Monthly Archives: June 2024

The NBA Finals are about to start, and yet again, LeBron James will be watching the series on television instead of participating in it.

After reaching the championship series 10 times, James has exited early in the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. Of course, in 2022, his Los Angeles Lakers didnt even reach the play-in tournament even though he had Russell Westbrook, his hand-picked third star, by his side.

One man who will compete in this years finals will be Kyrie Irving, a man who was on James Cleveland Cavaliers when they got there three years in a row together.

On the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, James said hes mad he isnt Irvings teammate anymore while calling the eight-time All-Star the most gifted player the NBA has ever seen. Before the Dallas Mavericks landed the New Jersey native from the Brooklyn Nets in a midseason trade last year, the Lakers made two attempts to acquire him.

Irving responded to James comments in a complimentary way.

Irving Mavs will be going up against the Boston Celtics, which means many Lakers fans will likely be rooting for him and his squad. At the same time, they will also likely be watching him in a wistful way, as plenty of Purple and Gold fans wish he wouldve become a member of their team.

Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire

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Kyrie Irving responds to LeBron James' comments about him - Yahoo Sports

PITTSBURGH When it became clear that Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes would make his fifth career big-league start against the Dodgers, it was natural to circle the game on the calendar as a definitive must-watch.

No matter who is on the mound, Dodgers first innings have become something of an event in and of themselves, considering the three MVPs atop the lineup in Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. And with each Skenes start early in his career feeling similarly momentous, it was a perfect storm of regular-season intrigue, priming Wednesdays contest to be a bit more special than your average weeknight game in June.

As first pitch approached, buzz was building among the PNC Park crowd eager to bear witness to Skenes showcasing his stuff against three of the best hitters on the planet.

But its still baseball. So many underwhelming outcomes can come from any individual plate appearance; grand visions of epic strikeouts or titanic home runs punctuating matchups between top-tier talents rarely come to fruition. Pitting two of the games best against each other cannot guarantee a memorable result, only set the stage for one.

But when the stars do align, and the results of these heightened plate appearances match up with the supersonic talent on said stage? Youve got to appreciate that when it happens.

Skenes first pitch to Betts on Wednesday was a 101 mph fastball at the bottom of the zone for strike one. His second offering was a 101 mph fastball at the top of the zone that Betts swung through haplessly for strike two. Two pitches later, Betts flailed at a slider for strike three. The crowd erupted, not realizing it was merely an appetizer for what would come next.

In less than a minute of real time, Skenes proceeded to throw three consecutive triple-digit fastballs and yield three consecutive whiffs on three spectacularly intense swings from Ohtani. The ballpark exploded with excitement once again as Ohtani staggered back to the dugout in a daze, left to contemplate the high-octane firefight he had just lost in emphatic fashion.

Round 1 went to Skenes, who turned 22 years old last week.

While everyone in the ballpark probably wouldve loved to immediately fast-forward to the next Skenes/Ohtani at-bat, the rematch was mildly delayed. The Pirates pounced on Dodgers starter James Paxton, forcing him to depart after recording just five outs. By the time Ohtani arrived at the plate in the third inning nearly 50 minutes later, Skenes had been afforded a 7-0 lead. With the home fans enjoying a comfortable cushion, the crowd returned its focus to how Skenes would attack Ohtani in Round 2.

Again, Skenes greeted Ohtani with 100 mph, and again, Ohtani swung with significant intent to do damage, but to no avail. After Ohtani was unfazed by two changeups outside the zone for balls one and two, Skenes went back to the basics: 99.5 mph above the zone, prompting another vicious, helpless hack from Ohtani for strike two. Another 100 mph heater followed, off the inside part of the plate for ball three, producing an ever-enticing full count.

Having already yielded an astonishing five whiffs on five fastballs from one of the most dangerous fastball hitters of this generation, Skenes reared back one more time. In came 100.1 mph at the top of the strike zone. Out went a towering fly ball to straight-away center field, soaring over the 10-foot wall for a home run.

