Latest news with #Jović
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MVP FOR APRIL: LUKA JOVIĆ
A big month, the month of the Derby and Coppa Italia. Luka Jović has won the award for April MVP. The most awaited, important and brilliant was that of 23/04: Inter v AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg. A magical night, 3-0 following the 1-1 in the first leg with the Rossoneri qualifying thanks to a brace - the second of his AC Milan career after the one against Cagliari, again at San Siro and in the domestic cup - for the Serbian forward. A great header and a timely close-range finish, the first and second goal that set the tone in the match. That's how you take your chance. For Jović, it's been a comeback: he wasn't involved much at the end of March due to not being fully fit, but then scored against Napoli to make it 1-2. From then Coach Conceição gave him a start, he equalised in the Fiorentina match and contributed in the win over Udinese. Then, he was the main man in the Derby. Jović, in the voting for MVP on beat his teammates Leão, Maignan and Pulisic, as he shone in the Coppa Italia and Serie A - particularly games in Udine and Venezia. He proved decisive in the Derby, with his brace helping us to reach the final. Our number nine has proven to be a precious player as his characteristics help him to perform well in the offensive department: experience, work with his back to goal, runs into the area, knack for goals and finishing. He didn't play last weekend due to a small physical problem but will now be back at the earliest possible stage for a vital part of the season. There's the league run in but also the Coppa Italia Final in May at the Olimpico in Rome: we're in this position largely thanks to Luka and we will try to win at any cost. Well done, Luka!
RTHK
24-04-2025
- Sport
- RTHK
Jovic powers AC Milan into Italian Cup final
Jovic powers AC Milan into Italian Cup final Luka Jović secured a brace to lift AC Milan into the final of the Italian Cup. Photo: AFP Luka Jović fired AC Milan into the final of the Italian Cup with a brace in a convincing 3-0 derby win over Inter Milan, which sent his team through 4-1 on aggregate. Serbia forward Jović doubled his goal tally for the season, with Tijjani Reijnders sealing the tie late on, as Milan fans were given something to shout about in what has been an awful season for the seven-time European champions. Milan are unbeaten in all five of this season's local derbies, winning the Super Cup final against Inter in January, and Wednesday's win also ended Inter's hopes of repeating the Serie A, Champions League and cup treble won under Jose Mourinho in 2010. "Jović is working really hard, in particular in the last three or four weeks. He's lost a bit of weight too, which helps," said coach Sérgio Conceição. "He gives us something that we needed for this match, every forward has their own set of qualities. He doesn't give defenders a lot to work with," he added. Conceição's side, who sit ninth in Serie A and will almost certainly miss out on Champions League football next season, will likely face Bologna in next month's final in Rome. Bologna lead Empoli 3-0 ahead of their second leg on Thursday and are set to reach a major tournament final for the first time since last winning the cup in 1974. "We're happy to be in the final, but we haven't won it yet," added Conceição. "I'm not a different coach to the one from a couple of days ago, and the players aren't any different either. It's not like everything is great now, just like it wasn't all bad before." Given a rare start, Jović put Milan ahead on the night and in the tie in the 38th minute when he met Alex Jimenez's cross with a thumping header, the nominal away side's first chance of the game. Federico Dimarco had hit the bar and Lautaro Martínez smashed a great chance over before Jović opened the scoring, and the 27-year-old extended Milan's aggregate lead three minutes after the break. Jović pounced to poke home from close range after Inter failed to deal with a basic corner, sparking four immediate substitutions from Inter coach Simone Inzaghi which came to nothing. Instead Reijnders completed a comprehensive win for Milan five minutes from the end when he rolled home with a first-time finish after being slipped in by Rafael Leao. Elimination at the hands of their local rivals is a big blow to Inter who had genuine ambitions of the treble after booking a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona last week. But Inter are also level on points with Napoli at the top of Serie A after losing to Bologna at the weekend and could easily end an excellent season empty handed. Inzaghi's players have a packed and challenging run-in with Champions League chasers Roma visiting the San Siro on Sunday before the first leg of their last-four clash with Barcelona which could yet make or break their campaign. (AFP)
New York Times
24-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nikola Jović's broken hand adds new blow to tough Heat season
