Team Tatanka’s boys list includes: Jarron Big Horn from Red Cloud, Cadell Brunsch from Hay Springs, Neb., Chuckie Cottier from Lakota Tech, Israel Defender from Marty Indian, Jakob Dobney from Vermillion, Kenyon Easter from White River, Spence Moran from Dupree, Colbe Scott from White River, Derek SoundingSides from Ft. Washakie, Wyo., Devon Spotted War Bonnet from St. Petersburg Francis / Todd County, Tahj Two Bulls from Sioux Falls Washington, Jesse White from White Shield, ND, and Alex Zephier from Dakota Valley.
The Team Anpo girl list includes: Talaiah Bear Killer from Bennett County, Jaden Ferris from Wyoming Indian, Wyo., Lacey Few Tails from Pine Ridge, Maria Gallardo from Tiospa Zina, Caleigh Little from Lower Brule, Francesca Ross from Mandaree, ND, Quentina Standing Soldier from Crazy Horse, Inila Ware from Lander, Dorianna White from Wyoming Indian, Cheyenne Whiting from Little Wound and Caelyn Valandra-Prue from White River.
Team Wicahpi’s list of girls includes: Raven Barse from Corsica-Stickney, Maddie Cleveland from Winnebago, Neb., Chernessa Cournoyer from Marty Indian, Jolynn Fighting Bear from Wyoming Indians, Mahpiya Irving and Wakiyan Wi Irving, both from Royal Valley, Kan. ; Zoe Long Solider from Bennett County, Amia Roach-Valandra from White River, Deja Roberts from Crazy Horse, Madison Wells from Lower Brule and Kenya Merrival from Rapid City Stevens.
This is the second all-star match, with the first in 2019 at Loneman School in Oglala.
Easter Sunday has some solid NBA action, as there are a few games in the afternoon followed by four in the evening. Let’s look at some of the action from a betting perspective and see what stands out.
The 76ers / Grizzlies match depended on Joel Embiid’s status. If he’s active, I clearly like Philadelphia’s chances of covering up the spread. Especially at home where the 76ers are second in the NBA with a winning percentage of 82.6. Embiid could dominate the Grizzlies defense giving the most points per possession and highest field-goal percentage to the post this season, while no basketball player has averaged more post-up points per game than Embiid (9.8).
In the afternoon, the Nets go to Chicago to fight the Bulls. Both Kevin Durant and James Harden have been ruled out for this match, which means taking over Kyrie Irving’s props makes a lot of sense. With both players inactive this season, Irving is using a 34.6% percent usage rate along with an 18% rebound rate and a 25% assistance rate in splits. The showdown is also elite for Irving, taking on the Bulls team that brought out the most points per game to unplayable opponent ball handlers this season (24.2).
Lastly, Sunday night’s Rockets / Pelicans game is very interesting. The game was beautifully set for Zion Williamson, facing the league’s worst transitional defense. However, he missed the last two games with a thumb injury and was once again listed as questionable. If he’s a good match, I love him and the potential to win in this contest. New Orleans has surpassed the implied 66.7% total from this season’s time, good for the highest level in the NBA. Pelicans have also been playing at pace lately and a lot of that is because they let their star players handle more of the ball and boost the tempo. His status (as well as Brandon Ingram) will obviously play a big role here.
As soon as 2nd seed Ohio State lost to 15th seed Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA tournament, second-tier EJ Liddell began receiving online harassment – some even making death threats. Although Liddell led Ohio State with 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, he also missed the front end of the one-and-one free throws with only 37 seconds remaining in regulation. The failure gave Oral Roberts the opportunity to not only tie the game to the rules, but to finally pull off a disappointing win in overtime.
Although in this day and age it is normal for people to talk about trash on social media, harassing and threatening athletes because of their appearance should not be considered normal or acceptable. The threat against Liddell was so strong that the local police department reportedly dispatched additional patrol cars in the area around his residence.
After top seed Michigan lost heavily to 11th seed UCLA on Tuesday night, social media ugliness turned its attention to Wolverines and, in particular, second-tier keeper Franz Wagner. In one of his toughest matches of the season, Wagner struggled through the night against UCLA – finishing 1-10 off the floor with just four points of the night. Wagner missed two three-pointers in the final that would have given Michigan the lead, including an aerial ball with 12 seconds remaining and what would have been the winner of the match with just 0.5 seconds remaining.
To be clear, Michigan’s struggles on Tuesday night didn’t start and end with Franz Wagner. Not even close. In fact, only one Wolverine scored double digits that night – Hunter Dickinson’s Top Ten of New Year’s Students. Even though Dickinson was able to find the double digits, he still missed an important shot that could help turn the result. Along with Wagner, senior guards Eli Brooks and Mike Smith shot a combined 5-25 from the floor – their worst collective performance of all season. Make no mistake, Michigan’s defeat against UCLA on Tuesday night was a total team effort.
Despite the fact, that hasn’t stopped some people on social media from voting for Wagner in the ugliest way imaginable. “Go back to Germany and play in the trash league you came from,” read one comment by @cadyntrenum_. Comments on Wagner range from racial assaults to profound personal attacks about who he is as a person, going beyond the mundane trash talk that often takes place in sport.
Unfortunately, this has become part of the new norm with athletes, fans and social media.
Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports
While there is very little that can be done regarding online harassment in the short term, it is certainly an issue that needs to be taken seriously in the future. In general, people have become too comfortable saying things behind the keyboard that they wouldn’t say if they stood face to face with the subject of their attack. The same can be said for the way some fans choose to interact with players and coaches in friendly arenas or stadiums.
SAN ANTONIO – Spurs’ longtime guard, Patty Mills, was honored by the NBA on Wednesday for her continued efforts to create opportunities that empower Indigenous youth and advance social justice in her home country, Australia.
The league awarded Mills with the NBA Cares Community Assistance Award in February which recognizes a player each month who best reflects the passion shared by the league and NBA players to give back to their community.
The 12 year old veteran has just been founded Australian Indigenous Basketball to provide a pathway for Australian Aborigines to play basketball. IBA notifies the first Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL) for players aged 14 and under at eight locations across Australia.
The league uses basketball and Indigenous cultural practices for life skills development and education, including mental and physical well-being for dozens of children.
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Throughout his NBA career, Mills has been dedicated to giving back to Australia with a special focus on empowering Indigenous youth and communities of color.
Last summer, Mills, with the help of other pro Australian athletes, launched a “We Got You” campaign dedicated to eliminating racism, exclusion and discrimination in sport. He donated the remainder of his 2019-20 season salary to social justice organizations after Spurs were involved in the NBA bubble in Orlando.
Prior to that, Mills created Campaign “Give Mama Coffee” to help San Antonio coffee shops amid the pandemic and also raise money for victims of domestic violence.
Mills also organized a $ 750,000 donation from nine Australian NBA players after the devastating Australian bushfires earlier in the year. He went to Australia to help with forest fire restoration efforts.
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The award, which also honors the standard of community service set by Spurs legend David Robinson, will go to Mills before Wednesday’s Spurs-Kings game. Mills is now in his 10th season with the Spurs and has become an important part of the organization and community on and on the pitch.
A notable incident occurred during Sunday’s second round group stage match between Switzerland and Lithuania in the European qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.
Before the start of the match in Switzerland, it turned out that one of the goalposts was 5-10 cm taller than required.
The committee had to change the goalposts, because the game started 15 minutes late.
