Sunday, November 22, 2015
The Golden State Warriors Make NBA History
With a 118-105 victory against the Denver Nuggets, the reigning champion Golden State Warriors have made NBA history by tying the NBA record of a 15-0 start. The only other teams to have ever done this are the 1948-1949 Capitols team and the 1993-1994 Houston Rockets. With the best shooting duo the NBA has ever seen in Klay Thompson and defending MVP Stephen Curry, the Warriors have been red hot since the season started after winning the NBA Finals last year against the injured Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors look very hungry to repeat last year's season, and no team has been able to slow them down. Golden State has pretty much demolished every team that's been put in front of them, with their only close games coming against the Raptors and both games against their rivals the Los Angeles Clippers. The defending champs are also favored to win 65 of their remaining 67 games. The only time they aren't favored to win games this season are the two games they play on the road against the San Antonio Spurs. If the experts are right, which is highly unlikely but not impossible, the Warriors would finish the season 80-2 which is an incredibly remarkable record. While I'm not quite sure that can happen, anything looks possible with this team. It will be interesting to see which team can finally end this incredible streak, if anyone actually can.
The Iowa Hawkeyes Are The Big Ten West Champions!
On Saturday, November 21, 2015, the Iowa Hawkeyes clinched the Big Ten West Title by defeating the Purdue Boilermakers on senior day for the Hawks who played their final game of the year at their home field Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes had been the front runner in the Big Ten West after defeating both Northwestern and Wisconsin, their biggest competition in the Western division of the Big Ten. After achieving a 6-0 conference record, the Hawkeyes needed either a win or a Wisconsin loss to clinch the title. The Wisconsin Badgers were 5-1 in conference play, and needed two Iowa losses to win the title due to the Hawkeyes holding the tiebreaker after a win in Madison, Wisconsin. Unfortunately for the Badgers, everything went wrong for them as Iowa won and they were also unable to win in a tough matchup against the Northwestern Wildcats. With just one week remaining in the regular season, the Hawkeyes will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers, in what looks to be the toughest challenge for the Hawkeyes since routing the Wildcats in week seven. ESPN experts are still predicting the matchup to be in Iowa's favor, but only by .2%. And yes, the "." is actually there, it's not just some dot on your screen. The experts are currently giving the Hawkeyes a slight 50.2% edge to the Hawkeyes with the Cornhuskers having a 49.8% chance of pulling off the upset. Nebraska is very capable, however, of doing that very feat. Earlier in the season, the Cornhuskers pulled off an albeit controversial win against a then undefeated Michigan State team, and they'll look to do the same to the Hawkeyes in a rival meeting for the Heroes Trophy. Nebraska will be coming off a bye week after two straight wins, so the Hawkeyes would be very wise not to underestimate them. They will need to continue to do what they've done through eleven straight games if they want to end the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record. Speaking of an undefeated record, after a very exciting weekend of football, Iowa is now one of only two remaining teams still with an unblemished record with the only other team being Number One ranked Clemson. Both Ohio State and Oklahoma State lost this weekend, bumping the Hawkeyes to Number Three in both the AP Top 25 rankings and the coaches poll. If Iowa can beat Nebraska next weekend and win a tough Big Ten Championship game against either Ohio State, Michigan State, or Michigan, they are a lock for getting into the College Football Playoffs, regardless of what other fans might say. For the Big Ten East, Michigan State controls their own destiny. If they win next weekend against Penn State, they clinch the title. If they lose, the winner of the Michigan vs. Ohio State game is the Big Ten East Champion. Regardless, it should be a very exciting matchup. Iowa has had a remarkable and historic season. While some continue to argue and dismiss the accomplishments of this tough Hawkeye team, they should be very proud of their achievements. This has been an amazing year, and hopefully for this Hawkeye team, it will end on a high note.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans Round 1
On November 18, 2015, the Oklahoma City Thunder played the New Orleans Pelicans in the first of three games this regular season. The game was scheduled to be played at 7:00 Central Time, and was televised nationally on ESPN. It was played in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. These two teams are two that many expect to make it to the Western Conference playoffs, and are two teams with bright young talent who have the ability to take their teams all the way to the NBA Finals. However, this game was not expected to be as exciting as their next two meetings could potentially be, as both teams are struggling with poor play and injuries to their star players. Regardless of the circumstances, this was a pretty enjoyable match up, with both teams playing well, and it was a nice glimpse of what the rest of this series has in store.
Coming into the game, the Thunder had a 7-4 record on the season. They had lost their last two games since recently losing arguably the best player on their team, and the second best player in the world Kevin Durant. Durant had missed three straight games after suffering a minor hamstring injury against the Washington Wizards in a win for the Thunder. Before the injury Durant had been averaging about 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in about 34 minutes of playing time. These were pretty good numbers for the star out of the University of Texas after missing almost all of last season due to a Jones' fracture in his foot. Fortunately for Thunder fans, such as myself, rookie head coach Billy Donovan has already commented that Durant's injury is not very serious and shouldn't be a major concern for the team or Durant.
The Pelicans did not have it any easier, though. They came into the game against the Thunder with an awful record of 1-10, and they hadn't even won a single game on the road. They had also been playing recently either without star player Anthony Davis, or with very restricted minutes from the young power forward from the University of Kentucky. Davis was listed day-to-day and had recently played 40 minutes in a losing effort against the New York Knicks, but he was restricted to just 6 minutes against the Denver Nuggets due to a shoulder injury. Davis had only played 9 games this season, in which he averaged 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 33 minutes, but he was not expected to play against the Thunder.
In the first quarter, the Thunder developed an early lead and showed their dominance throughout the first seven and a half minutes. However, the Pelicans would not be defeated that easily, and after a three-point basket by Eric Gordon, New Orleans took their first lead of the game. With some strong play by Gordon and teammate Ryan Anderson, the Pelicans ended the quarter on a 14-6 run and took a 27-21 lead heading into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Enes Kanter got it going for the Thunder, as they took the lead back with 7:07 remaining in the first half, prompting the Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry to call a timeout to settle down his team. The timeout, however, did not really help New Orleans, as they were still outscored 19-12 during the remainder of the first half. Going into the break, the Pelicans would trail the home team 53-45.
To start out the third quarter, Russell Westbrook brought the home fans to their feet by stealing the ball and breaking away for a huge slam dunk to push the Thunder's lead to double digits. The Pelicans responded with a quick 8-0 run to cut the lead to just two points, settling down the rowdy crowd. Out of a Thunder timeout, Oklahoma City knocked down two big threes to bring their lead back up to eight points, but Alexis Ajinca halted their run with an 11-foot jumper. The home team responded with another 6-0 run to give the Oklahoma City Thunder their largest lead so far of 12 points, causing Alvin Gentry to burn another timeout. For the remainder of the third period, the Pelicans kept chasing the Thunder, and were only able to cut the lead to six points, with 12 minutes remaining in the game.
