Author: James Brown

James Brown is currently a senior at Utica University, studying communications and media with a minor in sports communications. He serves as the Sports Director at WPNR 90.7 FM, the university's radio station, and aspires to be a sports broadcaster

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Looking for their fourth consecutive win, the Senators begin a 9-game road trip against the Kraken

Ottawa Senators (NHL)

The Ottawa Senators will spend the holiday season away from home ice.

They are starting a stretch of nine consecutive road games on Tuesday in Seattle against the Kraken and won’t return to play at home until January 9.

During the NHL’s holiday break, the Senators will have some time with their families. Their trip will be divided into two parts: the first is a four-game swing through the West, with stops in Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton; the second part is a five-game trip after Christmas, as the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championships will be taking place in Ottawa.

“It’s always hard going out West,” said Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark. “Our goal is to win them all, but we’ll see afterwards what the results are and what we’ll bring home for Christmas.”

The Senators are on a roll, having won three straight games for the first time this season and five of their last six. They’ve moved into a wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after a 3-2 overtime win against Pittsburgh on Saturday. Brady Tkachuk scored 1:46 into overtime, and Ullmark made 25 saves.

“We’re playing to our identity,” said Tkachuk, who leads the team with 15 goals and has 32 points, behind Tim Stutzle (36) and Drake Batherson (33). “We’re playing for each other, and if we keep doing it, the results are going to keep coming.”

Seattle Kraken (NHL)

Defenseman Thomas Chabot added, “This group is rolling off the momentum. We’ve got a long road trip ahead of us and we’ve got to bring that to Seattle on Tuesday night.”

A big part of the Senators’ recent success has been Ullmark, who is playing at the same high level that earned him the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in 2023 with Boston. Ullmark is 6-0-1 in his last seven starts, with a 1.55 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage.

Ullmark wasn’t supposed to start on Saturday but had to step in after backup Anton Forsberg got injured during warmups. It was Ullmark’s third start in four days.

“For Linus to step in and have the night he did, it’s impressive,” said Senators coach Travis Green.

The Kraken are 4-2-1 in their last seven games, even though they suffered a 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday, giving up three third-period goals.

Oliver Bjorkstrand has scored four goals in the past four games, tying Jared McCann for the team lead with 11 goals.

Seattle’s Brandon Montour scored first, but the Lightning dominated the rest of the game.

“We can’t ask for a better start. Monty gets us one early, and we don’t really have much of a response the whole entire game,” said defenseman Vince Dunn. “Guys are working hard, maybe not working necessarily in the smart places.

We kind of look like the same that we were probably eight games ago (losing to Anaheim and San Jose twice). That’s disappointing … we know that we can hopefully respond the right way here come Tuesday in the last game of the homestand.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jets atop the West looking to take advantage of Sharks’ defensive struggles

Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

The Sharks’ weak defense will face a tough test when they host the high-scoring Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

Winnipeg is averaging 3.66 goals per game, and 12 Jets players have at least 11 points. This balanced offense, combined with excellent goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck (2.11 goals-against average, .926 save percentage), has helped the Jets rise to the top of the Western Conference.

In contrast, the struggling Sharks are allowing 3.45 goals per game and 32.5 shots per game, which are among the highest in the NHL.

The difference between the two teams was clear in their first meeting of the season, when the Jets dominated the Sharks 8-3 in Winnipeg on October 18. The eight goals were the most the Jets scored in a game and the most the Sharks have allowed this season.

San Jose is 1-4-0 in its last five games, including a tough 4-3 home loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday. Utah outshot the Sharks 40-22, and Clayton Keller scored a power-play goal with just 44 seconds left to win the game.

In the third period, Utah outshot San Jose 17-4, even though Fabian Zetterlund’s power-play goal gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead five minutes into the period. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky felt his team lacked a “killer instinct” after taking the lead, saying, “we just stopped playing.”

“We looked for someone else to do each other’s jobs. … We get on our heels and we wait for bad stuff to happen. And it’s just a bad way to play this game,” he said.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

Vitek Vanecek stopped 36 of 40 shots in the loss on Saturday, trying his best to stop Utah’s pressure. Vanecek could start again on Tuesday, or the Sharks may give Alexandar Georgiev his second start since joining the team.

