The Duel Between The Cleveland Cavaliers and The Golden State Warriors Has Officially Commenced!

Stephen Curry’s Warriors and Lebron James Cavaliers are all suited and booted for the 2015 NBA Finals! As we prepare for lift-off on Thursday June 4, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. I’d like to take you through a B-ball recap in case you’ve forgot what a season these two teams had. 

Image Credit: http://sportsbook.pics

Take a look at all of the stats and predictions leading up to tomorrow’s game here. 

Lebron, directly coming from the Miami Heat came out of the gates supplying extreme pressure. Although this 6’5 250 beast is nothing less than unstoppable when it comes to his defense, will carry his team on his back and take it all the way home, or will players like Tristan Thompson continue to hold down the fort whenever his number is called. 

Check out some footage here of Lebron James All-Star Top 10.

As we exit out of King James hype, let’s look into Mr. Stephen Curry’s accomplishments. The most valuable player has led his team into winning a total of 67 games within the entire season. This is by far been one of the top 10 best seasons in NBA history! 

We all know Curry probably has one of the most accurate long distance shots in the League, but will this carry his team throughout the finals as swiftly as he moves through the court? 

Check out some highlights of Mr. Curry here. 

By the Warriors and Cavaliers February 26, 2015 game, the Cavaliers had reached their 11th straight home game win (longest streak since 2010.) 

While the Warriors haven't witnessed a final series since 1975-76, they definitely secured their spot this time around with 104 points against the Houston Rockets 90 points during game 5. 

With Lebron averaging in 27.3 points and Stephen Curry averaging in 25.9 points in the postseason of their careers, the only question left to answer is how will they deliver during the finals and who will win it all? 

Stay tuned for the kick-off of the final games!

-Alexis J. Robinson

@Alexisjanaiformayor 

NYCFC PRAYING FOR A SAVIOR?

The mood surrounding the New York City Football Club, Before Saturday’s Match against Real Salt Lake, was starting to look more promising. They were coming off a huge come from behind draw against the Chicago Fire, also were down a man. Entering Saturday the team you would think was going to come out strong. We were sadly disappointed. The team didn’t even show up, they were shutout 2-0. The game was never in doubt for Real.

The same questions arise after every loss that the Blue and White suffer. The Attack was stagnant, the Mid Field is just a barren waste land where the ball is lost, and the back line has more wholes then Swiss cheese.  Sadly we cannot address all of these. The team has tried internally. They have played with the lineup, they have moved guys out of position, and they even have tapped the local market in signing Old Bridge New Jersey Native R.J. Allen.  All have gone by the wayside as the team continues to struggle.

With July approaching quickly, this means the Transfer Market within the MLS starts to heat up. As all the leagues around Europe finish off their season the MLS is just getting to the middle of their schedule.  This also means players around the FIFA universe start to look for new teams and contracts.  We already know of major moves like Steven Gerrard leaving Liverpool to join the Galaxy or Frank Lampard ending his BPL career to join the NYCFC in the MLS. This is the one thing that NYCFC Fans have been clamoring for, since Lampard’s ETA has been a bit of a mystery. According to SI.com Lampard will make 6 million for 1.5 years of service.  

In most leagues outside of the MLS there is no cap, but just like most American sports there is one in MLS. Any team is allowed to sign three players over the cap; this is known as the David Beckham rule. As it stand right now the City has 2 designated players (Villa and Lampard). They will search for one more, many believed to be an aging legend from overseas.  Many have been linked to the Big Apple and the MLS but most rumors are just negotiating tactics older stars use in Europe.

From what I have gathered is that there are a few legit Rumors. First there is Didier Drogba, who turned down an offer of 10 million in 2012 to join the MLS. As reported on by The Telegraph in the UK, NYCFC has reportedly made an offer to the 37 year old Chelsea forward. He would reunite with his old teammate Lampard.  Drogba scored 4 times for eventual champions Chelsea.

Next, there is Italian futbol legend Andrea Pirlo. He is currently preparing for his June 6^th match against Barcelona to decide the Champions League. This hasn’t stop the Rumor mill from turning, as his name has popped up several times. He too has been linked to NYCFC and Lampard. According to David Amoyal of Italian transfer experts GianlucaDiMarzio.com, he says that "Pirlo is very intrigued by the possibility of playing in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, he prefers moving to the United States over the option of playing in the Middle East. Sabri Lamouchi, the coach of Al-Jaishnin, had offered Pirlo a huge contract to play in Qatar a few weeks ago. Pirlo continues to have ongoing conversations with the United States as he prepares for the Champions League final in Berlin." This is very encouraging but we must take every rumor with a grain of salt.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

There is so much speculation and gossip right now. Here are a few more players I think are real possibilities, Ashley Cole of Italy’s Roma is a good place to start. The 34 year –old Fullback would definitely bolster a very lackluster back line. It was reported by David Amoyal as well that Cole has met with Roma’s Brass about a move to the MLS.  There have been speculation about other high tier players leaving for the MLS but I call shenanigans on all of them.

Before I make a prediction of who I believe our third DP will be I will leave you with two Dark horse picks that haven’t had much if any ties to the Blue and White. Kevin-Prince Boateng was recently released by FC Schalke 04. He obviously has a lot left in his legs seeing as he is only 28. He has been linked the a return to Milan but also has had rumors to the RBNY (shot down that pretty quickly). This again is just my opinion but If NYC (who is owned by the Yankees and Manchester City) wanted to make an epic splash they could go after him. The other which may have more legs to the rumor then the last is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He recently applied for a work visa, this causing the MLS world to get giddy that the Superstar may make his way state side. He would be by far the Best Talent to make his way to Major League Soccer. I could dream can’t I?  

Photo Credit: cctv-africa.com

When it’s all said and done I believe that Drogba will be the final move made this summer for the Boys in Blue. He is old and good friends of Lampard. He wants to be able to perform and if he played in America he would instantly be a top twenty player in the League. With that being said it will be a fun July. 

