JVSportsTalk Recap: 5/9/22

Celtics Pull Away From Bucks Late; Curry, Warriors Go Up 3-1

• The Boston Celtics pulled away late on the road Monday night to even their series with the Milwaukee Bucks with a 116-108 Game 4 victory.
• Al Horford continued his red hot postseason with 30 points, including a key dunk for a three-point play in the fourth quarter.
• That helped spark a 10-0 run from the Celtics, who also got 30 points from Jayson Tatum.
• Horford had 16 points in the final 12 minutes, while Tatum had 12, as the Celtics outscored the Bucks in the fourth, 43-28.
• Their big performances helped Boston overcome Jaylen Brown dealing with foul trouble on this night.
• Tatum added 13 rebounds and five assists, overcoming a tough Game 3 that saw him post just 10 points on 4-of-19 shooting.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists in the Bucks' home loss.
• Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors took advantage of a Memphis Grizzlies team playing without Ja Morant to go up 3-1 with a 101-98 Game 4 win.
  
• Curry posted 32 points, including the go-ahead free throws with 45.7 seconds to play.
  
• The Warriors did not lead the entire night until Curry hit those free throws.
• Steph added eight assists for the Warriors, who got the win despite head coach Steven Kerr missing the game after testing positive for COVID-19.
  
• Mike Brown, who just got the Sacramento Kings coaching job, was the acting head coach for the second time, as he did have an 11-0 record with them in 2017.
  
• Golden State used a 39-point fourth quarter to come back, this after totaling just 38 points the entire first half.
  
• Tyus Jones led the Grizzlies with 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists, but they are facing a deficit that they have never come back from in franchise history.
  

Nuggets' Nikola Jokic to Win Second Straight MVP

• The Denver Nuggets will get an MVP award to their team for a second straight season, as center Nikola Jokic is taking home the MVP award yet again, according to ESPN.
• A formal announcement for this award is expected this week.
• Jokic posted career highs with 27.1 points and 13.8 rebounds per game to go with 7.9 assists.
• His assists average was good for eighth in the entire league.
• The 27-year-old is also the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season.
• Despite all that, the Nuggets were ousted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors due to them dealing with injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. 
• The big man is the 15th player in NBA history to win multiple MVP awards, and the second straight back-to-back winner following Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Suns' Monty Williams Takes Home Coach of The Year

• Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams was named the NBA's Coach of The Year on Monday, and the voting was not even close.
• Williams earned 81 first place votes and 458 points overall.
  
• He beat out Taylor Jenkins of the Memphis Grizzlies and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat. 
  
• This is the first Coach of The Year award for Williams, joining Cotton Fitzsimmons and Mike D'Antoni as Suns coaches to get the honor.
  
• The Suns finished the league's best record at 64-18, as they sit in the second round against the Dallas Mavericks.
  
• Williams finished in second place in last year's voting, just 11 points behind Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks.
• Phoenix's best stretch was a franchise-record 18 consecutive wins, including a perfect 16-0 November.
  
• Next stop for this team is to get the job done in the NBA Finals after they fell short last summer against the Milwaukee Bucks.
  

Former Michigan State Star Adreian Payne Shot and Killed

• Former Michigan State Spartans basketball star Adreian Payne was reportedly shot and killed in Orlando, Florida early Monday morning.
• Payne was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
• He was just 31 years old.
  
• The forward was the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
  
• He was a member of the All-Big Ten second team in two of his four seasons, doing so in 2013 and 2014.
  
• Payne averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
• Michigan State had plenty of success with him on their roster, going to the Elite Eight in the 2013-2014 season.
• Payne hadn't played in the NBA since the Orlando Magic waived him in 2018 when his name was brought up in an ESPN Outside The Lines report that he had been involved in an alleged sexual assault in 2010.
  
• No charges were filed in that case, but he had tweeted in September that he was taking a break from basketball.
  

Avalanche Finish Off Sweep of Preds; Panthers Even Series in OT

• The Colorado Avalanche finished off a sweep of the Nashville Predators on Monday night with a 5-3 Game 4 victory on the road.
• Valeri Nichushkin scored the go-ahead goal with 7:58 to play in the third period, as they move on to the second round.
  
