QUOTE OF THE DAY
LeBron James
“There’s no slander to the Utah Jazz, but you guys gotta understand… In video games growing up, we never played with Utah.”
Best record in the NBA.
Last two picks in the All-Star draft.
Letter Rip!
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NBA
All-Star Draft: The Picks Are In
Image: NBA.com
LeBron James & Kevin Durant Select Teams for 2021 NBA All-Star Game
The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is finally here. Due to COVID-19, the weekend’s events will be packed into a single show on Sunday night. All-Star voting took place over the last month with final rosters announced last week. This year, the “Elam Ending” returns, as well as the All-Star draft with teams selected not by conference, but by captains.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant were the top vote-getters this year — Durant won’t play due to an ongoing injury — and they made their selections last night. A few surprises caught our eye in the pick process, like both Utah Jazz players being selected dead last. Both LeBron (West) and Durant (East) picked a squad made up of 66% from their respective conferences (8 of 12). Here’s the pick-by-pick breakdown:
Team LeBron
Pick 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Pick 2: Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Pick 3: Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Pick 4: Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Pick 5: Damian Lillard (Blazers)
Pick 6: Ben Simmons (76ers)
Pick 7: Chris Paul (Suns)
Pick 8: Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Pick 9: Paul George (Clippers)
Pick 10: Domantas Sabonis (Pacers)
Pick 11: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Team Durant
Pick 1: Kyrie Irving (Nets)
Pick 2: Joel Embiid (76ers)
Pick 3: Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Pick 4: Bradley Beal (Wizards)
Pick 5: Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Pick 6: James Harden (Nets)
Pick 7: Devin Booker (Suns)
Pick 8: Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
Pick 9: Zach LaVine (Bulls)
Pick 10: Julius Randle (Knicks)
Pick 11: Nikola Vucevic (Magic)
Pick 12: Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
NBA All-Star Schedule (Sunday on TNT)
Coverage Begins (5:00 pm ET)
Skills Challenge (6:30 pm ET)
3-Point Contest (7:00 pm ET)
All-Star Game (8:00 pm ET)
Slam Dunk Contest (Halftime)
What used to be a full weekend’s worth of events is now a six-hour show. Efficient. We’re here for it, and we’ll have all the highlights from the game, skills challenge, 3-point and dunk contests on Monday morning.
Additional Storylines
Watch: Full Video of the 2021 NBA All-Star Draft (10 Minutes)
FTW: LeBron Explains Why Jazz Players Were Last Picked in All-Star Draft
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NFL
Team Player: Big Ben Takes Paycut
Photo: Joe Sargent / Getty Images
Ben Roethlisberger Agrees to Rework Contract With Steelers, And Other NFL News
Another QB seat, filled. Ben Roethlisberger has been in Pittsburgh his entire 17-year career, but questions and uncertainty dragged into the offseason with salary cap concerns. Roethlisberger proved to be a true team player by reworking his contract with the Steelers in order to help the team navigate the cap. In essence, his $19 million annual paycheck drops to $14 million next season. That $5 million gets spread out across future years to save the team $15 million against the cap in 2021. Even more important? Big Ben, now 39, stays at Three Rivers for one more run.
Other NFL News
Lions Set to Release Former Pro Bowl CB Desmond Trufant
(Yahoo!)
Saints Release Punter Thomas Morstead After 12 Seasons
(CBS Sports)
Chiefs Former Pro Bowl FB Anthony Sherman Retires After 10 Seasons
(NFL.com)
Jets GM Fielding Calls for QB Sam Darnold
(ESPN)
Seahawks Open to Trade Offers for QB Russell Wilson, But Not ‘Shopping’
(Bleacher Report)
Additional Storylines
CBS Sports: Agent’s Take: The Economic Realities of a Lower 2021 Salary Cap
NFL.com: Best/Worst Case Scenarios for 15 NFL QBs Facing Uncertainty in 2021
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PGA
Rory Rips Up Round 1 at Bay Hill
Photo: Sam Greenwood / Getty Images
McIlroy & Conners (-6) Tied for Lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational; DeChambeau 1 Back
The second event in the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing teed off Thursday morning from Bay Hill. The opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational saw a lot of low scores, but Rory McIlroy and Corey Conners are atop the leaderboard. McIlroy ripped off a stretch of five straight birdies on the front-nine before trailing off. A bogey on Hole 18 kept him from holding the outright lead.
