Bruins

After a 6-4 loss to Toronto during which the Bruins never had a lead and missed far too many possibilities, Boston has now lost three games in a row and 4 of their last five. And while there was an improvement within the scoring department on Saturday, the Bruins had their backs against the wall for too long to deserve a road win.

After falling behind 2-0 early within the second period, Boston showed life and got a goal back just 12 seconds later because of Morgan Geekie. Before the top of the second period, Trent Frederic scored the equalizer and breathed latest life into the Bruins.

This moment was short-lived. Boston gave up a goal early within the third period to Matthew Knies, who finished Saturday's game with a hat trick and five points.

This time, David Pastrnak managed to tie the rating by getting a steal in Toronto's own zone and making a ravishing play to fireplace a shot past Joseph Woll.

That was the last time Boston was really near winning on Saturday. Later, Toronto took the lead again, using an empty-net goal, and after one other goal from Pastrnak, the Maple Leafs scored a second empty-net goal, finally sealing the deal.

“We weren’t tough enough in certain areas of the game tonight,” interim coach Joe Sacco said after the sport. “It’s hard to play catch-up hockey. But it's 2-2 going into the third round. We have two mistakes…two mishaps that they are capitalizing on.”

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

The Bruins need more from Jeremy Swayman.

Jeremy Swayman definitely had his work cut out for him on Saturday, and the Bruins didn't do the very best job of defending the online around him. However, Boston should give you the option to depend on its All-Star goaltender to make defensive mistakes. And Swayman didn't answer that bell against the Maple Leafs.

Swayman's final stats: 4 goals allowed on 27 shots and 23 saves. Good for a below-average savings of 0.867 percent. Swayman entered Saturday with a save percentage of .893. That's thirty eighth within the leaguebehind even his own backup Joonas Korpisalo, and the fifth-worst goalie within the NHL with 20 or more starts.

Of course, a part of it is a residual effect of Boston's struggles early within the season. And Swayman himself got off to a slower start after missing the Bruins' training camp on account of his contract dispute. Still, for a goaltender who now makes over $8 million per yr, Swayman wasn't quite the star in net that Boston hoped for in comparison with last yr's breakout season.

Having goaltender is critical for many teams heading into the playoffs, and Swayman might want to reignite his game if Boston desires to return to the postseason – and be competitive in it.

David Pastrnak could have found his groove.

The Bruins' superstar scorer hasn't been his usual self for many of this season, but David Pastrnak could have found his rhythm again despite Saturday's loss.

Pastrnak's point total in 40 games is nowhere near what it was within the last two seasons, and he's on pace for his lowest goal total since his second yr within the NHL. For a Boston team that has struggled to place up points this yr, it needs its leading scorer to reclaim its throne.

Against Toronto, Pastrnak recorded his first multi-goal game of the yr. Of course, it's an especially small sample size game, but Saturday offered a taste of the version of Pastrnak that Boston has turn out to be accustomed to. Score goals often and at a high level.

David Pastrnak scores his first multi-goal game of the season tonight. #NHLBruins

— Andrew Raycroft (@AndrewRaycroft) January 5, 2025

If there's anything to remove from the tough away loss, it's the incontrovertible fact that Pastrnak can still influence the momentum of a game with the puck on his stick. The overall result wasn't there yet on Saturday, however the formula still works.

Now Pastrnak has 40 points in 41 games. He's still a great distance from his back-to-back 110 and 113 point seasons, but some extent per game is greater than serviceable and can only proceed to rise if Pastrnak returns to his winning ways.

Morgan Geekie doesn't miss a beat in the highest six.

Morgan Geekie is catapulting up the Bruins' rankings and proving he has the suitable to remain there.

Geekie, who was a final six player last season, will get time on Boston's second line this yr. He appeared on the wing alongside Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha on Saturday and seemed very comfortable in that group.

The move that ultimately led to Geekie's goal proved exactly why the 26-year-old deserves to stay within the top-six forward rotation. First, Geekie applied pressure behind Toronto's net and delivered a goal that helped Boston regain possession of the puck. Then he flashed in front of Woll and covered the goalkeeper a lot that there was chaos in front of him.

Then, the icing on the cake, Geekie found a great spot on the back post and positioned himself perfectly for a goal because the puck skidded across the crease. Not bad for five seconds of hockey.

Geekie has collected as much as 17 points this yr (9 goals, 8 assists). He's currently just off his scoring pace from last season, despite the fact that the Bruins are scoring fewer goals and losing more games than last yr and he's getting time against more quality opposing players than before.

Boston will make a fast turnaround and look to finish a three-game deficit against the New York Islanders on Sunday night.

DENVER – The Warriors didn't have their heart and soul in Draymond Green, but Jonathan Kuminga gave his all.

Kuminga threw down an early dunk, had his best passing game of the season, led rushing attacks and competed defensively.

The young Warrior, who had a rocky begin to the season in various ways, scored 19 points in a powerful all-around game.

But when push got here to shove, the Joker got the last laugh.