GALLO 

NYCFC New York’s Newest Team, May Take MLS by Storm this Summer. Just Ask the Chicago Fire

New York City Football Club, the newest professional sports team in New York. They are owned by two of the richest franchises in sports world wide, Manchester City of England’s Premier league and The New York Yankees. They play their matches in the Bronx at, you guessed it, Yankee Stadium. 

They started the season with a bang by winning their first home game at Yankee Stadium. Soccer legend and current superstar of the Blue and White David Villa scored the first goal ever for the club. Besides that they haven’t won any other games. Their current record is 1-6-4. They are currently stuck in an eight-game winless streak. They have given away a lot of hard fought games late.

Photo Credit : (Adam Hunger/USA Today Sports)

After losing the first Hudson River Rivalry to their rivals in New Jersey the Red Bulls, they were set to play the Chicago Fire on Friday. The crowd was loud and the match started. No longer than 14 minutes later Razvan Cocis scored off a free kick to make it 1-0. In the 27th minute, rookie RJ Allen received a red card for his slide tackle in the box. The penalty was made and NYCFC now was down to only ten men and were trailing 2-0. Even the always energetic supporter section Third Rail was dumbfounded for a few minutes. The outlook was very bleak, they were dead in the water, OR WERE THEY?

As the first half went on, it looked a little like NYC was just going through the motions waiting for the ref to blow the whistle to end the half. Only one person looked to have life. Spain’s David Villa, the captain, was playing hard and trying to get his team going. You could see how hard he wanted to fight back. Finally right as the half was winding down, Villa had a run with some great dribbling and let a shot rip from 25 yards out. Off the rebound Ballouchy, the teams leader in goals, put the shot in the back of the net after he was clearly fouled. Walking off the field Villa received a yellow for not letting this one go. This may have been the turning point not only of the game but the year.

The second half started and NYCFC looked like a totally different team. They were all alive and attacking. Mix Diskerud who had struggled to that point looked like a maniac in the second half, playing box to box. Villa kept his hard play going and the team was definitely feeding off of it. The team slowed down a bit, looking tired. NYC’s manager Jason Kreis decided to put in super Rookie Khiry Shelton. The game surged on both team trading blows. In the 92^nd minute NYCFC finally broke through to tie the game. Villa kept a ball alive and managed to get the ball through to Shelton who put it away and Pandemonium had taken over Yankee stadium. The game would end shortly after.

Yes it was a draw and yes it doesn’t snap the winless streak but this was a huge game. You are probably asking yourself, “Why is a draw a big deal?” Well this team had play hard in almost every game and the results didn’t show. They were starved for some excitement. They were a man down and dominated. This team now should have a much different outlook on the season. With a crazy loyal fan base and the Third Raill keeping the crowd involved throughout the games it will be hard to win at Yankee stadium. The team has Frank Lampard, England Legend, coming over in July and one of their Designated Player spots open (one of the MLS stupid cap restriction rules that could be explained here: http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/roster-rules-and-regulations ) 

PHOTO CREDIT: NYCFC.COM

The season is still young and the US Open Cup has yet to begin, this team has room to improve and grow. With a young team and a Roster that will improve we will see a new team and hopefully a playoff run in their future. 

Mets Make April Very Confusing for Their Fans

As every season comes and goes we all know the optimism that Opening day brings. This year, In particular, has a different excitement. The Mets started off the season in Washington and Atlanta, finishing with a record of 3-3. Not bad but not good. During this time period the Mets lost closer Jenry Mejia to an 80 game suspension. Although most years this would make me nervous this year it did not because Jeurys Familia. He stepped in and promptly made himself comfortable. He would only give up 2 runs in 13 games this season. 

Image Credit: Getty Images

The Metropolitans then traveled back to Queens for their home opener. The buzz at the stadium was one that I haven’t felt since I attended opening day back in 2007. What happened next was, to Mets fans at least, a miracle. The team would go to win their next ten ballgames. Their streak was at 11. They were pitching amazing. Colon in his first 4 starts won all of them. He looked like a blast from his past. He also didn’t look like a 40 year old over weigh pitcher. De Grom although not at his sharpest still managed to get the win in his first two starts (opening day and home opener). Last but not least Matt “Dark Knight” Harvey made his return to the mound for the amazins’. He looked as if he never missed a step. He is 5-0 with a 2.41 era in as many starts. The other great thing about this is that we lost three key cogs in Wright, D’Arnaud, and Blevins. All of whom were off to flaming hot starts. As Mets fans you felt as if the team would never lose again. Obviously we were wrong.

Image Credit: Rob Foldy/Getty Images​

The stage was set for this year’s first edition of the Subway Series. The Mets and Yankees both off to good starts were heading for a crash course in the Bronx. The first night De Grom would get lit up in front of a pro-Mets crowd. Harvey would shut down the Bombers the next game. The last game, a ESPN Sunday Night prime time game, would be eventful to say the least but the Mets would eventually fall due to errors by their inept middle infielders (Murphy and Flores). Including that series the Mets would lose 7 of the next 10. Mostly impart to a stagnant offense and terrible infield defense by, you guess it, the middle infielders.

As a Mets fan if I told you in March that we would be 16-10 and 3.5 games in first you’d take it. Although I feel as if we will win a lot of ball games I still feel as if we have major question marks. To start the combination of Murphy and Flores up the middle has been terrible. They have cost us to many games already this season. Flores has shown pop at the plate but not enough to mask his defense. Murphy has been in a slump since day one and his defense isn’t helping.

Next up, The Mets offense at times has shown life. We can get on base and we don’t strike out at a high rate. Duda and Lagares have looked great at the plate. This however has not translated into runs. This past weekend we lost back to back ballgames 1-0. This can’t happen, we have to much pitching to just waste superb starts. 

All in all I still feel confident that this team is for real. It’s just the Met fan in me that makes me worry after ever loss that we may lose ten in a row. If the Rotation and Bullpen hold up and the lineup and young guns can produce life in the offense we could be looking at a 90 win team. For now Mets Fans we shall sit and wait. 

