Houston Rockets vs OKC Thunder - Full Game Highlights | Game 2 | April 19, 2017 | #NBAPlayoffs
HOUSTON (AP) -- When J.J. Watt attended the Houston Rockets" playoff game on Sunday night, he got a front-row view of Patrick Beverley"s intensity.
The Houston Texans star defensive end was taken aback when Beverley walked over to his courtside seat during a timeout and simply stood in front of him and stared for several seconds.
"I was like: `Pat, I don"t know what you want me to do here, man. I can"t really do anything,"" Watt said. "He"s just staring me down. And my girlfriend looked at me and she was like: `That was kind of cool and kind of awkward at the same time." I was like:
`Yeah it was." I didn"t know what to do."
Watt finally broke the stalemate by high-fiving the guard, a well-deserved acknowledgement on a night when Beverley scored a playoff career-high 21 points with 10 rebounds and slowed Russell Westbrook with his defense to help Houston rout Oklahoma City 118-87 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
"The guy was just absolutely killing it," Watt said. "His intensity is the best. I was setting there on the sidelines getting fired up, wanting to get in the game."
Watt actually thought about rushing on the court for a brief moment in the third quarter on Sunday night to stand up for Beverley. It came when 7-foot Thunder center Steven Adams knocked the 6-1 Beverley to the court on a hard screen just a few feet away from Watt"s seat.
"That dude knocks him out," Watt said. "And I was like: `OK, we may have a problem you"re messing with my guy pat.""
the rockets were off on Monday and Beverley wasn"t available for comment, but he tweeted his thanks for Watt"s support by saying that he wants him back for Game 2 on Wednesday night in the same seat he had for the first game.
Watt is known for his fiery demeanor while chasing down quarterbacks on the football field. But even he was a little surprised by Beverley"s ferocity on Sunday night.
"He just has a way of getting you fired up," Watt said. "He is like the Wolverine out there. He"s fearless. I love the way that guy plays and it was just fun to watch that guy put on a show."
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Washington Capitals: Game Recap (Game 3)
Welcome to Joe Starkeys weekly mailbag, where the Post-Gazette columnist and 93.7 The Fan radio host answers your questions about sports, life, Buffalo, Bob Dylan and everything in between. If you want to ask Joe a question, tweet him @JoeStarkey1 or email him at jstarkey@post-gazette.com. On to the questions:
Peter F., @petefrompitt: Pens over Caps in the 2nd round in how many games? 5? 6? Or is it going to be Pens over leafs? Or is this simply Yinzer Hubris?
Starkey: Theres nothing wrong with a little Yinzer Hubris, Mr. petefrompitt, but the real questions at the moment are these:
Will the Penguins finish off the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday night?
Are the Capitals choking like dogs again?
As for Pens-Jackets, the story of the series is Sergei Bobrovsky melting down so badly youd think he played for the Capitals. Is this really the guy who put up Hasek numbers in the regular season?
The Penguins are bouncing pucks off Bobrovsky and into the net from all angles, like he"s a racquetball wall. Its ridiculous. I think if I got a penalty shot against Bobrovsky, Id skate to the corner and try to fire a puck off the back of his leg.
The Jackets best hope to win a game is for Bobrovsky to steal one.
I wouldnt bet on it.
Now to the Capitals and them blowing a two-goal lead in Toronto and trailing that series, 2-1. Is this is unbelievable, or what? Maybe its very believable. Let me take you back to a Tony Kornheiser column from the Washington Post, after a long-ago Penguins-Capitals series:
Let"s be honest. Both of us know what I have to do here.
You"ve come to this page to see me write that the Capitals are well, you know what they are.
And I have to write it, because I write it every year.
Because they do it every year.
Same old story: What"s red, white and blue, and plays golf in April?
Excuse me, what"s bronze, white and blue, and plays golf in April?
The Washington Capitals.
Choking Dogs.
That was written in 1996! Do you know many choke jobs ago that was? It was a full decade before Alex Ovechkin perfected the art of losing before the conference final every single year.
Youd think the Capitals would have learned from how they lost to the Penguins last year. They were overwhelmed by the Penguins speed. But as USA Today hockey writer Kevin Allen has maintained all year, the Capitals really arent much faster than they were last season. And in the modern-day NHL, speed kills.
Now, am I convinced the Maple Leafs are going to finish the job?