The Jets are 4-1-1 in their last six games, coming off a 4-2 home win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Winnipeg was led by strong special teams, as their penalty-kill unit was perfect, stopping all four power-play opportunities, and the power-play unit scored twice on six chances.

“That’s how you win in this league,” Hellebuyck said about the special teams. “Especially at this time, when things are getting tighter and teams are figuring out their game and bouncing back from bad games or whatnot. Your big guys have got to bring their A-game on a consistent basis.”

The penalty-kill shutout ended a streak of five straight games where the Jets allowed at least one power-play goal. While the penalty kill has been a weak spot for the Jets, their power play is the best in the NHL at 30.3 percent as of Monday.

Since Winnipeg plays the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, Hellebuyck and backup goalie Eric Comrie will likely share the goaltending duties in the back-to-back games.

Kyle Connor leads the Jets with 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists). Mikael Granlund is the Sharks’ top point scorer with 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists).

No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini is living up to the hype in his rookie season with 10 goals and 10 assists in his first 21 NHL games. He also has five points (two goals, three assists) during a current three-game point streak.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Predators and Rangers both eager to bounce back and improve their performance

Nashville Predators (NHL)

Despite having a tough season, the Nashville Predators might be in a better mental state than the struggling New York Rangers.

The Predators have the chance to avoid a fourth straight home loss by handing the Rangers their third consecutive defeat on Tuesday night.

As of Monday, Nashville had the fewest points (22) in the NHL. Even though they were stuck in a 1-6-3 slump, the Predators are still finding positive aspects of their game to move forward with hopes of a turnaround.

On Saturday, Nashville fell behind 3-0 at Colorado, but third-period goals from Steven Stamkos and Luke Evangelista brought them back into the game. However, the Avalanche scored two empty-net goals to win 5-2.

“In a year that it’s been tough to find some of those moral victories, with the way things (went Saturday, it’s) certainly one of those,” Stamkos, who has three points in three games, told the Predators’ website.

“And we’ve just got to build on that. It’s frustrating when you start to play the game the right way, the way that we want to, and you don’t necessarily see the results. That’s the old saying, ‘You just stick with it.’”

Maybe a game against the struggling Rangers will help Nashville, which is stuck in an 0-1-2 home slump.

The New York Rangers, the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winner, started the season strong with a 12-4-1 record and 61 goals scored. However, they’ve scored only 31 goals and lost 10 of their last 13 games.

New York Rangers (NHL)

On Sunday, the Rangers fell behind 3-0 at St. Louis but made a comeback with third-period goals from Brett Berard and Will Cuylle. However, they lost 3-2, which added to the team’s frustration.

“I don’t even know how to describe the feeling right now,” Rangers defenseman Adam Fox told the New York Post. “It’s definitely not good.

“We talk; we talk as a group and say to just try and be engaged. It definitely wears on you when you’re in kind of a streak like this.”

The Rangers have scored only seven goals in their last four games, three of which were decided by a single goal. Leading scorer Artemi Panarin (36 points) may miss a second consecutive game with an upper-body injury. It’s also unclear if winger Kaapo Kakko, who has just one point in his last six games, will return after being a healthy scratch on Sunday.

“We’ve just got to keep fighting, keep battling,” Cuylle, who has four goals and eight assists in 14 road games this season, told NHL.com.

After Jonathan Quick (2.47 goals-against average) made 21 saves at St. Louis, Igor Shesterkin (3.08 GAA) could be back in goal for New York.

Nashville’s Juuse Saros has a 3.40 goals-against average during his current 0-5-3 stretch. However, backup Justus Annunen was excellent, making 35 saves during the Predators’ 4-1 win at Dallas on Thursday.

It’s uncertain if injured Nashville captain and defenseman Roman Josi (lower body) will miss a third straight game.

Stamkos has 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 42 career games against New York. The Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad has only one point in his last six road games.

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Blues and Devils gaining momentum as they prepare for their upcoming rematch

St. Louis Blues (NHL)

The St. Louis Blues believe that winger Jordan Kyrou will be one of the key players for their ongoing rebuild.

Recently, he has shown why. Kyrou is heading into Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils with a four-game goal-scoring streak.

After only scoring two goals in 11 games, Kyrou has scored six goals in his last seven games.

