This Week in Sports Talk: August 16, 2020

This Week in Sports Talk (TWIST) is our weekly roundup of top headlines from the past seven days in the world of sports, plus a preview of what’s up next. Heading into the week of August 16, 2020, here’s the top sports news, with a twist. Skim it, and you’ll be good to go all week.

This Week in Sports Talk: August 16, 2020

On a rainy Sunday in New York, here are the top 10 stories to know heading into the week of August 16, 2020.

1. the NBA Blazers’ Damian Lillard is MVP of the Bubble

It’s been quite a week for Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard. Just two days after dropping 51 against the Philadelphia 76ers, Lillard tied a career high on Tuesday with 61 points in a 134-131 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, including nine 3-pointers. He joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players with three 60-point games in a season.

At times during the close of the regular season in the NBA Bubble, it seemed that Lillard was pulling his team along by sheer force of will. Asked about the importance of making the playoffs earlier this week, he said “When I came here (to Disney World) I told them I’m not here to waste my time. Our work ain’t done yet but we’re fighting for it.”

the final playoff slot in the West came down to a play-in

Last night, the Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies (as the 8th and 9th place teams in the West) “played in” for the final playoff slot in the Western Conference. It was a win-or-go-home contest for the Grizzlies.

If Memphis had won on Saturday, they would have had to play a rematch today, with the winner advancing to the NBA playoffs to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

But the Blazers won! They clinched a playoff berth with a 126-122 win over the Memphis Grizzlies last night. Carmelo Anthony sank the last shot. And Lillard was named MVP of the Bubble.

Next, the Blazers meet the LA Lakers – led by LeBron James and Anthony “Unibrow” Davis – in the first round of the playoffs. And lots of people think they might just knock the Lakers out of contention. The Lakers went 3-5 in the Bubble, and had the second worst offensive production. Meanwhile, the Blazers had record offensive production in the Bubble compared to regular season numbers. One team is a red hot underdog, and perhaps their opponents, the top-seeded team, were just resting up for the post-season. Either way, this is gonna be good.

movin’ on up

While winning the game and being named MVP are surely sweet, perhaps the most valuable validation that Lillard and the Blazers received yesterday was this: they get to move to a better hotel! They spent the regular season at the Yacht Club, commonly understood to be the worst of the three hotels housing NBA players in the Bubble. Now, they’ll be staying at the Grand Floridian, Disney’s flagship resort. “We played worthy of that hotel throughout the season,” noted Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum. Victory is sweet.

the phoenix suns shine 

While the Phoenix Suns won’t make the playoffs, they had an incredible run in The Bubble. They went 8-0, the only team to do so. It’s remarkable, considering that the team had a only a .03% chance at an undefeated run. Devin Booker, 23, emerged as a true star. And hopes are also high for center Deandre Ayton and wing Mikal Bridges. Coach Monty Williams gets credit for being the ideal leader for this team at this moment. Well done, dudes. Next season is gonna be good.

We would be remiss in failing to mention, by the way, that whenever there’s something interesting underway, a Kardashian or a Jenner seems to be always not far behind. In this case, social media is ablaze over the “flirty” Instagram banter between Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker. Can this summer romance burn bright into the fall? All bets happily accepted.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo loses his cool

While the West saw a nail-biting finish to the regular season, tempers flared in the East. The Milwaukee Bucks’ normally mild-mannered superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a headbutt to Washington Wizard’s Moritz (“Moe”) Wagner earlier this week, and was ejected in the second quarter of Milwaukee’s 126-113 win.

The loss of control is uncharacteristic for Giannis, who is known as one of the calmest and most dignified stars in the league. He was suspended for one game, leaving sports writers to ponder whether this is the result of life in a confining and isolating Bubble compounded by the normal stress of playoff season.

3. MLB largely COVID-19 free this week

The St. Louis Cardinals coronavirus woes continue, with the team passing two weeks on hiatus while the virus clears from its ranks. As of Friday, the Cards had missed 22% of their entire schedule. Discussion is now underway over how many games a team has to play, even in this shortened season, to qualify as having had a legitimate season. The Cards would have to play 55 games in 45 days to play a full schedule at this point.

The good news? Other than the Cards, no other team has reported positive tests for COVID-19 this month. Perhaps as a result of the NBA’s success in Orlando, Major League Baseball is considering instituting a similar mandatory “bubble” for the playoffs.

Current MLB Standings

As of this posting, the New York Yankees are 8-0 at home. The Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs and the Yanks have the three best records in the league.

