NBA – Grizzlies defeat Kings for last Playoffs berth in the West

The Memphis Grizzlies managed to outplay the Sacramento Kings in an entertaining 101-96 win and thus secure the last available berth into the Playoffs in the Western Conference. Zach Randolph hit two free throws with 4.8 seconds and sealed the deal for the Grizzlies, which managed to earn its first ticket into the Playoffs in the last 5 years.

Randolph finished the night with 27 points, 15 rebounds while guiding Memphis to a 45-34 season that eliminated the Houston Rockets from the race for the last spot in the Western Conference Finals. Point Guard Mike Conley had 12 points and eight assists while Marc Gasol chipped in with 18 points and Tony Allen scored 13 as Memphis won for the fifth time in six games.

But it wasn’t easy. Truth be said, the Sacramento Kings put on one heck of a fight in the last quarter. Quite frankly the Kings could very well have won the game. As a matter of fact, Sacramento pulled itself back into the game and when there where only 39 seconds to go in the game, they were down 97-96.

It was a good effort from the Kings. Marcus Thornton led the Sacramento with 18 points, seven coming in the final 2:30 to keep the Grizzlies from celebrating too early. Samuel Dalembert had 17 points and 16 rebounds. Tyreke Evans had 16 points, and Jason Thompson had 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

Had it not been for the Kings turnover rate, things would had been very different. Sacramento was very dominant in the paint, dominating the boards. The Kings outrebounded Memphis 49-42. That is including 16 offensive rebounds that contributed to 31 second-chance points, a season high for Sacramento. The Kings were a bit better shooting, and despite cutting down a 12-point deficit, their 10 turnovers would eventually end up costing them a bit too much.

Marc Gasol had 13 points during the first two quarters to help Memphis carry a 46-43 lead at halftime, but regardless of his performance, the first half was a bit of a disappointment. The Grizzlies shot 38 percent, while the Kings were at 42 percent and both teams missed all five of their 3-point attempts. Francisco Garcia nailed the first 3-pointer of the game right after the halftime break then followed with another to help Sacramento retake the lead.

The Grizzlies will now have to face the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday. These where the last two teams to clinch a NBA Playoffs berth in the Western Conference, neither of them are locked into the last position, so this game will be decisive for securing a higher berth in the final. New Orleans (46-33) secured a playoff berth by beating Houston on Wednesday, and Memphis (45-34) clinched the conference’s final spot Friday with a 101-96 win over Sacramento.

On the other hand, New Orleans is trying to avoid a first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, who will probably clinch the No. 2 seed in the West. The two-time reigning NBA champions outscored the Hornets by an average of 10.8 points in sweeping the season series, so chances are they might have a similar fate should they meet again in the postseason.

NFL – New England Patriots clinch Playoffs Berth

It seems as if the New England Patriots are having a brilliant season.  There is no doubt about that. The Patriots have an 11-2 record so far into the season and the team’s smooth but powerful snow-plowing of the Chicago Bears, 36-7, at Soldier Field Stadium under heavy snow, might be the motivational boost the squad needs to finish the regular season on a high-note.

The Patriots have now won 5 consecutive games, including some important victories over powerful teams that have really proved that Bill Belichick’s team chances of making it to the Super Bowl XLV in the Cowboys Stadium on February 6, are legit. The last 5 weeks the Patriots have defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Indianapolis Colts, the Detroit Lions, and gave the New York Jets a 45-3 crushing that was quite a warning call for the Jets.

And then came the Chicago Bears. It was snowing, windy, and simply it looked like a cold-hell for players and Chicago fans alike, as the Patriots just kept on attacking and breaking through the Bear’s offense. Just for the record, under Belichick’s guidance, the New England Patriots are 10-0 in snowy conditions. So it seems that the bears got cold.

What’s the key to the Patriots success? Well, for starters, Tom Brady is throwing like a real champ, he is fine tuning all his passes and making it very hard for the opposing team defense to pick him up. Then, there is the brilliant mix of players that Bilicheck has brought into the team. Sure, Randy Moss has been gone since early in the season, and some even question Brady’s commitment when he missed part of the preseason traning camp, but heck, the Pats got a very young defense and a extremely experienced offense, a mix that could certainly pay off at the end.

Now, the Patriots will have to face a very complicated game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Packers are not experiencing their finest season ever, but still, although favorites, and possibly the strongest team in the league, the Pats should avoid an upset at all costs.