“When he’s getting the puck in a scoring area, he’s looking to shoot, he’s not looking to pass,” said Blues center Robert Thomas. “When he’s doing that, it’s tough. Goalies don’t have time to get ready for a shot, and he’s putting it in the right spots.”

Kyrou has also improved his overall play. He is plus-4 in 32 games this season, compared to minus-12 last season and minus-38 two seasons ago.

“I think he’s just staying with it,” said Blues coach Jim Montgomery. “I don’t see highs and lows in his body language. He’s just on to the next shift, and I think he’s developing a real maturity mentally and to his physical game.”

The Blues have gone 6-2-2 since Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister as head coach. This includes a 3-0 win over the Devils on Nov. 27 in Newark, N.J.

Dylan Holloway scored twice for the Blues in that win, and Thomas scored once. Pavel Buchnevich got a minor lower-body injury in that game, but he has returned and scored six points in his last six games.

Jordan Binnington made 32 saves to earn the shutout over the Devils, and he is expected to start on Tuesday, since backup Joel Hofer started Sunday’s 3-2 win over the New York Rangers.

Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils

Goaltender Jakob Markstrom has started three consecutive games for the Devils after Jake Allen was injured on Dec. 8 against Colorado. Markstrom allowed three goals on 20 shots in the earlier loss to the Blues.

Allen skated with the Devils on Monday and was cleared to play on the team’s two-game road trip.

The Devils are 4-1-1 in their last six games. They scored four goals in the third period during their 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe urged the team to play with more energy in the final 20 minutes, and the Devils responded.

“Just challenged the guys in the second (intermission) to be exactly that, a little more determined and competitive,” Keefe said.

“When we were trying to complicate things and we were turning pucks over, we just kept feeding (the Blackhawks),” said winger Jesper Bratt, who earned an assist on two of the goals. “So, I think going into the third, we knew we needed a goal. It wasn’t really going to come pretty. It was going to come from some battles.”

Bratt has three goals and 10 assists in the eight games since the Blues shut out the Devils. On the other hand, Nico Hischier had not scored a point in five straight games before scoring against the Blackhawks.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Kings carry on with their extended road trip against the struggling Penguins

Los Angeles Kings players reacts after a goal in the 2nd period

The Los Angeles Kings are midway through their longest road trip of the season, and they will look to keep playing their best hockey of 2024 when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.

The Kings have won seven of their last eight games, including a 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday.

This win came as a good recovery for Los Angeles after they lost 3-1 to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

“We wanted a bounce-back game and I feel like we did that, and as a team,” said Kings forward Quinton Byfield. “The Rangers are a good team, so we kind of just answered the bell. We all just want to have a bounce-back game and that’s how it happened.”

Byfield, Warren Foegele, Adrian Kempe, and Alex Turcotte each had a goal and an assist against the Rangers.

“When we’re playing direct and north, we create stuff for the team,” Turcotte said. “I felt that in the New Jersey game, we didn’t really get a chance to forecheck because we weren’t really playing north.”

Anze Kopitar also had two assists and kept his streak of not taking any minor penalties this season.

“I think it’s positioning, it’s an understanding of the game,” said Kings coach Jim Hiller. “He never retaliates, he doesn’t get too high, too low on anything. Whether he makes a good play or a bad play, he’s steady for the next shift. He doesn’t let his emotions get him off his game.”

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

Kings forward Trevor Moore got an upper-body injury against New Jersey and did not practice on Monday.

The Kings left for Pittsburgh after playing three teams from the New York area. They still have road games against Philadelphia, Nashville, and Washington before returning home right before Christmas.

The Penguins have lost three of their last five games (2-2-1), most recently falling 3-2 in overtime to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

The loss was made worse because defenseman Marcus Pettersson left the game with a lower-body injury after being hit and crashing into the boards in the first period.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said on Monday that Pettersson will be out for a week or more. Tristan Jarry is expected to start in goal for the Penguins against the Kings.

Jarry, who was an All-Star in 2020 and 2022, has had a rough season and even spent part of November in the AHL. Among goalies with at least 10 appearances, he ranks 48th in the NHL with a .885 save percentage and 53rd with a 3.59 goals-against average.