Im not. I still believe the Capitals extricate themselves from this mess and play the Penguins in the second round.
starkey: either would be wildly entertaining, Mr. Kinka1997, and Im keeping an eye on the Oilers in the West can you imagine a Penguins-Oilers Stanley Cup final? but if Im the Penguins, Id rather play the Maple Leafs in the Phil Kessel Bowl. I still believe that is a vulnerable defense.
That being said, the Maple Leafs remind me of the 2007-08 Penguins talented and precocious and very, very dangerous. They are a classic be-careful-what-you-wish-for proposition.
By the way, remember when there was so much consternation over who the Penguins first-round opponent would be and how they had to win the division in order to avoid the Blue Jackets and maybe get to play a team like the Maple Leafs?
How unfair it all seemed.
Robert Egan, @Robdogg039: Would you go to an NBA finals game with me?
Starkey: No.
Zach, @zbb5006: How amazing is it being a part of Pittsburgh sports media? I know you are Buffalo at heart, but this isn"t too bad, eh?
Starkey: Oh, its amazing, all right, especially when it comes to hockey media, Mr. @zbb5006, but Ill leave those stories for another day.
And you know what? I am Pittsburgh at heart. Ive been here for nearly 30 years. I met my wife in Pittsburgh. We had our daughter here. And yes, Ive had the great fortune of covering some amazing sporting events including championships (as opposed to, oh I dont know, four straight Super Bowl losses, a soul-crushing Stanley Cup defeat and decades of hideous losses of every kind).
May I list the top five sporting events Ive covered? Please note that I was on paternity leave for Steelers-Cardinals Super Bowl.
5. Bettis fumble game. Probably the loudest building Ive ever been in.
4. Pitt 13, West Virginia 9. Still cant believe it went down like that. I was in the same building the week before and watched WVU put 66 points on UConn.
3. Penguins Game 7 win over Red Wings. Tyler Kennedy finally admitted it to me the other day: Penguins took great pleasure in sticking it to Hossa.
2. Pirates-Reds wild card game. Felt lucky to be there.
1. Super Bowl XL. Maybe this stands out on this particular day because we are celebrating the life of Dan Rooney. I stood next to him before the game, in the press box in Detroit, and wondered: Do you still get nervous for these things?
His reply: No, not really. Whatever happens, happens.
What a good man. And what a winner. You can see all the wonderful Rooney-related stories my Post-Gazette colleagues have done over the past four days here. And Tuesdays print edition is a keeper.
Thanks, kiddies. Be sure to insult Sean Gentille this week. Also, send me questions (tweet @JoeStarkey1or email at jstarkey@post-gazette.com).
BEFORE HER RETURN, MEGYN KELLY BREAKS SILENCE WITH 6-WORD ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SAYS A LOT
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Katie Couric was blindsided with an awkward question Tuesday night during an episode of BravosWatch What Happens Live.
Couricappeared to be all smiles as she sat alongside Oscar winner Sally Field until host Andy Cohen tooka question from a fan over the phone.
What do you think of the shake-up at the Todayshow with Tamron hall leaving and the addition of megyn kelly? asked the caller. Have you had a chance to talk to Tamron about the changes?
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Courics expression quickly changed from genuine smile to forced grin as she did her best tochoose her words carefully to avoid any appearanceshe was taking sides in the matter.
I havent talked to Tamron, I dont know Tamron very well, Couric said.
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I do know Megyn a bit and unfortunately I think people sometimes turn morning shows into soap operas that theyre not because they feel so intimately connected to the people on the show, she added. They get very territorial and proprietary about it. And they read things into relationships.
The 60-year-old Couric is well versed in the behind-the-scenes headlines that go along with morning news programs. She took over as co-host ofToday 1991 after Deborah Norville went on maternity leave, and ratings during Courics time on the program were so strong that Norville never returned. Couric remainedas co-host of Today until 2006.
I think it will all work out, and I think the show is great, Couric said. I wish Tamron well, but Im just not getting involved in the drama of it all.
NBC confirmed in February that Hall would be leaving the network at the end of the month when her contract expired, even though she was offered a renewal.The news came just days after Hall learned shed be losing her 9 a.m. time slot to Kelly.
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Sources close to Hall said she felt insulted NBC was pushing her aside for someone more popular.
Tamron doesnt know Megyn, but of course its insulting, the source told Page Six. (Halls)show was beating Kelly Ripa and Nightly News would rate well when she would fill in for Lester Holt.
