What happened to LeBron James in Game 2 loss?
LeBron James looked unstoppable in the playoffs but The Sporting Tribune's Mark Medina wonders what happened to him in Denver.
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1. What happened to LeBron James in Game 2 loss?
LeBron James looked unstoppable in the playoffs but The Sporting Tribune's Mark Medina wonders what happened to him in Denver.
It appeared nothing could stop LeBron James.
Not a physical opponent. Not a whistle that he didn’t like. Not even Father Time.
But once he leaped in the air for an expected highlight reel, James showcased his basketball mortality, diminished athleticism and awkward timing. After jumping off his left foot, James carried the ball with his left hand before cradling it with both. Just as it appeared James would throw down a vicious two-handed dunk, he bobbled the ball and it went out-of-bounds.
Any accomplished NBA star can experience a gaffe. Even if the play will inevitably go viral and teammates will tease him afterwards about it, most stars can easily put that mistake behind him. Unfortunately for the Lakers, James could not.
In the Lakers’ 108-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday, James competed from start to finish. He also both chuckled and patted himself on the chest following the second-quarter mishap, a gesture that shows he can both laugh at himself and hold himself accountable. But just like during that dunk, James struggled with ever having a firm grip on his game.
2. DeBoer, Cassidy put friendship on hold
The Western Conference Finals pits former Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer against current coach Bruce Cassidy with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp has more on the biggest storyline heading into the series.
It was a year ago this week that Pete DeBoer found himself on the unemployment line. But he didn’t stay unemployed for long.
Bruce Cassidy also found himself out of work a few weeks later. But that didn’t last long either.
Two of the NHL’s more successful coaches go head-to-head beginning Friday with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line as DeBoer’s Dallas Stars face off against Cassidy’s Vegas Golden Knights in the best-of-7 Western Conference Finals beginning Friday at 5:30 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. Game 2 is noon Sunday before the series shifts to Dallas Tuesday night for Game 3.
DeBoer has already been through the awkwardness that comes with returning to your former place of employment. That came in January when the Stars visited T-Mobile Arena and beat the Knights 4-0. Dallas swept the season series, winning 3-2 in a shootout in Vegas on Feb. 25 and 2-1 in a shootout April 8 at American Airlines Center.
“I guess ironic comes to mind,” DeBoer said Thursday. “I think I went through all it when I was here in January when I came back for the first time. For me, it’s all in the rear-view mirror. I’m all in with the Dallas Stars. That’s how it works.”
3. San Diego becomes the 30th MLS team
The City of San Diego was awarded the 30th Major League Soccer team. The Sporting Tribune’s Fernando Ramirez explains what it means for the city.
This was a moment that the City of San Diego had been waiting for years. Literally years. The MLS officially announced San Diego as its 30th franchise at Snapdragon Stadium.
The 35,000-seat stadium will be the home of the franchise owned by British-Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour. He will be joined by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, along with six-time MLB All-Star and current San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado.
"We are thrilled to welcome San Diego to Major League Soccer as our 30th team," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "For many years, we have believed San Diego would be a terrific MLS market due to its youthful energy, great diversity and the fact that soccer is an essential part of everyday life for so many people."
4. Sparks begin 2023 WNBA season against Mercury
The Los Angeles Sparks will try to snap their two-season playoff drought this year, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Rey Moralde.
Well, the season opener is finally here. The Los Angeles Sparks start their 2023 campaign against the Phoenix Mercury.
We know that professional basketball in Los Angeles is all about rich tradition and championships. The Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association have made the playoffs 20 times in 26 seasons. They've also won three WNBA titles in their history.
Unfortunately, it hasn't been pretty as of late for the Sparks. They're in the midst of their longest playoff drought (two years) and coming off their second worst record, percentage-wise, in their franchise (13-23 in 2022, which is a .361 winning percentage). The last few seasons have also been a bit tumultuous. Candace Parker left in free agency in 2021. They went through a midseason coaching change last season (Derek Fisher to Fred Williams). Four-time all-star Liz Cambage also left in the middle of the 2022 season.
So the Sparks went through quite the overhaul this season. Karen Bryant, who held various executive positions with the Seattle Storm for 15 years, was hired as the General Manager. Curt Miller, who coached the Connecticut Sun for 7 years and was an assistant for the Sparks in 2015, took the head coaching gig for the Sparks.
5. Cardinals hit 7 homers, blowout Dodgers, 16-8
The St. Louis Cardinals hit seven home runs at home for first time in 83 years in a 16-8 drubbing of the Dodgers, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Jake Dicker.
After allowing a total of 23 home runs in 2022, Julio Urias is already over halfway to that point through 10 starts this year.
The left-hander allowed four home runs tonight, all in the 3rd inning, including back-to-back-to-back homers by Juan Yepez, Nolan Gorman, and Paul DeJong. This year has not gone as planned for Urias. His ERA has risen to 4.39, higher than it was at any point after his second start in 2022. Following May 14 of last year, his ERA was below 3.00 for the remainder of the season.
If Urias is able to limit the homers, the ERA problem will fix itself. Either way, the Dodgers can’t give up 16 runs and expect to win, even with how good their lineup is.
6. Trout, Ohtani lead Angels over Orioles
The Angels had lost two games in a row before coming back to win a getaway game in Baltimore, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Brandon Deutsch.
It seemed as if the Angels had played the Orioles for a week straight. The series that started on Monday afternoon was a rollercoaster ride for the Halos filled with blown leads and comeback wins.
Thursday morning’s getaway game for the Angels (who return home to face the AL Central leading Twins in a three-game series starting Friday night) was no different, yet again filled with blown leads and comebacks. The Angels survived scoring two runs in the 8th inning to win 6-5 and move to just one game over .500 despite being four games over .500 just two weeks ago.
Pitching yet again was the culprit in dropping two games in Baltimore, and the Angels have now lost six out of their last nine games and are hanging onto a thread in the second-best division in baseball.
7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game Friday.
5:30 p.m. – Dallas Stars at Vegas Golden Knights – $182
6:30 p.m. – Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels – $13
9. On the Air presented by The D Las Vegas
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today.
5:15 p.m. – Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals – SportsNet LA
5:30 p.m. – Dallas Stars at Vegas Golden Knights – ESPN
6:30 p.m. – Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels – Bally Sports West
8:00 p.m. – Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks – ESPN
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi is joined by Brandon Deutsch, Armani Buckets and Jake Dicker to discuss the Los Angeles Lakers Western Conference Finals series against the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat upsetting the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Are we destined for a rematch of the 2020 NBA Finals in the bubble?
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet 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. Talk to you Monday!