Boston Celtics pull away in fourth quarter against the Miami Heat

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The Green Machine waited 151 nights for revenge and, in the meantime, reloaded with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis while it licked its wounds. Game 7’s home loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals was just the fifth experience for the NBA’s third-oldest club. It was also the first time the Heat took one of those, known as the “greatest two words in sports” on the road.

 

Friday’s contentious affair started with the Celtics exploiting the Heat’s weak corner protection. Yet the Heat raced to an 11-point lead six minutes in as Kevin Love’s outlet passing pushed the pace, Adebayo assaulted the square, putting Porziņģis in foul trouble, while Tyler Herro bombarded over breakdowns. Then Boston went on a 12-4 run on a flurry of rim attacks.

 

In the second quarter, Jayson Tatum scored seven of nine points with Jaime Jaquez as his cover, splashing a left-wing triple, dusting and powering past him on the baseline. Jaylen Brown also had seven in frame two, intercepting an inbound for a dunk on Miami’s turf with a corner triple and layup against drop coverage.

 

For the Heat, Adebayo punched in eight more points, Duncan Robinson splashed back-to-back triples and Dru Smith canned a pair of trays as Jimmy Butler was invisible. With fewer than three minutes left in the half, the Celtics seized its first lead since early in the first quarter.

 

At intermission, the Heat was down 55-60, having permitted Boston 10 offensive rebounds that turned into 14 second-chance points. Equally concerning was that the hosts had scored 32 points in the paint and had recovered 57.6% of the rebounds, giving them four extra shots.

 

In the third quarter, Herro hit consecutive trifectas at the top and blew past Holiday on a drive. Adebayo charged at the cup multiple times and hit another faceup, midrange jumper over Porziņģis. For the stretch, the Heat converted 59.1% of its tries and were up a point entering the fourth quarter.

 

Then the Derrick White show began, with a 3-pointer at the key and a drive against drop coverage to extend Boston’s lead to three. He recorded nine more on his scorecard for the frame, plus Brown had a dozen. The visitors never claimed control again, despite Porziņģis fouling out with three minutes left with his team up seven. 

 

As the leprechauns’ fireworks display was ensuing, only four field goals dropped for the Heat- out of 19. Miami was forced to play mainly from the outside in the fourth and only scored one two-pointer– four minutes after making a singular shot in six attempts.

 

But the Heat had a chance, down three points with under a minute remaining.  Butler and Herro trapped White and the ball came loose. White saved it before dribbling over the halfcourt line, yet Butler was flagged for a penalty. Coach Erik Spoelstra challenged the ruling, but it was unsuccessful. He then screamed at referee Kevin Scott that he missed the call.

 

The Celtics were the nastier team, leading by four in loose ball recovered and offensive rebounds collected by five and won 119-111.

 

At the postgame presser, Spo said, “My view is one thing, and the explanation is another thing… that call didn’t go our way, but we had plenty of opportunities, particularly on the glass. I think if we just [cleaned] up those areas, we probably are playing from a position of control a little bit more often in the second half.”

 

In the winning side press room, Tatum was pleased not to carry the load late.  He said, “It shows the depth of our team… it felt good to win this way.”

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Miami Heat hold off Detroit Pistons in home opener

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For the Miami Heat’s 36th season debut, 19,695 spectators filled the Kaseya Center as it hosted Detroit’s young Pistons. Early, the reigning East champs allowed its guests to record 11 of 19 first-quarter field goals, including five triples. Yet, despite shooting 25.8% higher from the field in the first quarter, coach Monty Williams’ squad only held a three-point lead because of eight turnovers, five of which were Miami steals.

Offensively, Tyler Herro was shooting blanks, missing seven of his first eight tries, but Bam Adebayo opened with seven points. Jimmy Butler dropped four baskets in a row after missing two. For the Pistons, third-year point guard Cade Cunningham maneuvered to the midrange and cup, shooting over Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin and Herro. Rookie guard Ausar Thompson swatted three Heat shots, defending the ball handler and swarming Butler twice after he caught a backdoor pass under the rim.

In the second quarter, Miami permitted just 31.8% of Detroit’s attempts to fall, held Thompson to a make out of seven and logged four additional steals. But Cunningham still beat drop coverage and switches easily, raising his output to 18 points on eight of 11 shots with two assists in the first half.

Of Miami’s six assists in the second interval, Duncan Robinson was involved in four as a passer or scorer. Rookie Jaime Jaquez and Butler set up the other two. Kevin Love’s outlet passing didn’t translate to dimes, but it put the Heat in the fast lane in transition.

At halftime, the Heat was up 58-47 but behind on the glass by six. Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren and Thompson, combined for 19 of its 27 boards, seven being offensive, turning into eight second-chance points. Miami wasn’t protecting the arc well either. However, it forced 12 misses in the paint, allowing Detroit only a dozen points in the square.

In the second half, Miami’s offense dropped off significantly because Detroit pressured the ball and sagged off Lowry to bother paint penetration or a nearby shooter. Yet, the hosts hammered the offensive glass, recovering eight boards and earned a handful of more trips to the line.