A launchdate for Kellys new program has not been announced.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Fox News host Megyn Kelly was one of the networks most popular hosts, and executives thought of her as the network"s star of the future. Kelly held her own against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in a nationally televised Republican debate, and drew increasingly high ratings on her nightly show,The Kelly File.
But by the start of 2017, Kelly was suddenly out, announcing on Facebook that she made the decision to leave the network that made her famous to join NBC News.
The move came in the aftermath of accusations she made in her book Settle for More about being a victim of sexual abuse from former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes. Ailes was ultimately ousted from the network over multiple cases of alleged misbehavior towards female staffers, which included a lawsuit from Kellys former colleague, Gretchen Carlson.
Most observers assumed her decision to leave Fox News was largely due to her experience dealing with harassment from Ailes, but in a New York Times report, Bill O"Reilly reportedly played a large role in causing Kelly to abandon a network that had offered her upwards of $2o million a year.
OReilly is currently embroiled in his own scandal following the revelation he paid millions of dollars to five former Fox News personalities to settle claims of verbal and sexual harassment. The embattled host abruptly announced he was going on vacation last week following the loss of over 60 advertisers from his popular show, The OReilly Factor.
Kellys beef with OReilly came after a 2016 interview on CBS This Morning, when OReilly took exception to Kellys comments about Ailes and defended Fox News against the claims made in her book.
Look, its open season, an irritated OReilly told CBS host Norah O"Donnell. Lets whack the Fox News Channel. Ive had enough of it. Its a good place to work. All right?
According to Times reporters Emily Steel and Michael Schmidt, OReillys comments angered Kelly, who shot off an email to executives at the network to complain that OReillys words could cause future victims of harassment at the network to remain silent.
Despite the email, OReilly brought up the interview later that day on The OReilly Factor and appeared to rip both kelly and women who claimed to be victims of misbehavior at Fox News.
"If someones paying you a wage, you owe that person or company allegiance," O"Reilly said. "If you dont like whats happening in the workplace, go to human resources... or leave."
That experience, along with a deep skepticism about whether the network was truly committed to changing its culture after Mr. Ailes was forced out, was a factor in Ms. Kellys decision to leave Fox News for a new role at NBC News, according to two people familiar with the matter, the Times reported.
Neither Kelly or Fox News immediately responded to a request to comment.
Mr. OReilly cannot comment on what Megyn Kelly thought, or did or did not do, except to say she never raised any such issue with him, nor did anyone else, said Marc E. Kasowitz, a lawyer for OReilly. At this time, it is apparent to any objective observer that Mr. OReilly is being subjected to a malicious campaign intent on harming his reputation and family through speculation and innuendo.
OReilly remains on vacation, with the future of his role at the network up in the air. A spokeswoman for Fox News says OReilly will return April 24, but multiple reports say the Murdoch family is awaiting the results of an investigation of his behavior by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison before deciding the popular hosts fate.
Kelly was most recently seen hanging out with new colleaguesSavannah Guthrie and Lester Holt at The Hollywood Reporter"s 35 Most Powerful People in Media party.
NBC has yet to announce when Kelly will officially start her new show, slated for 9 a.m. on weekdays, though Guthrie said Kelly is "supposed to start some time in May or June."The network also canceled the 9 a.m. hour of the Today show to make room for Kelly, causing Temple grad Tamron Hall to leave the network.
Kelly, who will also host a yet-unannounced Sunday Night show on NBC, is eager to get started.
"I"ve spent enough time staring at the refrigerator, it"s time to do some news," Kelly told the Hollywood Reporter.
Published: April 16, 2017 8:58 AM EDT
| Updated: April 16, 2017 9:50 AM EDT
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Grand Slam queen Serena Williams will once again reclaim her throne at No.1, according to the wta. williams will usurp angelique kerber (who held the position for 25 straight weeks) after the points from last years Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart drop off and the new rankings are released on April 24.
Kerber, however, will have a chance to redeem herself in this years tournament, which kicks off next Monday. So long as the German reaches the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she will be back at No. 1. Kerber has a first-round bye, but will still need to win two matches to surpass Williams in the rankings.
[More from Excelle Sports:Marketa Vondrousova wins first WTA Tour title at Biel Ladies Open]
Williams last played in the Australian Open, where she defeated her sister Venus in the final to reach 23 Grand Slam victories. She currently holds the most Grand Slam titles of any player, male or female, in tennis history.
Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do (original music video)
Sheryl Crow performed the upbeat new single "Be Myself" in a preview of her upcoming AT&T Audience Network concert special.