Mookie Betts has a hot bat

The LA Dodgers’ Mookie Betts hit three homers in a game for the sixth time, tying the record set by Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa. Since the player is only 27 yrs old, there’s a very good chance that he’ll set a new record before he’s done.

Negro League anniversary celebration

Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of baseball’s Negro League. MLB players and personnel will wear commemorative patches for this historic anniversary.

4. NFL’s Super Bowl tight ends sign new deals

Two of the NFL’s premier tight ends signed contract extensions this week. San Francisco 49’ers George Kittle inked a 5-year $75 million agreement, with $30 million guaranteed. And Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce signed for 4 years, and $57 million with $28 million guaranteed.

Immediately upon the announcement of his new deal, Kelce made another announcement: he’s buying a building for his Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation to give inner-city Kansas City teenagers a safe place where they can study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). That is so, SO excellent to hear.

is the Washington Football team for sale?

Pressure is mounting on Dan Snyder, majority owner of the Washington Football Team, to sell the franchise in the wake of alleged sexual harassment from 2006-19. And the long controversy over the team’s original name, which was finally dropped this year. The 55-year old billionaire says he has no intention of selling, despite pleas from the trio who own the remaining 40% of the team. They’ve been trying to sell their stakes, but buyers are wary of taking a minority stake in a troubled venture.

5. NHL Stanley Cup playoffs start with a long game

The Stanley Cup Playoffs’ Round of 16 began on Tuesday in Toronto and Edmunton. In the first game, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, in a game that took five overtimes to declare a winner. One Tweet declared “this game is like a CVS receipt!”

Even though his team ultimately lost, it was a big night for the Blue Jackets’ goalie Joonas Korpisalo. He made 85 saves, a post-season record.

In great news for sports fans everywhere, as of this posting all NHL teams have remained coronavirus-free since since their arrival on July 26.

6. 23-year old wins Golf’s PGA Championship 

The first major of the season, the 102nd PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, concluded on Sunday afternoon. And it was a thriller!

23-year-old Collin Morikawa captured the 2020 PGA Championship, his first major championship victory. His 65-64 finish is the lowest score over the final 36 holes by a winner in major championship history. Morikawa joins Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only 23-year-old winners of the PGA Championship. 

7. Djokovic is in for the US Open

Novak Djokovic confirmed that he will put his unbeaten (18-0) streak in 2020 on the line in New York at the Western & Southern Open and US Open. He holds a 72-11 career record at the US Open, and has won that Grand Slam three times.

Having already contracted and recovered from COVID-19, Djokovic reports that he’s “excited” to play later this month.

8. Serious Fractures this week in College Football 

There’s a significant lack of alignment between the various conferences in NCAA college football about the appropriate response to COVID-19. Two of the Power Five conferences – the Big Ten and Pac-12 – have canceled their 2020 football seasons. (The Big East, Mid-American and Mountain West conferences have, as well).

But the remaining three in the Power Five – the Big 12, SEC and ACC – are all still moving forward with plans to play this fall. 

Did we mention that all of these conferences are looking at the same public health data and hearing from the same experts? 

Nebraska made it clear that they weren’t happy with the Big Ten’s decision. The school may even explore other opportunities (like joining another conference) so they can compete this season. 

What’s clear is that no one – not even the NCAA – is fully in charge of college football. So while the NCAA Division I Board has cancelled all fall sports championships, several conferences may play anyway. ‘Cause the College Football Playoff is governed by a different body, and might still go on. As of this posting, the Big 12 will hold its first game on September 12.

9. Phenomenal Soccer (or fútbol) from American player

Tyler Adams, a 21-year-old midfielder from New York, scored the game-winning goal for RB Leipzig in their Champions League quarterfinals match vs. Atletico Madrid.

A rising star, Adams becomes just the fourth American to score during the Champions League knockout stage. And his game-winning goal is the first ever scored by a US-born player in the quarterfinal stage or later. Adams is a homegrown player of the New York Red Bulls academy who turned pro at age 16.

10. John Kerry wins a regatta on MV

We close our report this with with some exciting Martha’s Vineyard sports news (is there any other kind?) Former Secretary of State John Kerry took home the Verona trophy for the best overall corrected time in the spinnaker division of this year’s Edgartown Yacht Club’s annual Round the Island race.

Captain – oops, we mean Secretary – Kerry won the trophy with a finishing time of 8:52:07, besting the second place yacht by six minutes and six seconds. Special thanks to our Sports Desk for unearthing this vital addition to our sporting news roundup!

This Week in Sports News August 16, 2020

That’s it. You’re good to go with the top headlines and coming attractions heading into the week of August 16, 2020. Stay safe and healthy, dear reader. See you next week.

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