With over nine minutes left, the Heatles were up 19 points. That lead was reduced to one as Miami’s staunch paint protection disappeared, conceding the restricted area for six buckets and the perimeter for two triples. Adebayo switched onto Cunningham on five possessions, pressuring three misses on drives and a midrange jumper.

Cunningham’s 3-pointer with fewer than two minutes left, inching Detroit closer by a point, was his team’s last basket. He attempted three more but was contested by Lowry at the wing, rejected by Adebayo at the cylinder, and bothered by Butler at the top of the key on the last hoist of the night that clanked the side of the rim.

The Heat held off the Pistons in its season opener, 103-102, and finished with 19 second-chance points.

Adebayo, who finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, was then interviewed on the court about how the Heat made the stops to come up with a win. He said, “We did blow a lead, but as long as we [won] by half a point, we got stops down the stretch. That’s all that matters.”

‘South Florida’s always going to have a special place in my heart’: Anthony Duclair returns to Sunrise to face Panthers

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SUNRISE — Less than a month after playing in the Stanley Cup Final, Panthers fan favorite Anthony Duclair was on his way out of South Florida.  

 

After three seasons in Florida, the now 28-year-old’s time in Sunrise came to an abrupt end — on July 1, he was traded to San Jose.

 

“Obviously there were rumors before [the trade happened],” Duclair said on Monday when addressing Florida media for the first time since the trade. “Sometimes it’s inevitable… obviously being traded isn’t the best feeling because I’ve built so many relationships down here.”

 

Going from a team just weeks removed from a Stanley Cup Final appearance to the team who finished fourth from last in the standings isn’t an ideal situation, but Duclair expressed his contendness on the new challenge that awaited him in San Jose.   

 

“It’s tough to leave but at the same time I think I went to a great opportunity,” Duclair said. “Mike [Grier] called me right away and explained to me how big the opportunity is for me here. A chance to continue to grow as a player and step into kind of a leadership role here.”

 

When Duclair gets onto the ice later tonight in Sunrise, there’s sure to be a loud array of cheers raining down from the stands of Amerant Bank Arena.

 

He was loved by a lot of people in South Florida — whether that was from his teammates, staff, fans or members of the local community.

 

“Oh man, big smile, we loved having him around,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said when asked about Duclair off the ice. “What a wonderful joy for the game, and laughter, that part we certainly miss.”

 

Over the course of three seasons with the Panthers, Duclair played in 137 regular season games, picking up 99 points (43,56,99)  — including a career-high 31 goal season in 2021-2022. Duclair appeared in 34 Stanley Cup Playoff Games with the Panthers over that span, 20 of which came last season.

 

The Sharks forward is sure to receive a good reception in his return to Sunrise tonight. In his time with the Panthers, the arena was always filled with ‘Duclair’ jerseys — and the crowd even created a chant for him — 19,000+ shouting “Duuuke” in unison as he flew down the wing.     

 

His return will be a bittersweet. He’ll skate in front of the Florida faithful once again, only this time he’ll be in teal and white, not red and blue. 

 

“It’s going to be special for sure,” Duclair said. “I just want to approach this game like any other, but it’s going to be pretty cool, especially with the run we had last year… those kinds of runs you build relationships for a lifetime.”

 

While reminiscing on his time with the Panthers, Duclair said the biggest standout for him was the teammates he had in Florida.

 

“I got to play with some unbelievable players. I mean guys like Barkov, who’s arguably on of the best defensive forwards in the game, just the opportunity to learn from him,” Duclair said. “Huberdeau, Bennett, Tkachuk, guys who make an impact game in and game out. You learn from guys like that.”

 

As for reuniting with those teammates, Duclair was more than happy he’d be able to do that. 

 

“I know it’s going to be cool to see those guys again.”

 

As a franchise, Florida really flipped the script three years ago beginning in the 2020-2021 season. From getting into the postseason, to winning the President’s Trophy, and then making it to the Stanley Cup Finals over the course of three years — Anthony Duclair was there for all of it. 

 

“South Florida’s always going to have a special place in my heart. I had a great three years here and I’m just looking forward to tomorrow (Tuesday night).”

Former Alabama quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts embrace after the Eagles win over the Dolphins.

Pressure Point: Defeat stings for Dolphins; what matters is how they respond to it

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The 31-17 loss at Philadelphia was a reality check for the Miami Dolphins and left a sour taste.

It doesn’t have to linger.

Losing on the road in prime time to an Eagles team coming off its first loss of the season wasn’t surprising. Especially given a ridiculously one-sided penalty assessment by the officials that bordered on scandalous.

It wasn’t crippling, though. It was an out-of-conference defeat. The Dolphins woke up Monday holding all the cards in the AFC East, thanks to the Bills’ loss at New England.

What will matter is how they respond to it. Upcoming games in the next month will carry more weight in defining the fate of this season.

Notably, a bounce-back opportunity at home this week against the Patriots followed by the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Germany. The first meeting with the Jets, who defeated these Eagles looms a month away at the Meadowlands.

