The Big Game: Allen wins MVP, what are the vibes in New Orleans?
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – On Friday, News 8's Theresa Marsenburg speaks with reporter Chris Hagen who was live in New Orleans, home of the Big Game.
Hagen began by discussing Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen winning Most Valuable Player.
Hagen also discussed what the vibe is like for players and fans in the lead up to the Big Game, and shared his predictions for which team wins and what player could win the Big Game's MVP.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won't try to ‘reinvent the wheel' but he's rewriting NBA Finals history
OKLAHOMA CITY — Go ahead and join in on the silly chant if you so please. 'Freee-throoow merrrchaaant …' the Indiana Pacers faithful will likely boom at Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when these NBA Finals relocate for Game 3 on Wednesday. Or, if history repeats itself, keep engaging in those silly online discussions about how the reigning MVP just isn't aesthetically pleasing enough to watch to warrant all the hype that surrounds him. Advertisement Those are fool's errands, to be sure. But for the vast majority of this season, in which the 26-year-old has been playing his way into the NBA annals, dazzling with his smooth style and misdirection magic while carrying this Thunder team that evened the finals with a 123-107 win in Game 2 on Sunday night, they've been happening nonetheless. Maybe the basketball-loving folks in the Hoosier State will surprise us all and break this disrespectful trend. As SGA's 34-point, eight-assist, five-rebound outing in the Thunder's revenge game reminded the masses, there's a drumbeat quality to his game that often undercuts the public's ability, or willingness, perhaps, to appreciate what he does. He gets to his spots, reads (and confuses) the defense, then makes the proper choice on whether to score or dish with an accuracy that is remarkable and unspectacular all at once. He doesn't soar through the air like Ja Morant or Anthony Edwards for the viral dunk or fill up the box score in quite the same fashion as the magnificent Nikola Jokić, but he has managed to end all of their seasons during this seven-week playoff stretch that is quietly on pace to be one of the best of all time. Not that his legion of haters has bothered to notice. Let's start with the micro. By scoring a combined 72 points in his first two NBA Finals games, Gilgeous-Alexander surpassed the great Allen Iverson (71 points) as the leader in that niche category. It's worth noting because there was some revealing criticism of his Game 1 performance, when he scored 38 points in the Thunder's jaw-dropping loss but had just three assists (while shooting 14 of 30 from the field). Everyone is fair game to scrutinize after a loss of that magnitude, and the fact that he missed his last two shots in the final 66 seconds was an understandable part of that discussion, but it's still mildly hilarious that any player could be deemed not good enough with a borderline 40-burger. Advertisement Now for the macro. Through 18 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.8 points, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in these playoffs. You know how many guys have ever had a postseason like that, hitting those marks (30-6-5-1.8) during a playoff run in which they played at least 16 games? TWO. And you're probably familiar with their names. Michael Jordan (four times) and LeBron James (twice). That's the list — for now. That comes, of course, after Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring during the regular season while leading the Thunder to a 68-14 mark, the No. 1-ranked defense and the league's best point differential of all time. So yeah, maybe it's time to stop with all the nitpicking and give this young man his flowers. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle certainly did after Game 2. '(With) Shai, you can mark down 34 points before they even get on the plane tomorrow for the next game,' he said. 'The guy's going to score. We've got to find ways to make it as tough as possible on him.' One might say that's a different way of deeming SGA unstoppable. Yet even with Carlisle's comment, it's notable that he wasn't asked a single question about Gilgeous-Alexander's performance. He shoehorned that insight into a question about the Thunder's offensive depth. On this night, like so many that have come before it, it was as if Gilgeous-Alexander's massive part in the Thunder win was such a given that it wasn't even worth discussing. But that consistency shouldn't be taken for granted. As these last two series have shown, there's a difference between a superstar like Gilgeous-Alexander, who shows out almost every single night, and the stars like Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, who are more of a roller-coaster experience. Haliburton's incredible game winner in Game 1 disguised that he was largely ineffective leading up to that magical moment. Three nights later, with Lu Dort and Cason Wallace making him so miserable throughout, he was MIA when it mattered most (three points, three assists in the first half) before finishing with 17 points, six assists and five turnovers. Advertisement Two games in, here's how the battle of the point guards is sizing up … SGA: 36 points, 5.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and two turnovers per game. Haliburton: 15.5 points, 6.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds, one steal and four turnovers per game. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault is the least shocked observer of them all. 'Yeah, unsurprising at this point,' he said afterward. 'It's just kind of what he does. He just continues to progress and improve and rise to every occasion that he puts himself in and that we put ourselves in. I thought his floor game tonight was really, really in a great rhythm. I thought everyone played better individually, and I thought we played better collectively. I think that was a byproduct.' For Gilgeous-Alexander's part, the (elite) work continues from here. Whether people are going to appreciate it or not. 'I'm being myself,' he said. 'I don't think I tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way. I think I've done a pretty good job of that so far. Now, I would trade the points for two W's, for sure. But this is where our feet are. This is where we are. You can't go back in the past. You can only make the future better. That's what I'm focused on.' It was quite fitting that SGA made that statement while wearing his customary shades, for his future is indeed so bright that it's blinding. He wore a T-shirt that featured the late, great John Lennon as well. Just imagine the possibilities that lie ahead for him and these Thunder.
