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31 Jan 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: Patrick Reed Co-Leader at Farmers Insurance Open Amid Rules Controversy

<a href="https://www.si.com/golf/2021/01/31/patrick-reed-shares-lead-rules-controversy-farmers-insurance-open">
Reed found himself in a rules controversy involving an embedded ball on the 10th hole. He finished the round in a tie for the 54-hole lead with Carlos Ortiz.
Patrick Reed was involved in another rules controversy Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He also had a share of the lead with Carlos Ortiz.
On the par-4 10th, Reed hit a 190-yard shot out of a bunker with a TV replay showing the ball bounced once before settling into the rough. Believing the ball didn’t bounce, Reed picked it up to see if it was embedded before a rules official arrived. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce.
Reed was awarded a free drop and saved par. He bogeyed four of the next holes before birdieing No. 18 for a 2-under 70 and a share of the lead with Ortiz at 10 under. Ortiz had a 66 on the South Course.
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTc4NjA4ODg1OTM2OTU3MjE2/patrick-reed.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
In December 2019 in Tiger Woods’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Reed was penalized two strokes for appearing to deliberately improve his lie in a bunker.
“It’s an unfortunate situation obviously, but at the end of the day when you finish a round and the head rules official comes up to you and has the video and shows everything that went down to the whole group and says that you’ve done this perfectly, you did this the exact right way, the protocols you did were spot on, at that point, you know, I feel great about it,” Reed said.
“The ball just disappeared. None of us saw it bounce,” said Reed, who added that a nearby volunteer told him that it did not bounce. “I looked at my group and said, ‘Guys, she didn’t see it bounce it, either, so I’m going to mark this ball and see if it’s embedded.’
“Once I marked it, the first thing I wanted to do was make sure I got the ball out of my hand because you don’t want to clean it or anything because you don’t know if it’s embedded yet. When I put my finger down there and felt like it has broken ground, the first thing you do is call the rules official... The rules official said, ‘Yes, this ball has broken the plane.’”
The ground was soft because of rain overnight Thursday and during the second round Friday, when play was suspended for nearly an hour because of a storm.
“At that point we go with what the rules official said and also with what the volunteers and what we see,” Reed said. “When we’re out there, we can’t see everything and when that happens you have to go with what the volunteers say and what the rules officials say and when all comes push and shove we felt like we did the right thing and the rules official said we did absolutely perfectly.”
PGA Tour rules official Ken Tackett said Reed “did all the things we ask to do of a player. It’s obviously difficult and you get to second-guessing when see video; soft conditions, there’s a lot of variables out there.”
The incident on 10 overshadowed Reed’s eagle on the par-5 sixth when he reached in two and made a 40-foot putt to get to 12 under. He reached 13 under with a birdie on No. 9.
Reed shared the lead with Alex Noren after the first round and was one shot off the lead after 36 holes.
Sam Burns (70), Lanto Griffin (72), Viktor Hovland (73), Jon Rahm (72) and Adam Scott (72) were two shots back at 8 under. Rory McIlroy (70) was in a group of four at 7 under.
Scott’s round included an eagle, a double bogey, five birdies and five bogeys.
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Patrick Reed Co-Leader at Farmers Insurance Open Amid Rules Controversy

Reed found himself in a rules controversy involving an embedded ball on the 10th hole. He finished the round in a tie for the 54-hole lead with Carlos Ortiz. Patrick Reed was involved in another rule…

