Winners Club: 76ers Roll in Harden’s Philly Debut
What a big basketball weekend we just had. Upsets occurred around the nation at the collegiate level and James Harden played his first games as a 76er. Top teams falling was not exclusive to the NCAA, as some of the NBA’s best sustained surprise losses as well.
Before we dive into hoops, Monday is a critical day for Major League Baseball. The 162-game schedule will begin being whittled down if the league and the players association are unable to come to an agreement today. The two sides met for the seventh day in a row on Sunday and talks were reportedly more productive than Saturday’s contentious negotiations.
Opening Day is scheduled for Mar. 31—for now.
NBA Action
Harden-Embiid Partnership Off to Great Start
Frank Franklin II/AP
Philadelphia scored a pair of blowout wins over the weekend and the Harden rollout went swimmingly. The 76ers crushed the Timberwolves, 133-102, and then the Knicks, 125-109. Joel Embiid led the team in scoring in both games while Harden showed off his elite ability to distribute the ball. And crucially, wrote Rohan Nadkarni, coach Doc Rivers staggered his stars and “delivered on letting each of his big names get their own time to cook.”
Dončić, Dallas Defeat Golden State: The Mavericks launched a furious comeback on the road Sunday night to beat the Warriors. Luka Dončić went for 34 points in the win and Dallas’ defense held Steph Curry largely in check. The Warriors were a 4-point favorite and the Mavericks, one of the best ATS teams in basketball, won outright.
Irving Still Unable to Play in NYC: Nets star guard Kyrie Irving will continue to be prohibited from suiting up for home games due to New York City’s private sector mandate despite loosening vaccine requirements in the city.
MPJ Eyes March Return to Nuggets: Denver forward Michael Porter Jr. is expected to be cleared for on-court contact this week, which would set him up to return to the lineup for the first time since mid-November. Porter underwent spine surgery, another entry in the long list of back injuries and operations for the former first-round pick.
College Hoops
Wade Payne/AP
No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 2 Arizona, No. 3 Auburn, No. 4 Purdue and No. 5 Kansas all lost on Saturday. The updated AP Poll comes out Monday afternoon and there’s bound to be some changes. How did this happen and what does it mean? With tournament play right around the corner, Kevin Sweeney breaks down a wild weekend.
Teetering Top 10: It was more than just the top five teams that stumbled over the weekend. Seven of the top 10 programs lost, which made NCAA history. No. 6 Kentucky and No. 9 Texas Tech joined in on the fun as well.
Arkansas Keeps on Winning: The Razorbacks picked up a huge win on Saturday, knocking off Kentucky on its unlikely road to the top tier of the SEC. After opening conference play 0-3, the Hogs have climbed to 12-4 in the SEC, one game behind Auburn for the top spot.
Around the NFL
Buccaneers Guard Marpet Retires
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay’s Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet sent shockwaves as he announced his retirement after seven seasons in the NFL. The second-round pick out of Hobart College in 2015 was a mainstay on the Bucs’ stellar offensive line, blocking for Tom Brady on the team’s Super Bowl run two seasons ago. His retirement will free up cap space but also weakens the unit blocking for whoever the next quarterback will be in Tampa Bay.
McVay to Return to L.A.: Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean McVay will reportedly return to the Rams after rumors of his retirement. TV networks came calling for the young coach, but he’ll be running things back in Los Angeles, defending its 2022 title.
Cardinals, Murray Back on the Same Page?: After a period of drama between Arizona and its franchise quarterback, drafted No. 1 overall three years ago, things appear to be moving in a positive direction. His agent released a statement Monday morning, saying, in part “he absolutely wants to be your long term QB” and “he desperately wants to win the Super Bowl.” That said, the statement also noted that Murray needs a lucrative new contract and that “actions speak louder than words.” Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading Winners Club! Remember to follow @SI_Betting and @SI_Fantasy on Twitter for all the latest and I’m @Kkylewood. I’ll talk to you again on Wednesday.
