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Tonight marks Game 1 of the highly anticipated NBA playoff series between the Warriors and the Timberwolves. Both teams are coming off huge opening-round victories and will be looking to keep their momentum going, especially Anthony Edwards, who put on a dominant display against the Lakers. Funnily enough, Charles Barkley was more impressed by a different Wolves player’s performance against the Purple and Gold.
Breaking down the matchup was the Inside the NBA crew. Shaquille O’Neal hyped up Edwards’ performance against the Lakers and recognized that the 23-year-old is positioning for the “Face of the League” spot. “He wants it. He wants all the smoke,” claimed The Diesel. “I like his attitude. That’s the attitude you’re supposed to have as a youngster and there’s people ahead of you. Before you become the king, you have to kill the king.”
As good as Edwards was, it was Julius Randle who really showed something to Barkley. “The guy who impressed me the most — Julius Randle played fantastic against the Lakers,” said the 11-time All-Star. “I thought the difference in the series was this guy. He was just bullying the Lakers.” Chuck is right on the nose. Randle averaged 22.6 points a game and was dominant in the paint against the much smaller LA team.
Kenny Smith agreed with Barkley regarding Julius’s incredible opening-round heat. But the two-time NBA Champion brought up a good point regarding the Wolves’ next opponent. “This series, he’s gonna have Draymond Green on him,” stated Kenny. “I think it’s gonna be a little bit different for him. The matchups.” Like Chuck, Kenny is right on the nose.
Draymond is an all-time defender, not to mention a menace in other areas of the game. Randle will have his hands full. On the other side of the court is Ant, now going toe-to-toe with Jimmy Butler, who will probably be a much more aggressive defender for Ant than anyone on the Lakers squad.
The problem for the Warriors is that, like the Lakers, they are not as big as the Wolves. That won’t stop Steph Curry or Butler from doing their thing on the scoring end, but can the Dubs protect the board better than the Lakers did against Reid, Randle, or Rudy Gobert?
More must-reads:
- Why Rockets are managing Kevin Durant's future perfectly
- Draymond Green fires back at Alperen Sengun's comments
- The 'Active 20-home run MLB seasons' quiz
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'We Weren’t as Motivated' – Former Denver Nuggets Star Drops Truth Bomb on Why the Team Failed to Defend Its Title
Since winning their first title in franchise history in 2023, the Denver Nuggets have been eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in back-to-back years, and Michael Porter Jr. recently explained the reasons behind their early exits. According to Porter, losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency was a big blow to the team, and he also admitted that the Denver Nuggets weren’t as motivated to win the Larry O’Brien trophy during their title defense in 2024. “To repeat and do that again is definitely harder than the first time, because your offseason is shorter. You’re celebrating the championship, you’re probably not taking as good care of your body,” Porter explained on Glory Daze with Johnny Manziel. “I felt like we were focused, but we weren’t as motivated as the year we won it. And then, KCP wasn’t on the team anymore. I felt like that played a big part, and then we lost to Minnesota in game seven,” he added. Denver Nuggets News: Michael Porter Jr. receives wild text from Nikola Jokic after Brooklyn Nets trade After spending the first seven years of his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. has moved to the Brooklyn Nets, as he was traded in exchange for Cameron Johnson and a future first-rounder. As he said goodbye to his Denver Nuggets teammates, Porter recently revealed the one advice Nikola Jokic gave him before going to Brooklyn, especially as the former recently opened up about his struggles with dealing with women. “Wrap it up out there. Make sure you wear a condom out there,” Porter said about Jokic’s text.