31 Jan 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: Korpisalo makes 31 stops, Blue Jackets beat Blackhawks 2-1

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300136">
CHICAGO (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets had tired legs and a fresh Joonas Korpisalo.
On Friday night, at least, it was enough.
Korpisalo made 31 saves and Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist, sending Columbus to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
''We weren't as sharp as we like to be, but Korpisalo was easily our best player,'' coach John Tortorella said.
The Blue Jackets have one of the NHL's best goaltender tandems in Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins, and that duo played a key role in consecutive wins. A night after Merzlikins had 33 saves in a 3-2 shootout victory over Florida, Korpisalo took over.
He stepped up as Chicago pushed for the tying goal, denying Patrick Kane in front about seven minutes into the third. He also caught a break when Carl Soderberg's shot through the goaltender's legs was just wide with a couple minutes left.
''Korpy made some huge saves,'' Bjorkstrand said.
Eric Robinson also scored for Columbus, helping Korpisalo get the win against good friend and fellow Finn Kevin Lankinen. The Blue Jackets extended their point streak to seven.
Lankinen made 25 saves in his fifth career start - all this season.
''That was really fun,'' Korpisalo said. ''I think it's been like six or seven years since we played against each other. He won that one, so that was great to win today.''
Dylan Strome scored for Chicago, which had recorded at least one point in five straight games.
''It's tough to come from behind against a team like that and they've got really good goaltending,'' coach Jeremy Colliton said. ''But I thought we did a lot of good things, and we did more than enough to score more than one goal.''
The Blue Jackets jumped in front on Bjorkstrand's power-play goal 8:53 into the first period. Mattias Janmark had a chance to clear the puck out for Chicago, but Columbus kept it in and Cam Atkinson found Bjorkstrand in the left circle for a one-timer.
The Blackhawks pushed for the tying goal early in the second, but Strome had a wraparound attempt knocked away by Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.
''It was a game I thought we played well enough to win,'' Strome said. ''Did a lot of good things and felt like we had the puck quite a bit but came up short.''
After Chicago had an extended stay in Columbus' zone, the Blue Jackets got it out and the speedy Robinson skated out on a breakaway. He beat Lankinen on the glove side for his second goal of the season and a 2-0 lead at 3:39.
Bjorkstrand got the only assist on the play. He has three goals and five assists in his last seven games. He almost picked up another goal in the third, but Lankinen used his glove to push away his shot from right in front.
Chicago got on the board when Kane found Strome in the slot for the center's third goal, making it 2-1 midway through the second. The connection gave the Blackhawks at least one power-play goal in eight of their nine games this season.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Columbus forward Jack Roslovic played 14 minutes on his 24th birthday. The Columbus native was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Winnipeg last week that also moved Patrik Laine to the Blue Jackets in exchange for Pierre Luc-Dubois and a third-round draft pick.
UP NEXT
The teams play again Sunday night. Then Columbus opens a four-game homestand against Dallas on Tuesday night, and Chicago hosts Carolina on Tuesday night.
---
Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
---
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Korpisalo makes 31 stops, Blue Jackets beat Blackhawks 2-1

CHICAGO (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets had tired legs and a fresh Joonas Korpisalo. On Friday night, at least, it was enough. Korpisalo made 31 saves and Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist, …

31 Jan 2021

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New on Sports Illustrated: No title

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31 Jan 2021

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31 Jan 2021

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31 Jan 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: Zdeno Chara in spotlight as Bruins face Capitals