Indianapolis Star
2 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
'One of best weeks of my life.' Putting a bow on Indiana All-Stars, 2025 graduating class
The completion of the Indiana All-Stars series against Kentucky is always a little emotional, maybe more for the parents than the players. Literally a day later for many of the All-Stars, they check in at their colleges and officially close the door on their high school experience. Lives change. Parents say goodbye, knowing it will never quite be the same as it was those first 18 years — no matter how far away their sons or daughters are going away to college. I was reminded of that fact Saturday after the Indiana All-Stars' team defeated Kentucky 105-92 to sweep the boys from the Bluegrass state for the 19th time in the past 26 years of the series that dates to 1940 (not counting the cancelled year of 2020). There were plenty of hugs and smiles and then … poof … they were gone. Time marches on. Maybe I'm a little more emotional and connected to this 2025 class because I have a graduate of my own in this class. It feels like I have been watching and covering players like Braylon Mullins, Mark Zackery IV, Dezmon Briscoe, Azavier Robinson, Julius Gizzi, Justin Kirby and Brady Koehler for a long time. It will be fun to see what they accomplish at the next level in college and beyond. For Mullins, Greenfield-Central's first IndyStar Mr. Basketball, it is off to UConn, where he will get caught up quickly with the rest of the incoming recruits, who are already on campus. He will move in Monday and get to work — really get to work — Tuesday. 'I've just been going through watching the film and watching what I need to so I can get caught up to speed,' said Mullins, who finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals to earn MVP honors in Saturday's game. 'It's way different than I expected. I'm going to be in the best shape of my life by week two. But I'm excited for it. It's an experience I can't take for granted.' Ben Davis' Zackery, this year's Mr. Football, played his best game of the week for the All-Stars on Saturday, going for 10 points (2-for-4 from the 3-point line) with six assists and five rebounds. The crazy thing about Zackery is how little basketball he's played in the past several months after getting surgery on his thumb from a football injury and missing almost the entire season. I know his future is in football at Notre Dame, but I will always wonder what he might have been if he played just basketball. His quickness and wing-span alone would put him at an elite level. There were a few times this weekend when he just hit the accelerate button and Kentucky could not stay in front of him. 'He's one of the smartest people on the floor,' Mullins said of Zackery. 'You won't see anybody quicker, faster or smarter. He does a lot of things good for our team. He's a very unselfish player. I can believe he's really good at basketball on top of that, a really good football player. He would do really well on both sports if he wanted to do that.' I thought it was cool Zackery and Lawrence North grad Azavier Robinson, named the Wooden-MCL Citizenship award winner, were roommates. Imagine putting those two in the same backcourt together, especially on defense. Though Zackery called it his 'last basketball game ever,' All-Stars coach Marc Urban of Chesterton said he was more than happy to have him on the team. 'He's one of the most elite people I've ever been around,' Urban said. 'Being able to observe him from our first practice, through this whole week, the way he carries himself and how hard he goes, he is elite. He's super dialed in, super focused, super mature. He led us in a lot of ways. He just stayed focused throughout and was fun to be around. I feel very lucky to be around him for this week.' I think that is a pretty typical feeling after the All-Stars experience. There will always be a few outliers (often related to playing time) or behavior issues during the week. But Urban said the experience was even more fulfilling than he imagined. 'Honestly, it's been one of the best weeks of my life,' Urban said. '(All-Stars director Mike Broughton) and my assistants (Steve Cox, Chris Hawkins and Jason Speer) were really fun to be around. It was super fun. It was hard, it was challenging, but it was very rewarding. I feel very lucky and very blessed to have the opportunity to do it.' ∎ It was odd to leave Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night knowing I would be back in four days to help cover Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. There were reminders, though, including the 'Finals' logo and backdrop already in the press conference room. Basketball in June is better than Christmas. ∎ How good is 6-8 Tre Singleton going to be at Northwestern? The Jeffersonville star and Class 4A state champion had 14 points and four rebounds in Friday's 98-89 win at Kentucky, going up against 7-1 Kentucky Mr. Basketball Malachi Moreno. In Saturday's win, Singleton had 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting and six rebounds in just 15 minutes. I think Singleton and fellow Jeffersonville teammate and Indiana All-Star Michael Cooper (Wright State) are going to be really good players at the next level. Cooper was 8-for-13 from the 3-point line in the two games combined. ∎ Attendance for Saturday's game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse was announced at 5,411. The