Weekday Morning Sports Report – Thursday 11/1/18

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sportsreport-530

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Brooklyn Nets 120, Detroit Pistons 119 – OT
Denver Nuggets 108, Chicago Bulls 107 – OT
Indiana Pacers 107, New York Knicks 101

Nets 120, Pistons 119 – OT – Dinwiddie hits late 3, Nets beat Pistons 120-119 in OT
Spencer Dinwiddie made a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left in overtime and finished with 25 points to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the Detroit Pistons 120-119 on Wednesday night. Joe Harris added 23 points, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen had 19 each, and Jared Dudley finished with 11. The Nets snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 3-5.  Blake Griffin led Detroit with 25 points, Andre Drummond had 24 points and 23 rebounds, and Reggie Jackson scored 21 points.  After Dinwiddie’s late 3-poiter, Griffin missed a fadeaway. The Pistons have dropped two straight to fall to 4-3. The Nets trailed by as much as 10 in the third quarter, and entered the fourth down 83-77. Brooklyn ended up outscoring the Pistons 33-27 in the fourth quarter, with Dinwiddie hitting a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left to force overtime.

Nuggets 108, Bulls 107 – OT – Millsap’s putback gives Nuggets 108-107 win over Bulls in OT
Nikola Jokic had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Paul Millsap’s putback with 0.1 seconds left in overtime gave the Denver Nuggets a 108-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Trailing by a point, Denver inbounded the ball with 3.5 seconds remaining. Jokic missed, but Millsap grabbed the rebound and converted a layup off the glass for the winning basket as the Nuggets improved to 6-1. Denver had a 23-8 edge in second-chance points. Zach LaVine scored 28 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added a career-high 25 for Chicago. LaVine has scored at least 20 points in a career-best nine straight games, a streak that dates back to last season. It was Carter’s second consecutive game establishing a new high. He had 18 points Monday against the Golden State Warriors.

Pacers 107, Knicks 101 – Sabonis, Oladipo lift Pacers over Knicks 107-101
Domantas Sabonis matched his career high with 30 points, Victor Oladipo scored 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 107-101 on Wednesday night.  Indiana trailed 97-94 with 3:08 left before Oladipo got hot. Sabonis hit two free throws, and then Oladipo picked off Tim Hardaway Jr.’s lazy dribble and threw down a breakaway dunk for a 98-97 lead. Indiana scored the next five points, capped by Oladipo’s 3-pointer with 1:23 left, to make it 103-97.  Hardaway led the Knicks with 37 points, and Noah Vonleh had 14 points and 10 rebounds. New York has lost six of seven since winning on opening night.  Alonzo Trier’s basket cut New York’s deficit to 103-101 with 44 seconds left, but Thaddeus Young found Oladipo open in front of the Knicks bench for a 3-pointer.  Young had 13 point, 10 rebounds and five steals.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Vancouver Canucks 4, Chicago Blackhawks 2

Canucks 4, Blackhawks 2 – Virtanen scores twice as Canucks beat Blackhawks 4-2
Jake Virtanen scored twice and Brendan Gaunce got the go-ahead goal midway through the third period to lead the Vancouver Canucks past the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Wednesday night. Antoine Roussel also scored for the Canucks, and Jacob Markstrom made 24 saves. It was the first career two-goal game for Virtanen, a 22-year-old right wing.  Gaunce also had an assist in his first game with the Canucks this season. He was called up Tuesday from the Utica Comets of the AHL to help fill out a roster riddled by injuries early this season. Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews scored for the Blackhawks. Corey Crawford turned away 24 shots. Chicago got on the scoreboard first with Saad scoring his third of the season midway through the first period.

Tonight
New Jersey Devils at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Edmonton Oilers, 9:00 p.m.

NFL – National Football League – Week 9
Tonight
Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m.            95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports 8:00

NFL – Lions sign linebacker Kelvin Sheppard
The Detroit Lions have signed free agent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard. The Lions also announced Wednesday that they have signed defensive end Alex Barrett to the practice squad and released tight end Jerome Cunningham from the practice squad. The moves come one day after Detroit traded standout receiver Golden Tate to Philadelphia for a third-round draft pick. Coach Matt Patricia said that deal was a difficult decision, and he has confidence in the players still on the team. The Lions play at Minnesota this weekend. Sheppard made six starts for the Giants last season and 11 in 2016. He’s also played for Miami, Indianapolis and Buffalo. He was drafted by the Bills in 2011.

NFL – Bears may place Kyle Long on injured reserve
Chicago Bears right guard Kyle Long has a tendon injury in his right foot, and the team is deciding whether to put him on injured reserve. Coach Matt Nagy says the three-time Pro Bowl lineman is “week to week.” The Bears could place him on IR with the intent to return in eight weeks if they don’t think he could be back sooner. Long was hurt in the closing minutes of the Bears’ 24-10 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Tight end Dion Sims rolled into him while the two were blocking for Jordan Howard on a run. Nagy said the injury was not the same as the severe injury to his right ankle in 2016 that required surgery.

