The Weekly Roundkick: McGregor Soon?

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Welcome to the Weekly Roundkick, where you can get all your MMA news in one spot. In the age of Covid, the UFC has done a great job of being the leaders of industry in making sure the show goes on. Here’s everything that you might’ve missed this week in the MMA world.

 

Fight Rumors and Announcements

 

  • Conor McGregor: UFC says they’re in the works for “something fun” for Conor McGregor. The sports biggest star has been out since his win over Cowboy Cerrone and hopefully, soon we get an announcement for what he’s doing (UFC)

 

  • #5 Stephen Thompson, Former UFC title challenger and the NMF, Nicest Mother Effer, performed his first official twitter callout calling out #3 Leon Edwards. Leon has been all over twitter asking for a fight so we now sit and wait to see what his response is

 

  • Khamzat Chimaev, the summers hottest star, is scheduled to face a ranked opponent in the main event spot for a date to be announced (MMA Junkie)

 

  • Robbie Lawler is looking to bounce back against Mike Perry at UFC 255 on Saturday, November 21, 2020

 

  • #9 Nikita Krylov vs. #7 Volkan Oezdemir is now the Co-Maiin of UFC’s Oct. 17 card

 

  • #2 Thiago Santos vs. #4 Glover Teixeira lined up for Nov. 7 headliner (MMA Junkie)

 

  • Carlos Diego Ferreira vs. Drew Dober lined up for November 7

 

  • Ludovit Klein steps up a short notice to fight Shane Young (MMA Junkie)
  • Jessin Ayari vs. Luigi Vendramini lined up for (Combate)
  • Nassourdine Imavov vs. Jordan Williams – Two UFC Fighters making their debut (MMA Fighting)
  • Dusko Todorovic vs. Dequan Townsend – Dusko making us UFC Debut while Townsend looking for his first win in the UFC 
  • Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cody Stamann set up for UFC’s Dec. 5 Card (MMAJunkie)

 

Other MMA News

 

    • Cage Warriors FC Kicks off 3 days straight of Fights on UFC Fight pass starting September 25th
  • Anthony Smith responds to Johnny Walker’s callout saying “I’ll beat the ___ out of you” Would be an interesting matchup if it comes to fruition. 

 

You can follow Johnathan Ramlakhan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

 

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game Five Loss to Boston

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The Miami Heat allowed the Boston Celtics to battle back in the second half and get the win, 121-108. This game was clearly a tale of two halves, with Miami dominating the first and Boston dominating the second. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Duncan Robinson comes out scoring early, not just from three, but in the paint.

Duncan Robinson hasn’t had the best series scoring the ball, but that changed early in game five. While many would expect he made most of his scoring impact from beyond the arc, it actually came from attacking the rim. I’ve continually said that since Duncan is being watched so closely, he will need to put the ball on the floor once in a while to open up his shooting. Well, that’s exactly what he did tonight. After scoring around the rim to start, that led to him hitting three first half triples. Duncan has been a bit of a decoy throughout this series, but now he proved once again that he’s much more than that. He will need to show up again in game 6 to give Miami’s offense a boost.

#2: Jimmy Butler fills up stat sheet in first half, but his biggest impact didn’t involve numbers.

Jimmy Butler’s energy on both sides of the floor in the first half was clearly impressive. He finally was searching to score at times in the first half, which led to some fouls on Boston’s top players. But his biggest impact wasn’t on the offensive end, and it wasn’t shown in a stat sheet. It was on display through his active hands on the defensive end through help defense. Miami’s first quarter lead began with Jimmy making guys uncomfortable when attacking the rim, and ultimately led to buckets on the opposite end. But Miami’s second half issues allowed Jimmy Butler’s offense to grow stagnant, which consequently made his intensity take a dip. Now only up 3-2, Jimmy will need to be ready to close this out on Sunday.

#3: Miami’s three point shooting struggles become problematic.

Miami shot 19% from three in game five, only Duncan Robinson seemed to be able to connect from deep. This is very unlike this team, since they’ve been a top three point shooting team all season. For starters, Jae Crowder struggled shooting the ball again from three, which showed a huge decrease in his confidence with his jumper going forward. Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro weren’t even able to get in a groove shooting the ball in the first half. Boston struggled early in the game as well, shooting 5 for 20 in the first quarter, but their second half run overcame this. Although it’s tough to think positively about this poor shooting, this team’s shooting confidence is like no other, which is why it’s not much of a worry.