The Pelicans opened up the final quarter with a 6-3 run cutting the lead to three points, but the Thunder responded with a 7-2 run to bring their lead back up to eight. The Pelicans came out of a timeout with a layup, but the Thunder kept on making shots, and with 5:30 left in the game, the home team led by 11 points. New Orleans would not be put away, however, and went on a 10-2 run to cut the lead back to just three points, but that's as close as they were able to get for the rest of the game. The Thunder outscored the Pelicans 13-9 throughout the rest of the quarter, and when the final buzzer sounded, the home team had won the game 110-103.
Overall, it was a nice game, showing a brief preview of how this rivalry will go this season. Their next matchup is not until February 11, again at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Hopefully for the next game, both Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis will be fully healthy for their teams in what should be an exciting matchup. The Pelicans will look to avoid losing the best of three series with a win in OKC to go into their final matchup just two weeks later in New Orleans. The Thunder will hope to capitalize by taking care of their home court. This looks to be like a great series.
Coming into the game, the Thunder had a 7-4 record on the season. They had lost their last two games since recently losing arguably the best player on their team, and the second best player in the world Kevin Durant. Durant had missed three straight games after suffering a minor hamstring injury against the Washington Wizards in a win for the Thunder. Before the injury Durant had been averaging about 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in about 34 minutes of playing time. These were pretty good numbers for the star out of the University of Texas after missing almost all of last season due to a Jones' fracture in his foot. Fortunately for Thunder fans, such as myself, rookie head coach Billy Donovan has already commented that Durant's injury is not very serious and shouldn't be a major concern for the team or Durant.
The Pelicans did not have it any easier, though. They came into the game against the Thunder with an awful record of 1-10, and they hadn't even won a single game on the road. They had also been playing recently either without star player Anthony Davis, or with very restricted minutes from the young power forward from the University of Kentucky. Davis was listed day-to-day and had recently played 40 minutes in a losing effort against the New York Knicks, but he was restricted to just 6 minutes against the Denver Nuggets due to a shoulder injury. Davis had only played 9 games this season, in which he averaged 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 33 minutes, but he was not expected to play against the Thunder.
In the first quarter, the Thunder developed an early lead and showed their dominance throughout the first seven and a half minutes. However, the Pelicans would not be defeated that easily, and after a three-point basket by Eric Gordon, New Orleans took their first lead of the game. With some strong play by Gordon and teammate Ryan Anderson, the Pelicans ended the quarter on a 14-6 run and took a 27-21 lead heading into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Enes Kanter got it going for the Thunder, as they took the lead back with 7:07 remaining in the first half, prompting the Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry to call a timeout to settle down his team. The timeout, however, did not really help New Orleans, as they were still outscored 19-12 during the remainder of the first half. Going into the break, the Pelicans would trail the home team 53-45.
To start out the third quarter, Russell Westbrook brought the home fans to their feet by stealing the ball and breaking away for a huge slam dunk to push the Thunder's lead to double digits. The Pelicans responded with a quick 8-0 run to cut the lead to just two points, settling down the rowdy crowd. Out of a Thunder timeout, Oklahoma City knocked down two big threes to bring their lead back up to eight points, but Alexis Ajinca halted their run with an 11-foot jumper. The home team responded with another 6-0 run to give the Oklahoma City Thunder their largest lead so far of 12 points, causing Alvin Gentry to burn another timeout. For the remainder of the third period, the Pelicans kept chasing the Thunder, and were only able to cut the lead to six points, with 12 minutes remaining in the game.
The Pelicans opened up the final quarter with a 6-3 run cutting the lead to three points, but the Thunder responded with a 7-2 run to bring their lead back up to eight. The Pelicans came out of a timeout with a layup, but the Thunder kept on making shots, and with 5:30 left in the game, the home team led by 11 points. New Orleans would not be put away, however, and went on a 10-2 run to cut the lead back to just three points, but that's as close as they were able to get for the rest of the game. The Thunder outscored the Pelicans 13-9 throughout the rest of the quarter, and when the final buzzer sounded, the home team had won the game 110-103.
Overall, it was a nice game, showing a brief preview of how this rivalry will go this season. Their next matchup is not until February 11, again at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Hopefully for the next game, both Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis will be fully healthy for their teams in what should be an exciting matchup. The Pelicans will look to avoid losing the best of three series with a win in OKC to go into their final matchup just two weeks later in New Orleans. The Thunder will hope to capitalize by taking care of their home court. This looks to be like a great series.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
A Decent Start To The Iowa Hawkeye Men's Basketball Season
This week, the Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Basketball team started their season. After making it to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year under Hawkeye star Aaron White, the Hawkeyes looked to have another great season under new key player Jarrod Uthoff after Aaron White's graduation.
Their first game of the season was Friday in Carver Hawkeye Arena against Gardner Webb. In the first half, Iowa was able to outscore the Bulldogs 41-37 through Uthoff who was able to score all of his career-high 21 points in the first half after scoring 8 of the Hawkeyes first 9 points. The Hawkeyes began the second half with a quick 8-0 run to take a double-digit lead which they maintained for the rest of the game. The Hawkeyes ended up beating the Bulldogs 76-59 after a great game from Uthoff who finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks for Iowa. Other players who had notable games for the Hawkeyes include Adam Woodbury, who scored 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Mike Gesell who finished with 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and a career-high 9 assists. On a sad note for the Hawks, three-point scorer Peter Jok was forced to leave the game early in the second half with an injury.
Iowa played their second game on Sunday at Carver Hawkeye Arena against the Coppin State Eagles. The Hawkeyes completely demolished the Eagles in the first half outscoring them by 30 points to go into halftime up 52-22. The second half was a little closer after Fran McCaffery, Iowa's head coach, pulled most of his starters early in the second period. The Eagles were able to score 46 points in the second half, but were still outscored by Iowa who scored 51 points. The Hawkeyes ended the game winning 103-68, accomplishing their first 100 point game since 2013. Notable performers for the Hawkeyes include new addition to the starting lineup Dom Uhl who scored a career-high 18 points, and freshman Brady Ellingson who scored a game-high 20 points.
While the Hawkeyes have not yet played real competition yet this season, these two games have been a great chance for the Hawkeyes to gain some confidence and get a nice feel for what strategies work for them. This looks to be an interesting season for the Hawkeyes.
