BBALLBREAKDOWN: Coach Nick's Picks

Once Again, the Heat Are Not the Knicks

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:00:38 +0000

Frank Vogel, the Pacers' coach, made it clear that coming up with defenses was more of a challenge against Miami than against the Knicks.

Partial Labrum Tear for Anthony

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:35:05 +0000

Carmelo Anthony sustained a partial tear of his his labrum late in the regular season, and the Knicks' medical staff has prescribed rest and rehabilitation for the injury.

For Randolph, the Challenge Is Offense

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:18:51 +0000

The Spurs' defense isn't always remarkable, but it has been good enough to stop Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies.

Pacers’ Hill Is Working His Way Back From Concussion

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:42:25 +0000

The point guard, who was hurt in Game 4 against the Knicks, must complete a series of exertion exercises before being cleared to play.

Woodson Turns to Copeland, but Won’t Desert Kidd

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:44:06 +0000

Knicks Coach Mike Woodson said Chris Copeland would get playing time early in Game 5 against the Pacers, but Jason Kidd will also continue to play.

For the Spurs, Parker Is the Steady Hand (Again)

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:22:44 +0000

Stephen Curry of the Warriors has been in the spotlight this round, but Tony Parker personifies the consistently efficient Spurs.

J.R. Smith May Miss Game 3

Sat, 11 May 2013 19:09:03 +0000

The Knicks are unsure if guard J.R. Smith will be able to play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night after Smith missed a shootaround with an undisclosed illness.

The Sleeve Settles In

Thu, 09 May 2013 17:47:55 +0000

Quirks of the Game: In the N.B.A., compression sleeves protect arms and legs. Also, they look kind of cool.

On Stubborn Bulls, Robinson Is a Standout

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:08:02 +0000

Nate Robinson, the Chicago guard, has helped the Bulls create a new offensive identity.

Lee and Miller, 18 Years Later

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:16:35 +0000

Spike Lee and Reggie Miller meet again, 18 years later.

2013 Indianapolis 500: AJ Allmendinger would stay in IndyCar if Roger Penske offered him a job

MattWeaver — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:06 +0000

AJ Allmendinger says he initially left Indy car racing for NASCAR because of the uncertainty surrounding the open-wheel split and not because of the money as had been reported.

At the time of his move, the Champ Car World Series was losing out to the Indy Racing League and that Gerald Forsythe, his CCWS car owner, wasn't interested in making the jump to the IRL. Allmendinger says that his move to NASCAR was purely out of job security and that he would love to stay in IndyCar (or any other series) if Roger Penske was willing to give him a seat.

"This is a simple decision for me," Allmendinger said. "If Roger Penske wants to offer me a job and offer me races and keep doing that, I'm not going to turn him down, no matter what series it's in. So, that's just kind of where I'm at -- I just kind of go along with it and see what happens."

Allmendinger says he doesn't necessarily feel more at home in IndyCar racing but appreciates the reception he's received since making the jump, albeit part-time to the IZOD IndyCar Series at the start of the season. He's grateful for the second chance Penske has given him to keep racing and the Series has done everything to make him feel at home.

"I don't really know what the feeling of ‘at home' is," Allmendinger said. "I don't know what that's supposed to feel like. I just know that right now I've enjoyed being here so much and to be here as a Roger Penske driver is just a dream come true and I really haven't even experienced it yet.

"I can't wait until Sunday when I finally get introduced."

Allmendinger says his NASCAR experience at the Speedway will not be of any help at all and that nothing can prepare him for the three-wide start of Sunday's race. He added that once he gets past the first few laps, success will be dependent upon settling in and running close to a perfect race as possible.

The five-time Champ Car race-winner added that he's "fairly comfortable" in the car and that his team, led by engineer Ron Ruzewski has achieved good balance in the race car. All that's left now is for Allmendinger to decide just how much downforce he wants to run in Sunday's race.

"When I'm out leading the pack I feel really good," Allmendinger said. "I can run wide-open pretty easy and feel like I've got good speed in the car when I do that. I generally feel like if we do all the right things, we're going to give ourselves a really good shot to win this race and that's all you can do."

