PODCAST: Blown-Up
Rasul Douglas Trade (0:00)
Packers Rebuild (15:15)
CFP Rankings (24:03)
Packers, Vikings, Bears (32:14)
Craig Counsell News (44:10)
Antetokounmpo, Lillard help Bucks build big lead, hold off Heat in playoff rematch
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo showed up for his postgame press conference dressed as The Incredible Hulk to celebrate Halloween following Milwaukee's win over Miami.
Pretty appropriate, considering he had just helped the Bucks survive a late scare.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks built a 25-point lead and then saw most of it wither away against Miami’s reserves before they held off the Heat 122-114 Monday night.
“Once you’re up 20, you’ve got to put them away,” said Antetokounmpo, who scored 33 points. “You’ve got to put them away. We weren’t able to do that tonight. Hopefully we can learn from this.”
After trailing 103-78 with less than 10 1/2 minutes remaining, Miami got the margin down to single digits over the next seven minutes. A jumper by Duncan Robinson cut the lead to 115-109 with 1:22 left, but Antetokounmpo converted a three-point play six seconds later.
The Bucks’ lead didn’t drop below six the rest of the way.
“We earned that 25-point deficit,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then that young group came in and really battled, did a lot of good things. I'm sure Milwaukee was just wanting to play it out and hoping we were going to go away.”
Damian Lillard scored 25 points and Bobby Portis had 16 for the Bucks. Tyler Herro had 35 points to lead the Heat, who were playing without two-time All-Star center Bam Adebayo due to a bruised hip.
This game carried more intrigue than a typical October matchup because of the postseason and offseason connections between the teams.
The Heat stunned the top-seeded Bucks in last season’s playoffs, winning their first-round series in five games. The Heat ended up going all the way from the play-in round to the NBA Finals, while the Bucks responded to the upset by firing coach Mike Budenholzer and replacing him with former Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin.
Milwaukee executed the biggest move of the offseason by acquiring Lillard, who expressed a preference to play for the Heat when he initially requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lillard said before the game he wouldn’t have any particular emotion about this matchup just because of this summer’s trade discussions. He still felt that way afterward.
"There really was no extra energy toward that, I think, on either side," Lillard said.
The Bucks took the lead for good at the start of the second quarter and seemed on their way to a blowout until the Heat's late rally.
Miami outscored Milwaukee 41-25 in the fourth quarter, even though Herro was the only Heat starter on the floor during that final period. Spoelstra said he didn't put Jimmy Butler or the other starters back in because the bench had helped get the Heat back within striking distance.
Butler ended up with 13 points in 29 minutes.
“Our guys were changing the momentum,” Spoelstra said. “That sometimes can be frustrating when you’re on the other side. They just want you to go away. Our guys were doing it with great energy and doing a lot of good things. Part of me also wanted to see if they could just continue to get it over the top.”
The Bucks are all too familiar with the Heat's penchant for late rallies.
In last year's playoffs, Miami produced a 119-114 Game 4 victory by outscoring the Bucks 30-13 in the final six minutes. The Heat rallied from a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win the clinching game 128-126 in overtime.
“When you have a chance to put them away, you've got to put them away - because they're going to keep coming,” Antetokounmpo said.
PODCAST: Starless
Packers Stars (0:00)
Wisconsin Football/Basketball (19:09)
The QB Debate (34:35)
Packers Problems (54:46)
PODCAST: Biding the Time
Wisconsin-Ohio State (0:00)
Packers-Vikings (13:31)
Badgers Tailgate Atmosphere (23:04)
Green Bay Concerns (36:45)
Packers drop 4th straight game, Vikings lose QB Kirk Cousins to Achilles injury
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw a pair of touchdown passes before leaving with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Vikings beat the slumping Green Bay Packers 24-10 on Sunday.
Cousins walked gingerly to the sideline after getting sacked on consecutive plays during a series that ended with Green Bay’s Karl Brooks blocking Greg Joseph’s 44-yard field-goal attempt. Jaren Hall, a rookie fifth-round pick from BYU, took over for the rest of the game.
This marked the first Packers-Vikings matchup since 2006 in which both teams entered the game with losing records, but Minnesota got back to .500 on Sunday with its third consecutive victory.
Now the Vikings (4-4) must wonder whether they’re going to have to try continuing this surge without Cousins, who went 23 of 31 for 274 yards. Cousins has never missed a game because of injury in his 12-year career, though he did sit out a game at Green Bay during the 2021 season because of a positive COVID-19 test.
Minnesota’s T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison had touchdown receptions less than two minutes apart early in the third quarter. Cam Akers put Minnesota ahead for good in the opening period by giving the Vikings their first touchdown run of the season.
