The Pelicans-Warriors Western Conference Semifinal series moves to New Orleans for game 3 on Friday night. After getting blown out by 22 points in Game 1, the Pels put up a tougher fight, but still lost 121 to 116 last night. Since the series is shifting to the Smoothie King Center, we’ll see if the Pelicans will get more opportunities at the free throw line. Golden State has shot 59 free throws to New Orleans 20.

Former LSU Tiger Eric Reid remains an unsigned free agent in the NFL and he has field a grievance against the league. Reid joined former teammate Colin Kapernick in kneeling during the national anthem two years ago and Reid believes his protest against police brutality and racial inequality has led to owners agreeing not to sign him.

A bill that would give voters a chance to legalize fantasy sports betting is close to final legislative passage at the state legislature. It just needs approval from the full Senate.

LSU Coach Ed Orgeron said in Houston while speaking at a T-A-F event, he doesn’t anticipate any of the three quarterbacks competing for a starting role to transfer this summer.

The Walk-On’s Independence Bowl announces that its bowl game in 2018 will be played on Thursday December 27th at 12:30 PM. The R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will be played on Saturday December 15th and kick-off is at 8 PM.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association has suspended Wossman Head Football Coach Dean Smith for the first four games of this season and the school has been fined 25-hundred dollars for illegal recruiting. Smith has also been placed on administrative probation for one year. The L-H-S-A-A says Smith violated six by-laws by illegal recruiting a student-athlete.

And NOLA-dot-com reports LSU basketball will open the 2018-19 season by hosting Southeastern Louisiana on November sixth.

The Pelicans will get another shot at Golden State tonight as they look to even up their Western Conference semifinal series at one game a piece. New Orleans Head Coach Alvin Gentry says his team is still confident, but they need to play at a higher level….
cut 18 (13) “….great team”
And the Warriors will welcome the return of Stephen Curry, who will play in his first game in five weeks, because of a knee injury. Tip time is 9:30.

The Saints didn’t draft a quarterback, but they’ve reportedly inked former Ohio State quarterback J-T Barrett to a three-year deal as an undrafted free-agent. Barrett will join a quarterback room that features future Hall of Famer Drew Brees and his back-ups, Tom Savage and second-year pro Taysom Hill. Barrett threw for over three-thousand yards and 35 touchdowns last season for the Buckeyes.

The LSU baseball team team returns to practice today after a couple days off following a brutal streatch that saw them go 2-and-6 in their last eight games. The Tigers are 26-and-19 overall, 10-and-11 in the SEC. The latest NCAA Tournament projection from D-1 Baseball has LSU out of the field of 64. The Tigers can improve their RPI this weekend as they’ll host fourth ranked Arkansas.

A light schedule of games today…McNeese is at Houston Baptist, ULM hosts Grambling and Tulane travels to 13th ranked Southern Miss.

Lone Sailor, which is owned by Gayle Benson’s GMB Racing Stable is a 50-1 shot to win this Saturday’s 144th running of the Kentucky Derby. Lone Sailor will break from the eighth post. The favorite is Justify, which will run from the seventh post and the three-year-old colt is a three to one favorite.

Former LSU Tiger Vadal Alexander has been suspended for the first four games of the 2018 NFL season. The part-time starter on the Raiders offensive line reportedly violated the league’s performance enhancing substances policy.

Stephen Curry is expected to play tonight as the Pelicans and Warriors meet in Game two of their Western Conference semifinal series. Curry has missed the last five weeks with a knee sprain. Meanwhile, New Orleans is looking to bounce back after a 22 point loss in Game 1. Coach Alvin Gentry says he doesn’t want his guys to feel extra pressure, just because they lost the first game of the series….
cut 17 (13) “…have here”
Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo both say they need to play with more intensity on the defensive end after Golden State scored 41 points in the second quarter and 76 in the first half on Saturday night. Tip off is at 9:30 tonight.

The Benson family has another horse racing in the Kentucky Derby, Lone Sailor, and today he drew post position number eight. Lone Sailor recently finished second at the Louisian Derby on March 24th, one day after Tom Benson was laid to rest. James Graham will ride Lone Sailor and currently a longshot to win 50-1.

NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent said the league is not looking to eliminate kickoffs, but they are considering new rule changes in the hopes of making the play safer. A proposed change to kickoffs could be presented to the owners at their meeting later this month.

LSU baseball has lost six of eight and there is no midweek game this week because of final exams. Coach Paul Mainieri says the break is coming at a good time, because he believes his team is mentally and physicall drained after back-to-back weekend road trips. Mainieri says his team returns to practice today and they’ll have a couple of simulated games so some of their struggling pitchers can get some work….
cut 20 (13) “…Live pitching”
Infielder Josh Smith is expected to meet with a back specialist after he had to leave Friday’s win with more back problems. A back injury forced him to miss 38 games, until he made his return last week.

