usa women top belgium in quarterfinals

USA women top Belgium, secure spot in quarterfinals

The 2024 Olympic Games have officially begun in Paris, France. Two groups for women’s 5×5 basketball played on Thursday: Group C (Japan, Germany, France, Belgium, USA) and Group B (Australia, Canada, France, Nigeria). Meanwhile, both the USA women and men’s 3×3 teams played a pair of matches.  Below are the updates for the USA women action in the Paris Olympics. USA 87, Belgium 74 – Group C (Women’s 5×5). USA 60, Belgium 53 – Start of 4th quarter USA 46, Belgium 38 – Start of 3rd quarter

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hayward retires after 14 nba seasons

Gordon Hayward hangs boot after 14 NBA seasons with Jazz, Celtics, Hornets and Thunder

Gordon Hayward has retired from the NBA after 14 seasons, on Thursday. His most memorable moment was almost giving Butler a national title over Duke. It was a half-court shot that just missed on the final play of the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball championship game.  Hayward played for the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, and Oklahoma City Thunder. He was an All-Star in 2017. Gordon averaged 15.2 points in 835 career regular-season matches. And he said he was looking forward to spending quality time with his family.  “Today, I am officially retiring from the game of basketball,” Hayward wrote on social media. “It’s been an incredible ride and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me achieve more than I ever imagined.” Hayward expressed gratitude to his parents and family and his agent Mark Bartelstein. Additionally, he thanked his coaches, teammates, trainers, doctors and friends for supporting him. His letter read, “through countless years and cities, helping me exceed my own expectations.” “To all my fans: thank you for supporting me through the ups and downs,” Hayward wrote. “I’ll always cherish the letters of encouragement and the moments we’ve shared around the world. You inspired me to always dream big and improve everyday — and for the young players up next, I challenge you to do the same.”

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herbert suffers plantar fascia injury to right foot

Chargers QB Justin Herbert suffers plantar fascia injury to right foot

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot after Wednesday’s practice and is expected to be absent for at least two weeks. Herbert will wear a walking boot during this time. The Chargers announced that they expected him to be ready to play at the start of the regular season. They open at home against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1.  However, this is still a devastating setback for the Chargers as they fight to put last season’s 5-12 mark behind them with new head coach Jim Harbaugh, adopting a new offensive system with lots of new faces on the roster.  Herbert had started for 62 straight games and had not missed a game due to injury in the NFL before suffering a season-ending finger injury in December. He was absent for the Chargers’ final four games in 2023; all losses.  In four NFL seasons, he completed 66.6% of his passes and threw for 17,223 yards, 114 touchdowns and only 42 interceptions, also rushing for 911 yards and 11 more scores.  Los Angeles presently has three other quarterbacks on their 90-man roster: Easton Stick, Max Duggan and Casey Bauman. Stick witnessed his only extended NFL action last campaign and Herbert’s stand in. He started the final four games and threw for 1,129 yards, three TDs and one pick. He also fumbled the ball five times, losing four of them. 

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deandre hopkins expected to miss four weeks

Injured Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins expected to miss four weeks

DeAndre Hopkins will be absent for the foreseeable future due to a knee injury.  The veteran receiver suffered an injury during practice and is expected to miss four weeks.  In his first season with the Tennessee Titans, Hopkins broke 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2020. He finished with 1,057 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, while running routes for both Ryan Tannehill and rookie Will Levis. As a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, Hopkins is the top receiver on Tennessee’s depth chart. The chart got two key additions in Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd in 2024.  At 32 years old, being cautious about Hopkins is the best approach for the team, which intends to bounce back after a 6-11 record put them in last place in the AFC South and caused them to fire coach Mike Vrabel. With Brain Callahan who is offensive-minded running the ship, he will need all hands on deck to maximize Tennessee’s potential. Luckily, the regular season will not begin for another two weeks and hopefully, Hopkins will be back by then.

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braves bats stay hot in win over miami marlins

Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves’ bats stay hot in win over Miami Marlins

The Atlanta Braves are suddenly red hot.  After dropping six of seven matches out of the All-Star break, the Braves turned things around with a 4-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night. This marked their fifth win in six matches.  The Braves got to Marlins starter Max Meyer early with three runs in the first and one in the third. Third baseman Austin Riley started things off with a solo home run in the bottom of the first.  First baseman Matt Olson contributed to the first-inning lead with a two-run shot following a single by designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Olson has been trending for the right seasons, securing five homer runs and six RBIs in that aforementioned six-game stretch.  Shortstop Orlando Arcia extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a solo homer off Meyer in the bottom of the third. That was adequate support for Braves starter Charlie Morton, who allowed one unearned run on five hits over six innings while striking out six and walking two.  Over the past six matches, the Braves have outscored their opponents 31-14 while hitting 15 homers.

