Catégorie : Sport News

The Cincinnati Bengals (6-8) likely will not appear in the NFL postseason this year. Joe Burrow and Co. still have a couple of paths to the playoffs. But the chances are very improbable. The most likely scenario is dependent upon their Week 16-18 outcomes and those of the three other franchises.

On Monday’s episode of Nightcap, Shannon Sharpe revealed the Bengals have a “milk chance: 2%” playoff probability. Despite such steep odds, Sharpe’s co-host – former Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson – thinks Cincinnati will pull off a miracle after beating the Broncos and two remaining opponents.

“Forget 2%… there’s a whole milk chance we go to the playoffs and we squeeze in a little wild-card spot. I’m telling you… I believe in my Bengals.”

Johnson stated his confidence comes from the Bengals’ offensive trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. His personal bias projects were much rosier than the analytics do, but he’s steadfast, nonetheless.

Chad Johnson feels the Broncos might finish the season with 3 losses

As mentioned, there are two avenues for Cincinnati to sneak into the playoffs. One involves the Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) losing out. However, head coach Jim Harbaugh’s squad plays the New England Patriots (3-11) and Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) to end the season. It’s possible Los Angeles slips up in one of those games, but them dropping both is borderline unfathomable.

A single Chargers triumph leaves just one other way for the Bengals to reach the playoffs. Sharpe laid out that last resort option on the show:

• Cincinnati needs to win out (3-0)
• Indianapolis must lose at least once (2-1)
• Miami must lose at least once (2-1)
• Denver must lose out (0-3)

Of the factors beyond Cincinnati’s control, the Broncos (9-6) losing out is the hardest to fathom. But Denver’s remaining slate – at Chargers (TNF), at Bengals, vs. Kansas City Chiefs – is challenging. Most importantly, Cincinnati gets the opportunity to aid their own cause by facing the Broncos in Week 17.

Once he learned Denver’s schedule, Johnson said “there’s a good chance” the Broncos finish the year with three straight losses. Part of that potentially tragic stretch involved a “guaranteed” defeat at the Bengals’ hands.

“When the Bengals play the Broncos, we’re gonna beat y’all’s a**. When we do the show that night, I don’t want to hear you say ‘foot’ or ‘ball’ at all. I’m telling you right now.”

Sharpe spent 12 of his 14 NFL seasons with the Broncos. Johnson played in Cincinnati for a decade. To say they have a personal interest in that game would be an understatement. For Sharpe, there’d likely be nothing sweeter than the Broncos officially eliminating the Bengals from playoff contention with a victory. Kickoff for the Week 17 contest is Saturday, Dec. 28 at 4:30 p.m. E.T. on NFL Network.

Derrick Rose announced his retirement from the NBA earlier this year after 15 years in the league. The former Bulls guard was destined for greatness before injuries ravaged his career. For a while, it seemed he was set for an early retirement. However, he refused to give up on his dream and carved out a bench role on several teams. As good as his story is, there are doubts about whether his body of work is worthy of a Hall of Fame induction. However, Joakim Noah believes he deserves it.

In an appearance on the Run It Back podcast, Rose’s former teammate spoke about his legacy as a player and his impact on the city of Chicago. He said,

“As great as [he] was as a player, he’s an even better human. The most humble superstar out there, and just the way he represented Chicago every time he stepped out there was unreal… Hall of Famer for sure.”

Rose is a Chicago native and grew up on the city’s South Side. He led his high school, Simeon Career Academy, to back-to-back state championships and was named Illinois’ Mr. Basketball in 2007. He spent a season with Memphis and led to the national championship game before declaring for the 2008 NBA draft, where the Bulls picked him first overall.

Rose was phenomenal for the franchise. He won the Rookie of the Year and was named the league MVP in only his third season. He was and remains the youngest player to win the prize.

With Rose leading the charge, Chicago looked destined to win the NBA title, their first since Michael Jordan led them to their sixth in 1998. However, he suffered an ACL tear in the 2012 playoffs, which took away his explosiveness and athleticism. It also started his long bout with injuries that stole his prime years from him.