Gallo 

Twitter: @PicoDe_Gallo

Bad To The Bone! David Ortiz Ejected After "Bad Call" and Bryan Price's F Bombs the Media

Ortiz was ejected from Sunday's game after arguing a check-swing that was called a strike. While he fumed about that, Ortiz bumped umpire John Tumpane. That's a no-no and MLB popped Papi for it. (watch it: here)

Image Credit: csnne.com

Ortiz got tossed in the the middle of an at-bat in the fifth inning after disputing the second check-swing call of the game that had gone against him. Third-base umpire Jerry Meals made both calls but Tumpane, working behind the plate, gave Ortiz the boot after Papi and Meals started chirping at each other.

"The discussion was our disagreement with a couple check swings Jerry Meals called today," Red Sox manager John Farrell said after the game, via the Boston Herald. "We didn’t feel like on either one he went. On the first at-bat it doesn’t really have an outcome because he ends up walking. Those are quick rings on the check swing and it didn’t feel like he swung on either one."

From the league office:

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz has received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for making contact with Umpire John Tumpane during the bottom of the fifth inning of the Club’s Sunday, April 19th game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Joe Garagiola, Jr., Senior Vice President of Standards & On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement.

The ejection in what became an 8-3 Orioles win prompted a lecture from Baltimore broadcaster Jim Palmer, which quickly earned a rebuttal from Ortiz.​ Palmer didn’t travel to the game, but took his shot at Big Papi on Twitter after he jawed with home plate umpire John Tumpane. Then the three-time Cy Young winner took a jab at Ortiz's Hall of Fame chances by bringing up the 2003 failed drug test Ortiz viciously disputes.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Jim22Palmer


“That’s how he wants to get respect from us? Is that how he wants me to respect him? It’s not going to happen,” Ortiz said Monday, via FoxSports.com. “I thought that he was one of my guys … All of a sudden now he’s killing me, huh? I guess anybody who wants to get famous or make some noise comes to Papi, right?”

Palmer expectedly got some heat from the always outspoken Redsox fans on Twitter for his attack on arguably the most beloved sports figure in Boston, but he was a good sport about it and even had fun with a new hashtag.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Jim22Palmer

Reds manager Bryan Price showed the same frustration that has welled up among the team's fanbase as the team came off four straight losses and seven losses in eight games.

Image Credit: DeadSpin.com

Price attacked Cincinnati Enquirer beat reporter C. Trent Rosecrans in a lengthy and profane rant that accused the scribe of being too good at the job of accurately reporting news about the Cincinnati Reds.

The Enquirer had previously and accurately reported that the Reds’ All-Star catcher, Devin Mesoraco, wasn’t with the team forSunday’s loss in St. Louis. This enraged Price, who accused the paper of, basically, treason in a rant that totaled, by the Enquirer’s count, 77 f-bombs.

(Listen to the rant here: https://soundcloud.com/bubbaprog4/fight-gannett-censorship)

A excerpt from a transcript of the interview:

Bryan Price (BP): Can I ask you a question?

C. Trent Rosecrans (CTR): Sure

BP: I don't understand what the importance is for everybody to know if we have a player that's not here. We don't benefit from the other teams knowing we don't have a player. It does — you don't have to be a Reds fan, but it doesn't help us if our opponents know who is here and who isn't. That's what I want to know.

CTR: Well, as a fan, I'm wondering, here's a spot for Devin Mesoraco, why isn't he there?

BP: Where was the spot?

CTR: As a pinch-hitter? He's an All-Star with 25 home runs last year, I know I asked if it was a left-handed bat thing, you said no.

BP: I don't get it. It's, you know, look, I don't need you guys to be fans of the Reds, I just need to know if there's something we want to keep here, it stays here. We don't need to know that Tucker Barnhart's in the f****** airport when we haven't spoken to Kyle Skipworth. I think we owe that f******* kid the right to be called and told that he's going to be sent down as opposed to reading that Tucker Barnhart is on his way from Louisville. I just... I don't get it. I don't get why it's got to be this way. Has it always been this way where we just tell f****** everybody everything? So every f****** opponent we have has to know exactly what we have. Which f****** relievers are available, which guys are here and which guys aren't here, when they can play, and what they can do. It's nobody's f****** business. It's certainly not the opponent's business. We have to deal with this f****** b*******.

I like to talk — and I have spoken as candidly as I can with you people, if that's not good enough, I won't say a f******thing. I'll go, 'yes sir, no sir.' And I can do that. But f***, I've been as candid as I can f****** be about this team and our players, and we've got to deal with this s***, every f****** team that we f****** play has to know every f****** guy that's here and what they can and can't do? F*** me. It's a f****** disgrace. I'm f****** sick of this s***. It's f****** hard enough to f****** win here to have f****** every f****** opponent know exactly what the f*** we bring to the table every day. It's f****** horse****. I don't like it. It's what I'm saying. To make it very clear, I don't like the way that this s***'s going — at all. I don't like it. I don't think you guys need to know everything. And I certainly don't think you need to see something and tweet it out there and make it a f****** world event. How the f*** do we benefit from them knowing we don't have Devin Mesoraco? How do we benefit from that? They benefit from it. I just want to know how we benefit from these f****** people know we don't have a player here. Can you answer that? How is that good for the Reds?

CTR: I don't know…

BP: Yeah, well it's making my job f****** harder.

CTR: I'm sure it is.

BP: Well, thank you. I don't know if that's what we're supposed to do. Are we supposed to f****** open up everything here for everybody to know all the f****** time? That's all I want to know, what your expectations are, because f*** me. If I've got f****** to tell these guys, we gotta go out there and they know we don't have f****** Devin Mesoraco, what f****** benefit is that to me as a manager? And our team to win a f****** game?

CTR: He hasn't been there for a week-and-a-half.

BP: I just want an answer on how we benefit from them knowing that Devin Mesoraco isn't here.

CTR: I don't think you do and I don't know that that's my job.

BP: Your job is not to sniff out every f****** thing is about the Reds and f****** put it out there for every other f****** guy to hear. It's not your job. You want me to be candid with you? I've been candid with you. I f****** talk to you guys like men, I tell you what the f***'s going on with the team, I tell you how I'm feeling as candidly as I can and then this s***? You've got to watch this f****** s***? I've got to f****** read that on a f****** Tweet on our own people in here that we don't have a f****** player? How the f*** does that benefit the Reds? It doesn't benefit us one f****** bit. God **** we try to go out there and win f****** games and I got to come in here and then you guys f****** blow it all over the f****** place? Who we can play? Who we can't? I'll tell you what you want to know, I'm not going to f****** lie to you. I didn't tell you f****** s***.

