and Hawks may not have sounded so exciting at the outset, but the matchup has provided plenty of fireworks through the first three games, including a budding feud between Markieff Morris and Paul Millsap.
Here"s a quick timeline of their encounters:
Now, the Hawks fans have entered the fray, stepping up for their All-Star forward before Game 4. Some enterprising fans have showed up at the arena with a sign featuring Morris in a state of consternation, with tears added to his face, and "crybaby" written above.
The Hawks are in desperate need of a win Monday night, so it"s understandable their fans are pulling out all the stops to try and make it happen. I"m not sure how much this sign is going to help, but hey, it"s worth a shot.
Get to Know: Jabrill Peppers (Michigan, Safety) | 2017 NFL Draft
According to ESPN"s Adam Schefter, Michigan"s Jabrill Peppers tested positive for a diluted urine sample at the NFL Combine.
NFL notified teams that Michigans Jabril Peppers tested positive for a dilute sample at the combine, league sources tell ESPN.
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2017
A Creative Arts Agency spokesperson put out the following statement on their client:
"Peppers went to the combine. He was sick after flying there from San Diego. He has a history of cramping. Peppers was being pumped with fluids, drinking 8-10 bottles of water before he went to bed, because he was the first guy to work out two days for the LBs and DBs. He had to go through that first day, come back on second day, and that was the fear. so peppers was pounding water and under the weather. He never failed a drug test in his life, nor tested positive before for any substance."
This news is probably nothing new to NFL teams, who usually learn of these tests well before the public, but it could change opinions on Peppers who is expected to be a late first-round or early second-round selection come this weekend"s draft.
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Vegas updates Top 25 Heisman Trophy candidatesStart SlideShow
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Bates Motel 5x09 Promo "Visiting Hours" (HD) Season 5 Episode 9 Promo TV picks for Monday, April 24WATCH THIS:
Dancing With the Stars (8 p.m., ABC):The eight remaining celebrities will dance to songs from some of the most popular boy bands and girl groups throughout history, and the men and women will also compete against each other in team dances tonight. Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys drops by to be a guest judge and Maksim Chmerkovskiy returns to the ballroom.
Gotham (8 p.m., Fox): The drama series returns for its spring premiere and more pre-Batman shenanigans. Tonight,Nygma convinces himself that he doesnt need Penguin to succeed and begins to introduce himself to the city as The Riddler. Also,Gordon learns troubling news about his fathers death and the Court of Owls reveals its next move.
Guerra de Idolos (War of Idols) (8 p.m., Telemundo):This new drama series follows the story of the Solar family, and superstar Julio Cesar Solar, a regional Mexican music idol. Set in a world of stunning ranches, parties, private jets and recording studios, it showcases the lives of those who manage and control the Latin music business in the U.S. from coast to coast.
bates motel (10 p.m., a&e): after five seasons of b****y corpses and raging mommy issues its check-out time at the Bates. Now one question remains: Will it all end the way Psycho did? Immediately following the finale, A&E will air a commemorative half-hour special. Questions gatheredacross social media will be answered by cast members Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore and Nestor Carbonell, along with and executiveproducersand creators, Kerry Ehrin and CarltonCuse. Also included: interviews, favoritescenes, bloopers and more.
Booze Traveler: Best Bars (10 p.m., Travel Channel): Cocktail connoisseur Jack Maxwell launches a new mission to find the best bars and drinks in the country. In the premiere, he tours his favorite dockside bars starting with the largest waterfront bar in Florida, and a British-style pub in Baltimore. Then its off to a marina bar in Redondo Beach before he finishes with a Sausalito bar that belongs in both the cocktail and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
STREAM THIS:
Dominion Creek (Acorn TV): The award-winning Irish Western kicks off its second season. It continues to follow the Connolly brothers as they struggle to forge an empire for themselves during the gold rush of the 1890s.They stand united, having established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the territory, but against a backdrop of growing lawlessness in Dominion Creek, they must face a challenge that threatens to take from them all that they hold dear family, friends and gold.
