2/6/25 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday
6 February 2025 Sports
Damian Lillard had 29 points and 12 assists, Bobby Portis had 23 points and 17 rebounds in his first game since Jan. 23 and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Charlotte Hornets 112-102 on Wednesday night in their first game since trading longtime guard Khris Middleton.
Brook Lopez added 14 points on four 3s as the Bucks snapped a four-game losing skid.
Nick Smith Jr. had 23 points on four 3s for Charlotte, which has lost six straight.
The Bucks pushed their lead to 21 in the third quarter, repeatedly getting open looks from beyond the arc against a depleted Hornets roster.
Charlotte had no answers for Lillard, who finished 9 of 18 from the field and 8 of 9 from the foul line, while setting up teammates with open looks with penetration and kickouts.
Lillard was forced to carry the load for the Bucks, who played without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo went through pre-game warmups and was introduced before being scratched due to left calf soreness minutes before tipoff.
Milwaukee finished 18 of 42 on 3s; Charlotte was 11 of 34.
The Bucks visit the Hawks Friday night.
Green Bay rode a wide receiver-by-committee approach to its fifth playoff appearance in six years. Newcomer Josh Jacobs would like to see a stratified attack in 2025.
“We’ve got a really young group of receiver,” Jacobs told 97.3, The Game on Wednesday.” All can be really, really, really special but I think personally we need a guy that’s proven to be a little more consistent”
Jacob, the Packers starting running back, finished sixth on the team in receiving in 2024, behind four receivers and tight end Tucker Kraft, all of whom had over at least 400 receiving years but none of whom cracked 1,000 yards.
Jayden Reed paced the Packers pass catchers with 55 catches and 857 yards, Christian Watson, 29 for 620, Romeo Doubs, 46 for 601 and Dontayvion Wicks, 39 for 415 yards rounded out the corps. It was never clear, due to injuries and Jordan Love’s distribution, who Green Bay’s top WR was. Doubs led the team in targets and reception per game. Reed was a surefire No. 1 through week 5, but saw his production tail off. Watson was second in the NFL with 21.4 yards per catch before tearing his ACL in Week 18.
All four are under contract in 2026.
The 2024 Midwest League Manager of the Year will be back in the dugout for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
The Timber Rattlers’ parent club Milwaukee Brewers announced their full 2025 player development staff on Wednesday.
Victor Estevez, who led the Timber Rattlers to their first postseason appearance since 2016 last year, returns for a second season.
He will be joined by pitching coach Michael O’Neal, hitting coach Evan Berliner, coach Marcelo Alfonsín and associate coach Tommy McManus.
Paul Gonzales will be the athletic trainer and Luis Rios-Reyes will be the strength and conditioning coach.
The Timber Rattlers begin their 2025 season April 4.
In men’s college basketball Wednesday, Ripon College won at Beloit College 72-60. Cade Tackmier led four players in double figures with 14 points while Luke Meinholz had 13. The Red Hawks improve to 9-11 overall and 6-5 in the Midwest Conference.
UW-Oshkosh won at UW-Whitewater 54-49. Carter Thomas had 16 points for the Titans as they improve to 12-8 overall and 3-6 in the conference.
In women’s college basketball Wednesday night Ripon College won at Beloit College 60-41. Ella Ten Pas led the Red Hawks with 12 points as they upped their record to 16-4 overall and 10-1 in the Midwest Conference.
In Oshkosh, the 5th ranked UW-Oshkosh women’s team outscored 16th ranked UW-Whitewater by 13 in the 4th quarter and ultimately came away victorious 77-69 in double overtime. Appleton East grad Sammi Beyer had 27 points in the win.
And in Appleton, it was a back and forth affair between Lawrence and Knox as the Vikings won by 2, 76-74 to stay in 2nd place in the Midwest Conference.
Mallory Meyer led all scorers with 24 points, while Sophie Morey made the game-winning free throws with 12 seconds left.
The Milwaukee Bucks are trading NBA chamion and Olympic gold medalist Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards and getting Kyle Kuzma back in the deal, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Also in the trade: A.J. Johnson goes from the Bucks to the Wizards and Patrick Baldwin goes from the Wizards to the Bucks, along with a future pick swap and some second-round draft capital, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had yet to receive league approval.
The move, first reported by ESPN, came one day before Thursday’s 3 p.m. Eastern trade deadline in the NBA.
The 33-year-old Middleton, who has struggled with injuries, leaves the Bucks after spending all but one of his 13 NBA seasons in Milwaukee. The three-time All-Star has been limited to 23 games this season, 16 of those coming off the bench, but was shooting a career-best 51% in those appearances. Middleton helped the Bucks win the NBA title in 2021, helped the United States win gold at the Tokyo Games later that year and was someone that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has raved about for years.