#4: Third quarter issues cause 20-3 run by Celtics.

It was clear that Miami was the energetic and locked in team throughout the first half, but it was the complete opposite in the second half. Not only were the Heat flat in the third, they just weren’t getting into their offense. It also seemed as if they got complacent with their halftime lead. No fire in their play, until Goran Dragic took the reigns of the team while trailing once again. It ultimately was too late though, since Boston went on a 20-3 run to start the quarter. It’s been a constant thing with this team that they must play for a full 48 minutes. Tough stretches, like the one in the third, will need to be cleaned up going forward, since they can’t do that against a team like Boston, especially in the Conference Finals.

#5: Goran Dragic continually finds ways to try and get them out of the mud.

Goran Dragic seems to get to another level whenever they go through tough stretches, and well, it was on full display tonight again. Even on a night that he’s not shooting particularly well, he finds ways to attack the rim and draw fouls to try and get the team back on track. This is something he has done all season. Maybe it’s that he’s able to do whatever he wants with the ball in his hands during those times, which means he can put his head down and play his game. Either way, Goran can’t be the only guy trying to get them out of the mud. They will need another type of offensive game to take some of the load off of him, like Jimmy’s attacking or Tyler’s shot-creating.

The Marlins Maintain Playoff Hopes With Win

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With the season on the brink, amid pouring rain in Atlanta, GA, the Miami Marlins turned to Pablo Lopez. After much heralded pitching prospects Trevor Rogers and Sixto Sanchez failed to get the Marlins back on track, the 24-year-old veteran in his third season settled the Marlins on the mound and gave the team the opportunity to stop the skid and maintain their hold on a playoff spot. The Marlins managed a 4-2 victory over the Braves in what was the latest most important game of the topsy-turvy 2020 season.

Lopez went five innings and surrendered only two hits while piling up six strikeouts, including the 200th of his MLB career.

“Obviously, every game is important in a short season like this one,” López said. “We knew coming into today that this is the biggest game yet. We’ve seen the Braves the last three days. Obviously, it’s a tough matchup.”

The Marlins entered Thursday night’s matchup losers of four straight and watched their lead in the playoff race dwindle to 0.5 games. With the Phillies nipping at their heels, Miami turned to Lopez, who’s been one of the few constants this season, and he turned in one of the biggest performances of the season.

But he wasn’t alone. The offense, which has sputtered of late and has been maddeningly inconsistent throughout the season, found just enough of a rhythm. The bullpen also turned in a critical performance.

The Marlins Offense Came Through in the Clutch

In the sixth inning, tied at zero, the Marlins offense went to work. Brian Anderson reached on an error, then Garrett Cooper singled, moving Anderson to third. A pair of strikeouts followed and the Marlins seemed like the same old story of lackluster offense would hold true in this spot. But backup catcher Chad Wallach came through.

Wallach, starting thanks to his recent chemistry with Lopez on the mound, punched an 2-0 offering from Ian Anderson into right field. That scored Anderson and moved Cooper to third.

Jon Berti came to the plate and continued Miami’s two-out magic by ripping a two-run double to left. The Marlins held a 3-0 lead entering the top of the sixth.

The Bullpen Held On

Marlins manager Don Mattingly turned to Yimi Garcia earlier than usual when he summoned the right-hander from the ‘pen in the sixth. Garcia walked Marcell Ozuna, but proceeded to get Travis d’Araud to line out, then registered a pair of strikeouts of Ozzie Albies and Adam Duvall.

In the seventh inning, Jesus Aguilar extended the Marlins lead with a home run off AJ Minter. It was Aguilar’s eighth homer of the season.

James Hoyt and Richard Bleier combined work through a tense seventh before Marlins closer Brandon Kintzler entered in the eighth to attempt a six-out save. Brad Boxberger had loaded the bases without recording an out, and although Kintzler surrendered a pair of runs on a Dansby Swanson single, he limited the damage to two.

“He comes in a tough spot,” Mattingly said of Kintzler after the game. “I’d trade outs for runs at that point. Obviously, a great job getting us through there, and he had to go through their top of the order in the ninth.”

Kintzler notched his first career six-out save and the 60th save of his career with the Marlins win.