Round 2 went to Ohtani, who is leading the National League in total bases and also knows a little something about throwing 100 mph.

Yeah, I like to call that big on big, Skenes said afterward. Obviously, [I] beat him a couple times earlier. And I think that was the right pitch to throw there. He's just a pretty darn good player. So stuff like that's gonna happen.

And frankly, that's why we play the game, is for matchups like that. So [Im] not happy to give it up, but it's part of the game.

Reflecting on facing Skenes postgame, Ohtani offered his analysis through interpreter Will Ireton: The stuff itself was really good. As you saw in my first at-bat, I couldnt really put together good swings. But overall, its just really good stuff.

Rather than the velo, its really the angle and the release [that make Skenes hard to hit], so I made the adjustment in the second at-bat.

Ohtanis uncanny ability to adjust on the fly, even after looking so overmatched in the first inning, was on display in his third at-bat against Skenes amid an eventful fifth inning. After rookie center fielder Andy Pages tagged Skenes for a home run to lead off the inning and Chris Taylor reached on an error, Skenes responded by striking out both Betts and Freeman looking.

Between those two Ks, Ohtani ripped a single into right field on you guessed it a high fastball. Although Skenes navigated out of the inning to conclude his night without further damage, Ohtani claimed the third and final round of their battle, leaving us all to wonder how Skenes will respond in their next encounter. (The Pirates visit Dodger Stadium Aug. 9-11, in case youre curious.)

Ohtani mightve ended the night with the upper hand between the two, but Skenes unquestionably handled the larger assignment of taming the Dodgers lineup and securing a series victory for Pittsburgh with the 10-6 win. His successful outing provided an exciting encore to what fellow rookie righty Jared Jones did Tuesday in the series opener, throwing six scoreless innings featuring three of his own dramatic encounters with Ohtani, all of which went Jones way (2 K's and a GIDP).

A close friend of Skenes dating to their days playing travel ball as teenagers in Southern California, Jones wields equally electric stuff as his ultra-famous teammate, albeit without quite the exposure at least not yet. But with the duo garnering more attention and promise with each successive outing, the future in Pittsburgh appears to be getting brighter in a hurry, and that feeling was palpable the past two nights at PNC Park.

It was a great atmosphere, Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday. And you know, I think when you have young players that you've drafted and developed like we have with [Jared] Jones, Skenes and even [Mitch] Keller, we're seeing the fans are into it.

It's really fun to see this ballpark come alive.

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Shohei Ohtani vs. Paul Skenes lives up to the hype: 'That's why we play the game ... for matchups like that' - Yahoo Sports

Though a lot of it was to be expected, longtime UConn womens basketball coach Geno Auriemma thinks Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has been targeted so far during her rookie season in the WNBA.

Auriemmas comments came after Clark was hit by Chicago Sky forward Chennedy Carter during their contest on Saturday. That play, which was upgraded to a flagrant foul later by the league, has been subject to plenty of criticism and discussion in the sports world ever since since.

Is she facing the rookie challenge, the rookie hardships that are inherent with being a rookie? Yes, Auriemma said Wednesday, via ESPNs Michael Voepel. Shes also being targeted.

Carter hip-checked Clark late in the third quarter of the Fevers win over the Sky on Saturday and knocked her to the ground from behind. Carter was called for a common foul in the moment, but the league upgraded it the following day and fined her $1,000. The two had been going at it during the game in the lead up to the foul, but Carter escalated things significantly.

Chennedy got caught up in the heat of the moment in an effort to win the game, Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon said in a statement, in part. She and I have discussed what happened and that it was not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are.

Carter who refused to talk about Clark immediately after the game, which Auriemma called "junior high stuff" said later that she has "no regrets" about the foul itself.

"At the end of the day, it's all love outside of basketball," Carter said. "When we're in those four lines, it's smoke. After, it's all love."