Despite the setbacks, he spent 15 years in the league and was universally revered. But is that enough to earn a Hall of Fame induction?

Joakim Noah believes Derrick Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, and he’s right

After discussing the possibility of the Bulls giving Derrick Rose a statue, the topic turned to whether he deserved to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Players become eligible for enshrinement four years after retirement. Rose, who retired in September, will have his first shot in 2028.

Noah’s first-hand experience playing alongside Rose has given him a unique perspective. Unsurprisingly, he believes that his former teammate “for sure” deserves to be enshrined. He said,

“His story, it’s a painful story. There’s a lot of adversity in it. It’s a big what-if story, like if he hadn’t gotten hurt.”

Chandler Parsons pointed out that if Rose isn’t inducted, he would be the first former MVP not to make the Hall of Fame. Eight others haven’t made it, but they’re all still active. The guard’s situation has some precedence in other sports, namely football.

Terrell Davis and Gale Sayers were two all-time great running backs whose careers were cut short by injuries. But because their peaks were so transcendent, they both made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As the youngest MVP in NBA history, Rose is in the same boat, and the fact that he was able to remake his game and continue for over a decade more in the league should give his argument more weight.

Talk about a tale of two halves. Davante Adams had zero catches on two targets in the first 30 minutes of the New York Jets’ 32-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He came out of the halftime locker room looking for violence. Adams responded with nine catches for 198 yards and two TDs on 10 targets in the second half to key the Jets’ comeback.

On Tuesday, Adams graced Kay Adams’ Up & Adams morning show with his presence, and his polar-opposite performances in the first and second halves of that game were bound to come up. When it did, the star wide receiver started by taking a shot at himself, saying with a chuckle that he needed to “get my head out of my ass” after Kay asked him, “What the heck” happened in the final half.

“I don’t know, I guess I had to get my head out of my ass first. And that helps when you do that. And then, I had a drop earlier in the first half, right before the half, and I got my hair pulled on the route, so when I pulled my head back, I couldn’t really find the ball,” Adams said.

“And then, I think that was my second target or whatever, and then once we got back in there and got a few grabs, stuff like this just starts to happen. Just need a few plays to kinda unlock it and get in that flow,” he continued.

The Jets were down 13-7 before halftime, and Adams’ resurgence served as the catalyst for their comeback. Aaron Rodgers found him on the very first play of the second half for 12 yards. He then found Adams for a 43-yard bomb on the second drive before targeting Adams twice inside the five-yard line later in the drive, the second of which resulted in a one-yard touchdown catch by the wide receiver.

With under four minutes remaining and the Jets down five, Rodgers found Adams for another deep shot, this time, a 71-yard trip to pay dirt. Adams completed the elusive octopus by catching the ensuing two-point convert to give N.Y. a three-point lead.

Somehow, he wasn’t done there. After the Jags tied it up at 25, Adams caught a 23-yard pass to put the Jets in Jacksonville territory. Then, he snagged a 41-yarder to set up Breece Hall’s game-winning TD. While Adams was playing out of his mind, the whole team seemed to rally in the second half, and the veteran wideout says it had a lot to do with a speech from Rodgers.

“Aaron spoke to the offense before we started in warmups. He said, ‘Look man, we’re 3-10, and this freaking sucks, and it is what it is. Either we can go out like weenies, or we can pull it together and figure it out and find a way to make something out of the remainder of this year.’”

The wideout also spoke about how he appreciated that the Jets’ mindset is still to go and win every game. There are no thoughts about tanking in the New York locker room, despite their 4-10 record. The best the Jets can hope, for now, is a 7-10 year. But with a tough final slate (vs. LAR, @ BUF, vs. MIA), even that might be wishful thinking.

Davante Adams has now contributed 49 receptions for 651 yards and five TDs in the eight games he’s played in the Big Apple. That means his performance against the Jags represented about 18 percent of his total Jets receptions, over 30 percent of his total receiving yards for the team, and 40 percent of his touchdowns.

The ATP Next Gen Finals has produced some of the finest talents in the sport, and one of them is Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard is about to complete three years of playing that memorable tournament in Milan, which he used as a launching pad to showcase his skills.