• It is the fourth straight season that the Avs are in the second round.
• This is also the second straight season that they earned a first round sweep.
  
• Colorado is now 6-0 since the franchise moved to Denver after jumping ahead 3-0 in a series.
  
• Andre Burakovsky had a goal and two assists on Monday, while Cale Makar posted a goal and an assist.
  
• The Avalanche will now face the winner of the St. Louis Blues-Minnesota Wild series.
  
• The Florida Panthers bounced back from a rare home loss, as they evened their first round series on Monday night with a 3-2 overtime win over the Washington Capitals.
• Carter Verhaeghe had the game-winner in overtime, as the two sides continue to trade games back and forth.
• Sam Reinhart sent the game in to the extra period by tying the game late in regulation.
• The Panthers had 24 comeback victories in the regular season, which lead the entire league.
• Florida outshot the Capitals, 32-16, on the night, and overcame going 0-for-4 on the power play.
• They are now 0-for-13 with the man advantage this series.
• The series shifts back to Florida for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Other key scores from Monday night saw Sidney Crosby post three points as the Pittsburgh Penguins blew past the New York Rangers, 7-2, for a 3-1 series lead. And Rasmus Andersson had the Calgary Flames' first power play goal since Game 1 in their 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars to even their series at two-apiece.

Islanders Fire Head Coach Barry Trotz

• The New York Islanders had high hopes for this season, but missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs cost head coach Barry Trotz his job, as they fired him on Monday morning.
• The team missed the playoffs with a 37-35-10 record.
• Trotz loses his job with one year left on his five-year contract.
• The Islanders made the playoffs in each of Trotz' first three seasons, including an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2020 and 2021. 
• Both times they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
• This was a rough season for the Islanders, who opened the season on a 13-game road trip while their new arena was being built. 
• Over four seasons with the Isles, Trotz went 152-102-34, including a 28-21 mark in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 
• He has two Jack Adams trophies as the Coach of The Year, and the 59-year-old won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2017.
• His coaching career started with a 15-year run as the Nashville Predators head man, leading them to even Stanley Cup Playoffs.
• Trotz currently sits with 914 regular season victories, which is good for third among coaches in NHL history.

Naylor, Guardians Stun White Sox Cortes Deals in Yankees' Shutout;

• Josh Naylor's huge day helped the Cleveland Guardians stun the Chicago White Sox in their 12-9 victory in 11 innings.
• Naylor hit the game-tying grand slam in the ninth inning with two outs, and then added the go-ahead three-run shot in the 11th.
  
• The outfielder added an RBI double in the eighth inning, giving him eight RBIs on the day.
• The Guardians earned just their second win in franchise history after training by six runs in the ninth inning, as they erased an 8-2 deficit.
  
• It was the first multi-home run game in Naylor's career, as he is now 10-for-17 with runners in scoring position this season.
  
• His first career grand slam gave White Sox closer Liam Hendriks his first blown save since April 8th.
  
• The New York Yankees now have pitching, which makes them even more dangerous than recent years, and that was on display on Monday with a 1-0 shutout of the Texas Rangers.
• Nestor Cortes took a no hitter two outs in to the eighth inning, before Eli White broke that up with a single.
• White was the number nine hitter, and got the hit on the 103rd pitch of the day from the right hander.
• The 27-year-old is now 1-1 with a 1.41 ERA this season, as the ERA puts him in the top five in the entire league.
• Those numbers include 42 strikeouts and 11 walks over 32 innings, while holding opposing hitters to a .177 average.
• Clay Holmes and Aroldis Chapman closed things out for the Yankees, who have won six straight series.
• Anthony Rizzo had the go-ahead RBI double in the eighth inning, as this was a makeup for one of the two rain outs these two teams had over the weekend.