Jarry was frustrated by the second goal he allowed against the Senators, a pass that hit a player’s skate and went into the net.

“I don’t know how you take that out of the game but I don’t think you should be allowed to stand there and let the guy shoot it off you,” Jarry said. “I think it’s almost impossible to stop. Like, he gets position on our player and he just parks himself at the back post and their guy just shoots it off him. It’s a tough play and I think it’s not part of hockey.”

Jarry has a 2-4-0 record in six career starts against the Kings with a .914 save percentage and a 3.16 GAA.

Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, who started in their most recent game, has a 4-4-1 record all-time against the Penguins with a .910 save percentage and a 3.08 GAA.

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NBA (Basketball)

James Harden scores 41 points to lead the Clippers in a dominant win over the Jazz

Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz

James Harden scored 24 of his 41 points in the first quarter, Norman Powell added 29 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers broke a three-game losing streak with a 144-107 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday in Inglewood, Calif.

Harden outscored the Jazz 24-20 in the first quarter, shooting 6 of 9 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range. He was also fouled twice while shooting 3-pointers in the opening quarter, making 7 of 8 free throws.

Ivica Zubac finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Amir Coffey added 16 points for Los Angeles, which improved to 10-6 at home. This was the highest-scoring game for the Clippers this season.

Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points, and Lauri Markkanen had 17 for the Jazz, who lost their third straight game. Utah has now lost 8 of its last 9 games and 12 of the last 14.

Collin Sexton scored 15 points, and John Collins added 14 points for the Jazz, who dropped to 3-10 on the road.

James Harden
James Harden (NBA)

The Clippers quickly jumped to a 12-3 lead. Harden then scored his team’s next eight points, helping Los Angeles take a 20-7 lead just five minutes into the game. Harden also hit two 3-pointers in the final 34 seconds of the first quarter, giving the Clippers a 44-20 lead.

Los Angeles took an 81-47 lead into halftime, marking their highest point total in a first half since a game against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 1, 2019. The Clippers shot 63.4 percent in the first half and made 65 percent of their 3-point attempts (13 of 20).

Utah shot 39 percent from the field in the first half and 31.6 percent (6 of 19) from 3-point range.

The game was never close in the second half, with the Clippers shooting 59.8 percent for the game and 53.8 percent (21 of 39) from beyond the arc. The Jazz finished with a 45 percent shooting rate overall and 33.3 percent (13 of 39) from 3-point range.

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NBA (Basketball)

NBA recap: Tyrese Maxey scores 40 points to lead the Sixers past the Hornets

Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets

Tyrese Maxey scored 40 points and Paul George added 33 points, each making six 3-pointers, to help the injury-depleted Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Charlotte Hornets 121-108 on Monday night.

The game lost some of its excitement due to the return of Charlotte point guard LaMelo Ball, who scored 15 points and had 11 assists in his comeback from a calf injury that had kept him out since November 27.

The 76ers made 16 of 38 3-pointers in their first game without center Joel Embiid (sinus fracture) and rookie guard Jared McCain (torn meniscus) who were both injured on Friday.

The Hornets lost for the 10th time in 11 games, despite Miles Bridges scoring 24 points.

Bulls 122, Raptors 121

Nikola Vucevic scored 24 points as the Chicago Bulls, who had a 16-point lead cut to just one, managed to defeat the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors scored a 3-pointer at the last second, but it wasn’t enough.

Coby White added 19 points for the Bulls, who have won two games in a row. Josh Giddey contributed 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists before leaving with an ankle injury in the third quarter.

RJ Barrett scored 32 points, and Gradey Dick had 27 points for the Raptors, who have now lost five games in a row. Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl left the game with a groin injury in the fourth quarter.

Pistons 125, Heat 124 (OT)

Malik Beasley had a season-high 28 points, and Cade Cunningham posted a triple-double as Detroit beat Miami in overtime.

Cunningham finished with 20 points, 18 assists, and 11 rebounds for Detroit, who nearly lost after squandering a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat

Ausar Thompson added 19 points, and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16, hitting three straight 3-pointers in overtime to erase an 8-point Miami lead.

Jimmy Butler recorded 35 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists for the Heat, who saw their four-game winning streak end. Tyler Herro scored 23 points.