The singer-songwriter plays bass on the soulful pop tune, belting about being diagnosed "terminally normal." Over groovy congas and lightly psychedelic sitar tones, Crow admits to clashing in a modern music scene filled with selfie-obsessed hipsters and Twitter-tracking indie bands but being OK with that. "If I can"t be someone else, I might as well be myself," she sings.
The career-spanning concert special, simply titled Sheryl Crow, premieres Friday, April 21st at 9 p.m. ET via DirecTV (channel 239), AT&T U-verse (channel 1,114) and streaming platform DirecTV Now. The show was filmed in 4K last month at Hollywood"s Red Studios.
"Be Myself" is the title track from Crow"s upcoming 10th LP, also out April 21st via Warner Bros. Records. The singer"s new, pop-focused album follows a brief foray into country with 2013"s Feels Like Home. For her latest release, she reunited with producers Jeff Trott and Chad Blake, who helped craft many of her biggest hits.
while crow finished the album before Donald Trump"s presidential victory, her new lyrics still tap into the division and hostility that consumed the U.S. during the campaign. "Fear is definitely present in the songs," she told Rolling Stone. "I think the election really incited a feeling of us against them, and a feeling of trying to get back to reason, so thematically there"s a lot of that on the record. Also, technology, for better or worse, is a theme. I really think that so much vitriol in our dialogue is partially due to the fact that people communicate over technology without having a sense of empathy."
Starling Marte Facebook Comments On 80 Game Suspension
It is rare for an all-star-level player to get busted for performance-enhancing drug use in baseball. Whether because they have more to lose or as a cynic might say because they have, by virtue of their higher salaries, access to better scientists, there are few Rafael Palmeiro or Alex Rodriguez among the steady stream of names nabbed by baseball"s drug-testing program.
But Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte, who was suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for steroid use, qualifies as a high-shock-value name. A two-time Gold Glove winner and a first-time all-star last season, Marte, 28, is in the prime of his career and signed a six-year $31 million contract extension in March 2014. Had the Pirates followed through with plans this winter to trade Andrew McCutchen whom they moved out of center field this year in part because Marte is better Marte might have been considered the face of the franchise this year.
He is the biggest name nailed for PED use since Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, at the time the reigning National League batting champ, a year ago this month.
In his statement released through the players" union, Marte attributed his positive test to "neglect and lack of knowledge," though that is a dubious claim given the long history of nandrolone, a popular drug during the "steroids era" of the 2000s, when it frequently went by the brand name Deca Durabolin.
"With much embarrassment and helplessness," marte"s statement read, "I ask for forgiveness for unintentionally disrespecting so many people who have trusted in my work and have supported me so much."
Now, the Pirates must make do for half a season without their regular center fielder and No. 2 hitter, a devastating blow for a team that is only two years removed from a playoff appearance, that contended for a wild card deep into last September and that fancied itself as a playoff contender again in 2017. The fact the NL Central appears wide open at the moment with the World Series champion Cubs off to a slow start and the runner-up Cardinals off to a terrible one only makes the loss of Marte more difficult to swallow.
Even if the Pirates survive and somehow make the playoffs, they would not have Marte in October, thanks to a provision initiated in 2013 that bars players who have served suspensions during the season to play for their teams in that postseason.
The Pirates aren"t without options for replacing Marte. They could move McCutchen back to center a position at which he won a Gold Glove in 2012 and one he was not happy about giving up in the first place and use utility man Adam Frazier in left. They could also promote Austin Meadows, the organization"s top prospect, now playing for Class AAA Indianapolis and off to a dreadfully slow start. For now, at least, they have recalled outfielder Jose Osuna from Indianapolis to take Marte"s roster spot, although Osuna is not nearly the prospect Meadows is.
On April 9, a week into the Pirates" season, Marte had a game that showed both how brilliant and exasperating he could be on a baseball field. As the Pirates attempted to come back against the Atlanta Braves, Marte was picked off base twice in a span of three innings. But he also had a critical RBI single during the Pirates" eighth-inning rally, then in the bottom of the 10th, connected on a two-run, walk-off home run.
"Truly the only five-tool player I"ve played with," Pirates ace Gerrit Cole told reporters that day. "He can just do so many special things."
Marte is a player who, on any given day, can win a game for you with his bat or his defense. But with Tuesday"s news, he has cost the Pirates in immeasurable ways.
