Sports Quote of the Day:
“Football isn’t necessarily won by the best players. It’s won by the team with the best attitude.” ~ George Allen, NFL (Washington Redskins) Coach
2013 NFL draft winners/losers: Sam Bradford fully equipped; Bill Belichick thinking too hard.
By Jason Cole
Before anybody cries foul about how the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets were left out of the winners section of this story, read my column from Thursday night. All of those teams had great opening nights of the draft and deserve plenty of praise. The Jets even deserve a little more for the value of getting quarterback Geno Smith in the second round, but there's a big question about whether Smith is going to be able to handle the fish bowl effect of New York.
For now, here's a look at the overall winners and losers from the 2013 NFL draft:
WINNERS
The story goes that St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher had to tell Bradford and the other Rams quarterbacks to stop smiling when they went to West Virginia to work out Tavon Austin. Well, Bradford is beaming after the Rams actually got Austin to go with a receiving corps that also includes Brian Quick, Jared Cook, Chris Givens and Lance Kendricks. These are the weapons Bradford has been craving the whole time he has been in the league. Now he has no excuses for not putting up numbers expected of a former No. 1 overall pick.
San Francisco 49ers – Sam Bradford's NFC West rivals in San Francisco and Seattle obviously amped the competition this offseason with their many acquisitions. The 49ers were particularly impressive this weekend as they filled in every major need they had with a safety (Eric Reid) to takeover for departed Dashon Goldson, a defensive lineman (Tank Carradine) to eventually replace Justin Smith, a tight end (Vance McDonald) to replace Delanie Walker and a potential star at running back (Marcus Lattimore) to eventually replace Frank Gore, assuming Lattimore returns to health. The only problem for the 49ers is that they drafted more players (11) than they can possibly keep.
Baltimore Ravens – The Super Bowl champions have taken their lumps this offseason with the loss of several players, including Ed Reed to free agency and Ray Lewis to retirement. Things were so bad that some Ravens fans almost seemed to forget their team just won the title. This draft should assuage some fears as the team found the respective replacements for Reed and Lewis in Florida safety Matt Elam and Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown. Look, no one is saying Elam and Brown are going to be future Hall of Famers, but both look like sound bets to be very good.
New York Jets coach Rex Ryan – Yes, Ryan was among the winners from Thursday night when the Jets took cornerback Dee Milliner and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, but things only got better. Drafting Geno Smith is a boon to Ryan regardless of whether Smith can play. Assuming the Jets do the smart thing and dump Mark Sanchez, Smith automatically becomes the starter and Ryan gets a chance to make this a full-fledged turn toward the future rather than some weird balancing act with Ryan perched on Sanchez's shoulders (or tattooed on Ryan's shoulder, as it truly is). If Ryan can rebuild the defense quickly and get the offense to stay error-free, an 8-8 season might make it hard for the Jets to fire him. Yeah, Ryan still looks like a dead man walking, but there's a hint of a lifeline.
Chicago Bears – General manager Phil Emery continued his pragmatic approach to getting the Bears back to contention by getting a couple of really nice prospects to fill vital spots. Offensive lineman Kyle Long helps a unit that has to be on its game to protect deliberate, must-see-it-first quarterback Jay Cutler. On defense, the Bears picked up linebacker Jon Bostic from Florida to replace Brian Urlacher. Mark this down: In five years, people will be talking about how much better Bostic is than Manti Te'o.
Michael Vick – Like Rex Ryan, Vick was a winner Thursday when the Eagles drafted Lane Johnson to rebuild the offensive line. Like Ryan, things got even better in the second and fourth rounds. First, Philadelphia drafted tight end Zach Ertz, giving Vick another big-time weapon and a guy the Eagles can pair with Brent Celek for some tasty two-tight end formations. In the fourth round, the Eagles traded up to get Matt Barkley. Sure, Barkley may be no better than a backup, but he's going to be competition for current No. 2 Nick Foles. In other words, the perception that the competition for time was between Vick and Foles just got really blurry. That can only help Vick.
New Oakland Raiders CB D.J. Hayden – This is one of the best stories of the draft, as Hayden went from nearly dying after an odd practice injury in November to being cleared for the draft in the past two weeks. Once cleared, teams took a closer look at his tape and he nearly was the No. 1 cornerback taken in the draft (the Raiders would have taken him at No. 3 if they hadn't traded down with Miami to No. 12). Either way, Hayden has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other, the direction being nothing but up.
Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson – Johnson might legitimately be able to become CJ2K again as the Titans seriously rebuilt their offensive line and helped the passing game. After getting Andy Levitre in free agency, the Titans picked up stud guard Chance Warmack in the first round and center Brian Schwenke in the fourth. The Titans are now almost imposing in the middle. If that wasn't enough, Tennessee got wide receiver Justin Hunter in the second round in case Kenny Britt can't come back from injury. If Britt does, the Titans can put Britt, Hunter and Kendall Wright outside to create all sorts of problems for the secondary and make life a lot easier for Johnson and quarterback Jake Locker.
LOSERS
Dallas Cowboys – There are times when you look at what a team does in the draft and say, “What the heck was that?” The Cowboys did just that when they first traded out of a spot to get pretty good defensive help (safety Eric Reid went with the pick the Cowboys gave up) and then passed on Matt Elam. In the process, the Cowboys took a guy (center Travis Frederick) who many teams didn't project to go until Saturday. While the next pick (tight end Gavin Escobar) was solid, the Cowboys then took wide receiver Terrance Williams and safety J.J. Wilcox, a pair of guys who are complete projects. Williams is not particularly fast and produced stats largely because he played in Baylor's pinball offense. As for Wilcox, he's a small-school product (Georgia Southern) with one year of experience. In the third round? Yikes.
Kansas Chiefs OT Branden Albert – The long-discussed trade of Albert from Kansas City to Miami never materialized, even though the Dolphins were willing to meet Albert's contract demands. Miami general manager Jeff Ireland indicated that everything was pretty much dead on the deal on Friday, but that doesn't mean the teams won't somehow revisit the idea later. The Dolphins have tried to leverage the fact that Kansas City doesn't need both Albert and draft pick Eric Fisher. The Chiefs are figuring that they eventually will get some interest from teams that didn't fill their left tackle needs in the draft (Detroit, San Diego and Arizona are still in that mix). Look for Albert to eventually move for a second-round pick in 2014.
New England Patriots – Yeah, yeah, Bill Belichick is the smartest coach who has ever lived and I am nothing but a bumbling sports writer who should bow to his greatness. … Got any other good ones, Pats fans? Look, I'm one of Belichick's biggest fans in the media and one of the few who has defended many of his moves. At the same time, I'm perplexed by some of the things he does in the draft. From drafting too many guys to moving out of the draft at key moments, Belichick oftentimes is a guy who is too smart for his own good. The Pats traded out of the No. 29 spot even though safety Matt Elam was there and Elam fits the profile (hence, Baltimore took him three spots later). The Pats, who are entering the winter of Tom Brady's glorious career, need guys who can help NOW, not in three years. Sure, the Pats picked up a couple smart-guy receivers in second-rounder Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce, but they would have gotten Dobson anyway and could have easily gotten Boyce with a lesser trade later. In other words, they bypassed Elam for no great reason.