Nikola Jokic, the three-time MVP, made every play across the board, erasing the Warriors' eight-point deficit and ending the sport with 38 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals. With 34 seconds left, he blocked Kuminga's attempt on the rim after which fought his strategy to the road to hit the game-winning foul throw.

Steph Curry, the Warriors' MVP counterpart, scored 24 points on 8-for-23 shooting. When the Nuggets closed the sport with an 11-0 run, Curry couldn't find a solution.

Despite Kuminga's efforts, the Warriors (12-8) fell 119-115, their fifth straight loss. With the ultimate night of the NBA Cup group stage happening on Tuesday, the Warriors face an away game within the knockout round – likely in Houston.

Before the sport, Nuggets coach Michael Malone reminded his team that the Warriors, who had lost 4 straight, would come out hungry. He was right; Golden State had an early snack.

Kuminga, back within the starting lineup because Draymond Green (calf) was unavailable, scored nine points in his first eight minutes.

In order to maintain either Curry or Brandin Podziemski – or each – on the court in any respect times, Steve Kerr replaced Curry first after five minutes.

Although Kerr's intended rotation changes could have to attend for Green's return, he has reduced his roster to 10 players.

Curry hit a finger throw from Russell Westbrook before the horn in the primary quarter, making the rating 33-31. He added 4 assists in the primary frame, which featured Denver's hot 5-for-9 3-point shooting – including three from Aaron Gordon and one other from Westbrook.

Without Green, the Warriors took different looks at Nikola Jokic to make him a passer. On one play, they sent Andrew Wiggins into the block to double team, and weak-side defender Buddy Hield expected his cross-court pass as a steal.

Golden State opened the second quarter with a 23-9 run, turning defensive stops into fast breaks. Their ball movement was beautiful, with Kuminga getting two attractiveness on one possession and showing patience as Curry moved to the corner before hitting it for a three-pointer. The Warriors assisted on 18 of their first 20 balls.

But then the Nuggets — who had been struggling defensively these days — began to overwhelm the Warriors, resulting in a 15-3 Denver run.

More vital than suppressing the unstoppable Jokic was that the Warriors dominated while the three-time MVP sat. By winning those minutes by 11, the Warriors got here out of the halftime break tied.

The Warriors played with the vigor and energy that Kerr had been in search of during the last two weeks. Podziemski dove up the court for a loose ball, sparking a fast counterattack that led to a straightforward layup from Kuminga.

Although Jokic, who averages 38 minutes per game, played your complete third quarter, the Warriors kept the sport close. Looney played it hard within the post and Moses Moody provided a pleasant shot off the bench at the tip of the quarter, finding a cutting Gary Payton II for an assist and negating a baseline fadeaway.

But without Green and with the turnover bug coming for Curry, Golden State had trouble guarding the 3-point line. A 33-point third for Denver propelled the Nuggets into the fourth round at 90-85.

Denver opened the fourth with Jokic sitting, giving the Warriors a likelihood to make a run. Like clockwork, Golden State outscored Denver 10-2 in three minutes, a blitz punctuated by a transition slam between Trayce Jackson and Davis.

When Jokic returned, the Warriors led 95-92. Three points from Curry and Payton made it a lead of seven with 7:50 left, and a three-pointer from Moody made it 104-94 when Curry went to the bench for his scheduled break.

Kerr has talked about not wanting to chase wins and wanting to maintain the larger picture in mind while managing his 36-year-old star's minutes, and on Tuesday he didn't push the boundaries. Eight points for Moody within the fourth quarter helped them survive while Curry sat.

On his return, Curry found Kuminga for a dunk, then Kuminga nearly charged Jokic. Instead, the replay turned the try right into a 1, cutting Golden State's result in five with 4:22 remaining.

From then on, it was backwards and forwards between Curry and Jokic – five MVP awards between them. Jokic found Gordon for a dunk and hit a baby hook. Curry drilled a fading mid-range shot. When Looney exited with 1:48 left, the Warriors led 115-111, their ninth final loss within the last 10 contests.

Jokic tied the sport with a jumper over Curry, who was waiting for a changeup as the middle picked up his dribble. He then iced the sport with two free throws and keeled over along with his hands on his knees after a 40-minute night. In a four-point win, the Nuggets won Jokic's minutes by 23.

Although Justin Timberlake and his lawyer insisted that the pop star was not drunk when he was stopped by police within the Hamptons, the arresting officer's report describes a driver who failed a series of sobriety tests and had difficulty speaking and standing safely.

Timberlake, who pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated last week, was arrested within the upscale Long Island community of Sag Harbor on June 18. He was out with friends on the American Hotel, a well-liked hangout within the Hamptons, where he was reportedly “intoxicated” and was seen drinking, including sipping one other guest's cocktail. reported the New York Post.

Young police officer Michael Arkinson observed Timberlake driving away from the hotel shortly after midnight and is alleged to have seen him ignore a stop sign and move into one other lane, the Daily Mail reported.

Arkinson's handwritten notes appear to point out that the officer followed procedure to find out that Timberlake exhibited quite a few signs of intoxication, reported the Daily Mail, which obtained a duplicate of the singer's arrest report. For example, Timberlake was swaying on his feet and unable to take care of his balance, the report said.