The Packers (2-5) lost their fourth straight and continued their penchant for slow starts. The Packers have been outscored 73-9 in the first half of their past five games and haven’t scored a touchdown before halftime in any of them.
Minnesota dominated the first two quarters, but only led 10-3 at the break largely because of missed opportunities. But the Vikings wasted no time breaking the game open early in the third quarter.
Cousins’ 2-yard touchdown pass to Hockenson capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive to begin the second half. On the Packers’ ensuing possession, Jordan Love threw deep to Jayden Reed, but Josh Metellus made a spectacular catch with his back to the quarterback and then delivered a 43-yard interception return to give the Vikings the ball at the Green Bay 20.
On the next play, Cousins connected with Jordan Addison in the end zone to extend Minnesota’s lead to 24-3 with 7:48 left in the third.
Green Bay finally reached the end zone on Love’s 1-yard pass to Romeo Doubs on fourth-and-goal late in the third quarter to cut the lead to 24-10, but the Packers couldn't get any closer despite continually reaching Vikings territory in the fourth quarter.
The drive that followed Brooks' blocked field goal ended with the Packers losing the ball on downs at the Minnesota 10-yard line. Hall fumbled while getting sacked on his third snap to give Green Bay the ball at the Minnesota 15, but the Packers again lost the ball on downs. The Packers' final series ended with a fourth down incompletion from the Minnesota 34.
Love ended up going 24 of 41 for 229 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Minnesota could have put this game out of reach much earlier.
With five minutes left in the second quarter, the Vikings had a 182-26 advantage in total offense and a 13-0 edge in first downs. The Packers already had committed eight of their 11 penalties by that point.
Green Bay didn’t get a first down until its fifth series when Love threw an 11-yard completion to Christian Watson with just over four minutes left in the first half. The play drew a heart and sarcastic round of applause from a Lambeau Field crowd frustrated by Green Bay’s first-half failures.
INJURY REPORT
Vikings DL Dean Lowry left with a groin injury in the first half. ... Packers OT Yosh Nijman hurt his foot late in the game.
UP NEXT
Vikings: At Atlanta next Sunday.
Packers: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.
Badgers fall for 10th straight time to Ohio State, lose Braelon Allen to injury
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Marvin Harrison Jr. caught two touchdown passes, TreyVeon Henderson rushed for 162 yards in his first game in over a month and No. 3 Ohio State remained unbeaten by defeating Wisconsin 24-10 on Saturday night. Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) played the second half without star running back Braelon Allen or wide receiver Chimere Dike due to leg injuries. Harrison finished with six receptions for 123 yards. Henderson had a game-clinching 33-yard touchdown run. He had missed three games with an unspecified injury.
Story Body
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Marvin Harrison Jr. continues to make a case that he’s the nation’s top performer.
And he has a little more help now that TreVeyon Henderson has returned to Ohio State’s backfield.
Harrison caught two touchdown passes, Henderson rushed for 162 yards in his first game in over a month and the third-ranked Buckeyes remained unbeaten by defeating Wisconsin 24-10 on Saturday night. Harrison remarked afterward how much of an impact Henderson's presence has on the offense.
“Big difference,” Harrison said. “He’s the most explosive back in the country. Anytime he touches the ball, he can take it for six.”
Harrison is pretty explosive in his own right.
After Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) squandered an early 10-0 lead, Harrison had a tiebreaking 19-yard touchdown reception in the right corner of the end zone with 7:14 left in the third quarter. Harrison also ran a shallow cross and turned it into a 16-yard touchdown in the second period.
Harrison finished with six receptions for 123 yards. This came one week after catching 11 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown in a 20-12 victory over No. 10 Penn State, which was ranked seventh at the time.
“I believe he's the best football player in the country," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.
Ohio State beat Wisconsin for a 10th consecutive time and withstood an injury to safety Lathan Ransom, who was carted to the locker room in the second half.
Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2) played the second half without star running back Braelon Allen and wide receiver Chimere Dike due to leg injuries. Allen, who rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries, got hurt while unsuccessfully trying to score on a third-and-goal reception from the 1 in the second-to-last play of the second quarter.
Neither Day nor Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell had updates on their injured players after the game.
While the Badgers were missing Allen, Ohio State welcomed back its standout running back.
Henderson sealed the victory by running through a big hole on the left side, breaking a tackle downfield and delivering a 33-yard touchdown run with 5:15 left. Henderson was playing for the first time since a Sept. 23 victory at Notre Dame after missing three games with an unspecified injury.
“I took a cheap shot at the beginning of the Notre Dame game,” Henderson said. “That's why I've been out. Thank God, he healed me and allowed me to come back out here and give my team everything I've got.”
Henderson rushed for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2021 but has fought through injuries ever since.