Their first game of the season was Friday in Carver Hawkeye Arena against Gardner Webb. In the first half, Iowa was able to outscore the Bulldogs 41-37 through Uthoff who was able to score all of his career-high 21 points in the first half after scoring 8 of the Hawkeyes first 9 points. The Hawkeyes began the second half with a quick 8-0 run to take a double-digit lead which they maintained for the rest of the game. The Hawkeyes ended up beating the Bulldogs 76-59 after a great game from Uthoff who finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks for Iowa. Other players who had notable games for the Hawkeyes include Adam Woodbury, who scored 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Mike Gesell who finished with 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and a career-high 9 assists. On a sad note for the Hawks, three-point scorer Peter Jok was forced to leave the game early in the second half with an injury.
Iowa played their second game on Sunday at Carver Hawkeye Arena against the Coppin State Eagles. The Hawkeyes completely demolished the Eagles in the first half outscoring them by 30 points to go into halftime up 52-22. The second half was a little closer after Fran McCaffery, Iowa's head coach, pulled most of his starters early in the second period. The Eagles were able to score 46 points in the second half, but were still outscored by Iowa who scored 51 points. The Hawkeyes ended the game winning 103-68, accomplishing their first 100 point game since 2013. Notable performers for the Hawkeyes include new addition to the starting lineup Dom Uhl who scored a career-high 18 points, and freshman Brady Ellingson who scored a game-high 20 points.
While the Hawkeyes have not yet played real competition yet this season, these two games have been a great chance for the Hawkeyes to gain some confidence and get a nice feel for what strategies work for them. This looks to be an interesting season for the Hawkeyes.
Hawkeye History Has Been Made
For the first time in Iowa History, the Iowa Hawkeye Football team is 10-0. The closest the Hawkeyes had ever come to 10-0 previously was in the 2009 Hawkeye season where Iowa started 9-0, but unfortunately lost their tenth game at Kinnick Stadium after star quarterback Ricky Stanzi was injured in a game against the Northwestern Wildcats. This season, under newly named quarterback C.J. Beathard, the Hawkeyes have had an absolute historic season. Even with injuries, the Hawks have found a way to win game-after-game week-after-week to start the season 9-0. After a tough game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Iowa made Hawkeye history in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale by pushing that win total to 10-0 to remain perfect on the season and break the record for the greatest start in program history.
The game was set to kickoff at 7:00 Central time, and would be played at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. It was televised nationally on the Big Ten Network. Iowa knew this would be an important game, especially since it was a rivalry game with the Floyd of Rosedale as the trophy. Last year, the Golden Gophers absolutely demolished the Hawkeyes 51-14 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Overall in the series, the Golden Gophers led the rivalry against the Hawkeyes 62 games to 45 with two ties.
Minnesota won the toss, and elected to receive the opening kickoff, sending a message to the Hawkeyes, who generally like to start the game with their offense on the field with the ball. The Golden Gophers took the ball all the way from their own 25 yard-line to the Iowa 47, but failed to convert on a third-and-four, and were forced to punt the ball to the home team. The Hawkeyes started their first possession pinned down at their own 9 yard-line. After a long 8:38 possession, the Hawks punched in a touchdown after a 3-yard run from first-string running back LeShun Daniels Jr., who would be playing his first game with sufficient minutes since the beginning of the season before he was injured. On the Golden Gophers' ensuing possession, Minnesota marched down the field very quickly under quarterback Mitch Leidner scoring a touchdown in 2:29 going 75 yards down the field in only six plays ending with a two-yard run by the quarterback himself. The Hawkeyes then took the ball 75 yards in 2:30 ending with a 1-yard bootleg touchdown run by C.J. Beathard in a possession that almost mimicked what the Golden Gophers had just done. Minnesota responded with a quick touchdown after a 40-yard pass from Leidner to Brandon Lingen. The touchdown shootout ended after the Hawkeyes failed to score a touchdown on their next possession. However, Iowa did manage to score three points on a 47-yard field goal by Marshall Koehn to give the Hawkeyes a 17-14 lead over the Golden Gophers. Minnesota was unable to answer the Hawkeye score and was forced to punt the ball back to the home team with 3:52 remaining in the first half. Knowing that they would receive the ball to start off the second half, the Hawkeyes knew that a score here could be very crucial in deciding the outcome of the game. In a good sign for the Hawks, C.J. Beathard, who had been struggling with a right groin injury for a majority of the season limiting his mobility, ran 26 yards to the Minnesota 14 yard-line for a first down forcing the Golden Gophers to call a timeout with only 1:00 remaining to halt the Hawkeyes' momentum. After a pass interference called on Minnesota, Iowa was set up with a first and goal at the Minnesota 2 yard-line, and LeShun Daniels Jr. drove the ball past the goal line to give the Hawkeyes a nice 24-14 lead with only 44 seconds remaining in the first half. The Golden Gophers decided to be conservative and just let the clock run out after a 5-yard run from Shannon Brooks.
To start the second half, both teams finally decided to play some defense keeping the opposing offenses to a three and out with neither team allowing even one first down. On Iowa's next possession, they started with great field positioning after a ten-yard punt return by Desmond King to the 50 yard-line. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, they were unable to capitalize on King's nice return and only came away with three points after a 38-yard field goal from Koehn. Minnesota responded to Koehn's field goal with a touchdown capped off by a Leidner 1-yard run to cut Iowa's lead to 27-21. The Hawks were fortunate to start another possession with great field positioning after a 58-yard kickoff return from Desmond King to the Minnesota 37 yard-line. To begin the fourth and final quarter, the Hawks finished their drive with another 1-yard touchdown run from C.J. Beathard, but failed to convert on a two-point conversion that would've potentially put the Hawks up by two full touchdowns, thus the score was 33-21 Iowa. The Golden Gophers were unable to do anything against the Hawks tough defense, but were fortunate that the Hawks could not increase their lead on the next possession after Marshall Koehn just barely missed a 48-yard field goal. The teams then traded punts until Minnesota was able to score a touchdown on a nice trick play pass from Shannon Brooks to Drew Wolitarsky. With their lead cut to just five points, the Iowa Hawkeyes knew their perfect season could be in danger. Luckily for the Hawkeyes, they had a running back named LeShun Daniels Jr. who had a career night for his team capped off with a 51-yard touchdown run to put the Hawkeyes up 28-40. With only 2:01 left in the game, and with the Golden Gophers needing to score two touchdowns to take the lead, almost everyone thought the game was out of reach, including the commentators who had already congratulated the Hawkeyes on a 10-0 start. However, the Golden Gophers were not at all ready to give up, scoring a very quick touchdown in only 45 seconds to bring the game to 35-40 in favor of the home team.