CTR: You did not lie to me and I appreciate it.

BP: Ah, f***. I'm just, I'm f****** p****** up a rope in this f****** business. Because everyone has to know everything all the f****** time. That's not my f****** obligation, it's not their obligation. You know why f****** Billy Hamilton didn't f****** play? The other day? Because his f****** finger's hurt and he couldn't hit right-handed comfortably. Right? So that's something that I need to know and no one else needs to know. No one else needs to f****** know it, and all of a sudden it's out there. His f****** fingers are sore. It doesn't benefit us. It wasn't from you, but it doesn't benefit us one bit to f****** announce to the f****** other teams that we're playing to bring in lefties when they need to f****** get Billy out. There's no benefit. So, I'm f******, to be honest with you, I'm f****** sick of this s***. I'm sick of listening to this f****** s***, I'm sick of f****** the f****** second-guessing b*******, you guys can do whatever the f*** you want, but I'll tell you this — I'm not going to f****** tell you everything about this f****** club, because you f****** guys are going to out there and sniff it out anyway. I don't f****** like it one f****** bit. I bend over backwards to be honest and direct with you f****** guys and you stick it right up my f****** a** — and the f****** team's a**. And I'm sick of it. What do you got? If you don't got anything, get out and I'll do this f****** interview with Marty. You don't have anything? Just get out, please.

Image Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

If tempers are flaring this much already, this is going to be a really intense season (and I haven't even talked about the weekend-long Royals-Athletics brawl).


Christine O'Connor
@christineeeeO

Opening Weekend of the NBA Playoffs

What an exciting weekend of basketball! Some stars had their shine while others were lack-luster, but it shaped up to be a very exciting weekend to watch in the NBA. 

The Warriors built a big lead early and did just enough to hang on to it in Saturday’s 106-99 victory in Game 1 of the first round series with the Pelicans.

A capacity crowd decked out in gold T-shirts from Kaiser Permanente had plenty to cheer about early, as the Dubs led by as many as 15 in the first quarter. They padded that margin to 25 in the third quarter, and they wound up needing every inch of that advantage.

The Pelicans slowed the game down in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors left a lot of points at the free throw line to allow New Orleans back in the game. The Pelicans chipped away at their deficit and cut it to as few as four with 8.4 seconds left in the game, but free throws from Stephen Curry and Harrison Barnes put it away for the Warriors.

Curry got it started when he banked home a runner for the team’s first points of the game. That shot ignited a 14-1 run early in the game and the Dubs went on to dominate the entire first period. Curry had 11 of his 34 points in the opening quarter, and the Warriors yielded just 13 points in the frame, setting a franchise record for fewest points allowed in the first quarter of a postseason game.

New Orleans responded in the second quarter with an 8-0 run to open the period, but the Warriors would soon go on another game-defining run. Klay Thompson scored the first eight points of the quarter for the Warriors and the Dubs closed the half on a 15-2 run. Andrew Bogut was all over the court in the first half, impacting both ends of the floor on his way to a 12-point, 14-rebound and 5-assist performance.

Image Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

​

Memphis never trailed in an easy 100-86 victory vs. Portland on Sunday in Game 1 of their NBA Playoff series on Sunday. Here's what you need to know about the Grizzlies' rout of the Trail Blazers.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Chris Kaman drove the Blazers to 24 points in the second quarter...a veritable treasure trove compared to their first-quarter drought. But Jeff Green and Mike Conley spurred their team to 33. Memphis scored over 1/3 of their regular-season average in just 12 minutes of play They figured that if Aldridge wouldn't yield to Randolph, they'd just try Damian Lillard and friends. It worked. Portland trailed 58-39 at the half.

Throughout the season the third period has been LaMarcus Aldridge time. Up or down at intermission, Portland sets the tone for the second half by feeding their superstar. Aldridge obliged them with 11 points in the third tonight but nothing came easy. Every possession was hard-fought.

Almost everything that could go wrong for the Blazers, did. Portland shot 34% from the field, 31% from the arc. Memphis outscored them 52-38 in the paint, 15-6 on the break. The Grizzlies committed only 8 turnovers. Portland ended up -5 at the foul line. The only thing Portland did well was double up the opponent in offensive rebounds, 16-8. But missing 63 shots will do that to a team.

​Image Credit: sportsnet.ca

Blake Griffin accelerated through the paint and threw down a vicious dunk right on Aron Baynes' head in the third quarter. A few minutes later, Griffin did it again to the same poor San Antonio center.

After three years of early-round failures, the Los Angeles Clippers are hungry for their first major taste of postseason success. As Griffin proved, they'll jump all over the defending champion Spurs as many times as necessary to advance.

Chris Paul scored 32 points, Griffin added 26 points and 12 rebounds, and the Clippers surged in the second half for a 107-92 victory Sunday night in their first-round series opener.

Jamal Crawford added 17 points as the Clippers stayed comfortably ahead down the stretch, meeting the defending champs' challenge to start off a difficult postseason-opening matchup for two powerful teams.

Image Credit: Getty Images

The Rockets got the series opener when they surged in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of the defense the Mavericks typically use on Harden to get open shots around him. Harden had 24 points, scoring 15 from the line. But he also moved the ball, not only collecting 11 assists, but often triggering the ball movement that provided just enough scoring down the stretch to make up for the buckets the Mavericks were getting at the rim when Howard was out.

“They were putting two on the ball,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “We got it to the middle, got it to the weak side. Brew made a couple big shots. Trev (Ariza) made a big 3 with the clock running down. Against the two on the ball, you just have to move it. I think we did a pretty good job of that.

“James is a handful. He demands a lot of attention out there. When they’re doing that and he gets off the ball and moves it, it helps our offense.”

The Rockets got many of those open shots from their shooters with the Dallas championship rings. Jason Terry keyed the Rockets’ flying start to a 15-point first-quarter lead. Brewer was essential to their finish, scoring 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter when he made three 3-pointers.