Cavaliers 130, Nets 101

Evan Mobley scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, and Caris LeVert scored all 19 of his points in the first half, helping Cleveland take control early and beat Brooklyn easily in New York.

Cleveland led by as many as 37 points, improving to a 23-4 record, the best start in team history. They are 8-4 since winning their first 15 games.

Cameron Johnson led the Nets with 22 points, and Day’Ron Sharpe added 15 points. Brooklyn committed a season-high 22 turnovers, which led to 34 points for Cleveland.

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Bulls edge out Raptors by one, handing them fifth consecutive loss

Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors

Nikola Vucevic scored 24 points, and the Chicago Bulls managed to hold off the Toronto Raptors for a 122-121 victory on Monday night.

Chicago had a 16-point lead but watched it shrink to just one point in the fourth quarter.

Coby White added 19 points for the Bulls, who have now won two games in a row. Josh Giddey contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists before leaving the game with an ankle injury in the third quarter.

Ayo Dosunmu scored 12 points, Talen Horton-Tucker added 15 points off the bench, and Jalen Smith and Julian Phillips each scored 10 points.

RJ Barrett scored 19 of his 32 points in the first half for the Raptors, who have lost five straight games. Gradey Dick scored 27 points, Ochai Agbaji added 15 points, Chris Boucher chipped in 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Jamal Shead finished with 10 points.

Jakob Poeltl had six points before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter due to a groin injury.

Chicago led 33-25 after the first quarter and 53-50 at halftime.

Lonzo Ball and Nikola Vucevic hugs in the preseason

The Bulls started the third quarter with a 10-3 run, but Toronto answered with six straight points. Chicago extended their lead to 11 on Lonzo Ball’s 3-pointer with 6:18 left in the third.

After a missed shot from Toronto, Vucevic made a hook shot to increase the lead to 13 with 5:48 remaining in the third. Giddey left the game with a right ankle injury with 4:49 left after committing a foul while sliding into Dick, who was attempting a 3-pointer.

The Bulls led 95-84 after three quarters.

Chicago began the fourth quarter with five straight points. Toronto cut the lead to six with 6:07 to play, thanks to Dick’s 3-pointer. The Raptors then cut the lead to one with Barrett’s hook shot with 2:28 left.

White scored a layup with 53 seconds left, and after a missed shot from Toronto, Ball made a 3-pointer at 1:08 to give the Bulls a 119-113 lead.

Dick hit another 3-pointer, but Vucevic responded with a hook shot to extend the lead to five with 14 seconds remaining. Shead hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it wasn’t enough, as Toronto lost by one point.

Bulls leading scorer Zach LaVine (back spasms) did not play in the game.

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A Florida county is set to vote on funding for a new $1.3 billion ballpark for the Rays

Tampa Bay Rays players take batting practice

After two delays, the Pinellas County Commission is set to vote on Tuesday regarding its part of the funding for a new $1.3 billion ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays. Rays officials are optimistic that approval will happen this time.

The overall plan was approved earlier this year by the county commission and St. Petersburg city officials, but the votes on the funding had been delayed. Earlier in the month, the St. Petersburg City Council approved its share of the bonds needed to build the new 30,000-seat ballpark.

Now, the county must decide whether to issue the bonds, which would be funded by tourist taxes that cannot be used for other purposes like hurricane recovery.

Under the agreement, the city and county would cover about half the cost, while the Rays would pay the rest, including any additional costs.

“We’re upholding our part of the bargain,” said City Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders. “We said we were going to do this. We’re doing it. Now what you got?”

This proposal ends years of uncertainty about the Rays’ future, which included talks about moving the team to Tampa, Nashville, Tennessee, or even splitting home games between St. Petersburg and Montreal, a plan Major League Baseball rejected.

Tampa Bay Rays players celebrates after the win

According to the stadium deal, the Rays will stay in St. Petersburg for another 30 years. However, this season the team will play in Tampa at the New York Yankees’ spring training site, Steinbrenner Field, because of hurricane damage to Tropicana Field.

The proposed stadium is a key part of a $6.5 billion revitalization project called the Historic Gas Plant District, which is named after a mostly Black neighborhood that was displaced by the construction of Tropicana Field and a nearby highway.