Quarterbacks – This was also mentioned coming off the Thursday night debacle that saw only E.J. Manuel get drafted in the first round, but the situation got a day later for the half-dozen top passing prospects in this draft. The leader of that pack was Matt Barkley, whose weak arm and mediocre athletic ability underwhelmed NFL folks. This was a case of the luster of Southern Cal's reputation finally starting to fade as Barkley didn't go until the fourth round and only got drafted by a team that already has Michael Vick and Nick Foles ahead of him. That's pretty awful. Worse, Barkley is not well-suited to run the hurrying style that coach Chip Kelly prefers. Aside from Barkley, Ryan Nassib didn't go until the fourth round, Mike Glennon went in the third and Smith went in the second. Those were all a round or two below where each of those guys was expected.
Eddie Lacy and all running backs – For the first time since 1963 (when the NFL had only 14 teams), a running back didn't go in the first round of the draft. Lacy was expected by many to go in the first round and be the first one taken. He ended up going No. 61 overall and was the fourth back to go despite having a stellar career at Alabama. There are two reasons for that. The first is specific to Lacy; he is beaten up. This is a kid who runs hard and runs with power, but has taken more than his share of hits along the way. He's currently nursing a turf toe injury, but he has had other problems since high school. The second issue is the devaluing of the position. This is a full-on passing league that features so many wide-open sets with three, four and even five receivers that a running back isn't much more than window dressing. The most telling proof of that is Giovani Bernard, who at 5-foot-10 and all of 205 pounds, was the first back off the board.
New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez – Things were already bad enough for Sanchez in New York, where his 52 turnovers the past two years were called out by everybody, including owner Woody Johnson (Johnson's mantra has become, "The quarterback can't fumble"). On Friday, the Jets made no bones about Sanchez's future when they drafted Geno Smith and he was immediately dubbed "Broadway Geno." While Smith has a long way to go, the only hope for Sanchez at this point is that the Jets are willing to swallow the $8.25 million they owe him this year and just let him go. That would be the humane thing. Then again, football is not a humane sport.
Complete 2013 NFL Draft Selections. Rounds 1 through 7, From the #1 Draft Choice to Mr. Irrelevant, the Last Pick.
First Round
1. Kansas City, Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan.
2. Jacksonville, Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M.
3. Miami (from Oakland), Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon.
4. Philadelphia, Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma.
5. Detroit, Ziggy Ansah, DE, BYU.
6. Cleveland, Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU.
7. Arizona, Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina.
8. St. Louis (from Buffalo), Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia.
9. New York Jets, Dee Milliner, DB, Alabama.
10. Tennessee, Chance Warmack, G, Alabama.
11. San Diego, D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama.
12. Oakland (from Miami), D.J. Hayden, DB, Houston.
13. New York Jets (from Tampa Bay), Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri.
14. Carolina, Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah.
15. New Orleans, Kenny Vaccaro, DB, Texas.
16. Buffalo (from St. Louis), EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State.
17. Pittsburgh, Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia.
18. San Francisco (from Dallas), Eric Reid, DB, LSU.
19. New York Giants, Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse.
20. Chicago, Tyler Long, G, Oregon.
21. Cincinnati, Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame.
22. Atlanta (from Washington through St. Louis), Desmond Trufant, DB, Washington.
23. Minnesota, Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida.
24. Indianapolis, Bjoern Werner, DE, Floida State.
25. Minnesota (from Seattle), Xavier Rhodes, DB, Florida State.
26. Green Bay, Datone Jones, DE, UCLA.
27. Houston, DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson.
28. Denver, Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina.
29. Minnesota (from New England), Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee.
30. St. Louis (from Atlanta), Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia.
31. Dallas (from San Francisco), Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin.
32. Baltimore, Matt Elam, DB, Florida.
2nd Round
33. Jacksonville, Johnathan Cyprien, DB, FIU.
34. Tennessee (from Kansas City through San Francisco), Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee.
35. Philadelphia, Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford.
36. Detroit, Darius Slay, DB, Mississippi State.
37. Cincinnati (from Oakland), Gio Bernard, RB, North Carolina.
38. San Diego (from Arizona), Mantei Te’o, LB, Notre Dame.
Cleveland Exercised in Supplemental Draft.
39. New York Jets, Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia.
40. San Francisco (from Tennessee), Cornellius Carradine, DE, Florida State.
41. Buffalo, Robert Woods, WR, Southern Cal.
42. Oakland (from Miami), Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State.
43. Tampa Bay, Johnthan Banks, DB, Mississippi State.
44. Carolina, Kawann Short, DT, Purdue.
New Orleans Forfeited.
45. Arizona (from San Diego), Kevin Minter, LB, LSU.
46. Buffalo (from St. Louis), Kiko Alonso, LB, Oregon.
47. Dallas, Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State.
48. Pittsburgh, Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigna State.
49. New York Giants, Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State.
50. Chicago, Jon Bostic, LB, Florida.
51. Washington, David Amerson, DB, N.C. State.
52. New England (from Minnesota), Jamie Collins, LB, Southern Miss.
53. Cincinnati, Margus Hunt, DE, SMU.
54. Miami (from Indianapolis), Jamar Taylor, DB, Boise State.
55. San Francisco (from Green Bay), Vance McDonald, TE, Rice.
56. Baltimore (from Seattle), Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State.
57. Houston, D.J. Swearinger, DB, South Carolina.
58. Denver, Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin.
59. New England, Aaron Dobson, WR, Marshall.
60. Atlanta, Robert Alford, DB, SE Louisiana.
61. Green Bay (from San Francisco), Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama.
62. Seattle (from Baltimore), Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M.
3rd Round
63. Kansas City, Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati.
64. Jacksonville, Dwayne Gratz, DB, UConn.
65. Detroit, Larry Warford, G, Kentucky.
66. Oakland, Sio Moore, LB, UConn.
67. Philadelphia, Bennie Logan, DT, LSU.
68. Cleveland, Leon McFadden, DB, San Diego State.
69. Arizona, Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU.
70. Tennessee, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, DB, UConn.
71. St. Louis (from Buffalo), T.J. McDonald, S, Southern Cal.
72. New York Jets, Brian Winters, OT, Kent State.
73. Tampa Bay, Mike Glennon, QB, N.C. State.
74. Dallas (from Carolina through San Francisco), Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor.
75. New Orleans, Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
76. San Diego, Keenan Allen, WR, California.
77. Miami, Dallas Thomas, OT, Tennessee.
78. Buffalo (from St. Louis), Marquise Goodwin, WR, Texas.
79. Pittsburgh, Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State.
80. Dallas, J.J. Wilcox, DB, Georgia Southern.
81. New York Giants, Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M.
82. New Orleans (from Chicago through Miami), John Jenkins, NT, Georgia.
83. New England (from Minnesota), Logan Ryan, DB, Rutgers.
84. Cincinnati, Shawn Williams, DB, Georgia.
85. Washington, Jordan Reed, TE, Florida.
86. Indianapolis, Hugh Thornton, G, Illinois.
87. Seattle, Jordan Hill, DT, Penn State.
88. San Francisco (from Green Bay), Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn.
89. Houston, Brennan Williams, OT, North Carolina.
90. Denver, Kayvon Webster, DB, South Florida.
91. New England, Duron Harmon, DB, Rutgers.
92. St. Louis (from Atlanta), Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia.
93. Miami (from San Francisco through Green Bay), Will Davis, DB, Utah State.
94. Baltimore, Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern.
95. x-Houston, Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU.
