Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: ESPN, Golden State Warriors prepare for Stephen Curry's return to the floor next month

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he doesn't see the argument from some that Curry shouldn't return this season. "He's perfectly healthy," Kerr said Wednesday. "He's in the prime of his career. As soon as he's ready, he's coming back. Our fans deserve it. We need it as a team to springboard into next year, and it's the right thing to do."

NBA, Steve Kerr provides an update on Steph Curry's return to the court for the Warriors | NBA Sound

• Kerr reiterated that he felt it was key for Curry, 31, to play with several younger teammates, including new addition Andrew Wiggins, in advance of next season. 
• "He's playing. He's almost healthy, he's almost ready, so he's playing. No discussion. He doesn't need to convince me of anything."
• "To me, it's been one of the things that's been missing from our practices this year, the individual workouts of Steph, Klay and Kevin [Durant]," Kerr said. "The last few years post-practice, it's like a clinic. It's a clinic for younger players -- how you have to conduct yourself as an NBA player. The work that you put in once practice is over is really the bar for how good you want to become and how serious you're taking this. And Steph, I've never seen anybody work harder than Steph in his post-practice workouts. And so now we're seeing that, all the younger guys are looking over there and they're seeing him. And they're seeing what he goes through, what he does, and it's beautiful to watch. So I think our team is getting a bounce from that, a bounce of energy and a reminder that better days are ahead." 

References: 

ESPN, Warriors never considered sitting Stephen Curry for rest of season, Nick Friedell, Feb. 20, 2020. 

Complementary Content:

LetsGoWarriors, Stephen Curry & Draymond 💦 workout at Warriors practice, 2 days before Houston Rockets, Feb 18, 2020.

NBA, Stephen Curry's Best Plays Of The Decade, Jan 3, 2020.

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: Media, Lakers defeat Denver in playoffs mode

ESPN, LeBron James says Lakers 'can't worry' about playoff seeding, Dave McMenamin, Feb. 13, 2020.

Maybe James didn't need to say anything to let his team know the significance of Wednesday's game. Several of his teammates noted his serious tone in the pregame locker room as he suited up 80 minutes before tipoff -- far earlier than usual -- to show his level of preparedness. James went on to lead L.A. with 32 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds to notch his 12th triple-double of the season and keep pace with Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks for the league lead. It was James' 20th triple-double since he joined the Lakers, making him just the fourth player in team history to record that many, joining Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor and Kobe Bryant, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

• Davis had one of his best games as a Laker on Wednesday, single-handedly outscoring the Nuggets 7-5 in overtime en route to a final line of 33 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
• He said the Lakers reclaimed their edge before the layoff, and they did so in what several players described in the postgame locker room as a "playoff atmosphere."
• The Lakers are 10-5 against teams with better than .500 records, including 2-1 against the Nuggets, with both wins coming at the Pepsi Center and the loss occurring in a game James sat out.

NBA, James' triple double, Davis lead Lakers past Nuggets 120-116, Arnie Stapleton, Feb. 13, 2020. 

LeBron James wasn't about to coast into the All-Star break, and neither was Anthony Davis. ''I could tell they were locked in pregame. LeBron had his jersey with like 80 minutes to go before the game,'' guard Alex Caruso said after the Los Angeles Lakers' 120-116 overtime triumph in Denver on Wednesday night. 

• James posted his 12th triple-double of the season, tied with Luka Doncic for the NBA lead, and Davis scored seven of his 33 points in overtime as the Western Conference leaders took a 41-12 record and a four-game lead over second-place Denver into the All-Star break. 
• The Nuggets were the hottest team in the league, having won six of seven, including short-handed stunners at Milwaukee and Utah. 
• So, James, who had 32 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds, saw this as playoff prep.
  ''Every opportunity we get to play in a close game against a tough opponent, it's a learning experience for all of us,'' he said. ''It prepares us for a postseason game where it's going to be back and forth, back and forth. I thought tonight was a playoff atmosphere for both teams, being No. 1 and No. 2 in the Western Conference, jockeying for position. We were just trying to make plays whatever it takes. And A.D. was there knocking down big 3s and getting a block and getting some stops, the jump ball, as well. It was big time.''