competition took a hit by Moreno's absence in the return game. Kentucky's team had some good players, but not enough to play 40 minutes head-to-head with Indiana without Moreno. ∎ Mt. Vernon point guard Luke Ertel continues to ascend. Nothing he did for the Junior All-Stars during the week will change that thought. The Purdue recruit backed up his 36-point game on Sunday against the Kentucky Junior All-Stars with 35 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the win over the Indiana All-Stars on Wednesday. Another Matt Painter recruiting victory. ∎ Fishers' Justin Kirby is ridiculously athletic. Alley-oops from Brady Koehler on back-to-back possessions in the second half — the second on a bounce pass — were big highlights from Saturday's win. Kirby finished with 11 points and four rebounds after going for nine points and four rebounds in the win at Kentucky on Friday. 'It was like a college experience,' Kirby said of All-Stars week. 'The way you do things, the way you carry yourself throughout the week. It's a lot. It's a lot of three- and four-hour practices you have to go through, but you have to get ready for that for next year in college. I think it was good for me to have that experience.' Kirby's next few years will be interesting. He is going to Miami of Ohio for his freshman year as a player who has improved dramatically as an outside shooter during high school (he shot 41% from the 3-point line as a senior). Kirby will not be overmatched athletically at the next level. 'I'm just going to outwork everyone and work as hard as I can,' Kirby said. 'I'm going to be the best teammate. I'm not going to complain or say or do anything bad. I'm going to be who I am and see what I can do.' Kirby said All-Stars week was something he 'will remember my entire life.' ∎ The Indiana girls were swept by Kentucky but managed to play in one of the wildest All-Stars games I can remember on Saturday. Rich Torres, who covered the game for us, and I were flipping through the program to try to find the lowest scoring games with the score 53-48 Indiana going into the fourth quarter. After the fourth quarter and two overtimes, Kentucky's 106-103 victory was the highest-scoring game in series history, eclipsing Indiana's 100-97 victory in 1994. Kentucky Miss Basketball ZaKiyah Johnson (LSU) set a new single-game scoring record with 34 points and the two-game total with 62. ∎ Things you find out in All-Stars program compiled by Pat McKee: Julius Gizzi's favorite song is 'Hunger Strike' by Temple of the Dog. There is hope for our future. Maybe even better: Chase Barnes' and Azavier Robinson's favorite movie is 'Above the Rim.' Great soundtrack, too. ∎ I'll miss covering this group of seniors, even beyond the All-Stars. Good luck, class of 2025.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Philadelphia Eagles have a couple players who could contend for the MVP award.
The Philadelphia Eagles have a couple players who could contend for the MVP award. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Eagles were able to win the second Super Bowl in franchise history this past season, and it was due in no small part to the spectacular play from their stars. Advertisement But some think they could get even better in the 2025 season. In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon, he gives five "under-the-radar" candidates for the NFL Most Valuable Player Award this season. The reigning Super Bowl champions happen to have two players on his list, the first of which is star quarterback Jalen Hurts. "Jalen Hurts' fantastic supporting cast probably cost him MVP consideration in 2024, and that's a shame because the uniquely talented star was the NFL's fifth-highest-rated passer while producing a combined 32 touchdowns," Gagnon wrote. "The problem is only 18 of those came through the air, and the tush push doesn't win over too many voters. However, if Hurts can bolster that number in particular, he could have a chance." The Eagles may run the tush-push for a lot of Hurts' rushing touchdowns, but that does not take away the fact that he is an excellent player. If he can bring his passing touchdown number up, he could be a candidate for MVP this season. Advertisement The other play Gagnon thinks could be a sleeper is the Eagles' running back, Saquon Barkley. "The running back and Hurts could again cancel each other out to a degree, and both benefit from the tremendous talent around them," Gagnon wrote. "However, if the Eagles quarterback missed time and more were to fall on Barkley's shoulders—and if Hurts could deliver for a contender—an MVP run is not out of the realm of possibility." The last time a non-quarterback won the MVP award was back in 2012 when future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson won it in 2012. But if there is one person who can break that streak, it is Barkley, who can put the entire team on his shoulders at times. If he can do that this season, he could be a candidate. Our only beef here: These two aren't 'sleeper' candidates for MVP. Rather, they are candidates - period. Advertisement If both players play well this season, they could very well cancel each other out, but they would be very hard to ignore entirely when the MVP conversation comes up. Related: Eagles' Jalen Hurts Draws Wild Tom Brady Comparison in Workouts Related: Eagles Analysis Breaks Down Saquon Barkley Retirement Tease This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