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celebrini is excited for first nhl training camp with sharks

Celebrini ‘couldn’t be more excited’ for first NHL training camp with San Jose Sharks

Mack Celebrini is finding it hard to wait for his first NHL training camp with the San Jose Sharks next month. “I couldn’t be more excited,” the 18-year-old center and No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft said at the Hobey Baker Memorial Tournament at Royal Golf Club on Thursday. “I was actually thinking about their prospect pool and how they made those additions, and how great of players those guys are. And the people they have in the front office, I couldn’t be more excited.” Celebrini, who won the Baker Memorial Award for top player in NCAA men’s hockey, signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks on July 6, forgoing his sophomore season at Boston University. Since development camp in San Jose from July 2-4, he has been training at home in North Vancouver, British Columbia. “I feel like they’re really going in the right direction and I’m just excited for what the future holds,” he said of his new team. The Sharks want to flip the script after finishing last in the NHL (19-54-9) in 2023-24 and failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth straight season. Besides Celebrini, they also added forwards Tyler Toffoli (four-year contract) and Alex Wennberg (two years) on July 1 and claimed two-time Stanley Cup winning forward Barclay Goodrow off waivers from the New York Rangers on June 24. online pharmacy buy oseltamivir no prescription with best prices today in the USA San Jose also signed Will Smith, chosen with the No.4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Smith led the NCAA with 71 points (25 goals, 46 assists) in 41 matches last season. As a freshman at Boston College he set a program record for a first-year player and helped the Eagles win the national title game.  “We met up at a development camp and he’s great,” Celebrini said of Smith. “He’s a great guy and we got along very well. It’s going to be fun together. We both have the same goals and that is just to help take this team and organization as far as we can, so that’s going to be great.” Celebrini had 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 matches last season, and at 17 became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award. He was second in the NCAA in points per game (1.68) and goals, and third in points. online pharmacy buy hydroxychloroquine no prescription with best prices today in the USA online pharmacy buy buspar no insurance with best prices today in the USA Fresh out of development camp, he said he is working on his 200-foot game and a lot of wall play. Celebrini knows there will be a large amount of pressure trying to turn San Jose around, but he said he could not be more ready. online pharmacy buy vidalista no insurance with best prices today in the USA “You never really think about failing before you even start,” Celebrini said. online pharmacy buy fluoxetine no insurance with best prices today in the USA “I mean, we’re going to try to win as many games as possible. You never want to go into a season thinking that you’re going to lose games. I feel like that’s the mindset we’re going to have. We have the group to do it, and we’ve made some great offseason moves. “It’s my first training camp, so there’s definitely a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement as well. I just feel like not letting it consume you, but kind of fuel you. At the end of the day, you’ve got to take care of what you can control and the rest will take care of itself, so I feel that’s what I’m focusing on.”

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Patriots DT Davon Godchaux accept two-year extension of up to $21 million

New England continues their desire to maintain continuity along the defensive lines. As part of that project, Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux has accepted a two-year extension deal of up to $12 million.  NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported the news on Wednesday, according to a source. Rapoport added that the contract includes $16.5 million in guaranteed money.  Godchaux is the running-stuffing specialist for a New England defense that finished fourth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per match (93.2 last season). The 6-foot-3, 330-pounder delivered 56 tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and a fumble save in 2023. He started in 17 matches and preserved his consistent presence for the Patriots defense.  Davon was nearing the end of his contract and expressed his desire for a new deal this year by skipping the club’s offseason program. The 29-year-old arrived at training camp but had yet to join practice before Wednesday’s extension news.  New England spent most of this offseason res-signing players that jeopardized a defense that ranked seventh in the NFL in 2023 (301.6 YPG), including defensive lineman Christian Barmore, outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings, outside linebacker Josh Uche, and safeties Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers.  Next order of business for the team will be fulfilling Matt Judon’s request for a new contract; an issue that seemed resolved early in the week.  With Godchaux secured, the Patriots can now focus on maintaining Jerod Mayo’s unit as he enters his first campaign as head coach. 

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ranking to top 5 prospects at the mlb trade deadline

