Extended HLs: Newcastle v. Chelsea Matchweek 36
Coaches In Blues-Jets Series Get Testy Over Hit
The temperature was already high in the Western Conference First Round series between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.
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Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads OKC in Finals, and the Clippers must be cringing
Paul George (left) was acquired by the Clippers from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019 for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right) and five first-round draft picks. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times; Nate Billings / Associated Press) It screamed watershed moment, the forever luckless Clippers outfoxing the eternally exalted Lakers for the services of not one, but two superstars. The news stunned the NBA: In a matter of hours, the Clippers had traded for Paul George and signed Kawhi Leonard. Advertisement Six years later, the deal for George is considered tragically lopsided, the Clippers fleeced and forced to watch assets they surrendered lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to within three wins of an NBA championship. The trade wouldn't be looked upon harshly had the Clippers won a championship in the five seasons that George and Leonard played together. But the deepest the team advanced was the Western Conference finals in 2021. George left as a free agent last offseason, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. Leonard has played in only 266 of 472 games with the Clippers because of injuries. The Clippers paid George $195.9 million and have paid Leonard $194.6 million — with Leonard under contract for another two years and $100.3 million. Read more: Plaschke: I'm fighting Parkinson's one punch at a time Advertisement Meanwhile, one of the two players shipped to the Thunder along with five first-round draft picks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has blossomed into the NBA's most valuable player. And the 2022 draft pick acquired from the Clippers was used to select Jalen Williams, a rising star who averaged 21.6 points a game this season. Both are bargains. Gilgeous-Alexander — known as SGA — was paid just $13.5 million his first three seasons with the Thunder before signing a five-year, $173-million contract that will take him through the 2026-27 season. Williams has made $13.7 million in three seasons and will be paid $6.6 million next season, the last of his rookie contract. And it's a deal that just keeps giving — to the Thunder, who as a result of the trade get the Nos. 15 and 24 picks in this year's draft and the Clippers' first-round pick in 2026. Asked to evaluate the deal moments after the Clippers defeated the Thunder in January 2024, George grudgingly acknowledged that the pendulum had swung toward Oklahoma City. Advertisement 'I just think both sides won,' he said. "I did think it was quite a lot that the Clippers were willing to give up. ... When that trade first happened, we knew Shai was going to be really, really good, but he's special." George sighed and continued: "I guess in a way, Oklahoma won that trade with the picks and future MVP, but both sides won.' Read more: Markazi: A behind the scenes look at how the Clippers won Kawhi Leonard and Paul George The fact is, the Clippers couldn't say no to the deal. Why? Because Leonard was a free agent coming off an NBA title with Toronto in which he was Finals MVP, and he was weighing offers from the Lakers and Raptors as well as the Clippers. Advertisement Signing Leonard was paramount, and he had given the Clippers something of an ultimatum: Trade for a star and I'm yours. Otherwise, it's hello Lakers. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer needed to be convinced that giving up the slew of draft picks was a smart move. Leonard signing with the Lakers was an unthinkable outcome to Clippers coach Doc Rivers, and he jokingly told Ballmer the Clippers would need to relocate to Seattle if that happened. 'Steve Ballmer was nervous about the picks,' Rivers told The Times in 2019. 'I said, 'Steve, you keep saying six picks for Paul George is insane, but you're saying it wrong. It's not six for Paul; it's six for Paul and Kawhi. So three for each. I would do that.' You have to look at it in those terms.' Knowing the Clippers desperately needed to consummate the deal, Thunder general manager Sam Presti demanded SGA — who was coming off an impressive rookie campaign — respected forward Danilo Gallinari and the draft picks. Advertisement Unforeseen was that SGA would rapidly rise from promising youngster to foundational piece to perhaps the best player in the NBA. He led the league in scoring this season with 32.7 points a game. He put up 34 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder's win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the Finals on Sunday. In Game 1, a stunning Pacers comeback was helped by two late missed shots by SGA. Still, he scored 38 points, and his 72 in his