96. x-Kansas City, Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas.
97. x-Tennessee, Zaviar Gooden, LB, Missouri.
4th Round
98. Philadelphia (from Jacksonville), Matt Barkley, qb, Southern Cal.
99. Kansas City, Nico Johnson, lb, Alabama.
100. Tampa Bay (from Oakland), Akeem Spence, dt, Illinois.
101. Jacksonville (from Philadelphia), Ace Sanders, wr, South Carolina.
102. New England (from Detroit through Minnesota), Josh Boyce, wr, TCU.
103. Arizona, Alex Okafor, lb, Texas.
104. Miami (from Cleveland), Jelani Jenkins, lb, Florida.
105. Buffalo, Duke Williams, db, Nevada.
106. Miami (from New York Jets through New Orleans), Dion Sims, te, Michigan State.
107. Tennessee, Brian Schwenke, c, California.
108. Carolina, Edmund Kugbila, g, Valdosta State.
109. Green Bay (from New Orleans through Miami), David Bakhtiari, ot, Colorado.
110. New York Giants (from San Diego through Arizona), Ryan Nassib, qb, Syracuse.
111. Pittsburgh (from Miami through Cleveland), Shamarko Thomas, db, Syracuse.
112. Oakland (from Tampa Bay), Tyler Wilson, qb, Arkansas.
113. St. Louis, Barrett Jones, c, Alabama.
114. Dallas, B.W. Webb, db, William & Mary.
115. Pittsburgh, Landry Jones, qb, Oklahoma.
116. Arizona (from New York Giants), Earl Watford, g, James Madison.
117. Chicago, Khaseem Greene, lb, Rutgers.
118. Cincinnati, Sean Porter, lb, Texas A&M.
119. Washington, Phillip Thomas, db, Fresno State.
120. Minnesota, Gerald Hodges, lb, Penn State.
121. Indianapolis, Khaled Holmes, c, Southern Cal.
122. Green Bay, J.C. Tretter, ot, Cornell.
123. Seattle, Chris Harper, wr, Kansas State.
124. Houston, Trevardo Williams, lb, UConn.
125. Green Bay (from Denver), Johnathan Franklin, rb, UCLA.
126. Tampa Bay (from New England), William Gholston, de, Michigan State.
127. Atlanta, Malliciah Goodwin, de, Clemson.
128. San Francisco, Quinton Patton, wr, Louisiana Tech.
129. Baltimore, John Simon, lb, Ohio State.
130. x-Baltimore, Kyle Juszczyk, rb, Harvard.
131. x-San Francisco, Marcus Lattimore, rb, South Carolina.
132. x-Detroit, Devin Taylor, de, South Carolina.
133. x-Atlanta, Levine Toilolo, te, Stanford.
5th Round
134. Kansas City, Sanders Commings, db, Georgia.
135. Jacksonville, Denard Robinson, rb, Michigan.
136. Philadelphia, Earl Wolff, db, N.C. State.
137. Seattle (from Detroit), Jesse Williams, dt, Alabama.
138. Seattle (from Oakland), Tharold Simon, db, LSU.
139. Indianapolis (from Cleveland), Montori Hughes, dt, UT-Martin.
140. Arizona, Stepfan Taylor, rb, Stanford.
141. New York Jets, Oday Aboushi, ot, Virginia.
142. Tennessee, Lavar Edwards, de, LSU.
143. Buffalo, Jonathan Meeks, db, Clemson.
144. New Orleans, Kenny Stills, wr, Oklahoma.
145. San Diego, Steve Williams, db, California.
146. Denver (from Miami through Green Bay), Quanteras Smith, de, Western Kentucky.
147. Tampa Bay, Steven Means, de, Buffalo.
148. Carolina, A.J. Klein, lb, Iowa State.
149. St. Louis, Brandon McGee, db, Miami.
150. Pittsburgh, Terry Hawthorne, db, Illinois.
151. Dallas, Joseph Randle, rb, Oklahoma State.
152. New York Giants, Cooper Taylor, db, Richmond.
153. Atlanta (from Chicago), Stansly Maponga, de, TCU.
154. Washington, Chris Thompson, rb, Florida State.
155. Minnesota, Jeff Locke, p, UCLA.
156. Cincinnati, Tanner Hawkinson, g, Kansas.
157. San Francisco (from Indianapolis), Quinton Dial, dt, Alabama.
158. Seattle, Luke Willson, te, Rice.
159. Green Bay, Micah Hyde, db, Iowa.
160. St. Louis (from Houston), Zac Stacy, rb, Vanderbilt.
161. Denver, Tavarres King, wr, Georgia.
162. Washington (from New England), Brandon Jenkins, lb, Florida State.
163. Chicago (from Atlanta), Jordan Mills, ot, Louisiana Tech.
164. Miami (from San Francisco through Cleveland), Mike Gillislee, rb, Florida.
165. Detroit (from Baltimore through Seattle), Sam Martin, p, Appalachian State.
166. x-Miami, Caleb Sturgis, k, Florida.
167. x-Green Bay, Josh Boyd, de, Mississippi State.
168. x-Baltimore, Ricky Wagner, g, Wisconsin.
6th Round
169. Jacksonville, Josh Evans, db, Florida.
169. Jacksonville, Josh Evans, db, Florida.
170. Kansas City, Eric Kush, c, California (Pa.)
171. Detroit, Corey Fuller, wr, Virginia Tech
172. Oakland, Nick Kasa, te, Colorado.
173. Denver (from Philadelphia through Cleveland, San Francisco and Green Bay), Vinston Painter, ot, Virginia Tech.
174. Arizona, Ryan Swope, wr, Texas A&M.
175. Cleveland, Jamoris Slaughter, db, Notre Dame.
176. Houston (from Tennessee through Minnesota, Arizona and Oakland), David Quessenberry, ot, San Jose State.
177. Buffalo, Dustin Hopkins, k, Florida State.
178. New York Jets, William Campbell, g, Michigan.
179. San Diego, Tourek Williams, lb, FIU.
180. San Francisco (from Miami), Nick Moody, lb, Florida State.
181. Oakland (from Tampa Bay), Latavius Murray, rb, UCF.
182. Carolina, Kenjon Barner, rb, Oregon.
183. New Orleans, Rufus Johnson, lb, Tarleton State.
184. Oakland (from St. Louis through Houston), Mychal Rivera, te, Tennessee.
185. Dallas, DeVonte Holloman, lb, South Carolina.
186. Pittsburgh, Justin Brown, wr, Oklahoma.
187. Arizona (from New York Giants), Andre Ellington, rb, Clemson.
188. Chicago, Cornelius Washington, de, Georgia.
189. Tampa Bay (from Minnesota), Mike James, rb, Miami.
190. Cincinnati, Rex Burkhead, rb, Nebraska.
191. Washington, Bacarri Rambo, db, Georgia.
192. Indianapolis, John Boyett, db, Oregon.
193. Green Bay, Nate Palmer, lb, Illinois State.
194. Seattle, Spencer Ware, rb, LSU.
195. Houston, Alan Bonner, wr, Jacksonville State.
196. Minnesota (from Denver through Philadelphia and Tampa Bay), Jeff Baca, g, UCLA.
197. Cincinnati (from New England), Cobi Hamilton, wr, Arkansas.
198. Houston (from Atlanta through St. Louis), Chris Jones, db, Bowling Green.
199. Detroit (from San Francisco through Baltimore and Seattle), Theo Riddick, rb, Notre Dame.
200. Baltimore, Kapron Lewis-Moore, de, Notre Dame.
201. x-Houston, Ryan Griffin, te, UConn.