Clark has been fairly quiet about the play itself, and has instead largely just moved on. Shes averaged 15.6 points, 6.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game so far this season. The Fever are just 2-9 on the year, and are coming off a 104-68 loss to the New York Liberty on Sunday.

Though Clark is coming off a historic and sport-altering career at Iowa, and she has already helped break numerous viewership records during her short time in the WNBA, Auriemma compared her to several other former NBA greats on Wednesday. When players like Michael Jordan or Larry Bird entered the league, he said, they werent being targeted the way he thinks Clark is.

I dont remember when Jordan came into the [NBA], guys looking to go out and beat him up, Auriemma said. I dont remember when Bird and Magic came into the league and elevated the NBA, them getting targeted and beat up just because of who they were and the attention they were getting.

Appreciate the fact that nows the time [for the WNBA]. I get it. Its long overdue. Why are you blaming that kid? Its not her fault, because you would trade places with her in a minute, but you are not there. Youre not her. So youre [complaining] that she's getting what shes getting.

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UConn's Geno Auriemma thinks Caitlin Clark is being 'targeted' in the WNBA after incident with Chennedy Carter - Yahoo Sports

Paul Skenes vs. Shohei Ohtani is the kind of matchup that can sell an entire game. It more than lived up to its billing in Wednesday's matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Skenes took the mound against the NL West-leading Dodgers for the fifth start of his career and began on a dominant note, striking out Mookie Betts on four pitches. He then faced Ohtani, and what happened next can only be described as violence.

First pitch: 101.3 mph swinging strike.

Second pitch: 100.1 mph swinging strike (with a foul tip).

Third pitch: 100.8 mph swinging strike.

You might never see Ohtani look as overmatched as he did here.

Skenes proceeded to get Freddie Freeman out on a fly ball to end the inning.

The Skenes-Ohtani rematch came in the third, with the Pirates up 7-0 after a disaster inning for Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton. Skenes got another swinging strike with a 99.6 mph first-pitch fastball, then ran the count full.

Having gotten five swinging strikes on six fastballs to Ohtani so far, Skenes went back to the fastball yet again for the payoff pitch. But this time Ohtani was ready for it, sending it 415 feet into the batter's eye in center field.

Per MLB.com's Sarah Langs, that 100.1 mph fastball was the fastest pitch Ohtani has homered on in his career.

Ohtani won the third round as well, pulling a 98.1 mph fastball for a one-out single in the fifth inning. Skenes finished his day with five innings pitched, three earned runs, six hits, one walk and eight strikeouts, getting the win in a 10-6 victory for the Pirates.

That is some fun baseball, possibly for no one more than Skenes. While he is known as a flame-throwing monster on the mound, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft was once known for his own two-way abilities as a hitter and pitcher. While at the Air Force Academy, Skenes won the John Olerud Award as the nation's top two-way player in 2022 before he transferred to LSU and focused on pitching.

As he told MLB.com's Alex Stumpf, he idolized Ohtani during that stretch of his career:

I grew up watching him, Skenes said. As a two-way guy, that was what I was trying to be before I got drafted. He was an inspiration in a lot of ways.

Skenes got to see one side of that talent up close and personal Wednesday, with mixed results.

Continue reading here:

Paul Skenes blows away Shohei Ohtani, who returns the favor in his next at-bat - Yahoo Sports

Aaron Jones, Monank Patel and the USA cricket team continue to co-host the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup this week. (Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Its time for the ninth edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup the very first cricket world cup that the US will co-host. Between June 1 and June 29, a record 20 cricket teams will play 55 matches for the 2024 T20 World Cup trophy. The action continues this morning with India vs. Ireland at 10:30 a.m. ET. Then, tonight, Papua New Guinea plays Uganda at 7:30 p.m. and Australia faces Oman at 8:30 p.m. Are you ready to watch the cricket world cup? Unfortunately, in the US, the sport still airs on the niche Willow TV, which you may not already have access to. But weve got you covered. Heres everything you need to know about where to stream matches, how to watch for free, the full cricket world cup schedule and more.