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299942">
Boston's Brad Marchand has made a career out of pestering opponents.
But expect him to be on his best behavior Saturday when the Bruins travel to Washington to face longtime teammate Zdeno Chara for the first time.
"You don't want to poke the bear," Marchand said. "He's the guy that when you're on the ice with him, you're an opponent. ... It'll be weird to see him in a different uniform."
Chara, 43, spent 14 seasons patrolling the Boston blue line and wearing the "C" on his jersey as the team captain, guiding the Bruins to three Stanley Cup Finals and a championship in 2011 as well as the Presidents' Trophy last season as the team with the most regular-season points.
But with his role in Boston diminishing and his contract up, he decided to sign a one-year deal with the Capitals in the offseason.
"I think he'll come out and we'll see his best," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after a 4-1 victory against visiting Pittsburgh on Thursday, the team's fourth win in a row. "He bled black and gold here for the Bruins for years, and I think he's gonna wanna show his teammates, and everyone in the organization, that he can still bring it. I would expect nothing less."
Chara scored his first goal for the Capitals and added an assist Thursday as they rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat the New York Islanders 6-3.
Following his tally on a slap shot from just above the left faceoff circle, which capped a five-goal second period, Chara was mobbed by his new teammates at the door to the Capitals' bench.
"I returned to the bench to the guys right away because I just wanted to share the joy and excitement with them," Chara said. "Since Day 1, they've really done an amazing job welcoming me and making the transition as easy and simple as possible for me."
Capitals coach Peter Laviolette was even taken in by the celebration.
"It was pretty awesome," Laviolette said. "It was one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time with regard to a team."
Chara was asked after the game about the upcoming matchup against the Bruins but refrained from any sentimentality.
"It's all about the team ..." he said. "Obviously, we know we're going to be facing a really good team (in the Bruins) and we're going to have to prepare ourselves and play our best to have a chance."
The Capitals have set a franchise record by starting the season with an eight-game point streak (5-0-3). They did so despite captain Alex Ovechkin, forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, defenseman Dmitry Orlov and goaltender Ilya Samsonov missing the past four games because of COVID-19 protocols. None of the four skated Friday in optional practice and they remain day-to-day.
It was originally thought they would be eligible to return Saturday, but there has been no official announcement regarding their status.
The Bruins might get top-line winger David Pastrnak back following offseason hip surgery.
But it'll mostly be about Chara.
"It's gonna be really weird seeing him on the other side of the ice," said the Bruins' Charlie McAvoy, who spent his first two NHL seasons with Chara as his defensive partner. "I don't know if that's gonna be something I'll really be kind of able to get over -- seeing him in a Capitals jersey.
"I think his presence is pretty irreplaceable, completely irreplaceable. The magnitude of who he is as a player and a person, people like him don't come around every day. That is obviously different, not having him here."
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Zdeno Chara in spotlight as Bruins face Capitals

Boston's Brad Marchand has made a career out of pestering opponents. But expect him to be on his best behavior Saturday when the Bruins travel to Washington to face longtime teammate Zdeno Chara for …

31 Jan 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

…

31 Jan 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: Red-hot Habs look to douse the Flames

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300419">
Three-game losing streaks happen in the NHL, so the losses on their own aren't specifically disturbing the Calgary Flames as they prepare for Saturday's road clash against the high-flying Montreal Canadiens.
It's how the Flames are losing which is troubling, especially their last couple of outings.
Going back to the second defeat during their mini-swoon, the Flames were guilty of a dreadful first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which they were outshot 10-1 before putting their game in order in a 4-3 loss.
Calgary's 4-2 defeat in Montreal in the first half of this two-game set is a final score that flatters the Flames. They had a better first period, but trailed 2-0 thanks to a pair of Montreal power-play goals, and then lost all interest in the game when it became a 3-0 deficit.
A pair of goals in the final two minutes after it was already 4-0 made the final result semi-respectable, but is a prime example of putting lipstick on a pig.
"The third goal took a little bit of steam out of us," coach Geoff Ward said. "We played a good first period down a couple goals on the power play, but we were still good, but the third goal put a sag in us and the fourth one did it a little bit more. You have to find moments in the game where you can garner emotion, especially when there's no crowd."
The Flames had best find the right formula soon in the competitive North Division.
"We've got a tight team, so we've got to regroup here real quick," forward Sean Monahan said. "We've got to be invested a lot harder and playing a lot harder, and when you're invested and playing for each other, that's when you get results."
The Canadiens are on the other side of the spectrum these days. Montreal has won three straight games, has not lost in regulation time yet this season and is rolling in all areas -- especially on special teams. Not only are the Canadians lighting it up with their power play, but just seven games into the campaign they have already scored five short-handed goals, including Tyler Toffoli's tally that made it a 4-0 game against Calgary on Thursday.
"We work hard on special teams. We spend a lot of time on them in practice," coach Claude Julien said. "We talked about our power play from last season and we wanted to improve it. I think we have more elements on the penalty kill this year. It also helps to use players that are rested when we're short-handed."
Heading into the season hopes were high for the Canadiens, but the early success exceeds the expectations of even the most optimistic fans. On top of their special team success, the Canadiens have been an offensive juggernaut with a plethora of players showing great offensive touch.
As a case in point, defenseman Jeff Petry already has eight points, Toffoli has netted six goals and a team-high nine points, and second-year forward Nick Suzuki has a point in every game (two goals, five assists).
Even so, the leadership group is warning about complacency settling in.
"I think we've got a lot of room to improve here, and that's a good sign because we're playing well enough to win and we're capitalizing," defenseman Shea Weber said. "I think we just need to tighten up a few areas and we definitely need to be better on Saturday."
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Red-hot Habs look to douse the Flames