“That was a really big win,” Wallach said afterwards. “We’ve been doing that all year. When we’ve gotten down and may have lost a couple of games, we’ve battled back when we’ve needed to. We played a great game, and that’s just something we’ve done all year. Hopefully, we can continue it going on.”

Playoffs on the Line in New York

The Marlins (29-28) head to New York for a crucial three-game series against the Yankees. Miami holds a slim one-game lead over the Phillies (28-29) for second place in the NL East and a guaranteed playoff spot. The Phillies are in St Petersburg to face the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend. The Marlins hold the tiebreaker over Philadelphia and their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to two.

The Marlins have Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.12 ERA) taking the mound against the Yankees in an effort to possibly clinch their first postseason berth since 2003.

Marlins Playoff Odds Decreasing

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Honestly, I think we are all getting worried. The Marlins 9-4 loss last night versus the Braves marks their 4th straight loss in must-win games. The Fish fall to 28-28 and the Phillies climb to 28-29. This means that a Marlins loss tonight would even up the Phillies and Marlins, as the Phillies do not play. The Wild Card seems unlikely as well because the Giants and the Reds both sit a game above .500. Let’s first analyze last’s nightmare before we take a look at possible ways the Marlins can still pull this off.

 

Last 4 games we took an L, but tonight we bounce back… hopefully

 

The Marlins went into last night with Sixto on the mound. Most of us expected a low scoring pitching battle between Cy Young candidate Max Fried and our gunslinging young ace. Instead, Sixto allowed 4 runs over 3 innings, and Max Fried left the game after just 1 inning (injury) allowing 2 runs. The Marlins just can’t outhit this Braves lineup, so if the pitching falters, we lose, as seen in all 3 of these games. Josh A. Smith got the loss, allowing 5 runs in his 1 inning of work, allowing the Braves to turn a 4-4 tie into a 9-4 lead. Sadly, this showing from the Marlins in this game and others recently have highlighted a central issue within the team: their youth. It was hidden at the younger points of the season behind our new veterans, but as the season is coming to a close, it is evident that this team just may not be ready. We can’t expect all of our young guys to play like Tyler Herro. And that’s okay.

 

Playoff Possibilities

 

At this point, the only thing the Marlins should be worried about is getting 2nd in the NL East. The Wild Card seems like a pipe dream the way we are playing when put in contrast to the way the Reds and Giants are playing. Let’s instead take a look at what has to happen to get 2nd in the East. 

 

The Phillies are 28-29. The Marlins are 28-28. The tiebreaker would be the season head-to-head, in which the Marlins are up 7-3. We just have to tie the Phillies. The Phillies have 3 games versus the Tampa Bay Rays. If they go 3-0, we must go 3-1. If they go 2-1, we must go 2-2. If they go, 1-2, we must go 1-3. If they get swept, we can lose all 4. The Marlins clubhouse wants to control their own destiny though, and that can be done by winning 3 or more games in their final 4. The magic number is still 3, and we all know it.

 

Marlins vs Braves Finale

 

The Marlins look to salvage one win versus the Braves tonight as Pablo Lopez takes on Ian Anderson at 7:10 pm. This is shaping to be a fun last weekend of baseball. It all comes down to this.

The Extra Yard: Five things to watch Dolphins vs Jaguars

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After a close and hard-fought loss to the Buffalo Bills, your Miami Dolphins get a quick turnaround with a short drive north to have a matchup against an in-state rival in the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football.

Let’s dive right in to see what five things I will be keeping a close eye on.

Response from Team:

One of the first things I am keeping an eye on from kickoff is how the team will respond to not only a severe loss but such a quick turnaround. Will we be active and energized to move past last week’s embarrassing defeat to a division rival? Or can we expect another lackluster effort filled with a stubborn coaching staff unwilling to adjust game plans?

Coaching Staff:

Which leads to my next point in that the coaching staff for two straight weeks has shown either an inability or unwillingness to alter the game plan once it becomes apparent it is not working out. Suppose the defensive game plan is not getting the job (I highlight the defense because our head coach was a defensive coordinator before this), then we need to pivot and try other things with different players. Enough hitting our head against the wall, hoping that it will breakthrough. We spent a lot of money and a lot of draft capital not to be making any improvements and be regressing in most areas.

Jerome Baker:

One of the more specific disappointments of this past weekend was the disappearance of Jerome Baker. A week after being everywhere on the field making impactful plays, he was virtually nonexistent, totaling a measly five tackles. A player that for us to become a good defense, we need to start putting it all together on a consistent weekly basis. Coach Flores must also take some accountability and use Jerome in better spots as we have seen him be able to not only play the run but also pass defend and rush the passer.