With only 1:16 seconds left in the game, everyone knew that an onside kick would decide the game. If the Hawks recovered the kick, they could run out the clock and end the game. However, if the Golden Gophers were able to miraculously recover the ball, they would have enough time to potentially score a touchdown, and stun the fifth ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and end their perfect season and playoff hopes. In probably the biggest play of the game, Minnesota kicker Ryan Santoso kicked the ball out of bounds after it only traveled eight yards, breaking the hearts of the Golden Gophers and pretty much destroying any chance they had for an upset. With the ball back and with no timeouts left from the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to get into victory formation and take two quarterback kneels to run out the clock, bring Floyd back to Iowa City, and make Hawkeye history with their best start ever with a record of 10-0.
The game was set to kickoff at 7:00 Central time, and would be played at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. It was televised nationally on the Big Ten Network. Iowa knew this would be an important game, especially since it was a rivalry game with the Floyd of Rosedale as the trophy. Last year, the Golden Gophers absolutely demolished the Hawkeyes 51-14 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Overall in the series, the Golden Gophers led the rivalry against the Hawkeyes 62 games to 45 with two ties.
Minnesota won the toss, and elected to receive the opening kickoff, sending a message to the Hawkeyes, who generally like to start the game with their offense on the field with the ball. The Golden Gophers took the ball all the way from their own 25 yard-line to the Iowa 47, but failed to convert on a third-and-four, and were forced to punt the ball to the home team. The Hawkeyes started their first possession pinned down at their own 9 yard-line. After a long 8:38 possession, the Hawks punched in a touchdown after a 3-yard run from first-string running back LeShun Daniels Jr., who would be playing his first game with sufficient minutes since the beginning of the season before he was injured. On the Golden Gophers' ensuing possession, Minnesota marched down the field very quickly under quarterback Mitch Leidner scoring a touchdown in 2:29 going 75 yards down the field in only six plays ending with a two-yard run by the quarterback himself. The Hawkeyes then took the ball 75 yards in 2:30 ending with a 1-yard bootleg touchdown run by C.J. Beathard in a possession that almost mimicked what the Golden Gophers had just done. Minnesota responded with a quick touchdown after a 40-yard pass from Leidner to Brandon Lingen. The touchdown shootout ended after the Hawkeyes failed to score a touchdown on their next possession. However, Iowa did manage to score three points on a 47-yard field goal by Marshall Koehn to give the Hawkeyes a 17-14 lead over the Golden Gophers. Minnesota was unable to answer the Hawkeye score and was forced to punt the ball back to the home team with 3:52 remaining in the first half. Knowing that they would receive the ball to start off the second half, the Hawkeyes knew that a score here could be very crucial in deciding the outcome of the game. In a good sign for the Hawks, C.J. Beathard, who had been struggling with a right groin injury for a majority of the season limiting his mobility, ran 26 yards to the Minnesota 14 yard-line for a first down forcing the Golden Gophers to call a timeout with only 1:00 remaining to halt the Hawkeyes' momentum. After a pass interference called on Minnesota, Iowa was set up with a first and goal at the Minnesota 2 yard-line, and LeShun Daniels Jr. drove the ball past the goal line to give the Hawkeyes a nice 24-14 lead with only 44 seconds remaining in the first half. The Golden Gophers decided to be conservative and just let the clock run out after a 5-yard run from Shannon Brooks.
To start the second half, both teams finally decided to play some defense keeping the opposing offenses to a three and out with neither team allowing even one first down. On Iowa's next possession, they started with great field positioning after a ten-yard punt return by Desmond King to the 50 yard-line. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, they were unable to capitalize on King's nice return and only came away with three points after a 38-yard field goal from Koehn. Minnesota responded to Koehn's field goal with a touchdown capped off by a Leidner 1-yard run to cut Iowa's lead to 27-21. The Hawks were fortunate to start another possession with great field positioning after a 58-yard kickoff return from Desmond King to the Minnesota 37 yard-line. To begin the fourth and final quarter, the Hawks finished their drive with another 1-yard touchdown run from C.J. Beathard, but failed to convert on a two-point conversion that would've potentially put the Hawks up by two full touchdowns, thus the score was 33-21 Iowa. The Golden Gophers were unable to do anything against the Hawks tough defense, but were fortunate that the Hawks could not increase their lead on the next possession after Marshall Koehn just barely missed a 48-yard field goal. The teams then traded punts until Minnesota was able to score a touchdown on a nice trick play pass from Shannon Brooks to Drew Wolitarsky. With their lead cut to just five points, the Iowa Hawkeyes knew their perfect season could be in danger. Luckily for the Hawkeyes, they had a running back named LeShun Daniels Jr. who had a career night for his team capped off with a 51-yard touchdown run to put the Hawkeyes up 28-40. With only 2:01 left in the game, and with the Golden Gophers needing to score two touchdowns to take the lead, almost everyone thought the game was out of reach, including the commentators who had already congratulated the Hawkeyes on a 10-0 start. However, the Golden Gophers were not at all ready to give up, scoring a very quick touchdown in only 45 seconds to bring the game to 35-40 in favor of the home team.
With only 1:16 seconds left in the game, everyone knew that an onside kick would decide the game. If the Hawks recovered the kick, they could run out the clock and end the game. However, if the Golden Gophers were able to miraculously recover the ball, they would have enough time to potentially score a touchdown, and stun the fifth ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and end their perfect season and playoff hopes. In probably the biggest play of the game, Minnesota kicker Ryan Santoso kicked the ball out of bounds after it only traveled eight yards, breaking the hearts of the Golden Gophers and pretty much destroying any chance they had for an upset. With the ball back and with no timeouts left from the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to get into victory formation and take two quarterback kneels to run out the clock, bring Floyd back to Iowa City, and make Hawkeye history with their best start ever with a record of 10-0.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
LaMarcus Aldridge's Return To Portland
On Wednesday, November 11, 2015, LaMarcus Aldridge made his first visit back to Portland, Oregon after leaving the Trail Blazers to sign with the San Antonio Spurs. Aldridge had spent his last nine seasons with the Trail Blazers, but after a disappointing last season, he decided to sign with the Spurs during free agency. This was the first time he would play in the Moda Center against his former teammates since he left. The game was scheduled to be played at 9:30 Central Time and was televised nationally on ESPN. When Aldridge's name was announced in the Spurs starting lineup, he received a mixed reaction from the home crowd with about half booing him and half cheering him in gratitude of what he accomplished during his time there. He shook off all the emotion and just got ready to play.