202. x-Tennessee, Khalid Wooten, db, Nevada.
203. x-Baltimore, Ryan Jensen, c, Colorado State-Pueblo.
204. x-Kansas City, Braden Wilson, rb, Kansas State.
205. x-Oakland, Stacy McGee, dt, Oklahoma.
206. x-Pittsburgh, Vince Williams, lb, Florida State.
207. Kansas City, Mike Catapano, lb, Princeton.
208. Jacksonville, Jeremy Harris, db, New Mexico State.
209. Oakland, Brice Butler, wr, San Diego State.
210. Jacksonville (from Philadelphia), Demetrius McCray, db, Appalachian State.
211. Detroit, Michael Williams, te, Alabama.
212. Philadelphia (from Cleveland), Joe Kruger, de, Utah.
213. Minnesota (from Arizona), Michael Mauti, lb, Penn State.
214. Minnesota (from Buffalo through Seattle), Tarvis Bond, g, North Carolina.
215. New York Jets, Tommy Bohanon, rb, Wake Forest.
216. Green Bay (from Tennessee through San Francisco), C.J. Johnson, wr, Grand Valley State.
217. Cleveland (from Miami), Armonty Bryant, de, East Central.
218. Philadelphia (from Tampa Bay), Jordan Poyer, db, Oregon State.
219. Arizona (from Carolina through Oakland), D.C. Jefferson, te, Rutgers.
220. Seattle (from New Orleans), Ryan Seymour, g, Vanderbilt.
221. San Diego, Brad Sorenson, qb, Southern Utah.
222. Buffalo (from St. Louis), Chris Gragg, te, Arkansas.
223. Pittsburgh, Nick Williams, db, Samford.
224. Green Bay (from Dallas through Miami), Kevin Dorsey, wr, Maryland.
225. New York Giants, Eric Herman, g, Ohio.
226. New England (from Chicago through Tampa Bay), Michael Buchanan, de, Illinois.
227. Cleveland (from Cincinnati through San Francisco), Garrett Gilkey, ot, Charon State.
228. Washington, Jawan Jamison, rb, Rutgers.
229. Minnesota (from Minnesota through New England and Tampa Bay), Everett Dawkins, dt, Florida State.
230. Indianapolis, Kerwynn Williams, rb, Utah State.
231. Seattle, Ty Powell, lb, Harding.
232. Green Bay, Sam Barrington, lb, South Florida.
233. Oakland (from Houston), David Bass, dt, Missouri Western.
234. Denver, Zac Dysert, qb, Miami (Ohio).
235. New England, Steve Beauharnais, lb, Rutgers.
236. Chicago (from Atlanta), Marquess Wilson, wr, Washington State.
237. San Francisco, B.J. Daniels, qb, South Florida.
238. Baltimore, Aaron Mellette, wr, Elon.
239. x-Philadelphia, David King, db, Oklahoma.
240. x-Cincinnati, Reid Fragel, ot, Ohio State.
241. x-Seattle, Jared Smith, g, New Hampshire.
242. x-Seattle, Michael Bowie, ot, Northeastern State (Okla.).
243. x-Atlanta, Kemel Ishmael, db, UCF.
244. x-Atlanta, Zeke Motta, db, Notre Dame.
245. x-Detroit, Brandon Hepburn, lb, Florida A&M.
246. x-San Francisco, Carter Bykowski, ot, Iowa State.
247. x-Baltimore, Marc Anthony, db, California.
248. x-Tennessee, Daimion Stafford, db, Nebraska.
249. x-Atlanta, Sean Renfree, qb, Duke.
250. x-Miami, Don Jones, db, Arkansas State.
251. x-Cincinnati, T.J. Johnson, c, South Carolina.
252. x-San Francisco, Marcus Cooper, db, Rutgers.
253. x-New York Giants, Michael Cox, rb, UMass.
254. x-Indianapolis, Justice Cunningham, te, South Carolina.
x= Compensatory Selection.
Thoughts after each day, (1-Thursday, 2 Saturday and 3 Sunday), of the draft.
By Dave Miller
Let's go inside the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft from a college perspective... Day #1.
— The SEC had 12 players selected in the first round Thursday night, which tied the record set by the ACC in 2006. Six of the top 13 picks were from Mike Slive's conference, including three in a row from Alabama, which runs a football factory under head coach Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide have now produced 13 first-round picks over the past four years. Of the 12 SEC players taken in the first round this year, eight were defensive players.
— The ACC had six selections and the Pac-12 checked in with five.
If not for Travis Frederick, the Big Ten would have been shut out in Round 1. US PRESSWIRE
— Wisconsin offensive lineman Travis Frederick was the lone Big Ten selection of the first round, as Dallas selected the guard/center at No, 31, making him the ninth offensive lineman selected in Round 1. That pick helped Jim Delany's league from getting shut out of the first round for the first time since 1953. While the Big Ten's talent gap compared to other leagues is clear, that will change. I talked to a longtime Big Ten observer on Thursday afternoon, and he told me that the league is steadily bringing in better athletes since Brady Hoke and Urban Meyer arrived at Michigan and Ohio State, respectively. He believes that other coaches are on guard and have put an emphasis on bringing in more speed to a league that often looks overwhelmed in the postseason when matched up against teams from the SEC, etc.
— How about Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden? What a comeback for someone who suffered a torn vein in his heart during practice last season, an injury that has an incredibly low survival rate. Oakland made him the 12th overall pick. Incredible.
— The most surprising player left available in my opinion is Alabama running back Eddie Lacy. While it's true that the NFL has never been more of a passing league, just watching what the Crimson Tide RB did week in and week out against the best competition makes me wonder how Lacy is still available. I thought he could have been in play for Green Bay at No. 26.
— The biggest first-round surprise for me was Chicago's selection of offensive lineman Kyle Long from Oregon. Can he play guard at the next level? It's a legitimate question for a guy whose off-the-field troubles certainly raise some eyebrows. Bears general manager Phil Emery loves workout warriors and versatile athletes, but it could be a struggle for Long playing inside. However, keep in mind that Bears offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is one of the best in the business. But he'll have his work cut out for him.
— How did Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei fall to Carolina at No. 14? He was the second defensive tackle taken after Missouri’s Sheldon Richardson went at No. 13 to the New York Jets. Can someone be considered a steal at No. 14?
— My favorite pick of the first round was Pittsburgh's selection of Jarvis Jones, the outside linebacker from Georgia who was arguably the best defensive player in the nation last year, including Manti Te'o.
— My 5 best players available: Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks, Kentucky G Larry Warford, Stanford TE Zach Ertz, Alabama RB Eddie Lacy and Texas A&M DE Damontre Moore.
Let's go inside day two of the 2013 NFL Draft from a college perspective... Day #2.