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: Thiem derrota a Nadal en duelo de titanes

Increíblemente Dominique Thiem le ganó los 3 tie-breaks a Rafael Nadal. En un PARTIDAZO, de esos que dejan huella, Thiem supo dominar a Nadal en el plano mental. Una de las características de esta leyenda del tenis, Nadal, es que en los momentos de máxima tensión su excepcional fuerza mental lo lleva a hacer la diferencia. Esta vez no. La balanza a su favor la inclinó un maravilloso Thiem que llega como gran favorito a la semifinal contra Alexander Zverev.

Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem - Match Highlights (QF) | Australian Open 2020

ESPN, Dominic Thiem knocks out top seed Rafael Nadal at Aussie Open, Associated Press, Jan. 29, 2020. 

Outplayed at his own brand of physical tennis for much of the match, Rafael Nadal finally claimed a set to try to start a comeback against Dominic Thiem. Thiem's 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (6) victory over the top-seeded Nadal lasted 4 hours, 10 minutes because of so many lengthy, electrifying points. One rather memorable one featured Thiem stumbling onto his backside before popping up and keeping the ball in play until Nadal made a mistake.

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: ESPN, How the NFL took over America in 100 years

The sport's influence and power have led the NFL to touch almost every part of life: TV, politics, food, gaming, business, fashion and on and on. And it took 100 years to get there. History usually requires a long lens to truly assess empires and influence, but as pro football in this country reaches the century mark, it has grown and expanded along with America.

When factories ruled the Midwest landscape, pro football came, too. When Americans moved to the West and Baby Boomers spurred the economy, football grew and reaped many of those same benefits. When cities like Atlanta, Houston, Nashville and Seattle became major urban centers, the NFL expanded to include them. And as televisions arrived in most every home, the NFL gave viewers what would eventually be the year's biggest television event: the Super Bowl.

How did the NFL take over the United States? Here's where the NFL began and how it spread to every corner of the nation.

And here we are.

In 2020, the Raiders are planning to move to Las Vegas. The map of the NFL cities, if the league had its druthers, might have a decidedly international future.

The league began hosting international, regular-season games in 2005. So far, Mexico City, Toronto and London have hosted games. London has always been talked about as a presumptive international favorite to get a team. Pro football in Mexico has developed a strong fan base and the NFL has an office in Mexico City. The San Francisco 49ers are also in discussions for a game in China.

Beyond the hypothetical, the NFL has reached a bit of a crossroads. It is still incredibly popular. According to the league, 46 of the top 50 telecasts in 2018 were NFL games. Not just sporting events. NFL games were watched more than almost anything else on TV, no matter the network. Furthermore, commissioner Roger Goodell is targeting $25 billion in revenue by 2027. But injury and long-term health issues drive the perception of the league's future. It also remains to be seen if international popularity goes beyond the novelty and revenue could be produced to sustain a home team away from the United States.

References: 

ESPN, How the NFL took over America in 100 years, Anthony Gulizia and Jeremy Willis, Aug 14, 2019.

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: Medios, Coco Gauff, En su camino de FUERA de SERIE es eliminada por Sofia Kenin en el Australian Open

Coco Gauff no tiene techo. Su talento es maravilloso y su progresión imparable. Deja el Australian Open habiéndose ganado el corazón del público. Jugó de local. Fue derrotada por una brillante Sofia Kenin, 21 años, 14 en el mundo, quien supo mantener su excelente juego a lo largo de los tres sets. Coco arriesgó, jugó ofensivamente, y cometió errores que la llevaron a la derrota. Es todo aprendizaje para Coco. En su rueda de prensa confirma que su mente y su comportamiento están al nivel de su talento de FUERA de SERIE. La industria deportiva del tenis tiene en Coco Gauff a una súper estrella global en potencia. 

Coco Gauff falls to Sofia Kenin, who reaches 1st Grand Slam QF | 2020 Australian Open Highlights

Coco Gauff: "I really, truly love it here!" | Australian Open 2020 Press Conference R4

ESPN, How Sofia Kenin halted Coco Gauff's run in the Australian Open round of 16, Peter Bodo, Jan. 26, 2020. 

