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🏀 Good morning to everyone but especially …
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THE NBA

After a week away for the All-Star break, the NBA returns tonight, and Colin Ward-Henninger has new Power Rankings, complete with one reason for hope or concern. Here’s his top five:

Celtics (previous: 1) — “Reason for concern: The Celtics are obviously an excellent basketball team, but if the goal is a championship it’s time to nitpick. Boston simply doesn’t get to the rim.”
Timberwolves (2) — “Reason for hope: Minnesota has the best record in the NBA (23-11) against teams above .500.”
Thunder (9) — “Reason for concern: OKC’s offense has been downright bad without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor. They score a ridiculous 122 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, but that falls to 111 with him on the bench.”
Clippers (5) — “Reason for hope: When Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are on the floor the Clippers are virtually unstoppable. They score 122 points per 100 possessions in Leonard and George’s minutes, while allowing just 108.”
Cavaliers (3) — “Reason for concern: The Cavs have been the league’s hottest team since Jan. 1, rattling off an 18-3 record. But, if you look closely, you’ll see a lot of wins are over the NBA’s bottom-dwellers.”
As for five storylines to watch … here are mine:

Where do the Lakers and Warriors end up? They’re currently ninth and 10th in the Western Conference — the final two spots in the play-in — and a postseason without LeBron James and/or Stephen Curry would be odd. But the play (and emotional status) of Draymond Green may ultimately be the determining factor.
When does Joel Embiid return, if at all? The 76ers are fifth in the East but haven’t had Embiid since late January due to a meniscus injury. They’re 26-8 when he plays and 6-14 when he doesn’t.
Who wins the West? The Celtics are running away with the East, but in the West, the Timberwolves are up just 1.5 games on the Thunder, two games on the Clippers and three games on the defending champion Nuggets.
What’s up with the Bucks? They’re the elephant in the room. They fired Adrian Griffin despite a 30-13 start. Successor Doc Rivers is just 3-7. But, hey, at least he has the support of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Who wins MVP and the other individual honors? Remember, the 65-game minimum has already ruled out several potential candidates.
With under two months left in the regular season, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

😁 Honorable mentions
Five-star 2024 center Derik Queen committed to Maryland.
Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Luc Longley announced a “No Bull” tour. Michael Jordan will surely be a big talking point.
Jonny Brodzinski and the Rangers agreed to a two-year extension.
Eric Hosmer called it a career.
Speaking of former Royals, Kelvin Herrera was elected mayor of his hometown.
⚽ And not such a good morning for …
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ARSENAL

Arsenal came into Wednesday’s match against Porto riding high, and rightfully so. The Gunners had won five straight Premier League matches, outscoring opponents 21-2 over the span. Surely that would carry over to the Champions League against a susceptible defense, right?

Wrong.

Galeno curled in a stunning effort in the 94th minute to beat the Gunners, 1-0. Arguably even more stunning? Arsenal put exactly zero shots on goal, a far, far cry from the attack that was running rampant recently. You can blame Gabriel Martinelli, who gave the ball away late, blame the attackers and blame manager Mikel Arteta. But at the end of the day, inexperience was a deciding factor, James Benge writes.

Benge: “This was Arsenal’s junior moment, a young side, many of whom were playing in their first Champions League knockout game, failing to appreciate that it was only halftime in the tie, as the old cliche goes. Better to preserve parity before you get them back on your ground.”
Chuck Booth dropped the Gunners from third to eighth in his Champions League Power Rankings. Here’s the top five:

Manchester City (previous: 1)
Real Madrid (2)
Inter (5)
PSG (8)
Lazio (14)
Meanwhile, Napoli and Barcelona drew, 1-1, with star strikers Robert Lewandowski and Victor Osimhen trading second-half goals.

😕 Not so honorable mentions
The Mavericks missed out on keeping Jalen Brunson for cheap … twice.
Sorry, Expos fans: Netflix is making a documentary about the team’s downfall.
🏈 Predicting the 12-team 2024 College Football Playoff
USATSI
Now that the 5+7 model is official, it’s prediction time. Chip Patterson made his early prediction on the 2024 playoff field.

The first thing that caught my eye? In an even more loaded SEC, there’s a familiar name at No. 1.