One of the biggest questions entering the first-round series between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls was this: What kind of Derrick Rose will we see? The aggressive, attacking Rose, circa 2010 MVP, or the guy who so often defaulted to 3-point shots after multiple knee injuries? If Game 1 was any indication, Rose's response was bad news for the Bucks.

Derrick Rose's first playoff game since 2012 went about as well as the Bulls could have hoped for, as he put up 23 points and added seven assists. Rose outplayed his counterpart in Michael Carter-Williams by a long shot.

The Bucks never could quite recover against an impressive and efficient Bulls effort, 30 assists on 38 field goals, a 52-41 rebounding edge and 12 of 32 threes. The Bulls did commit 19 turnovers that led to 25 Bucks points, which is the Bucks’ primary offense. But the Bulls had Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson all with double figure rebounds, Gibson seven on the offensive boards, and the signs once again after three years of pain and heartache that perhaps they can begin to plot and plan and dream again.

Image Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

It was an encouraging performance for the Nets, but they still fell to the Hawks 99-92.

"As I told the team after the game, if you don't believe you can play in this series, you should believe it now. We played hard. I had no fault with the effort of our guys. We just have to be smarter and execute better."

The Nets, who were able to use their size to their advantage, finally began to settle in at the start of the third quarter. They started getting stops on defense and gaining confidence on offense. They were within striking distance in crunch-time, but Kyle Korver (21 points, 5-for-11 3-point range) or Jeff Teague (17 points, 6-for-12 shooting) always had an answer.

Overall, Brooklyn shot 5-for-20 from beyond the arc, went just 15-for-22 at the free-throw line and committed 17 turnovers, which led to 24 Atlanta points.

That the Hawks shot just 43 percent from the field, went 10-for-30 from 3-point territory, gave up 12 offensive rebounds and 54 points in the paint and still won speaks to their resolve. Paul Millsap (six points, 2-for-11 shooting) looked rusty in his return from injury, Al Horford (10 points, 10 rebounds) tweaked his finger yet it didn't matter. DeMarre Carroll (17 points) was his usual solid self, while speedy backup Dennis Schroder (13 points) also made his impact felt off the bench.

Atlanta shot 46.6 percent from the field in the regular season and 38 percent from 3-point range. It stands to reason that the Hawks will hit those numbers more often times than not for the rest of the series.

Image Credit: Mark Duncan/ Associate Press

The Cleveland Cavaliers passed their first playoff test Sunday, knocking off the Boston Celtics 113-100 in front of a sold-out Quicken Loans Arena crowd.

While the final score left no doubt about which team was superior, much of the game did. The Cavaliers trailed by four points at the end of the first quarter, appearing rusty after playing just one starterless game in the previous four days.

Kyrie Irving roared into the postseason, leading all scorers with 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from deep. He also chipped in three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Despite all of his work with the basketball, Irving registered just a single turnover.

Isaiah Thomas, the Boston Celtics' 5'9" reserve point guard put up 22 points, five rebounds and 10 assists, joining Oscar Robertson and LeBron James as the only players in history to register such numbers in their playoff debuts. Boston led the Cavaliers by five points with Thomas in the game—the only Celtics contributor with a positive plus/minus rating.

Kevin Love struggled to get going in his playoff debut, connecting on just two of 11 shots in the first half. He lost the ball on multiple occasions, either by mishandling or by watching an opponent knock it away.

Image Credit: tipofthetower.com

For years, the Toronto Raptors baffled the Washington Wizards. They couldn’t figure them out in the District or in Canada, in overtime or in regulation. But they entered Saturday’s Game 1 against the nemesis confident that the past, seven losses in the last eight meetings, did not matter, that they could solve the puzzle. And on Saturday they did, utilizing a game plan unseen during the regular season to claim a 93-86 overtime victory.

Wizards' coach Randy Wittman used Paul Pierce at power forward for long stretches after utilizing the veteran there for just 4 percent of Washington’s regular season minutes. He played Marcin Gortat in the fourth quarter after Gortat was absent following the third period in the teams’ three regular season meetings. He elected Kevin Seraphin as his second man off the bench over Kris Humphries when Gortat encountered foul trouble, and he granted Otto Porter Jr. crunch-time minutes in his playoff debut one month after Porter was buried at the end of the bench.

“I said something before the game to them,” Wittman said. “You don’t know, first playoff game, this could be an ugly game, could be a pretty game, but if it’s ugly, then we have to be able to win it without our defense.”

Washington is 6-1 on the road in the postseason dating from last year under Wittman, the first coach in NBA history to post such a mark in his first seven road playoff games. The Wizards seized home-court advantage from their opponent for the third straight series and will return to Toronto on Tuesday night seeking to bring a commanding 2-0 advantage back to Washington.

“We’re going to try to get greedy,” Pierce said. “We didn’t come up here to try to get one game. We came up to take it one game at a time. We got Game 1, and now we’re trying to get Game 2.”

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Tim Tebow Officially Back in the NFL; Signs With Philadelphia Eagles

Football’s most interesting team this off-season, the Eagles, just got even more interesting – if that were possible. 

Philadelphia has finalized an agreement with the 27-year-old Tebow, the framework of which was put into place when he worked out for the team last month.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Eagles

Before signing Tebow, the Eagles first wanted to try to trade backup quarterback Matt Barkley. But when the team could not get enough in return, it decided to bring in Tebow anyway so that he could be present for the team’s entire off-season program.

This signing isn't totally unexpected. Philadelphia obviously brought in Tebow for a workout earlier this offseason. After leaving town without a deal, one report indicated the Eagles were going to sign Tebow if the team could trade Matt Barkley. As Schefter notes, the team couldn't trade Barkley, so they just signed Tebow anyway.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Eagles

Tebow, a former first round pick of the Denver Broncos, hasn't been in the NFL since the Patriots released him in August 2013. He used to be teammates with Sanchez when they both played on the New York Jets in 2012.