NCAAFB – College Football – Week 10
Last Night
Toledo 45, Ball State 13

Tonight
Ohio at Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Northern Illinois at Akron, 7:00 p.m.
Temple at (12) UCF, 7:30 p.m.

NCAAFB – Maryland fires Durkin day after reinstatement
DJ Durkin has been fired as Maryland’s football coach, one day after being reinstated by the school.  His dismissal comes after the decision to bring him back on Tuesday was met with ire by students, players and state politicians.  Durkin was placed on administrative leave Aug. 11 while the University System of Maryland board of regents waited for the results of a report on the culture of the program.  After receiving that report, the board decided to bring him back, saying he was “unfairly blamed for the dysfunction in the athletic department.”  But some state officials said Durkin should have been fired, and one called the decision an “embarrassment.” Matt Canada is expected to resume the role of interim coach. Maryland is 5-3 heading into Saturday’s game against Michigan State.

NCAAFB – MSU: $37K from raffle held at Oct. 20 game remains unclaimed
Michigan State University officials say more than $37,000 raised during a raffle at the Spartans’ home football game against the University of Michigan remains unclaimed. The Lansing State Journal reports that Michigan State athletics held the 50/50 raffle during the Oct. 20 game and raised more than $74,000. MSU athletics department spokesman Matt Larson says more than $37,000, or half the amount raised, remained unclaimed as of Wednesday. The other half goes to student-athlete scholarships and to compensate groups that sold the raffle tickets. Larson says the department “will search diligently for the winner” until Dec. 20. After that date, unclaimed winnings must go to a charitable group.  Anyone who has a ticket with the winning numbers D136149 should contact Michigan State’s sales and marketing office at (517) 432-2607.

MLB – Cubs exercise $10.5 million option for 2019 on Quintana
The Cubs have exercised their $10.5 million option on pitcher Jose Quintana.  The 29-year-old left-hander was 13-11 with a 4.03 ERA in 32 starts in his first full season with the Cubs. He was acquired from the White Sox in July 2017 as part of a deal in which they sent two top prospects to their crosstown rivals: pitcher Dylan Cease and outfielder Eloy Jimenez. Quintana’s deal had a $1 million buyout. It also includes an $11.5 million option for 2020 with a $1 million buyout.  The Cubs also claimed left-handed pitcher Jerry Vasto off waivers from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. He debuted last season with Colorado and had an 8.31 ERA over six appearances with the Rockies and Royals.

Olympics – Calgary 2026 Olympics bid survives on council motion
Calgary’s potential bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympics survived a city council vote Wednesday when a motion leading to the cancellation of an upcoming plebiscite failed to pass. Ten votes out of 15 from the council were required to abandon the Nov. 13 plebiscite asking Calgarians if they want to host the games or not. Eight voted in favor of reconsidering the plebiscite. It appeared the possibility of a bid was headed for the ditch Tuesday when a councilor said there wasn’t a financial agreement between the federal and provincial governments and the city to fund the games. But the bid corporation Calgary 2026 presented a revised financial plan, which the Canadian and Alberta governments agree to in principle, to council Wednesday. The estimated cost of hosting the 2026 Games was reduced by $125 million to a total of $5,075,000,000. Mail-in ballots for the plebiscite were mailed out earlier in the week. Advance voting is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Girls Volleyball – Districts
Division 2 at Coloma
Coloma 3, Buchanan 0
Lakeshore 3, Berrien Springs 0

Division 3 at Brandywine
Brandywine 3, Bangor 0
Bridgman 3, Eau Claire 0

Division 3 at Marcellus
Cassopolis 3, Centreville 0
Constantine 3, White Pigeon 0

Division 4 at New Buffalo
Michigan Lutheran 3, River Valley 0
New Buffalo 3, Covert 0

Division 4 at Decatur
Decatur 3, Howardsville Christian 0
Mendon 3, Kalamazoo Heritage Christian 0

Boys Soccer – State Semifinals
Division 2 at Grand Rapids Christian
GR Forest Hills Northern 1, Gull Lake 0 – Shootout

Division 4 at Holland
Leland 3, Kalamazoo Hackett 2

Tonight
Girls Volleyball – Districts
Division 1 at Portage Central (Semifinals)
Mattawan vs. Kalamazoo Central, 5:30 p.m.
Portage Central vs. Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Coloma (Finals)
Lakeshore vs. Coloma, 7:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Edwardsburg (Semifinals)
Dowagiac vs. Niles, 5:30 p.m.
Edwardsburg vs. Vicksburg, 7:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Wayland (Semifinals)
Comstock vs. Wayland, 5:00 p.m.
Plainwell vs. Parchment, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Brandywine (Finals)
Brandywine vs. Bridgman, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Marcellus (Finals)
Cassopolis vs. Centreville, 6:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Schoolcraft (Finals)
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Schoolcraft, 6:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Decatur (Finals)
Decatur vs. Mendon, 6:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Martin (Semifinals)
Martin vs. Wyoming Tri-Unity, 5:30 p.m.
Holland Calvary vs. Bryon Center Zion Chr., 7:00 p.m.