A challenging season for the Miami Heat (26-29) keeps experiencing new layers. En route to another blown double-digit lead on Sunday, the Heat lost a key rotation piece as third-year forward Nikola Jović suffered a broken hand against the Milwaukee Bucks, disappointing teammates and coaches who routinely laud the 21-year-old's versatile contributions as he experiences his own ups-and-downs in the NBA. Advertisement Jović started Miami's first eight games of the season before being moved to the bench on Nov. 10 and suffering a broken nose against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 12. Those moments preceded a string of DNPs that didn't dim Miami's belief in Jović eventually finding his way back into the rotation. In fact, from Dec. 23 to Feb. 5, he played arguably the finest basketball of his career, averaging 13.6 points on 48.2 percent shooting from the field and making 42.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. He added 4.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists over that 23-game stretch, which included 17 double-figure scoring performances and four 20-point outings. Over that span, the Heat posted a 12-11 record as Jović's presence improved their net rating by a team-best 7.3 points per 100 possessions (676 minutes). Since then, though, Jović's production regressed as the Heat carried a four-game losing streak into the All-Star break and have split their two games since returning. Prior to his latest injury, he shot only 37.7 percent overall in six games since scoring a season-high 23 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 5, but he remained a net positive for the Heat on defense. His 33 contested shots trailed only the newly-acquired Andrew Wiggins (43) and rookie center Kel'el Ware (34) for the team lead over that time. According to opponents shot only 41.3 percent when guarded by Jović during that six-game stretch. In short, his latest injury is unfortunate. It's not hard to find Heat coaches and teammates ready to echo that sentiment. 'I feel for Niko. I know how much he's put into this,' Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said on Sunday. 'He's had a couple injuries previously. This has nothing to do with it. He's not snakebitten or anything like that. … I was shocked by the prognosis on it, but we'll see how long it'll take. In the meantime, other guys will have to step up, but I really feel for Niko.' Advertisement During his aforementioned shooting slump, Jović expressed gratitude for teammates carrying him on offense and hoped to return the favor by being more efficient on that end. He's also routinely mentioned a desire to continuously improve his defensive communication and focus with off-ball coverage. A key to Jović's development has been his impressive self-awareness with knowing where his game is lacking and heeding tutelage from teammates and the coaching staff. Throughout the season, Spoelstra has lauded Jović's ability to stack productive days despite experiencing peaks and valleys. But that's been the theme of Miami's season, which, for the time being, will continue without a valuable player who aids margin for error. By cutting the Heat's 14 blown double-digit leads even in half, this season would take on a totally different identity, especially in the East. As matters stand, though, the Heat are as close to the conference's final playoff berth as they are to the last Play-In spot. It's the ultimate middle ground for a team consistently searching for a positive direction. With or without Jović in the lineup, team captain Bam Adebayo has grown weary of Miami's pattern of blowing sizable leads and preaching the value of not giving up extended runs to opponents, whether they're contenders, playoff hopefuls or lottery-bound cellar dwellers. He recognizes the team needs Jović on the court but also knows Miami will need to trust the next man up in the interim. It's how the game goes. 'You lose a guy like that — young guy, ambitious, trying to make something of himself in this league — we want that for him,' Adebayo said of Jović. 'It's just, for him, a minor setback for a major comeback. When we get him back, we'll be happy to see him in the lineup.' Last week, Herro preached about the importance of Miami locking into this final stretch of the season, but the team must improve its record during his 40-point performances (0-3 this season) to truly maximize everything its leading scorer provides, for the rest of this season and in the long term. After Miami's loss to Milwaukee on Sunday, which included a 37-23 lead after the first quarter, Herro reiterated the task at hand as games progress and opportunity to climb the East standings shrinks – for the time being, they'll face that task without a key cog in the operation. Advertisement 'Obviously, we want to win. That's what we're out there to do, is win games,' Herro said. 'Just gotta continue to be aggressive, watch the film. … Obviously, no one wants to lose, and that's where we're at right now. We're just continuing to find consistency at this point of the season where we can try to stack these wins right now.' Jović's development is vital to the Heat's future because his versatility on both sides of the ball can carve out a crucial element in the team's long-term identity. It's hard to find valuable wings in the NBA, especially for a team that recently traded one of the league's best to quell a season's worth of drama. Until (or if) Jović returns this season, the Heat will continue needing to get creative with making the most of a challenging campaign. Nobody – even Herro himself – is expecting this team to contend for a championship this season, but Miami's new leading man did consider Jović to be one of its most vital pieces to creating a new future, whether that includes a strong finish this season or carrying over positive signs into the next. At this point, though, the Heat will take whatever they can as they aim to simply keep their postseason hopes alive and cap this season with some optimism. 'We're going to have to stick with it,' Spoelstra said after Sunday's loss, which included Miami being outscored 65-48 in the second half. 'We're going to have to dig deep and fight through this frustration right now to get a breakthrough on the road, and find a way to get it done in the moments of truth.'