Date: June 5, 2024

Time: 10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. ET

TV channel: Willow TV

Streaming: Sling, DirecTV, VPN

The cricket world cup began on Saturday, June 1, 2024. The tournament continues today with India vs. Ireland (10:30 AM), Papua New Guinea vs. Uganda (7:30 PM) and Australia vs. Oman (8:30 PM). The final match will be held on Saturday, June 29.

USA and the West Indies are co-hosting the 2024 T20 World Cup, and matches will be played across nine venues in Dallas, Bridgetown, Providence, New York, Lauderhill, North Sound, Gros Islet, Kingstown and Tarouba.

In the US, the cricket world cup will air exclusively on Willow TV. You may not have the niche cricket cable channel in your current package, or no longer have cable at all. But dont worry, you can sign up for Willow TV directly, or add it to a live TV streaming service like Sling or DirecTV Stream. You can also check out other ways to stream the cricket world cup for free (or almost free) with the help of a VPN below.

While in the US, the T20 World Cup will be airing exclusively on Willow TV (which you'll need cable or a subscription for), in Australia it's all streaming on Amazon Prime Video so all you need to do to tune in is be a Prime subscriber.

Dont live in Australia? Don't worry, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether youre looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to the cricket world cup on Amazon Prime in Australia, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.

In Australia, viewers are able to tune into all 55 matches of the cricket world cup on Amazon Prime Video. While you may not live in Australia, you can still stream like you do with a VPN. But ExpressVPN offers internet without borders, meaning US viewers can tune into international shows, movies and sporting events as opposed to paying for US coverage. All you'll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location to Australua, and then find the games on Amazon Prime Video.

ExpressVPNs added protection, speed and range of location options make it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities, plus it's Engadget's top pick for the best streaming VPN. New users can save 49% when they sign up for ExpressVPNs 12-month subscription. Plus, the service offers a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you're nervous about trying a VPN.

The T20 World Cup will have 20 teams playing in 2024. The hosts, USA and West Indies will, of course, play. They are joined by England, Pakistan, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia, Netherlands, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Nepal, Oman, Namibia, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.

All times Eastern

June 5, 2024

India vs. Ireland - 10:30 AM

Papua New Guinea vs. Uganda - 7:30 PM

Australia vs. Oman - 8:30 PM

June 6, 2024

United States Of America vs. Pakistan - 11:30 AM

Namibia vs. Scotland - 3:00 PM

June 7, 2024

Canada vs. Ireland - 10:30 AM

Afghanistan vs. New Zealand - 7:30 PM

Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka - 8:30 PM

June 8, 2024

Netherlands vs. South Africa - 10:30 AM

Australia vs. England - 1:00 PM

West Indies vs. Uganda - 8:30 PM

June 9, 2024

India vs. Pakistan - 10:30 AM

Oman vs. Scotland - 1:00 PM

June 10, 2024

Bangladesh vs. South Africa - 10:30 AM

June 11, 2024

Canada vs. Pakistan - 10:30 AM

Nepal vs. Sri Lanka - 7:30 PM

Australia vs. Namibia - 8:30 PM

June 12, 2024

United States Of America vs. India - 10:30 AM

West Indies vs. New Zealand - 8:30 PM

June 13, 2024

Bangladesh vs. Netherlands - 10:30 AM

England vs. Oman - 3:00 PM

Afghanistan vs. Papua New Guinea - 8:30 PM

June 14, 2024

United States Of America vs. Ireland - 10:30 AM

Nepal vs. South Africa - 7:30 PM

New Zealand vs. Uganda - 8:30 PM

June 15, 2024

Canada vs. India - 10:30 AM

England vs. Namibia - 1:00 PM

Australia vs. Scotland - 8:30 PM

June 16, 2024

Ireland vs. Pakistan - 10:30 AM

Bangladesh vs. Nepal - 7:30 PM

Netherlands vs. Sri Lanka - 8:30 PM

June 17, 2024

New Zealand vs. Papua New Guinea - 10:30 AM

West Indies vs. Afghanistan - 8:30 PM

Canada:

Saad Bin Zafar (captain), Aaron Johnson, Dilon Heyliger, Dilpreet Bajwa, Harsh Thaker, Jeremy Gordon, Junaid Siddiqui, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Rayyankhan Pathan, Shreyas Movva.

Reserves: Tajinder Singh, Aaditya Varadharajan, Ammar Khalid, Jatinder Matharu, Parveen Kumar.

India:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.

Ireland:

Paul Stirling (captain), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Pakistan:

Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan.

United States:

Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones, Steven Taylor, Corey Anderson, Saurabh Netravalkar, Jessy Singh, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Nitish Kumar, Andries Gous, Shayan Jahangir, Ali Khan, Nisarg Patel, Milind Kumar.

Reserves: Gajanand Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Yasir Mohammad.

Australia:

Mitchell Marsh (captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Reserves: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short.

England:

Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.

Namibia:

Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, PD Blignaut.

Oman:

Aqib Ilyas (captain), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi, Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad.

Reserves: Jatinder Singh, Samay Shrivastava, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra.

Scotland:

Richie Berrington (captain), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.

Afghanistan:

Rashid Khan (captain), Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohammad Ishaq, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran.

Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi.

New Zealand:

Kane Williamson (captain), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.

Reserve: Ben Sears.

Papua New Guinea:

Assadollah Vala (captain), CJ Amini, Alei Nao, Chad Soper, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura.

Uganda:

Brian Masaba (captain), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel.

Reserves: Innocent Mwebaze, Ronald Lutaaya

West Indies:

Rovman Powell (captain), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.

Reserves: Kyle Mayers, Matthew Forde, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh, and Andre Fletcher

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How to watch cricket in the US: Where to stream the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tonight - Yahoo Sports

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The wide receiver market was reset this week as Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson reframed the narrative about paying wideouts with a massive four-year extension worth a reported $140 million. With other star receivers like Dallas' Ceedee Lamb and San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk due for extensions of their own, how do GMs around the league approach their jobs when $35 million per year for a star wide receiver is now the going rate?

Jason Fitz, Charles Robinson & Nate Tice ask that very question and figure out what the next few years of roster construction looks like in this brave new world where teams are expected to pay top dollar for a quarterback, an offensive tackle, a star edge rusher, a lockdown corner and now an explosive wide receiver.

Before they get into the Jefferson deal, they first take a look at the Cleveland Browns, who reportedly inked extensions this offseason for GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski? What will the Browns look like in 2024 with a top front office & coaching situation, yet still a big question mark around the play of Deshaun Watson?

Later in the show, the guys discuss the recent lifetime bans of players in the NBA and MLB for betting on games, and how the NFL would react if a similar situation happened in their league? What would an 'extinction level' event look like for the NFL if one of their top players was caught in a similar scandal?

Finally, the guys close out the show grading three stories from offseason minicamps, as Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson professes to be the next Christian McCaffrey, Indianapolis Colts WR Adonai Mitchell is turning heads in camp & the Los Angeles Chargers coaching staff is hyping up year two of WR Quentin Johnston.

(3:00) - Browns extend HC Stefanski & GM Berry

(17:30) - Justin Jefferson contract & what it mean's for NFL roster building

(34:50) - How can NFL avoid betting scandals?