The Pelicans will look to even up their Western Conference semifinal series versus Golden State tonight when the two teams meet in Oakland at 9:30. The Warriors had an easy time of it in Game one. Coach Alvin Gentry says self-inflicted mistakes led to a 24-2 run in the second quarter that cost them the game

Cut 16 (20) “…to score”

Anthony Davis says he’ll play with more effort. A-D had 21 points and 10 rebounds in game one. Two-time MVP Steph Curry is listed as probable to play for the first time in five weeks.

The Celtics hit 17 three-pointers as Boston took game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series versus Philadelphia, 117 to 101. Former LSU standout Ben Simmons had 18 points, but also turned it over seven times in the defeat.

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Its final exams week for the LSU Tigers and Coach Paul Mainieri says his team can use a break from the baseball diamond. The Bayou Bengals have lost six of their last eight and they are not ranked in any of the major polls. Coach Paul Mainieri says back-to-back weekends on the road took a lot out of his team…

Cut 19 (19) “…worn out”

Infielder Josh Smith is expected to meet with a back specialist after he had to leave Friday’s win with more back problems. A back injury forced him to miss 38 games, until he made his return last week.

Northwestern State’s David Fry has been named Southland Hitter of the Week. The Texas native hit a home run in three straight games last week. Nicholls senior right-hander Cayden Hatcher was named the conference’s pitcher of the week. Hatcher threw a threw a complete game in a 6-1 win over Lamar last week.

The Pelicans will look to even up their series with Golden State tomorrow night. The Warriors ran New Orleans out of the arena on Saturday night in a 123-101 loss in Oakland. The Pels tried to maintain an uptempo pace, but it didn’t work. Coach Alvin Gentry says they need to do a better job at shot selection and defense….
cut 17 (16) “…advantage of it”
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry is expected back on the floor tomorrow after missing the last five weeks with a knee injury. Tip off is at 9:30.

For the second straight week, the LSU Tigers are not ranked in any of the four more college baseball polls. They lost two of three from Ole Miss this past weekend and they are 10-11 in league play and tied for fourth place in the West Division.

For only the fifth time in 30 years, the Saints drafted a player from LSU. Center Will Clapp was taken in the seventh round and he’ll get a chance to learn from veteran starting center Max Unger. Coach Sean Payton likes that the former Brother Martin star can play guard as well…
cut 15 (11) “…guard before”
Former Southeastern Louisiana offensive lineman Maea Teuhema has received a rookie camp invitation to the Saints. His older brother, Sione Teuhema, has received an invite by the New York Jets.

Former Neville star John Diarse has signed a non-drafted free agent contract with the Denver Broncos.

LSU’s 2019 recruiting class has received a verbal commitment from Texas four-star linebacker Marcel Brooks. He’s six-foot-three, 200 pounds and ranked as the fifth best outside linebacker in the country.

The Saints 2018 draft has a Louisiana flair to it this year as the Black and Gold selected two local products, running back Boston Scott in the sixth round and offensive lineman Will Clapp in the seventh round. Clapp is the first former Tiger drafted by New Orleans since defensive tackle Al Woods in 2010. Head Coach Sean Payton says he didn’t have to make a long distance call to let Clapp know he’ll be playing for his childhood team…
cut 13 (10) “on rent”

For the second straight week, the LSU Tigers are not ranked in any of the four more college baseball polls. They lost two of three from Ole Miss this past weekend and they are 10-11 in league play and they are tied for fourth place in the West Division.

The Ragin Cajuns scored two runs in the ninth yesterday and defeated Georgia State nine to seven. UL Lafayette is a half game back of Little Rock for first place in the Sun West Division.

The Pelicans are down one game to nothing in their best of seven Western Conference playoff series with Golden State after a 123-101 loss in Oakland on Saturday night. Head Coach Alvin Gentry said the Pels were a little rusty after a week off between games, but point guard Rajon Rondo disagrees
Cut 16 (09) “be fine”
Game two is tomorrow night and it’s expected two-time MVP Stephen Curry will return after missing five weeks with a knee injury.

In the other Western Conference playoff series, Houston quieted the Utah Jazz 110-96 to win Game one.

LSU’s 2019 recruiting class has received a verbal commitment from Texas four-star linebacker Marcel Brooks, who visited the Baton Rouge campus this past weekend. He’s six-foot-three, 200 pounds and ranked as the fifth best outside linebacker in the country.

After getting blown out on Saturday night in Game one of the Western Conference semis, the Pelicans are looking to bounce back tomorrow night versus Golden State. New Orleans Coach Alvin Gentry says there’s no panic in the locker room…

Cut 18 (17) “….supposed to do”

Game two is tomorrow night at 9:30.

It was another rough weekend for the LSU baseball team as they dropped their second straight SEC series. Ole Miss took two of three from the Tigers, winning the series on Saturday. In Saturday’s finale, Caleb Gilbert gave up five runs in the 7^th inning in a 9-8 loss. The Tigers are 10-11 in the SEC tied for fourth place in the West. They will host first place Arkansas this weekend.