High-scoring Dolphins humbled

Sunday’s defeat did put Dolphins shortcomings on display to a national audience. Their speed and scheme-driven offense found the going much tougher against a very physical defense.

The Eagles immediately shut down Miami’s league-leading rushing attack, holding it to minus-7 yards in the first half and 45 for the game. They applied more pressure on Tua Tagovailoa than he’s been accustomed to this season and sacked him four times.

This was not, however, a repeat of the humiliation at Buffalo. Though it seemed headed that way until the final drive of the first half when Tua made a remarkable 29-yard completion to Cedrick Wilson, Jr. on third-and-18 and then hit Tyreek Hill streaking past double coverage for a 27-yard touchdown.

The Dolphins were competitive against the defending NFC champions. They showed resiliency in coming back from a 17-3 deficit to pull even despite considerable adversity. They were on the brink of tying it again in the fourth quarter until Tagovailoa made the one regrettable throw of an otherwise commendable performance, tossing up a dying quail that was intercepted.

Tua’s former Alabama teammate Jalen Hurts, with a pass rusher bearing down, launched a 48-yard strike to all-world wide receiver A.J. Brown on the game-sealing touchdown drive and the night belonged to Philadelphia.

O-line health major concern for Dolphins

The Dolphins were left to pick up the pieces. Of greatest concern is the health of the offensive line, which had three backups playing most of the night after left guard Isaiah Wynn went out early with a quad injury. His replacement, Lester Cotton, promptly got flagged for holding that negated a touchdown — borderline penalty compared to some that weren’t called on the Eagles.

The officiating, which led to 10 penalties assessed against the Dolphins and none — that’s zero, zilch — against the home team was a disgrace for the NFL. There should be repercussions, but don’t hold your breath.

Miami coach Mike McDaniel was wise to avoid addressing what wasn’t called on the Eagles and focus on how the Dolphins hurt their own cause. Beginning with delay of game on their first offensive play and including defenders lining up offside more than once.

Roughing the passer on Christian Wilkins was tacky-tack, but why shove him after the pass was thrown? It was undisciplined, and the Eagles scored their first touchdown two plays later.

“You can’t just point a finger and say that it’s not fair. That doesn’t make any sense to me,” McDaniel said after the game. “It’s more about looking at ourselves, the stuff that we can control, and what things we can clean up in our game.”

Getting some injured offensive linemen back would help with that, notably center Connor Williams. Fill-in Liam Eichenberg struggles to make a clean snap and looks out of place, which he is. He’s never been a center.

Inexplicably, the Dolphins left themselves without a legitimate backup center when they traded veteran Dan Feeney to Chicago for a late-round draft pick.

McDaniel revealed late Monday that Wynn will be out for “weeks.”

Dolphins’ defense shows encouraging signs

McDaniel said, “We weren’t as crisp as usual coming out of the huddle, which always leads to stuff, and we will take a hard look at that in terms of what we are doing and how we are doing it, and make sure that we get better because it definitely wasn’t good enough to win and to beat a football team like that. It was a shame because I thought our defense gave us a definite chance to win with the way they played and made some serious physical plays that were kind of wasted.”

The Dolphins’ defense played a solid game, for the most part. They limited the Eagles to 2.9 yards a carry rushing.

Having Jaelan Phillips back has greatly improved the pass rush. They put some heat on Hurts, forced him to fumble once and caused him to throw a pick-6 to Jerome Baker off a deflection by blitzing Kader Kohou.

Hurts’ ability to escape trouble and make a productive play is why the Eagles QB was an MVP finalist last season. He repeatedly frustrated the Dolphins in that manner despite playing the second half with a brace on his left leg.

The defense was less effective after linebacker David Long Jr. collided with safety Jevon Holland and left the game and wore down in the fourth quarter.

Miami’s defense needs to be better and there is reason to believe it will be with cornerback Jalen Ramsey close to returning. Especially if Xavien Howard, who missed Sunday’s game, can get past his groin injury.

Turns out that Holland, who returned to the game, entered concussion protocol on Monday, but Long is OK, according to McDaniel.

Dolphins shift focus to AFC challenges

McDaniel will try to get his high-flying offense back on track quickly. He indicated that wide receiver Chase Claypool, who was active for the first time Sunday but didn’t get a touch on offense, is ready to contribute at least on a limited package of plays.

Looking further ahead, super rookie running back De’Von Achane is expected to return following the bye in week 10.

To be sure, Sunday’s defeat felt like so many Dolphins disappointments, going all the way back to the Marino era, of raising expectations only to get slapped down by a top team. To emerge from the pack of pretenders they are going to have to start winning these type of games.

For now, there is no choice but to focus on what comes next — Patriots and Chiefs before the break to regroup.
To be sure, Sunday’s loss hurts, but all is not lost for Miami.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Tua Tagovailoa is making a strong case for MVP in 2023 with his best season as a pro.

Pressure Point: Miami Dolphins aim for much-needed signature win vs. Eagles

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It was following the 2018 season that Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross announced he was committing to rebuilding the team from the ground up.