Ranking the top 5 prospects at the MLB Trade Deadline

The MLB Trade Deadline ended on Tuesday with some ruckus just before the clock struck 6.p.m ET. Teams worked round the clock to add impact bats and arms to their Major League rosters as part of their projects for the postseason.  Others fought to bolster their farm systems with talented return packages that could brighten the future of the franchise.  A total of 56 prospects were dealt who made their new clubs’ MLB Pipeline Top 30 rankings. This post seeks to rank the top 5 prospects at the MLB Trade Deadline.  1.  Connor Norby, 2B/OF, Marlins (No.5) Dealt from the Baltimore Orioles in the Trevor Rogers trade. Norby gets a nod for being a finished product. The Orioles’ crowded position-player group allowed Norby to basically build a second full year at Triple-A where he slashed .297/.389/.519 with 16 homers in 80 matches. He also has the chances to hit for a strong average with selective aggression and at least average power. He could step in swiftly and clinch the Miami Marlins’ second-base job with the chance he never got with the Orioles.  2. Augustin Ramirez, C, Marlins (No.6) Bought from the New York Yankees in the Jazz Chisholm trade. There is no doubt that Ramirez can hit for power. The right-handed slugger has combined homers over the last two campaigns, and slugged .570 over a 58-game spin at Double-A earlier his season. Ramirez has struggled some in an introduction to Triple-A (hurt by a low BABIP), and his defense is still rough enough that he might be a first baseman long term (He’s thrown out only two of 33 attempted base stealers, for starters.) He would still have upside at the cold corner if the Marlins cannot fix his issues behind the plate.  3. Jake Bloss, RHP, Blue Jays (No. 3) Bought from the Houston Astros in the Yusei Kikuchi trade. Bloss has been one of the breakout stories of the Minor League season, graduating from third-round pick out of Georgetown last year to the Majors this summer.  Paul Skenes and Hurston Waldrep are the only pitchers from the 2023 Draft class to witness The Show to this point. Bloss’ 92-94 mph fastball and multiple above-average breaking balls give him a well-loaded arsenal, which should give him enough shots at the Toronto rotation.  4. Thayron Liranzo, C/1B, Tigers (No.5) Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade. Liranzo showed spectacular pull side power, and that helped him launch 24 home runs for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga last year in his age-19 season. He has hit a speed bump with the move to High-A this year, slashing only .220/.344/,356 with seven fingers in 74 matches. So it is an opportunity for the Tigers to buy low. Thayron’s plus arm strength gives the Tigers something else to build around, and they should have an interesting debate of Detroit’s catching situation with Liranzo. He will be judged alongside Dillion Dingler and Josue Briceño. 5. George Klassen, RHP, Angels (No.3) Dealt from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Carlos Estevez trade. The last pick in the MLB Trade Deadline is Klassen. Severe control concerns at the University of Minnesota caused him to go in the sixth round last year. The Phillies hit the ground running while harnessing his powers; an upper-90s fastball and two above-average breaking balls, and the results have been astounding.  Klassen delivered a 1.97 ERA with 89 strikeouts and 21 walks in 59 ⅓ innings between Single-A and High-A this season at the time of the trade. He still needs to be tested in the upper Minors and over deeper outings, but he might have the biggest up arrow next to his name of anyone on this list. 

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victor wembanyama, france outlive japan in ot

Paris Olympics Update: Victor Wembanyama, France outlive Japan in OT

The 2024 Olympics Games have officially begun in Paris, France. Group A (Australia, Spain, Greece, Canada) and Group B (Germany, Brazil, France, Japan) swung back in action while pool play for the men’s and women’s 3×3 competition tipped off in Paris.  Take a look at the best basketball moments from July 30.  Germany 86, Brazil 73. France 94, Japan 90 (OT). Canada 93, Australia 83. Spain 84, Greece 77. 3×3 Pool Play (Men) • Serbia 22, USA 14 3×3 Pool Play (Women) • Germany 17, USA 13.

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team usa arrives france for olympics

‘Locked-in’ Team USA arrives France for beginning of Olympics

As the Olympics kick off, big, bold and colorful signs and banners go up in several places, acknowledging the biggest basketball attraction in a city that anticipates its magnificence.  But enough about San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama. Team USA had its first practice in France on Thursday at the Palais de sports Marcel-Cerdan. This was the gym where French sensation Wembanyama got his first start before joining the Spurs. However, as USA gears up to face Serbia on Sunday for the Olympics, there is still no word on Kevin Durant and his calf injury and when he will finally play.  Durant attended practice four times but did not play in any of the five exhibition matches. Coach Steve Kerr said his status remains uncertain. Kerr said: “There are no expectations other than he’s supposed to practice, we’ll scrimmage, then take it day by day.” Durant said he felt rejuvenated and is good enough to stay on the team and play at some point in the Olympics.  Durant said: “Each day is getting better, another intense practice and we’ll see how it feels.” With Durant absent, Kerr will probably start with the five players he had for most of the exhibition games, pending a last-minute change: Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker. “We’re not traveling around anymore,” Kerr said. “We’re here. We got six games. We get through pool play, advance, then it’s the NCAA tournament.” Team USA  had some tension against South Sudan and Germany, and Kerr said he believed those lapses will not follow the team to the Olympics. “We need 40 minutes of forced attention and focus,” Kerr said. “We can’t let teams outplay us, effort and energy wise, as we did.” The pool play will hold in Lille, France’s most populated city, at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium. The site was chosen, partly because Paris only has one arena that can house basketball games. Bercy will host gymnastics next week. FIBA, the national governing body for basketball, voiced complaints when that location was announced two years ago. The NBA commissioner Adam Silver also expressed his displeasure. Lille is two hours from Paris, near the Belgium border, making it inconvenient for a popular Olympics sport. Due to the logistics, Team USA will travel back and forth for three matches, in a private car, and stay in a hotel in Paris. The following week, the medal stage will move to Paris for the games. When asked which country he is most looking forward to playing, Curry said: “Whoever’s in the gold medal game.” That mindset is perfect for a team that once again projects as dominant. “We have another level we can get to,” Kerr said. “It’s time to lock in, that’s for all of us, coaches and players, to get to that point, mentally, strategically.”

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