Aldridge scored the second basket of the game for the Spurs off a nice assist from point guard Tony Parker. With his first shot made, LaMarcus was able to get into game mode and completely stopped thinking about the emotion of his return and focused solely on winning the game. The first quarter was pretty much neck and neck, with both teams holding the lead for a substantial amount of time. By the end of the first 12 minutes, the Spurs led the game 28-24.
In the second quarter, the Trail Blazers looked to regain the lead and get their home fans back in the game, but they were unsuccessful. With a big quarter from Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs were able to outscore the Trail Blazers 30-22 in the second quarter to maintain a 58-46 lead over the home team going into half time.
After a disappointing first half from the home team from Portland, Damian Lillard, the star point guard of the Trail Blazers, knew he needed to step up. With his team down by twelve points, Lillard knocked down a three point basket on a Portland fast break. After Tim Duncan, of the Spurs, answered Lillard's three with two free throws, Damian took the ball down to the other side of the court and hit another big three point shot. Throughout the rest of the quarter, both teams kept exchanging baskets. By the end of the third quarter, the Trail Blazers had outscored the San Antonio Spurs 29-23 to start the second half. The home team would be going into the fourth and final quarter down by 6 with a score of 75-81 in favor of the Spurs.
The fourth quarter looked to be a nice and exciting finish with the Portland Trail Blazers within striking distance of the San Antonio Spurs, and after outscoring the Spurs in the previous quarter, the home team had all the momentum as well as an electric crowd. With back-to-back buckets from Gerald Henderson and Ed Davis, the home team got within two of the Spurs lead. Unfortunately for the home fans, Danny Green, of the Spurs, knocked down a big three to stun the crowd. After allowing the Trail Blazers to get within two, San Antonio never let them come that close again. The Spurs completely dominated the rest of the game, and ended up winning 113-101.
Overall, the Spurs played very well against the struggling Trail Blazers. LaMarcus Aldridge had a dominant game against his former team. He ended up leading the game in points with 23 in 35 minutes playing his former teammates and close friends. While the home team fans went home unhappy, LaMarcus Aldridge had a very nice return to Portland.
Aldridge scored the second basket of the game for the Spurs off a nice assist from point guard Tony Parker. With his first shot made, LaMarcus was able to get into game mode and completely stopped thinking about the emotion of his return and focused solely on winning the game. The first quarter was pretty much neck and neck, with both teams holding the lead for a substantial amount of time. By the end of the first 12 minutes, the Spurs led the game 28-24.
In the second quarter, the Trail Blazers looked to regain the lead and get their home fans back in the game, but they were unsuccessful. With a big quarter from Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs were able to outscore the Trail Blazers 30-22 in the second quarter to maintain a 58-46 lead over the home team going into half time.
After a disappointing first half from the home team from Portland, Damian Lillard, the star point guard of the Trail Blazers, knew he needed to step up. With his team down by twelve points, Lillard knocked down a three point basket on a Portland fast break. After Tim Duncan, of the Spurs, answered Lillard's three with two free throws, Damian took the ball down to the other side of the court and hit another big three point shot. Throughout the rest of the quarter, both teams kept exchanging baskets. By the end of the third quarter, the Trail Blazers had outscored the San Antonio Spurs 29-23 to start the second half. The home team would be going into the fourth and final quarter down by 6 with a score of 75-81 in favor of the Spurs.
The fourth quarter looked to be a nice and exciting finish with the Portland Trail Blazers within striking distance of the San Antonio Spurs, and after outscoring the Spurs in the previous quarter, the home team had all the momentum as well as an electric crowd. With back-to-back buckets from Gerald Henderson and Ed Davis, the home team got within two of the Spurs lead. Unfortunately for the home fans, Danny Green, of the Spurs, knocked down a big three to stun the crowd. After allowing the Trail Blazers to get within two, San Antonio never let them come that close again. The Spurs completely dominated the rest of the game, and ended up winning 113-101.
Overall, the Spurs played very well against the struggling Trail Blazers. LaMarcus Aldridge had a dominant game against his former team. He ended up leading the game in points with 23 in 35 minutes playing his former teammates and close friends. While the home team fans went home unhappy, LaMarcus Aldridge had a very nice return to Portland.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
The Upsets Of The Unbeatens
On Saturday, November 7, four of the ten remaining undefeated FBS teams lost their first games of the season. Number 13 Memphis got routed at home against Navy 45-20 to let their dreams of an undefeated season die. Later, Number 8 TCU got steam-rolled by Number 14 Oklahoma State 49-29. In a controversial loss, the Number 7 Michigan State Spartan got upset by the Nebraska Cornhuskers after they scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the game to win 39-38 at Nebraska. Shortly after the Spartans game ended, Number 2 LSU lost a tough game against Number 4 Alabama on the road 30-16. These losses could very well put all of these teams out of the playoff picture unless the other undefeated teams lose one of their remaining games.
Currently there are only six undefeated teams remaining in the FBS: Houston, Baylor, Clemson, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, and the team everybody is betting against the Iowa Hawkeyes. As the season is close to its end, many of these teams could fall, but that is yet to be determined. With the playoffs approaching, it will be exciting to see which teams can keep their dream seasons alive to get into the playoffs.
Currently there are only six undefeated teams remaining in the FBS: Houston, Baylor, Clemson, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, and the team everybody is betting against the Iowa Hawkeyes. As the season is close to its end, many of these teams could fall, but that is yet to be determined. With the playoffs approaching, it will be exciting to see which teams can keep their dream seasons alive to get into the playoffs.
This Looks A Little Familiar...
In 2009, the Iowa Hawkeyes had a season to remember starting the year with a school record 9-0 season. Led by starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi, the Hawks found a way to win game after game reaching the Number 4 ranking in the AP polls. They remained unbeaten until November 7, in a game against the Northwestern Wildcats where they lost 17-10 after Ricky Stanzi had to leave the game after getting injured. He was replaced by backup quarterback James Vandenberg, who could not keep the Hawkeye's dreams of an undefeated season alive. That team would go on to finish 10-2 on the season, and win the FedEx Orange Bowl against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Ever since 2009, Hawkeye fans haven't had a whole lot to cheer about when it came to their football team, until of course, now.