Unlike previous failed efforts this was not intended as a quick fix. Ross made it clear he wasn’t just aiming for a winning record or a playoff appearance, the objective was top of the heap, a Super Bowl victory.

Seems forever ago. But when you look past all the rough patches, missteps, embarrassments and controversies since then, six games into this season the Dolphins really are tracking toward the objective.

Look at the accumulation of talent and the remarkable achievements of coach Mike McDaniel’s state-of-the-art offense led by Tua Tagovailoa on the way to 5-1, and this is what was envisioned. A team capable of winning the big kahuna, right?

Except that there is still a great gulf to cross. Because these Dolphins, for all of their fantasy league dazzle, haven’t won anything significant yet.

Dolphins seek first win of ’23 over top-tier opponent

Which is why this week’s Sunday Night Football showdown at Philadelphia is a massive opportunity for this franchise. The McDaniel era is in need of a signature win. It’s eagerly awaited and about time.

It’s been a hoot watching Tua and Co. run rings around bottom-feeding Broncos, Giants and Panthers. But if Ross’ vision really is ready to bear fruit, no better way to prove it than to do it on the road in prime time against an opponent that went to the Super Bowl last season.

They appear ready for this moment. They lead the NFL in every offensive category worth mentioning. They’re lapping the field in most of them.

Tagovailoa, finally rising above all the criticism and doubts about his ability and health, is on pace to pass for 5,315 yards and 39 touchdowns.

Yet the seemingly unstoppable Dolphins remain suspects. Because the other time they went on the road this season against a playoff-caliber opponent at Buffalo, the Bills stopped them cold. Humbled them by 28 points.

Dolphins, Eagles gear up for offensive fireworks

Although the Dolphins are one of five 5-1 teams, most of the notable power rankings have them outside of the top two — Pro Football Talk and The Athletic are exceptions, both ranking Miami No. 1. Yahoo Sports has the Fins sixth, one spot behind the 4-2 Bills.

It’s fair, considering their head-to-head result, and it’s inconsequential anyway. If you really belong at the top of the heap, prove it. Start beating the best of the best.

The Dolphins have yet to defeat a team that entered this week with a winning record. Their five wins came against teams that are a combined 5-24.

Sunday in Philly is a major test for the high-flying Fins, and the most intriguing matchup of the NFL season so far. It features Tua matching throws with former Alabama teammate Jalen Hurts, who has his own corps of speedy receivers.

The Dolphins and Eagles rank 1-2 in total offense, though Miami holds an edge of more than 100 yards a game (498.7 to 395.0).

Miami’s vulnerability is with a defense that ranks 20th and got steamrolled by the Bills for 414 yards and six touchdowns. The Dolphins have the sixth-worst passer rating (98.9) against and may have to play with their best cover man, Xavier Howard, out or limited by a groin injury.

Eagles big test for high-scoring Dolphins

So it will be up to Tagovailoa to keep Miami’s high-octane offense rolling against the best defense (Eagles ranked ninth) they’ve faced since Buffalo.

That’s the compelling draw for a Sunday night national audience. That and to pick apart any flaw in Tagovailoa’s performance. The referendum on Tua is ongoing, despite the growth he is exhibiting and success he is having in his fourth season.

McDaniel had an appropriately salty response this week to a suggestion that “there are some folks who believe that many quarterbacks … would excel and flourish” in the coach’s creative offensive scheme with an arsenal of elite receivers and backs at his disposal: “My answer to that would be, ‘who the f cares’ because it is a team.”

He went on to say, “It is a team working together, people working together and myself, Tyreek Hill, Tua, cool but what if no one’s blocking anyone? You know what I mean? Like we’re all connected in that way.”

If you want to see what he’s talking about, watch this week’s installment of “The QB School” (see below) highlighting the sophisticated design of McDaniel’s offense in action in last week’s rout of the Panthers.

Former pro quarterback JT O’Sullivan analyzes how the use of deception and presnap motion puts the playmakers in spots to make big-yardage plays and how skillfully Tua makes it all work.

Interesting to see how various plays unfold. On a short touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle, Tagovailoa actually had a choice of three open receivers. Rolling to his left to avoid an unblocked rusher, he opted for the toughest of the three possible throws and delivered it precisely to Waddle.

Dolphins eager to prove themselves on ‘big platforms’

Can Miami’s “Greatest Show on Surf” produce similar results in a hostile setting against a much tougher opponent?

It’s a question the Dolphins need to answer and the overriding reason to tune in Sunday night.

“I think the bigger thing is that we’re a football team that’s learning to win different ways, finding some balance. And I think a lot of guys are getting better within the respective systems,” McDaniel said this week. “So we’ll be moving forward the way that we would hope, which is with games that matter, on big platforms.”

For Miami, it’s time to turn eye-opening talent into defining wins. It’s the only route to Ross’ Super Bowl vision.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Panthers’ rookie Uvis Balinskis cherishing his NHL opportunity

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SUNRISE — At 27-years-old, Uvis Balinskis didn’t think the chance to play in the NHL would come to light — that was until the Florida Panthers came calling. 

