Month: June 2022

BJ Murray assigned to the Chicago Cubs’ high-a affiliate

As of Thursday, June 16, 2022

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BJ Murray

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#BJ Murray Jr continues his progression in the Chicago Cubs organisation.

#The 22-year-old infielder was assigned to the club’s High-A affiliate, the South Bend Cubs, and saw immediate action on the field with the club.

#Murray finished with a run and stolen base in the Cubs’ 5-4 loss to the Quad City River Bandits’ on June 14, the first in a six-game series.

#The Cubs are currently third in the Midwest League’s East Division at 30-28.

#Murray began his 2022 season at the Low-A level with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

#Through 39 games with the club, he hit .305, slugged .461 with a .902 OPS, 39 hits, including three home runs, 11 doubles, 31 runs scored and 25 RBI.

#Murray overcame a slow start in his first season at the Low-A level.

#But he became one of the club’s offensive leaders across all categories at the time of his new assignment.

#He produced 11 multi-hit games, highlighted by a season high 3-4 night with five RBI in his club’s 24-6 win over the Winston- Salem Red Sox.

#He previously earned Player of the Game honours when he finished 2-3 with a home run, double, an RBI and three runs scored in the Pelicans’ 9-1 win over the Columbia Fireflies, on April 30.

#Murray began his day with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning.

#He also doubled in the fourth inning.

#He concluded May and began June with a six-game stretch against the Delmarva Shoebirds where he hit .529 and scored seven runs with two RBI.

#It also included four multi-hit games.

#Murray was selected by the Cubs out of Florida Atlantic University with the 22nd pick in the 15th round, no. 454 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. He spent his first season of professional baseball in the Arizona Complex League.

#Through 16 ACL games, he hit .286, slugging .482 with a .826 OPS, 16 hits, including two home runs, three doubles, a triple, 12 runs scored an eight RBI.

#Keep up the good work.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/16/bj-murray-assigned-chicago-cubs-high-affiliate/?news

Chisholm Jr solidifies his case for National League All-Star bid

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm looks on during a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday in Philadelphia. The Phillies won 3-1. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm looks on during a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday in Philadelphia. The Phillies won 3-1. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

As of Thursday, June 16, 2022

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr’s power-hitting display ranks among the top at his position in all of Major League Baseball and continues to solidify his case for a National League All-Star bid.

#Chisholm Jr hit his 13th home-run of the season in the Marlins’ 11-9 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night.

#Headed into last night’s slate, his home run total tops the leaderboard for all second basemen in the MLB, just ahead of the Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve and the New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres – tied with 12.

#He also leads the group with a .547 slugging percentage, four triples and is tied with Trevor Story of the Boston Red Sox with 41 RBI. Chisholm Jr ranks second behind Altuve with an .848 OPS.

#Chisholm Jr is a leading candidate to earn a spot on the National League roster for the 2022 All-Star Game. Voting for the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is now underway. Ballots can be cast on MLB.com and cast your ballot, up to five times a day every 24 hours. The first phase of the voting runs through June 30 at 2pm.

#Then, there will be two finalists announced at each position (six outfielders) and the vote totals reset for the final days of voting July 5-8.

#Stay tuned and place your vote.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/16/chisholm-jr-solidifies-his-case-national-league-al/?news

I-Elite gets international support

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#SINCE their formation out of the Max D Baseball Academy in 2017, the International Elite Baseball Academy has been growing by leaps and bounds as they continue to provide opportunities for many young men to experience their dream of playing college or professional baseball.

#Headed by Geron Sands and Albert Cartwright, I-Elite was recognised for their efforts by the Deshaun Watson Foundation. Watson made the substantial financial contrition to I-Elite when he brought the Brown’s offensive line here last month for a three-day mini-camp to train and bond together.

#Tshombe Johnson, the business development and fundraising coordinator for I-Elite, said a college friend of his working with Watson, the Browns’ quarterback, was interested in giving back to the Bahamian community and they agreed to support I-Elite and one of the local soccer programmes.

#“When they came here to do their team bonding, Deshaun decided that he would find a way to give back to the community and it was suggested to Deshaun to try to help us because we are working on getting so many young players started with their future in the sport,” Johnson said.

#Johnson said the generous donation, which he declined to reveal, came at the opportune time as I-Elite continues to open so many doors for the players to excel to the next level. He noted that Watson indicated that his foundation will continue to support I-Elite in the future.