This season, the Hawkeyes have done incredible, despite what the rest of the country would like to believe, and have battled week after week to achieve an unbeaten record of 9-0, tying their school record. This team shows many similarities to the 2009 team. For example, both teams started 9-0, had a quarterback who was a junior, had to replace many starters due to injuries throughout the season, and won their ninth game against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Hawkeyes were able to continue their dream season on November 7, after defeating the Hoosiers 35-27 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
The game started at 2:30 Central Time and was televised nationally on ESPN. The Hawkeyes received the opening kickoff and Desmond King returned the ball 30 yards to their own 34 yard-line. On the second play of their drive, Akrum Wadley broke through a hole and ran 65 yards for a touchdown. On Indiana's possession, Nate Sudfeld, the Hoosiers' quarterback, marched Indiana down the field, but after the Hawkeyes' defense stood tall at their own 15, the home team was forced to kick a field goal to bring the game closer 7-3. On the next two possessions, the defenses of both teams halted their opposing team's offenses to force a punt. On Iowa's third possession of the game, the Hawkeyes marched 95 yards down the field and scored a touchdown off of a 4 yard run by power running back LeShun Daniels Jr. The two teams then traded punts until Indiana started their possession with good field positioning at their own 43 yard-line. After two big plays, the Hoosiers got in the in-zone and the score became 14-10. On the Hawkeyes' ensuing possession, the refs called some questionable holding calls on big plays for the Hawkeyes, and they were forced to punt. The Hoosiers then marched the ball down the field was again and took their first lead of the game 17-14. The Hawks then finally got their offense back together and scored a touchdown after a surprising 7 yard run by C.J. Beathard, who had been struggling with a right groin injury for the last few weeks. Indiana was able to get the ball back, but could not score before the half ended.
In the second half, the score remained stagnant for a while as both teams struggled to put points on the board. Near the end of the third quarter, the Hoosiers brought the ball all the way down to the Iowa 10 yard-line, but were only able to score a field goal. The score was 21-20 in favor of the Iowa Hawkeyes with 13:22 left to play in the game. With the momentum on the side of the home team and the home fans rowdy, the Hawks knew they needed to score. Beathard completed pass after pass until it was first and goal Iowa at the Indiana 3 yard-line. After two plays, Daniels was able to bring the ball across the goal line to put the Hawks up 28-20. On Indiana's next possession, they were unable to get anywhere and was forced to punt the ball back to the Hawkeyes. The Hawks were then able to score again after a touchdown pass from Beathard to George Kittle. Indiana knew they needed a touchdown here to have a chance to win the game, but on the third play of their drive, Nate Sudfeld threw an interception to none other than Desmond King, who now leads the entire nation in interceptions this year. With the ball back, Iowa was unable to score again and put away the game, but they were able to take some much needed time off the clock. When the Hoosiers got the ball back, they were able to score a touchdown, but could not recover an onside kick to get the ball back with 2:24 left. After Indiana's failed onside kick, the Hawkeyes erased the remaining time on the clock to finally win the game 35-27.
The Hawkeyes have been having a great season, and if they can win their next game at home against the Minnesota Gophers, they will break their school record, and Iowa can finally boast a 10-0 record for the first time.
This season, the Hawkeyes have done incredible, despite what the rest of the country would like to believe, and have battled week after week to achieve an unbeaten record of 9-0, tying their school record. This team shows many similarities to the 2009 team. For example, both teams started 9-0, had a quarterback who was a junior, had to replace many starters due to injuries throughout the season, and won their ninth game against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Hawkeyes were able to continue their dream season on November 7, after defeating the Hoosiers 35-27 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
The game started at 2:30 Central Time and was televised nationally on ESPN. The Hawkeyes received the opening kickoff and Desmond King returned the ball 30 yards to their own 34 yard-line. On the second play of their drive, Akrum Wadley broke through a hole and ran 65 yards for a touchdown. On Indiana's possession, Nate Sudfeld, the Hoosiers' quarterback, marched Indiana down the field, but after the Hawkeyes' defense stood tall at their own 15, the home team was forced to kick a field goal to bring the game closer 7-3. On the next two possessions, the defenses of both teams halted their opposing team's offenses to force a punt. On Iowa's third possession of the game, the Hawkeyes marched 95 yards down the field and scored a touchdown off of a 4 yard run by power running back LeShun Daniels Jr. The two teams then traded punts until Indiana started their possession with good field positioning at their own 43 yard-line. After two big plays, the Hoosiers got in the in-zone and the score became 14-10. On the Hawkeyes' ensuing possession, the refs called some questionable holding calls on big plays for the Hawkeyes, and they were forced to punt. The Hoosiers then marched the ball down the field was again and took their first lead of the game 17-14. The Hawks then finally got their offense back together and scored a touchdown after a surprising 7 yard run by C.J. Beathard, who had been struggling with a right groin injury for the last few weeks. Indiana was able to get the ball back, but could not score before the half ended.
In the second half, the score remained stagnant for a while as both teams struggled to put points on the board. Near the end of the third quarter, the Hoosiers brought the ball all the way down to the Iowa 10 yard-line, but were only able to score a field goal. The score was 21-20 in favor of the Iowa Hawkeyes with 13:22 left to play in the game. With the momentum on the side of the home team and the home fans rowdy, the Hawks knew they needed to score. Beathard completed pass after pass until it was first and goal Iowa at the Indiana 3 yard-line. After two plays, Daniels was able to bring the ball across the goal line to put the Hawks up 28-20. On Indiana's next possession, they were unable to get anywhere and was forced to punt the ball back to the Hawkeyes. The Hawks were then able to score again after a touchdown pass from Beathard to George Kittle. Indiana knew they needed a touchdown here to have a chance to win the game, but on the third play of their drive, Nate Sudfeld threw an interception to none other than Desmond King, who now leads the entire nation in interceptions this year. With the ball back, Iowa was unable to score again and put away the game, but they were able to take some much needed time off the clock. When the Hoosiers got the ball back, they were able to score a touchdown, but could not recover an onside kick to get the ball back with 2:24 left. After Indiana's failed onside kick, the Hawkeyes erased the remaining time on the clock to finally win the game 35-27.
The Hawkeyes have been having a great season, and if they can win their next game at home against the Minnesota Gophers, they will break their school record, and Iowa can finally boast a 10-0 record for the first time.
Are Westbrook And Durant The Best Scoring Duo In NBA History?