 

Born in Ventspils, Latvia, Balinskis played youth hockey in his home country before moving to Germany in 2013  — joining the Augsburger EV junior program. 

 

Balinskis would spend two years in Germany before he returned to Latvia to play with KHL side Dinamo Riga, and their then farm team HK Riga.  

 

After playing five years for Riga in the Russian leagues, Balinskis made the switch to the Czech ExtraLiga in 2020 — joining HC Litvínov.

 

Three years in Czechia went by, and Balinskis, now with Czech side Bílí Tygři Liberec, entered the summer of 2023 with his 27th birthday on the horizon.

 

At this point in his career, it didn’t seem like Balisnkis would leave Europe. 

 

 “I didn’t really think I was gonna make the NHL or sign in the NHL in my life anymore,” Balinskis told Five Reasons. 

 

Despite this feeling, the NHL dream wasn’t over just yet. 

 

Over the summer, Balinskis’ fate changed  — he would sign a one-year NHL contract with the Panthers.

 

This past September, Balinskis attended Panthers training camp as a 27-year-old rookie — well, rookie in North America. 

 

The blueline battle at camp had a lot of guys competing for limited open spots, but nonetheless there were jobs to be earned during the preseason. 

 

The first few games of the preseason went by and Balinskis survived the first waves of cuts.

 

He didn’t necessarily stand out from the pack at the start, but he continued to improve as the camp went on.

 

Multiple players who were with the organization, and had NHL experience started getting sent down. Yet, the newcomer Balinskis started to climb up the depth chart.

 

“He built through his camp,” head coach Paul Maurice said about Balinskis after training camp.

 

Balinskis kept chipping away and eventually got word that he did it. On Oct. 12 he would be making his NHL debut on opening night in Minnesota.

 

Alongside fellow rookie Mackie Samoskevich, Balinskis hit the ice for the infamous rookie lap — at 27, he made his NHL debut. 

 

“[The] first game was really exciting, fun, I really enjoyed that day,” Balinskis said smiling.

 

In the early stages of this season Balinskis grabbed his chance on the Panthers’ blueline and ran with it. The coaching staff had high praise for him after his first few games.

 

“He has not looked remotely out of  place in his game… some of the things he tries, he’s  got a little risk to his game and I’m not talking about foolish risks,” Maurice said. “He would be the biggest surprise of camp for us.” 

 

The Latvian defenseman plays a fast, and physical game. He’ll throw the body, jump up into the play and as Maurice said, he’s not afraid to take risks.

 

Balinskis is enjoying his time as Panther, an opportunity that he didn’t think would be there at this stage in his hockey career. 

 

He’s living every hockey player’s dream — the NHL dream.

 

“Everyday I just feel better and I think my game is also getting better,” he said. “Just being here and making the NHL, [my] first game, everything is exciting about this.”

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Miami Heat should avoid James Harden

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Despite the Miami Heat striking out on Damian Lillard and folding on Bradley Beal, the next best alternative is not seeking the services of the man who has had a problem almost everywhere he’s been.

James Harden’s behavior perpetually plummets his attractiveness to any organization. At this point, it apparently means little that he is number three all-time in three-point makes, a former MVP, and a seven-time All-NBAer. Could it be, this time, that not even one team out there has convinced themselves that the Beard’s disruptions and shrinking in big moments are exactly what they need?

Yes.

President of basketball ops Daryl Morey has scared away suitors, demanding an exuberant return relative to his disgruntled employee’s talents. But Harden likely did more damage to his cause, engaging in a futile scorched earth tactic that only works when you’re still at the top. Last time I checked, he’s not as fast or impactful through residence at the free throw line as he used to be. If anyone brings it up to him, he’ll lean on old faithful: “Next question.”

The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly don’t want to part with Terance Mann, a quality role player, in an exchange. This should say enough about others not wanting to put up with an aging headache in spite of him being a slight upgrade on the court. Even with Caleb Martin being eligible for an opt-out in a year, including him with other assets/players is not worth it for the Miami Heat because Harden can’t switch and contain multiple positions. Tyler Herro? Get real. Nobody is trading a nice player on the come-up for a lease.

Additionally, Harden’s catch and shoot frequency (12.8%) is nearly half of Tyler Herro’s (25.4), on a marginally higher percentage.

But Heat Culture can change him…

Oh yea? Did this culture, when it was the mystique for the Purple and Gold, change Maurice Lucas on the ‘86 Lakers? Nope. He was all about himself and believed he was so much better than he was at the time. Like Harden today.

If Pat Riley got upset at Byron Scott’s marriage during All-Star weekend, fearing it was a distraction to his team (per Jeff Pearlman, author of Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s), it’s beyond reasoning that he’d be elated to bring in the peep show enthusiast when everybody today has a portable camera. Harden should have been born 40 years sooner to play on Pat‘s teams.

Has anyone forgotten what Kevin McHale, his former coach, said fairly recently about Harden’s interest level after getting benched in a Playoff win against the Clippers in 2015? “The next year he came to camp, he was fat and didn’t feel like playing, and I got fired [11] games into the season.”