Supporters of the project believe it would transform the 86-acre site in downtown St. Petersburg, with plans to build a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment venues, and office and retail spaces, creating thousands of jobs.

“This is much, much bigger than a stadium,” said Pinellas County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters. “It’s about the investment we can make and the return on that investment that can guarantee we can keep our taxes low.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson makes his return to Brooklyn as he leads the NBA’s top team

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson gestures in the second half of an NBA basketball game

Kenny Atkinson no longer wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to exercise and watch losses, as he did during his early years coaching the Brooklyn Nets. He believes this change has been good for both his health and his coaching success.

Atkinson made his return to Brooklyn on Monday as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 57-year-old, who coached the Nets for four seasons, is now leading the team with the best record in the NBA.

Atkinson, who grew up on Long Island and was inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 2020, started his coaching career as an assistant with the Knicks. He was hired by the Nets in 2016. In his first two seasons, the Nets struggled, going 48-116, which led Atkinson to push himself hard with early-morning workouts and a strong desire to prove himself.

“I was a little crazy,” Atkinson said before Monday’s game. “I was desperate to make it. I didn’t want to fail. I really got after it, but I knew even after two years in Brooklyn, it was bad for my health.”

The Nets improved during his third season, going 42-40 and making the playoffs. However, Atkinson was fired after the team missed the playoffs in the pandemic-affected 2019-2020 season.

After that, Atkinson spent four years as an assistant coach, one with the Los Angeles Clippers and three with the Golden State Warriors, where he won an NBA title in 2022 alongside Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors

“The journey after Brooklyn really helped me grow as a coach,” Atkinson said. “But I will tell you I’m competitive, and when you have setbacks, you remember things, right? … You’re motivated to prove people wrong.”

Atkinson has learned to delegate more tasks to his assistants, and his growth as a coach has paid off with the Cavaliers. Under his leadership, the Cavs won their first 15 games, setting an NBA record for the most wins by a coach with a new team, and they remain in first place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, who both played for Atkinson in Brooklyn, have seen his development as a coach.

“I yell at (LeVert) every once in a while just to keep him on his toes,” Atkinson joked. “I do feel freedom to coach those guys harder … because that’s how they want to be coached.”

Atkinson’s return to Brooklyn also brought back memories of the basketball culture in New York City.

“It’s a great basketball city. Brooklyn breathes basketball,” Atkinson said. “You walk into a deli, or you walk into a pizza joint, and people know the game and they love the game.”

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NFL (American Football)

The 49ers have decided to suspend De’Vondre Campbell for the last three games of the season

De’Vondre Campbell jogs onto the field before the game

The San Francisco 49ers have suspended linebacker De’Vondre Campbell for the rest of the regular season after he refused to enter a game following the loss of his starting position.

General manager John Lynch announced the suspension on Monday, saying that Campbell would be out for three games due to conduct detrimental to the team.

The decision came after Campbell refused to play in a game against the Los Angeles Rams, an action that coaches and teammates criticized as “selfish.” Coach Kyle Shanahan stated on Friday that Campbell would no longer be with the team, leaving the question of whether it would be through suspension or release.

The team decided to suspend him. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams can suspend a player for up to four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team, in addition to fining the player one week’s salary.

John lynch
John Lynch attending a press conference

“I just lost all respect,” said cornerback Deommodore Lenoir on Monday. “I’m a person that’s going 110% every play. … I just feel like he’s a cancer to the team.”

Campbell earns around $67,000 per week in base salary under the one-year $5 million contract he signed in March. He will also miss out on $60,000 in weekly roster bonuses, and the 49ers could attempt to reclaim about $111,000 from Campbell’s signing bonus.

Had the 49ers waived Campbell, he would have had the chance to be claimed or sign with another team.

Campbell had started 12 of the first 13 games of the season and played 90% of the defensive snaps for the 49ers, but was benched on Thursday night when Dre Greenlaw returned after recovering from an Achilles tendon tear in last season’s Super Bowl.

When the 49ers wanted to bring Campbell in during the third quarter because Greenlaw was dealing with Achilles soreness, Campbell refused. Shanahan mentioned that this was something he had never experienced during his time as a head coach or assistant in the NFL.

Defensive end Nick Bosa said he had heard some complaints from Campbell before the game but didn’t address them at the time.