(52:15) - Minicamp buy/sell: Bijan Robinson, Adonai Mitchell, Quentin Johnston

Zero Blitz would be nothing without the impact of our beloved Terez Paylor, who was a pillar of Yahoo Sports' NFL editorial and podcast coverage. We will continue to produce this NFL podcast in his honor, and hope that you can support Terez Paylor's legacy in one of three ways:

Buy an "All-Juice Team" hoodie or tee from BreakingT.com/Terez. All profits directly fund the Terez A. Paylor scholarship at Howard University.

Donate directly to the PowerMizzou Journalism Alumni Scholarship in memory of Terez Paylor

Donate directly at giving.howard.edu/givenow. Under Tribute, please note that your gift is made in memory of Terez A. Paylor. Under Designation, click on Other and write in Terez A. Paylor Scholarship.

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What the Justin Jefferson deal means for roster construction, stability in Cleveland & will the NFL have a major betting ... - Yahoo Sports

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On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Yahoo Sports NBA contributor Tom Haberstroh to talk about the Boston Celtics and more.

The guys talk through their own trust issues about the Boston Celtics. Whether its the style of play, the soft path through the playoffs, or the disappointments on the resumes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, its just hard to believe that the Celtics will dominate the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

In previewing tomorrow nights game 1, the guys talk about Kristaps Porzingis health and how the Dallas Mavericks might attack him on defense to take advantage of a sore calf or rust from time off.

Vinnie and Tom go through some of the coaching news from the last couple of weeks (extensions for Ty Lue & Mike Brown, Brian Keefe earning the job in Washington) before discussing J.J. Redick, who appears to be the front-runner to become the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tom points out that LeBrom James could be a free agent this offseason, and lays out a couple of teams that might be good fits for LeBron to join.if they were to draft Bronny James.

Finally, the guys each pick 5 current NBA players that they would like to see as head coaches in the NBA in the future.

Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

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Celtics trust issues, LeBron's free agency & NBA Finals predictions | Good Word with Goodwill - Yahoo Sports

Are you willing to bet on anyone other than Jayson Tatum and Luka Doni to win NBA Finals MVP?

The two first-team All-NBA members are the clear favorites for the award at BetMGM ahead of Game 1 on Thursday. Tatum is better than even money to win at -120, while Doni is at +200.

Even though Doni is the consensus best player in the series, Tatum has significantly better odds than Doni because the Celtics enter the Finals as the clear favorites. Boston is still -225 to win the Finals, while Dallas is +180. The Celtics are 6.5-point favorites at home on Thursday night.

Tatum has averaged 26 points per game on 44% shooting during the postseason so far. If his 3-point percentage rebounds, he could be in for a big Finals; he's shooting just 29% from behind the arc over 14 postseason games after shooting 37.6% from deep during the regular season.

Donis field goal percentage has also dropped this postseason as hes dealt with some lingering injuries and more defensive focus. After averaging nearly 34 points a game in the regular season, Doni is scoring just under 29 points per game this postseason and shooting 43.8% from the field compared to 48.7% in the regular season.

After struggling in Dallas Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, Doni rebounded with a huge game in Game 5. He shot 63.6% from the field with 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Jaylen Brown is the clear No. 3 favorite behind Tatum and Doni at +625. Brown is averaging 25 points per game and shooting over 54% from the field in the playoffs. If you like Boston to cash in as favorites, he may be a better bet than Tatum.

Kyrie Irving is +1800 to win Finals MVP as he heads back to Boston for the first time as a member of the Mavericks. Irving last played against his former team in Boston during the 2022 postseason as a member of the Nets.

Irving has been phenomenal so far for the Mavericks in the playoffs. Hes shooting nearly 49% and is averaging 22.8 points and 5.2 assists per game.

After those four players, the odds for MVP get really long. And you have to go a ways down the board to find the next Mavericks player. Favorites Nos. 5-8 are all Celtics players before you get to three Mavericks at +30000.

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NBA Finals betting: Jayson Tatum and Luka Doni are, unsurprisingly, the clear favorites for MVP - Yahoo Sports