I’ll admit, Harden used to be damned good. In the three seasons he logged over 30 a night, he was playing a shockingly high amount of iso ball and embarrassing defenders. It’s an impossible style to win with because the offense becomes painfully predictable with a lack of ball and player movement. But for those few years, he was as good as a solo act got in the league.

Buyer beware: that guy is never coming back unless he gets traded to NBA Siberia and hijacks the operation.

Last season, Harden led all players in assists (10.7) at age 33. It’s pretty impressive, regardless of playing with the MVP Joel Embiid. But then the 76ers met up with the Boston Celtics, and he played scared in Game 7. He passed up open looks from close-to-mid range and sparsely contributed nine points on three of 11 shots, with seven assists and five turnovers. For the year, his effective field goal percentage was 53.6. In the Playoffs, it dropped to 47.8%.

This man badly wants to escape from the team with the MVP and a new championship coach. It’s unreasonable to think he is serious about winning.

Dolphins continuing to control what they can… and what they can’t

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In sports, there’s only so much you can script, and always so much you can’t. Or as Mike Tyson more eloquently stated, everyone has a plan ’til punched in the mouth. That punch can come in many forms, and from any angle, and can sometimes land in spite of all your preparation. Still, the best squads, the ones that stay standing, are the ones that find counters and contingencies, the ones who remain resilient instead of ruffled. The Miami Dolphins of 2023 — who enter Sunday’s game with winless Carolina at 4-1 — are showing themselves to be one of those squads so far. And they must be again, even as they’ve been hit with more unexpected adversity, this time in the form of rookie running sensation De’Von Achane joining projected pillars Jalen Ramsey, Terron Armstead, Connor Williams and others on the sidelines.

They showed their resourcefulness again last Sunday against the Giants, not because the opponent was formidable (it wasn’t), but because not everything went according to expectation. This was evident on the very first drive, a situation that has been a specialty for the coach, Mike McDaniel; his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the entire offense all season.

As with many teams, the opening drive is typically carefully orchestrated. It is typically a unit’s best foot forward, and the Dolphins have been exceptional in these situations this season, even if they win the coin toss and defer, and take the ball after the other team changes the field position or even takes a lead. Coming into last Sunday against New York, the Dolphins had scored 17 points on their four prior starting salvos, and it would have been three or seven more if not for a fumble on the Chargers’ 2. Tagovailoa was completing more than 75 percent of his passes, easily pushing the ball down the field with tempo and precision.

And he did it again.

On this drive, he completed six of seven passes, for 65, to four different targets, finishing in a Jaylen Waddle 2-yard reception for the score.

“I’m very comfortable, regardless of what Mike has,” Tagovailoa said of the success at the start of games. “Whether it’s on script, off script, of plays that we like. Or plays that are ‘OK, we’re calling this play, I didn’t really like this play throughout the week, but I put myself in the playcaller’s mind frame, and if they go out there, that’s how it ends up happening with how I see the field…..'”

Still, you would think, watching how he did see the field, and saw his receivers break free, that the Dolphins had practiced all week against the identical alignments the Giants had shown.

“It’s so much work, accumulated by players,” McDaniel said. “All the things that are happening, they’re executing, they’re prepared to do it against multiple looks. That speaks to their preparation and their ownership of when we go through, the openers, they’re the ones executing it. And sometimes we get what we were practicing again. Like, today, we saw absolutely, positively an extreme version of the antithesis of the defense that we prepared for.”

Wait, what?

“They came out in a different personnel package and play coverages than they have ever played before, and to be able to do that and have players not even blink, means that they are super prepared,” McDaniel continued. “On top of the fact that their coaches have taught them the appropriate way to digest the defense, so if there is a defense that you haven’t prepared for, they are still able to execute their job. It’s a group effort, and whatever plays that I call, if the players don’t really, really invest in what they’re doing, those plays suck.”

And so, for the Dolphins of late, the plays don’t suck even when they’re not the right play.

Like that 69 yard pass from Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill, just 54 seconds into the third quarter.

When a reporter mentioned that Tagovailoa had executed it by seeing single high coverage, the quarterback couldn’t keep up the ruse anymore.

“Did it look like single high?” he replied. “Like from the beginning of it? It did?”

Then the laughter, of a kid caught with his hands in the candy jar.

“Yeah, um, well that… that was the wrong play call,” he said. “That was the wrong play call. And you can ask Mike about that. I don’t think I should be saying. That was the wrong play call. I just called the wrong play. So you guys might want to ask Mike about that one…”

More reporter repartee….

More honesty.

“Yeah,” Tagovailoa said, smiling. “That sounds weird, just taking the credit for that one… He said a play…. I told him I misheard him. As I was looking at it, I was like, ‘Oh.’ I did mishear him. I did. Yes. Yes.'”

So we did ask McDaniel.

“Yeah, apparently he stole my thunder,” McDaniel said, in his sardonic style. “I wanted to unveil that he’s now a playcaller. No, that’s one of the moments that in his journey, that is indicative of where he’s at. I just know that the way we were able to move the ball a little bit, and then those turnovers, the picks, it would have been hard to get him out of that, just how mad he would be at himself. But the disciplined work that he’s done with mind, body and soul to be in a moment like that, and just take the game into his own hands, that’s what you’re trying to build.”