“It’s definitely a plus having Khris back,” Antetokounmpo said earlier this season when Middleton was available again following ankle issues. “Man, he takes us to the next level with his IQ, decision-making, shot ability, defense.”
Milwaukee will become Kuzma’s third team, after four years with the Los Angeles Lakers and parts of four years with the Wizards. The 29-year-old has averaged 17.2 points per game for his career, 15.2 points per game this season.
The move gives the Bucks some financial flexibility in that it gets them below the second apron — meaning, in the short term, some other trade options may be available to them before the deadline.
Boys Basketball (Thurs.)
Green Bay West at Shawano
Random Lake at Lomira
Green Bay Preble at Oconto Falls
Adams-Friendship at Wautoma
Wisconsin Dells at Westfield
Nekoosa at Mauston
Deerfield at Central Wisconsin Christian
Girls Basketball (thurs.)
Winneconne at Ripon
Kettle Moraine Lutheran at Kewaskum
Waupun at Berlin
Beaver Dam at Milton
North Fond du Lac at Campbellsport
Laconia at Lomira
St. Mary’s Springs at Winnebago Lutheran
Omro at Mayville
Bowler at Little Chute
Mauston at La Crosse Logan
Wautoma at Lourdes Academy
Stockbridge at Central Wisconsin Christian
Horicon at Oakfield
Valley Christian at Dodgeland
Hustisford at Wayland Academy
Cambria-Friesland at Pardeeville
Randolph at Fall River
Markesan at Princeton/Green Lake
Montello at Rio
Once the football playoff brackets are released every year there are many scratching their heads over certain parts of the brackets.
It could be geographical or it could be regarding a seed. It seems like there’s always a few brackets that are unbalanced. It’s hard to please everybody but Wednesday the WIAA Board of Control voted 10-1 in favor of a football playoff matrix developed by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association that hopefully reduces the amount of questions.
The matrix, which will be in use for next season, is designed to ensure transparency in seedings and the qualification process, reduce travel and provide consistency. This process has been used by the Ohio High School Athletic Association for more than 30 years.
It basically is trying to do what every other plan before tried to do: accurately seed teams and try to minimize travel as much as possible.
There will be a formula used to determine the seven divisions and it’s points based. This is called Tier 1 points:
• A win over a Division 1 school = 6.5 points
• A win over a Division 2 school = 6.0 points
• A win over a Division 3 school = 5.5 points
• A win over a Division 4 school = 5.0 points
• A win over a Division 5 school = 4.5 points
• A win over a Division 6 school = 4.0 points
• A win over a Division 7 school = 3.5 points
The WFCA used Franklin as the example of how this works. The Sabers totaled 56 points on nine regular season wins in 2024. You then divide 56 by 9 (games played) for the Tier 2 points, which is 6.22.
You then add the total of defeated opponents’ Tier 1 points, which is 228.5. Next, divide Tier 2 points by opponents’ games played (81) and multiply by 9, which equals 25.39. You add the Tier 1 score (6.22) to the Tier 2 score (25.39) and you get 31.61 points, which would have made Franklin a one seed in Division 1.
With this formula used the four No. 1 seeds last season in Division 1 would have been Franklin, Kimberly, Oconomowoc and Verona. However, the four No. 1 seeds using the computer-based seeding program were Franklin, Waunakee, Verona and Marquette. Oconomowoc was a No 6 seed and Kimberly was No. 2.
Just like always there will be 32 teams for each of the seven divisions and division placement and performance factor are both determined before the season begins, ensuring clarity and consistency in planning.
With conditions on the ice considered by many to be much better than last year, hopes are high leading into the upcoming sturgeon spearing season but below the frozen surface, water clarity in Lake Winnebago might tell a different tale.
“As of right now, this opening weekend, pack your patience. It’s going to be a little rough,” said Wisconsin DNR Sturgeon Biologist Margaret Stadig.
Department of Natural Resources crews recently tested 10 stites around Lake Winnebago.
“Unfortunately this year, we’re not seeing really good clarity. We saw about an average of 5.3 feet. In some areas, you can get better, about eight feet. Some areas, you can get worse,” said Stadig.
She thinks lack of snow cover on Lake Winnebago may be the main reason.
Sturgeon spearers say they typically need about 12 feet of clear water to be successful.
“And so the fact that we’re averaging about five feet coming into the season, it’s not looking good,” added Stadig.
She said there may be some hope.
“As the season will go, water clarity can adjust pretty quickly on Lake Winnebago. So if we get some good conditions, like some snow, or whatever, that clarity can turn around and it can adjust.”
The season begins on Saturday at seven in the morning, and is scheduled to run 16 days, or until the safe harvest caps are met.
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