Raiders bench Carr in favor of Stidham

The Raiders officially decided the Derek Carr era is over and have turned the page. What the next chapter looks like is unclear.

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1. Raiders bench Carr in favor of Stidham

The Raiders officially decided the Derek Carr era is over and have turned the page. What the next chapter looks like is unclear. In the short-term it means Jarrett Stidham will be the team’s starting quarterback over the next two games as Carr takes a leave of absence. The Sporting Tribune’s Ryan Sakamoto has more on the Raiders’ decision to part ways with Carr before the end of this season.    

Carr’s salary of $33 million in 2023 and $7.5 million in 2024 become fully guaranteed if he gets hurt and is unable to pass the team’s physical. This is a clear sign of a team looking to replace Carr rather than keep him in Las Vegas despite what Raiders coach Josh McDaniels simply labeled as an “opportunity” for Stidham.

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2. Raiders begin divorce process with Derek Carr

With Carr’s time with the Raiders coming to an end, The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp weighs in on what this means for the future of the franchise.  

In some ways, this was an easy decision by general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels. The Raiders are pretty much toast as far as the postseason is concerned, thanks, in a large part, to Carr’s inconsistent play this year. Though there is still a slim pathway to the playoffs. Why not let Stidham, who has eight games’ worth of NFL experience, all with New England, get a chance to show what he can do, starting New Year’s Day this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium.

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3. Nix commands No. 15 Oregon in Holiday Bowl comeback win

The No. 15 Oregon Ducks displayed the brilliance of communication in their 28-27 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Holiday Bowl and The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia was there to capture the scene.

While pivoting without their offensive coordinator, Kenny Dillingham, who accepted a head coaching position at Arizona State, quarterback Bo Nix stepped up and displayed his talent. As the Ducks trailed 27-21 with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter, they faced a fourth down on the Tar Heels’ six-yard line. Nix was the player who head coach Dan Lanning trusted to call the play. “You believe in your quarterback,” Lanning said.

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4. Lakers lose to Heat in Miami, drop 5 of last 6

The Lakers looked fatigued as they had a season-high 24 turnovers in losing their fifth of their last six games. The Sporting Tribune’s Rey Moralde has more on the Lakers’ struggles.

The Lakers were listed at 24 turnovers, the most they’ve had in a game this season. And it was a main reason why the Lakers lost to the Miami Heat, 112-98. Conveniently enough, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, and Gabe Vincent all played after being listed as questionable beforehand. Butler did his job in the first half and on defense (five steals). And when the Lakers attempted to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, Butler shut it down with a lay-up with a minute and a quarter left. Bam Adebayo did most of his damage in the third quarter (more on this later) and scored 10 of his 23 points in that period.

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5. Bradley propels San Diego State over Air Force

The San Diego State Aztecs excelled on both ends of the floor en route to a convincing win over the Air Force Falcons, 71-55. The Sporting Tribune’s Isaiah Zuravel has more from San Diego.

San Diego State (9-3) took advantage of the undersized Air Force Falcons (9-4) in their Mountain West opener. The Aztecs came into the game 7-0 at Viejas Arena on the season. The Aztecs would hold the Falcons to just 55 points in a wire-to-wire victory. The offense got going early for the Aztecs behind Matt Bradley’s season-high 27 points on an efficient 9-for-12 from the field and 6-for-7 from behind the 3-point line. The Aztecs shot 11-for-23 from the arc. Matt Bradley looked as impressive as ever seen in an Aztec uniform in a breakout game. His ability to knock down the 3 today allowed him to attack the rim easier as well.

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6. TST’s NBA Power Rankings Week 11

The Nuggets are atop the West behind yet another Nikola Jokic MVP campaign, the Lakers have the worst defense in the NBA without Anthony Davis, and the Nets continue to win big games and prove they are contenders. Where does your team rank in this week’s TST NBA Power Rankings? The Sporting Tribune’s Brandon Deutsch has you covered. Here’s what he writes about the Clippers:

The Clippers were down 14 against the Pistons on Monday night with under three minutes to go, but somehow staged a remarkable comeback that resulted in a 11-point win in overtime. The Clippers usually win games on defense (defensive rating of 109.9, 4th in the NBA) but stepped up to the plate against the Pistons and showed they can win in variety of ways if need be. Kawhi Leonard (who did not play in the Pistons game due to load management) has been spectacular averaging 23.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game over his last 5 games. If Leonard continues to look like he’s still in his prime, and Paul George (23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game with a TS% of 58.3) continues to play like himself, then this Clippers team has the depth and the defensive acumen to win the NBA Championship if they continue to progress this season.

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7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports

Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:

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8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick  

Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game this week:

Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks: $30

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9. On the Air presented by Coca-Cola

Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:

4:30 p.m. – LA Clippers at Boston Celtics – Bally Sports SoCal

6:00 p.m. – Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche – Bally Sports West   

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10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune 

On Wednesday’s show, the crew talked about the Clippers finally getting healthy and looking like a championship contender and the playoff picture in the NFC and AFC heading into the stretch run. 

Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.

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That’s it for today. We’re taking a few dats off for New Year’s. See you in 2023!