Round 1 Leaderboard
R. McIlroy (-6)
C. Conners (-6)
B. DeChambeau (-5)
J. Kokrak (-4)
B. An (-4)
Other Notable Scorecards: V. Hovland (-3), J. Spieth (-2), J. Day (-2), P. Casey (-2)
Round 1 Highlights | Round 2 Tee Times
Additional Storylines
Pro Golf Now: Billy Horschel Has Epic Response to Heckler After Missed Putt
Yahoo!: Bryson DeChambeau Wants to Break Golf at Arnold Palmer Invitational
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THE HIGHLIGHTS
NBA: Lillard Lights Up Kings for 44
Another night, another Damian Lillard shot-making showcase. The Blazers guard was the high-point man in the NBA on Thursday, pouring in 44 points (eight 3-pointers) and another lights-out performance in a win over the Kings (123-119).
️ EPL: Liverpool’s Anfield Losing Streak
Chelsea gave rival Liverpool its fifth straight loss at home (1-0) courtesy of Mason Mount (42’). The Reds fired just one shot on net as their miserable title defense continues.
NHL: Killorn at the Horn!
The Lightning and Blackhawks were tied 2-2 with the clock ticking down at the end of overtime. With a shootout almost certain, Victor Hedman ripped a last-second shot and Alex Killorn redirected it into the net with 0.1 seconds. A buzzer-beater!
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THE STORYLINES
The Big Ten Kick-Started the Madness
The entire college basketball season points to March. Nothing is more exciting than the conference and NCAA tournaments, which are beloved for buzzer-beaters, upsets and matchups of top-ranked teams. But the Big Ten couldn’t wait to get started. (Bleacher Report)
How Paramount+ is Shaking Up Sports
The Paramount+ streaming service entered the game yesterday for its official launch. What is it? Well, it’s the new name for CBS All Access, but it holds a heavy lineup for sports fans, from The Masters and NCAA Tournament to NFL and UEFA Champions League. (CBS Sports)
The History of QBs at No. 1 Overall
Trevor Lawrence is the most sought-after QB prospect since Andrew Luck. For as much as he seems like a sure thing, though, history suggests he may not even be the best quarterback in the 2021 class. (The Ringer)
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THE HEADLINES
Former Red Sox OF Jackie Bradley Jr. Signs 2-Year, $24 Million Deal With Brewers
(ESPN)
UConn’s Paige Bueckers Sweeps Big East Player of the Year & Freshman of the Year Honors
(NBC Sports)
Baker Mayfield Tweets He ‘Almost 100 Percent’ Saw a UFO
(Yahoo! Sports)
COVID-19 Study of Professional Athletes Doesn’t Find Serious Cardiac Abnormalities
(USA Today)
Shaq Goes Through a Table in All Elite Wrestling Debut
(CBS Sports)
Creighton Head Coach Greg McDermott Suspended After ‘Stay on the Plantation’ Remark
(Bleacher Report)
Tom Brady Rookie Card Sells for Record-Breaking $1.32 Million in Auction
(Sports Illustrated)
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️ WEEKEND SCHEDULE
The Must-Watch List
Basketball in bunches this weekend… March is hoops central. The NBA All-Star festivities take the spotlight on Sunday night amid a flurry of men’s and women’s college basketball games. The women’s conference tourneys begin, and we’re just one week from selection shows. The Madness is coming.
NBA All-Star Game (Sunday)
Coverage Begins (5:00 pm)
Skills Challenge (6:30 pm)
3-Point Contest (7:00 pm)
All-Star Game (8:00 pm)
Slam Dunk Contest (Halftime)
NCAA Men’s Basketball
Indiana at #23 Purdue (Sat. 2:00 pm)
#17 Oklahoma State at #6 W. Virginia (Sat. 2:00 pm)
#4 Illinois at #7 Ohio State (Sat. 4:00 pm)
#25 Wisconsin at #5 Iowa (Sun. 12:30 pm)
#18 Texas Tech at #3 Baylor (Sun. 4:00 pm)
#2 Michigan at Michigan State (Sun. 4:30 pm)
NCAA Women’s Basketball
Conference Tournaments
NHL
Lightning at Blackhawks (Fri. 8:00 pm)
Flyers at Penguins (Sat. 1:00 pm)
Panthers at Hurricanes (Sun. 5:00 pm)
English Premier League
Manchester Derby (Sun. 11:30 am)
UFC 259
J. Blachowicz vs. I. Adesanya (Sat. 10:00 pm)
PGA Tour
Arnold Palmer Invitational (All Weekend)
*All Times Eastern
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