Mike Gesicki:

The biggest positive coming out of Week 2 was the career day for Mike and what that ultimately means for his development moving forward. 8 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown more than solidify Gesicki as a top 12 tight end with room to get higher up with more performances like this one. Having said that, though, Mike instantly becomes the second clear option for defenses to game plan for after DVP. How he responds to all the extra attention he will undoubtedly be receiving is the key to how great Gesicki can become.

Offensive Line:

Sticking to positives to close out this piece, the continued development of the offensive line with specific attention to the rookies will be the last thing I keep a close eye on. Austin Jackson continues to improve and is practically penciled in as the LT for the next four years. Kindley and Hunt are the two I am most interested in seeing. They both seem like the same type of physical, tough, nasty player that Coach Flores is looking for. We saw Hunt go in on goal line and not only move people but drive them into the ground until well beyond the whistle. Kindley seemed to feed off that energy or vice versa because multiple times, I saw Kindley pulling to destroy his blocker with no better example than the touchdown from Jordan Howard at the 1.

 

Ultimately having a Thursday Night Game allows us to wash our mouths of the nasty taste left behind by the Week 2 loss to the Bills. Let’s hope for a better outcome than this past week, or we may be discussing a ten-day prep to get Tua ready to play against the Seattle Seahawks at home.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Huge Game Four Win Over Celtics

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The Miami Heat came away with a huge game four win over the Boston Celtics, 112-109. This gave Miami a 3-1 lead in the series, behind big time performances by Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Here are five takeaways…

#1: Tyler Herro unconscious early once again.

Tyler Herro once again put on an absolute scoring display in the first half, scoring 15 points. The scoring though is not what stood out from Tyler, it was his feel for the game. He took control of the pace of the offense, when Goran and Jimmy weren’t. This was finally the dribble penetration Miami was looking for, which led to some nice dishes down low to Bam and others. It seems as if it’s the same story-line every game from Tyler, but ultimately it is. He’s a 20 year old rookie who may be the most consistent Heat player right now. Not only is he the future, but he’s the present.

#2: Bam Adebayo brings needed intensity on both sides of the floor.

Many speculated Jimmy would need to be the aggressor early in game four, which he was, but it ultimately falls on Bam Adebayo. It’s clear that he controls the dynamic of how their offense will flow. And tonight, he brought the energy on both offense and defense that they needed. For starters, the defensive plays Bam was making you won’t see in a stat sheet. He’s a guy that forced so many Boston Celtic misses both around the rim and perimeter. He truly impacts the game in a special way. On the offensive side, he was assertive early with his pick and rolls with Goran Dragic. He also made himself useful on the boards, especially since Miami went with smaller lineups. Once again, Bam’s the motor to this team’s success.

#3: Jayson Tatum scoreless first half was a game changer.

Jayson Tatum went scoreless in the first half of tonight’s game, which was far from expected. He’s arguably Boston’s most deadly and needed scorer, but when he’s off it’ll hurt you. His struggles had a lot to do with the constant adjusting defensive schemes. This led to him settling for more jump shots from beyond the arc, instead of just attacking the rim. But well, it was inevitable for this to be the case all night, since he exploded for 16 third quarter points. There’s not many games where you’ll hold a star to 0 first half points, which is why you must take advantage of those moments.

#4: Both teams struggle shooting the ball from deep.

After Miami didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in game three, it seemed as if they’d clean that up easily for game four. And well, the three ball wasn’t there best friend throughout the night, especially for Duncan Robinson and Jae Crowder. Somehow, they still controlled the pace for most of the game, mostly since Boston didn’t shoot well either. As mentioned before, that was mostly because of the early Jayson Tatum struggles. Brad Stevens made sure to tell the team to step into their shots and control the mid-range. Miami, on the other hand, stuck with their shooting and attacked the rim when needed.

#5: Miami takes 3-1 lead, one win away from the NBA finals.

