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The Hawks have been one of the most injured teams in the NBA this season and that continues heading into tomorrow's matchup with the Phoenix Suns.
Tomorrow night, Wesley Matthews (illness) is questionable while Jalen Johnson (right ankle injury), Saddiq Bey (left knee torn ACL), Kobe Bufkin (left big toe sprain), AJ Griffin (right ankle sprain), Mouhamed Gueye (right UCL sprain), and Trae Young (left fifth finger torn ligament) are all out.
This is a bummer for Johnson, who finally came back to play recently after injuring his ankle in a win over Cleveland. Johnson had returned and was playing well, but he reinjured it towards the end of their blowout loss against the Lakers on Monday.
Jalen Johnson appeared to injure his ankle on this play. pic.twitter.com/JUCAoPb6v6
— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) March 19, 2024
Johnson has been a star for the Hawks this season but has missed a lot of games with injuries.
If Matthews is not able to go, then Atlanta will really be shorthanded. Matthews started the games that Johnson missed recently and if he can't play, then Garrison Matthews will likely get the start alongside Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Vit Krejci, and Clint Capela.
Phoenix is playing tonight vs the 76ers, so be sure to keep an eye on their injury report when it is released tomorrow.
There are only 14 games left in the Atlanta Hawks season and as poorly as this season has gone, the Hawks still have an excellent chance to end up in the play-in tournament. Most of that is due to the bottom of the Eastern Conference being particularly bad, but unless something disastrous happens (which is always possible), Atlanta should be in the No. 10 spot for the NBA Play-In Tournament and facing the Chicago Bulls.
When Atlanta lost back-to-back games vs the Nets in late February and early March, it looked like a real possibility that Brooklyn might catch the Hawks for the last play-in spot. They had just captured the tiebreaker by winning the season series and Atlanta had just lost Trae Young to an injury for the next four weeks. Brooklyn has been terrible for most of the month of March and while the Hawks have floundered in the past few games, including a beatdown at the hands of the Lakers on Monday night. According to ESPN's BPI, Atlanta has a 96% chance to make the play-in tournament and Brooklyn has just a 4% chance to make it.
The Eastern Conference play-in race is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing playoff races in the NBA over the next few weeks.
More must-reads:
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Veteran Center Rejected Knicks Offer
The New York Knicks imagine themselves as a championship contender, and those dreams looked like they may be rapidly approaching reality in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They've spent much of this offseason patching holes in their roster, requiring significantly more firepower from their bench to scare their opponents with a well-rounded rotation that they lacked in 2024-25. They're not looking to burst at the seams with reserve bucket-getters, but have done plenty to consolidate their backup guards and bigs with a summer of moves that's still continuing. Though their most recent on-court developments have provided the Knicks' hopes with real wind behind their sails, those wishes to bolster the frontcourt aren't new. New York reportedly tried to woo a veteran center in Daniel Theis over to last season's situation, but failed to seal the deal. Theis, now playing for AS Monaco, could have joined the Knicks mid-season last year before opting for a European return, according to BasketNews.com. He spent the first leg of the 2024-25 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans, the sixth team that the 33-year-old's suited up for in the last five seasons. New York's offer gave Theis yet another chance to fill in as a role-playing big on another contender, but he chose to bet on himself. "I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury," Theis said on a recent Euro Insiders podcast. "And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, 'Yeah, you will be like insurance in case he can't play and this and that.' It's like what I did with P.J. Tucker. "For me, it was like, 'Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?' So if I’m like, 'Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play great, I might have a better chance.' That was my whole intention and thought behind it — just consider Europe and see what it is." Robinson did indeed manage to remain healthy when it counted, seeing the floor in all 18 Knicks playoff games after playing in just 17 during the regular season. His reliability as a defender and rebounder up front would have negated Theis' presence, as he would have spent all but a few garbage time minutes occupying the same seat on the bench that Tucker took in the postseason. Though he would've likely been constrained to a minimum contract that would've expired at season's end alongside other role playing veterans like Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa, he'd have been a little more playable than some other deep-cut Knicks as a rim-rolling center, and that's the sort of job that New York's looked to fill in the months since. Theis chose his path, and the Knicks stayed young in building a roster that's expected to blow every other 21st century Knicks team out of the water.
Former NASCAR official sheds light on investigation, decisions during infamous 2013 'Spingate' scandal
In September 2013, one of the biggest scandals in NASCAR history took place at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The 2013 Federated Auto Parts 400 was the final race in the 2013 Cup Series regular season. At the time, only 12 drivers made the Chase for the Sprint Cup. After a chaotic evening that saw Carl Edwards snag the win, Michael Waltrip Racing was embroiled in a massive race manipulation scandal that played a huge role in the team's eventual downfall. Clint Bowyer intentionally spun in the closing laps in an effort to help teammate Martin Truex Jr. make the chase, while Brian Vickers was told to come down pit road for the same reason. When it was all said and done, Truex Jr. was booted from the Chase and ended up leaving the team at season's end, along with longtime sponsor Napa Auto Parts. Bowyer was docked 50 points and saw his title hopes evaporate before the postseason even began and general manager Ty Norris was indefinitely suspended. Former crew chief and NASCAR Vice President of Competition, Robin Pemberton, joined the "Dale Jr. Download" on Wednesday and explained NASCAR's side of the story from that infamous evening nearly 12 years ago. "About 10 o'clock in the morning (the day after the race) the phone rings," Pemberton said. "It's (former NASCAR president) Mike Helton. He goes, 'We got frickin' trouble. We got to do an investigation.'" At the time, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, hosted the first race of NASCAR's postseason as well as media week for the Chase. The spotlight was going to be firmly on the race weekend regardless of extenuating circumstances, but what followed was one of the most bizarre set of occurrences in NASCAR history. "Monday at nine or 10 o'clock, I'm on a (expletive) airplane going to Chicago," Pemberton said. "They (NASCAR) put me in a room. The TV people came in, and they replayed stuff and replayed stuff. I was in that room for eight or 10 hours the first day and probably 16 the second day." After combing through footage and radio transmissions, Pemberton came to a conclusion. "Now, you're fixing a race," Pemberton said. But the MWR scandal was not the only domino to fall in regard to the 2013 Chase. Team Penske and Front Row Motorsports — a pair of Ford teams — were also found to have participated in race manipulation, with David Gilliland intentionally slowing on a restart in order to help Joey Logano secure his spot in the postseason. While Logano remained in the playoff field, NASCAR made an unprecedented decision by adding four-time champion Jeff Gordon as a 13th driver, claiming that Gordon and the No. 24 team had been placed at a disadvantage at Richmond due to race manipulation. "It was kind of no harm, no foul," Pemberton said of the move to add Gordon to the Chase field. "He wasn't having one of his best years. But that was a decision by a few people. "What a frickin' week that was." The NASCAR Cup Series field will return to Richmond on Saturday for the penultimate race of the 2025 regular season — an event that will hopefully be devoid of race manipulation and controversy.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Steps In To Shut Down Joey Porter Jr.'s Brazen Confidence In Talk With Jalen Ramsey
The Pittsburgh Steelers completely revamped the secondary heading into the 2025 NFL season. Darius Slay was signed during free agency to play cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr., while Jalen Ramsey was brought in via trade. The goal is for all three defensive backs to be on the field at all times, but where they are going to be lined up is going to be a bit of a mystery. Ramsey is expected to showcase his versatility and play some slot cornerback and free safety, while Porter and Slay will be relied upon on the outside. Many fans have been curious about how the cornerbacks are going to gel together, and so far, things seem to be going well. Ramsey sat down with The Pivot on Tuesday, and he spoke about the situation. He was asked about how the three players were adjusting to everything, and the veteran made sure to acknowledge the talent that is in the room with him, while also stating he is the top guy. He was asked about his relationship with Porter, specifically about who gets to go first in drills. "They know who going first," Ramsey said. "[Darius] Slay already knew what type of time it is. Slay chill. Slay like, 'Man, y'all got it.' With Joe, he like, 'Nah Jay, I need that!' I'm like, 'After me though. You gonna get that action, after me.' All three of us, we sat with Mike [Tomlin] at the beginning of camp and we had good conversations and he even kind of butted in and told Joe too, 'Hey, Jay gonna be the guy right now.'" Porter has always played with a certain level of confidence, and it is something that Ramsey stated he loved. However, Ramsey and Head Coach Mike Tomlin made sure to check the young defensive back and let him know that Ramsey is the top dog at that position on defense. The two seem to be on good terms and Porter understands the current situation, but it is good to know that he has the motivation to be the top guy at cornerback. Ramsey is going to be a Hall of Famer as he has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league since being drafted back in 2016. He has excelled in every step of his career, whether that be with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, or the Miami Dolphins. Now he gets to do his thing in Pittsburgh, as he will look to add another Super Bowl to his resume. He will also be able to pass off some knowledge for Porter, which could help Pittsburgh out in the future. The same goes for Slay, who is another experienced, high-level veteran for Pittsburgh at cornerback with a Super Bowl ring of his own. Steelers' Cornerbacks Will Take On Intriguing Matchup Twice In 2025 It is very important that the Steelers are able to play man coverage successfully, and with Porter, Ramsey, and Slay, there is no reason the team wouldn't be able to hang with any receiving core in the league. The best duo at receiver arguably resides in the AFC North with the Cincinnati Bengals as they roster both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Ramsey was asked about who will get the responsibility of covering Chase, who is widely regarded as the best receiver in the league. "That's me," Ramsey said. "That's Jay. That's five for now. That's five. I know that's what Joey want as well. And he gonna get his opps, but that's five right now." Ramsey staked claim to covering a receiver like Chase, which likely means he will want the best matchup every single week. There is going to be instances where he will have to lineup in the slot or at safety, but if not, he wants to be taking on the best for the time being.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur makes a telling comment about Jordan Love
The Green Bay Packers always had a vision for Jordan Love. That's why they shocked the world by taking him in the first round, even if that meant infuriating Aaron Rodgers. Fast forward to today, and Love has proved to be up to the task of being a starter, and he's even looked like a potential star at times. That's why, despite some inconsistencies and questionable decision-making, head coach Matt LaFleur still has the utmost confidence in him. "I’d hate to put a ceiling on him because I think he can be one of the elites in this league," LaFleur told The Athletic. Love took some pages out of Rodgers' book. He's been great at making the most of free plays, and his sidearm throws are just too similar to No. 12. What he didn't get from his mentor, however, was the consistency and the ability to take care of the football. Even so, Love knows he has what it takes to be among the best of the best. "What those guys do at such a high level is just consistency with everything," Love said. "I know I’m just as good as those guys and can be even better, so I think it comes down to going out there and making those plays on Sunday." Love is currently out with an injury that will most likely keep him sidelined until Week 1. The Packers wide receiver corps has been the most decimated in the league, and with sky-high expectations for the season, all eyes will be on Love in 2025.
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