first two NBA Finals games is a league record. Read more: Trouble finds ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp once again, and he may serve time for it 'I'm being myself,' Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters. '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." Advertisement Through 18 playoff games, SGA is averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals. Only Michael Jordan and LeBron James have recorded those numbers during a playoff run of 16 or more games. None of this is a complete surprise. SGA provided the Clippers with opportunities to feel seller's remorse soon after the trade. On Dec. 22, 2019, he scored 32 points with five assists and two steals in a 118–112 Thunder victory. Two years later almost to the day, he made a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Thunder a 104–103 win. Next is closing out the Finals and delivering a title to Oklahoma City — something that has proven elusive for the Clippers, the oldest franchise in North American professional sports to have never played in a championship game. "This is where we are, you can't go back in the past," SGA said. "You can only make the future better. That's what I'm focused on.' Advertisement The Clippers can only do the same. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Jets' Jermaine Johnson expected to be healthy in time to face Aaron Rodgers and Steelers in Week 1
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Jermaine Johnson's long-awaited comeback from a torn Achilles tendon is on track to happen the same day a former New York Jets teammate makes what's sure to be a much-hyped return. Week 1 at MetLife Stadium — against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. 'We actually were just texting last night,' a smiling Johnson said of Rodgers on Tuesday after the first practice of the Jets' three-day mandatory minicamp. 'It's funny. But obviously, I'm excited, he's excited.' Johnson, a promising edge rusher who was coming off his first Pro Bowl selection, tore his right Achilles tendon in Week 2 last year and missed the rest of the season. Coach Aaron Glenn said the 2022 first-round draft pick should be 'close' to being ready for training camp in July and could start on the physically unable to perform list, 'but he'll be ready for the season.' During the early days of his recovery, Johnson was comforted by Rodgers, who made a comeback of his own last season after tearing his left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut with the Jets in 2023. Rodgers was released by New York in the offseason, signed last week with Pittsburgh and made his practice debut with the Steelers on Tuesday. 'It was a pleasure having Aaron around and stuff like that and I wish him the best,' Johnson said. "But when I get between those lines, there's no friends. And I think he knows that and he feels the same, so I'm excited. 'It's just another game, but for me, it's going to be my first game back and there's a lot of emotions. And when my emotions run high, I tend to play pretty well.' Johnson declined to say what he and Rodgers texted about Monday night, but acknowledged the quarterback was instrumental in helping get his mind right as he prepared for the tough recovery and rehabilitation. 'First thing he said, he's like, 'You'll be good. You've got a 10-year-plus career here. You're all right. Chalk it up,'' Johnson recalled. 'It just kind of let me calm down a little bit and be able to gather myself and just take it on the chin and handle it and do a good job at it. So that's how I've attacked it. Aaron's been a tremendous help in so many ways.' Despite the uncertainty over the injury, Glenn and the Jets showed their belief in Johnson as part of their defense moving forward when they picked up his fifth-year contract option, along with those of fellow 2022 first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson. 'It was a big investment,' Johnson said. 'They've seen enough of me and heard enough about me that they're willing to dive into that for at least one more year. So it means a lot to me. I'm always a man of my word and a man of honor, so to me, that's them lifting their end of the couch and now it's my turn to lift my end of the couch.' Johnson had 2 1/2 sacks in 14 games as a rookie after being drafted 26th overall out of Florida before breaking out with 7 1/2 in 2023 while starting all 17 games for New York. He also had 16 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss and returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. Then came the setback last season, just as he was blossoming into a force on the Jets' defense. 'I cried a little bit like right after I got hurt,' Johnson said. 'But I'm just a man a faith, so God wanted me to walk through this and I took it like that and, you know, embodied this rehab. And I have full confidence I'm gonna come back without missing a beat.' The Jets are banking on that, envisioning Johnson as a key part of their pass rush. Glenn was a member of the Detroit Lions staff that coached at the Senior Bowl in 2022, and Johnson left a lasting impression on him. 'He's a hard-nosed, physical, violent player that's very athletic that has the ability to win off the edge and make plays on the quarterback,' Glenn said. "Listen, you don't get a lot of guys that have the athleticism as he does but still be strong and powerful to be able to hold against the run. So I'm excited to see that player get out there in training camp and going into the first game. 'So he's going to be a huge part of what we're doing. He knows that. But again, he understands what he's got to get better at, too.' ___