All for a play like that.

“It was a really cool moment that when you’re watching the formation set up, I am not composed. ‘What, what?” McDaniel said. “You just don’t know. It was hard to actually visualize what play he actually called, because you just think that nine people are messed up. And then that’s the type of stuff you can’t manufacture, to be able to have the wherewithal to say, ‘You know what, let’s put it in mine and Tyreek’s hands.’ I’m just very very proud of him. Sometimes, the messy games are my favorite, with that stuff.”

It was a play reminiscent of Dan Marino, feuding with his coach Jimmy Johnson, once ignoring a call and just telling Oronde Gadsden not nearly as fleet as Hill — to just “f—– go deep” and hitting him for a one-point win against the Colts way back when. Except, this coach and this quarterback are aligned. And Tagovailoa and this offense are doing Marino-like things.

Will it continue today, against feeble Carolina?

It should.

Be sure, McDaniel and Tagovailoa have a plan for it.

Be sure, the plan will go awry at some point. A play will “suck.” A pass will float. A kick will miss.

For a change, when off script, the Miami Dolphins appear capable of staying on track.

 

Ethan Skolnick is the CEO of Five Reasons Sports Network.

Miami Marlins: Grades for the 2023 season from our team

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Consistently, the Miami Marlins were underdogs throughout the season. Whether it be due to expectations, due to their opponent, or due to the many, many injuries their team succumbed to, they were consistently seen as the lower team. Yet, you look at the Fish at the end of the season, and there they are. 6 games over .500, and a playoff birth. Both of which, were completely unexpected and unprecedented for a young, scrappy team in Miami. Even with the quick boot in the postseason, the Marlins had exceed every possible expectation laid out for them, and more. Here is how the team at 5R graded the Marlins performance this past season.

 

@KMiller_305 – Grade: A-

The Marlins exceeded nearly every expectation set for them this past season by finishing with an 84-78 record (should have been 85-77 but I digress), resulting in their first full season playoff berth since their World Series run in 2003. Meanwhile I had the Marlins finishing with a 77-85 record coming into the season, which at the time, I mentioned as “being optimistic” and “aiming high.” So, what else got them to an A-? 

Well, for me, having a massive bounce back year from Jorge Soler was a HUGE reason without question. Likewise, the addition of Luis Arraez prior to the start of the season, coupled with the deadline acquisitions of Jake Burger and Josh Bell, all of whom had incredible seasons with the Marlins in their own regards. To round out what helped them get to their A- lies within the pitching staff. Factors such as the emergence of Braxton Garrett as a mainstay in the rotation, the flashes of ace potential and the breakout for Jesus Luzardo, and the debut of future Cy Young candidate in Eury Perez. Likewise, the outstanding year from their pen, specifically from Andrew Nardi and Tanner Scott. All of that is great, but what kept them from an A or an A+? 

For one, they did not win a playoff game. Unfortunately, the season came to an end at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series. Not being able to advance out of the first round or even win a game in the playoffs certainly hurts. Besides that, the injuries and subsequential struggles were scattered throughout the roster. All in all, despite the ugly bits to the season being, admittedly, pretty ugly, the Marlins did have a very successful season, which is something absolutely nobody can take away from them. There is reason to be excited and optimistic for the future if you’re a Marlins fan, which is truly something special. There may not have been a World Series championship or any franchise altering moment in the season, but 2023 will definitely be a season Marlins fans will remember for a while.

 

@JonAndersen_5R – Grade: A

For the first time since 2003, the Miami Marlins made a postseason birth in a full season. The Miami Marlins were competitive and fighters until the end of the season. Sadly, that didn’t transfer into the postseason series against the Phillies, where they looked rather dead in the water in Citizens Bank Park. However, if going into this season, you had told us that the Fish would not only have a winning record, but have a stretch where they’re 14 games over .500, make the Wild Card, and have someone win a major award across the National League, yet tell me that this is all done with Sandy Alcantara pitching poorly for half the season, Jazz Chisholm Jr. missing 65 games, and going through 4 different closers throughout the season, I would’ve thought you were crazy.

Every little thing that could’ve gone wrong for the Marlins, did. Yet somehow, every little thing that we couldn’t even have imagined to go right, did. Luis Arraez winning the batting title for the second year in a row, Eury Perez debuting and providing meaningful innings for the major league squad, Jorge Soler hitting 30+ home runs, and having meaningful and impactful acquisitions at the deadline. This team showed grit and showed determination, no matter how many times it felt like the season was at death’s door. 

Regardless of the result of the postseason, the Miami Marlins far surpassed any expectations that were set for them at the beginning of the season. They beat the teams they needed to beat, and also beat teams that they were expected to lose to. The Fish reversed the 1-run game curse they had last year, and ended up being the best team in baseball in 1-run games. Going from a team that dealt with so many setbacks and adversities, yet still succeeding in the way they did, I have no other option than to grade the season as an A. 

