ½ seasons with the Lakers, relocating with them from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960. He came back to Furman after he retired from his playing career and coached the Paladins for four seasons. Frank is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara; two children, Valerie S. Miros and Mike Selvy; 11 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

chief's chris jones offers to pay $1.5 million for chicken wings thief

Kansas City Chiefs’ DE Chris Jones offers to pay off chicken wing thief’s $1.5 million debt

August 15, 2024 1 Comment

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones is in the news after he made an unusual offer. Jones said he is ready to pay $1.5 million to free an Illinois school worker arrested for stealing chicken wingers. Vera Lidell, who was once the Director of Food Services for Harvey School District in Dolton, Illinois, is serving a nine-year prison sentence for her role in a huge food theft operation. Liddell, was the mastermind behind the scheme where she allegedly swiped a whooping $1.5 million worth of food; mostly chicken wings-over a two-year period. The mind-boggling plot involved Lidell placing different orders for the wings through the district’s food provider, Gordon Food Service, under the guise of normal school operations. All of this happened between July 2020 and February 2022, when schools were closed due to the pandemic, yet food orders continued to come in. An audit eventually revealed the discrepancy. It showed that the district was hundreds of thousands of dollars over budget halfway through the year. The startling discovery led to Lidell’s arrest on multiple charges. Her charges include forgery, felony theft, and running a financial crime enterprise. The horrifying nature of the crime has caused it to go viral on the internet, with many asking “How do you steal $1.5 million in chicken wings?” In all of this saga, Chiefs’ Chris Jones took an interest in the case. Jones, who recently got a $158 million contract extension, has reportedly offered to pay the $1.5 million Lidell stole. He hopes it might reduce or eliminate her prison sentence. “I’ll pay for the wings that she stole to get her free,” Jones announced on X, turning a wild story into an internet sensation.

Aaron Judge hits 299th HR for winning margin: ‘Such an incredible hitter’

August 12, 2024 1 Comment

Outfielder Aaron Judge continues to expand his legacy. On Sunday afternoon, he hit his 42nd home run of the season off Rangers left-hander Andrew Chafin. That was in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium, helping New York to an 8-7 victory over Texas. “It was a win. It was another good one. I’m happy to win the series and get back [to] the winning ways,” Judge said. Judge’s shot was three pitches after Juan Soto hit his second home run of the game and 30th of the season. It gave the Yankees an 8-3 lead at the time, which turned out to be essential. Similarly, the Rangers scored three in the eighth and one in the ninth before Clay Holmes cleared a four-out save. “Every time Judge hits a home run, it’s incredible. It was a tough pitch outside of the strike zone. The ball went out,” Soto said. “He is such an incredible hitter.” Judge entered the game on track to his 56 homers for the campaign, which would be six short of the American League record he set in 2022. He could become the third player to have multiple 60-plus home run seasons, joining Sammy Sosa (three) and Mark McGwire (two). Judge has 42 homers through 119 team games this season. He had 46 through that number of games in 2022. He played his 952nd career game, and is one home away from 300 for his career. The lowest matches needed to attain 300 career home runs in AL/NL history is 1,087, set by Hall of Fame Ralph Kiner, who did most of his damage with the Pirates from 1946-53. “I try to remind myself every now and then that I take him for granted,” manager Aaron Boone said. “His greatness … I’m getting to watch over there every day what he is able to do and be just the player that he has become. It is remarkable.” For Judge, hitting this milestone will only be relevant if the Yankees win the match. “[The numbers] are not what we play for,” Judge said. “I’m just here to help this team win and put them in a good position. Hopefully, it comes with a win. It would be something special.” Soto has batted in front of Judge for a greater part of the campaign, and he knows that means he will often get something to hit. “You have to make sure you are swinging because they are not walking you at all,” Soto said. “It’s always great to hit in front of him. … They are always trying to attack the strike zone like [the Rangers]. They know he is coming behind me, but they want to make sure they get me out before facing him. They leave the lefty [Chafin for Judge]. At the end of the day, we did our job and helped the team win the ballgame.”

Goran Dragic retires from basketball in charity match with teammates, legends

JuJu Smith-Schuster back to Chiefs after release from Patriots

Predators trade Askarov to the Sharks

MLB EXPERT PICKS: Chicago White Sox VS Detroit Tigers betting Predictions

MLB EXPERT PICKS: St. Louis Cardinals VS San Diego Padres betting Predictions

MLB EXPERT PICKS: Texas Rangers VS Minnesota Twins betting Predictions

MLB EXPERT PICKS: Philadelphia Phillies VS Washington Nationals betting Predictions

NCAA record holder, Frank Selvy dies at 91 with 100 points in a game

Kansas City Chiefs’ DE Chris Jones offers to pay off chicken wing thief’s $1.5 million debt

Aaron Judge hits 299th HR for winning margin: ‘Such an incredible hitter’

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