The report states that Timberlake was alone within the automobile when Arkinson stopped him. He was noted to have “bloodshot and glassy eyes, an odor of alcohol on his breath, an inability to concentrate and an unsteady step.”

The officer quoted the singer as saying, “I was drinking a martini and following my friends home.” However, Atkinson noted that Timberlake “was unable to concentrate on speaking while he was looking for the vehicle registration.”

Timberlake refused to take a breathalyzer test, a breath test that measures how much alcohol is within the exhaled air. The singer had every right to refuse the test, but refusing is taken into account a traffic violation that robotically ends in a one-year license suspension – which is strictly what happened to Timberlake last week during a virtual court hearing.

During the arrest, the young officer may not have been aware that he was arresting a world-famous entertainer. A source told Page Six that Timberlake once said, “This is going to ruin the tour.” When the official asked, “Which tour?” Timberlake had to clarify, “The world tour,” referring to his “Forget Tomorrow World Tour,” which had recently taken him to Europe.

During the sphere sobriety test, Timberlake was asked to take nine steps in a straight line, walking from heel to toe, then turn around and repeat the nine steps back. During the test, Timberlake was “very unbalanced” and “unable to properly follow directions.”

Next, Timberlake was asked to lift one foot barely off the bottom and keep it raised without moving for 30 seconds. Arkinson reported that Timberlake swayed in the course of the test, had to make use of his arms to take care of balance, and put his foot back down before the required 30 seconds had elapsed.

The officer then detained Timberlake, handcuffed him, and placed him within the back seat of the patrol automobile to be taken back to the police station. There, Arkinson took a list of Timberlake's belongings, which included a Rolex watch, a black vape pen, a gold ring, a wallet containing three $100 bills, a $5 bill, and a $1 bill.

At the police station, Timberlake also refused to take a second breathalyzer test, which could possibly be admitted as evidence. But Timberlake refused this too, saying, “No, I don't do a chemical test.”

When Timberlake was read his Miranda rights, he told Arkinson that he understood them and that he wouldn’t speak again with out a lawyer. The singer spent the remaining of the night within the police station, was arraigned the subsequent morning, after which released on his own bail.

Prosecutors charged Timberlake with drunk driving since the officer observed the singer during his breathalyzer test. Timberlake was also accused of ignoring a stop sign and failing to remain in his lane.

Timberlake's attorney, Edward Burke Jr., told reporters after an incident on July 26 that his client was not drunk and shouldn’t have been arrested for drunk driving, claiming police “made a number of very serious errors in this case.”

Timberlake can have a number of witnesses to back up his claim that he was not drunk, Page Six reported. First, the bartender on the American Hotel told Page Six that he only saw the singer drinking a martini. Second, the police had a friend of the singer, who had been drinking with him on the hotel, drive his BMW rental automobile back to their house. TMZ reported.

The friend and her husband drove ahead of Timberlake and led him to their house. When Timberlake was arrested, she stopped and approached the cops to ask them, “Are you going to arrest Justin Timberlake?”

Sources told Page Six that the lady offered to drive Timberlake to her house, where the pop star was planning to spend the night. Police apparently didn’t take the lady up on her offer and arrested Timberlake.

The twist is that police accepted the lady's other offer to drive Timberlake's rental automobile back to her house since he was going to jail, TMZ reported. Cops said OK, although sources said it will need to have been obvious she had been drinking too, since she arrived on the American Hotel two hours before Timberlake. Police still allowed her to drive away from the scene.

An Austin, Texas, attorney said the girlfriend's testimony could help Timberlake's defense. She could say, 'Hey, I drank the identical amount and I used to be wonderful and I got home safely,'” trial attorney Tray Grober said in a statement obtained by this news organization.

“If the police thought she was fit to drive despite her alcohol consumption, that's an excellent argument and can greatly profit Justin Timberlake's defense because it is going to create reasonable doubt within the minds of the jury,” Grober added.

Originally published: August 6, 2024 at 2:58 pm

So much needed to go right for Djokovic to even get the possibility to play within the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz 39 days after undergoing meniscus surgery on his right knee. In the tip, it was perhaps too good as he was attempting to get back into shape.

Djokovic was lucky not only because he drew a qualifier and a wildcard in the primary two rounds, but in addition because Alcaraz and world primary Jannik Sinner ended up on the opposite side of the draw. He then played against Alexei Popyrin, who had little centre court experience, and an out-of-form Holger Rune.

His next opponent seemed to be a formidable challenge – Alex de Minaur, one other Australian, a grass-court lover and, most significantly, a top-10 player with the wheels and engine to last all day. De Minaur even showed his newfound power to maintain up with Djokovic when he shifts up the gears.

But De Minaur tore his hip cartilage and withdrew, giving Djokovic more rest before playing Alcaraz, who was five levels tougher. By the time he got his level back to the extent needed to compete with Alcaraz, Djokovic was already two sets behind.

So different. Too different. Everything had gone right – although he only needed a little bit adversity on the pitch to be ready for this ultimate test.