LeBron James, Kevin Durant impress for Team USA; USWNT advances; MLB trade deadline heats up

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🏀 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …

LEBRON JAMES, KEVIN DURANT AND TEAM USA MEN’S BASKETBALL

They do not simply hand out nicknames like “Simple Cash Sniper,” and Kevin Durant simply confirmed why.

After lacking all of Staff USA‘s showcase video games as a result of a calf damage, Durant poured in 21 factors in a jaw-dropping first half because the Individuals blew out Serbia,110-84, in its Olympic opener.

This was the basketball equal of a non secular expertise. Durant entered late within the first quarter and within the blink of an eye fixed knocked down two 3-pointers. He hit all eight of his first-half photographs, a surprising show of 3-pointers and difficult midrange jumpers he made look easy. Usually stone-faced, Durant flashed the broad smile of a participant who has all of it going and is aware of his opponent cannot cease it. He completed with a team-high 23 factors. 

LeBron James wasn’t far behind with 21 factors in addition to 9 assists and eight rebounds. He and Durant shot over 77% from the ground mixed, and the workforce as an entire shot a scintillating 62% from the ground and 56% from 3.

Merely put, two of the sport’s iconic all-time gamers took cost, Brad Botkin writes.

• Botkin: “On this American workforce, the place the collective expertise diminishes, in some circumstances considerably, the significance of any single participant, James and Durant stay the 2 most indispensable elements. … Even on a roster with a lot scoring expertise, Durant’s potential to make any shot at any time in opposition to any matchup is the Individuals’ most dependable supply of offense.”

Jrue Vacation (15 factors), Devin Booker (12), Stephen Curry (11) and Anthony Edwards (11) additionally reached double figures. NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 20 factors for Serbia, which performed Staff USA even when he was on the ground and was outscored by 26 within the nine-ish minutes he was on the bench.

This is extra from the Males’s Basketball occasion:

• Whereas Vacation and Derrick White contributed, the Celtics‘ two greatest stars made the improper headlines: Jayson Tatum did not see the court docket, and Jaylen Brown (who is not on the workforce) is in a disagreement with Staff USA managing director Grant Hill. 
• Victor Wembanyama starred in his Olympic debut. He wasn’t alone.

😊 Honorable mentions

• Pete Prisco says Will Levis is a star within the making.
• Xavier Edwards hit for the second cycle in Marlins historical past. The Brewers, nonetheless, received the win in Devin Williams‘ return.
• At UFC 304, Belal Muhammad upset Leon Edwards to take the welterweight title, and Tom Aspinall completed Curtis Blaydes in mere seconds to retain his interim heavyweight title.
• Jhonattan Vegas received the 3M Open, his first PGA Tour title in seven years.

😖 Not so honorable mentions

⚽ USWNT surges previous Germany; USMNT U23s rebound with win

The United States Ladies’s Nationwide Staff is discovering its footing underneath Emma Hayes, and Sunday was a powerful success. The Individuals roared previous Germany, 4-1, behind an assault that has discovered life in Paris, qualifying for the quarterfinals within the course of.

• Sophia Smith opened the scoring within the eleventh minute off an excellent cross from Trinity Rodman.
• Shortly after Giulia Gwinn‘s game-tying aim within the twenty second minute, Mallory Swanson knocked residence a rebound from Smith’s shot to provide the USWNT the lead for good. Swanson joined Abby Wambach (2012) as the one USWNT gamers to attain three objectives in an Olympic group stage.
• Late within the first half, Smith tallied her second off a deflected long-range effort that bounced off the far publish and in some way discovered the online. Lynn Williams capped the scoring within the 89th minute.
• Regardless of the offensive fireworks, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher deserves credit score for a number of large saves, together with an early one from point-blank vary. If that goes in, we’re speaking a few very completely different sport.

All three of the USWNT’s beginning attackers earned at the least an 8.5 in Sandra Herrera’s participant rankings, and I used to be particularly impressed with Rodman.

• Herrera: “The Germans have few options to include Rodman. She was almost in all places on the pitch and earned a number of fouls. Facilitated play consistently, on the opening aim and delivered the help, and she or he was concerned in creating the fourth aim. Score: 8.5”

The win got here a day after the USMNT U-23s recorded a 4-1 victory of its personal in opposition to New Zealand. After a 3-0 loss to France to open their Summer time Video games, the Individuals had their backs in opposition to the wall and got here out completely flying, with Djordje Mihailovic and Walker Zimmerman (two of the workforce’s three exceptions to the age restrict guidelines) scoring inside the primary dozen minutes. Gianluca Busio (thirtieth minute) and Paxten Aaronson (58th) additionally discovered the again of the online.

The U.S. is in nice place to advance to the quarterfinals, and Mihailovic is a giant motive why, Chuck Sales space writes.

🏅 2024 Paris Olympics updates, medal depend: Simone Biles, Suni Lee into finals

Listed below are extra updates from the Olympics:

⚾ MLB commerce deadline: Yankees add Jazz Chisholm, different contenders load up

Ya like Jazz? Hope you do, Yankees followers. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is now with the Bronx Bombers, with the Yankees sending three prospects again to the Marlins. Chisholm is enjoyable, gifted and versatile, and that helped the Yankees earn an “A” in R.J. Anderson’s commerce grades.

• Anderson: “His greatest crimes look like that he is excitable, trendy, and true to himself. … He is a 26-year-old able to enjoying a number of up-the-middle positions whereas hitting at a league-average clip. That’s, has, and can all the time be a beautiful profile. Chisholm has twice earlier than come near posting a 20-20 season.”

The Yankees weren’t the one workforce making important strikes. Since Friday morning’s publication …

With tomorrow night time’s MLB commerce deadline quick approaching, be certain that to maintain our commerce deadline tracker useful.

🏈 Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa ink enormous extensions

5 quarterbacks went within the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, all 5 have gotten paid, large time. Jordan Love (4 years, $220 million) and Tua Tagovailoa (4 years, $212.4 million) signed their offers Friday, ending any and all coaching camp uncertainty.

Love acquired an NFL-record $75 million signing bonus, whereas Tagovailoa’s $167 million assured is fifth-highest in league historical past. This is a take a look at the NFL’s largest contracts, and this is how these quarterbacks’ stats stack up.

Let’s begin with Love, 25, who was not training (however was current) at coaching camp earlier than the deal. After sitting for 3 years behind Aaron Rodgers, Love completed 2023 on an absolute heater, throwing 18 touchdowns and only one interception over the Packers‘ ultimate eight regular-season video games. The Packers then shredded the Cowboys within the wild card spherical (Love threw three touchdowns) earlier than narrowly shedding to the 49ers.

The Packers’ unprecedented run on quarterbacks is right here to remain, Will Brinson writes.

Tagovailoa, 26, broke out statistically in 2022, however his damage points endured. He missed the top of the season as a result of yet one more concussion, and at that time he had missed 15 video games by way of three seasons. Final 12 months, although, Tagovailoa performed in all 17 video games, led the league with 4,624 yards passing and helped the Dolphins make the playoffs for a second straight season, one thing they hadn’t executed since 2000-01.

Tagovailoa has the benefit of an excellent scheme from Mike McDaniel (who’s joyful to have his quarterback locked in) and two star receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. And the damage worries are legit. Nonetheless, Will says this one was a no brainer.

📺 What we’re watching Monday

🏅 We’re watching the Olympics. This is how.
🏀 Ladies’s Basketball: USA vs. Japan, 2:45 p.m. on USA
⚾ Yankees at Phillies, 6:45 p.m. on MLB Community