#“He told us that he wanted to assist in anyway with the growth of the programme,” Johnson said. “We’re at a spot right now where we are growing and anything we can garner th3e support to get to the next level, we welcome them to assist us.”

#Watson, who played college football at Clemson where he led the team to a national championship in 2015, was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. On March 18, 2022, Watson and the Texans’ 2024 sixth-round draft pick were traded to Cleveland in exchange for the Browns’ first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024. As part of the trade, Watson signed a new, fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns, making it the largest contract and most guaranteed money in NFL history.

#When Watson came to town, Sands said they were delighted to share their programme with him and he agreed to assist them.

#“We are really happy to know that there are people out there who are watching us and seeing what we are doing and want to help us and our country to continue to develop the kids,” Sands said. “We are happy for the donation that we received from Deshaun Watson. This will definitely us in our development.”

#I-Elite emerged out of Max D in 2017, but Sands said the concept of working with the young baseball players was developed from 2012 when Max D was formed. Now there are two separate entities in the country.

#Sands said I-Elite’s aim was to get more Bahamian young men fulfilling their dreams of becoming collegiate or professional baseball players. A year ago, he said they introduced softball for girls where they seek to assist the young girls in securing athletic scholarships as well.

#“We want to assist these young boys and girls in developing that mindset where they can achieve their goal and eventually return home and make their contributions to our society,” Sands said..

#Since their formation, Sands said they have been able to assist more than 15 players with signing professional contracts, including Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm of the Miami Marlins and Lucius Fox of the Washington Marlins. They have also secured more than 10 scholarships for players in college.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/i-elite-gets-international-support/?news

Bahamas Bassai Karate-Dojo to host its first championship on June 25 at Anatol Rodgers

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

#THE Bahamas Bassai Karate-Dojo (BBKD) is scheduled to host its first Bahamas Karate Championship at 10am on Saturday, June 25 at the Anatol Rodgers High School Gymnasium.

#Under the Society of Shotokan Stylist, the event will be opened to all styles of martial arts and will be a part of the National Championships circuit, sanctioned by the Bahamas Martial Arts Federation.

#Tickets are priced at $3 for children 5-12 years old and $5 for adults ages 13-and-over. Doors open at 9:30am.

#The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, headed by Minister Mario Bowleg, is expected to be represented.

#Unfortunately, Bowleg is not expected to be available as he is scheduled to be in Florida for the Bahamian Heritage Night for Miami Marlins Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm.

#BBKD, according to sensei Dr Shawn Smith, is a karate school that caters to predominantly inner-city kids, some of which are residents of homes for boys.

#“We teach karate using the methods of physical exercise and flexibility drills, we teach students how to release negative energy with positive affirmations of oneself, to only speak that which is edifying and uplifting, targeting physical frustrations on punching bags and not another person,” Smith said. “The BBKD is actively involved in the holistic makeup of our students, homework must be completed in order to participate in class, and this is done by constant communication with parents/ guardians and teachers. It is our goal to produce productive, well-mannered citizens of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/bahamas-bassai-karate-dojo-host-its-first-champion/?news

Tarajh Hudson named Freshman of the Year

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#TARAJH Hudson capped off his season at Northwestern State University after advancing to the NCAA East Prelims in the discus by being named the Freshman of the Year for the Southland Conference.

#Hudson finished 24th with a toss of 174-feet, 11-inches in the discus at the NCAA East Prelims. He qualified for that stage by winning the NSU Last Chance Meet with a personal best of 186-6, a mark that bested NSU’s previous school record and sits in second behind teammate Djimon Gumbs.

#“It was an honour. There are a lot of talented freshmen in track and field in the conference, so to be voted as the best by the coaches is an honour,” Hudson said.

#“It proved that no hard work goes unnoticed. When you do your best, people will see you and reward you for it.”

#Also this year, at the SLC Championships, Hudson captured bronze in the discus with 176-9 as NSU swept the podium and he added a sixth-place effort in the shot put with a season-best 51-5 1/2.

#Hudson also had six top-three finishes in the discus, including wins at NSU Last Chance and SFA. He finished second at NSU and Texas State with a third-place at Miss. College.

#During the indoor season, Hudson competed in five meets in the shot put with a season-best of 47-3 at the SLC Championships as he placed 11th overall and he also had three top-10 finishes with an eighth-place at Texas A&M topping the list.

