11/14/24 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday
14 November 2024 Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 59 points to pace the Milwaukee Bucks (4-8) to a 127-120 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons (5-8) on Wednesday night.
It was a league-high for points by an NBA player this season and the second-highest single-game total for Antetokounmpo, who had 64 against Indiana last season.
Antetokounmpo hit 21 of 34 shots and 16 of 17 free throws and added 14 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit.
Brook Lopez added 29 points for the Bucks. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 35 points and Malik Beasley had 26 against his former team.
Detroit’s Ron Holland II was fouled by Antetokounmpo with one second left in regulation and the score tied at 111, but Holland missed both free throws.
The Pistons were without starters Jaden Ivey and Tim Hardaway Jr. Ivey was out with a toe injury and Hardaway missed the game after taking stitches to the head following a fall in Tuesday’s game against Miami.
Milwaukee played without Damian Lillard (concussion protocol), Ryan Rollins (left shoulder instability) and Bobby Portis (right elbow contusion).
Pistons: Beasley was hot from 3-point range, hitting 4 of 5 in the first half as Detroit shot 61.5% from beyond the arc (8 of 13). He finished 8 of 16.
Antetokounmpo made every basket for Milwaukee in the first quarter, hitting 7 of 10 field-goal attempts and all eight of his free throws for 22 of the team’s 24 points.
Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart pulled down Antetokounmpo by the jersey and was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and ejected with 3:02 left in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo made both free throws.
The Bucks improved to 22-1 against Detroit since the 2018-19 season and won their 10th straight in the series.
The Bucks visit Charlotte on Saturday.
The Packers returned to the practice field Wednesday.
Green Bay’s new defensive scheme under first-year coordinator Jeff Hafley has produced more turnovers but hasn’t yet resulted in an upgraded pass rush.
The Packers have an opportunity to change that this weekend.
Green Bay showed confidence in its other pass rushers by sending veteran Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 seventh-round pick last week. The Packers (6-3) play their first game since that trade when they visit the Chicago Bears (4-5), who fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after a 19-3 loss to New England in which they allowed nine sacks.
“Our chops are going to be licking,” defensive lineman Arron Mosby said. “It’s an NFC North opponent, divisional game. We’re 0-2 (in the division) right now, so we’ve got to make a statement.”
That pass rush hasn’t made enough noise so far.
Green Bay has 19 takeaways – one more than its 2023 season total – and is tied for second in the league in that category. But the Packers have produced only 22 sacks and are tied for 18th in the league with 2.4 sacks per game. Last year, the Packers collected 45 sacks to tie for 16th in the league.
“I think we still are waiting for that big breakout game for us,” said 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, who has recorded just one sack this season after getting four as a rookie. “But I think we have a goal in mind of coming back from this break, and I think our best ball’s ahead of us.”
Green Bay’s sack totals are somewhat deceptive because 12 of them came in just two games – eight in a Sept. 22 victory at Tennessee and four in an Oct. 20 triumph over the Houston Texans. The Packers have compiled no more than one sack in three of their last four games.
Green Bay is credited with a pressure on 24.5% of an opposing team’s dropbacks, which ranks 13th in the league. The Packers had a pressure rate of 24.3% last year to rank seventh.
Rashan Gary has 2½ sacks in nine games this year after getting 24½ over 42 games from 2021-23. Kenny Clark, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is still seeking his first sack of the year after getting a career-high 7½ last season.
In other team news, QB Jordan Love practiced fully Wednesday after playing through a groin strain in the loss to Detroit. CB Jaire Alexander (knee), C Josh Myers (wrist) and S Evan Williams (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis after missing the Lions game. … RB MarShawn Lloyd (ankle/hamstring) practiced on a limited basis as well. Lloyd has been on injured reserve since Sept. 17.
In Thursday Night Football, the Commanders (7-3) are at the Eagles (7-2).
St. Norbert men’s basketball overcame an 11-point second half deficit to come back and defeat Lawrence 68-62 in the Green Knights season opener.
Jamison Nickolai led three SNC players in double figures with 15 points, while Jaeden Grade had 13 and Charlie Geske chipped in 10.
Nicholas Gouriotis was the Vikings leading scorer with 14, while Jasper Padia had 13 and Landon Key finished with 12.
Anthony Roy’s 35 points led Green Bay over Western Illinois 87-73 on Wednesday night.
Roy also had eight rebounds for the Phoenix (1-2). Jeremiah Johnson shot 5 of 9 from the field, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line to add 15 points. Foster Wonders shot 4 for 11, including 3 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 11 points.
Ryan Myers led the way for the Leathernecks (1-2) with 26 points. Sean Smith added 21 points.
In Chicago, the Phoenix women used a 15-0 fourth quarter run to turn a 10-point deficit into a 3-point victory, defeating UIC 74-71.
Maddy Schreiber led the charge down the stretch as she had a career-high 25 points.
Natalie McNeal had 15 points, while Jenna Guyer had 11 off the bench.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodges, mired in one of the worst statistical seasons of his legendary career, wants to play in 2025.
“I think so, yeah,” he said Wednesday, 19 days shy of his 41st birthday.
It wasn’t a resounding yes, perhaps because he knows that organizational changes in the offseason could impact his decision.
Rodgers, who said last offseason that he hopes to play “two or three or four more years,” indicated the team’s disappointing season (3-7) hasn’t changed his feelings.
“Not really, not for the negative,” he said. “Not really, no.”
Rodgers, coming back from Achilles surgery, has battled hamstring, knee and ankle injuries, but he hasn’t missed any snaps because of injury. The four-time MVP, however, hasn’t played up to his usual level. He’s ranked 24th out of 32 qualified passers in Total QBR (52.0), with 15 touchdown passes, 7 interceptions and a career-low 6.4 yards per attempt.
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