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The Saints 2018 class features two players with local ties, former LSU offensive lineman Will Clapp and ex-Louisiana Tech running back Boston Scott, who walked on at the Ruston school after a stellar prep career at Zachary High School. Coach Sean Payton says Scott can fill a couple of roles on their team…

Cut 14 (12) “….punt returner”

Back to college baseball, Louisiana Tech took two of three from Western Kentucky and the Bulldogs are a game and a half back of Southern Miss.

The Ragin Cajuns are a half a game back of Little Rock for first place in the Sun Belt Western Division. UL Lafayette took two of three from Georgia State.

In the Southland, Southeastern Louisiana has won five in a row after sweeping Stephen F Austin.

And Scott Piercy and Billy Horschel won by one-shot in the Zurich Classic team event at TPC Louisiana in Avondale.

The Saints believe Marcus Davenport is the pass rusher they’ve been looking for during this offseason. The Black and Gold traded up last night to select the six-foot-six defensive end from Texas-San Antonio. Davenport was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year last year and finished his collegiate career with 22 sacks. Saints sideline reporter Kristian Garic says says Davenport is a gifted athlete, who needs some polish…
cut 14 (09) “….pretty quickly”
The Saints have one third round selection tonight and then four more picks on Saturday. Garic says his sources around the league believe the Saints will look to add to their defensive line….
cut 15 (10) “…told me that”

Derius Guice was NOT selected in last night’s first round of the NFL draft. He should be one of the first picks in tonight’s second round. A year ago, pass rusher Arden Key was a projected first round selection, but his stock has fallen because of injuries, weight gain and off the field issues. Draft analyst Mike Detillier anticipates a team selecting Key tonight between the middle of the second and third rounds….
Cut 17 (12) “shot at him”
Detillier says Wide receiver DJ Chark from Alexandria and cornerback Donte Jackson are also expected to be a second round pick.

LSU baseball looks to rebound from a 14-3 loss to Ole Miss last night when the Tigers and Rebels meet again tonight in Oxford at 6:30. The Ragin Cajuns are Georgia State, while Louisiana Tech visits Western Kentucky.

The Saints made a bold move to select a pass rusher they desperately wanted last night. New Orleans sent three picks to Green Bay, including next year’s first round selection, to get the Packers 14th overall selection and with that pick the Black and Gold took University of Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport. He’s been labeled a freakish athlete who can get after the quarterback off the edge. Head Coach Sean Payton says Davenport is also a smart player….
cut 20 (17)_ “….passion business”
The Saints have one more pick tonight and that’s a late third round selection.

LSU running back Derrius Guice is still waiting to be picked. It’s the third time in the last four years that the Tigers did not have a player selected in the first round.

Several Tigers could be drafted today. We already talked about Guice, but wide receiver DJ Chark from Alexandria should be a second round selection according to draft analyst Mike Detillier…
cut 18 (18) “…that catch”
Chark ran 4.34 in the 40, the fastest wide receiver time in the draft. Another speedster, cornerback Donte Jackson is also expected to be a second round pick.

LSU’s bullpen is a mess. The Tigers gave up 11 runs in the sixth inning and lost to Ole Miss 14-3. It’s the Bayou Bengals fourth straight loss in the SEC. John Kordros, Matthew Beck and Taylor Peterson each gave up multiple runs in that sixth inning. The Tigers will try again at 6:30.

Getting a pass rusher was a priority for the Saints this offseason and it appears they have found their man. New Orleans traded up from the 27th pick to the 14th pick to take Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport. He had six and a half sacks and 10 tackles for a loss for the Roadrunners last season. Coach Sean Payton says Davenport plays with a high motor…

Cut 19 (13) “any young player” 

The Saints do not have a second round pick, so their next selection will be in the third round. If they don’t make any more trades, they’ll have five more picks after that.

Former LSU running back Derius Guice was not selected in the first round. There were reports that some teams had concerns about Guice’s character, even though he never got in trouble during his time at LSU. DJ Chark, Donte Jackson and Will Clapp are other potential LSU Tigers who will be drafted today.

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There was another implosion with the LSU bullpen last night and this was the worst one yet. Ole Miss scored 11 runs off of four different relievers in the sixth and the Rebels cruised to a 14-3 victory. John Kodros (Co-dros) faced three batters and they all scored. Taylor Peterson gave up three runs and recorded just one out and Matthew Beck allowed five runs.

In other college baseball action, Louisiana Tech is at Western Kentucky, the Cajuns visit Georgia State, McNeese hosts Southland Conference leader Sam Houston State.

After one round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at the TPC Louisiana, Americans Chez Reavie and Lucas Glover are tied with a duo from China.

Steph Curry is listed as questionable for tomorrow night’s series opener between the Pelicans and Warriors. Curry participated in his first full practice yesterday since suffering a Grade 2 left MCL sprain on his left knee. Head Coach Steve Kerr said the two-time MVP looked good. Game 1 is tomorrow night at 9:30.