1/4/24 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday
4 January 2024 Sports
Tyrese Haliburton had 31 points and 12 assists and the Indiana Pacers pulled away with a 47-point third quarter, beating Milwaukee 142-130 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory and second over the Bucks in three days.
Bennedict Mathurin added 16 points for the Pacers. Indiana ended Milwaukee’s 15-game home winning streak Monday and is 4-1 against the Bucks this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Milwaukee, falling just short of his fourth triple-double of the season. Damian Lillard added 23 points and five assists, and Khris Middleton overcame a sprained right wrist and a sore right knee to finish with 19 points and seven assists.
The Central Division foes have gotten awfully familiar, playing five times in 54 days — including the In-Season Tournament semifinal in Las Vegas. Four games have produced combined scoring totals of at least 247 points, and the series also became emotional and chippy. A dispute over a missing game ball led to a bizarre postgame scene in December when Antetokounmpo sprinted toward the Indiana locker room.
The Packers returned to the practice field Wednesday as they get ready for the Bears Sunday at Lambeau Field in the final regular season game. A lot is on the line for the 8-8 Packers. A win gets them in the playoffs against the 7-9 Bears. If they lose there’s still a remote possibility of making the playoffs, but they would need a lot of luck.
Green Bay won at Chicago 38-20 to open the season. Since then there’s been a lot of ups and downs for both teams. Both teams have won their last two games and the Bears have won four of their last five.
Meanwhile, Jaire Alexander said Wednesday he’s “very grateful” to be part of the Green Bay Packers and he won’t repeat the conduct that led the team to suspend him for one game.
The 26-year-old cornerback also said he wants to remain with the Packers beyond this season. Alexander was hopeful the conversations he had with team officials in the wake of the suspension should improve that relationship.
“There’s definitely things that I could have improved upon during that week to help with communication,” Alexander said. “Moving forward, that won’t happen again.”
Alexander has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the last two months but was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur wouldn’t go into details about what role Alexander might have Sunday as the Packers try to clinch a playoff berth by beating the Bears.
“I’m not going to get into too many of the specifics — you guys will find out later in the week — but I will say that it was great to have him back,” LaFleur said. “We had a great conversation on Monday, and I think he’s ready to go.”
Alexander served a one-game suspension after appointing himself captain for the Packers’ Christmas Eve victory over the Carolina Panthers in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Alexander said he didn’t believe there would be too many obvious changes in the way he goes about his business from now on, but added that “my interviews might be a little more serious.”
Alexander is one of the Packers’ best overall players when healthy. He received a four-year, $84 million contract extension with a $30 million signing bonus in May 2022.
But he has played in just six of the Packers’ 16 games this season.
He missed three games during the first two months of the season with a back injury. He later missed six games with a shoulder problem before returning for the Carolina game. Then he served the one-game suspension.
Alexander expressed optimism that his shoulder would be healthy enough for him to play against the Bears. He also was hopeful the suspension led to conversations that should aid his dealings with LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst.
WRs Christian Watson (hamstring), Dontayvion Wicks (chest) and Jayden Reed (chest) were all limited participants in Wednesday’s practice. Watson has missed four straight games. Wicks didn’t play against the Vikings, and Reed left the Vikings game early after scoring two touchdowns. LB Isaiah McDuffie (concussion/neck), OLB Preston Smith (ankle), RB AJ Dillon (thumb), S Rudy Ford (hamstring) and LG Elgton Jenkins (knee/ankle) didn’t practice.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, the Green Bay Packers announced on their website Wednesday The Packers said this is the first time in Love’s career that he’s received this accolade.
According to the Packers, Love was 24-of-33 for 256 yards with three touchdowns and a 125.3 passer rating in Green Bay’s 33-10 win at Minnesota in Week 17. He also rushed for a touchdown.
Love completed passes to eight different players in the game, with WR Bo Melton, WR Jayden Reed and TE Tucker Kraft each recording six receptions. Reed caught two of the TDs and Melton the other, his first in the NFL.
The Packers said it was Love’s eighth game this season with multiple TD passes and no interceptions, which is tied for most in the league with San Francisco’s Brock Purdy. Love also has eight such games in his first 17 NFL starts, tied for second with Dan Marino and one behind Purdy’s nine to begin a career.
Love now has 30 passing TDs and four rushing TDs on the year, the Packers said, becoming just the second QB in franchise history to hit those marks in a single season. Aaron Rodgers did it twice, in 2009 (30/5) and ‘16 (40/4).
Not a single member of the Packers roster were selected to the Pro Bowl when the initial rosters were announced on Wednesday.
At the same time five players were picked as alternates for the Pro Bowl Games. Including team sack leader Rashan Gary, who is a first alternate and could be in line for his first Pro Bowl. Other alternates include defensive lineman Kenny Clark, guard Elgton Jenkins, cornerback Jaire Alexander and return man Keisean Nixon.
Green Bay joins Carolina, Washington and New England as the only four teams without a player picked for the Pro Bowl. The other three teams have combined for ten wins this season, and make up the top three picks in next year’s NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa were selected to their first Pro Bowl on Wednesday as the starting quarterbacks for their respective conferences.
Purdy is the first 49ers quarterback to be named to the Pro Bowl since Jeff Garcia in 2002.
Tagovailoa is the first Dolphins quarterback to be named to the Pro Bowl since Dan Marino in 1995, ending the longest active drought in the NFL, per ESPN Stats & Information.
It’s the first time the two starting quarterbacks are first-time picks since the 1999 season, when Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner were chosen.
Purdy was one of nine players picked from the Sam Francisco 49ers (12-4), who clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed. He was joined by edge rusher Nick BOsa, , defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, fullback Kyle Juszczk, tight end George Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey, cornerback Clarvarius Ward, linebacker Fred Warner and tackle Trent Williams.
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The 49ers (13-3) had the most players selected. Baltimore (13-3) and Dallas (11-5) each have seven Pro Bowl players.
Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Haill and his family are safe after fire rescue crews responded to a large fire at his South Florida home Wednesday afternoon.
The house, which is located in Southwest Ranches about 30 miles northwest of Miami, was shown Wednesday on local station WSVN 7 News with a large amount of black smoke coming out of the roof as firefighters doused it with water.
Hill had been at Dolphins practice as Miami prepares for its regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, but he left after being told about the fire.
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Hill’s agent Drew Rosenhaus told reporters that some family members were home at the time of the fire.
Rosenhaus said Hill will not comment at this time, that the cause remains under investigation and that it was largely contained to one room.
oys and Girls Basketball 01/04
Boys:
Plymouth at Ripon-Tipoff around 7:15 AM 1600/93.1 FM WRPN and the Ripon Channel.
Kewaskum at Waupun
Kettle Moraine Lutheran at Berlin
Beaver Dam at Monona Grove
Bay Port at Appleton North
Freedom at Fox Valley Lutheran
Washington County Home School at Hustisford
Girls:
Green Bay East at Sturgeon Bay
New London at Menasha
Shawano at Seymour
Laconia at Campbellsport
North Fond du Lac at Winnebago Lutheran
Mayville at Omro
Lomira at St. Mary’s Springs
Mauston at Adams-Friendship
Wautoma at Wisconsin Dells
Westfield at Nekoosa
Lourdes Academy at Oakfield
Horicon at Valley Christian
Washington County Home School at Hustisford
Cambria-Friesland at Fall River
Montello at Randolph
Princeton/Green Lake at Pardeeville
Rio at Markesan
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