 

@AidanGallard0  – Grade: B+

The Miami Marlins did what no one expected them to do and that was making it to the postseason. Although they got swept in the Wild Card round against the Philadelphia Phillies, this team really played winning baseball all year which is something that fans aren’t used to seeing. From Luis Arraez winning the batting title to Jake Burger really showing a different side of him since being acquired by the Marlins at the trade deadline, there were a lot of positive takeaways from the season. But of course, with every team in baseball, it’s not all positive. Last year’s Cy Young winner, Sandy Alcantara, really didn’t pitch to what was expected of him this season. He struggled at times on the mound but every now and then, he’d have a great outing. To make matters worse, he won’t be able to pitch next season because of Tommy John surgery. So yeah, there’s that. The reason I don’t give the season grade an A is because I felt like they could’ve made some noise in the postseason. The talent they were showcasing throughout the season just couldn’t catch up and a lot of that has to do with injuries and how the season’s longevity really took a toll on the guys, especially on the pitching staff. But, there’s a lot to be happy about with the Fish and next season might just be even better.

 

@JSportsMiami – Grade: A

Although the unfortunate loss in the wild card round to the Phillies, this season was a tremendous success for Miami. For a team many projected to end near last place of the division, and one of the worst in the NL, they showed promise and grit. Skip Schumaker arrived and did a complete flip on the team’s culture. The postseason was  a dream at the start of the spring training, if everything went perfect, just maybe it could happen. Instead, things were far from perfect and they still were able to accomplish it. Most fans and people of the sport had them around 70-74 wins. Instead they got 84 (or 85 with that Mets game) and a wild card berth. Just an outstanding job by Kim, Skip and the entire team to make this year work. 2023 being a memorable season is an understatement. 

Takeaways from Panthers’ 2-0 loss to Wild

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The Florida Panthers were back for another NHL season tonight in Saint Paul, opening the year on the road against the Minnesota Wild.

 

Despite having a plethora of chances with over 40 shots on goal tonight, the Panthers couldn’t find the back of the net. They were shutout by the Wild in a 2-0 loss.

 

Here’s some takeaways from tonight’s game.

 

Filip Gustavsson stood on his head for Minnesota

Florida was peppering the Wild net for pretty much the entirety of the game, nearly doubling Minnesota’s shot total by the end of the night.

 

The final shot total leaned heavily in Florida’s favor at 41-21, but that wasn’t reflected in the final score. 

 

Despite the onslaught of chances, Minnesota’s goaltender Filip Gustavsson slammed the door shut — stopping all 41 shots he faced.

 

Gustavsson faced a ton of shots tonight and stopped them all for the shutout. What was even more impressive was his rebound control. Florida didn’t have many second chance looks at goal because Gustavsson killed the play instantly. 

 

The Panthers were only shut out once all of last season. This year it happened in game number one.

 

Rookie Mackie Samoskevich looked solid in his NHL debut

We’ve probably talked more about Mackie Samoskevich this preseason than anyone else on the Panthers’ roster — and for good reason. 

 

The 20-year-old was one of two Panthers to make their NHL debut tonight — Uvis Balinskis being the other. 

 

The rookie forward got up to NHL speed quickly, not looking out of place whatsoever on a line with Anton Lundell, and Sam Reinhart. 

 

Samoskevich had more than one quality chance tonight to score his first career NHL goal, with the best look off a shot that beat Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson before ringing off the crossbar. 

 

His speed, and puck carrying ability was extremely noticeable tonight — and his shot release is already looking elite. 

 

For his first game in the NHL, Samoskevich put together a quality performance, and showed flashes of what he can bring to this Panthers team. 

 

New Panthers fit in well in Game 1

I already mentioned Samoskevich and his fairly good first NHL game. However, he wasn’t the only Panther that looked comfortable in their first appearance with the team.

 

Florida had eight skaters in the lineup tonight who weren’t on the team last season. Of those eight, I thought Oliver Ekman-Larsson (OEL) looked like he’s been here for years.

 

OEL led all Panthers skaters in ice-time with 26:32 tonight. The defenseman was also in on the offense, getting four shots on goal. 

 

Tonight Ekman-Larsson, 32, played on the Panthers’ top power-play unit while also appearing on the penalty kill.

 

The Panthers will continue to rely upon Ekman-Larsson this season — especially with Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour out of the lineup for the start of the year.

OEL paired up with his fellow Swede Gustav Forsling tonight on the Panthers’ top d-line. Those two will easily eat up the most minutes on the blueline to start the season.

 

Looking at the forwards, Evan Rodrigues was another noticeable new face. 

 

Rodrigues played just under 20 minutes tonight, drawing in on the top power play unit and the Panthers’ first-line alongside Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. 

 

He had 5 shots on goal tonight, and was very active in the offensive zone. The pucks didn’t find the back of the net tonight, but the opportunities were there, and Rodrigues will continue to get those chances. 

 

He’s a fast, smart player, that fits in well with Florida’s play style.

Next Game

The Panthers will be back on the ice Saturday in Winnipeg for a 4 PM (ET) start against the Jets.