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Johni Broome had 23 points and 15 rebounds and No. 3 Auburn held off Ole Miss 62-57 in quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Friday afternoon in Nashville.
Denver Jones added 13 points for the top-seeded Tigers (28-4), who will face the winner of Friday's game between Texas and No. 8 Tennessee in the semifinals o n Saturday afternoon.
Dre Davis and Sean Pedulla each scored 12 points and Jaylen Murray and Malik Dia added 10 to lead the eighth-seeded Rebels (22-11).
Broom's layup started the second-half scoring and gave Auburn a 31-22 lead. Ole Miss scored the next six points, but Kelly Miles made a jumper and a 3-pointer to push the lead to eight.
The Tigers led by eight on four more occasions before three layups by Pedulla and a jumper by Davis helped the Rebels pull even at 46. Chaney Johnson broke the tie by making a 3-pointer that ended a nearly six-minute field-goal drought for Auburn.
Jaemyn Brakefield made a free throw for Ole Miss, but Broome followed with a three-point play and a layup and Jones added a three-point play that gave the Tigers a 57-47 lead with 3 minutes left.
Davon Barnes made two free throws and Dia had a dunk that ended a more than four-minute field goal drought for the Rebels. Chad Baker-Mazara's three-point play extended the lead to nine with 1:34 left.
Pedulla's steal and layup were part of a 6-0 run that trimmed the lead to three with 38 seconds left, but Broome made a jumper with 11 seconds left.
The score was tied twice and the fifth lead change occurred when Auburn took the lead for the remainder of the first half, 15-14, on two free throws by Broome. The Tigers increased the lead to six points before Murray made a layup.
Two more free throws by Broome and a 3-pointer by Tahaad Pettiford gave Auburn its biggest lead of the half, 27-18. Ole Miss got within five points before Jones made a jumper to give the Tigers a 29-22 halftime lead.
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Jets coaches try to calm situation in wake of Justin Fields' comments
According to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields did not throw a pass that traveled 10 yards in the air over the club's first two preseason games. Some have voiced concerns about the Jets' passing attack with Fields in the lineup, but he insisted while speaking with reporters on Tuesday that he's "fine with taking eight-yard completions every play." On Wednesday, Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand addressed Fields' comment. "He's going to play the play the way the defense allows him to play it," Engstrand said about Fields, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. "So if they're going to allow him to take a shot down the field, he's going to take it. If they don't allow him, he's going to check the ball down, and we'll move on to the next play. We're all good with that." Fields completed just one of five passes for four yards in the Jets' 31-12 loss to the New York Giants on Saturday. According to Fox Sports, he connected on four of nine pass attempts for 46 yards across his first two preseason appearances of the summer. Despite such lackluster numbers, first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn suggested on Tuesday that he is ignoring "the noise that happens on the outside" regarding the team's passing offense. On Wednesday, Jets passing game coordinator Scott Turner praised Fields for knowing when to take a checkdown and when to challenge an opposing defense. "I think you've seen a lot of quarterbacks in this league, Josh Allen pops into mind, who really cut down his turnovers last year and won MVP by not always trying to make the big huge play, but make the right play. Justin has done a nice job with that," Turner said. ESPN stats show that Fields averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt over six starts and 10 appearances with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Per Pro Football Reference, 22 qualified quarterbacks had a better yards per pass attempt average for the 2024 campaign. Dan Graziano of ESPN noted Wednesday that the $10M guaranteed that the Jets owe Fields for 2026 "won't prevent them from" looking for an upgrade at the position next year if he doesn't make "a major leap as a passer." It's still early into this experiment, but there's no sign that such a leap is coming anytime soon.
Dallas Stars lock up one of the league's best players with massive extension today in hockey history
Former Yankees Outfielder Rips Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman
The New York Yankees have been having a rough couple of months, losing their once-dominant lead of the AL East. Now, both Yankees manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman are on the receiving end of some tough words by a former player, outfielder Clint Frazier. Boone has been criticized by a number of analysts (not to mention Yankees fans) for lineup and mid-game moves that range from head-scratching to downright bizarre, especially for a team that has been having a hard time securing wins. Cashman has repeatedly defended Boone, arguing that is knowledge of the players' capabilities is driving his decisions. To Frazier, Cashman's defense of Boone is self-serving because Cashman is the person who is responsible for Boone's tenure as manager. “When Cashman comes out and gives support to Boone, lowkey, I kind of feel like that’s self-preservation,” Frazier said on his podcast. “I know his resume is insane, but when he gives the confidence boost to Boone, I was saying ‘he’s got to, because Booney is the frontline of defense for him. I brought this guy in, and I have to support him, because he’s my guy.' Boone is Cashman’s shadow a little bit." Frazier, who played for the Pinstripes from 2017 to 2021, went on to discuss the Yankees' playoff chances, criticizing Boone for his lineup and mid-game decisions, which he claims will impact the team negatively during the post-season. “You need to make sure that you aren’t walking into it with bad decisions, because these are the decisions they’ll be doing in the playoffs,” he said. “They’re going to be way more under the microscope in the playoffs... You’ve got to make sure that you’re buttoned up and ready to go. If you start firing from the hip, it becomes a mockery of what every guy is trying to do.” While the Yankees are doing better now than they were at the time of Frazier's comments, surpassing the Boston Red Sox for second place in the AL East and securing the top spot in the AL Wild Card standings, they still aren't consistent. For New York to secure a trip to the World Series for the second year in a row, they're going to have to play better, which requires Boone to make better decisions. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Yankees Have Advantage in Cody Bellinger Sweepstakes Former Yankees Pitchers Swap Places On NL Contender Hall of Famer Explains Leaving Red Sox for Yankees Mariano Rivera's Injury End of Yankees Old-Timer's Game? Four Yankees Among MLB's Top 25 Free Agents