— It's no wonder why the SEC has had a stranglehold on the BCS national championship, as the first three rounds of this year's draft were SEC-heavy. Thirty-two of the 97 draftees thus far are from Mike Slive's league, which bests the previous record of 25 from the ACC in 2006. Last year 16 SEC players were drafted in the first three rounds. Six players from LSU are already gone (all defenders), including dismissed cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. He will be reunited with former teammate Patrick Peterson. Just imagine that punt returner depth chart in Arizona.
— Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o was selected 38th overall by San Diego, and the Junior Seau comparisons began almost immediately. The Chargers seem like a good fit for the former Fighting Irish defender, though, as the media should not be as overwhelming as in another city such as New York or Chicago. And he fits John Pagano's 3-4 scheme pretty well.
— St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford has to be ecstatic that the Rams were able to bring in two very intriguing weapons for the offense in former West Virginia teammates Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. The Rams needed weapons for their aerial attack, and what the pair of Mountaineers did to opposing defenses last fall was criminal. Meanwhile, Geno Smith has to be wondering who he will throw to in minicamps and training camp in New York with the Jets. Speaking of the former West Virginia quarterback, there remain questions on how he will transition to the NFL as many of his throws in college were at or behind the line of scrimmage, including a ton of screen passes. But he is a very intelligent signal-caller who could have a chance to play early with the Jets' troubles at the position.
— Last year, Washington selected Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick and still selected Kirk Cousins later in the draft. Is Buffalo considering doubling up on signal-callers this year, perhaps taking Matt Barkley or Ryan Nassib after selecting EJ Manuel in Round 1? While I believe Barkley has limitations when it comes to his arm strength and athleticism, it is still stunning to see him on the board entering Saturday.
— Three winners from Friday night:
* Cincinnati: After landing Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert in the first round, the Bengals brought in North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard and SMU defensive end Margus Hunt in the second round. The offense will become more explosive with Eifert and Bernard, while Hunt has all of the physical skills that coordinator Mike Zimmer desires in a pass rusher.
* Green Bay: The Packers were able to land Alabama running back Eddie Lacy after all after they passed on the Crimson Tide star in the first round. Green Bay gets a tough runner who can block and a nice piece to help complement the team's vertical passing game.
* Detroit: After selecting high-ceiling defensive end Ziggy Ansah with the No. 5 pick in the first round, the Lions filled two huge needs when they chose speedy Mississippi State cornerback Darius Slay and Kentucky offensive guard Larry Warford. Slay was chosen ahead of teammate Jonathan Banks, and he should be able to contribute in Detroit's sub packages at the very least. Meanwhile, Warford could start at right guard.
— My 10 best players available: Louisiana Tech WR Quinton Patton, UCLA RB Johnathan Franklin, Rutgers LB Khaseem Greene, USC QB Matt Barkley, Tennessee Tech WR Da'Rick Rogers, Fresno State FS Phillip Thomas, Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson, South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore, Georgia FS Bacarri Rambo and Texas DE Alex Okafor.
Let's go inside the final day of the 2013 NFL Draft from a college perspective... Day #3.
— While he certainly didn't expect to last until Saturday, USC quarterback Matt Barkley was the first pick on the third day as the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to get him at No. 98 overall. A lot has been made of the huge sum of money the Trojans signal-caller left on the table by coming back for his senior season, but all of that is in the past as he begins his pro career for a team that has real instability under center. The major question is how he will fit into new head coach Chip Kelly's offense. It's not exactly fair to compare Barkley to former Oregon signal-callers such as Darron Thomas and Marcus Mariota because we do not yet know how Kelly will adapt his offense to the pro game. Sure, Barkley does not have the strongest arm and has limited mobility, but he provides great value at No. 98. And not many people know his game better than Kelly, who saw firsthand what Barkley can do when he had success against the Ducks in college. Barkley threw nine touchdown passes against Kelly's Oregon team the past two years. And if Kelly didn't think he could get Barkley to fit into what he wants to do in Philly, the Trojans QB obviously wouldn't have been the choice.
— The final tally of draft picks by college conference: SEC = 63 (East 32, West 31), ACC = 31, Pac-12 = 28, Big 12 = 22, Big Ten = 22 and Big East = 18. Mike Slive's conference set a league mark with those 63 selections. Or, put another way, Alabama, LSU, Florida and Georgia combined for more picks than every other conference. #SEC
— Big Ten-bound Rutgers had seven NFL Draft picks, more than any other Big Ten school. Is league commissioner Jim Delany ecstatic or depressed by that stat?
— Jacksonville may still have a rough 2013 campaign, but at least they'll be more exciting to watch after adding playmakers Ace Sanders and Denard Robinson from South Carolina and Michigan, respectively.
— Jim Harbaugh and San Francisco had quite the Saturday afternoon. After adding LSU safety Eric Reid, Florida State defensive end Tank Carradine and Auburn defensive end Corey Lemonier on the first two days, the 49ers landed explosive receiver Quinton Patton from Louisiana Tech and stud rehabbing running back Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina on the third day. The 49ers can ease Lattimore back gradually after his injury, and he could end up being a top NFL running back because his work ethic matches his talent. He will get back to being 100 percent healthy.
— Johnathan Franklin was the first running back to come off of the board on day three, as the Green Bay Packers selected the UCLA running back. Yes, Ted Thompson and Co. added Franklin to a backfield after selecting Eddie Lacy on Friday. At least for one draft, it's hard to get a more filthy backfield than what the Packers were able to put together. Of course, Green Bay made the running back position a priority after its struggles rushing the ball last season. And the Packers now could have a nice duo splitting carries in 2013.
— Random thoughts on QBs:
* Pittsburgh is a great spot for Landry Jones, whose overall makeup has been questioned not just leading up to the draft but throughout his college career. He will get to sit behind Ben Roethlisberger and not rush the Steelers into putting him on the field. He may not be an elite quarterback, but he will be productive and succeed if surrounded by skill players.
* Poor Matt Flynn. It would only be fitting if Tyler Wilson came in and eventually stole the starting job in Oakland after Flynn lost his gig to Russell Wilson in Seattle. All kidding aside, the Raiders made a nice selection with Tyler Wilson, whose toughness alone is invaluable (he got killed in some games vs. SEC powers but always played through the pain). Last season at Arkansas was a disaster for nearly everyone involved with that program. Wilson's stock falling could be the best thing that could have happened for the Raiders.
* I don't love Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib as an NFL starter, but you have to trust New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese and his track record. Nassib won't have to play right away, which is great for both parties. But there are mechanical issues with Nassib that must be addressed.
— My 5 best undrafted players: Tennessee Tech WR Da'Rick Rogers, Stanford OLB Chase Thomas, Tennessee QB Tyler Bray, North Carolina ILB Kevin Reddick and Arizona QB Matt Scott.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? NHL first-round playoff schedule.
By The Sports Xchange
NHL first-round playoff schedule, with TV coverage. All times Eastern.
EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 8 N.Y. Islanders
Wednesday, May 1, 7:30 p.m., N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Friday, May 3, 7 p.m., N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Sunday, May 5, Noon, Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, NBC, TSN
Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m., Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, NBC Sports Network, TSN
*Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m., N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, TSN
*Saturday, May 11, TBD, Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, TSN
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, TSN
No. 2 Montreal vs. No. 7 Ottawa
Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m., Ottawa at Montreal, CBC, RDS, CNBC
Friday, May 3, 7 p.m., Ottawa at Montreal, CBC, RDS, CNBC
Sunday, May 5, 7 p.m., Montreal at Ottawa, CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network
Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m., Montreal at Ottawa, CBC, RDS, CNBC
*Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m., Ottawa at Montreal, CBC, RDS
*Saturday, May 11, TBD, Montreal at Ottawa, CBC, RDS
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Ottawa at Montreal, CBC, RDS
No. 3 Washington vs. No. 6 N.Y. Rangers
Thursday, May 2, 7:30 p.m., N.Y. Rangers at Washington, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Saturday, May 4, 12:30 p.m., N.Y. Rangers at Washington, NBC, TSN
Monday, May 6, 7:30 p.m., Washington at N.Y. Rangers, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Wednesday, May 8, 7:30 p.m., Washington at N.Y. Rangers, NBC Sports Network, TSN
*Friday, May 10, 7:30 p.m., N.Y. Rangers at Washington, TSN
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Washington at N.Y. Rangers, TSN
*Monday, May 13, TBD, N.Y. Rangers at Washington, TSN
No. 4 Boston vs. No. 5 Toronto
Wednesday, May 1, 7 p.m., Toronto at Boston, CNBC, CBC, RDS
Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m., Toronto at Boston, CNBC, CBC, RDS
Monday, May 6, 7 p.m., Boston at Toronto, CBC, RDS, NHL Network U.S.
Wednesday, May 8, 7 p.m., Boston at Toronto, CBC, RDS, NHL Network U.S.
*Friday, May 10, 7 p.m., Toronto at Boston, CBC, RDS
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Boston at Toronto, CBC, RDS
*Monday, May 13, TBD, Toronto at Boston, CBC, RDS
WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Chicago vs. No. 8 Minnesota
Tuesday, April 30, 8 p.m., Minnesota at Chicago, NBC Sports Network, CBC
Friday, May 3, 9:30 p.m., Minnesota at Chicago, NBC Sports Network, CBC
Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m., Chicago at Minnesota, NBC, CBC
Tuesday, May 7, 9:30 p.m., Chicago at Minnesota, NBC Sports Network, CBC
*Thursday, May 9, TBD, Minnesota at Chicago, CBC
*Saturday, May 11, TBD, Chicago at Minnesota, CBC
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Minnesota at Chicago, CBC
No. 2 Anaheim vs. No. 7 Detroit
Tuesday, April 30, 10:30 p.m., Detroit at Anaheim, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Thursday, May 2, 10 p.m., Detroit at Anaheim, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Saturday, May 4, 7:30 p.m., Anaheim at Detroit, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Monday, May 6, 8 p.m., Anaheim at Detroit, CNBC, TSN
*Wednesday, May 8, 10 p.m., Detroit at Anaheim, TSN
*Friday, May 10, TBD, Anaheim at Detroit, TSN
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Detroit at Anaheim, TSN
No. 3 Vancouver vs. No. 6 San Jose
Wednesday, May 1, 10:30 p.m., San Jose at Vancouver, TSN, NBC Sports Network
Friday, May 3, 10 p.m., San Jose at Vancouver, TSN, CNBC
Sunday, May 5, 10 p.m., Vancouver at San Jose, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Tuesday, May 7, 10 p.m., Vancouver at San Jose, CNBC, TSN
*Thursday, May 9, 10 p.m., San Jose at Vancouver, TSN
*Saturday, May 11, TBD, Vancouver at San Jose, TSN
*Monday, May 13, TBD, San Jose at Vancouver, TSN
No. 4 St. Louis vs. No. 5 Los Angeles
Tuesday, April 30, 8 p.m., Los Angeles at St. Louis, CNBC, CBC
Thursday, May 2, 9:30 p.m., Los Angeles at St. Louis, CNBC, CBC
Saturday, May 4, 10 p.m., St. Louis at Los Angeles, NBC Sports Network, CBC
Monday, May 6, 10 p.m., St. Louis at Los Angeles, NBC Sports Network, CBC
*Wednesday, May 8, TBD, Los Angeles at St. Louis, CBC
*Friday, May 10, TBD, St. Louis at Los Angeles, CBC
*Monday, May 13, TBD, Los Angeles at St. Louis, CBC
* if necessary
TBD -- To Be Determined
Let's Go Hawks!!!!!!!!!! Stanley Cup, We're coming after you!!!!!!!!!!
NHL first-round playoff schedule, with TV coverage. All times Eastern.
EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 8 N.Y. Islanders
Wednesday, May 1, 7:30 p.m., N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Friday, May 3, 7 p.m., N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Sunday, May 5, Noon, Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, NBC, TSN
Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m., Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, NBC Sports Network, TSN
*Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m., N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, TSN
*Saturday, May 11, TBD, Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, TSN
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, TSN
No. 2 Montreal vs. No. 7 Ottawa
Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m., Ottawa at Montreal, CBC, RDS, CNBC
Friday, May 3, 7 p.m., Ottawa at Montreal, CBC, RDS, CNBC
Sunday, May 5, 7 p.m., Montreal at Ottawa, CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network
Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m., Montreal at Ottawa, CBC, RDS, CNBC
*Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m., Ottawa at Montreal, CBC, RDS
*Saturday, May 11, TBD, Montreal at Ottawa, CBC, RDS
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Ottawa at Montreal, CBC, RDS
No. 3 Washington vs. No. 6 N.Y. Rangers
Thursday, May 2, 7:30 p.m., N.Y. Rangers at Washington, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Saturday, May 4, 12:30 p.m., N.Y. Rangers at Washington, NBC, TSN
Monday, May 6, 7:30 p.m., Washington at N.Y. Rangers, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Wednesday, May 8, 7:30 p.m., Washington at N.Y. Rangers, NBC Sports Network, TSN
*Friday, May 10, 7:30 p.m., N.Y. Rangers at Washington, TSN
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Washington at N.Y. Rangers, TSN
*Monday, May 13, TBD, N.Y. Rangers at Washington, TSN
No. 4 Boston vs. No. 5 Toronto
Wednesday, May 1, 7 p.m., Toronto at Boston, CNBC, CBC, RDS
Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m., Toronto at Boston, CNBC, CBC, RDS
Monday, May 6, 7 p.m., Boston at Toronto, CBC, RDS, NHL Network U.S.
Wednesday, May 8, 7 p.m., Boston at Toronto, CBC, RDS, NHL Network U.S.