#“It was a good freshman season. I made it to Regional, which was my goal. I got to see what the competition was like in order to compete at the Nationals,” Hudson said.

#“I think I took a lot of things away from this season that will help me as I prepare for Nationals next year. It was a good foundation year for me.”

#As he looks back on his season, Hudson said the trip to the Regionals where he really enjoyed himself was the highlight before he was named as the Freshman of the Year.

#But he said his greatest disappointment was when he went to the Texas Relays and it took him a while to get adjusted to the new implements that he had to work with.

#“I think I still have to develop more strength and being able to compete in high pressure situations,” said Hudson, who is delighted to be able to return home and get back to his off-season training with coach Corrington Maycock and the Blue Clip Athletics Track Club.

#Next weekend, Hudson said he will be competing in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations National Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#Having already qualified for the NACAC Championships, Hudson said he would like to improve on his personal best performance before he returns to school in August.

#Hudson, a graduate of St Augustine’s College where competed in track and field and volleyball, has made the Dean’s List as a health and sicience major who wants to throw professionally before starting a career in physical therapy.

#The 19-year-old 6-foot, 41/2-inch athlete is the son of Taraseta and former natioal team volleyball player Oral Hudson. He has one brother Tajaro and one sister Taja.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/tarajh-hudson-named-freshman-year/?news

Jonquel Jones and Sun on a roll, win five of six games

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

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CONNECTICUT Sun forward Jonquel Jones (35) puts up a basket from between Atlanta Dream guard Kristy Wallace (3) and forward Cheyenne Parker (32) during a WNBA basketball game on Wednesday night in Uncasville, Conn. (Sarah Gordon/The Day via AP)

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#JONQUEL Jones and the Connecticut Sun posted their highest scoring output of the season and won their fifth game in their last six outings.

#Jones finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in the Sun’s 105-92 win over the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

#It was Jones’ eighth game with at least 15 points this season.

#The Sun shot 52 percent from the field, 54 percent from three-point range to improve to 11-4 with their fifth win in their last six games.

#Sun head coach Curt Miller said the team adjusted to the Dream’s defensive focus on limiting the reigning MVP.

#“They provided so much congestion in the lane that they were not going to let Jonquel get going around the rim, they were going to congest things for Alyssa Thomas, so we knew we were going to have to make some jumpers,” he said. “That’s what they were giving up and our players took it.”

#The Sun also improved to 4-2 in the Commissioner’s Cup, second only behind the undefeated Chicago Sky at 7-0.

#The Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase is the league’s annual in-season competition, with a prize pool of $500,000 in the championship game for the players and at least $165,000 in charitable donations throughout this year’s series.

#This year, the Commissioner’s Cup will feature a new platform through which teams will provide funding to local nonprofits, and the league and teams have collaborated to select organizations in each market focused on civic engagement.

#The WNBA will donate $2,000 to the chosen organisation of each cup game’s winning team and an additional $500 to the losing team’s organisation.

#The league will donate $10,000 to the winning team’s chosen organisation and $5,000 to the organisation of the runner-up.

#The Sun are playing for the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.

#The Sun boast one of the tallest lineups in the WNBA featuring Jones (6’6”), DeWanna Bonner (6’4”), Brionna Jones (6’3”) and Alyssa Thomas (6’2”).

#The Sun have seven games remaining before the league’s All-Star weekend.

#They face the Seattle Storm on Friday, followed by four consecutive Commissioner’s Cup games against the Washington Mystics (June 19), the New York Liberty (June 22), the Dream (June 26) and the Sky (June 29).

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/jonquel-jones-and-sun-roll-win-five-six-games/?news

McPhee-McCuin lands star-studded recruiting class for Ole Miss

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

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Yolett McPhee-McCuin

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#ON the heels of a record-setting season and a new contract extension, Yolett McPhee-McCuin has landed another star-studded recruiting class for her Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball programme.

#McPhee-McCuin’s incoming class includes highly touted freshman prospects and some of the top-rated transfers in the portal.

#The class was recently bolstered yesterday by the signing of 6’4” freshman centre J’Adore Young.

#The class also includes four-star freshman Ayanna Thompson along with transfers Marquesha Davis, Elauna Eaton, Rita Igbokwe, Broke Moore, Tyia Singleton, Myah Taylor and international prospect Marta Ostojic from Croatia.