Bengals have major PR blunder over invite to former player for Ring of Honor ceremony
The Cincinnati Bengals do not have the best reputation when it comes to their willingness to spend money. They have been regarded as one of the cheapest teams in the league over how much they are willing to pay players, over their front office, coaching, scouting staff and for pretty much anything else that comes with running a professional sports franchise. Now, one of their all-time greatest players is putting them on blast for the way they invited him to the team's Ring of Honor ceremony in October. Former quarterback Boomer Esiason revealed on his radio show on Friday that his invite to the Oct. 26 ceremony wasn't exactly one that made him willing to jump up and rush back to Cincinnati. Instead of a personal invite, Esiason revealed that he received a form-letter email that he had to RSVP with for the ceremony, two tickets to the game with the opportunity to purchase more on his own and a group rate for a hotel that he would have to book himself, while also providing his own transportation. Here is the entire story from Esiason. On one hand, the common fan is not really going to understand his gripe here, and he might even come off as a little entitled. Maybe spoiled. Maybe even something of a jerk. But, is he wrong when you consider the context? The context being, he is a former professional athlete who is already in the Bengals' ring of honor and a player who made significant contributions to the franchise. He is one of the top quarterbacks -- and players -- to ever suit up for the team. Usually, teams go out of their way to roll out the red carpet for those players and bring them back for events like this. At least, that is probably the type of treatment players are accustomed to from multi-billion-dollar professional sports teams. Could Esiason afford his own plane ticket and hotel room? Could he buy his own tickets to the game? Absolutely. He was a starting quarterback in the NFL for over a decade and is one of the highest-profile radio hosts on the top sports talk channel in the country. He's probably doing fine financially. A trip to Cincinnati probably is not out of his budget. Still, it's the lack of effort from the Bengals that really stands out here, and it's not a great look for a franchise that doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to spending money. Yeah, Esiason can afford it. But so can the Bengals. And if they wanted him — and any other player — to show up, they could at least make it worth their while and a little easier for them. This story also caught the attention of former Bengals running back Corey Dillon, who delivered his own shot at the team on social media. Tough look all around for the Bengals to have former players — all-time great players for the franchise — calling them out.
Falcons HC speaks out after offensive starter gets carted off practice field with concerning injury
T.J. Watt addresses viral Instagram post that hinted new Steelers deal, ‘that was just…’
Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher T.J. Watt got rewarded handsomely in the offseason for being one of the best in the NFL at his position, and he had a few things to say about how the deal came about. The Steelers have made some big moves in the offseason, trading for Jalen Ramsey, signing Darius Slay, Aaron Rodgers, and DK Metcalf, alongside extending T.J. Watt. It capped off one of the most un-Steelers offseasons in years, and there is still more business to be done as Cam Heyward is holding in over his contract details. Watt signed a record three-year, $123 million extension, the highest deal for a non-quarterback, following months of tough negotiations between his agent and the Steelers. Many thought Watt’s Instagram post with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig just hours before the deal was confirmed was a major hint of it being done. It turns out that wasn’t quite the case. T.J. Watt had no idea Steelers extension was done when he posted Instagram photo with Herbig Hours before T.J. Watt’s extension was confirmed, he posted a picture with Nick Herbig, and he had a sizeable grin of someone who’d just ended his holdout and earned a massive payday. That wasn’t the case. Asked if Herbig spilled the beans on the deal on Cam Heyward‘s podcast, Watt said: “You’re talking about the picture that we posted. No, that was literally just picture day at the gym! “I got home, and the deal, they called me, and the deal was done.” Herbig was then asked if he had done pushups before the picture, as he looked ‘jacked’. Aside from the comments that Watt looked remarkably bulkier than he did last year, they had mostly been about the star edge rusher signing a new deal or that they were training in Wisconsin. Herbig and Watt’s Alma Mater was Wisconsin, so some didn’t jump the gun, but the majority of fans went wild with speculation. The fact that his agent had sealed the deal with the Steelers a few hours later looked to have validated that speculation. Well, Watt has now dispelled that for good! Steelers have one of the most stacked edge rushing rooms in NFL after drafting Jack Sawyer The beauty of the NFL draft is that you are often left wondering how players fall to certain teams, like the Baltimore Ravens with Malaki Starks, bolstering an already incredibly defensive backs room. The same can be said for the Chiefs with Left Tackle Josh Simmons, who looks like a franchise LT already, and the Steelers with the Ohio State linebacker Jack Sawyer. Sawyer, a National Championship winner last season, fell to the fourth round, and conveniently into the arms of the Steelers, who already have an incredible pass-rushing unit. He joins Watt, Herbig, and ROLB Alex Highsmith in one of the most dangerous units in the league, which will be a prime test for the AFC North. Here’s what Watt said about Sawyer: “I just think it’s cool to see Jack pick our brains. We give him a hard time because now you can’t really haze rookies, so we’re trying to find ways to get under his skin. “It’s not very hard. But I think he’s going to be a good player for us. I think he’s a bigger body guy who can rush inside or outside, and you see his growth each and every day. It’s been pretty cool.” Baltimore, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Cleveland Browns will have to face that unit at least twice this season!
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