It is one thing to stockpile receivers or defensive backs. But teams can use only one quarterback at a time, and sometimes having even two candidates for starter can lead to a controversy that eats up a team. Now the Eagles have five quarterbacks, three of whom have started N.F.L. games.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly loved going for two points during his coaching days at Oregon. He knows Tebow can be a two-point specialist if nothing else.

The NFL, at its owners meetings May 18-20 in San Francisco, is expected to amend its extra-point rules for the 2015 season. The proposal that seemed to have the most traction as the owners, coaches and top executives adjourned from their league meetings last month in Phoenix: Move the one-point extra point back 13 yards to a 33-yard kick and nudge the two-point conversion in a half-yard from the 2-yard line to the 1 1/2.

Tebow rushed for four touchdowns of 2 yards or less in his two Bronco seasons (2010-2011) and was two-of-two in two-point rushing attempts during his impressive 2011 season.

The nominal starter at this point is Sam Bradford, acquired in March from the St. Louis Rams in a surprising trade for the Eagles’ starter last season, Nick Foles.

His status as starter there, and even his roster spot, may not be locked up. Though jerseys of the Eagles’ other new acquisitions are readily available, Bradford jerseys were not in stock at local stores, NJ.com reported last week. Is Bradford just a pawn in Chip Kelly's trading game? We will find out soon enough. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Orioles Fan Turns His Back on A-Rod Before Hitting 656th Homerun to Tie Derek Jeter

On a 2-0 pitch in the fourth inning, Yankees' DH Alex Rodriguez demolished a 92-MPH fastball from Orioles' pitcher Bud Norris, depositing the ball deep into the left field seats.

Image Credit: Tommy Gilligan | USA TODAY Sports

The homer was A-Rod's 656th of his career, and the run tied him for 9th all-time on the runs (1,923) list with none other than former Yankees shortstop and captain Derek Jeter.

The homer made it 3-1 Yankees.

Rodriguez is doing pretty well this season for someone who missed the entire 2014 season. He is currently batting .286 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, and a .394 OBP.

However, not everyone is happy with A-Rod's success so far this season. An Orioles fan turned his back to the field every time A-Rod stepped into the box on Monday night, folding his arms and staring back at the rest of the fans sitting in section 78 in left field.

“I don’t respect him,” Tolbert Rowe told the Washington Post. “He doesn’t deserve to be watched. Absolutely not, I’m sorry. You know, and now they got all this about his tying Willie Mays’s record and the $6 million, and he has the audacity to think that he should be paid. I’m sorry. I don’t respect the guy. Not one bit.”

"He’s the worst. He’s the epitome of all that was wrong about it," Rowe told the Post. "And he’s been so successful. Maybe it’s jealousy, maybe it isn’t. But I just don’t think that he deserves to be in the class with other players that have never had … and I mean, he lied about it. I’m sorry. He doesn’t deserve my respect.”

However it is still unknown if he booed Nelson Cruz, Rafael Palmeiro, Miguel Tejada when they played for his O's. 

#FORG1V3

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

As Carlos Beltran Continues to Struggle, is it Time to Explore Other Options?

Entering 2015, the New York Yankees were planning to rely on Carlos Beltran being the No. 3 hitter they believe they signed to a three-year, $45-million contract two offseasons ago. But his 2014 season was a complete disaster. Plagued by a bone spur in his right elbow, Beltran turned the worst full-season performance of his nearly 20-year career, hitting .233 with 15 homers and 49 RBI in 109 games.

Image Credit: USATODAY.com

The Yankees' manager Joe Girardi doesn't seem too concerned about Beltran's struggle. 

"There's nothing that I see that's necessarily (wrong)," Girardi said. "Does his bat speed look different to me? No. Just he's gotten off to a slow start and hopefully the consistent at-bats will get him going."

While Beltran entered Sunday night's game against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium among many Yankees underperforming at the plate, his numbers were particularly ugly.

In 22 at-bats, the 38-year-old right fielder was hitting .100 with no homers and two RBI. He had walked once and struck out six times.

The Yankees have only played five total games, but it's worth noting that Beltran only has two hits through 20 plate appearances. Both of those hits were doubles. At this point, Beltran is one of many bounce back candidates filling up the Yankees lineup, but there are other options that can be explored to fill right field. Chris Young and Garrett Jones can both play outfield, and in more limited playing time, both have looked better than him at the plate.

Image Credit: John Bazemore AP

What do you think the Yankees should do with Beltran? Let him ride the bench? Keep him in the lineup and hope he improves?

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

When Will Stephen Drew's Time as a Starter Run Out?

Yankees fans are well aware of the Yankees lack of offense over the past two seasons. Even if Stephen Drew provides a boost on the defensive side, it's time to stop starting him in the every day lineup.

Image Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Bryan Hoch of Yankees.com reports that 25-year-old Jose Pirela, after suffering a concussion during spring training, has resumed baseball activities. Pirela would be a front-runner to replace Drew in the starting lineup. 

In his 24 major league at-bats last season, Pirela hit .333. Meanwhile, in Drew's 46 at-bats with the Yankees last year, he hit a mere .150 (while also hitting .111 in this shortt season). 

Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball last season, Drew had a .970 fielding percentage, while Pirela had a .917 fielding percentage. Even if Drew has the defensive edge, the difference in offense is just too big to ignore. Even in spring training, Pirela hit .370 and Drew hit .259, which actually isn't a low number for him. Also in 2014, Drew's OBP was only .237, while Pirela had a .351 OBP. It's clear as day that on the offensive end, Pirela has a much higher value than Drew.

Pirela is not the only option to replace Drew. Fellow minor-league infielder Rob Refsnyder was one of the final cuts in this past spring training. In his 2014 season in the minors, Refsnyder hit for a .300 average and an OBP of .389. The downfall with Refsnyder is on the defensive side of the ball, as Cashman is noted as saying that the defensive side of the game was why Refsnyder did not make the big leagues out of camp. Along with Refsnyder being a final cut, Nick Noonan was also among them. Noonan's 2014 offensive season was average, hitting .237, while his OBP was just .282. While Pirela seems like the best replacement for the struggling Drew, Refsnyder and Noonan are not far behind.