Three-game losing streaks happen in the NHL, so the losses on their own aren't specifically disturbing the Calgary Flames as they prepare for Saturday's road clash against the high-flying Montreal Ca…

31 Jan 2021

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2021/01/31/brooklyn-nets-sign-veteran-iman-shumpert">
Shumpert, 30, played 13 games for the Nets last during the 2019-20 season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
In need of players to fill vacant roster spots following the James Harden trade, the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly signing veteran wing Iman Shumpert,
</a><a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1355663610954076162">according to Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
Shumpert, 30, played 13 games for the Nets last season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He'll join a guard group that includes Harden, Joe Harris, Landry Shamet, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Bruce Brown.
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTc4NjA4MDAwMDk5OTUyNDE2/iman-shumpert.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
Shumpert has played for five teams during his 10-year career, most notably spending parts of four seasons each with the Knicks and Cavaliers. He won a championship with Cleveland in 2016, appearing in all 21 postseason games while shooting 38.2% on three-point attempts in 17.5 minutes per game. He's a 33.8% career shooter from three-point range and has a reputation as a strong perimeter defender.
After dropping two straight games to the Cavaliers, the Nets have won four in a row and will play the Wizards next on the road on Sunday.

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

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30 Jan 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: Christian Dvorak scores twice in Coyotes' 3-2 win over Ducks

