Bucks get Game 1 win on Giannis' triple-double
Giannis Antetokounmpo had already picked up his dribble and spent half of a Eurostep when he realized he had nowhere to go with the ball.
Instead of attempting an off-balance shot or passing to a well-guarded teammate, the two-time NBA MVP flicked the ball high off the backboard, then followed it to the rim for a slam dunk.
“What did I see? I had the ball and I was like, ‘Oh, crap. I’m going to get stuck,’” Antetokounmpo said after recording his second career postseason triple-double to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 10189 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their second-round series on Sunday.
“I threw it to the backboard,” he said. “I’m lucky enough that God blessed me with the ability to jump. I had a good jump to go get it again and I was able to finish the play.”
Antetokounmpo had 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as the defending NBA champions swiped home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series. (He does not get an assist for passing the ball to himself.)
“That’s just pure talent, just pure instinct,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He’s a great player. He does things that are unique and special and timely. That’s one of those plays where you’re happy he’s on our side.”
Jrue Holiday had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Bobby Portis had 15 points and 11 boards for the Bucks, who are back at the TD Garden for Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Jayson Tatum scored 21 and Jaylen Brown had 12 points, but the two Boston stars combined to shoot 10 for 31 in the game. Al Horford added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who fired up 50 3-pointers, making 18, and shot 33% from the floor as a team. WARRIORS 117, GRIZZLIES 116 » Klay Thompson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds left, and the
Golden State Warriors overcame Draymond Green’s first-half ejection to edge the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Jordan Poole led the Warriors with 31 points off the bench, hitting 5 of 10 3-pointers. Stephen Curry added 24 points, Andrew Wiggins had 17 and Thompson finished with 15.
Green was ejected for a flagrant foul just before halftime.
Thompson missed both free throws with 6.7 seconds left, then Memphis won a jump ball before taking a timeout with 3.6 seconds remaining to set up the final play.
Ja Morant finished with 34 points and 10 assists, and Jaren Jackson Jr. matched his season high with six 3-pointers and had a career-high 33 points as Memphis’ first pair of teammates to score at least 30 in a playoff game. D’Anthony Melton added 14, and Brandon Clarke had 12.
The Chicago Bears released veteran quarterback Nick Foles on Sunday, two years after acquiring the former Super Bowl MVP to compete with Mitchell Trubisky for the starting job.
New general manager Ryan Poles had told reporters he hoped to trade Foles after signing Trevor Siemian to back up Justin Fields. He had one year left on his contract.
The Bears acquired Foles — the Super Bowl 52 MVP for Philadelphia — from Jacksonville in March 2020. Trubisky started the first two games that year.
Foles replaced him during a comeback win at Atlanta, then went 2-5 starting the next seven games. Trubisky went back into the starting lineup with Foles nursing a hip and glute injury.
Foles was third string last year behind Fields and Andy Dalton. He started one game with the other two quarterbacks injured, and threw for 250 yards in a win at Seattle in December.
Eagles sign Nevada quarterback Strong
The Philadelphia Eagles signed undrafted free agent quarterback Carson Strong of Nevada.
Strong was considered one of the top six quarterbacks available in the 2022 NFL draft with estimates that he could be picked in the third round. He ended up not being one of the nine quarterbacks selected during the seven-round draft.
Strong was reportedly considered a medical risk due to a serious right knee injury he sustained while playing high school basketball. He underwent surgery and missed the 2017 football season, his senior year of high school.
Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Nick Foles will be looking for a new team after being released by the Bears.
He underwent a second surgery on the knee in February of 2021. He said at the recent NFL combine that his recovery time was expected to be 12 months but he returned in six so he could play last season for Nevada.
Strong didn’t appear hindered last season when he passed for 4,175 yards and 36 touchdowns against eight interceptions and was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. He threw for 9.368 yards, 74 scores and 19 interceptions in 32 games (31 starts) in three seasons for the Wolf Pack.
The Eagles’ top two quarterback are starter Jalen Hurts and backup Gardner Minshew.
Saints renew efforts to sign Mathieu
The New Orleans Saints are planning an “aggressive push” to sign free agent Tyrann Mathieu after failing to land a safety in the draft, ESPN reported.
Mathieu, who was born and raised in New Orleans, visited with the Saints in early April.
The three-time All-Pro, who turns 30 on May 13, started 16 games for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021
and posted 76 tackles and three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown).
A third-round pick out of LSU in 2013, Mathieu has 26 interceptions (three pick-sixes) and 10 sacks in 129 games with the Arizona Cardinals (2013-17), Houston Texans (2018) and Chiefs.
Bryant shows interest in joining Cardinals
Free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant isn’t ready to call it a career just yet.
Bryant, who hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2020 season, expressed interest in joining quarterback Kyler Murray, coach Kliff Kingsbury and the Arizona Cardinals.
“Kyler, the coach — I love the swagger over there,” Bryant told TMZ.
Bryant, 33, had six catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns in six games with the Baltimore Ravens in 2020. That was the first action for the three-time Pro Bowl selection since he sustained an Achilles injury while practicing with the New Orleans Saints in 2018.
Bryant spent his first eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, catching a franchiserecord 73 touchdowns.