Alcaraz played one of his best matches in the 2021 edition against Brandon Nakashima of the United States. The Spaniard was leading 4-3, 3-0 when Nakashima upped the ante.

He started the rally with an impressive serve, then launched an all-out attack from the baseline. Alcaraz, for his part, withstood everything that came his way, displaying impressive defensive skills. Soon, he was able to turn defense into attack.

After hitting a powerful forehand, Alcaraz stepped forward, forcing Nakashima to respond with a forehand of his own. The Spanish youngster was in the position to return the shot, but the ball hit the net, forcing him to quickly switch positions. Despite struggling to keep his balance, Alcaraz instinctively used his one-handed backhand to gently nudge the ball to the other side of the net, which Nakashima was unable to intercept.

The stunned audience erupted in joy, unable to believe what they had seen. The now-four-time Grand Slam champion won that group match 4-3, 4-1, 4-3. In general, Alcaraz’s campaign was exceptional, as he defeated Holger Rune, Sebastian Baez, and, in the final, Sebastian Korda. These three players are now on the ATP Tour.

The 2021 tournament demonstrated the importance of the Next Gen Finals, providing talented young players with a chance to prove themselves in a high-pressure environment. They are required to beat opponents who had performed well throughout the season in events such as the ATP Challengers, ATP Futures, ITF events, and so on.

Next Gen Finals 2024: The line-up and other details

The favorite to win this year’s tournament in Jeddah is Arthur Fils. The Frenchman has had a breakout 2024 season, winning titles on clay in Hamburg and hard courts in Tokyo, an ATP 500 event.

Ranked No.20 in the world, Fils is knocking on the doors to win more ATP 500 and Masters 1000 titles. In his career, he has already defeated Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, and Ugo Humbert.

A talented group of players will challenge Fils at the Next Gen Finals 2024. It includes three young American stars – Alex Michelsen, Nishesh Basavareddy, and Learner Tien. Jakub Mensik of Czechia, Juncheng Shang of China, Frenchman Luca van Assche and Brazilian Joao Fonseca complete the list.

Michelsen, Mensik, Shang, and Fonseca are rising stars on the ATP Tour, and their success has not gone unnoticed. This could be the most competitive Next Gen Finals tournament in years. The event will take place from December 18 to 22, with Tennis Channel holding the broadcast rights.

F1 first introduced the budget cap in the 2021 season, with the intention to level the playing field. For a long time, the big teams in F1, thanks to their financial power, had a huge advantage over the smaller sides because of their ability to not only recruit the best talent but also better develop the car.

However, per Alpine’s executive advisor Flavio Briatore, the budget cap has failed to achieve its objective as the big teams still enjoy a huge advantage. “The name budget cap sounds very good. The reality is different,” the Italian said in an interview with AMuS.

He highlighted how some of the most important things such as a driver’s salary are not “included in the budget“. Further, he added, “Also expensive engineers. Adrian Newey is as expensive as a driver. That’s a big cost factor“.

Briatore believes that if a driver’s salary is included in the budget cap, it would put teams in a huge dilemma — “Do I prefer to spend my money on the driver or the car“?

The 74-year-old has a noteworthy point as the smaller teams have barely made any progress over the years. But would including a driver’s salary in the budget cap actually make it fair?

Is the car more important in F1 or the driver?

As important as it is for teams to have the best of drivers to achieve success, it seems to be a well-known fact that without a good car, none of the sides can be successful. Some of the all-time greats like Fernando Alonso have not achieved as much success as perhaps they deserve just because they did not have the best car underneath them.

Therefore, if F1 were to include a driver’s salary in the budget cap, then most of the racers would perhaps not earn what they deserve as most of the teams would most likely prefer to spend most of the money on building their cars. Hence, unsurprisingly, drivers were themselves against the idea of introducing their salary in the budget cap.

F1 world champions Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel highlighted how it is unfair for drivers to see their salaries decrease at a time when the sport has been flourishing financially. With the cost cap currently $135 million, it would mean that teams wanting to sign the likes of Verstappen or Hamilton would need to spend almost half of their budget to pay the salary of one driver, something that is likely to be unfeasible for any side.