The Miami Heat have officially taken a 3-1 lead over the Boston Celtics, which means they’re one game away from an NBA finals appearance. This game was a full representation of this team’s grit. Not shooting the ball well, two of your starters non-offensive factors, but they still find a way to get the win. This was behind the outstanding performance by Tyler Herro, as mentioned before. Although I expanded on Tyler previously, he’s the reason they have this 3-1 lead. He once again showed up when others did not, due to his outstanding feel for the game. Bam Adebayo also controlled the paint on both sides of the floor, which was a major contribution to this win. And now, as mentioned before, they’re one win away from reaching the NBA finals.

Tyler Herro on Five on the Floor: “The Game Slowed Down”

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Tyler Herro joined Ethan Skolnick and Alex Toledo on the latest episode of Five on the Floor. He talked about his rookie season, the NBA bubble, and more. Here’s what was said…

#1: “I was telling people back home before the series started, we’re gonna win in 4 or 5.”

When referring to the second round series with the Milwaukee Bucks, he mentioned that he told people back home that it’ll be a 4 or 5 game series. Well, that was pretty spot on after Miami beat the Bucks in five. He also mentioned that it was his “little way of getting back at the Milwaukee people,” when referring to some incidents in his previous basketball years, choosing Kentucky over Wisconsin. His town didn’t respond well too that decision, which made for some very entertaining high school basketball games during his senior year. That might’ve been the beginning of that Tyler Herro swagger, when he had to overcome the haters, which clearly he did.

#2: “There were people saying I wouldn’t play in the NBA, and I’m playing in the NBA.”

Tyler also talked about a pinned tweet on his twitter profile that says “Shoutout to everyone doubting me.” He mentioned that there were people saying that he wouldn’t play at Kentucky, which he did. And then there were people saying he wouldn’t play in the NBA, which he is. He finishes saying that “I’m sure there’s still people doubting me, but I’m gonna try and keep it up for as long as I can.” And now that he’s a Miami Heat player, he must embrace hate. That’s what has seemed to drive this team all season. And with the immense amount of confidence that Tyler has in himself, no amount of hate could slow him down.

#3: “I told him (Dwyane Wade) if there’s anything that he sees to just let me know.”

Tyler Herro mentioned that the last time he talked to Dwyane Wade was after game one when he had a near triple double. He said that he made sure to let Dwyane know that if he ever notices anything in his game to let him know. This got brought up when discussing how similar his stats are to Dwyane’s in his rookie playoff run, which Tyler mentioned that he wasn’t aware of those similarities. This is just another clear indication of how many helpful veterans he has around him. Tyler mentioned how lucky he is to have guys like Jimmy, Goran, and UD to give him advice, saying that other rookies he’s talked to have said that not everyone has that.

#4: “I felt like the three would be a better shot, and it was.”

Tyler also got to discussing some of his most memorable shots during the regular season, starting with the one against the Philadelphia 76ers. He mentioned that he didn’t attack the rim since it was a three on one, so he felt the three would be a better shot, “which it was.” He also brought up the game against the Chicago Bulls, when he hit two big time threes off of Jimmy Butler dishes. But now there’s no need to look back at these, since he’s hitting huge shots down the stretch of big time playoff games. He seems to be taking one leap after the next every single night. And now he has an opportunity to make the NBA finals in his rookie year, being a huge contributor to the success.

#5: “I think the game really slowed down for me on that side of the floor.”

Tyler said that he thinks the game slowed down for him on the defensive side of the floor, which has led to his major improvements. Most of the time with these kinds of issues, guys just need more reps and playing time. And since Tyler has played the most fourth quarter minutes on the team, he has had plenty of time to understand that side of the floor. He also mentioned that a huge reason for his improvements was the time off with his injury. He said this gave him a chance to actually watch the game from the sideline, and gain a new perspective. He also took this time to watch a bunch of film on guys like Devin Booker, which has improved some on-ball spacing and things of that nature. All of these improvements have happened in one season, which says that he has much more time to grow even more.

The Miami Heat’s 5 free agent decisions

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The Miami Heat will have little time to celebrate a successful playoff run this offseason before making some roster decisions about the upcoming season. The Heat are positioning themselves to be major players in the 2021 free agency market, with names like Giannis Antentokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and Anthony Davis potentially being available for the taking.

 

Although Miami is set to have enough cap room to sign a max player, there are some tough choices this summer that could impact the Heat’s “whale hunting” in the future. Here are a few of Miami’s impending free agents and where they potentially fit in Miami’s plans moving forward.  