Throughout the years, the NBA has seen some great duos: Jordan and Pippen, Shaq and Kobe, The Twin Towers, Lebron and D-Wade, The Splash Brothers, and of course Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. All of these duos, as well as many more throughout the league are incredible. Each has their own unique quality that puts them ahead of others, but, in my OPINION, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are the best scoring duo to ever play in the NBA. While every other duo listed above was able to make to the Finals and get a ring, Westbrook and Durant have still accomplished great feats. One might argue that the reason Westbrook and Durant haven't yet won a ring is due to the fact that they haven't really had a supporting cast to score points while they are either injured or resting on the bench. In 2012, the Thunder had probably their best chance at winning the championship after making it to the NBA Finals with James Harden coming off the bench, but because former head coach Scott Brooks refused to give Harden a chance to start, the Thunder were unable to beat the Miami Heat. Since then, Westbrook, Durant, and Harden have all improved marginally. Durant won the MVP in the 2013-2014 season, and both Westbrook and Harden had the best seasons of their career last year. Until OKC can sign some actual scorers who can perform well even when Durant and Westbrook are out, I am sad to say their chances of actually winning a title are very small. Regardless of their current championship status, I still believe that KD and Russ are the best scoring duo to ever play the game. In all of NBA History, two NBA teammates have both scored 40 points in the same game only ten times since the NBA-ABA merger. This is quite an accomplishing feat, and because of this, no duo has ever done it more than once...except for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. To accomplish this amazing task twice is unbelievable, except that they haven't done it twice, they've done it three times. After putting up a combined 91 points in a double-overtime win over the Magic in Orlando, Westbrook and Durant provided further evidence of just how dominant these two are. Further proof of how great these two are at scoring is that in the last six years, either Durant or Westbrook won the scoring title in five of the six years, with Durant winning four and Westbrook winning last year's. These two are exceptional performers who can both shoot the ball well, and make clutch plays when their team needs it. I honestly believe that no other duo in NBA history has ever been better at scoring than Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and I really don't think there will ever be a duo that can score as well as these two.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
An 8-0 Hawkeye Team Again!?
America is in shock. No one could have possibly predicted this at the beginning of the season. How could this possibly happen? Are the Iowa Hawkeyes really 8-0? Could it possibly be true that no one has bested them yet? Is this an actual legit team? Yes, America, it's true. While the rest of the nation is either in doubt or just in pure shock, the Hawkeye Nation is absolutely ecstatic about their team's season thus far. After beating the Maryland Terrapins 31-15 at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, the Iowa Hawkeyes moved to 8-0, and continue to keep their undefeated dream season alive. Iowa has played remarkable so far this season, despite the rest of America's doubts, and has continued to win game after game. Starting quarterback C.J. Beathard is also still undefeated when he starts a game with an Iowa record of 9 straight wins. On Saturday's game, he threw for 183 yards completing 12 passes out of 23 attempts. While his groin injury is still limiting his rushing ability, and may continue to inhibit his versatility throughout the remainder of the season, Beathard is still making smart plays for the Hawkeyes and getting them the W. Akrum Wadley also played very well for the Hawks on Saturday, after his incredible game last time out against the Northwestern Wildcats earning him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for over 200 yards as a third string running back after Canzeri got injured. Wadley ran for 67 yards in 19 carries and one touchdown sharing the load with fourth string back Derrick Mitchell Jr. and first string back LeShun Daniels Jr. who had recently returned from an injury earlier in the season. Both Mitchell and Daniels also scored a touchdown for the Hawks in a nice game. Desmond King also played exquisitely for the Hawkeyes getting a pick six for Iowa to tie for the most interceptions from any player in the nation. For the Terrapins, turnover continued to be an issue as they coughed the ball up multiple times during the game, which eventually led to their loss. Maryland attempted a final run near the end of the game to come back, but could not do enough to move the chains, and failed twice trying to recover onside kicks. The Hawkeyes look to continue their hot streak next week at Indiana, and have a pretty manageable schedule the rest of the way, with their most difficult game being against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the road in their final game of the regular season. The Cornhuskers are currently 3-6, but could provide trouble for the Hawkeyes at home in the last game for both teams. If Iowa can remain undefeated until then, it should be a good game with ESPN experts giving both teams about a 50% chance at winning with the Hawks having a slight advantage. All this blogger can say about this season so far though is GO HAWKS!
NBA Double-Header On ESPN
On October 28, 2015, ESPN nationally televised two NBA games on the second night of the NBA season. All four teams that played came from the Western Conference of the NBA, which is the conference most believe to be the stronger of the two. The first game of the night saw 2013-2014 MVP Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder go head-to-head against the 2013-2014 NBA Champions the San Antonio Spurs at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City at 7:00 PM Central Time. The second game of the night saw the "Black Mamba" Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers go to battle against the Number One Overall Pick in the NBA Draft Karl Anthony-Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center in Los Angeles at 9:30 PM Central Time.
In the first game, fans were able to witness the return of Kevin Durant, who played only 27 games last season due to multiple injuries. San Antonio fans also go to take a look at LaMarcus Aldridge and David West in their season debuts with the Spurs. Throughout the first three quarters, the game went back and forth a few times, but the Spurs were in control of the game for the most part. During these three quarters for the Spurs, both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were struggling offensively, not being able to find a rhythm under the noise of the rowdy Thunder fans. Luckily for San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard was having a monstrous game on both the offensive and defensive sides as no one could stop him from scoring, and he was effectively stopping Durant from scoring as much as he is used to and even blocking the former MVP. For the Thunder, Kevin Durant was not playing to his capabilities after being a little rusty in his return to the regular season as well as being bothered by Leonard's feisty defense. Fortunately for OKC, KD's partner-in-crime Russell Westbrook was having a fantastic game, driving past just about anyone who the Spurs tried putting in front of him. Westbrook helped the Thunder put together a nice run near the end of the third quarter to bring the game to 83-81 in favor of San Antonio. The final quarter of the game was basically a cat and mouse game, as every time the Thunder tied the game or came close to the Spurs, they quickly increased the lead. Leonard looked unstoppable scoring for the Spurs almost every time he touched the ball. When Westbrook re-entered the game with 7:20 left to go in the final quarter, he made some nice plays to keep his team in the game. With just 4:16 left in the game, Durant finally pulled everything together with a key three point basket to put the Thunder up 99-97. After finally regaining the lead, the Thunder were determined not to let it go again, scoring every time they needed to. With just 54 seconds left in the game, Russell Westbrook hit a dagger three-pointer to put Oklahoma City up 108-103. The fans were going crazy when none other than Kawhi Leonard hit a nice and-one basket on a questionable foul called on Durant where there was minimal contact. However, the foul was still called an Leonard hit the free throw for a career high 32 points to bring the game to just 108-106 Thunder with just 42 seconds remaining. The Spurs knew all they needed was a stop, and they would have a chance to either tie the game or potentially win it with a three pointer. Thunder rookie coach Billy Donovan drew up a nice play for the Thunder and Westbrook had a wide open jumper that could most-likely end the game. Unfortunately for the home crowd, Westbrook's shot clanged off the backboard and Spurs hero Kawhi Leonard corralled the rebound with just 21 seconds left. This meant that if Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich wanted it, San Antonio would have the last shot of the game potentially either ending it, or sending it to overtime. In a frantic play for the Spurs, Danny Green ended up taking a contested three with 12 seconds left that missed and went out of bounds after Aldridge was unable to hang on to the rebound. The Thunder had posession and needed just two free throws to end the game unless there was a Spurs miracle. Although he was struggling, Durant was the obvious choice for the Thunder to take the free throws, and Leonard was unable to keep Durant from getting his hands on the ball. After KD made two clutch free throws, Aldridge was unable to knock down a three in a designed play for him drawn up by Coach Pop. Russell Westbrook got hold of the ball and was fouled, and he knocked down two more free throws for the Thunder to seal the victory on opening night 112-106 in an exciting ending.