Coco Gauff has been in the middle of another electric ride, this time at the Australian Open. Given how poised she is and the maturity of her game, it's easy to overlook the fact that she's still just 15, came into this match off matches against three tough opponents -- including Venus Williams and defending champion Naomi Osaka -- and did her best to handle all the hype surrounding her remarkable progress.

• Both of these young women have versatile games, but where Gauff can back up her skills with explosive athleticism, Kenin must live by her wits. Kenin showed in this match how fluent she is with the entire tennis hymnal. In addition to 21 forehand unforced errors, Gauff also misfired with the backhand 17 times. By contrast, Kenin made just 12 unforced forehand errors and miscued on the backhand side a paltry five times. 
• ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe put it best late in the first set of the round of 16 match between 15-year-old Coco Gauff and Australian Open No. 14 seed Sofia Kenin. After a compelling rally filled with crisp shot selection by both players, he observed: "Both of these women have high tennis skills and high tennis IQs."
• Forget those seven Gauff double faults that seemed to jump out of the television screen. She likes to go big on both serves, and the damage she did with powerful second serves more than compensated for the errors. The bigger service problem for Gauff was a so-so first serve conversion percentage against a player who's highly capable of exploiting second serves. Gauff put just 56% of her first serves into play yet won just 44% of her second-serve points. Kenin converted an outstanding 73% of her first-serve chances, which helped keep Gauff at bay. That ensured Gauff was able to convert just one of her break points, while Kenin made good on 5 of 12. Gauff's serve was more dangerous, but Kenin's was effective.

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: ESPN, Everything you need to know about MLB's sign-stealing scandal

ESPN.com's Bradford Doolittle, Jeff Passan and David Schoenfield break down the penalties, what they mean for the Astros and Red Sox -- and what impact Monday's punishment could have across the sport.

ESPN, Stephen A. shocked to learn how explicitly the Astros cheated | First Take

Penalties and Punishment 

• Major League Baseball announced punishment for the Houston Astros, including one-year suspensions for GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch, loss of draft picks in 2020 and 2021, and a $5 million fine, after an MLB investigation found the team used technology to cheat during its World Series-winning 2017 season. Luhnow and Hinch were subsequently fired by Astros owner Jim Crane.
• One day later, the Boston Red Sox parted ways with manager Alex Cora after the skipper was implicated in the investigation for his role as Astros bench coach. And two days after that, Carlos Beltran, the only player mentioned in MLB's report on the Astros, was out as manager of the New York Mets before beginning his first year with the team.

Bradford Doolittle

• It's clear Rob Manfred wanted to send a clear message to teams and fans alike. He has certainly done so. For that matter, so did Astros owner Jim Crane, who quickly moved to terminate Hinch and Luhnow.
• Whatever else you might think about Luhnow and Hinch, both are at the very top of their respective professions. Crane could have stated that the suspensions were adequate penalties and that the team would proceed with them both next season under a "no tolerance" policy about future embarrassments. He didn't do that, and good for him. It couldn't have been easy. 
• To think this kind of behavior was limited to one or two teams would be to deny the realities about human behavior in hypercompetitive environments with massive economic stakes in play, especially where policy loopholes and gray areas exist, as they did until very recently. Every team certainly steals signs, as teams always have. Where they draw the line in terms of the kinds of mechanisms they use to do so probably varies from team to team. However, MLB tried to draw distinct lines with policies it has written over the past couple of years, and the alleged behavior of the Astros and Red Sox would certainly cross those lines. We'll have to rely on MLB investigators to tell us just how widespread this issue actually is and has been. However, it would be surprising or even shocking to find out that the problem was limited to a small minority of teams.

Jeff Passan 

• The blurring of lines with regard to the use of video, particularly before the new rules in 2018 and 2019 more clearly defined what was allowed, allowed teams to develop questionable habits. Were those habits blatantly illegal? That's a question with an expansive gray area. Were those habits morally or ethically objectionable? That's not entirely clear, either, but if this were to go in front of an unwritten-rules arbiter, the judgment would pretty clearly be: not cool.  
• Should MLB just ban in-game video use altogether? Players wouldn't like it, but here we are, in this position because of players' choices. 
• The hope from the league is that the penalties here are so harsh that nobody would dare consider doing this in the future. Which ... sounds an awful lot like what happened when the league first instituted penalties for PEDs. The problem here is that cheating runs on such a wide-ranging continuum whereas PED use is extraordinarily binary. There are either drugs in your urine or there aren't. If there aren't, you're cool, and if there are, you're suspended.
• Electronic cheating tends to be a multiperson exercise from two different populations -- players and team employees -- and standardizing suspensions is almost impossible, even if knowing for certain the hammer was going to be laid might deter some from even considering it.