#Ole Miss also returns a solid trio of experience, including starters Madison Scott and Snudda Collins, as well as the SEC’s Sixth- Woman of the Year in Angel Baker.

#After much speculation on social media following their exit from the NCAA Tournament in April, McPhee-McCuin reassured the Ole Miss fanbase of her commitment to the programme. She shortly thereafter signed a contract extension that will see her remain at the helm through the 2026 season.

#“I am humbled and grateful for the support from chancellor Boyce, athletics director Keith Carter, senior women’s administrator Jennifer Saxon and the rest of our administration,” said McPhee-McCuin.

#“Their commitment recognises the accomplishments that our programme has achieved, reflects their belief in the long-term vision that has been put into place, and demonstrates their unwavering trust of the success of our programme in the future. In addition, I’m thankful for the loyal support of our faculty and staff, boosters and our fans. I am looking forward to building on the foundation of our success and continuing to lead a programme that represents our fans, the university and the state of Mississippi.”

#The 2021-22 season came to an end for Ole Miss in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to South Dakota.

#Ole Miss concluded the season 23-9, 10-8 in the SEC to earn an at-large bid and the no.7 seed in the Wichita Region. It was their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years.

#McPhee-McCuin led Ole Miss to its first top 25 ranking since 2007.

#The season was highlighted by a 13-game win streak, the third longest win streak in programme history. It also included wins over three ranked opponents. In conference postseason play, Ole Miss earned its first SEC Tournament Semifinal game appearance in 29 years. The Rebels also found themselves slotted in the national polls with its first AP Poll appearance since 2007, when Ole Miss came in at No. 24 on January 24.

#McPhee-McCuin also recently produced the highest drafted Ole Miss player in programme history when Shakira Austin was recently selected third overall by the Washington Mystics.

#McPhee-McCuin joined the Rebels in 2018 with expectations to rebuild a programme that struggled in recent years and was in the cellar of the SEC.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/mcphee-mccuin-lands-star-studded-recruiting-class-/?news

‘Drips’ Poitier gets new coaching job

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedioa.net

#AFTER a brief hiatus to coach at the high school and club level while improving on his golf game, former Bahamian national coach Edrick ‘Drips’ Poitier has returned to coaching at the collegiate level.

#Yesterday morning, Poitier was named the head coach of the Bowie State women’s volleyball programme, according to vice president for intercollegiate athletics and recreation Clyde Doughty Jr.

#“After an intensive search it is with great excitement that coach Edric Poitier has accepted the position as the next head volleyball coach for Bowie State University,” said Doughty, Jr.

#“Coach Poitier brings a wealth of experience in the field of volleyball. He is a CIAA veteran and wholly understands what it takes to manage a quality programme that will be competitive in the CIAA and NCAA.”

#Poitier spent the past season as the head coach at a private high school in Jacksonville, Florida, where he guided the programme to a 19-7 overall record and a quarterfinal appearance in the Florida State District Championship.

#Prior to his high school tenure, Poitier did a one-year stint at Florida State College at Jacksonville in 2019, before serving as the head coach at Savannah State from 2016-2018; Bluefield State College (2013-2016) and Winston- Salem State (2010-2012).

#“I would like to express sincere gratitude to VP for Athletics, Mr Doughty Jr and President Dr Breaux for the opportunity to lead the programme at this time in its development,” said Poitier.

#“I look forward to trying to make the programme a viable one within the conference.”

#Poitier said when he saw the coaching job available, he applied because he felt it was one of the schools that had the potential to make it to the NCAA Division II Championships.

#“This court is the court where I won my first CIAA Championship back in 2000 with St Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina, so he said the scenario brought back a lot of memories. “My goal is to take a CIAA team to the NCAA and hopefully be a contender for the national title,” he said.

#“No school in the CIAA has done it before and when I was with St Aug, that was one of my goals. Hopefully, I can do it with Bowie State.”

#Poitier, however, said his new coaching role is bitter-sweet because it will limit the free time he had to work on his golf game, but he noted that at some point, he realises that he will have to give up some things to pursue his coaching career.

#With over 23 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level, one of the most appealing factors about Poitier was that he is no stranger to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference.

#Poitier’s record of accomplishments emphasized on rebuilding programmes as he started his head-coaching career with St Augustine’s College (now St Augustine University), posting a 113-34 record in five seasons at the helm.