2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs nightly GIF recap: Rangers survive, Red Wings and Kings take command

Dominik Jansky — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:05 +0000

There were several outstanding goaltending performances in Thursday night's Stanley Cup playoff action. Unfortunately for the Boston Bruins, Tuukka Rask's was not one of them.

The Bruins had a 2-0 lead and a chance to close out their series with the reeling New York Rangers, but Rask let them back in the game, and the Rangers won 4-3 in overtime.

In Detroit, Henrik Zetterberg frustrated Jonathan Toews as Jimmy Howard shut out the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0, giving Detroit a 3-1 series lead

And in Los Angeles, a goalie battle broke in the Kings' favor when they finally solved San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi and won 3-0 to take a 3-2 series lead.

But you don't care about all that. You just need to see the GIFs:

Carl Hagelin enjoyed the fruits of Rask's sudden need to sit down and take a rest:

But the Bruins would answer with a more conventional goal from Torey Krug:

Mistakes kept costing the Bruins, though, and next time it was Zdeno Chara with the screw-up:

The Bruins gave up 2-0 and a 3-2 leads in the game, and the Rangers won it in overtime to avoid the sweep:

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings and Blackhawks started off by trading chances on the rush. Bryan Bickell didn't like Henrik Zetterberg zipping around the Hawks defense for a scoring chance, so he sat him down.

Or maybe Bickell was upset with Zetterberg blanketing Hawks captain Jonathan Toews all night. Zetterberg got under Toews' skin, and the Chicago leader took three consecutive penalties in a 5:34 span of the second period.

On the second one, Toews got Justin Abdelkader to high stick himself:

Naturally the Wings scored on that one, Jakub Kindl ringing it off the inside of the post:

The Wings kept sticking to Toews, throwing extra bodies on him at every opportunity:

Meanwhile, Jimmy Howard shut the door to preserve the win and earn a shutout:

In Los Angeles, Anze Kopitar worked hard to break his slump, but he was robbed here by Antti Niemi:

But Jonathan Quick matched Niemi save-for-save, robbing Patrick Marleau here:

Jason Demers did a dumb thing, launching himself into Robyn Regehr for a boarding penalty:

The Kings didn't score on that power play, but they broke the ice soon afterward. First Niemi made another save (and for the second time, the Kings spotlight operator turned on the goal light prematurely):

But when the hockey gods decide your slump is over, they make no doubt about it. Kopitar scored his first goal of the series and just his second of the playoffs when an easy tap-in landed on his stick:

Slava Voynov has not had trouble scoring in these playoffs. The defenseman's fourth goal came through a screen and had eyes:

More in the NHL:

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• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

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NBA Draft rumors: Victor Oladipo reportedly a favorite of many GMs

Scott Coleman — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:05 +0000

With the 2013 NBA Draft still over a month away, one player has already emerged as a personal favorite of general managers around the league: Victor Oladipo.

Oladipo, who was voted to the AP All-America Team last season, has seen his draft stock rise in recent weeks. His vertical leap was measured at 42" and his wingspan was recorded at 6'9.25 at the draft combine. For a player projected to play the off-guard position, those numbers will be awfully difficult for front office members to pass up.

Here is what Chad Ford wrote in a recent chat about Oladipo going as high as No. 2 to Orlando in this summer's draft:

He's a possibility. We have them taking Trey Burke in our Mock primarily based on need. But I'm telling everyone that will listen -- Oladipo is the guy that GMs love in this draft. May be the only one. I've talked to 14 or 15 who tell me he's their favorite player. Almost zero downside and still significant upside. Not sure he's a fit in Cleveland or Washington -- but Orlando and Phoenix both look like strong fits. Burke may be a bigger need, but Oladipo might be the better player long-term.

It seems like Oladipo is close to being a lock for a top-five pick, although there's still plenty of time for workouts and interviews to sway his draft stock in one way or another.

