The Night Before the Week Before Christmas Eve 🎄
We didn’t post on Friday.
And we’ve only got two more dates before Smallball takes a break for the holidays…
So today is stuffed with stories and highlights!
Let’s start with the…
NBA 🏀
The NBA Cup Final is tonight!
While the game doesn’t count in the regular season standings, players on the winning team get bragging rights.
Oh, and over half a million dollars each!
So, who’s playing?
On one side… the San Antonio Spurs!
They beat the Thunder 111-109 in the Western Conference semifinal.
It was a big upset since OKC entered the game on a 16-game winning streak.
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama (aka Wemby) had missed the last 12 games. But he came up huge against the Thunder and is looking to build on the momentum against…
The New York Knicks!
In the East, Jalen Brunson scored 40 points as New York beat Orlando, 132-120.
🎯 Experts say there’s a 60% chance the Knicks win.
But we want to know…
They’re not in the Cup Final, but the Los Angeles Lakers are actually tied with the Spurs for fourth-best record in the West this season.
And on Sunday night, they played an INTENSE game against the Phoenix Suns.
🎥 Check out this ending!
Whoa! Let’s break it down.
First, Dillon Brooks made a go-ahead three with 12 seconds left. And while it looked like LeBron James fouled him the refs didn’t call it.
So, what did Brooks do? He got in LeBron’s face, got called for a technical foul, and was ejected from the game.
LeBron missed the free throw… but got fouled again, and he ultimately made the game-winning free throws.
🧠 Bad calls happen… but you can’t lose your cool on the court!
And since we’re talking about cool…
🎥 Want to watch Steph Curry score 48 points against Portland?
Yes, the Warriors lost, 136-131. But that was some sweet shooting!
That all happened on Sunday while you were probably watching the…
NFL 👔🏈
Week 15 is done, and there are only three weeks left in the regular season.
Here are the biggest wins from this weekend:
First, the Chargers beat the Chiefs, 16-13.
For the first time since Patrick Mahomes joined the team, Kansas City will miss the playoffs.
And Mahomes? He tore his ACL and is out for the rest of the year.
🧠 Your ACL is a ligament in your knee that connects your thigh and shin bones.
Second, the Broncos beat the Packers, 34-26.
Now, the Broncos are in first place in the AFC. And they’ll get a bye in the first round of the playoffs if they can hold onto this spot.
🎥 Hit play on Denver’s best plays!
The worst part for the Packers?
Micah Parsons, one of the best defensive players in the NFL, also tore his ACL.
Third, the Rams beat the Lions, 41-34.
Now, they’re sitting at #1 in the NFC.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford threw for 368 yards and two touchdowns against his old team.
With that performance, experts think his chances of winning NFL MVP are up to 75%.
Fourth, and speaking of potential MVPs, Josh Allen and the Bills played Drake Maye and the Patriots in an AFC East showdown.
🎥 Want to see what happened with the Bills trailing by 21? (Jump ahead to start at 3:57.)
Bills win, 35-31.
They’re just one game behind the Patriots in the standings. And Allen’s right there with Maye in case Stafford stumbles in the MVP race.
Finally, the Seahawks beat the Colts, 18-16.
Not winning MVP?
Indianapolis QB Philip Rivers.
He had just 120 yards passing, plus one touchdown and one interception in the game.
But here’s why it’s still an incredible story…
Rivers actually retired from the NFL in January 2021! He’s 44 years old… and is even a grandfather!
But with a bunch of injured QBs, the Colts were desperate.
So, Rivers joined the team on Monday, practiced for the first time on Wednesday, and started against Seattle on Sunday.
Here’s what he said after the game:
“I’m grateful that I was out there, and it was a blast. But, obviously, the emotions now are disappointment.
This isn’t about me. We’ve got a team that was scrapping like crazy to try to stay alive and get in the postseason, so obviously, we’re all disappointed.”
Talk about putting the team first!
But hey…
🎥 It’s okay to celebrate your first touchdown pass in five years!
While we’re talking about celebrations, here’s a quick update on…
College Football 🎓🏈
The playoff starts on Friday.
But off the field…
We just found out who won the Heisman Trophy. That’s the award given to the best player in college football each year!
It’s named after John W. Heisman, a famous player and coach from the early 1900s.
His biggest legacy (besides the award)?
Popularizing things that are important to how football is played today, like passing the ball and starting every play with a snap from the center!
This year’s Heisman winner does a lot of both of those things…
It’s Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza!
He threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. And more importantly, his Hoosiers are undefeated and the #1 team in the College Football Playoff.
🎥 Want to hear the speech he gave when he won the award?
🎥 Now, want to see him in action?
Like Fernando said, “Chasing your dreams is always worth it. No matter how big or impossible they seem!”
Have a great week, Smallballers!
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Great post!