#In his first year, he went 14-13 overall, including a 14-6 mark in conference play. The next four seasons (2000-2003), Poitier recorded 20-plus wins and a conference championship in each season. Poitier went 23-6, including a 19-2 mark in conference play, a conference title and CIAA Coach of the Year in 2000, followed up with a 22-7 overall record, including a perfect 21-0 conference record and CIAA Championship, first round appearance in the NCAA Regionals in 2001.

#Poitier guided the Lady Falcons to a 29-3 overall record and 21-0 mark in CIAA action to go along with the programme’s third-straight CIAA title while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Regionals in 2002.

#In his last season at the helm, St Augustine’s posted a 25-5 overall record extending its win-streak to 63-straight wins over CIAA opponents (21- 0), a CIAA championship and the 2003 CIAA Coach of the Year award. Overall, his five-year stint with the Lady Falcons, he compiled a 115-35 overall record and a 99-8 record. He is a three-time CIAA Coach of the Year and is still the only CIAA coach to ever win an NCAA Tournament First Round match.

#Poitier coached the Bahamas women’s national team for nine years from 1992-99 and led the team to two gold medals and three silver medals at the Regional Caribbean Volleyball Championships and was the assistant coach from 1989-92.

#Poitier played on the Bahamas men’s national team as a setter for 13 years from 1979-92 and won the bronze medal at Commonwealth Volleyball Championship in London in 1981.

#Poitier is a 2003 graduate of Saint Augustine’s College with a degree in criminal justice. He is married and the father of three children.

#The Bowie State women’s volleyball programme is slated to begin the 2022 campaign on September 6 at Delaware State.

#“Right now, I’m in the process of trying to fill a roster,” Poitier said. “The roster they had was not where the athletic director wants it to be. That was why they looked for a new coach.

#“So my plans is to try and find at least 5-6 players that I can bring in here on a short notice. There are a lot of players in the NCAA transfer portal, who are looking for a place to go.

#“So I’ve been trying to find players who are from this area, who might want to come back home and play here. That has been my focus so that I can get the team ready to play.”

#Unfortunately, Poitier said there are no plans to recruit any Bahamian players for the upcoming season because the deadline for the paperwork for international players has already expired, so they will have to wait until next year. “I know next year, I will have to fill a completely new roster so I definitely will be looking to see who is available from the Bahamas to play on the team,” Poitier said.

#He noted that Doughty Jr has welcomed him with open arms and he’s looking forward to making his contribution to Bowie State where he feels he has as legitimate chance of winning a national title, as opposed to coaching at the division one level where schools spend the big bucks to get the best players available.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/drips-poitier-gets-new-coaching-job/?news

Moss and Bannister team up again in ACL

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the second time in their young minor league careers, Texas Rangers prospects Zion Bannister and Keithron Moss are taking the field together with the same club.

#Both players are on the roster for the ACL Rangers in the Arizona Complex League and made their respective debuts last week.

#In Tuesday’s 5-4 win over the ACL White Sox, Bannister got the start in left field and hit seventh in the lineup while Moss got the start at secondbase at hit eighth.

#Bannister doubled and Moss finished 2-4 with an RBI. Bannister went 3-4 with a double in his ACL Rangers’ 4-2 win over the ACL Dodgers in the season opener.

#The highly touted 6’3”, 190-pound outfield prospect was called up to the club’s Spring Training roster for Cactus League play in Surprise, Arizona.

#Bannister was originally signed by the Rangers in July 2019 and made his debut on the Dominican Summer League roster the following month.

#As a member of the DSL Rangers 2 he hit .273 with six hits, one RBI, and a .333 OPS.

#He progressed to the AZL Rangers of the Arizona Rookie League on August 15 as a late season call up and appeared in 37 games where he hit .227 with six doubles, two home runs and 15 RBI.

#Moss, a 20-year-old, 5’11 188-pound infielder last appeared with the Down East Wood Ducks in Single-A baseball.

#The duo last appeared together in the Arizona Rookie League in 2019 and helped lead their team to the league title.

#Moss hit .429 in the playoffs and in the finale of the series sweep over the AZL Indians Blue 7-2, he finished 1-4 with one stolen base. He had one of his best offensive games of the season in the semifinals when he doubled and singled twice as the AZL Rangers defeated the AZL Giants Orange 2-1.

#In 34 AZL games, he hit .308 with a .425 OBP, .442 slugging percentage, and an .866 OPS. He totalled 37 hits, including four doubles, three triples and two home runs with 14 RBI, 27 runs scored and eight stolen bases.