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300309">
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Christian Dvorak scored his second goal late in the third period, Darcy Kuemper stopped 14 shots and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Thursday night.
Dvorak scored Arizona's first goal in nearly 190 minutes in the second period and put the Coyotes ahead on a power-play goal with 4 1/2 minutes left.
Kuemper stopped Kevin Shattenkirk on a short-handed breakaway just before Dvorak's second goal and helped Arizona withstand a late power play. Conor Garland also scored in Arizona's second win in six games.
''I thought we had a lot of energy,'' Dvorak said. ''Obviously, we knew it was a big game for us. We didn't want to lose again here at home. We brought everything we had tonight.''
Danton Heinen scored for the second straight game with Anaheim's first power-play goal of the season. Jakob Silfverberg also scored and John Gibson had 31 saves for the Ducks. Two of the three goals allowed by Gibson went off Anaheim players.
''Coaches say it on every team: put pucks on net, puck on net,'' Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. ''Get it into that red zone and you're going to get bounces sometimes.''
Arizona managed just 16 shots against Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on Sunday, but generated 31 against Gibson on Tuesday. None got through, leading to a second straight 1-0 loss.
The Coyotes also had trouble with turnovers the last game against the Ducks, including one that led to the winning goal by Heinen. Silfverberg took advantage of an early one Thursday night, beating Kuemper with a quick shot after Nick Schmlatz couldn't control an ill-advised pass from Jordan Gross between the circles.
Gibson kept the shutout streak going by blocking a shot by Clayton Keller off the post and stuffing Christian Fischer on a late 2-on-1.
The Coyotes dominated the second period - 12-1 in shots - and finally broke their long scoreless streak midway through. Dvorak got it on a shot from behind the goal that hit Anaheim defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk's skate.
It was Arizona's first goal since Jordan Oesterle scored with 59 seconds left of a 5-2 win over Vegas last Friday.
''Whenever you go through a little stretch like that, everyone kind of holds their stick a little tighter, so it's nice to get an ugly one,'' Dvorak said. ''Everyone seems to have a little more confidence and you could see we were all over them.''
The Coyotes needed 52 seconds of the third period to take their first lead in three games when Garland had a shot go off a stick out front after shaking Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler.
Heinen followed with Anaheim's first power-play goal in 18 tries this season, squeezing a shot from the left circle under Kuemper's stick arm on a long rebound.
Dvorak answered with a power-play goal of his own, one-timing a one-touch pass from Phil Kessel in the slot shortly after Kuemper's shorthanded stop on Shattenkirk. Kuemper also had a snatching glove save on Ryan Getzlaf in the second period to preserve Arizona's momentum.
''To be able to not have that much action and then those two grade-A's, that says a lot about good Darcy Kuemper for me,'' Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said.
LONG DUCK SHIFTS
Anaheim had a good road period in the first, limiting its shifts and creating some good scoring chances.
The Ducks were on their heels in the second period, unable to get out of their own for long stretches. They played better in the third period, but the extra time on the ice took a toll.
''We had a solid first period and then for whatever reason, we went blank in the second,'' Eakins said. ''We got it back a little in the third, but this league is when you only play 40 minutes.''
NUMBERS
Coyotes D Niklas Hjalmarsson blocked tied Dion Phaneuf (1,550) for 19th place on the NHL's all-time blocked shots list (since 2005-06). ... Anaheim managed three combined shots in the second period the past two games. ... Dvorak's multi-goal game was his eighth career and first since No. 27, 2019 against Anaheim. ... The Ducks had killed 14 straight penalties before Dvorak's second goal. Anaheim is 24 for 27 on the penalty kill this season.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Host St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday nights.
Arizona: At St. Louis on Tuesday night.
---
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Christian Dvorak scores twice in Coyotes' 3-2 win over Ducks

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Christian Dvorak scored his second goal late in the third period, Darcy Kuemper stopped 14 shots and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Thursday night. Dvorak scor…

30 Jan 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

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30 Jan 2021

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292182">
For the first time since the trade that sent seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden to Brooklyn, the Houston Rockets on Tuesday featured both John Wall and Victor Oladipo in their backcourt.
The early results, as to be expected, were uneven. But down the stretch, Wall and Oladipo teamed to lead Houston to a 107-88 victory over the Washington Wizards that extended the Rockets' winning streak to a season-best three games.
The Rockets will be seeking more of the same from Wall and Oladipo -- who combined for 44 points, seven rebounds and six assists -- on Thursday at Toyota Center when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.
Their first foray together showcased plenty of reasons for optimism. With Houston clinging to a four-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Wizards, Wall and Oladipo combined to spearhead a 10-0 run that enabled the Rockets to finally seize control.
"It takes guys a minute to learn how to play together," said Rockets coach Stephen Silas, who used the word "disjointed" to describe the early moments for Wall and Oladipo. "This was just game one. It took them three quarters to figure it out a little bit. The fourth quarter was good.
"They were figuring out how they could make each other better and how they could let each other play to each other's strengths. Getting the ball up the floor a little quicker I think helps both guys. If we have options ahead of the ball and aren't playing against a set defense or if they can have some sort of action where they're playing together, that is good stuff for us."
The Rockets needing a handful of games together to mesh comes as little surprise. Houston turned over its roster during the offseason and moving Harden to the Nets only exacerbated the challenge of developing a new style of play with new players under a first-year head coach.
Establishing a different identity requires time. From the outside looking in, the Rockets resemble a team unfamiliar to those accustomed to watching Harden dominate the ball over the years.
"Houston's a different team now than they were before when they had James Harden," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "It seems like offensively there's more movement, there's more passing.
"It just seems like they're playing with more enthusiasm. So I know they got off to a slow start; there was a lot of drama. But now it seems like they're playing really well together."
Injuries have knocked the Trail Blazers off their early stride, with both Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum sidelined for extended periods. Portland is 2-3 following a four-game winning streak and will open a six-game road trip in Houston with additional roster uncertainty as Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. are listed as questionable to play against Houston.
The Rockets appear to be ascending. Portland can't be all too concerned with that fact.
"The only thing we're doing is we're not worried about anyone else," Portland center Enes Kanter said. "We're worried about us. We're going to go out there and play our game and focus on what we need to focus on and just go out there and start the road (trip) right."
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: New-look Rockets host short-handed Trail Blazers