As Ford mentions, there is very little downside to Oladipo's game. He averaged slightly more than 13 points, six rebounds and two assists a night, all while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor and 44 percent from behind the arc. Some have argued he was the best defensive player in the nation this past season at Indiana, averaging 2.2 steals and nearly a block each game despite being somewhat undersized at 6'4.

Combine Oladipo's offensive and defensive accolades with his reputation of being a team-first player and a leader in the locker room, and it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that NBA GMs already love him.

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Tiger Woods fried chicken comment was 'joke gone bad,' says Fuzzy Zoeller

Emily Kay — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:05 +0000

Sergio Garcia stepped off the Wentworth Club course on Thursday after posting an even-par 72 in the first round of the BMW PGA Championship and right back into the never-ending soap opera that has engulfed him and Tiger Woods for the past two weeks.

While Garcia termed “unfortunate” the racist slur that European Tour grand kleagle George O’Grady made in defense of the Spaniard’s ill-considered “fried chicken” joke at Woods’ expense, Mr. Finger-Lickin’-Good, himself, Fuzzy Zoeller, popped out of obscurity to opine about the whole ugly situation.

Zoeller, who lost endorsements and fans after infamously calling Woods in 1997 a “little boy” and telling him not to order fried chicken for the Masters champions dinner, said he had “paid his dues." The world would get over Garcia’s remark as well, he said, according to the AP.

Garcia has apologized twice for saying during a recent Euro Tour gala that he would feed Woods fried chicken if the two antagonists were to break bread together during the upcoming U.S. Open.

His tasteless jest was “totally stupid” and “wasn’t meant” to be racist, Garcia said Wednesday in a pre-tourney press conference. The eight-time PGA Tour winner offered his witticism after the mutual antipathy that had festered between him and Woods for years burst into nastiness at the recent Players Championship.

The two players have gone after each other verbally since the third round of The Players when Garcia said in a TV interview that Woods deliberately distracted him while he was hitting a shot. Woods responded that Garcia was a cry baby -- or words to that effect -- and the game was on.

Garcia’s ignorant attempt at humor during Tuesday night’s black-tie affair was as wide of the mark as the two balls he dumped into the water at No. 17 at Sawgrass in Sunday’s finale of the Players.

His comments stirred up images of odious stereotypes involving African Americans and fried chicken that were meant to demean and offend and are acceptable nowhere. He apologized the next day in a statement via the European Tour for his “silly remark” that “in no way was....meant in a racist manner.”

Woods made the next move, tweeting that “The comment that was made wasn't silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate. I'm confident that there is real regret the remark was made. The Players ended nearly two weeks ago and it's long past time to move on and talk about golf."

Then came Garcia’s news conference at Wentworth, during which he said he had left a voice-mail message for Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg and hoped to speak face-to-face with his nemesis next month at Merion.

“Obviously it was a bad comment that shouldn't have been said," observed Garcia, whose words reminded golf watchers of what Zoeller mouthed about Woods, who won his first Masters in 1997.

''Mine was a joke that went bad,” Zoeller said at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where his liquor company, Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka, will sponsor the pole car for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 race. “What the hell, I paid my dues.”

Zoeller brushed off the Woods-Garcia tiff as “just the way it is,” and predicted it would all “blow over.

“Those boys will be fine,” he added about the 37-year-old Woods and Garcia, 33.

As for O’Grady, he submitted the standard-issue apology on Thursday after an oafish offer of support for Garcia.

"I deeply regret using an inappropriate word in a live interview...for which I unreservedly apologize," O'Grady said in a statement following an earlier remark in which he played the “some of my best friends are [fill in the blank]” card.

"We accept all races on the European Tour, we take it very strongly,” O’Grady said, according to The Telegraph. “Most of Sergio’s friends happen to be very, er, are colored athletes in the United States.”

Garcia had this to say Thursday about O’Grady’s original comment: “I think it’s unfortunate.”