Patterson: “1. Georgia (SEC champion): Pre-spring practice ratings of the top teams in college football have Georgia at No. 1, and then there’s a gap before you get to the more interesting discussions about teams Nos. 2-4. Quarterback Carson Beck returns after leading the Bulldogs offense to stellar and often overlooked results in 2023, and after missing the playoff due in part to some rough injury luck, there will be no motivational issues in the 2024 season.”
The SEC and Big Ten both put four teams in Chip’s predicted field.

Oh, and by the way, now that we’re finally expanding to 12 … the CFP Management Committee is exploring expanding to 14.

🏈 Pete Prisco’s Top 100 NFL free agents, ranked
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We’re officially inside of three weeks until the start of NFL free agency, and that means lots of big names potentially hitting the market. Pete Prisco has graciously ranked the top 100 players who could be available, and here’s his top six:

Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings
Chris Jones, DE, Chiefs
Josh Allen, LB, Jaguars
Justin Madubuike, DT, Ravens
Danielle Hunter, DE, Vikings
L’Jarius Sneed, CB, Chiefs
You’ll notice I included six instead of my normal five, and that’s because Sneed is too good to not get a mention here. Plus, how Kansas City manages Jones’ and Sneed’s free agencies could play a major role in the Chiefs’ quest to be the first NFL team to achieve the elusive three-peat.

As for some other good players you should know who didn’t make the top six …

16. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants — His position didn’t help his ranking, but I’m convinced Barkley can have a Christian McCaffrey-esque impact on the right team. Imagine him surrounded by a legit passing attack and a legit offensive line.
17. Bryce Huff, DE, Jets and 83. Josh Uche, LB, Patriots — Pass-rush specialists are always helpful. Neither Huff nor Uche play a ton of snaps, but they make them count: Only Micah Parsons had a better pressure rate than Huff last year (min. 200 pass-rush snaps), and Uche led the category in 2022.
    Here’s our free agency primer for all 32 teams.

⚾ Five MLB teams that could make the playoffs in 2024 after missing out in 2023
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Believe it or not, there is baseball on TV today. The Dodgers and Padres open spring training game action, and while Shohei Ohtani won’t play, it’s a welcome reminder that Opening Day isn’t far away — and Ohtani is on track to be back by then.

Hope springs eternal — no pun intended — and Mike Axisa is feeling the good vibes with five teams that could make the 2024 playoffs after missing the postseason last year, including …

Axisa: “1. Yankees: That 82-80 finish prompted the Yankees to attack their weaknesses in a meaningful way. Juan Soto was the best hitter to change teams this offseason, and New York also added Alex Verdugo to improve an outfield that was very weak in the two non-Aaron Judge spots last year. Also, they are two high-contact lefty bats, something the Yankees sorely lacked. Marcus Stroman provides stability in the middle of the rotation and the ability to keep the ball in the park at homer-happy Yankee Stadium.”
Mike also mentions that the Yankees should be much healthier this year, and one of those players returning is among Mike’s 10 players whose return from injury could impact the playoff race.

R.J. Anderson, meanwhile, has teams that could miss the postseason after making it in 2023.

📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⚾ Dodgers vs. Padres, 3:10 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Rutgers at No. 3 Purdue (M), 7 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Alabama at No. 1 South Carolina (W), 7 p.m. on SEC Network
🏒 Capitals at Lightning, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Suns at Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 4 Iowa at No. 14 Indiana (W), 8 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 No. 6 NC State at North Carolina (W), 8 p.m. on ACC Network
🏀 No. 18 Utah at No. 12 UCLA (W), 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Lakers at Warriors, 10 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 21 Washington State at No. 4 Arizona (M), 11 p.m. on FS1

The Boston Celtics (43-12) will try to extend their six-game winning streak when they face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Boston’s most recent outing was a 136-86 blowout win over the Nets last Wednesday, and the Celtics are six games ahead of Cleveland for first place in the Eastern Conference. Chicago lost two of its final three games before the All-Star break, including a 108-105 setback at Cleveland last Wednesday. The Bulls are in ninth place in the conference, sitting four games behind eighth-place Orlando.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at the United Center. The Celtics are favored by 8.5 points in the latest Bulls vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is 225.5 points per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics vs. Bulls picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Boston vs. Chicago. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Bulls vs. Celtics spread: Bulls +8.5
Bulls vs. Celtics over/under: 225.5 points
Bulls vs. Celtics money line: Bulls: +274, Celtics: -342
Bulls vs. Celtics picks: See picks here
Why the Bulls can cover
Chicago will be excited for a chance to play against the top team in the Eastern Conference at home, especially since it has not played at the United Center since Feb. 6. The Bulls beat the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves as 5.5 underdogs in that outing, powered by 33 points apiece from DeMar DeRozan and Coby White. They trailed by 23 points in that game before rallying for an impressive victory.