Also on Monday:
NBA playoffs: Warriors at Trail Blazers, Game 4 (7:30 p.m., TNT)
Supergirl (8 p.m., The CW)
The Voice (8 p.m., NBC)
The Big Bang Theory (8 p.m., CBS)
Antiques Roadshow (8 p.m., PBS)
Love & Hip Hop Atlanta (8 p.m., VH1)
WWE Monday Night Raw (8 p.m., USA)
Man With a Plan (8:30 p.m., CBS)
APB (9 p.m., Fox)
Superior Donuts (9 p.m., CBS)
Jane the Virgin (9 p.m., The CW)
Southern Charm (9 p.m., Bravo)
American Pickers (9 p.m., History)
2 Broke Girls (9:30 p.m., CBS)
Better Call Saul (10 p.m., AMC)
Quantico (10 p.m., ABC)
Scorpion (10 p.m., CBS)
Taken (10 p.m., NBC)
Contact Chuck Barney at cbarney@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/chuckbarney and Facebook.com/bayareanewsgroup.chuckbarney.
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Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors Full Game Highlights Game 2 2017 NBA Playoffs
Photo: Alex Gallardo, Associated Press
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, right, and forward Andre Iguodala, left, walk off the court after the Los Angeles Lakers won 117-97 in an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) less Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, right, and forward Andre Iguodala, left, walk off the court after the Los Angeles Lakers won 117-97 in an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016. ... more Photo: Alex Gallardo, Associated Press
Warriors game day: Can Golden State stay healthy in no-stakes finale?
Warriors vs. Lakers
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland
Coaches: Steve Kerr, 3rd season with Warriors (206-39 with Warriors and overall); Luke Walton, 1st season with Lakers (26-55 with Lakers and overall)
On air: TV on NBC Sports Bay Area Plus; Radio on 95.7 The Game
Records: Warriors (66-15); Lakers (26-55)
Projected starters: Warriors: PG Stephen Curry (25.4 ppg, 6.6 apg), SG Klay Thompson (22.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg), SF Kevin Durant (25.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg), PF James Michael McAdoo (2.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg), C Zaza Pachulia (6.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Lakers: PG Jordan Clarkson (14.7 ppg, 2.6 apg), SG David Nwaba (6.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg), SF Brandon Ingram (9.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg), PF Larry Nance, Jr. (7.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg), C Julius Randle (13.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg)
Warriors injury report: SF Matt Barnes (right ankle sprain), SF Kevon Looney (left hip strain), PF Draymond Green (rest) and SF Andre Iguodala (rest) are out.
Lakers injury report: SF Brandon Ingram (right patellar tendinitis) is probable. PG DAngelo Russell (personal reasons) and C Ivica Zubac (high right ankle sprain) are out.
Betting line: Warriors by 14 points
Things to watch:
>> Will the Warriors stay healthy? Avoiding injury, not winning the game, will be Golden States primary objective Wednesday. Because the Warriors have clinched the top overall seed, they simply want to get through their regular-season finale with no major hiccups. It is part of the reason head coach Steve Kerr is sitting Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green. Odds are that, outside of perhaps Kevin Durant, Golden States available starters wont play more than 25 minutes.
>> Will Durant continue to settle into a groove? In his second game back from his knee injury Monday against the Jazz, Durant looked more self-assured. He hit 6 of his 12 shots, including two driving dunks in the second half, and chipped in 10 rebounds and six assists. In a game Wednesday with no playoff implications, Durant will likely shoulder a heavy load again after logging a team-high in minutes each of the past two outings. His hope is to break out of his slump beyond the arc before the playoffs start. Against the Pelicans and Jazz, Durant went a combined 0-for-9 from three-point range.
>> Will Damian Jones get some run? Less than 24 hours after the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden States Development League affiliate, were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Blue, Jones was recalled Tuesday to the NBA club. The rookie center out of Vanderbilt has made significant strides of late, cutting down on fouls, improving his conditioning and, ultimately, earning D-League Player of the Month honors for March and April. Though Jones wont make much of a difference in Golden States championship pursuit, he will only benefit from being available for a playoff run. As for Wednesday? He could get his most extended NBA minutes yet. In a no-stakes game, Kerr will give his reserves plenty of opportunity.