Other key scores saw Shohei Ohtani go deep twice, including a grand slam in the Los Angeles Angels' 11-3 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays. Ketel Marte had the go-ahead homer as the Arizona Diamondbacks edged the Miami Marlins, 4-3. Jose Quintana got his first win since 2019 as the Pittsburgh Pirates slowed down the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1. Carlos Rodon struck out 12 batters over six innings in the San Francisco Giants' 8-5 victory against the Colorado Rockies. Jean Segura and Rhys Hoskins both homered in the Philadelphia Phillies' 9-0 shutout of the Seattle Mariners. Kyle Hendricks fell one out shy of a complete game in the Chicago Cubs' 6-0 shutout of the San Diego Padres. And Colin Moran homered in his third straight at-bat, as the Cincinnati Reds doubled up the Milwaukee Brewers, 10-5, to win consecutive games for the first time this season.

Reds Send Mike Moustakas to IL

• The Cincinnati Reds' injury list got a little longer on Monday, sending infielder Mike Moustakas to the injured list.
• The team placed him on the IL without designation, which has normally meant some issue with COVID-19.
• He is the 14th player the Reds have placed on the injured list this season.
• That list includes Joey Votto and Jonathan India for COVID issues, while Tyler Naquin just returned with the same issue.
• Moustakas has already missed time this season with a biceps injury.
• Since returning, he has hit safely in seven of his 10 appearances, including four multi-hit games.
• The 33-year-old is hitting .238 with a home run and six RBIs over 19 games.

Cubs Place Marcus Stroman on IL

• The Chicago Cubs had to scratch Marcus Stroman late this past weekend, and then placed him on the injured list on Monday.
• This move came without a designation, meaning COVID issues.
  
• The 31-year-old was replaced by Justin Steele for Sunday night's 7-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  
• Stroman signed a three-year, $71 million deal with the Cubs this past off-season.
  
• He is coming off his best outing with the team, going seven scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers most recently.
  

Titans-Bills, Vikings-Eagles to Put on MNF Doubleheader

• September 19th will cap off Week 2 of the NFL regular season with a big night of football, as the Buffalo Bills will host the Tennessee Titans, while the Philadelphia Eagles play host to the Minnesota Vikings.
• The Titans-Bills game kicks off at 7:15pm EST.  on ESPN, while the Vikings-Eagles will go at 8:30pm EST. on ABC.
• The Eagles and Vikings will meet for the first time since the 2019 season.
• Philadelphia is 4-1 over their past five home games on Monday Night Football.
• While the Vikings have won two straight Monday night games, both against the Chicago Bears.
• This is the fifth straight season that the Bills and Titans have met, with Titans three of the past four.
• Those two teams have split their last four games. 

Lions Give Aidan Hutchinson Four-Year Deal

• The Detroit Lions locked in their top pick from the 2022 NFL Draft on Monday, giving defensive end Aidan Hutchinson a four-year contract.
• The deal is worth $35.7 million, fully guaranteed, to go with a $23.1 million signing bonus.
• Detroit took Hutchinson with the second overall pick in last month's draft.
• That kept him in the state of Michigan, as he was star with the Michigan Wolverines en route to the College Football Playoff.
• On a side note, the Lions also gave seventh-round pick Chase Lucas a four-year contract. 

Dolphins Agree to Deal With Sony Michel

• The Miami Dolphins added depth to their running back core on Monday, giving veteran Sony Michel a one-year contract.
• The deal is worth $2.1 million for the 2022 season.
  
• The 27-year-old is the third running back the Dolphins have added this off-season, going with Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds.
  
• That goes along with Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed, who was already on the roster.
  
• The Dolphins did finish 30th in rushing yards last season, so they can use all the help they can get.
  
• Michel ran for 845 yards and scored five touchdowns for the Los Angeles Rams last season.
  
• He was acquired from the New England Patriots have Cam Akers went down with an injury.
  

Giants Release CB James Bradberry

• The New York Giants have officially released cornerback James Bradberry, doing so Monday after failing to find a trade partner for him.
• The move saves the team about $10.1 million against their salary cap.
  
• The Giants admitted that they were surprised that they did not get interest for him.
  
• Bradberry had $2 million left in his $13.4 million base salary guaranteed amount.
  
• He spent the first four seasons with the Carolina Panthers before signing with the Giants in 2020.
• The cornerback has started 91 of the 92 career games over his six NFL seasons.