“In the locker room before the game, I heard some complaining,” Bosa said. “I was going to say something but didn’t because I didn’t want to create more of a distraction. But I kind of felt it. I kind of saw the foreshadowing. I definitely didn’t think it was going to result in that.”

Bosa said he didn’t regret not bringing up the issue before the game because “if he was going to do that then he’s not the type of guy to be here.”

De’Vondre Campbell plays in the game

Campbell walked off the field with a towel over his head and went to the locker room before the game ended. Shanahan said he didn’t send Campbell to the locker room and didn’t know why he left the field.

Campbell’s actions angered and confused his teammates, and those feelings remained even after a few days. However, Bosa doesn’t think Campbell’s actions reflect a bigger problem within the team.

“This locker room is great,” Bosa said. “It’s always been great. But sometimes when you bring somebody who’s older in from a different place, you don’t know. He was a good dude. It’s not like I didn’t like him. But there’s no issues in this locker room.”

The 31-year-old Campbell signed with the 49ers in the offseason after being cut by the Green Bay Packers in March. He was an All-Pro in 2021 for the Packers but his performance dropped in the last two seasons, which led him to complain on social media about being misused in Green Bay.

He was excited to join a new team but never returned to his All-Pro form. Campbell had some good moments with the 49ers this season but struggled with tackling and coverage.

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NFL (American Football)

The Steelers were aware all season that a tough finish was ahead, but they still seemed unready for it

T.J. Watt sits on the field after an injury

Since the 2024 NFL schedule was released in May, the Pittsburgh Steelers knew they had a tough December ahead of them.

Eleven days. Three games. Two of them on the road. All against teams fighting for playoff spots.

This is why coach Mike Tomlin runs one of the most intense training camps in the league, to prepare his team for challenges like the one they are facing now.

“That’s why we tackle in Latrobe every day that we have pads on,” said Tomlin, the longest-tenured coach in the NFL.

But when the first challenge arrived on Sunday in Philadelphia, it didn’t seem like all that training made a difference.

The Eagles controlled the game for more than three hours, winning 27-13. They dominated the clock, holding the ball for 40 minutes, including a 21-play drive in the fourth quarter that drained the clock and moved the ball from one end of the field to the other. The Steelers went home with a lot to fix and very little time to do so.

Pittsburgh Steelers players celebrate after a touchdown in 2nd half

The Steelers (10-4) now have just five days to prepare for a big game against rival Baltimore. A win there would secure the division title, something that seemed unlikely earlier in the season. But despite Pittsburgh’s improvement over the past few months, the Eagles showed how to defeat the Steelers by using their own style of play.

Philadelphia controlled the line of scrimmage the entire game, but the Steelers also made mistakes they hadn’t made all season.

The Steelers failed to take advantage of two early turnovers by Philadelphia. They punted after the first turnover and only got a field goal after the second. A personal foul penalty on wide receiver Calvin Austin III for an altercation with Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, who wasn’t penalized despite appearing to throw a punch, hurt the Steelers.

The defense struggled in the final three quarters as the Eagles moved the ball at will, with missed tackles and assignments making things worse.

Tomlin admitted that the coaching staff didn’t do much better. Any issues between Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown disappeared as Brown and Devonta Smith made big plays, leaving the Steelers defense scrambling.

In a season where Tomlin has been aggressive, he seemed hesitant during key moments. Late in the first half, after T.J. Watt sacked Hurts to force a punt, Tomlin let more than 20 seconds tick off the clock without trying to make a play.

Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin (NFL)

Later, with just over 10 minutes left in the game and the Steelers down by two touchdowns, Tomlin chose to punt on fourth-and-7 from the Pittsburgh 46 instead of going for it.

“I’m comfortable with the process that we went through at the time in terms of how we played that situation,” Tomlin said.

It didn’t work out. The Steelers never got the ball back, and they remained winless in Philadelphia since 1965. Tomlin downplayed the loss, saying it was just a defeat and urging against overreacting. However, his team missed an opportunity to show it could compete with the best in the league.

Perhaps worse, few players—except for Watt—appeared truly ready for the challenge. Facing their biggest rival on short rest is a tough task.

If the Steelers want to be a serious contender in the AFC by mid-January, they must rise to the occasion.