Therefore, it seems unlikely that Briatore’s suggestion would be implemented in F1 even though serious discussions have been held regarding the same.

There is perhaps no one in the NFL whose prime burned as hot and as bright as Antonio Brown’s did while he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unfortunately, that prime came to a screeching halt. Brown’s antics became too much for legendary head coach Mike Tomlin to abide any longer. That led to his trade to the Oakland Raiders in 2019. Raiders head coach at the time, Jon Gruden, could not have been more ecstatic about acquiring a player of his caliber.

On Tuesday, Gruden spoke about that excitement while serving as a guest on the latest episode of one of Barstool’s most popular podcasts, Bussin’ With The Boys, hosted by former NFLers Will Compton and Taylor Lewan.

The former head coach couldn’t stop gushing about Brown’s on-field talent and the brief time he got to spend with the receiver. However, Brown never played for him in a game, a fact Gruden called “the most frustrating thing in my coaching career.”

“Really one of the most frustrating things of my coaching career, was not getting him to play for us. We had a minicamp back in Oakland, he put on a display. He took some of our routes that we like to call ‘lookies’, I got all these words, he made the routes look better than anybody I’ve ever seen.”

It was surprising to hear, not least because AB’s short tenure in Oakland is exclusively discussed in a negative light. Gruden even had positive things to say about Brown’s work ethic, calling his conditioning “sick”.

“His conditioning was sick. If we didn’t have a fence around the field, he might’ve got killed by a car because he finishes everything. He’ll run 100 miles an hour. I went home and got hammered one night after minicamp, I told my wife, ‘We’re going to complete every pass’. That’s how good this guy looked. He was phenomenal. And unfortunately, I never got him for one freaking game.”

Gruden also spoke about how that offseason was tough all around. There were all of AB’s antics, and you had a first-time GM in Mike Mayock trying to navigate that. Then, you also had the cameras following everyone everywhere for HBO’s Hard Knocks.

One positive surprise for Gruden was that AB and Vontaze Burfict—who laid an infamously dirty hit on AB in the playoffs in 2015 that knocked the WR out cold—actually got along pretty well at the facility.

Antonio Brown’s antics kept him from an all-time NFL career

However, Antonio Brown simply made it too tough on the Raiders and their front office. They knew they were getting a, let’s say, unique, person when they traded for Brown in 2019. Part of the reason the Steelers decided to move him was because of issues Brown was having with QB Ben Roethlisberger.

Another was an unsanctioned IG Live video Brown streamed on social media of a Tomlin postgame speech in the locker room late in the 2018 campaign. Many viewed this as Brown breaking a sacred unspoken rule about keeping things in the locker room private. From the minute he arrived at the Raiders, Gruden was already dealing with several AB-related issues.

“I never got around Antonio enough. Antonio showed up on a hot air balloon. He had his feet fried, he had cryotherapy. I’d never even heard of cryotherapy. And he had an issue with his helmet, he wasn’t happy the NFL wouldn’t let him wear his helmet. So we really never got him around the guys very much. I didn’t have very much interaction with him at all. “

Not to mention the last straw, which was when Brown posted a video on social media that included a private phone conversation between Brown and Gruden. After that, Brown was released by the Raiders. It was the beginning of the end for Brown, which was made all the more gut-wrenching considering just how good AB was during his prime.

No receiver in NFL history had more receptions in a six-season stretch than AB’s 686 from 2013-2018. Over that same span, his 9,145 receiving yards are 2nd-most all-time for a six-year stretch (Julio Jones).

His 67 TDs during that time are also 3rd all-time (Marvin Harrison, Davante Adams) for a six-year stretch. His 84.2 yards per game rank 3rd all-time among non-active players, and his 6.4 receptions per game are 1st all-time among non-active players.

Oh, what could have been.

After his polarizing summer stint with the Raiders, Tom Brady recruited him to the New England Patriots despite allegations of personal and sexual misconduct being leveled at Brown. He played one game, catching four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown before being cut.