Veteran Andre Drummond had 16 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks, while Nikola Vucevic added 24 points. The Bulls picked up wins at Memphis and Atlanta during their four-game road trip, and every game matters with their current playoff positioning. They have covered the spread in four of their last five games, while the Celtics have only covered twice in their last 10 contests.

Why the Celtics can cover
Boston has won eight straight games against Eastern Conference opponents and has won six consecutive games overall. The Celtics closed the first half of the season with a 136-86 win over Brooklyn last Wednesday, giving Joe Mazzulla his 100th win as the head coach. Point guard Payton Pritchard, who is only averaging 8.1 points per game, poured in 28 points in the win over the Nets.

All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 56 points in the East’s win over the West in the All-Star Game, adding to their momentum. The Celtics have five players averaging double digits, led by Tatum (27.1 points per game) and Brown (22.0). Chicago has not been over the .500 mark this season and has only covered the spread three times in its last 11 games against Atlantic Division opponents. See which team to pick here.

How to make Bulls vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Bulls 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

LeBron James will miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, the team announced Wednesday. He is listed as out with left ankle peroneal tendinopathy.

James was excused from Wednesday’s practice. Before the All-Star break, he missed the Lakers’ game against the Utah Jazz last Wednesday because of the ankle issue.

On Sunday in Indianapolis, James said he got treatment “the last few days, trying to get my ankle as strong and as back to where I feel confident that I can finish off this last third of the season,” and he’d get more treatment the next day. He played only 14 minutes in the All-Star Game, all in the first half, and said that he is trying “to be as healthy as I can be physically” because “this last part of the season is very important for us.”

The Lakers have won six of their last seven games, but, because so many teams near them in the Western Conference standings have been seeing similar success, they haven’t made up much ground. With 26 games remaining in the regular season, Los Angeles is 30-26 and ninth in the West, with a slightly negative point differential. Golden State is in 10th place at 27-26.

James is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 34.9 minutes in his 21st season. Already the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, he is 132 points away from becoming the first player in league history to reach the 40,000-point mark James is on pace to do it in his sixth game after the break (March 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, assuming he’s in the lineup for every game after Thursday’s) .

Los Angeles also announced that backup big man Christian Wood has an effusion (i.e. swelling) in his left knee and will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks. The Lakers are optimistic that this is a minor, short-term issue, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The Sacramento Kings will face off against the Indiana Pacers at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif. Both teams are 23-17; Sacramento is 13-7 at home, while Indiana is 10-9 on the road. The Kings have won and covered two of the three games they’ve played against the Pacers since the blockbuster trade that sent Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento and Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana to reshape both franchises.

This season, the Kings are 22-18 against the spread while the Pacers are 23-16-1 against the number. For Thursday, Sacramento is favored by 7.5 points in the latest Kings vs. Pacers odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 248 points. Before entering any Pacers vs. Kings picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Indiana vs. Sacramento. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Pacers vs. Kings:

Kings vs. Pacers spread: Kings -7.5
Kings vs. Pacers over/under: 248 points
Kings vs. Pacers money line: Kings: -304, Pacers: +243
Kings vs. Pacers picks: See picks at SportsLine
What you need to know about the Kings
The Kings’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They fell just short of the Phoenix Suns by a score of 119-117. The defeat came about despite the Kings having been up 22 with 8:22 left in the fourth quarter but Sacramento was ultimately undone by eight fourth-quarter turnovers.

The Kings’ loss shouldn’t obscure the performances of Sabonis, who dropped a triple-double on 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, and De’Aaron Fox, who went 6 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 33 points and six assists. However, Sacramento was outrebounded 46-31 in the defeat, which is unusual for it as the Kings allow the lowest defensive rebound percentage in the NBA. See which team to pick here.