Quotable: I think mentally were in a good space. We just have to be willing to get to that next gear defensively, let our defense power us through. David West on Warriors mindset as playoffs near
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com . Twitter: @Con_Chron
Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks - April 24, 2017
ATLANTA For the past two months, the Washington Wizards have been a trendy pick to do well in these NBA playoffs. Since that epic overtime tussle with Cleveland in early February, dreams of a Wizards-Cavaliers Eastern Conference finals have danced in heads in the District and far beyond.
Never mind that the Wizards havent made such a run in nearly 40 years. This team is fun and rising fast and has had some previous playoff success, and the NBA postseason can be mundane because the best teams die slowly, so why not promote an upstart?
Theres only one problem with that level of hype and hope: The Wizards still dont really know how to handle prosperity. And so, if you saw an easy path for them in the East, you must have a powerful imagination.
This may indeed be Washingtons year to go far, but struggle was inevitable. And struggle arrived Monday night at Philips Arena.
You know that first-round series that the Wizards threatened to end quickly after winning the first two games over Atlanta at Verizon Center? Well, they just went on the road and deflated their cushion. The series is tied at two games apiece now, after the Hawks claimed a 111-101 victory despite being required to resurrect a fading point guard and turn an overpaid role player into a game-changing playmaker.
[Wizards fall apart in fourth quarter of Game 4 loss to Hawks]
To keep the Wizards from taking a commanding three games to one lead, the Hawks needed 26 points and 12 assists from the reserve duo of 35-year-old Jose Calderon and Kent Bazemore, a really nice kid who is known more for the $70 million contract he cant live up to these days.
If you had told any sane person that Calderon and Bazemore would need that kind of production to keep the Wizards from winning, the logical reaction would have been to start collecting restaurant recommendations in Chicago and Boston. Because the Wizards were about to go home and end the series, for sure. Instead, Bazemore contributed 16 points and seven assists, transforming into Dwight Howards designated lob thrower. And Calderon finished with 10 points and five dimes, and the Hawks outscored the Wizards by 29 points in the 20 minutes he played.
When Bazemore and Calderon took the stage with Howard (16 points, 15 rebounds) for a postgame interview, it emphasized both a surprise that makes the postseason delightful and a reason for the Wizards to lament a blown opportunity.
I always think Im going to be on the podium, Calderon said, smiling.
I think Im onto something, Bazemore said of his alley-oop passing skills.
And now this will be a long series. I wouldnt say the wizards are in trouble. neither team has lost at home, and Washington still has home-court advantage. But this is now a best-of-three fight instead of an easy road.
The Wizards were left frustrated by shaky defense and the inability to capitalize on a second quarter in which they should have pushed Atlanta to the brink.
Thats where the Wizards lost their handle on this game, at a time when it seemed they had a chance to take further advantage of the Hawks. Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroder, who averaged 25 points in the first three games of the series, committed three fouls trying to defend John Wall and had to sit the final 15 minutes of the first half. Calderon, his backup, also had three fouls early in the second quarter, but he remained in the game.
[Best and worst from Wizards Game 4 loss to Hawks]
Washington should have seized the moment and extended the lead. Calderon is a poor defender even when he can be aggressive. But Calderon played well, and the Wizards fell apart when they were positioned to prosper.
Extend the lead? The Wizards lost it quickly as the bench performed poorly, especially on the defensive end. And when the starters returned, the Wizards allowed Calderon to get away with guarding Bradley Beal and didnt fully exploit the mismatch. Calderon actually controlled the action despite the three fouls.
Howard, who has been an offensive non-factor all series, posted a double-double by halftime. Atlanta outscored Washington 31-15 in the second quarter. A solid Wizards first quarter had turned into a 59-50 halftime deficit.
We made a lot of defensive mistakes, Wizards Coach Scott Brooks said of the second quarter. We took a lot of tough shots.