 

  • Goran Dragic

Dragic has been one of the biggest stories of the team’s run in the bubble. He is leading the team in scoring in the playoffs and has displayed some of his best basketball in a Heat jersey this year. Goran is in the last year of his deal, which pays $17 million this season. Considering his production, that number is relatively inexpensive. However, at 34, his best days are probably behind him and he will likely return to the bench next season. Miami will want to reward Goran because of how important he has been to this team’s success but avoid messing with any of its potential spending for 2021. Is the Dragon willing to take a one-year balloon payment or will he take a multi-year deal elsewhere? 

 

Prediction: Dragic will take the one-year balloon payment this summer and negotiates a team-friendly deal with the Heat next offseason. Dragic has now spent half of his career in Miami and this run should help both he and the franchise realize that he should finish here. 

 

  • Meyers Leonard

Leonard has been a joy to have in Miami this season with not only his play, but his professionalism and commitment to the organization and the community. Meyers has been a model citizen this season and would have been welcomed back with open arms under any other circumstances. He will command more than his current $10 million salary this summer from another team. The Heat will not be able to match that. 

 

Prediction: Leonard will give the Heat an opportunity to retain his services. Unfortunately, the team won’t have much to offer him in terms of money, long-term security or playing time. Meyers will be a one-and-done in a Heat jersey, but he will be remembered fondly by fans.

 

  • Jae Crowder

Crowder was the steal of the Winslow trade. His impact on defense became a secondary thought when compared to the revelation that has been his three-point shooting. The Boss Man converted at a nearly 45 percent clip during the regular season for Miami after arriving from Memphis. He is shooting 38 percent on nine attempts in the playoffs. The team got more than what they bargained for in Crowder and will scramble to make room for him on this roster moving forward. The challenge will be convincing Crowder to forgo a multi-year deal and accept a one-year deal to remain in Miami. By all accounts, Crowder enjoys Miami and wants to be here. With his shooting numbers going up, so has his value to other suitors, many of which more willing to spend than Miami. He may have played his way to much more than his current $7 million number. The question for Jae is will he choose culture of currency.

 

Prediction: The likelihood of Crowder duplicating this year’s success next season are slim to none. He has been a sniper for Miami, but there is no evidence to suggest that he can sustain that level of play long term. Miami will do everything within reason to keep him, but ultimately, another team comes in with a deal too good for Jae to pass up.

 

  • Derrick Jones Jr.

DJJ deserves to be paid and he will be paid, but will it be by Miami? If the Heat were able to keep him at his current $1.5 million price tag, the deal would have been done months ago. Jones’ defensive length and athleticism are hot commodities in today’s league where long, versatile wings are all the rage. Miami might have an avenue to success. Unless they are completely outbid in the market, Miami may be able to use the scraps of the potential Leonard and Crowder departures to cobble up a suitable deal for the slam dunk champ. 

 

Prediction: Miami should be able to keep DJJ for a price between $5-7. The only two things that could derail that are unexpected offers from outside teams and Jae Crowder choosing to stay in Miami.

 

  • Kelly Olynyk

This one is pretty straight forward. Olynyk declining his $12 million player option for next year is as about as likely as Pat Riley calling Danny Ainge up to go for beers. Expect to see Kelly in a Heat jersey next season, unless he can be flipped for something better by the trade deadline. While KO has been inconsistent at times, at his best, he is the perfect complement to Bam Adebayo. His ability to shoot from range, above-average playmaking and basketball IQ have become invaluable off of Miami’s bench.

 

Prediction: Olynyk was nearly traded to Dallas last year along with DJJ to help facilitate the Jimmy Butler trade. While Kelly may start the season with Miami, expect the Heat to try and trade his expiring contract before the end of the season.  

 

Honorable Mentions: Solomon Hill, Gabe Vincent, Kyle Alexander, Udonis Haslem

 

Royal Shepherd (@RoyalAShepherd) has written for several major newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat and the Augusta Chronicle, and now contributes to Five Reasons Sports.

Marlins Magic Number at 3

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No, the Marlins did not win. No, they did not even come close. Another blowout win for the Braves puts the Marlins run differential at -37. Granted that differential is being dragged down by the 4 games in which the Marlins have been obliterated. Luckily, and most importantly, the Marlins’ magic number drops to 3, with 5 games remaining. The Phillies lost both games of their doubleheader versus the Nationals. 