Teddy Bridgewater 2014 NFL Draft preseason scouting report

Matthew Fairburn — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:05 +0000

Teddy Bridgewater | Quarterback | Louisville | Junior | 6'3, 218 pounds

2012 Stats: 68.5 completion percentage, 3,718 yards, 27 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 1 rushing touchdown

Teddy Bridgewater enters his junior season as the consensus top quarterback prospect eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft. Having started all 26 games in his two seasons at Louisville, Bridgewater has provided plenty of highlight reel plays for college football fans and displayed the traits that have draftniks gushing over his NFL potential.

Against Rutgers, Bridgewater fought through an ankle injury to lead his team to the Big East Championship, proving his toughness. A month later, Bridgewater helped the Cardinals shock the Gators at the Sugar Bowl, showing off his mobility and arm strength.

After an underwhelming quarterback draft class in 2013, Bridgewater is carrying the torch for what looks like a much stronger group in 2014. If he continues to perform at his current pace, Jadeveon Clowney might not be able to coast to the No. 1 overall pick next spring.

What he does well

Bridgewater is built to play quarterback. At 6-feet-3-inches tall and 218 pounds, Bridgewater could stand to put on a bit of weight, but his frame is adequate for the NFL game. Playing behind a suspect offensive line last season at Louisville, Bridgewater not only proved he could take punishment, but he showed a presence and awareness in the pocket that NFL scouts will fall in love with. A smooth athlete, Bridgewater excels at escaping pressure while keeping his eyes down field and going through his reads. Often times, mobile quarterbacks like Bridgewater will drop their eyes too quickly and look to run at the first sign of pressure. But Bridgewater stays composed, side steps the rush or steps up in the pocket while still looking to deliver the football down the field. He is also comfortable throwing the ball on the run and from different platforms.

While we're on the subject, Bridgewater's athleticism is outstanding. Not only is he fast for the position, but he knows how to run the football so as to not take a ton of punishment as a ball carrier. Bridgewater is not trigger happy when it comes to running the football, but he will take what the defense gives him if nobody is open down the field.

Taking the majority of his snaps from under center, Bridgewater's footwork is clean and he has a strong enough arm to make every throw. His delivery is smooth for the most part and seems effortless, much like Michael Vick in his early years. We'll touch on Bridgewater's release more in a bit.

For the most part, he delivers the ball with accuracy and anticipation, two qualities that are vital for a quarterback in the NFL. He can deliver a strike to his receiver but isn't afraid to throw his receivers open if need be. Bridgewater has also shown an ability to read and manipulate defenses. He goes through multiple reads and is willing to hang tough in the pocket while going through his progressions. Rarely does Bridgewater stare down his receivers.

It's worth mentioning that, by all reports, Bridgewater is a charismatic leader and positive presence in the locker room. He recently came out and said he doesn't want a personal Heisman campaign because he is more focused on team goals.

What he needs to improve on

Bridgewater's durability may be a concern for some. He has suffered through ankle and wrist injuries already in his time at Louisville. While he has shown more than enough toughness to gut through the injuries, NFL teams will probably hope to see him get through his junior season injury free.

As far as technique is concerned, Bridgewater tends to throw some passes high of his intended target. While that occurred in the Rutgers game because of his ankle, it also came up on a few other occasions. He has a tendency to push or aim the football instead of throwing it over the top, and that causes some of his passes to go a bit high. His throwing motion is generally smooth and he has a quick release, but developing consistency in this area would be a nice way to round out his game.

Bottom line

Bridgewater has a real chance to be the first player taken in next year's draft should he decide to declare. All of the talk is surrounding Clowney, but if a quarterback needy team holds the first pick, Bridgewater could be tough to pass up. Of course, the Louisville passer will need to continue to show progress and shred the team's relatively easy 2013 schedule to stay atop the quarterback rankings. Clemson's Tajh Boyd and San Jose State's David Fales will be nipping at his heels to start the year.

French Open draw 2013 announced: Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams get top seeds

Griffin Gotta — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:56:07 +0000

The 2013 French Open begins on Sunday with Round 1 play, as the second Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year takes center stage on the red clay of Roland Garros in Paris.