On a team that struggles terribly with their offense, the Yankees could use someone like Pirela or Refsnyder to help pick up the slack, even if that does compromise some defensive skill. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Have The Angels Have Turned Their Back on Josh Hamilton?

Angels owner Arte Moreno told reporters on Friday that Josh Hamilton's contract contains language that prohibited him from using drugs or alcohol, according to the Orange County Register.

Prior to the start of the 2015 season, Hamilton admitted to Major League Baseball that he relapsed. Hamilton has battled drug and alcohol addiction for the majority of his professional career.

If Hamilton is in violation of his contract, the Angels could potentially get out of owing the outfielder the remaining $83 million he's under contract for.

“It's not about money, nothing about money,” Moreno said. “In our contract, there's language that he signed and that his agent approved that said he cannot drink and use drugs. So, we have specific language in the agreement. We have a couple other players who have the same language.”

The Angels were surprisingly critical of the MLB's decision to not suspend or punish Hamilton, who hit .263 with 10 home runs in 89 games in 2014.

It's terrible that the Angels are clearly just trying to rid themselves of a problem contract, without showing any compassion for the player. They knew what they were signing, and they went ahead with it — Moreno and Josh Hamilton shook hands in the introductory press conference.

All in all, it’s a really ugly situation on a number of different levels that’s being made worse and worse by Moreno every time he opens his mouth. The entire Angels organization is handling this as poorly as possible in terms of public relations, managing the clubhouse, and - most importantly - being decent human beings. There is a way to handle this unfortunate moment in Hamilton’s life, and this isn’t it. For the sake of everyone involved, I hope this is resolved quickly and quietly, but it appears this is going to get worse before it gets any better.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Derrick Rose Starts vs. Magic

"I've been putting a lot of work in, busting my ass to get back," Rose said before shoot-around Wednesday morning. "I'm just happy that I’m able to come back to a team where I think we're playing all right basketball. I think defensively we're playing good. Offensively, I shouldn't have to worry about it, just come back and play the way I normally play."

Image Credit: Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

The original timetable for Rose's return was 4-6 weeks, and his latest comeback Wednesday night would put him a couple of days ahead of the worst-case scenario. The procedure was minor compared to a repair of the right knee meniscus he underwent last season, causing him to miss all but 10 games.

Of course, no procedure on any body part belonging to the 2010-11 MVP can be characterized as minor at this point. His latest recovery gives him five regular season games to get his conditioning and rhythm back before the postseason begins.

The Bulls were 10-10 during Rose's latest absence and find themselves in a tight struggle to hang onto the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. With five to play, the Bulls have a one-game lead on Toronto and a two-game lead on Washington for the third spot, which would give them a first-round matchup against Milwaukee.

The Bulls are 15-4 when using their regular starting lineup this season.

Thibodeau downplayed expectations for Rose. The Bulls went 10-10 in his absence.

“Him just being there is a plus for our team,” Thibodeau said. “I'm not expecting him to play 35 minutes, score 30 points. Play to your strengths, cover up your weaknesses, make your teammates better. That's all I want him to do.”

The Bulls own a one-game lead over the Raptors for the East’s third seed, though the Raptors hold the tiebreaker. Kirk Hinrich, who has missed two games with a hyperextended left knee, also will play.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Highlights of MLB Opening Day 2015 in the National League.

The Dodgers have won five consecutive season openers for the first time in franchise history. The announced crowd of 53,518 was the largest for a regular-season game in all of baseball in 2 1/2 years.

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Image Credit: espn.com

Adrian Gonzalez was a triple short of the cycle. Gonzalez homered in the third inning, singled in the fifth and then doubled in the seventh, when he scored the tying run on a double by Howie Kendrick, the team's new second baseman. Kendrick, who batted cleanup, tripled and scored in the fourth inning, on a double by Carl Crawford.

Newcomer Jimmy Rollins broke a 3-3 stalemate by blasting an eighth-inning offering by Shawn Kelley into the seats by the right-field foul pole for a three-run home run. This marked the fourth time Rollins has homered on opening day. Rollins, who spent his previous 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, has hit safely in his last 11 season openers.

The Padres, newly dangerous, looked the part, contributing to a sub-par start for Kershaw. The left-hander struck out nine but allowed three runs over six innings. Arguably, he was out-pitched by the Padres' new No. 1, James Shields. By then, Kemp was 2-for-3, having driven in all of the Padres' runs.

The numbers told the Dodgers to put the shift on in Kemp's first official at-bat for the Padres. This is a different Dodgers club now, driven by analytics, still armed with boundless resources. So when Kemp fought off an inside fastball from Clayton Kershaw, his former, Cy Young-winning teammate, sending a nubber the other way for a run-scoring single, Dodger Stadium groaned. In his third at-bat, Kemp lashed a two-run double to left.

Image Credit: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Jason Heyward went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a stolen base in his Cardinals debut and Adam Wainwright blanked the Cubs over six innings in a 3-0 victory on Opening Night in Chicago on Sunday. The Cubs had plenty of opportunities to score, but went hitless in 13 at-bats with runners on scoring position.

The Cardinals took an early lead with a one-out double to right field in the first inning by Heyward, followed by a Matt Holliday single, also to right field. Heyward doubled again in the third and singled in the fifth, but was stranded both times. The Cardinals scored once in the second inning on a Matt Carpenter RBI single and again in the fifth inning on another Holliday RBI single to right field to take a 3-0 lead. The Cardinals’ 1-through-3 hitters combined to go 7-for-14 with two doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored on the evening.

Cubs starter Jon Lester, making his debut with his new club after signing a six-year, $155 million contract in December, lasted only 4 1/3 innings. On 89 pitches, the lefty allowed eight hits, walked two, and struck out six. Phil Coke relieved Lester with runners on second and third and one out, sandwiching an intentional walk around two strikeouts to exit the frame.

Wainwright, meanwhile, threw 101 pitches over his six innings of work, yielding five hits and no walks while striking out six. The right-hander had minor elbow surgery in October and dealt with a minor abdominal injury shortly after pitchers and catches reported in February, but looked completely healthy facing the Cubs. He unleashed a handful of devastating curves during the course of the evening.