David Schoenfield

• For those arguing that using technology to steal signs is going on throughout the sport and that the Astros don't deserve to be punished for what everyone else also might be doing, I disagree. The Astros got caught and got caught doing it in a year they won the World Series. This is exactly how you tell an entire sport to knock it off. You go after the big boys and send a strong message that this will not be tolerated. It's time for baseball to return to a competition between players -- not a competition between technology. 
• So, is stealing signs against the rules or not?
  That's where things get complicated. The old-fashioned way is not against the rules. In the wake of the Red Sox incident from 2017 and accusations from the 2018 playoffs, when the Indians and Red Sox both discovered an unofficial employee of the Astros pointing a cellphone camera toward the Cleveland and Boston dugouts, MLB instituted new guidelines in 2019 regarding electronic sign stealing. (The Astros claimed the employee in 2018 was deployed in a preventative measure, although Luhnow admitted "it made us look guilty."
  The guidelines in the six-page document created rules concerning placement and usage of center-field cameras, plus TVs and monitors, and mandated screens be on an eight-second delay. MLB also placed league employees at stadiums to monitor activity.
• Have there been any past punishments for sign stealing?
  The Red Sox were fined an undisclosed amount in 2017, with commissioner Rob Manfred issuing a statement at the time that "all 30 clubs have been notified that future violations of this type will be subject to more serious sanctions, including the possible loss of draft picks."

References: 

ESPN, Everything you need to know about MLB's sign-stealing scandal, Jan. 15, 2020.

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: ESPN, How the NBA's race for the 2-seed in the East playoffs will be decided

While the Milwaukee Bucks have put some distance between themselves and the rest of the Eastern Conference, there's still a significant playoff race to watch near the top. Approaching the midpoint of the season, the next five teams are separated by just 4.5 games, with 18 games left on the schedule that pit two of those teams against each other.

All projections via ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI)

Miami Heat

Projected record: 55-27
Projected seed: No. 2 (38.8% likelihood)
Record against other four teams: 6-2

Present and future outlook: The Heat are back. Miami has reestablished its identity as a hard-nosed team full of grinders surrounding a couple of tentpole stars now that Adebayo has emerged as one of the best young centers in the league. That alone makes this season a success.

Boston Celtics

Projected record: 55-27
Projected seed: No. 3 (27.0% likelihood)
Record against other four teams: 3-4

Present and future outlook: This Celtics team has made a remarkable turnaround from last season's disappointment, making a case for the value of team chemistry. That alone has this season feeling like a success.

Toronto Raptors

Projected record: 54-28
Projected seed: No. 4 (29.0% likelihood)
Record against other four teams: 2-6

Present and future outlook: The Raptors entered the season as defending champions but without any expectations of a repeat, due to Leonard's departure. Yet Toronto has played like a team with a point to prove. The next four weeks will reveal whether the Raptors are still in win-now mode.

Philadelphia 76ers

Projected record: 52-30
Projected seed: No. 5 (38.6% likelihood)
Record against other four teams: 5-4

Present and future outlook: The up-and-down nature of this season has made it hard at times to remember what this team can be when it is healthy and engaged. And the Sixers' lack of consistency could leave them in an undesirable position come April, as Philadelphia could find itself starting every playoff round on the road.

Indiana Pacers

Projected record: 47-35
Projected seed: No. 6 (70.8% likelihood)
Record against other four teams: 3-3

Present and future outlook: A healthy Oladipo might be the biggest addition any of these teams will make in the next four weeks. If he can return to form, Indiana can make a run. Regardless, the Pacers have shown they will, at the very least, be a tough out for the team that gets matched up with them in Round 1.