#In 51 games last year in the Dominican Summer League, Moss hit .196 with 11 doubles, 23 RBI, 29 runs scored and eight stolen bases.

#Bannister was a late season call up to the AZL Rangers in 2019 after beginning his first season of professional baseball in the Dominican Summer League.

#He was assigned to the DSL Rangers on August 10 and in two games with the club, Bannister hit .300 and scored two runs before he was quickly assigned to the AZL Rangers on August 15.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jun/17/moss-and-bannister-team-again-acl/?news

Warriors are NBA champions

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, holds up the Bill Russell Trophy for most valuable player after the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 to win basketball's NBA Finals championship, Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, holds up the Bill Russell Trophy for most valuable player after the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 to win basketball’s NBA Finals championship, Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

As of Friday, June 17, 2022

#By KYLE HIGHTOWER

#AP Sports Writer

#BOSTON (AP) — The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 last night for their fourth title in the last eight seasons.

#Stephen Curry scored 34 points and was named the NBA Finals MVP as the Warriors claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall. And this one completed a journey like none other, after a run of five consecutive finals, then a plummet to the bottom of the NBA, and now a return to greatness just two seasons after having the league’s worst record.

#“We found a way to just get it done,” Curry said after the Warriors accepted the championship trophy and celebrated on the court. “It’s part of a championship pedigree, our experience. … We built this for 10-11 years. That means a lot when you get to this stage.”

#For Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it’s a fourth championship. The first three rings came in 2015, 2017 and 2018, when Golden State was dynastic and made five consecutive trips to the finals.

#Injuries, including ones that sidelined Thompson for 2 1/2 years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson returning around the midway point, the Warriors were finally back.

#Back on top, too. Champions, again, denying the storied Celtics what would have been their record 18th championship, one that would have allowed Boston to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.

#This tale for the Warriors ended much differently than what was their most recent finals appearance against Toronto in 2019, one that saw Kevin Durant tear his Achilles tendon in Game 5 and then Thompson tear his ACL in what became the Raptors’ title-clincher in Game 6.

#The aftermath of that loss was exacerbated by Durant’s decision to leave that summer in free agency to join the Brooklyn Nets and Thompson’s own Achilles injury while rehabilitating his knee injury.

#“It all paid off,” Thompson said. “It was dog days, a lot of tears shed. … You knew it was a possibility, but to see it in real time. … It’s crazy.”

#It thrust a Golden State team into a rebuild that became a reload. The Warriors used their two-year hiatus from the NBA’s biggest stages to retool their roster – adding a past No. 1 draft pick in Andrew Wiggins, who excelled in his first finals, along with another rising star in Jordan Poole.

#It all clicked. For Golden State coach Steve Kerr, it’s a ninth championship overall after winning five as a player. He’s the sixth coach to capture four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley.

#Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 34 points. Al Horford added 19. Jayson Tatum finished with 13 points, but shot just 6 of 18 from the field. Boston also committed 22 turnovers, dropping to 1-8 this postseason when committing 16 or more.

#It was just the fifth defeat in 22 title-series appearances for Boston, which turned its season around to have a chance at this crown. Boston was 25-25 after 50 games, then went on an absolute tear to get to the finals and nearly claim what would have been just the franchise’s second championship since 1986.

#It was the third consecutive season where things were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and while things were closer to normal, pictures and video of the championship celebration will serve as a forever reminder that the virus was still an issue.

#NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could not be at the game because he remained in the league’s health and safety protocols related to the virus. The redesigned Larry O’Brien Trophy – the golden souvenir given to the NBA champions – was presented to the Warriors by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum instead. Boston trailed by as many as 22 points but went on a 16-4 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 76-66 entering the fourth.

#A Jaylen Brown 3-pointer made it 86-78 with 5:33 to play, but the Warriors never relinquished the lead.

#A RUN, AND A RESPONSE

#The Celtics came out firing, riding the energy from a deafening TD Garden crowd to take an early 14-2 lead.

#Golden State wasn’t rattled and responded with a 35-8 run that stretched into the second quarter on the way to building as much as a 22-point lead. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 27-17 for the period and carried a 54-39 lead into the second half as some Celtics fans booed the home team as they left the court.

#Boston fought back in the third, but the Warriors found their range from beyond the arc, connecting on six 3s in the quarter.

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