Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Blake Griffin finished with 50 points last night.
Just wanted to get that out of the way right off the bat. Not surprisingly, that performance helped the Pistons edge the Sixers 133-132 in overtime. Griffin sealed the deal with a late two and a free throw to complete the three-point play with a little over a second left in overtime. He also had 14 rebounds for a double-double.
Joel Embiid finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds and would have had three more points at the end of overtime if he hit a buzzer-beating deep look. But he did dominate Andre Drummond once again as Drummond got his second technical in the fourth quarter. JJ Redick did finish with 30 points and what looked like another game-winning shot prior to Griffin’s field goal. Redick completed a four-point play to give the Sixers a two-point lead.
Markelle Fultz started at point guard with Ben Simmons being out due to lower back tightness. This was his best game so far this season, scoring 13 points and picking up six boards. Landry Shamet was the surprising pick as the starting shooting guard but only had five points. Mike Muscala made his Sixer debut and recorded five points, two boards, and two blocks.
This was the least ideal situation for the team. They needed overtime in last night’s game and now have to travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks tonight at 9:30 PM on ESPN and NBC Sports Philadelphia. Hopefully Ben Simmons plays.
The Roundup:
If you thought the Eagles’ season couldn’t get any worse, it did. Derek Barnett will reportedly miss the rest of the year and will undergo shoulder surgery. That is not very ideal.
So yet another body is going to be on IR, which is an already stacked list. And it comes on the defensive side of the ball, which needs help. The Eagles are trying to go after Patrick Peterson and offered multiple draft picks to get him.
But some semi-good news if it is good news, Donnel Pumphrey is back with the team on the practice squad! Thrilling stuff.
The Flyers also have some problems after losing to the Avalanche on Monday night. And they have injury problems too! Michael Raffl will 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury.
One of the problems on the ice is the team’s penalty kill units. They’re not that good.
If the Phillies want to go after free agent pitchers, here’s 12 of them.
With their stadium plans halted, Temple will resume talking to the Eagles to work on a lease extension at Lincoln Financial Field.
With a two-year project completion timeline, no city approvals and an expiring contract with the Eagles, Temple has to find a place to play home games during the 2020 season. It’s likely the Linc will be that place, and will remain so for the next several years.
The university has cited the Eagles’ proposed rent increase at the Linc as its reason to explore the idea of an on-campus facility in 2015. Temple President Richard Englert said on several occasions that the university would save at least $2 million annually if it has an on-campus stadium.
Temple officials have maintained that an on-campus stadium would be beneficial for both the university and community since the stadium proposal was reignited in January.
A spokesperson for the Eagles declined to comment Monday on any potential contract negotiations with Temple.
In other sports news, the Red Sox pulled away from the Dodgers en route to an 8-4 win in Game 1 of the World Series. Game 2 is tonight at Fenway Park, with first pitch scheduled for 8:09 PM on Fox.
The Giants traded Eli Apple to the Saints and Damon Harrison to the Lions over the last few hours. They’re definitely in rebuild mode.
Sidney Crosby, my goodness:
Kobe fans aren’t happy with LeBron choking late against the Spurs.
A Jacksonville fan, they have them apparently, sucker punched a Texans fan on Sunday.
In the news, someone in South Carolina won the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot, but others won $1 million.
A Canadian rapper died after a stunt on an airplane wing went wrong.