3/30/22 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Wednesday
30 March 2022 Sports
Sports for March 30th
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points and had a game-deciding block of Joel Embiid in the final seconds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 118-116 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams. Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks for the defending NBA champion Bucks. Khris Middleton added 22 points and Jrue Holiday had 18 for the Bucks, who pulled within a half-game of idle Miami for first place in the East.
Milwaukee was clinging to a two-point lead when Antetokounmpo swatted away Embiid’s put-back attempt with 1.6 seconds left.
James Harden had 32 points and nine rebounds for the 76ers, and Embiid recovered from a slow start and finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Philadelphia dropped 1 1/2 behind the Heat in the conference.
The Bucks scored 13 of the first 17 points of the fourth, going in front on Middleton’s 3-pointer that made it 94-93 with nine minutes to play. The game remained close the rest of the way, with neither team going up by more than six points. Milwaukee has been one of the NBA’s best teams since the All-Star break, going 11-4 as it gears up for another postseason run. The Bucks are at Brooklyn on Thursday night.
In Cactus League baseball action Tuesday the Cleveland Guardians pounded the Brewers 10-3. Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up six runs, all earned, on seven hits while striking out five and walking one. He also gave up three Cleveland home runs. The Brewers managed just six hits. Milwaukee plays the Padres this afternoon with the first pitch at 3:10 and the game can be heard on AM 1100/98.3 FM, WISS.
Corbin Burnes’ Cy Young Award-winning performance last year has resulted in him getting the opening day assignment for the Milwaukee Brewers this season. Brewers manager Craig Counsell announced Tuesday that Burnes would start the Brewers April 7th opener against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Cubs haven’t yet named their starting pitcher for that game. Burnes went 11-5 with an MLB-leading 2.43 ERA and struck out 234 batters while issuing only 34 walks in 167 innings last season. This will be Burnes’ first opening day start. Brandon Woodruff started the Brewers’ season opener each of the last two years.
The Milwaukee Brewers will be getting a new look this season. The team will debut a “City Connect” alternate uniform on June 24. The announcement was made in a Major League Baseball news release announcing the Washington Nationals’new cherry blossoum-themed alternate uniforms. The City Connect program debuted last year with seven teams participating — the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. Besides the Brewers and Nationals, the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres are set to debut City Connect uniforms this year. Some City Connect uniforms are similar in color and style to the team’s primary uniform. Others, however, have been a radical departure. The Red Sox dropped their traditional navy blue and red for a light blue and yellow Boston Marathon-inspired uniform. We’ll have to wait and see if the Brewers’ City Connect uniform keep the traditional blue and yellow, or feature a different Milwaukee-themed style.
The NFL is changing its sometimes controversial overtime rules to guarantee each side gets the ball in the playoffs. Concerned that the coin toss to begin the extra period has too much impact on postseason game results, the owners voted Tuesday to approve a proposal presented by the Colts and Eagles. Beginning this season, if the team possessing the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown on that series, the opponent still gets a possession. In recent seasons, that touchdown would have ended the game.
The Titans had recommended that both teams possess the ball in overtime unless the team receiving the kickoff scores a touchdown and a 2-point conversion. That would end the game.
But the owners, perhaps believing the Tennessee suggestion was too gimmicky, went with the other proposal. Under previous rules, the 10-minute overtime in the regular season only continued if the team getting the ball first failed to score or kicked a field goal. Should the side receiving the kickoff make a field goal, the team that first played defense would get a possession in which it can score a touchdown and win, or kick a field goal and play would continue — if time allowed.
In the postseason, when there are no ties, overtimes continue until someone has more points.
Since the previous overtime rule was instituted for the regular season in 2012, the team that wins the coin toss has won the game half of the time (76 of 152 games). However, both teams have had at least one possession in 82% of the games (124 of 152). Those numbers change a bit in the postseason. Since 2010, when that rule was instituted for the playoffs, seven of the 12 overtime games have been won on an opening possession touchdown, and 10 of 12 have been won by the team that won the coin toss.
Losing both Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling leaves the Packers with a deficit in terms of playmakers. Adams, an All-Pro caliber receiver, was dealt to the Raiders in a blockbuster trade just a couple weeks ago. On Tuesday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur addressed the media at the Annual Meetings in Florida and gave his take on the deal and Green Bay’s path forward.
“A lot of it was driven by Davante. I would tell you. No sense looking back in it. We are moving forward. and we appreciate everything he has done, obviously. It’s a lot to replace in terms of production, but it was just one of those deal you never want to make but unfortunately you have too,” said LaFleur.
Then Valdes-Scantling signed with the Chiefs in free agency. Meaning LaFleur and the Packers offense must replace two of their biggest threats on the outside from a year ago.
“I think you can never have enough great players, guys that can make those big explosive plays. Typically, I would say, when you’re able to create those explosives a lot of times that leads to points. Let’s face it, there’s six months before we have to kick off. So, I would envision a lot is going to happen between now and opening day,” said LaFleur.
Billy Turner’s one-year deal with the Denver Broncos represents not only a homecoming but a reunion. Turner, who played in Denver from 2016-18, and Broncos new head coach Nathaniel Hackett developed a close friendship during their time together in Green Bay, where Turner blossomed as a versatile and dependable offensive lineman.
“It’s special,” Turner said Tuesday of returning to the Broncos. “On top of that, being able to play for one of the better people that I’ve met in this industry and someone who I consider one of my great friends in this league … you can’t pass up on a situation like that.”
The Miami Dolphins drafted Turner in the third round out of North Dakota State in 2014 and he joined the Broncos midway through the 2016 season. He didn’t play in all 16 games until his third season in Denver and fifth season of his NFL career. He joined the Packers in 2019 and became a mainstay in Green Bay, starting 43 games in the regular season and two in the playoffs. Turner, who signed for $5 million in 2022, projects as the Broncos right tackle although he provides depth at both tackle spots and both guard positions.
Former Miami Marlins and Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Urena has signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 30-year-old Urena went 4-8 with a 5.81 ERA for the Tigers last season in 26 appearances, including 18 starts. The right-hander had 67 strikeouts and 42 walks in 100 2/3 innings. He owns a 36-54 career record with a 4.77 ERA and 473 strikeouts and 250 walks in 697 2/3 innings. Urena pitched for the Marlins from 2015-20.
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