Hello everyone, Shanna McCarriston here, excited to catch up and bring you all the latest sports news.
Last night I watched the Nets defeat the Bucks to go up 3-2 in the series, and wow, what a game it was. Milwaukee nearly escaped with the win. Brooklyn was trailing by 17 at one point and Milwaukee's fast start put the home team in a tough position. But the Nets did what we all know they know how to do and pulled off a win.
Many didn't even think the Bucks would make this an interesting series, but injuries changed the tune of this matchup. Let me know on Twitter what your thoughts are on this series and if you have any hot takes for the game (or games) coming up.
We will discuss that exciting game, as well as NFL previews, MLB drama, European Championship games and more.
Let's get to it.
📰 What you need to know
1. Kevin Durant carries Nets to massive comeback win over Bucks 🏀
The Nets and their fans are thanking Kevin Durant this morning. The superstar put the team on his back and was a main reason Brooklyn defeated Milwaukee, 114-108, last night. KD played 48 minutes and had 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.
It wasn't easy for the Nets, who trailed by as many as 17 and seemed to always be a bit behind, but a fourth quarter surge -- led by KD -- was all they needed.
Here are some takeaways from the contest, courtesy of our NBA scribe Sam Quinn:
- What else can you say about Kevin Durant: I mean, it's a decent question. Love him or hate him, the guy can play. As mentioned before, he had quite the stat line. He played every single minute of the game, something that was last done in a playoff game in 2018 by LeBron James. Durant didn't need a breather and was able to keep the momentum for the whole time
- Hard night for Harden, but does it matter: James Harden only had five points, six rebounds and eight assists, and while he did have exceptional passing, it wasn't a star night for him. He also played 46 minutes, something he said after the game that he did not expect to do. It will be telling how he can recover after the win and how ready he will be for Game 6
- This might be it for Mike Budenholzer: The Bucks coach has made some seriously questionable choices and last night was no different. The Bucks did not double Durant early on, and also didn't attack Harden defensively early enough
You want one more massive takeaway that is also a semi-hot take?
With his performance last night, Durant proved that he is the best basketball player in the world. He did so while carrying a short-handed team to a massive playoff win -- something he had never done in his career.
Game 6 is in Milwaukee on Thursday, with the Nets having the chance to put this series away.
2. Tyler Glasnow explains how new MLB rules may have led to his injury ⚾
Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and a flexor tendon strain, and he is not being shy about why he believes the injury happened. Yes, Glasnow is partially blaming his injury on MLB's new foreign substance policy.
Potential injuries has not been a common topic surrounding the rule change, but it will be now after Glasnow said the following:
- Glasnow said: "I just threw 80 something innings and you just told me I can't use anything. I have to change everything. I truly believe 100 percent that's why I got hurt. I'm frustrated MLB doesn't understand. You can't just tell us to use nothing. It's crazy"
He added that he currently has no plans to have Tommy John surgery and hopes to repair the injury with rehab alone. The other interesting part of Glasnow's rant? He admitted that he has used a combination of rosin and sunscreen throughout his career to get a better grip on the ball -- but to help with control, not spin rate. Glasnow also inferred that most pitchers do use something similar because baseballs have become so difficult to grip.
In other pitcher injury news, Washington Nationals star Max Scherzer was placed on the injured list due to groin inflammation. His recovery is one to watch, not only for the value he brings to the team, but also as we approach the trade deadline. He is eligible to return next week, ideally giving other teams five weeks of pitching to show the type of player he is.
3. Top QBs and RBs heading into the 2021 NFL season 🏈
I don't even have to say it: loyal readers already know I'm ready for the NFL season and our writers at CBS Sports are, too. Thanks to them, we have an expert look at how the season will shape up. Today, let's talk top running backs and quarterbacks.
Now, there are always some flops and some surprises, so please don't come into anyone's DMs yelling at them when not every single one of these is perfectly on target. That being said, they're usually very accurate, so let's see what they have to say.
Top 5 quarterbacks, via Cody Benjamin
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
- Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
This top 5 is pretty standard, with the elite quarterbacks being in the top for years now. I'm excited to watch Allen play and hope he continues to bring wild plays and advanced decision making to the Bills offense. The Bills deserved a franchise quarterback of his caliber for a long time, and they finally got one.
Top 5 running backs, via Patrik Walker
- Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
- Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
- Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
- Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
- Ezekiel Elliot, Dallas Cowboys
I'm most looking forward to watching McCaffrey's year to see how he bounce back after a season that was more about his injuries than anything else.
4. European Championships recap: France proves why they are favorites ⚽
The first round of games at the European Championships has wrapped up, and while it's early, this gave us an idea of who has the best chance of winning the tournament. CBS Sports' own James Benge has put together power rankings. Take a look:
- France (1-0-0)
- Italy (1-0-0)
- Portugal (1-0-0)
- England (1-0-0)
- Belgium (1-0-0)
- Spain (0-1-0)
- Netherlands (0-1-0)
- Slovakia (0-1-0)
- Germany (0-1-0)
- Czech Republic (1-0-0)
For the full list and commentary, click here.
While France's win over Germany wasn't the most impressive performance from their squad, it showed how high their floor may be. Other teams that played exceptional showed where their best might be, but France has even more room to grow with their world-class midfielders Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante.
We also saw history made on Tuesday, as Cristiano Ronaldo set the European Championship scoring record in Portugal's win over Hungary. Ronaldo scored his 10th and 11th goals, breaking Michel Platini's record.
📝 Odds & Ends
- Damian Lillard and Draymond Green reportedly commit to playing for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics
- The 2021 World Series of Poker, the richest and longest-running poker event in the world, will begin Sept. 30 on CBS
- Cristiano Ronaldo shoved Coca-Cola for water at a press conference and Tom Brady tweeted that he agrees with the move
📺 What to watch tonight
🏀 Hawks vs. Sixers, 7:30 p.m. | PHI -250 | TV: TNT
🏒 Canadians vs. Golden Knights, 9 p.m. | VGK -260 | TV: NBCS
🏀 Clippers vs. Jazz, 10 p.m. | UTAH -145 | TV: TNT
🥇 Best thing I saw on the internet
The Aaron Rodgers-Green Bay Packers drama continues and now it looks like the QB is even poking fun at his team on Twitter. Rodgers alluded to not having "an option" to make choices when it came to his team while talking about an upcoming celebrity golf match. Tom Brady even chimed in.