What you need to know about the Pacers
Meanwhile, the Pacers found themselves on the business end of a 132-105 beatdown against the Utah Jazz on Monday. All five starters scored in double-figures for Indiana but nobody scored more than 14 points. However, there were even bigger issues defensively, as the Jazz were able to shoot 55.6% from the floor and 44.0% from the 3-point line.

However, Indiana should have some reinforcement on the way as All-Star point guard Haliburton (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest after missing the last four games. Aaron Nesmith (leg) is also questionable after missing two games, while Bennedict Mathurin (ankle) and Obi Toppin (calf) are game-time decisions as well. See which team to pick here.

Key Betting Info
The Pacers might be without Haliburton in this one and you’ll want to keep a close eye on his status. For the season, Haliburton has averaged 23.6 points, 12.5 assists and 1.1 steals.

Some of the betting trends to consider are:

The Pacers are 22-10-2 against the spread in their last 34 games after a day off.
The Kings are 9-5 against the spread in their last 14 games vs teams that win more than 55% of games.
The Kings are 21-13 against the spread in their last 34 games after a day off.
How to make Kings vs. Pacers picks
The model has simulated Kings vs. Pacers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Memphis Grizzlies in an exciting Western Conference matchup on Thursday. Minnesota is 29-11 overall and 16-2 at home, while Memphis is 15-25 overall and 11-10 on the road. The Timberwolves have won their first two meetings this season by an average of 23 points.

Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. ET at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Minnesota is a 12-point favorite in the latest Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies odds, according to the SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 214 points. Before entering any Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer simulation model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Memphis vs. Minnesota. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves:

Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies spread: Timberwolves -12
Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies over/under: 214 points
Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies money line: Timberwolves: -775, Grizzlies: +533
MEM: The Grizzlies are 12-9 ATS on the road this season
MIN: The Timberwolves are 10-6-2 ATS at home this season
Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies picks: See picks at SportsLine
What to know about the Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are significantly banged up at the moment with Ja Morant (shoulder) out for the season, followed by fellow guard Marcus Smart suffering a finger injury in the ensuing game to cost him six weeks. Then Desmond Bane, who was averaging 24.4 points per game and controlling the offense during the stretches Morant’s been out with injury after a suspension, suffered a sprained left ankle this week and is expected to miss six weeks. With Derrick Rose (thigh) also out, the Grizzlies can’t catch a break lately, especially in the backcourt.

Memphis will likely need a huge performance from Jaren Jackson Jr. to cover the margin on Thursday. The 24-year-old power forward is averaging 21.2 points per game this season and will likely be the focal point of the offense over the next few weeks. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft has never had this much offensive pressure on him, but Memphis will need him to produce. See which team to pick here.

What to know about the Timberwolves
The Timberwolves have the second-best record in the NBA and best mark in the Western Conference at 29-11 nearing the midway point of the 2023-24 NBA season. They’ve built a young core around Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, who have elevated themselves to superstar status since both were selected as No. 1 overall picks. But even the most optimistic Timberwolves fan wouldn’t have seen a potential No. 1 seed in the West coming this season after being in the play-in tournament last year.

Edwards is averaging 26 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists with Towns adding 21.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. But it’s the Minnesota defense that has elevated it above the rest in the West. The Timberwolves are allowing 107.6 ppg this season, the lowest in the NBA by nearly three points. The Grizzlies averaged 100 ppg in their two matchups against Minnesota this year with the Timberwolves winning both contests by at least 22 points. See which team to pick here.

How to make Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies picks
The model has simulated Grizzlies vs. Wolves 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread hits almost 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The Golden State Warriors’ home game against the Dallas Mavericks scheduled for Friday has been postponed following the death of Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, the NBA announced on Thursday. Milojevic, who was 46, died Wednesday morning. He was hospitalized on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City after having a heart attack at a team dinner.

Golden State’s game against the Utah Jazz, scheduled for Wednesday in Utah, was also postponed. Neither game has yet been rescheduled.

“This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Milojevic in a statement. “In addition to being a terrific basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful human beings I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every single day with his passion and energy.”

The Warriors-Mavericks game was set to air nationally on ESPN. Instead, the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Brooklyn Nets will be broadcast in that spot on Friday.

The next scheduled game for Golden State (18-22, 12th place in the Western Conference) is Wednesday, Jan. 24 at home against the Atlanta Hawks.