The next year, Brady recruited him to his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent parts of two seasons with the Bucs, catching a TD as the team won Super Bowl 55. In Week 17 of the next year, in 2021, Brown’s NFL journey came to an infamous end. After a dispute with coaches, he took off his pads and ran to the locker room by crossing through the end zone in the middle of a play. What a way to go out.

Kobe Bryant was the face of the Lakers for the final 12 years of his career. However, for his first eight, he was Shaquille O’Neal’s sidekick. It didn’t bother him until the early 2000s. After their second championship win, he started feeling he should be the team’s first option and the center should take a backseat. But the four-time NBA champion wasn’t keen on giving up the keys to the castle. The power struggle led to some selfish play on the guard’s part, which many frowned upon. But not Brendan Haywood.

He was glad that Bryant had an unfettering desire to be the Lakers’ main man. On Theo Pinson’s Run Your Race Podcast, the retired center claimed he always hoped the guard would take over the game and not pass the ball to O’Neal and force him to try to stop the Lakers icon. Haywood said,

“[Shaq] is bigger than you. He’s stronger than you, and he’s faster than you. It’s like wow, he is everything I saw on TV. I really hope Kobe goes for 40 because I don’t want this guy getting the ball at all.”

The Lakers’ triangle offense forced defenses to pick their poison. On any given night, either the center or the guard could take over a game regardless of the opposing team’s schematics.

While Haywood did get some respite in some games, other times he faced the full brunt of O’Neal’s punishing physicality. And the experience was as terrible as advertised.

Haywood experienced the impact of Shaq’s physically

O’Neal had little to no regard for his opponents’ well-being. They tried to elbow him, push him, shove him, double-team him. But nothing worked. When he was in the paint, he was practically unstoppable. And the Lakers icon ensured he doled out the same punishment he was subjected to. Haywood learned this hard way. He said,

“[Shaq] would just go through your chest. He hit me in my sternum one time. Bruised my sternum. I couldn’t laugh for a week.”

If having their egos bruised wasn’t enough, the four-time NBA champion left some of his opponents with actual battle scars. It was unpleasant and humbling enough to try arduously and fail at stopping O’Neal from imposing his will. But taking an elbow and getting dunked on was even more frustrating and painful.

The Heisman Trophy debate that raged for the last several months has been replaced with something much more depressing. Instead of discussing the credentials of Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty, now we’re discussing the merits of Hunter’s fiancée as the online mob tries to decide if they think she’s good or bad for the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner. Influencer Kayla Nicole was the latest to say her piece on the situation.

Nicole dated an NFL star, Travis Kelce, from 2017-2022, so one would think she’d know a little bit about what’s going on with Hunter and his fiancee, Leanna Lenee. However, Nicole didn’t do much more than share the same “keep your private life private” advice we’ve been seeing from tons of sports figures.

“My only advice is keep your private matters off the internet. You will never win in the court of public opinion – nor does it matter.”

It’s certainly sage advice, but obviously, nothing Travis and Lenee haven’t heard before. Not to mention, much of the criticism for Lenee has been in response to her reactions at public events, meaning their private life isn’t exactly what’s being discussed online.

Nicole seemed pretty good at following her own advice when she was with Kelce. Despite being a social media influencer, her and Kelce’s relationship was not in the media much back then. However, since they broke up, Nicole has regularly taken the opportunity to talk about the failed relationship or comment on the current Kelce-Swift partnership.

What made Kayla Nicole’s advice to Lenee even more ironic to many was that it came right after Nicole vowed not to “be another outside voice commenting on & judging a relationship that isn’t mine”. Of course, she couldn’t help herself from doing just that, and people on Twitter were quick to note that fact as she continued to comment on the situation:

After another tweet in which she said, “Yall weird. Wrap this Travis Hunter girlfriend news cycle up by noon. Thank you”, several Twitter users started to respond with hilarious comebacks that pointed out the hypocrisy of the tweet coming from someone who was keeping the “Travis Hunter girlfriend news cycle” alive with her own comments.

Nicole attempted to clap back at some of the Twitter replies, though considering the situation, she didn’t have much of a leg to stand on here.