References: 

ESPN, How the NBA's race for the 2-seed in the East playoffs will be decided, Tim Bontemps, Jan. 9, 2020.

Opinión en directo: Los Blazers al filo de la navaja enfrentan su cuarto juego contra los Warriors

Clic para seguir el partido en el sitio web de la NBA

Todo parece indicar que hoy ganan los Warriors.

Voy a comentar en este post cómo vi el partido. Por lo pronto me preparo para una noche mágica NBA. Estoy seguro que será un gran partido. Felicito de antemano a los dos equipos por todo el espectáculo que nos han ofrecido en esta final de la conferencia oeste. Y por tantas enseñanzas para nuestra vida personal y del mundo de los negocios. 

En minutos comienza el partido. Mientras, disfrutando de los análisis de los expertos de ESPN. Fabulosos. Un enorme desafío para la estrella de los Blazers Damian Lillard.

Primer cuarto.

Partidazo. Juego igualado. Hermosas jugadas. Entrega total.

Warriors 20 - Blazers 16.

2 triples hermosos de Curry, 1 fabuloso de Lillard. 

Aprovecho los momentos muertos del partido para comentar.

Emocionante partido. Triples, clavadas, transiciones defensivas - ofensivas muy rápidas. Es un mundo de gigantes jugando a mayor velocidad que la gente de una estatura normal como la mía. Wow. El planeta NBA.

Faltan 4:08 y el marcador está Warriors 28 - Blazers 25.

Final del primer cuarto. Warriors 36 - Blazers 35. Partidazo. Festival de jugadas espectaculares, ofensivas y defensivas. Curry sensacional, 16 puntos. 

Segundo cuarto.

Descansan Curry y Lillard. Juega la banca. Faltan 7:35, Warriors 44 - Blazers 40. El nivel del juego baja un poco en calidad pero no en intensidad. En la banca Curry goza.

Volvieron los titulares con el marcador 44 - 44, faltando 6:21.

Un gran McCollum y a 3:47 Warriors 48 - Blazers 53. Gran juego defensivo de los Blazers contra Curry y Thompson.

Una noche fabulosa para Meyers Leonard. Triples imposibles. De todo. 25 puntos.

Curry al final genial. 25 puntos. Un triple mágico para reducir la diferencia a 4 puntos.

Final del segundo cuarto, Warriors 65 - Blazers 69.

Clic para ver las estadísticas en el sitio oficial de la NBA

Una noche NBA plena de emociones. Derroche de entrega y pasión. Enorme talento. Estrategias ofensivas y defensivas de alto nivel. Emocionante. Así está el tablero de indicadores del juego hasta la mitad.

Clic para ver el tablero en el sitio oficial de la NBA

Clic para ver los indicadores en el sitio oficial de la NBA

Tercer cuarto

Los Blazers en exhibición ofensiva, defensiva. Paliza a los Warriors, 78 - 93. El momento de magia de McCollum. Lillard excelente. Todo el equipo.

En los minutos finales del cuarto reviven los Warriors. Reducen la diferencia a sólo 8 puntos.

Fin del cuarto, Warriors 87 - Blazers 95.

Juego de una intensidad extraordinaria. Un thriller lo que nos espera.

Cuarto cuarto

Partido en estado de enorme tensión. Fallos en ambos equipos. Se nota el gran nerviosismo.

Lentamente los Warriors reducen la ventaja. Faltan 7:08, Warriors 96 - Blazers 101.

Esto es una maravilla como thriller. Ya los Warriors igualaron el partido a 104 con 4:34 por jugarse.

Fabuloso final. Igualados a 111 con 59 segundos por jugar.

Tensión máxima. Fallos de ambos equipos. Con 10:7 segundos por jugar el marcador no se ha movido. La posesión es de los Blazers.

Esto se va a tiempo extra. Qué partido. La magia de la NBA.

Tiempo extra

Qué final. Ganan los Warriors 119 - 117. Lillard falló el triple del triunfo cuando acababa el partido. Lanzamiento muy forzado. Las defensas al final le ganaron a los atacantes.

Lo siento mucho por los Blazers. Merecían mucho más.

Me alegro mucho por los Warriors. Merecieron ganar.

Ganó la NBA, y los aficionados, qué partidazo.