Dallas’ next scheduled game is Monday, Jan. 22 at home against the Boston Celtics. On Wednesday in Los Angeles, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told reporters that they would fly back to Dallas on Thursday if the league decided to postpone the game against the Warriors.

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday night, the team announced. He was 46 years old. Milojevic was hospitalized after suffering the emergency at a restaurant during a team dinner. The NBA postponed Wednesday night’s game between the Warriors and Jazz in Utah as well as Friday’s Warriors vs. Mavericks game in San Francisco.

“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a statement. “This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him. In addition to being a terrific basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful human beings I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every single day with his passion and energy. We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable.”

Milojevic, a native of Serbia, was added to the Warriors coaching staff in 2021 and helped the franchise win a championship in 2022. He played in Serbia, Spain, Montenegro, and Turkey during his 14-year professional career and was named the MVP of the Adriatic League three times (2004-06). He joined Kerr’s staff after coaching stints with Mega Vizura in Serbia and Buducnost in Montenegro, where he won the Montenegrin League Championship.

Milojevic made the most of the talent available to him during his time coaching overseas and helped establish a strong pipeline from Mega Vizura to the NBA. Eleven of the players Milojevic coached during his eight seasons with Mega Vizura went on to be selected in the NBA Draft. Among them were Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, Goga Bitadze, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Vlatko Cancar.

“The NBA mourns the sudden passing of Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “In addition to winning the 2022 NBA championship in his first season with the Warriors and mentoring some of the best players in the world, Dejan had a decorated international playing career and was a distinguished head coach in his native Serbia. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, their children, Nikola and Masa, and the Warriors organization during this tragic time.”

The game in Utah was set to be the last matchup on Golden State’s four-game road trip. With the Friday game against the Mavericks also postponed, the team’s next scheduled game is Wednesday, Jan. 24 against the Hawks at the Chase Center.Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday night, the team announced. He was 46 years old. Milojevic was hospitalized after suffering the emergency at a restaurant during a team dinner. The NBA postponed Wednesday night’s game between the Warriors and Jazz in Utah as well as Friday’s Warriors vs. Mavericks game in San Francisco.

“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a statement. “This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him. In addition to being a terrific basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful human beings I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every single day with his passion and energy. We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable.”

Milojevic, a native of Serbia, was added to the Warriors coaching staff in 2021 and helped the franchise win a championship in 2022. He played in Serbia, Spain, Montenegro, and Turkey during his 14-year professional career and was named the MVP of the Adriatic League three times (2004-06). He joined Kerr’s staff after coaching stints with Mega Vizura in Serbia and Buducnost in Montenegro, where he won the Montenegrin League Championship.

Milojevic made the most of the talent available to him during his time coaching overseas and helped establish a strong pipeline from Mega Vizura to the NBA. Eleven of the players Milojevic coached during his eight seasons with Mega Vizura went on to be selected in the NBA Draft. Among them were Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, Goga Bitadze, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Vlatko Cancar.

“The NBA mourns the sudden passing of Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “In addition to winning the 2022 NBA championship in his first season with the Warriors and mentoring some of the best players in the world, Dejan had a decorated international playing career and was a distinguished head coach in his native Serbia. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, their children, Nikola and Masa, and the Warriors organization during this tragic time.”

The game in Utah was set to be the last matchup on Golden State’s four-game road trip. With the Friday game against the Mavericks also postponed, the team’s next scheduled game is Wednesday, Jan. 24 against the Hawks at the Chase Center.

LeBron James is certainly one of the most accomplished players in NBA history. However, one new statistic of his comes across as absolutely mind-boggling.

After facing the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, the ESPN on ABC broadcast revealed that James has now played against 35% of all of the players that have ever played in the NBA.

INSANE.

LeBron has played against 35% of all players in NBA history 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Xr6Qz7IExz

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 18, 2024
It definitely was a very surprising statistic to many, including James himself. Following Wednesday’s 127-110 win against the Mavericks, James responded to the crazy stat on his Instagram story by calling it “insane.”

James was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, and made his debut in the 2003-04 campaign. The Los Angeles Lakers star has scored 39,591 points in 21 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers. In February 2023, James passed Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points in NBA history.