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Jets' Jermaine Johnson expected to be healthy in time to face Aaron Rodgers and Steelers in Week 1
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Jermaine Johnson's long-awaited comeback from a torn Achilles tendon is on track to happen the same day a former New York Jets teammate makes what's sure to be a much-hyped return. Week 1 at MetLife Stadium — against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. 'We actually were just texting last night,' a smiling Johnson said of Rodgers on Tuesday after the first practice of the Jets' three-day mandatory minicamp. 'It's funny. But obviously, I'm excited, he's excited.' Johnson, a promising edge rusher who was coming off his first Pro Bowl selection, tore his right Achilles tendon in Week 2 last year and missed the rest of the season. Coach Aaron Glenn said the 2022 first-round draft pick should be 'close' to being ready for training camp in July and could start on the physically unable to perform list , 'but he'll be ready for the season.' During the early days of his recovery, Johnson was comforted by Rodgers, who made a comeback of his own last season after tearing his left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut with the Jets in 2023. Rodgers was released by New York in the offseason, signed last week with Pittsburgh and made his practice debut with the Steelers on Tuesday. 'It was a pleasure having Aaron around and stuff like that and I wish him the best,' Johnson said. 'But when I get between those lines, there's no friends. And I think he knows that and he feels the same, so I'm excited. 'It's just another game, but for me, it's going to be my first game back and there's a lot of emotions. And when my emotions run high, I tend to play pretty well.' Johnson declined to say what he and Rodgers texted about Monday night, but acknowledged the quarterback was instrumental in helping get his mind right as he prepared for the tough recovery and rehabilitation. 'First thing he said, he's like, 'You'll be good. You've got a 10-year-plus career here. You're all right. Chalk it up,'' Johnson recalled. 'It just kind of let me calm down a little bit and be able to gather myself and just take it on the chin and handle it and do a good job at it. So that's how I've attacked it. Aaron's been a tremendous help in so many ways.' Despite the uncertainty over the injury, Glenn and the Jets showed their belief in Johnson as part of their defense moving forward when they picked up his fifth-year contract option , along with those of fellow 2022 first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson. 'It was a big investment,' Johnson said. 'They've seen enough of me and heard enough about me that they're willing to dive into that for at least one more year. So it means a lot to me. I'm always a man of my word and a man of honor, so to me, that's them lifting their end of the couch and now it's my turn to lift my end of the couch.' Johnson had 2 1/2 sacks in 14 games as a rookie after being drafted 26th overall out of Florida before breaking out with 7 1/2 in 2023 while starting all 17 games for New York. He also had 16 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss and returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. Then came the setback last season, just as he was blossoming into a force on the Jets' defense. 'I cried a little bit like right after I got hurt,' Johnson said. 'But I'm just a man a faith, so God wanted me to walk through this and I took it like that and, you know, embodied this rehab. And I have full confidence I'm gonna come back without missing a beat.' The Jets are banking on that, envisioning Johnson as a key part of their pass rush. Glenn was a member of the Detroit Lions staff that coached at the Senior Bowl in 2022, and Johnson left a lasting impression on him. 'He's a hard-nosed, physical, violent player that's very athletic that has the ability to win off the edge and make plays on the quarterback,' Glenn said. 'Listen, you don't get a lot of guys that have the athleticism as he does but still be strong and powerful to be able to hold against the run. So I'm excited to see that player get out there in training camp and going into the first game. 'So he's going to be a huge part of what we're doing. He knows that. But again, he understands what he's got to get better at, too.' ___ AP NFL:
