Santiago Leon and Hal Phillips recap the 2024 NBA All Star Weekend.
Contributors
Santiago Leon – @sleon
Hal Phillips – @mandarinhal
Breaking News
The Brooklyn Nets on Monday announced they fired head coach Jacque Vaughn.
Vaughn took over as head coach early in the 2022-23 season after the team parted ways with Steve Nash. The interim tag was removed from him and he was named full-time head coach before this season.
But after a 21-33 start at the All-Star break, the Nets decided to make a change.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Jacque has represented this organization with exemplary character and class for the past eight years.
“The consistent positivity and passion he poured into our team daily will remain with the players and staff he interacted with throughout his tenure. We thank Jacque for all he has done for the Nets and the borough of Brooklyn, and wish him, Laura and their family nothing but the best in the future.”
Nets are currently 11th in the Easter Conference behind the Hawks.
East blowouts West with 211 points in NBA All Star
West 186 East 211
A three-point barrage led the Eastern Conference to a 211-186 blowout victory over the Western Conference at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. The East’s 211 points set a record for the most scored by a team at the event.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard and Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown led the way for the East had 39 and 36 points, respectively.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard was named All-Star Game MVP on Sunday, scoring 39 points to lead the Eastern Conference to a 211-186 win over the West in the highest-scoring midseason exhibition to date.
He joined Michael Jordan as the only other player in league history to win a Saturday night event and be named MVP in the same All-Star Weekend.
Lillard won the 3-point contest on Saturday, edging the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns and the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young in the final round. Jordan won the dunk contest in 1988.
Towns had a noble effort as a runner-up on Sunday too, leading the West with 50 points in 28 minutes to become just the fourth player in All-Star Game history to reach the 50-point plateau. However, Lillard had more competition for the award from his East teammates in Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown.
The All-Star Game returned to the East-West format this season after six years playground style where two captains picked players in a draft. James won all but one of those games.
Earlier in the weekend’s festivities, Mac McClung, a G League player for the Osceola Magic, won the dunk contest for the second straight year and Lillard repeated as the 3-point contest winner. Steph Curry defeated Sabrina Ionescu in the first NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge.
Champions League
Round of 16 Leg 1 of 2
Copenhagen 1 Man City 3
Manchester City beat FC Copenhagen 3-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie on February 13, 2024. Kevin De Bruyne scored a goal and had two assists, while Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden also scored for City. Phil Foden’s late goal gives City a two-goal cushion ahead of the second leg.
Some say that City dominated the second half, had some chances, and finally got their reward with the last kick of the game. Others say that the team picked was a bit stiff to start, but once they found their footing they scored with phenomenal performances by Phil and Bernardo.
RB Leipzig 0 Real Madrid 1
Brahim Diaz scores a solo goal against the run of play. Carvajal passes the ball to Diaz, who takes on three players before scoring in the top corner.
Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz scored a stunning goal after a solo run as they beat hosts RB Leipzig 1-0 on Tuesday to take a clear advantage into their Champions League last-16 second leg next month.
The 24-year-old, filling in for the injured Jude Bellingham, struck against the run of play in the 48th minute.
Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin then came to the rescue with a string of saves to protect the lead as the Spaniards made it seven straight wins in the competition this season.
PSG 2 Real Sociedad 0
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) beat Real Sociedad 2-0 on February 14, 2024 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie.
Kylian Mbappé scored first for PSG, taking advantage of a lack of marker on the corner just before the hour. Bradley Barcola then scored a solo goal 12 minutes later to double PSG’s lead.
Lazio 1 Bayern 0
Lazio beat Bayern Munich 1–0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16. The match took place at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
Ciro Immobile scored a 69th-minute penalty to earn hosts Lazio a 1-0 victory over 10-man Bayern Munich on Wednesday in their Champions League round of 16 first-leg clash.
Immobile converted his spot-kick after Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano’s clumsy challenge on Gustav Isaksen for which the France international was sent off with a straight red card.
Disciplined Lazio stifled the German side’s attacks and Bayern were toothless throughout, failing to get a single effort on target in the match.
It is the first time since February 2019 that Bayern have failed to record at least one shot on goal in a competitive match, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Their 17 shots were the most by a team that failed to record a shot on target in a Champions League game since 2010-11.
MLS Preview
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami get the new Major League Soccer season under way on Wednesday when they face Real Salt Lake in South Florida with pressure on the Argentine star to deliver trophies for his club and more eyeballs on the league.
The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) has announced a lockout of Major League Soccer (MLS) referees as the 2024 season approaches, following the rejection of a new labor agreement by the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA). This decision means that replacement referees will officiate matches until further notice, starting from Sunday. The PSRA cited issues with compensation, benefits, and quality-of-life concerns as reasons for rejecting the proposed agreement. PRO maintains that the proposed agreement would have made its members some of the highest-paid soccer officials globally. Both sides expressed disappointment in the breakdown of negotiations, with PRO emphasizing its readiness for the season with experienced match referees and VAR officials.
Predictions
Dortmund at PSV
Dortmund may be a good opponent for PSV due to their European form, but PSV’s domestic form may not be. PSV is undefeated in Eredivisie, but could have finished behind Arsenal in Group B. Dortmund won their group ahead of AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
HP: PSV
Atletico Madrid at Inter Milan Both teams have played well in the Champions League this season, and home advantage is important to the outcome.
- Inter is in excellent form, leading the Italian Serie A with 63 points.
- Inter are favorites to win the first leg, winning 52.0% of pre-match simulations.
HP: ATM
Arsenal at Porto
Arsenal is in great form, having won five games in a row and scored 21 goals in the process. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Galeno are both top assist providers in the Champions League this season, with Saka scoring three goals and Galeno scoring four. Arsenal’s front three are in good form and could make them a strong contender for the Champions League title.
Porto has had an indifferent 2023/24 season so far, having only won one of their last three games.
HP: ARS
Napoli at Barcelona
- Napoli’s star player Victor Osimhen has returned to training. Napoli’s home advantage and the Italian team’s ability to take advantage of Barcelona’s fragile defense could help them win the first leg. Napoli has a history of not winning major European matches against Barcelona. Napoli’s fluctuating Champions League priorities and performances could lead to an unpredictable game.
- Barcelona Barcelona’s last meeting with Napoli ended with a 4-2 score in the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League play-off round. Barcelona has struggled with away fixtures in the Champions League knockout stages.
HP: Napoli
Santiago Leon is the Founder and CEO of the Sports Cast. He covers NFL, NBA, and world soccer. He’s also founder of sleon productions, which he specializes in technology and serves clients with solutions to make their business grow.