“Last year, I kept going out there, shoot, knowing I wasn't healthy and knowing I wasn't ready,” Henderson said. “God told me this year, he told me, ‘Stay patient. I’ve got you.' ”
Wisconsin tied the game on Braedyn Locke’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Will Pauling early in the third quarter, but Ohio State pulled ahead for good on its ensuing possession.
“We've just got to finish,” Wisconsin safety Hunter Wohler said. “We've got to be able to close a game out, and we didn't make enough plays. When the opportunities came, we made some, but didn't make enough.”
Locke was 18 of 39 for 165 yards in his second career start.
Ohio State's Kyle McCord went 17 of 26 for 226 yards, but threw a pair of interceptions to go along with his two touchdown passes to Harrison. McCord hadn’t been picked off since Ohio State’s season opener.
McCord also lost a fumble during a fourth-and-3 conversion attempt from the Wisconsin 33 on the game’s first series.
THE TAKEAWAY
Ohio State: While Ohio State's offense got a boost from Henderson's return, its defense remained as dominant as ever. The Buckeyes haven't allowed any opponent to score more than 17 points all season. Wisconsin failed to score on a first-half drive that began at the Ohio State 36 and settled for a field goal after having first-and-goal from the 1 late in the second quarter.
Wisconsin: The Badgers fell out of the Big Ten West lead and now wait to see if Allen or Dike will miss extended time. Wisconsin's offense already is playing without starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai due to a broken hand and running back Chez Mellusi because of a leg injury.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Ohio State figures to stay at No. 3 for another week. No. 1 Georgia beat Florida and No. 2 Michigan was off.
UP NEXT
Ohio State: At Rutgers next Saturday.
Wisconsin: At Indiana next Saturday.
PODCAST: One Time
Wisconsin-Ohio St Preview (0:00)
Professional Sports Bettor Dave Essler (11:30)
Sports Director Zach Heilprin (23:30)
Dame Bucks Time (36:20)
Packers Chatter (52:00)
Damian Lillard drops 39 points in debut as Milwaukee beats Philadelphia
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Damian Lillard scored 39 points in his first game with his new team and the Milwaukee Bucks regrouped after blowing a 19-point lead to open their season by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 118-117 on Thursday night.
The former Portland Trail Blazers star set a record for the most points by a player in his Bucks debut. Terry Cummings scored 34 points in his first game for the Bucks in 1984.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 23 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 10 of 22 from the floor to become the franchise’s career leader in baskets. Antetokounmpo has 5,905 career field goals, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made 5,902 baskets with the Bucks from 1969-75.
Lillard put the Bucks ahead for good 105-104 by sinking a 3-pointer with 3:41 remaining. Antetokounmpo got an offensive rebound on his own miss and found Lillard open behind the arc.
His basket started an 11-0 run that gave Milwaukee a nine-point lead with 2:45 remaining. The 76ers scored seven straight points to get the margin down to two, but Lillard answered by sinking another 3-pointer with 1:13 left.
After Tobias Harris sank a 3-pointer to make it a two-point game again, Lillard drove to the basket, drew a foul and sank two game-clinching free throws with 11.5 seconds left. Lillard made all 17 of his free-throw attempts.
Tyrese Maxey scored 31, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 27 and Joel Embiid 24 for the 76ers.
Lillard was playing with a different team for the first time after spending his first 11 seasons in Portland. Lillard requested a trade in the offseason and landed in Milwaukee, which gave up two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen and plenty of draft capital to land the seven-time All-NBA guard.
This game marked the head coaching debut of Milwaukee’s Adrian Griffin, who was facing his former boss. Griffin spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach on a Toronto Raptors staff headed by Nick Nurse, who now coaches the 76ers.
The 76ers were playing without seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden. The 2018 MVP, hoping to be traded, arrived late to training camp and said before the season that his fractured relationship with team president Daryl Morey couldn’t be repaired.
Harden arrived at the 76ers’ complex in Camden, New Jersey, on Wednesday but was told not to accompany the team to Milwaukee. Nurse said Wednesday that Harden is back in the “ramp-up phase” after being away from the team for 10 days.
UP NEXT
76ers: At Toronto on Saturday as Nurse faces his former team.
Bucks: Host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
Winners Take: NFL Week 8 & CFB Week 9 Free Picks
Nelson "Rowdy" Raisbeck and professional sports bettor, Dave Essler, breakdown five NFL and five NCAA games for the upcoming football weekend. They specifically look at a number of notable college football matchups and a couple from the NFL slate. Additionally, the guys run through the market and other games that have caught their eye.
PODCAST: Thorough Investigation
Rob Reischel of Forbes.com on the Packers (0:00)
Michigan Football Investigation New Details (19:36)
The Brian Gutekunst Analysis (28:59)
Craig Counsell on the Move (42:54)