*Friday, May 10, 7 p.m., Toronto at Boston, CBC, RDS
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Boston at Toronto, CBC, RDS
*Monday, May 13, TBD, Toronto at Boston, CBC, RDS
WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Chicago vs. No. 8 Minnesota
Tuesday, April 30, 8 p.m., Minnesota at Chicago, NBC Sports Network, CBC
Friday, May 3, 9:30 p.m., Minnesota at Chicago, NBC Sports Network, CBC
Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m., Chicago at Minnesota, NBC, CBC
Tuesday, May 7, 9:30 p.m., Chicago at Minnesota, NBC Sports Network, CBC
*Thursday, May 9, TBD, Minnesota at Chicago, CBC
*Saturday, May 11, TBD, Chicago at Minnesota, CBC
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Minnesota at Chicago, CBC
No. 2 Anaheim vs. No. 7 Detroit
Tuesday, April 30, 10:30 p.m., Detroit at Anaheim, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Thursday, May 2, 10 p.m., Detroit at Anaheim, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Saturday, May 4, 7:30 p.m., Anaheim at Detroit, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Monday, May 6, 8 p.m., Anaheim at Detroit, CNBC, TSN
*Wednesday, May 8, 10 p.m., Detroit at Anaheim, TSN
*Friday, May 10, TBD, Anaheim at Detroit, TSN
*Sunday, May 12, TBD, Detroit at Anaheim, TSN
No. 3 Vancouver vs. No. 6 San Jose
Wednesday, May 1, 10:30 p.m., San Jose at Vancouver, TSN, NBC Sports Network
Friday, May 3, 10 p.m., San Jose at Vancouver, TSN, CNBC
Sunday, May 5, 10 p.m., Vancouver at San Jose, NBC Sports Network, TSN
Tuesday, May 7, 10 p.m., Vancouver at San Jose, CNBC, TSN
*Thursday, May 9, 10 p.m., San Jose at Vancouver, TSN
*Saturday, May 11, TBD, Vancouver at San Jose, TSN
*Monday, May 13, TBD, San Jose at Vancouver, TSN
No. 4 St. Louis vs. No. 5 Los Angeles
Tuesday, April 30, 8 p.m., Los Angeles at St. Louis, CNBC, CBC
Thursday, May 2, 9:30 p.m., Los Angeles at St. Louis, CNBC, CBC
Saturday, May 4, 10 p.m., St. Louis at Los Angeles, NBC Sports Network, CBC
Monday, May 6, 10 p.m., St. Louis at Los Angeles, NBC Sports Network, CBC
*Wednesday, May 8, TBD, Los Angeles at St. Louis, CBC
*Friday, May 10, TBD, St. Louis at Los Angeles, CBC
*Monday, May 13, TBD, Los Angeles at St. Louis, CBC
* if necessary
TBD -- To Be Determined
Let's Go Hawks!!!!!!!!!! Stanley Cup, We're coming after you!!!!!!!!!!
Highlights of Sunday's NBA playoffs games.Reuters | |
|---|---|
Heat 88, Bucks 77
| |
LeBron James had 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and visiting Miami pulled away in the fourth quarter to complete a four-game series sweep of Milwaukee.
Ray Allen scored 16 points off the bench and Udonis Haslem added 13 as the reigning NBA champions rolled into the Eastern Conference semi-finals despite playing without All Star guard Dwyane Wade, who sat out with an ailing knee.
The Heat will play either Chicago or Brooklyn in the next round.
Monta Ellis scored 21 points and Mike Dunleavy chipped in 17 for the eighth-seeded Bucks, who followed the script of the previous two games by staying close through three quarters before the top-seeded Heat turned on the jets.
Miami led by as many as 11 points in the second quarter but Ellis scored seven straight points as Milwaukee cut the deficit to 45-41 at the half. The Bucks were within five at the end of three quarters and trailed by two with 9 1/2 minutes to play when the Heat delivered the knockout blows.
Allen buried a pair of three-pointers and Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier each connected from long range before James capped a 19-5 burst with a conventional three-point play to extend the lead to 86-72 with 4:54 remaining.
- - -
Celtics 97, Knicks 90 (overtime)
Reserve Jason Terry scored nine of his 18 points in the final 91 seconds of overtime as hosts Boston averted a four-game sweep despite blowing a 20-point second-half lead.
Paul Pierce scored 29 points and Jeff Green added 26 as the Celtics fought off a stirring comeback to force Game Five of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series on Wednesday at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 17 rebounds for Boston.
Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points and Raymond Felton had 27 for the Knicks, who led only once - at 84-82 with 1:18 to play in regulation - and trailed 59-39 with 9:25 left in the third quarter.
Terry put the Celtics ahead to stay by burying a three-pointer with 1:31 left in the extra session. After Anthony sliced the deficit to one, Terry hit a short jumper and buried two foul shots for a 95-90 edge with 20.4 seconds left.
Pierce scored eight points in a 73-second span late in the second quarter to help send the Celtics into the break with a seemingly commanding 54-35 lead.
A three-pointer by Green pushed it to 20 early in the third quarter before Felton scored 16 points in a 26-9 burst to pull New York within 68-65 entering the final 12 minutes.
The Knicks played without Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith, who was suspended one game by the NBA for elbowing Terry in the face in the fourth quarter of Game Three.
- - -
Spurs 103, Lakers 82
Tony Parker scored 23 points and visiting San Antonio routed Los Angeles to complete a four-game sweep of the Western Conference playoff series.
Kawhi Leonard and DeJuan Blair scored 13 points apiece and Tim Duncan added 11 as the Spurs broke the game open early and sent the Lakers to their first opening-round postseason sweep since 1967.
Second-seeded San Antonio will face Denver or Golden State in the next round.
The injury-depleted Lakers, already missing their top four guards and starting forward Metta World Peace, went down meekly and saw center Dwight Howard ejected after picking up his second technical foul for arguing a non-call in the opening minutes of the third quarter.
Pau Gasol scored 16 points and Andrew Goudelock added 14 for Los Angeles.
The Spurs allowed the Lakers to hang around for the first quarter, leading by eight, but Gary Neal came off the bench and knocked down a pair of three-pointers in a personal 8-0 run to put San Antonio ahead by 14 en route to a 52-34 halftime edge.
The Spurs had only three turnovers in the first half compared to 16 for Los Angeles.
(Editing by Gene Cherry/Peter Rutherford)
| |
NBA-Highlights of Saturday's NBA playoffs games.
Reuters
Bulls 142, Nets 134 (three overtimes)
Nate Robinson scored 34 points before fouling out as host Chicago recovered from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun Brooklyn and take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference best-of-seven series.
Robinson scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, including 12 straight during a game-tying 14-0 run, and Joakim Noah hit the go-ahead shot in the third overtime for Chicago.
Carlos Boozer scored 21 points and Kirk Hinrich had 18 points and 14 assists for the Bulls, who will try to finish the series off in Monday's Game Five at Brooklyn. Deron Williams had 32 points and 10 assists, Brook Lopez had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Joe Johnson scored 22 points for Brooklyn.
The Nets were just 8-of-27 shooting in the three overtimes after making 57.1 percent in regulation.
The Bulls took a 121-119 lead with two seconds left in the first overtime when Robinson hit a running one-hand bank shot.
Brooklyn forced the second overtime when Johnson hit a 10-footer as time expired, and Lopez forced the third by hitting one of two free throws with 48.7 seconds left in the second extra session.
- - -
Thunder 104, Rockets 101
Kevin Durant hit the go-ahead three pointer with 41.9 seconds left and matched his career playoff high with 41 points as visiting Oklahoma City overcame the loss of Russell Westbrook and held off a potent Houston charge to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference best-of-seven series.
Serge Ibaka added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder and pressured Carlos Delfino into missing a tying 3-point attempt from the right corner as time expired.
Oklahoma City learned earlier Saturday that Westbrook is out for the postseason after undergoing knee surgery for an injury suffered in Game 2.
James Harden scored 30 points, Chandler Parsons added 21 and Francisco Garcia had 18 for the Rockets, who recovered from a 26-point first-half deficit to briefly take the lead in the final quarter.
Game 4 is Monday in Houston.
The Rockets trailed 78-62 with less than five minutes to go in the third quarter before catching fire to trail by four entering the final stanza.
Houston finally caught the Thunder at 91 on a three-pointer by Parsons with 5:45 left and took a 94-93 lead on a three-pointer by Delfino with 3:45 remaining.