The second game of the night was played in L.A. as the hometown Lakers played the visiting Timberwolves. Before tip-off, everyone in Staples Center joined in a moment of silence to honor long-time Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, who had recently died after a battle with cancer. Many of the players on both teams knew Flip, and were very saddened by his unexpected sudden death, including Kevin Garnett, who had played for Flip and learned from him during his rookie seasons. During shootaround, the players even wore shirts with the name Flip on them to commemorate his life. I did not watch all of the game, due to how late is was being played, but I was able to catch the first half. In the first half, Kobe Bryant lit up the floor taking shot after shot, but it was a good sign for L.A. fans who have seen him go out to injury in the past few seasons. At the end of the game, the Timberwolves came out on top 112-111 in a disappointing ending to fans at the Staples Center. Number One Overall Pick Karl Anthony-Towns, who scored 14 points and snagged 12 rebounds, credited the win to the "Sixth Man on the floor", paying homage to Flip. Garnett only scored 4 points for the Timberwolves in 13 minutes, but it didn't seem to affect the Wolves who fought there way to the top. For the Lakers, Kobe ended up with 24 points and Number Two Overall Pick D'Angelo Russell out of Ohio State only scored 4.
These were two great games, that continued the great start to this new NBA season. It was nice to see the Spurs and Thunder go at it for me because those are two of my favorite teams. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this season unfolds.
In the first game, fans were able to witness the return of Kevin Durant, who played only 27 games last season due to multiple injuries. San Antonio fans also go to take a look at LaMarcus Aldridge and David West in their season debuts with the Spurs. Throughout the first three quarters, the game went back and forth a few times, but the Spurs were in control of the game for the most part. During these three quarters for the Spurs, both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were struggling offensively, not being able to find a rhythm under the noise of the rowdy Thunder fans. Luckily for San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard was having a monstrous game on both the offensive and defensive sides as no one could stop him from scoring, and he was effectively stopping Durant from scoring as much as he is used to and even blocking the former MVP. For the Thunder, Kevin Durant was not playing to his capabilities after being a little rusty in his return to the regular season as well as being bothered by Leonard's feisty defense. Fortunately for OKC, KD's partner-in-crime Russell Westbrook was having a fantastic game, driving past just about anyone who the Spurs tried putting in front of him. Westbrook helped the Thunder put together a nice run near the end of the third quarter to bring the game to 83-81 in favor of San Antonio. The final quarter of the game was basically a cat and mouse game, as every time the Thunder tied the game or came close to the Spurs, they quickly increased the lead. Leonard looked unstoppable scoring for the Spurs almost every time he touched the ball. When Westbrook re-entered the game with 7:20 left to go in the final quarter, he made some nice plays to keep his team in the game. With just 4:16 left in the game, Durant finally pulled everything together with a key three point basket to put the Thunder up 99-97. After finally regaining the lead, the Thunder were determined not to let it go again, scoring every time they needed to. With just 54 seconds left in the game, Russell Westbrook hit a dagger three-pointer to put Oklahoma City up 108-103. The fans were going crazy when none other than Kawhi Leonard hit a nice and-one basket on a questionable foul called on Durant where there was minimal contact. However, the foul was still called an Leonard hit the free throw for a career high 32 points to bring the game to just 108-106 Thunder with just 42 seconds remaining. The Spurs knew all they needed was a stop, and they would have a chance to either tie the game or potentially win it with a three pointer. Thunder rookie coach Billy Donovan drew up a nice play for the Thunder and Westbrook had a wide open jumper that could most-likely end the game. Unfortunately for the home crowd, Westbrook's shot clanged off the backboard and Spurs hero Kawhi Leonard corralled the rebound with just 21 seconds left. This meant that if Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich wanted it, San Antonio would have the last shot of the game potentially either ending it, or sending it to overtime. In a frantic play for the Spurs, Danny Green ended up taking a contested three with 12 seconds left that missed and went out of bounds after Aldridge was unable to hang on to the rebound. The Thunder had posession and needed just two free throws to end the game unless there was a Spurs miracle. Although he was struggling, Durant was the obvious choice for the Thunder to take the free throws, and Leonard was unable to keep Durant from getting his hands on the ball. After KD made two clutch free throws, Aldridge was unable to knock down a three in a designed play for him drawn up by Coach Pop. Russell Westbrook got hold of the ball and was fouled, and he knocked down two more free throws for the Thunder to seal the victory on opening night 112-106 in an exciting ending.
The second game of the night was played in L.A. as the hometown Lakers played the visiting Timberwolves. Before tip-off, everyone in Staples Center joined in a moment of silence to honor long-time Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, who had recently died after a battle with cancer. Many of the players on both teams knew Flip, and were very saddened by his unexpected sudden death, including Kevin Garnett, who had played for Flip and learned from him during his rookie seasons. During shootaround, the players even wore shirts with the name Flip on them to commemorate his life. I did not watch all of the game, due to how late is was being played, but I was able to catch the first half. In the first half, Kobe Bryant lit up the floor taking shot after shot, but it was a good sign for L.A. fans who have seen him go out to injury in the past few seasons. At the end of the game, the Timberwolves came out on top 112-111 in a disappointing ending to fans at the Staples Center. Number One Overall Pick Karl Anthony-Towns, who scored 14 points and snagged 12 rebounds, credited the win to the "Sixth Man on the floor", paying homage to Flip. Garnett only scored 4 points for the Timberwolves in 13 minutes, but it didn't seem to affect the Wolves who fought there way to the top. For the Lakers, Kobe ended up with 24 points and Number Two Overall Pick D'Angelo Russell out of Ohio State only scored 4.
These were two great games, that continued the great start to this new NBA season. It was nice to see the Spurs and Thunder go at it for me because those are two of my favorite teams. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this season unfolds.
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