Good Morning,
It\’s a hoops-focused edition before we flip to the World Cup for the USMNT\’s win-or-go-home match with Iran (2:00 pm ET). But first, three players dropped a 40-piece in the NBA, and there\’s early chaos in the college basketball polls. Hoops season is here.
Letter Rip!
NCAA
Spoiler Up: Picking Apart the Polls
Purdue & Arizona Soar Into Top-5 of Latest Men’s AP Poll; South Carolina Clings to Top Spot in Women’s Game
An early upheaval in the college basketball polls brought the shock factor over the holiday break, and not a single team in the men’s game stayed in the same spot. After upsets to No. 1 UNC, No. 6 Gonzaga, and No. 8 Duke, there’s a whole new lineup from 1-10. Purdue and Arizona made major leaps as the Wildcats (10 spots) and Boilers (19 spots) climbed mountains. Houston now holds the top spot. And in the women’s game, It’s South Carolina holding down the No. 1 spot after beating No. 2 Stanford last week. Here’s where they stand:
Men’s AP Top-10
1. Houston (6-0) | ↑1
2. Texas (5-0) | ↑2
3. Virginia (5-0) | ↑2
4. Arizona (6-0) | ↑10
5. Purdue (6-0) | ↑19
6. Baylor (5-1) | ↑1
7. Creighton (6-1) | ↑3
8. UConn (8-0) | ↑12
9. Kansas (6-1) | ↓6
10. Indiana (6-0) | ↑1
Women’s AP Top-10
1. South Carolina (4-0) | —
2. Stanford (5-1) | —
3. UConn (3-0) | ↑2
4. Ohio State (4-0) | ↑4
5. Iowa State (4-0) | ↑2
6. Indiana (5-0) | ↑6
7. Notre Dame (4-0) | ↑2
8. North Carolina (4-0) | ↑5
9. Iowa (4-1) | ↓5
10. Louisville (4-1) | ↓4
Additional Storylines
ESPN: NCAA Power Rankings: Purdue Dominates, UNC Drops Out
NCAA: The Good, Bad & Everything in Between From the Men’s Basketball Season So Far
______________________________________________________________________________________
NBA
40-Piece Trio
Durant, Booker & Porzingis All Drop 40-Plus on Wild Monday Night in the NBA
Shooters gotta’ shoot! Not a single 40-point performance occurred over the holiday break in the NBA, but a busy Monday saw a trio of 40-balls by two guys you might expect, and a third you wouldn’t. Devin Booker (44 points) powered the Suns over the Kings (122-117) for their fifth straight win. Kevin Durant (45 points) went off with an 18-for-24 shooting night to lift the Nets over the Magic (109-102). Brooklyn has now won five of their last seven. And out east, Kristaps Porzingis (41 points) had a career-high for the Wizards in a rout of the Timberwolves (142-127) thanks to six 3s. It’s a trifecta of 40 pieces to start the week!
40-Point Performances
Kevin Durant (BKN): 45 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Devin Booker (PHX): 44 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals
Kristaps Porzingis (WAS): 41 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks
Bonus: Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard Hits Buzzer-Beater 3 to Beat Lakers (116-115)
Who’s Hot?
Suns (W5), Celtics (W4), Nuggets (W3), 76ers (W3), Warriors (W3), Heat (W3)
Who’s Not?
Spurs (L8), Magic (L5), Jazz (L5), Hawks (L3), Timberwolves (L3)
Additional Storylines
NBA: Power Rankings as Season Nears Quarter-Mark
ClutchPoints: Kevin Durant Has NBA Twitter Going Crazy After 45-Point Explosion
______________________________________________________________________________________
WORLD CUP
World Cup Scoreboard
Brazil & Portugal Punch Tickets to World Cup Round of 16
Two more teams have added their names to the Round of 16 in Qatar. Brazil and Portugal took control of Group G and Group H on Monday. Casemiro fired a late-game winner for Brazil to top Switzerland (1-0) while Bruno Fernandes tallied a brace for Portugal over Uruguay (2-0). The two clubs joined France as the first three teams to secure spots in the Knockout Stage. Groups A and B get decided today, including the do-or-die match for the U.S. Men’s National Team against Iran.
World Cup Highlights
Group G: Cameroon draw Serbia (3-3)
Group G: Brazil def. Switzerland (1-0)
Group H: Portugal def. Uruguay (2-0)
Group H: Ghana def. South Korea (3-2)
Today’s Schedule
Group A: Ecuador vs. Senegal (10:00 am ET)
Group A: Netherlands vs. Qatar (10:00 am ET)
Group B: Iran vs. USA (2:00 pm ET)
Group B: Wales vs. England (2:00 pm ET)
Additional Storylines
SI: 2022 World Cup Knockout Stage Scenarios for Each Team & Group
MLS: Who Starts? USMNT Lineup Prediction for World Cup Game vs. Iran
Yahoo! Sports: Bruno Fernandes’ Brace Lifts Portugal Over Uruguay & Into Knockout Round
______________________________________________________________________________________
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
NFL: Steelers Outlast Colts on MNF (24-17)
The Steelers handed the Colts their second-straight home loss on Monday Night Football in Indy (24-17) thanks to a 4th-quarter go-ahead touchdown. Pittsburgh blew a 16-3 lead before retaking the advantage with a touchdown run from RB Benny Snell.
NHL: Marner Extends Point Streak to 17
Make it 17 straight games with a point for Mitch Marner. The Toronto winger lifted the Maple Leafs over the Red Wings (4-2) behind 42 saves from goaltender Matt Murray. The Leafs are riding high and are now 7-0-2 in their last nine games.
______________________________________________________________________________________
THE STORYLINES
With all the speculation about where Aaron Judge will sign, what about the question of where he should sign? Let’s rank all 30 teams. (ESPN+)
Teams were once considered poor, unpredictable investments. Today they’re among the most coveted assets in the world. What changed? (The Ringer)
After giving us three crazy games on Thanksgiving, the NFL might have topped itself on Sunday with several wild games that went down to the wire. (CBS Sports)
______________________________________________________________________________________
THE HEADLINES
©2023 Media Mobilize All rights reserved