- - -
Grizzlies 104, Clippers 83
Marc Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds and Zach Randolph had 24 and nine as host Memphis powered past Los Angeles to even the Western Conference best-of-seven series at 2-2.
Mike Conley added 15 points and 13 assists and Tayshaun Prince scored 15 points as the Grizzlies won their second straight game in the series. Game 5 is Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Blake Griffin had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Chris Paul scored 19 for the Clippers. Los Angeles shot just 41 percent from the field and was 4-for-21 from 3-point range.
The contest was tied at 62 late in the third quarter before Memphis went on a 14-5 surge to take a 76-67 lead on Quincy Pondexter's 3-pointer with 10:56 remaining.
A 3-pointer by Jamal Crawford had Los Angeles within six before Conley scored five points during a 12-0 spurt that gave the Grizzlies a 90-72 advantage with 5:31 left.
- - -
Hawks 90, Pacers 69
Al Horford recorded playoff career highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds as host Atlanta pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series with Indiana.
Josh Smith scored 14 points and Jeff Teague added 13 for the Hawks, who put on a defensive display by holding the Pacers to 27.2 percent shooting.
Atlanta will try to even the series when it hosts Game 4 on Monday.
David West scored 18 points and Paul George had 16 for Indiana, which committed 22 turnovers.
The Hawks took control early, holding the Pacers to 23.8 percent shooting in the first half to take a 54-30 lead into the break.
The Hawks stretched the lead to as much as 75-47 late in the third quarter and the Pacers never mounted a serious comeback attempt.
(Editing by Gene Cherry/Ian Ransom)
Norman calls golf's drug testing 'disgraceful'.
Greg Norman says golf's anti-doping procedures are ''disgraceful'' and blood testing needs to be instituted as soon as possible.
''You only have to look at what happened to Vijay Singh just recently to know the drugs issue is there,'' Norman told The Australian newspaper on Monday.
Singh acknowledged in a magazine interview in January that he had used deer antler spray, which contains a muscle-building hormone banned by the PGA Tour. It can be detected only by blood tests.
''How deep it is (the problem), I have no idea because we only do urine analysis instead of blood testing,'' Norman said. ''If you really want to be serious about it and find about what's really going on, we need to do blood testing. I think it's disgraceful, to tell you the truth. The golf associations have to get together and step it up.
''It's a pinprick for a player and you find out what's going on. If you're the head of golf or any sport, if you're the commissioner for a sport, it's your responsibility to make sure your sport is clean. ... That should be your No. 1 priority.''
The Aussie golf great was back in his home country this weekend for his golf-course design work.
''Any sportsman or sportswoman who uses an outside agency to improve their skills is cheating,'' Norman said. ''It sickens me. They're putting a black eye on their sport. If a sport gets itself clean, the corporate dollars will always be there because people will know it's a sport they can trust. The rest will take care of itself.''
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Kentucky Derby workouts: Code West outworked by Oaks filly Midnight Lucky.
By Mike Welsch
Saturday’s workout mayhem led to a relatively calm Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, where a couple of Kentucky Oaks workers stole most of the thunder, at least temporarily, from this year’s Kentucky Derby field.
With half the prospective Derby lineup having worked on Saturday, many of those drills moved forward 24 hours because of weather and track considerations, only Code West breezed on Sunday and afterwards his status as a Derby starter was deemed “very unlikely” by trainer Bob Baffert. Although it did rain some in Louisville on Saturday and again briefly early Sunday morning, the racetrack was in good shape during training hours. In fact, the main track was a bit on the hard side and yielded very fast times following the renovation break.
Sunday at Churchill 57 degrees, track good Work of the day Midnight Lucky (five furlongs in 59.04 seconds) will compete in the Oaks but she surely would have garnered plenty of consideration had she been running against the boys on Derby Day following what was arguably the most impressive workout from either an Oaks or Derby contender here this past week. Midnight Lucky, with exercise rider Dana Barnes up, broke off at the 4 1/2-furlong pole about four lengths behind Code West and cruised through an easy opening quarter in 24.42 and three-eighths in 36.36. Despite fanning about five or six paths wide leaving the turn, Midnight Lucky readily moved closer to her partner upon settling into the stretch before finally drawing even approaching the eighth pole while seemingly doing little more than galloping at that point. She then covered her final quarter in an eye-catching 22.67, which was all the more impressive considering she still appeared to be merely loping along past the wire and into the turn. Midnight Lucky held a half-length advantage over Code West when the pair completed their drill at the 7 ½-furlong marker and maintained that advantage during a strong gallop out, getting six furlongs in 1:11.92 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:25.39. Although her final clocking may have been abetted by a fresh and fast racetrack, it was the visual perception and not the time which made Midnight Lucky’s performance this morning so impressive while re-enforcing the huge impression she made working here in very similar if not quite as spectacular fashion six days earlier. Code West (five furlongs in 59.80) went well but proved no match for Midnight Lucky. With jockey Mike Smith aboard, Code West broke off four lengths in front of the filly and also traveled at a comfortable early pace, posting splits of 24.74 and 36.60 for his opening quarter and three-eighths. He too finished well, a final quarter in 23.20, but was put to some urging to do so in an attempt to keep pace with the superior Midnight Lucky through midstretch and to the wire. Code West also galloped out willingly, completing six furlongs in 1:12.70 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:26.18. Not a bad work but one totally overshadowed by the filly. Close Hatches (four furlongs in 47.56) has had a great week and did nothing to dispel that notion during what really was little more than an easy maintenance work on Sunday. Close Hatches completed her opening quarter in 23.02, was allowed to angle about four paths off the rail into the stretch, changed leads right on cue, then finished willingly without a hint of urging before galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.72. This was also a very nice move but one that was somewhat overshadowed coming just minutes behind Midnight Lucky. Itsmyluckyday and Goldencents made their first visits to the track on Sunday after arriving on the grounds the previous day. Itsmyluckyday did little but jog a mile the wrong way around 7 a.m. but made an extremely positive visual impression, neck bowed, during his brief tour of the course. Goldencents, the Santa Anita Derby winner, also had a relatively quiet first morning jogging next to a pony during the Derby/Oaks training session. Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out all five of his Saturday Derby workers to jog a mile very early Sunday morning and all appear to have come out of their breezes nicely. Winning Cause galloped in Pletcher’s last set prior to the renovation break and is scheduled to work Monday. His Derby status will become clearer after that workout. Orb made another super appearance on Sunday, one day in advance of his final Derby work scheduled for after the break on Monday. The Florida Derby winner galloped a strong 1 1/2 miles, briefly buck-jumping a shadow near the finish line, before changing back to his left lead and continuing on about his business without missing a beat. Govenor Charlie showed a little higher energy level when dropped down nearer the rail for his gallop early Sunday although he still seems to be stabbing the ground rather than reaching out smoothly as he goes. Oxbow merely jogged on Sunday and did not look comfortable or to be travelling very smoothly himself during his relatively abbreviated session. Both Oxbow and stablemate Will Take Charge are scheduled to work on Monday. Juvenile filly champ Beholder also visited the local track for the first time in advance of the Oaks and turned in an easy gallop while equipped not only with blinkers but also ear muffs, which sources say are standard fare for her during training hours in California. **************************************************
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