Hello and happy Monday #SportBits readers, and thanks for stopping by to catch up on all the weekend sports news. There was so much going on this past week – let’s just jump right in.
And then there were two…. In college basketball, both the men and women’s tournament of 64 are down to two final teams. On the men’s side, it will be No. 1 North Carolina v. No. 2 Villanova in tonight’s championship game (9:19pm ET on TBS). Saturday’s games were a little less then exciting, so I’m hoping tonight’s championship will offer a tighter, cleaner game. I think it will.
On Saturday, Villanova took out Buddy Hield and No.1 Oklahoma in the biggest Final Four blowout ever, in a 95-51 rout. Villanova dominated the Sooners after an opening 7 minutes that had the teams trading the lead almost every possession. The Wildcats broke it open with a 21-4 run and the rest was history. The Villanova defense should get all the credit for holding Hield to 9 points in a 4-of-12 shooting night. The other game had my No. 10 Syracuse Orange losing to No. North Carolina 83-66. Once the Tar Heels stopped trying to force the three-pointers late in the first half and attack the zone, the result was a 15-6 run that gave them a double-digit lead going into the half. Syracuse did not have an comeback in them on Saturday, and their improbable tourney run comes to an end. Tonight’s game should be a good one. I don’t usually root for the team that beats my team, but I have to stay loyal the the ACC conference. #GoTarHeels
On the women’s side, the Final Four in Indianapolis took place on Sunday. No.1 UConn beat No.1 Oregon State who advanced to the Final Four for the first time in program history. UConn, who is looking to win their 4th consecutive national title, won in dominant fashion crushing the Beavers 80-59. They will face No. 4 Syracuse, who will be in the championship game for the first time in school history. Syracuse took out No.1 Washington 80-59 in Sunday’s second semifinal. The Championship game can be seen Tuesday night, 8:30pm ET on ESPN. #GoCuse
In the NBA, the big news was Blake Griffin’s return to his LA Clipper team after a 45-game absence. Clippers beat the Washington Wizards on Sunday, 119-109. Griffin was in the starting lineup and played 24 minutes posting up six points, five rebounds and four assists. It seemed like a struggle though, as he missed 5-of-7 shots, bobbled passes and seemed slightly out of shape. Hopefully, this will turn around quickly for Griffin in these last six games before the playoffs start.
In Houston, the Rockets held on for a big win over the OKC Thunder, 118-110 keeping their playoff hopes alive. Former Thunder player James Harden came up big with 41-points with 15 in the last quarter alone. OKC, which entered the game ranked 3rd in defensive boards, committed 21 turnovers that yielded 25 points.
On Friday night, the Boston Celtics snapped the Golden State Warriors 54 home-game winning streak. The 109-106 defeat complicates the Warriors quest for a 73-game winning season. They bounced back on Sunday, however, and trounced the Trailblazers 136-111.
Lastly, the story gaining traction all week in the NBA involved Laker rookie guard D’Angelo Russell and his decision to tape a conversation with teammate Nick Young. During the conversation, Young allegedly talked about cheating on his girlfriend, Iggy Azalea. I’ve had many discussions over the past week with people who feel Russell is done in LA, and should be traded for breaking and “bro code” and losing all respect and trust of his teammates. Others feel Russell, who apologized profusely and said he has no idea how the tape leaked, feel he should remain in the doghouse and have to earn back trust, but that trading him is going to far. Personally, I don’t think you trade your #2 pick over this. The kid just turned 20 and his frontal cortex let him down, big-time. But don’t trade him. That would be a mistake. Also, I think the Lakers should take some heat over the lack of management and development of their young players.
Here is your guide to the NBA playoff picture and scenarios heading into the last 2 weeks of the regular season.
Ok..that’s it for #SportBits. There are a lot of great games to keep an eye on this week. Make sure to check the men’s championship game tonight, and the women’s game tomorrow. The Master’s starts on Thursday, and you know people will be talking about it next week. As always, check in with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for sports news and scores. Have great week!
The post #SportBits …. Catch Up On A Busy Week in Sports! appeared first on Her Daily.