For the first time since the trade that sent seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden to Brooklyn, the Houston Rockets on Tuesday featured both John Wall and Victor Oladipo in their backcourt. The early…

30 Jan 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: Clippers visit Heat in matchup of short-handed teams

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-basketball/game/2287046">
As basketball has become more position-less, a matchup of legitimate back-to-the-basket centers has gone the way of black-and-white TVs or civility in politics.
One might want to refer to Friday night's Big Ten Conference showdown between No. 7 Iowa and No. 19 Illinois in Champaign, Ill., as a blast from the past. With 6-foot-11, 265-pound Hawkeye Luka Garza banging bodies against 7-foot, 285-pound Kofi Cockburn, the paint will be the place to watch.
Garza is the consensus favorite to win national player of the year honors. The senior leads the Big Ten with an average of 26.9 points per game while adding 8.9 rebounds and blocking nearly two shots per game. Garza is scoring efficiently, hitting 61 percent from the field and 75.5 percent at the foul line.
Cockburn averaged 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season as a freshman, although he was just as capable of landing in foul trouble as he was to go for 20 and 10. This season, he is scoring 17.4 points and grabbing 10.3 rebounds a night, canning 70.1 percent of his shots and flashing more consistency.
While Cockburn's immense size advantage leads to its share of thunderous dunks and warmup layups, he also has showed the ability to use the glass as though he were Tim Duncan 2.0.
Cockburn has also displayed a soft fallaway jumper, a weapon his future NBA coach might prefer to stay under wraps.
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery has noticed the obvious improvement in Cockburn's game.
"He was more one-dimensional last year," McCaffery said. "He's not so much this year. He was always big and strong, but I think his stamina is much better. He's more comfortable with the guys that play with him."
Who wouldn't be comfortable with a threat such as Ayo Dosunmu, whose average of 21.7 points per game ranks only behind Garza in the conference?
Dosunmu is canning 49 percent of his shots while finding time to chip in 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Even on nights like Jan. 19, when Penn State ran double-teams at Dosunmu all night and held him to 13 points in the Fighting Illini's 79-65 win, he still affects the texture of a game. He turned distributor, bagging a team-high five assists.
Illinois (10-5, 6-3 Big Ten) drew assists on 18 of 26 field goals in that game as it snapped a two-game losing streak, playing with more intensity than it had displayed in weeks.
"We had 18 assists in one basketball game. That's really great," Cockburn said, according to the (Champaign, Ill.) News-Gazette. "We elevated each other ... playing for each other, trusting each other to make the shot, making an extra pass. Give up a good shot for a great shot."
The Hawkeyes (12-3, 6-2) haven't played since an 81-69 upset home loss on Jan. 21 to Indiana, which wiped out a second-half deficit with a stunning 23-3 run. Garza supplied 28 points and 12 rebounds, but Iowa clanged away to the tune of 26.5 percent after halftime.
The Friday game will be the season's only meeting between the teams. Illinois and Iowa split two matchups last season, each winning at home.
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: No. 7 Iowa meets No. 19 Illinois in battle of bigs

As basketball has become more position-less, a matchup of legitimate back-to-the-basket centers has gone the way of black-and-white TVs or civility in politics. One might want to refer to Friday nigh…

29 Jan 2021

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