Matthew Zemek Articles - Page 98

The Tampa Bay Lightning will head to Long Island to take on the New York Islanders in Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup playoff semifinals. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series and make a Lightning-Islanders Game 3 prediction and pick. The Lightning-Islanders odds swung back to Tampa after New York prevailed in […]

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks made the All-NBA First Team on Tuesday. This achievement was obviously deserved and clearly expected, but it nevertheless makes life a lot more complicated for the Mavericks and owner Mark Cuban. Luka Doncic has earned All-NBA honors for a second consecutive season and is eligible to sign a rookie […]

Never say that Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers can’t take a punch. Ask his teammates and coaches. Ask Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ask golfers Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau. Rodgers, who was promoting “The Match,” a made-for-TV golf event in which he and DeChambeau face Brady and Mickelson on July […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are in good shape in their series against the Atlanta Hawks, but if they meet the Brooklyn Nets in a possible East finals clash, the Sixers won’t have Danny Green for at least three games if not more. The Sixers learned on Saturday that Green will miss a minimum of at least […]

James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets has been ruled out for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets are citing improvements in Harden’s recovery, but not enough to get him on the court for Sunday afternoon’s game in Milwaukee. James Harden (hamstring strain) has been ruled out for […]

Novak Djokovic can see the mountaintop of men’s tennis. Defeating Rafael Nadal at the French Open will lift a man to the greatest heights imaginable, and with one more win on Sunday, Djokovic will take a unique place in tennis history. Novak Djokovic fell behind 5-0 in the first set, but rallied for a 3-6, […]

The Utah Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, 117-111 in Game 2 of their second round series, but for a moment it seemed they had lost their shot at the NBA title. Donovan Mitchell was seen limping after a collision with Paul George in the final minute of the game. The collision […]

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving did not plan this game-ending sequence for the Brooklyn Nets. As a result, Bruce Brown became “the central character for the day” on Twitter, the one thing no human being wants to be. Sorry, too late: Brown became the sole focus of NBA Twitter after a pair of late misses […]

The latest episode in the Aaron Rodgers saga in Green Bay is unfolding. Reports on Monday afternoon indicate that Rodgers will not report to mandatory minicamp for the Packers. The standoff between the player and the organization remains entrenched, with the preseason roughly two months away. Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers is not expected to attend […]

In one of the most extraordinary sports moments of a pandemic which is still not over, golfer Jon Rahm had to withdraw from The Memorial after testing positive for COVID-19. What makes this moment so remarkable is not that Jon Rahm or any other golfer tested positive. That in itself isn’t mind-blowing or new. The […]

The Minnesota Vikings made a Friday afternoon move in NFL free agency, swooping in to sign cornerback Bashaud Breeland and fortify their secondary.  Breeland spent the last two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing in back-to-back Super Bowl games and winning one. He previously played with Washington for four seasons (2014-2017) and the Green […]

If someone told you that LeBron James was centrally responsible for the Los Angeles Lakers failing to escape the first round of the NBA playoffs, you would probably view that person as crazy and unfair, a Skip Bayless wannabe with the dumbest and trashiest hot takes. On the surface, it seems completely foolish and reckless […]

Nikola Jokic is 26 years old. Carmelo Anthony is 37. Yet, after the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in the teams’ first-round series, Jokic already owns the upper hand against Melo in a highly significant statistical category. Believe it or not, Jokic, though 11 years younger, already has more NBA playoff series wins […]

Luka Doncic just scored 44 points in Game 3 of the Dallas Mavericks’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers… and yet he is listed as questionable for Game 4 in a series the Mavs lead 2-1. The Mavs evidently felt the need to classify Luka Doncic as questionable, even though no one in his […]

In Game 3 of the first-round series between his Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, Anthony Davis was seen at times grabbing his knee or his hamstring. He powered through and led the Purple and Gold to victory, but his endurance level in this series was freshly thrown into question. New questions have surfaced […]

Are the Miami Heat “bubble frauds”? That question has been asked a lot over the past several months. After being swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks, that question will dominate NBA discussions this weekend, and it will be a primary topic throughout the offseason. It will linger into […]

The Los Angeles Clippers learned a few hours before tipoff that forward Serge Ibaka will not be able to play in Game 3 of the team’s first-round NBA playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. The Clips’ frontcourt is now even more limited heading into Friday’s contest in Dallas, where the Mavs smell blood. Clippers C/F […]

On the surface, the Los Angeles Lakers merely won Game 3 of a first-round playoff series Thursday night at the Staples Center. Yet, this one victory against the Phoenix Suns carried an enormous amount of resonance and meaning for fans of the Purple and Gold. Kobe Bryant is a part of this story. After Devin […]

The Phoenix Suns know that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are playing in their second NBA postseason as teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers. They have played well over a hundred games together in the regular season and the postseason combined, which translates to well over 400 quarters in which they have shared the floor […]

On a noticeably ugly night in the NBA playoffs, multiple Utah Jazz fans spewed vile language at members of Ja Morant’s family during Game 2 versus the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. The Jazz quickly and proactively responded on Thursday by banning three fans for what was delicately described as a “verbal altercation”: Jazz released a […]