Steelers have major injury concern leaving preseason
The No. 1 priority for NFL teams in the preseason is to get out of the games without major injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have failed with that one on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, the team's first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had to be carted to the locker room with a knee injury while also looking visibly upset as he was taken back. The team announced almost immediately that he would be out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin provided an update after the game: Defensive line was a top priority for the Steelers this offseason, especially after their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens where they allowed nearly 300 rushing yards to end their season. Along with Harmon, they also selected Iowa's Yahya Black in this year's class to help try to beef up their line. Harmon is expected to play a major role in this year's defense and was already in a starting position. With star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward holding in as he tries to get a new contract from the team, that puts even more importance on Harmon's ability to make an impact. He has had a strong training camp, and after a quiet first preseason game, he really took a big leap forward in the team's second game, recording a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Heyward returns, and if Harmon's injury is not serious, the Steelers would have the potential to have a really strong defensive line with those two joining rising star Keeanu Benton. Right now, though, those are a lot of "ifs," especially as it relates to the availability for Heyward and Harmon for the team's season opener.
Commanders' Terry McLaurin reportedly wants more money than previously thought
Previous reports indicated that unsettled Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was looking to land "parts" of the five-year, $150M contract that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf earlier this year. For an article published on Wednesday morning, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic offered an update regarding why McLaurin and the Commanders haven't come to terms on an extension after the 29-year-old requested a trade on July 31. "One person with knowledge of McLaurin’s contract negotiations said the veteran receiver has asked for more than DK Metcalf," Jhabvala revealed. McLaurin is in the final year of his current deal and will turn 30 years old in September. To compare, Metcalf will turn 28 in December. That said, McLaurin emerged last season as the favorite target for quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels guided the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. "McLaurin believes he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL," Jhabvala added. "He’s been the Commanders' leading receiver every season since he entered the league (in 2019), and last year had the second-most receiving TDs in the league behind Ja’Marr Chase’s 17. He also ranked third in (expected points added) on targets and seventh in catch rate among receivers with at least 100 targets last year, but among that same group, McLaurin’s total receiving yards (1,096) ranked 12th and his average yards after the catch ranked 25th." Daniels seemed optimistic while speaking about the ongoing contract standoff during the ESPN broadcast of Monday's preseason game between the Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals when he said he knew McLaurin would "be coming through the door soon." However, Jhabvala noted that "it wouldn’t be a surprise if the [Commanders have] set a maximum range of $27M to $28M a year in average annual value for McLaurin." That seems to suggest the two sides aren't all that close to coming to terms on an agreement. It's unclear if McLaurin is willing to forfeit money by sitting out Washington's Week 1 game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7 amid his desire for a pay raise. If he isn't, he may have to soon accept the offer that's on the table to guarantee himself future earnings beyond the upcoming season.
Bill Belichick's trademark snark already showing in North Carolina's QB battle
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick doesn't want anybody to know anything about the way he does things. He's always been tight-lipped, and that's been especially true as it relates to prying questions from the media. Belichick's "we're onto Cincinnati" is an infamous line in the sports world, as is his disdain for allowing anybody to see how "the sausage is made." Perhaps, then, it's no surprise that Belichick's trademark snarkiness revealed itself in a Wednesday news conference for North Carolina. He was asked by a member of the media when he felt he'd be able to name the Tar Heels' starting quarterback for 2025, and the legendary head coach responded with sarcasm. “We’re getting ready to do that this afternoon — to announce the starting lineups and the play times and how we’ll be substituting everything,” Belichick joked, according to Chandler Vessels of On3. “So Brandon will get that to you as soon as we get done. We want to make sure we get that out there right away.” That's classic Belichick snark right there. North Carolina kicks off its 2025 campaign against TCU on Sept. 1, and Belichick doesn't want the Horned Frogs to have any time to prepare for who will be the starting quarterback. The Tar Heels will, of course, have to release a depth chart eventually, but you can bet that Belichick is going to slow-play his quarterback competition as long as possible. Max Johnson, son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, and South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez are the two players in the running for the job. Johnson missed most of last season with a devastating leg injury he suffered in UNC's first game. He's had previous stops at LSU and Texas A M as a starter. Lopez threw for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns with five interceptions last season for South Alabama. He also rushed for 465 yards and seven touchdowns.
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