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups: Top adds ahead of NBA trade deadline
We head into Week 15 with the trade deadline less than seven days away, followed closely by the All-Star break. This means waiver wire strategies depend on specific situations such as where a manager is positioned in the standings or an individual manager's approach to "stashing." The reason for this is that the deadline can bring a number of value shifts, while the break provides teams with added incentive to "rest" players in the preceding games. Whether it's targeting an offensive threat capable of delivering points and 3s or a defensive-minded player who can help boost your blocks and steals, narrowing your focus can prove vital as you battle for seedings. Let's dive into six players who are currently rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues. Having won six of their past seven games, Portland's direction has raised some questions of late. Seemingly headed for the cellar earlier in the season, they have now moved to within 2.5 games of the play-in. A competitive streak has resulted in Sharpe playing inconsistent minutes, impacting his fantasy appeal. However, he has played at least 30 minutes in each of the past two games, averaging 20.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 3-pointers. Common sense would tell us that Portland will eventually lean into their youth, at which point Sharpe could step into a consistent 30+ minute role. If he has been dropped over the past couple of weeks and you are in need of a points boost, look no further than Sharpe. After a mini-slump, Hunter appears to have figured things out once again, having now scored at least 25 points in two of the past three games. A season-ending injury to Jalen Johnson is likely to present Hunter with even more responsibility, especially on the offensive end. The Hawks have lost seven straight games, and if they have hopes of playing in the postseason, they are going to need players like Hunter to step up. Although Hunter's overall skill set is somewhat limited, he is averaging a career-high 19.3 points and 2.6 3-pointers, shooting an impressive 86.5% from the stripe. If for some reason he is available in your league and you have a desire for points and 3s, Hunter is your man. Not unlike Hunter, an unexpected opportunity has been given to Jović, only this time as a result of Jimmy Butler's suspension. If we're being honest, we may have actually seen the last of Butler in a Miami uniform, potentially giving Jović viable rest-of-season appeal. Although he continues to come off the bench, he has been arguably the most consistent player in Miami not named Tyler Herro. Over the past month, Jović has averaged 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.1 3-pointers in 29.7 minutes per game. Based on what we have seen during that time, there is no reason to think Jović can't remain a viable, yet low-volume fantasy producer moving forward. Having recently supplanted Patrick Williams in the starting lineup, Dosunmu appears to have earned himself a meaningful roster spot once again. In his two games since moving into the starting lineup, Dosunmu has averaged 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 3-pointers in 33 minutes per game. The Bulls remain on the bubble when it comes to the postseason, something that is all too familiar for Chicago fans. Their eventual direction could determine whether Dosunmu is able to hold his value. However, his floor remains relatively safe, and he should be on a roster in just about every fantasy league. Okogie is a great example of what might be. Since arriving in Charlotte, his role has increased substantially. While his scoring has been unsurprisingly wonky, his defensive contributions have managed to keep him on the floor. Over the past two weeks, he has managed to put up averages of 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.5 3-pointers in 22.4 minutes per game. While this is fantastic on the surface, the questions regarding his immediate playing future continue to swirl. Initial thoughts were that he would be moved in another trade, making him a risky play in fantasy. However, should the Hornets opt to keep him around, at least for the remainder of the season, there is no reason to think he can't maintain backend 12-team value, especially for anyone seeking defensive numbers in a category league or in deeper points leagues. Hayes moved into the starting lineup against the Wizards on Thursday, providing a low-end double-double with three blocks. Anthony Davis is set to miss at least a week with an abdominal strain, an absence that should result in 25+ minutes per game for Hayes. His overall appeal remains limited, a fact that has contributed to his modest career to this point. However, he has also blocked multiple shots in three consecutive games, a stat alone that should have some category league fantasy managers interested. If you are simply looking for a short-term big man who can give you some rebounds and blocks, as well as efficient scoring, Hayes makes for a suitable option. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (78% rostered) Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (72% rostered) Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies (67% rostered) Terry Rozier, Miami Heat (61% rostered)