For the third straight game, Wizards power forward Markieff Morris was frustrated and in foul trouble. A fan held up a sign depicting Morris with tears falling down his cheeks and the words CRYBABY written at the top, a reference to Morriss accusation after Game 3 that Paul Millsap is a whiner. Morris played just 24 minutes and scored nine points on 3-for-10 shooting.
The stats say he hasnt shot the ball well, but he hasnt had a rhythm, Brooks said. Hes been in foul trouble ever since that Game 1. But thats part of it. Youve got to play through it. He picked up two [fouls], and he picked up four real quick. And he got the fifth one. h**l bounce back. Ive got confidence in him, how he plays, how he plays for us. I expect him to have a better game in a couple of nights.
Even though Morris played just 10 minutes in the first half, the Wizards contained Millsap. He finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but Millsap made only 2 of 7 shots early. The Wizards still trailed. In every phase of the game, they were struggling and hindering their chances to take a 3-1 series lead. The Wizards would recover and play a good third quarter, but then they allowed Atlanta to score 34 points in the final period and tie the series.
They lost the game in those even quarters, by failing to take command in the second and by failing to close at the end.
It was just too up and down, said Beal, who led all scorers with 32 points. You spend all your time and energy trying to play catch-up, and then you cant finish in the fourth quarter.
Said Brooks: Basically, what I see is two very good basketball teams, evenly matched, fighting for their playoff lives. Were the fourth and fifth seed. The series is tied. Its basically the first to two now.
The game presented a scenario ideal for a road victory, but the Wizards were determined to take a more difficult route, as usual.
For more by Jerry Brewer, visit washingtonpost.com/brewer.
Allison Stokke "Newfound Fame" on CBS2/KCAL9
Timo Schlitz
Redakteur
Timo Schlitz, echter Mnchner, aber auch Reise-Freak, hat schon als Kind mit Golf begonnen. Das Schreiben kam spter dazu. Unter anderem fr die SZ, das Golf Journal und natrlich Golf.de. Mittlerweile ist das erste Trainings-Buch verffentlicht. Versucht als Mannschafts-Captain auch weiterhin erfolglos, endlich etwas besser auf Links-Pltzen zu spielen.
Rickie Fowler lie sich beim Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas mit Stabhochspringerin Allison Stokke ablichten und verffentlichte das Bild dann gleich auf Instagram. Die 28-Jhrige hat an der US Berkley studiert und scheiterte 2012 knapp an der Olympia-Qualifikation. Seitdem hat sich Stokke auf Fitness spezialisiert und zeigt auchper Social Media aufmerksamkeitsstark ihre Fhigkeiten. Mit Erfolg: Mehr als 290.000 Follower haben den Social-Media-Kanal der Amerikanerin abonniert.
Bis Anfang 2016 war Fowler, der 2016 in Hazeltine ein fast schon legendres Foto bei der Siegerehrung des Ryder Cup hinterlie, mit dem Model Alexis Randock liiert.
Meet Allison Stokke. Shes an American track-and-field athlete, 27 years old, a California native. In 2007, she was one of the countrys top high school pole vaulters. In college, she competed for the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, where she also studied sociology.
Stokke didnt make it to the 2012 Olympics in London, failing to clear the opening height at the Olympic Trials. This year, she missed her chance even to qualify for the Olympic Trials, falling about a foot short of the minimum standard. Stokke is currently ranked No. 168 in the world, according to the website All Athletics. She has 169,000 followers on Instagram.
This is Jenn Suhr. Shes an American pole vaulter, too, and a defending Olympic gold medalist. The 34-year-old earned a silver in Beijing and holds the indoor world record. She has won umpteen national championships. She has 13,000 Instagram followers.
Stokke, who sports the luscious brown hair and olive skin of a Disney princess, models for Nike Women and Athleta. She also recently teamed up with GoPro to shoot a series of videos that bring the viewer along as she soars through the air. The ad below drew more than 6.5 million views on YouTube.
Suhr, whos not bad looking herself, has reportedly never had an American sponsor. This video of her setting the indoor world record boasts, as of this moment, 306 views on YouTube.
It would be easy to pit these women against each other. (Hey, I kind of just did!) But the point of this comparison isnt to suggest that the model/athlete is stealing money from the gold medalist. Rather, the same sexist deadweight burdens both Stokke and Suhr in different ways.
Stokke was shoved into the public eye in 2007, when a track-and-field journalist posted an image of the high schooler online, her midriff exposed and tanned muscles rippling. A smitten ogler emailed that picture to blogger Matt Ufford, whose now-defunct website With Leather specialized in the bro-ish combo platter of sports and beautiful women. Upon learning this particular l**t object was 18, Ufford posted her photograph as part of a blog post headlined Pole Vaulting Is Sexy, Barely Legal. That item included the lines: [m]eet pole vaulter Allison Stokke Hubba hubba and other grunting sounds.
The internet had an o****m. Stokkes likeness circulated through blogs, message boards, and fan forums. She instantly claimed a place of honor in the internets garbage link economy, where her toned body continues to advertise such content atrocities as The 30 Hottest Female American Athletes of All Time and 20 Incredibly Hot Pole Vaulter Pics.
As Kate Fagan reported in a piece published last month by ESPNW, the then-18-year-old Stokke received infinity friend requests on Facebook, her popularity having jammed the websites counting mechanism. Anonymous users slimed her email inbox with sexual fantasies and impersonated her on social media. The Washington Post and the L.A. Times ran stories about the lissome young athlete whose privacy had suddenly been torn to shreds.
At the time, stokke told the post the attention just all feels really demeaning. I worked so hard for pole vaulting and all this other stuff, and its almost like that doesnt matter. She added, in the L.A. Times, that her unasked-for celebrity felt a little creepy and a little scary.
The forces that devalue Suhr as a record-breaking pro reduce Stokke to her pretty face.
Nine years later, shes changed her thinking. Im trying to figure out how to reclaim [the sexualized attention] and own it and push it in the right direction, Stokke told Fagan. No longer resisting the internets inexorable hand, shes leaned into her phenotype, refashioning herself as a dewy lifestyle guru. She says that picture from 2007, which was posted without her knowledge or permission, is my alter-ego and sometimes I feel like I use it for a positive force.
Stokkes positive force quote presages an uplifting next chapter of her life. Shes melded her physical assets and her athleticism into a hybrid career, one that allows her to do what she presumably loves. Perhaps shes even discovered that she loves both modeling and pole vaulting! By profiting from her looks when it suits herby consenting in prelimited ways to her sexualizationStokke appears to be living life on her terms.
Yet theres something depressing in the quote, too. It evokes compromise, a forced smile. Stokkes beauty has seeped into her athletic persona, where its helped her, to be sure. But it would be nice if it felt like shed had more of a choice.
Im not mad at Stokke, whos endured a heap of sexist scrutiny, but I do feel bad for Suhr. A tech company gave a high-profile endorsement deal to an American female pole vaulter, and its not the American woman who just won the Olympic gold medal in the pole vault. That has to hurt.
The conversation around beautiful female athletes reminds me of the one around unpaid interns. Being one is a drag. Being displaced by onewell, thats also a drag. Womens sports overflow with competitors, some not yet professionally successful and some extraordinarily accomplished, who owe a portion of their fame and wealth to physical loveliness. That reality should disturb both the model-esque women struggling to be taken seriously and those who find opportunities harder to come by as a consequence of being ridiculously hot rather than intergalactically hot.
Its annoying that Suhr doesnt get more attention, maddening that we inhabit a planet that showers additional dividends on genetically affluent people, and dismaying that the cultural status quo identifies women as s*x objects first and human beings second. Stokke and Suhr stand at opposite ends of the same pole. The forces that devalue one as a record-breaking pro reduce the other to her pretty face.
Stokke is not a victim, the ESPNW profile emphasized, noting that on this point, she is adamant, almost desperate. Calling her an improper beneficiary probably wouldnt thrill her either. Maybe its best to think of Stokke as someone whos cobbled together a partial victory in a rigged system, whos found a way to win by giving the losers what they want.