This might seem like recency bias, but it is true that the most heartbreaking moments the Denver Nuggets have suffered have come mostly in the past 11 years. What does a heartbreaking moment look or feel like? Reasonable people might disagree on specific details, but broadly viewed, a heartbreaking moment involves an expectation of victory, […]

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, when asked about a possible trade, gave a long and curious answer with an unexpected reference to Jordan Love. Aaron Rodgers to Kenny Mayne tonight: “I love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay…It’s just kind of about a philosophy and maybe […]

Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers has established himself as a high-level NFL player, but injuries have prevented him from becoming even more influential in his career. Reflecting on his professional journey before the 2021 NFL season, McCaffrey knows his outlook on football has changed in at least one meaningful and profound way.  “It feels really […]

Phil Mickelson stands alone — not just at the top of the PGA Championship leaderboard, but in a very special way. Father Time did not hold him back this weekend. Phil Mickelson, one month short of his 51st birthday, won the 2021 PGA Championship on Sunday at the Kiawah Island Ocean Course in South Carolina, […]

The Los Angeles Lakers lost the first game of the NBA playoffs last year against the Portland Trail Blazers. They were fine. They won the NBA title. This year’s Game 1 loss to the Phoenix Suns might not be that much of a problem, either… but the Lake Show has to wonder if Anthony Davis […]

The Utah Jazz will not have Donovan Mitchell on the floor for Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night. Utah Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell isn’t expected to play vs. Memphis in Game 1 tonight, sources tell ESPN. Mitchell has been working toward his return from a […]

It’s nothing you haven’t heard before, but it’s something you might not have seen before, at least in terms of the precise numbers. Yes, you have seen the Los Angeles Lakers have a plus-17 advantage in free throw attempts in one half of an NBA playoff game. That’s nothing new… but a plus-17 advantage when […]

The 3-point shot became a permanent part of NBA basketball in the 1979-1980 season. The 2021 NBA playoffs therefore mark the 42nd NBA postseason with the 3-point line painted on courts around the league. The Miami Heat blasted the Milwaukee Bucks from the 3-point line on Saturday afternoon, but still lost, 109-107. You might think […]

A full solar eclipse? Aaron Rodgers making the Super Bowl? There are certain things which might happen an average of once every few decades… and a 10-second free throw violation being called in an NBA playoff game is one of them. It happened to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks in Saturday’s postseason opener against […]

The first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs begins on Saturday. It is reasonable to say that a compressed pandemic season littered with injuries is not a foremost reflection of the actual quality of NBA teams. Yet, every postseason remains a proving ground and a measuring stick. Two teams facing enormous pressure to finally measure […]

The Phoenix Suns aren’t always good, but when they are, the Los Angeles Lakers are regularly in their NBA playoff path. Such is the case this year, as Chris Paul saddles up for one more ride in the attempt to reach his first NBA Finals. Standing in the way are LeBron James and the Lake […]

The Los Angeles Angels recently released Albert Pujols, who was well past his prime. The Halos still have two brilliant baseball players. Shohei Ohtani is entering his prime, and Mike Trout is squarely in the middle of his prime. The problem for the Angels: Trout won’t play for the next month and a half at […]

Last year, it was Fernando Tatis of the Padres against the Rangers. This year, the “unwritten rules” police in baseball have descended on Yermin Mercedes of the Chicago White Sox for daring to swing at a 3-0 pitch with a big late-inning lead against the Minnesota Twins. The problem for Mercedes: His own manager, Tony […]

The Sacramento Kings were always one of the worst-run franchises in the NBA. Now, with the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns rising from mediocrity in 2021, it is beyond obvious that the KANGZ are the worst of the lot. Sacramento has reportedly decided to retain head coach Luke Walton for next season, a move […]

In the NBA, tanking for a top draft pick has been a problem for a long time. Tanking for a specific playoff matchup or bracket hasn’t been as significant a problem, but it certainly reached an embarrassing new low on Sunday. The Los Angeles Clippers out-tanked the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Denver Nuggets […]

Rombauer, an 11-1 shot not among the favorites, roared down the stretch to win the 146th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.  Pre-race favorite Midnight Bourbon finished second in the Preakness. Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit finished in the money, placing third. ROMBAUER wins the @PreaknessStakes! 🙌@mwmracing decided to skip the @KentuckyDerby in favour […]

Future baseball Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, on the verge of retirement, will finish this 2021 Major League Baseball season in Los Angeles… but not with the Angels. The Los Angeles Dodgers threw many people a curveball on Saturday by signing Pujols for the remainder of the season, thwarting expectations of a reunion between Pujols […]

The Portland Trail Blazers won five games in a row near the end of the NBA regular season. They very nearly beat the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns in back-to-back road games. Damian Lillard is leading his team on a late-season charge, and he matter-of-factly reacted to this positive plot twist for Portland. Damian Lillard: […]

The Indiana Pacers will host the Los Angeles Lakers in Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Lakers-Pacers prediction and pick. Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Lakers-Pacers odds. NBA Odds: Lakers-Pacers Odds Los Angeles Lakers  -7 (-110) Indiana Pacers  +7 (-110) Over  Points (-110) Under  Points (-110) […]