Mattingly isn’t worried

 

“Once you get in with this format that we have — you know if you get in and you have pitching, you have a chance,” said Mattingly after last night’s tough loss. Even though there have been a few outlier games, Pitching has been the most consistent aspect of this team. Tomorrow, the Marlins’ present and future ace Sixto Sanchez takes the mound. Mattingly seems at ease because if the Marlins do make the postseason, Sixto, Sandy, and Pablo are a very dangerous 1-2-3 punch. Urena faltered last night, allowing 4 earned over 6 innings of work, but he is a perfect 4th in the rotation: a veteran with good stuff. It will be interesting to see who gets the 5th spot. Braxton Garrett and Trevor Rogers serve as the most likely choices, but both have had their recent struggles. If this team can push itself into the postseason, a hot pitching streak could push them further.

5 games left

 

5 games determine if the Marlins break the 17-year long streak without a playoff appearance. I have not consciously experienced a Marlins’ playoff game because I was about 2 years old during the ‘03 run. After years of season tickets, thousands of games on TV, and hundreds of thousands of MLB.TV updates, I am ready. The Marlins are ready. It is time for them to buckle down and win 3 of these games and prove that this team is capable of the improbable. Miami is ready to see their baseball team actually compete. Sixto leads the charge tonight.

Marlins vs Braves, Phillies vs Nationals

 

Yes, we have Sixto on the mound; but the Braves have their Cy Young candidate Max Fried. Game 3 will be no easier than games 1 and 2. The Fish are going to have to wake up their slumbering bats and put together good at-bats to get there. The Phillies play the Nationals again. Every Phillies’ loss is a Marlins’ win, so pay attention to both games. Marlins play the Braves at 7:10 PM and the Phillies take on the Nationals at 6:05 PM.

5 Comments from Media Session with Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic

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The Miami Heat held their final practice today before game four on Wednesday night. Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic spoke with media afterward about their current mentality heading into tomorrow. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler expanded on the idea of not getting behind early again in game four. He said, “I think we just gotta start off better.” He followed that talking about how much that falls on the starting unit. They must be ready to absolutely bring it out the gate, just as Tyler Herro does when he enters off the bench. Jimmy will be a huge proponent of not getting behind early, since he will need to attack a little more early on to control the pace. Goran Dragic is also coming off of a down game, which he will look to turn that around early as well. The more you hear these players talk after game three, the more it shows they’re ready.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jimmy Butler gave a pretty Jimmy Butler like answer when asked about playoff physicality. He said, “There’s no friends in between those lines. Save that for after the game.” And that right there is a clear representation of why Jimmy is a Miami heat type player. He’s as focused as ever right now, since they’re six wins away from a NBA championship. He even decided not to have his family come to the bubble, since he mentioned that this is a business trip. He seems as locked in as ever, and since that loss has synced in over the last couple of days, this team will be prepared.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler also talked about the preparation for game four after that loss on Saturday night. He said, “We’re not gonna look back. We not gonna look forward. We gonna lock in on today.” That sounds like something Spo may have said, since he’s been saying just one game and one practice at a time. And with this team, locking in on today is very important, since Spo has been cooking up a bunch of adjustments over the last few practices. Although he’s locked in today, I can guarantee he’ll be even more locked in tomorrow, with a chance to go up 3-1 on the Boston Celtics.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Goran Dragic also got to discuss the feeling in their locker room right now. He said, “It’s great. We feel good. We did our job, we prepare well, and we’re gonna see tomorrow how we do.” A main takeaway from both this statement and Jimmy’s comments is that this team is extremely confident heading into tomorrow. At the end of the day, this team is 10-2 in this year’s postseason, which may be why this loss feels so odd for them. He mentioned the word “preparing,” which is what they’ve been doing a lot of since there’s been a bunch of film sessions over the last few days. Execution will be huge in game four, and there’s a good chance they’ll do just that.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Goran also talked about the chemistry on this current Heat team. He said, “We really enjoy spending time together. We enjoy playing together on the floor and you can see that energy transfers to the floor.” This is something that Goran has mentioned time and time again. He really enjoys the bond of this locker room, and you can tell he’s having a good time going to battle with his teammates on a nightly basis. Goran finished off the media session mentioning their team defense. He said, “We need to do a better job containing the ball and helping each other.” That was a huge reason for their loss on Saturday, since guys like Jimmy weren’t helping when Jayson Tatum and others would attack Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson in the paint. If they clean this up, they’ll have a good shot at winning.