The Sportsletter - Mid-Range Masterclass

BY JEFF YODER & MATTHEW CAHILL

FEB. 25, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  BROWSER VIEW

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Happy Friday 👋

The NBA returned from its All-Star break last night to kick off the home stretch of the regular season. We've got you covered with the biggest performances on the hardwood, an MLS season preview, and the Must-Watch List to get you set for the weekend. 

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NBA

Mid-Range Masterclass

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

DeMar Derozan Shines Again in the Clutch, Hits Another Game-Winner

DeMar DeRozan’s historic season continued again last night, scoring 37 points while hitting a go-ahead mid-range jumper with 15.1 seconds left to lift Chicago to victory against the Hawks. This was his 8th consecutive game with 35+ points and 50% shooting, extending his record-breaking streak. The victory also moved the Bulls into the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference again despite dealing with injuries from Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.

Making the Case for MVP

This season, DeRozan is currently averaging 28.1 Points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists a night on great efficiency (51%FG). Despite that, he’s currently ranked just 9th on the NBA.com MVP ladder, but is surely moving up thanks to his play during the last few weeks. While it’s still an uphill battle, if the Bulls can finish with the top seed in the extremely competitive Eastern Conference and he continues to score the ball at an elite level, the mid-range maestro will have quite a compelling argument for MVP.

Watch: DeMar DeRozan hits Game-Winning bucket in 37-PT performance vs. Hawks

Other NBA Highlights

Boston Stays Hot: The Celtics have now won 10 out of 11 after their 129-106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, led by Jayson Tatum who dropped 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead the way for Boston.

D’Angelo Russell Explodes in the Fourth: The Timberwolves picked up a big 119-114 victory over the Grizzlies thanks to D’Angelo Russell, who scored 23 of his 37 points in the 4th quarter.

SOCCER

MLS Season Preview

Photo: Ira L. Black - Corbis / Getty Images

Questions Loom as NYCFC Begins Quest to Repeat

The 27th MLS season is set to begin this weekend, headlined by New York City FC as they look to become the first back-to-back champs since the LA Galaxy back in 2011-12. Despite being defending champs, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding this club, none bigger than the status of 2021 Golden Boot winner Taty Castellanos. 

After a stellar 2021 season and strong performance in the playoffs, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola stated that the 23-year old Castellanos was ready to play in Europe, which resulted in many clubs calling. NYCFC has rejected $10 and $12 million offers from clubs in Argentina and Brazil, but are willing to part ways with their young star for a price tag of $15 million. It’s only a matter of time before someone makes FC an offer in the price range they’re looking for. The question is, when will it happen?

More Rapid Expansion

The MLS has seen great growth in popularity in recent years, which can be seen by their consistent expansion of clubs. The league has added a new club for six consecutive years now, as Charlotte FC is the newest club to join the MLS this season. It looks like Charlotte is going to enter the league with a bang, as they are expected to break the league’s attendance record of nearly 75,000 for their first home game on March 5th against the LA Galaxy.

Additional Storylines

USA Today: Major League Soccer 2022 Season Preview

MLS.Com: MLS Power Rankings Heading into the 2022 Season

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📰 THE HEADLINES

James Harden Set to Make 76ers Debut Friday Night vs. Timberwolves

(CBS Sports)

'Minimal' Progress Made by Players, Owners During Thursday's CBA Talks

(Bleacher Report)

Yankees' Joey Gallo Voices His Stance Against the Shift: 'They Have to do Something With it'

(Yahoo!)

Aaron Rodgers to Decide Future 'Soon' Amid Offers from 'Multiple Teams'

(SI)

🗓️ WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

MLS Opening Weekend

Full MLS Weekend Schedule

NBA

Clippers at Lakers (Fri. 10:00 pm)

Nets at Bucks (Sat. 8:30 pm)

Jazz at Suns (Sun. 3:30 pm)

Mavericks at Warriors (Sun. 7:30 pm)

Full NBA Schedule

NHL

Rangers at Penguins (Sat. 3:00 pm)

Lightning at Predators (Sat. 7:30 pm)

Avalanche at Golden Knights (Sat. 10:00 pm)

Wild at Flames (Sat. 10:00 pm)

Full NHL Schedule

NCAA Men’s Basketball

#4 Purdue at Michigan State (Sat. Noon)

#6 Kentucky at #18 Arkansas (Sat. 2:00 pm)

#3 Auburn at #17 Tennessee (Sat. 4:00 pm)

#2 Arizona at Colorado (Sat. 8:00 pm)

#5 Kansas at #10 Baylor (Sat. 8:00 pm)

#1 Gonzaga at #23 Saint Mary’s (Sat. 10:00 pm)

NCAA Women’s Basketball

#10 Indiana at #13 Maryland (Fri. 8:00 pm)

#4 Louisville at #14 Notre Dame (Sun. Noon)

#1 South Carolina at Ole Miss (Sun. 2:00 pm)

#8 LSU at #16 Tennessee (Sun. 2:00 pm)

#6 Michigan at #21 Iowa (Sun. 4:00 pm)

Duke at #18 North Carolina (Sun. 4:00 pm)

#3 NC State at #23 Virginia Tech (Sun. 6:00 pm)

PGA Tour

The Honda Classic (All Weekend)

Carabao Cup

Chelsea vs. Liverpool (Sun. 11:30 am)

NASCAR

Auto Club 400 (Sun. 3:30 pm)

*All Times Eastern

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