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Image Credit: Hector Hector Gabino/TNS/TNS 

Braves relievers Luis Avilan and Jim Johnson worked out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the seventh inning to protect a 2-1 lead, after starter Julio Teheran gave up three hits to start the inning. Avilan induced a 5-2-3 double-play grounder by Jarrod Saltalamacchia, with catcher Christian Bethancourt showing off his cannon of an arm on the throw to first to complete the game’s most important play. Johnson got Adeiny Hechavarria to pop up foul to end the inning and pitched a perfect eighth, and Jason Grilli pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for the save.

The Braves used “small ball” to manufacture each of their first two runs of the 2015 season, something they’ve said all spring that they would focus on doing, after trying and failing with an all-or-nothing offense in 2014 that was plagued by too many strikeouts and not enough home runs. Rookie second baseman Jace Peterson played big parts in each of those two runs, singling and scoring on a Nick Markakis single in the first inning, and laying down a sacrifice bunt to move Eric Young Jr. to third base in the sixth inning before he scored on Markakis fielder’s choice grounder.

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Image Credit: yahoo.com

The Mets didn't have an easy start for the season. They were playing the powerful Washington Nationals, and their new $210 million ace, Max Scherzer, in front of a pumped-up crowd of Nationals fans with visions of a World Series in October.

In the Mets’ favor was that they do have a strong record on opening day — a lot better, in fact, than what they have usually done in the 161 games that followed. Still, this was, by any measure, a daunting assignment.

And it grew more difficult when Scherzer carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and looked as if he might just keep the Mets hitless the entire game. But for one game at least the Mets showed that they had the talent and fortitude to stand up to a Nationals team that has bullied them around the National League East for years. The Mets capitalized on two errors by the shortstop, Ian Desmond. Lucas Duda and Travis d’Arnaud delivered big hits. Bartolo Colon, the doughy 41-year-old starter, kept the Nationals off balance for six innings.

The Mets ended up with a 3-1 victory that reinforced the idea that this season might be the one in which all the losing finally stops and a contender actually emerges in Queens. Playing well against the Nationals was going to be a good measuring stick of the Mets’ progress. Over the last three years, the Nationals had beaten the Mets 41 times in 55 meetings and had dominated them in every aspect of the game. Then, for good measure, the Nationals added Scherzer to a rotation that was already one of the best in baseball.

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Image Credit: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Todd Frazier hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning on Monday, overcoming another stumble by the bullpen and rallying the Cincinnati Reds to an opening 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Billy Hamilton and Joey Votto singled before Frazier connected against Tony Watson (0-1), snapping a 2-2 tie.

Johnny Cueto, the Reds' 20-game winner in the final year of a contract, opened his uncertain season with another dominating performance against the Pirates. He fanned 10 batters in seven innings before turning a 2-0 lead over to a bullpen that was a big problem last season.

Andrew McCutchen tied it with a two-run shot off newcomer Kevin Gregg.

Jumbo Diaz (1-0) got the final out in the eighth. Aroldis Chapman fanned two of the three batters he faced for the save.

Image Credit: fansided.com

The Rockies pounded the Milwaukee Brewers 10-0 at Miller Park, getting seven shutout innings from newcomer Kyle Kendrick in the most impressive opening-day victory in club history. They cranked out 16 hits, including two-run homers by Corey Dickerson and Nolan Arenado.

"Our confidence is out the roof, for sure," said Dickerson, who drove in four runs. "I think other teams see this lineup and know it's dangerous. We are a confident team."

According to Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Dickerson broke his bat on his line-drive home run. Dickerson claimed otherwise, but the raw power he displayed was symbolic of the Rockies' onslaught.

For a team that limped to a 21-60 road record last season, Monday's romp was a welcome changeup. Colorado scored 10 runs or more in a road game just twice last season. Monday's game produced the most runs the Rockies have ever scored in an opening-day road game.

Kendrick, the Rockies' new $5.5 million right-hander, not only pitched seven shutout innings, he went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run. He mixed and matched his pitches masterfully, relying primarily on sinkers and changeups thrown over the inside corner.

"This was great, but I just came in here thinking I'd do what I did in (Philadelphia), and that's give my team a chance to win," said Kendrick, who credited catcher Nick Hundley for devising the game plan that kept Milwaukee hitters off balance. "You don't really think about the results, you just go out and execute pitches. Today it really worked out."

Image Credit: mlb.com

Madison Bumgarner pitched seven strong innings and the San Francisco Giants opened defense of their third World Series title in five years with a 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Bumgarner (1-0) was the NLCS and World Series MVP last year and was sharp to start the 2015 season, allowing a run on six hits.

The Giants lost power-hitting Pablo Sandoval during the offseason and were without injured right fielder Hunter Pence, but made up for it by stringing together 10 hits in four-plus innings against Josh Collmenter (0-2).

Angel Pagan had a pair of run-scoring singles and Brandon Crawford hit a two-run double for the Giants.

Diamondbacks pinch-hitter Jake Lamb hit a three-run double off Sergio Romo in the eighth, but Jeremy Affeldt stranded two runners to end the inning. Santiago Casilla worked a perfect ninth for the save.

Bumgarner had one of the best postseason runs in major league history, earning two wins in the World Series and a five-inning save in Game 7 on two days' rest.

Bumgarner left a pitch up in the third inning to Mark Trumbo, who hit a run-scoring triple that nearly went out in the deepest part of the park. Other than that, Bumgarner had the Diamondbacks under control, aided by double plays in the fifth and sixth.

Collmenter has been Arizona's jack-of-all trades during his four seasons in the desert, filling in wherever the Diamondbacks needed him, whether it was as a starter or long relief. Collmenter allowed five runs in 4 2-3 innings. The over-the-top-throwing right-hander was rewarded for his workmanlike efforts by getting the ball on opening day.

San Francisco's top three hitters, Nori Aoki, Joe Panik and Pagan, greeted him with one hit after another, going a combined 8 for 9 through the first five innings. Pagan had a pair of run-scoring singles, Buster Posey hit a sacrifice fly and Crawford a two-run double in the fifth to put San Francisco up 5-1.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO