Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo won a lot of big games in Philadelphia when they were at Villanova. Thursday they eliminated a different Philly team.
COOKING.
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2024
Jalen Brunson for 37 PTS down the stretch in the 4Q! https://t.co/Gda5A4Nx8F pic.twitter.com/xQJd0uhK64
Brunson finished with 41 points and 12 assists as the New York Knicks went on the road to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers, 118-115 in a back-and-forth Game 6 that capped a back-and-forth series.
The 76ers came back from a 22-point deficit early, then erased an eight-point lead to tie the game with 35 seconds to go, despite Brunson's heroics.
CLUTCH Jalen Brunson and-1 ️ pic.twitter.com/mcjRcpt6Gx
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 3, 2024
He had some help from his former Wildcat teammates, part of a Villanova team that won national titles in 2016 and 2018. The 6-foot-5 Hart had 16 points and 14 rebounds.
While Hart missed a free throw that could have given the Knicks a two-possession lead ahead of Tyrese Maxey's game-tying three in Game 5, he hit a big three-pointer of his own with 24 seconds left.
JOSH HART PUTS THE KNICKS AHEAD 114-111 WITH 24 SECONDS LEFT IN THE 4Q
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2024
NYK advances to the East Semis with a win on TNT pic.twitter.com/IXRatqtyJy
DiVincenzo, who was the Most Outstanding Player in 2018 NCAA Tournament, had 19 points and hit five three-pointers in the game. He made two clutch free throws with 11 seconds left to give New York a three-point lead. DiVincenzo finished with 23 points, seven assists, two steals and three big blocks.
Donte DiVincenzo SWATS it out of bounds on TNT
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2024
NYK advances to the East Semis with a win pic.twitter.com/bn2K7n7Vwv
Perhaps most impressive is how many minutes the Villanova trio logged, perhaps a sign of some next-level cardio training at the school. Brunson played 44 minutes, Hart played 46 and DiVincenzo played a full 48 minutes, never sitting at any point. Did former coach Jay Wright have a cross country running program?
New York moves on to play the Indiana Pacers in the second round, a team with zero Villanova players. The players from Villanova will probably celebrate by running 10 miles on a treadmill.
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Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is supposed to remain in charge of the team for years even after the sale. Given what just happened with the Boston Celtics, it might only be months. When the Grousbeck family sold the Celtics for $6.1B in March, ESPN reported that Wyc Grousbeck would stay on as the Celtics CEO and governor through the 2027-28 season. Now, new owner Bill Chisholm will take over once the sale is final. That should concern current Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, whose family sold a majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Mark Walter. Buss is supposed to stay on as team governor for "at least a number of years," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but new NBA owners haven't been keen on waiting to take control of teams recently. Mark Cuban thought he would continue running the Dallas Mavericks when he sold a controlling interest to the Adelson family in November 2023. Before the end of that season, when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals, new team governor Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, was firmly in charge. General manager Nico Harrison reported directly to Dumont, which is how Luka Doncic ended up traded to the Lakers despite Cuban's objections. It might be different with the Lakers. Walter has owned a minority share in the Lakers since 2021, so he's had a working relationship with Buss. Her role as team governor may be a condition of the sale itself. With the team preparing for a long-term future with Doncic, Walter and his fellow owners might opt for continuity in the team governor role. But in general, people do not spend billions of dollars on a professional sports team so that someone else can be in charge. Buss is in charge of the Lakers now. Recent history says she won't be for long.
After working to return to the Chicago Cubs' lineup following an oblique injury, Miguel Amaya suffered a gruesome-looking injury in his first game back with the Cubs on Wednesday night. Running to first base, Amaya just beat out an infield single on a slow dribbler to shortstop when his left foot landed forcefully on the base, causing his leg to buckle and sending Amaya flying down the first base line. Following the injury, Amaya was carted off the field in Toronto with a towel over his face. The emotions shown by Amaya as he was carted off indicated he knew already he would miss more time in a season that has been marred by injuries. After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed Amaya would be going back on the injured list with what was diagnosed as a left ankle sprain. X-rays, however, were negative. The 26-year-old Amaya had just told reporters after being activated from the 60-day injured list that he was thankful he was healthy. Just three at-bats later, Amaya was once again injured. Amaya's three at-bats against the Blue Jays on Wednesday represented his first game action since May 24, when he recorded just two at-bats against the Cincinnati Reds before leaving the game with an oblique injury. In just 96 at-bats this season, Amaya is slashing .281/.314/.500 with four home runs and 25 RBI. Amaya's injury is another blow for the Cubs, who have seen their lead in the National League Central evaporate as the Milwaukee Brewers have now won 12 consecutive games and are 20-4 since the All-Star break. As has been the case in Amaya's absence, Carson Kelly and Reese McGuire will continue to be the dominant presences behind the plate for the Cubs. Joining with Amaya, the duo has helped the Cubs record a 2.8 Wins Above Average (WAA) at catcher, the highest mark of any MLB team. After Amaya's injury, the Cubs would go on to post a 4-1 win over the Blue Jays.
The Green Bay Packers made an under-the-radar move on Wednesday on offense, as the team announced that it claimed wide receiver Kawaan Baker off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders. From the Packers’ official website: The Green Bay Packers claimed WR Kawaan Baker off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders. The transaction was announced Wednesday by General Manager Brian Gutekunst. Baker turned pro in 2021, when he was taken off the board in the seventh round of that year’s NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. He signed a four-year deal worth $3.56 million with the Saints, though he spent most of his rookie season on New Orleans’ practice squad. He appeared in only two games in the 2021 NFL season and never saw action in a regular-season or playoff game since. This is also not the first time that Baker got acquainted with the Packers, as Green Bay signed him to its practice squad back in 2022 before moving on to the Philadelphia Eagles and back to the Saints. In 2024, he joined the New England Patriots in the offseason and training camp but was waived before the start of the season. His most recent stop was with the Raiders, who waived him on Monday. Before he entered the NFL, Baker played four college football seasons with the South Alabama Jaguars, during which he scored 16 touchdowns on 126 receptions through 45 games. Baker could see some action this coming Saturday’s preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Fans react to Green Bay Packers’ move on Baker The Packers have plenty of hurt bodies on the wide receiver room, and that is not lost on Green Bay fans, who have a lot to say about the Baker signing. “Gute is always working,” said a fan on X. Another one said: “Damn, I thought for sure they were gonna pick up OBJ or Amari Cooper this time” From a commenter: “We got 30 WRs… what’s one more” “Idk but he has return experience,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “Well, when there is one receiver that can catch the ball …” Said another: “Looks like a returner option. He’s been on several practice squads over the years.”
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields was a little more accurate on Wednesday than he was in his "alarming" performance during joint practice with the New York Giants on Tuesday. Still, the fifth-year quarterback had a familiar issue pop up. Per Dan Duggan and Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, Fields took several sacks against a Giants defense that brought the house on a shaky Jets offensive line. Via The Athletic: "On the other field, the Giants defensive front carried over its domination from Tuesday, giving Jets quarterback Justin Fields and his offensive line plenty of problems. Camp stats are subjective, especially when it comes to sacks, but the Giants appeared to get to Fields for four sacks. "Similar to Tuesday, there were moments when it was hard to tell exactly who was causing problems as the Giants sent multiple bodies in the backfield. Fields, who went 7-of-11 on the day, had a few overthrows on plays that likely were sacks." Fields did have a couple of long runs on a Giants defense that struggled against the rush in 2024. While Fields has a unique ability to add to the running game, the Jets need the 2021 first-round pick to push the ball down the field in the passing game. Fields has always had a problem with being indecisive in the pocket, leading to his taking too many sacks since entering the league. He led the league with 55 sacks in 2022 and has taken 151 in his four-year career. The Ohio State product took 16 sacks during his six starts with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. In camp, Fields doesn't have to worry about taking body blows from sacks that lead to injuries. That will happen in the regular season if he plays how he practiced on Wednesday.