Kayla Nicole’s calls for everyone to leave Travis Hunter and his fiancee’s relationship alone make sense in general. It’s just that she’s not exactly the best messenger considering her history. Not to mention her lack of control when it comes to responding to her critics online and her ironic calls to end a “news cycle” that she was personally keeping alive.

Nico Hulkenberg has driven for several teams in his 11 seasons in F1. Among all the sides he has competed for, he regards his two past years at Haas as perhaps “the most enjoyable time” of his career.

“I’ve really enjoyed myself these past two years and I’m leaving happy and with a smile,” the German driver said as quoted by Haas’ Instagram handle. “A big thank you to this team. It’s been probably the most enjoyable time in my Formula 1 career“.

Despite having a pleasurable time at the American outfit, Hulkenberg interestingly decided to leave them and sign for Sauber. In these past two years with Haas, Hulkenberg showed his prowess on the wheel, even though Haas had its own limitations.

Haas finished last in the Constructors’ Championship last season, Yet Hulkenberg managed to impress by scoring nine of the 12 points for the team, with his personal best being P7 in Australia. He carried on from where he left off last year and finished 11th in the championship this season, which isn’t bad for Haas.

The 37-year-old’s best finish this season was sixth, which he achieved twice — in Austria and Great Britain. However, all that will now come to an end as Hulkenberg leaves Haas, the team that gave him a second chance in F1 after he spent three years on the sidelines, the kind of timeline that would be incredibly hard for any driver to make a return from.

When Haas decided to sign Hulkenberg, they had two key issues to address. The first one was to reduce the damage bill for the American outfit, an issue that former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner highlighted on multiple instances.

And the second was to score points, which Hulkenberg did brilliantly. Now, Hulkenberg will hope to carry a similar level of form to Sauber, which could very well be his last team in F1, assuming he is in the twilight of his career.

In this new era of parity in the NBA, the league has shifted from big threes to dynamic duos. All the teams that are among the top contenders are home to a formidable duo. For instance, the Bucks are led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. With a full season under their belt as teammates, they’ve been thriving together. Their efforts have secured their team a spot in the NBA Cup Finals. However, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes they are still behind two Eastern Conference Rivals in terms of duos.

Antetokounmpo and Lillard pair for the highest combined points per game of any duo in the NBA. That doesn’t matter for Perkins who believes the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the Celtics, along with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are head of the Bucks duo. Perkins took to ESPN’s First Take to share his opinion. He said,

“I’m taking two. I’m going to show respect to the champions the Celtics, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum… And then I’m taking Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson over Giannis and Dame right now.”

His reasoning for Tatum and Brown’s positioning is self-explanatory. They are the defending champions and are currently a major reason the Celtics hold the second-best record in the NBA. However, the controversial take comes with his preference with Towns and Brunson over Giannis and Dame.

Perkins states the connection between Towns and Brunson in the pick-and-roll to be a deciding factor for himself. The addition of Towns alongside Brunson has certainly bolstered the Knicks’ offense. New York has jumped to the third-best offense in the league. Additionally, Perkins believes Brunson carries more versatility in his offensive game, which sets him apart from Lillard.

Regardless, of his opinion, Perkins believes that these three duos are among the best in the league this season. He won’t disagree with any configuration of the three but if he were to choose, he’s picking the Celtics and the Knicks’ duo over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Perkins’ previous comments on the Bucks’ stars

Perkins isn’t afraid to voice his opinion on any basketball matter. That applies to the Bucks. During the early stages of the season, Perkins didn’t hold back when addressing Milwaukee’s star duo amidst their disappointing start to the season. His words specifically targeted Antetokounmpo.

“Giannis put pressure on the organization to make a move,” Perkins said. “Before he signed the extension, he went out publicly and said some things. So they make a move out of desperation and get Dame. You give up Jrue Holiday. Then last year, you fire Adrian Griffin… Giannis, you got blood on your hands.”

At the time the Bucks were 2-6 and on the trajectory of missing the playoffs. Perkins shifted all the blame for a potential failure of a season at the hands of Giannis. However, Milwaukee has since been able to turn their season around. They are sitting at the fifth seed and hold a 14-11 record. The Bucks will look to win the NBA Cup and carry that momentum to a deep postseason run.