The NBA came into existence in 1946, so there were obviously several decades of players who took to the hardwood before James made his NBA debut. Still, James’ longevity has allowed him to play 21 seasons and become one of the greatest players that the league has ever seen.

The third and final All-Star voting returns are in, and the guard spots are still the only real races to monitor. In the Eastern Conference, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks has increased his lead for the second spot, with 85,862 more votes than Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard. In the Western Conference, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder gained a bit of ground on Stephen Curry, but is still trailing the Golden State Warriors superstar by 285,041 votes.

Just like they did in the last two weeks of returns, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks leads all vote-getters (4,309,630 votes), while LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers leads all players in the West (3,938,571).

In the frontcourt, the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic has a 31,642-vote lead over the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant for the No. 2 spot in the West, and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid has a 3,691-vote lead over the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum. For these “races” to matter, though, the media and player voting would have to differ fairly drastically from the fan voting. The top three frontcourt players and top two backcourt players in their respective conferences will start in the All-Star Game, which will take place in Indianapolis on Sunday, Feb. 18.

LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their respective conferences in the third fan returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T.

Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. NBA players and a media panel account for 25% each. pic.twitter.com/fyGeQXgEhH

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 18, 2024
You can vote until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. ET. All fan votes received on Friday, the last “3-for-1” day, will count three times. The results of this voting do not determine the starters outright; fans account for 50% of the overall vote, with the other half split between NBA players and a panel of media members.

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The All-Star starters will be announced next week (Jan. 25) on TNT. The reserves, which will be chosen by NBA coaches, will be announced the following week (Feb. 1) on TNT.

Birmingham quarterback J’Mar Smith’s primary goal is leading the Stallions in their pursuit of back-to-back USFL titles. But if the opportunity to face the XFL’s best team also presented itself, Smith would certainly welcome that opportunity, too.

Ahead of his Birmingham’s season opener on Saturday night against the New Jersey Generals, Smith was asked about his possible interest in a game pitting the two leagues’ top-two teams. While the question was hypothetical, Smith thinks a championship game between the two leagues is certainly a possibility.

“That would be nice and what the fans want,” Smith said in a text message to CBS Sports. “Merging two spring pro leagues, champion vs. champion, to see the competition between the two leagues. … I think it should happen and will soon!”

Given that the two leagues enforce different rules, Smith posed the interesting question of which rules would be utilized should the two leagues face off. There are several rules within each league, especially on kickoffs, that are vastly different from each other. For example, the USFL gives scoring teams a chance to keep the ball if they are able to complete a 4th-and-12 play from their own 25-yard line. While the XFL has a similar option, the scoring team must convert a 4th-and-15 play in order to retain possession.

Rules aside, a USFL-XFL championship game would certainly generate attention, especially during the dog days of summer. The Super Bowl, after all, was initially between the National Football League and the upstart American Football League. The NFL’s Green Bay Packers won the first two contests before Joe Namath’s Jets shocked the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. The leagues merged shortly after the AFL’s Chiefs defeated the NFL champion Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

Often lost in history is the fact that the AFL and NFL had already agreed to a future merge prior to playing in their first AFL-NFL Championship Game. At this point, the USFL and XFL are entirely different entities that start their seasons at different points. It seems that there would have to be some sort of connection between the two leagues before games between the two would actually happen.

Both leagues are currently trying to coexist while becoming the first successful spring league. When they kick things off this weekend, the USFL will be the first spring league in nearly 40 years to return for a second consecutive season. The XFL, currently in its third incarnation, is nearing the end of its 10-game regular season.

Neither league is trying to compete with the NFL. In the USFL’s case, helping provide players with a new pathway to the NFL is one of the league’s primary goals, along with being a league that prioritizes its fans with affordable tickets.

“We’re about football,” USFL president Daryl Johnston recently told CBS Sports. “We’re about the why, what motivates the guys, what you are trying to accomplish here and trying to do everything we can from a coaching and from an exposure standpoint to give them an opportunity to continue to chase that dream.”

When it comes to a possible USFL-XFL championship game, it’s interesting that Smith answered the question with such honesty. Instead of ignoring the other league, Smith welcomes the conversation and would welcome the prospect of facing the XFL’s best team at the end of the USFL’s season. Rest assured that Smith isn’t the only player who would like to see such a game take place.