THERE has been no let up and obviously no hangover for the reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Golden State Warriors.
The Mavericks are off to the races with an immaculate 7-0 record with reigning Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry averaging 35.5 points per game. Only Michael Jordan has averaged more points per game after seven games. They’re undefeated without Head Coach Steve Kerr and starting center Andrew Bogut. Interim Head Coach Luke Walton has done a masterful job of making us ask ourselves “Steve who?”
Festus Ezeli has filled in nicely for Andrew Bogut. The ESPN web site agrees that “in over six games, Ezeli is averaging 19.8 minutes, 10.3 points, 6.2 boards and 1.8 blocks, shooting 66 percent from the field.” Ezeli is Bogut’s back up, but in my opinion, he’d be a starter on another team. Ezeli is a man mountain at 7 feet and weighs 265 pounds with a 7-foot, 5-inch wingspan that blocks out the sun when you try to shoot over him.
So far, only the Clippers have given the champs fits in their 112-108 victory. Their other wins have been laughers and blowouts. The Warriors are a difficult team to scout because almost everyone can pass, shoot and move without the ball and defend.
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Timothy Bradley’s career is enjoying a resurrection of sorts with a ninth-round technical knockout victory over Brandon Rios to retain his welterweight title on Saturday at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. The resurrection in Bradley’s career is headed by newly hired trainer Teddy Atlas and the results were evident.
According to the ESPN boxing web site, “Making the first defense of his 147-pound belt, Bradley showed off nifty footwork, speed and a solid, accurate right hand that caught Rios, the crowd favorite, time and again before he finished him with two knockdowns in the ninth round.”
It was only Bradley’s 13th knockout win in his career in 33 fights. Bradley isn’t known for his punching and knockout power, but that could change if Atlas trains him again for his next fight, which could be against the winner of the showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Miguel Cotto.
Bradley fired long-time trainer Joel Diaz with whom he won five world titles. As for Rios, we may have seen the last of him.
“My body is not the same no more.” Rios said. “I’ve been in a lot of wars. I think it’s time to hang it up. I’m done. It’s been a great run. I’m sorry I didn’t put on a great show, but f— it. I didn’t want to hurt my body, and I didn’t want to hurt my family, I didn’t want to hurt my friends. I think I’m going to hang up my gloves and call it a night.”
With Atlas, I think Bradley has reinvented himself. Atlas has added power, footwork and hand speed to a fighter not known for his power, footwork and hand speed. So Atlas has obviously rejuvenated Bradley’s career. Bradley, with his new found weapons, has the rest of the welterweight division on notice.
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Vitor Belfort showed that with or without testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT), he’s still a force to reckon with in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight division. Belfort beat Dan Henderson by technical knockout in two minutes and seven seconds of the first round to end their trilogy with an exclamation point.
As reported by the ESPN MMA web site, “Henderson, who won the initial meeting in 2006 via unanimous decision, came into the third fight with a vastly different game plan than he did two years ago. Rather than putting pressure on Belfort, the California native held back and kept his distance.
“He popped Belfort with a few early leg kicks but mostly stayed out of range. The change in strategy ultimately didn’t matter, as Belfort finally agreed to walk him down following a long feeling-out process. He threw a single high left head kick, which Henderson ducked right into. The strike sent Henderson crashing into the fence and two follow-up left hands sent him to the canvas.”
Henderson is 2-6 in his last eight fights with one fight remaining in his UFC contract. Henderson has not made any mention of retirement despite his losing record in his last several fights.