Friday, March 22, 2013


After consecutive games in which they had to overcome a seventeen point deficit against the Boston Celtics on Monday, and then a 27 point deficit against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, the Miami Heat are probably in the mood for a couple of easier games this weekend.  They look for consecutive victory #25 tonight when they take on the Detroit Pistons at the AAA at 7:30, and you can watch the game on Sun Sports.  The Heat have beaten Detroit four consecutive times here at home, but lost to the Pistons in Detroit back on the 28th of December, 109-99, in a game in which the Heat were playing without Dwyane Wade, who was serving a one-game suspension.  However, Detroit is going through a rough patch right now, having lost their nine games in the month of March, and by an average of 18 points.  On Sunday, Miami welcomes the Charlotte Bobcats to the AAA, game time at 6:00 pm.  The team will again hit the road next week for games at Orlando on Monday, Chicago on Wednesday, and New Orleans on Friday.  Most probably, their biggest challenge in breaking the Lakers’ record of 33 straight wins will be next Sunday, when they visit the Spurs in San Antonio.  I’ll repeat what I’ve been saying:  The Heat need to stay alert and keep their guard up, because long winning streaks have a tendency to come to an end against teams that you normally wouldn’t and shouldn’t lose to.  That being said, if they get past the Spurs next Sunday, I feel they will set a new record for consecutive wins.  

ESPNLosAngeles.com caught up with the man on the NBA logo, all-time Laker great Jerry West, and West talked about the Laker streak and the Heat:


In the NBA yesterday,

Portland 99 Chicago 89
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 points and Damian Lillard had 24 points in the Portland win.

Denver 101 Philadelphia 100
Do the Nuggets think they’re the Heat?  Corey Brewer scored six points in the final nine seconds of the game as Denver overcame a five-point deficit in the last 14 seconds to win their 14th consecutive game.

Sacramento 101 Minnesota 98
Isiah Thomas had 24 points and six assists.  Tyreke Evans added 21 points, and DeMarcus Cousins finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

TONIGHT IN THE NBA:  

Detroit @ Miami              7:30 pm Sun Sports
New York @ Toronto         7:00 pm
Oklahoma City @ Orlando   7:00 pm
Milwaukee @ Indiana         7:00 pm
Portland @ Atlanta 7:30 pm
Memphis @ New Orleans 8:00 pm
Cleveland @ Houston         8:00 pm
Boston @ Dallas 8:30 pm
Utah @ San Antonio 8:30 pm
Minnesota @ Phoenix         10:00 pm
Washington @ LA Lakers    10:30 pm

If the NBA playoffs started today, the match-ups would be:

East West

Miami vs Milwaukee San Antonio vs LA Lakers
Indiana vs Boston Oklahoma City vs Houston
New York vs Chicago  Memphis vs Golden State
Brooklyn vs Atlanta LA Clippers vs Denver

In college hoops, the NCAA is off and running.  A couple of upsets, including #12 seed California over #5 seed UNLV in the east regional, #12 Oregon over #5 Oklahoma State in the midwest, and the biggest surprise of the day was #14 seed Harvard defeating #3 seed New Mexico out in the western regional.  I will post all the game here every day, as well as the games of the day, along with time and TV broadcast location.  You don’t have to go anywhere else.  Tell your friends, and feel free to cry if your bracket is busted already!

Yesterday’s games:
  
Michigan State 65 Valparaiso 54

Butler 68 Bucknell 56

Wichita State 73 Pittsburgh 55

Saint Louis 64 New Mexico State 44

Memphis 54  Saint Mary's 52

Marquette 59 Davidson 58

Gonzaga 64  Southern 58

Oregon 68 Oklahoma State 55

Louisville 79 North Carolina A&T 48

Michigan 71  South Dakota State 56

Arizona 81 Belmont 64

California 64 UNLV 61

Colorado State 84 Missouri 72
VCU 88 Akron 42

Harvard 68 New Mexico 62

Syracuse 81 Montana 34

TODAY’S GAMES:

Albany vs Duke 12:15 pm CBS

Ole Miss vs Wisconsin 12:40 pm truTV

Temple vs No. Carolina State 1:40 pm TBS

Pacific vs Miami    2:10 pm TNT

Cincinnati vs Creighton 2:45 pm CBS

La Salle vs Kansas State 3:20 pm truTV

James Madison vs Indiana 4:10 pm TBS

Colorado vs Illinois 4:40 pm TNT

Fla. Gulf Coast vs Georgetown 6:50 pm TBS

Iona vs Ohio State 7:15 pm CBS

Villanova vs North Carolina 7:20 pm TNT

Northwestern State vs Florida 7:27 pm truTV

Oklahoma vs San Diego State 9:20 pm TBS

Iowa State vs Notre Dame 9:45 pm CBS

Western Kentucky vs Kansas 9:50 pm TNT

Minnesota vs UCLA 9:57pm truTV

Here’s the complete Bracket:


TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  The University of Miami basketball hopes to start a very successful run in this year’s NCAA tournament, as they take on Pacific at 2:10 pm on TNT.  After winning the ACC crown, Miami is expected by many of the experts around the country to at least reach the elite eight. (In my bracket selection, I have them beating Florida in the Final Four and reaching the Championship game).  Have the Canes ever even been in the NCAA tournament? Tell you later, alligator.

Here are my bracket selections for the tournament: 

Sweet Sixteen

Louisville            Kansas
St. Louis Virginia Commonwealth

Michigan State Florida
Duke           Georgetown

Gonzaga Indiana
Ole Miss Syracuse

New Mexico Indiana
Ohio State            Miami

Elite Eight

Louisville Kansas
Duke           Florida

Gonzaga Indiana
Ohio State  Miami

Final Four

Louisville Florida
Ohio State  Miami

National Championship game

Louisville  
Miami

National Champions

Louisville

In exhibition baseball, the Marlins were off yesterday.  The Fish are back in action today at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, to take on the New York Metropolitans.  Henderson Alvarez will start for the Marlins, his first pitch will be at 7:05 pm.  Joe Frisaro, who covers the Marlins for MLB.com, has some thoughts on who is going to hit cleanup behind the Man-Child, Giancarlo Stanton.


Here are all the scores from yesterday’s spring training games.  You can “click” on the box scores and the recap under each individual game’s line score.  


ESPN.com is all over the story that Hanley Ramirez will be out for at least 8 weeks:


ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark lists the eight strangest injuries in Spring Training this year:


In Atlanta Braves news, the team officially named Tim Hudson their opening day starter.  No real surprise there.  David O’Brien from the Journal-Constitution fills us in:


Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez talks about “who’s on third”, replacing Chipper Jones:


In Dolphins news, MiamiDolphins.com has the latest on the Seven-Name stadium renovations and the Super Bowls, including video of press conference with Miami Dolphins CEO Mike Dee:


In college baseball, FIU will be here at home for a three-game weekend series against Western Kentucky.  Meanwhile, over in Coral Gables, the Hurricanes will take on Virginia Tech this weekend in a three-game set.  
  
Don’t miss my two “Descarga Deportiva” segments (for the Spanish-challenged, “Sports Jam Session”) every day, Monday through Friday, at 9:25 am and 12:15 pm on Radio Esperanza, 1550 AM or on the internet on www.miradioesperanza.com

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  The University of Miami basketball hopes to start a very successful run in this year’s NCAA tournament, as they take on Pacific at 2:10 pm on TNT.  After winning the ACC championship, Miami is expected by many to at least reach the elite eight. (In my bracket selection, I have them beating Florida in the Final Four and reaching the Championship game).  Have the Canes ever even been in the NCAA tournament? 

The Canes reached the Sweet Sixteen back in 2000, but have advanced past their first game only three times in six appearances in the big dance, and they have an all-time record in the tournament of 4-6.  Head Coach Jim Larranaga took his George Mason team to the final four in 2006.

IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE ON MY RADIO SEGMENTS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME FOR ALL THE DETAILS - jerry@descargadeportiva.com

Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.  HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

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