Novak Djokovic sits in the top spot on the men's singles side (complete men's draw here), and will face Belgium's David Goffin in Round 1. The man who defeated Djokovic in last year's final to capture the 2012 French Open title, Rafael Nadal, begins the tournament ranked third. He'll face Germany's Daniel Brands in Round 1.

More: Complete coverage of the 2013 French Open

Roger Federer is the tournament's No. 2 seed, and Spain's David Ferrer, at No. 4, rounds out the top four spots. Americans Sam Querrey and John Isner are ranked Nos. 18 and 19, respectively. Isner faces Carlos Berlocq, of Argentina, in Round 1 while Querrey takes on Slovakia's Lukas Lacko.

On the women's singles side (complete women's draw), Serena Williams holds the No. 1 spot. She faces Anna Tatishvili, of Georgia, in Round 1. Williams' sister, Venus, comes into the French Open with the No. 30 seed.

Maria Sharapova, who won her first French Open championship in 2012, is ranked No. 2 and will take on Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan. The woman who lost to her in the final last year, Sara Errani, begins this tournament as the fifth-seeded player.

Rounding out the top five are Victoria Azarenka, at No. 3, and Agnieszka Radwanska at No. 4, respectively. Sloane Stephens, after making it to Round 4 of last year's French Open, sits at No. 17 and faces Italy's Karin Knapp.

For all draws, visit the French Open's official site.

Bears will retire Mike Ditka's No. 89 on Dec. 9

Rodger Sherman — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:53:27 +0000

Mike Ditka's playing days are less well-known than his coaching days, but the Chicago Bears will retire the No. 89 jersey he wore with the team as a tight end during the 1960's, per ChicagoBears.com.

Ditka, who became a mustachioed, sunglasses-wearing folk hero in Chicago for coaching the 1985 Bears to a Super Bowl, hasn't been on the best of terms with the team since being fired in 1992. But they appear interested in making amends with the Hall of Famer, beginning with the ceremony scheduled to be held during a Monday Night Football game against the Cowboys -- where Ditka also played and began his coaching career --on Dec. 9.

They've chosen to done it by honoring his on-field career, although some have forgotten that the 73-year-old ESPN commentator was quite the player in his time: the fifth overall pick by Chicago in 1961, and would make the Pro Bowl each of his first five years with the team. He'd be a contributor on the 1963 team that won the NFL Championship, the team's last title before he coached them to one 22 years later. They'd trade him away in 1966 before bringing him back in 1982 as a coach. He'd have a .631 winning percentage over 11 years, winning 106 games.

No player currently wears No. 89 for the Bears. Thirteen other numbers are retired, including legends Bronko Nagurski, George Halas, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, and Dick Butkus. Mike Singletary's number had remained out of usage from the time of his retirement until this upcoming season, when Singletary told linebacker James Anderson he could wear it.

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Nate McLouth makes catch in stands, Blue Jays fan throws beer at him

Marc Normandin — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:36:45 +0000

The Orioles Nate McLouth had it a bit rough on Thursday. First, he made an impressive running catch in the outfield, but it ended with him tumbling into the seats head first in left:

So, you've got the collision with the wall, and then he's got I Wasn't Even Looking At You When It Happened But I'm Sure You Must Have Pretended To Catch It Guy waving like mad behind him. But wait, there's more!

The beer landed behind him, so McLouth is clueless as to where it came from as he stares off to his left, whereas we can see it came from the opposite direction. That's just not being a good host, Toronto, and what was the point, even? I'm sure you convinced McLouth to stop catching baseballs by tossing a half-full Steam Whistle at him, Mr. Liquid Courage.

There wasn't even karmic retribution to be had, either, as the Blue Jays ended up winning this game 12-6. Given how baseball works, though, McLouth will probably now go 6-for-6 with four homers in Friday's game, then catch the next beer thrown at him and chug it on the spot.

For more on the Blue Jays and Orioles, visit our SB Nation sites Bluebird Banter and Camden Chat

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