The Pelicans are hoping the home crowd can help them get a victory over Golden State and avoid an 0-3 hole in the best of seven Western Conference semifinal series. It’s a matchup between two of the fastest, most up tempo teams in the league, and some fans are getting worried that it’s impossible to beat Golden State at their own game. Coach Alvin Gentry says no matter what, they are not changing what’s gotten them this far.
Cut 20 (18) “the league”
The game tips off at 7.

Rough game for former LSU standout Ben Simmons last night. Simmons scored just one point and through the first two games of the series, he has 12 turnovers and 13 assists as the 76ers trail two games to none.

LSU enters this weekend on the bubble to make the NCAA Baseball Tournament and there’s just three weeks left in the regular season. The Tigers can boost their RPI with a series victory over 4th ranked Arkansas this weekend. LSU has won 12 of the last 13 SEC regular-season series versus the Hogs. That includes the Rally Possum game two years ago in Baton Rouge. Coach Paul Mainieri says he can’t explain the Tigers success against the Hogs, considering the number of great players that have come through the Razorback program….
cut 17 (19) “….overtime that”
First pitch tonight is at 7 PM.

Other series of note, the Ragin Cajuns host 15th ranked Coastal Carolina, Louisiana Tech hosts Middle Tennessee. First game is at 7 PM tonight.

Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal series between the Pelicans and Warriors is tonight inside the Smoothie King Center. Golden State has a two games to nothing lead and the defending champs have taken an alarming lead in the amount of free throws earned in the series, but coach Alvin Gentry says that will not discourage the Pels from continuing to pound the ball inside…
cut 19 (15) “….do it”
Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday did not attempt a single free throw in Game 2’s loss.

It’s also a big weekend of high school baseball quarterfinal as there are best of three series involving most of the classes in division. In Class 5A, 4th seeded Barbe hosts fifth seeded Captian Shreve. In Four-A, 27th seeded Buckeye is still around and they face third seeded DeRidder.

The LSU baseball team can turn its season around, if they can take this weekend’s series versus fourth ranked Arkansas. Coach Paul Mainieri’s team is in a slump, while the Razorbacks are one of the top teams in a loaded SEC
Cut 16 (15) “pitching great”
LSU’s Josh Smith is not expected to play this weekend because of a bad back. Arkansas is also dealing with injuries. Closer Matt Cronin might not be available this weekend and one of Arkansas’ best hitters Carson Shaddy is also banged up.

The Ragin Cajuns host 15th ranked Coastal Carolina this weekend. UL Lafayette has won 14 of its last 18.

Louisiana Tech is in second place in Conference USA and they host Middle Tennessee this weekend. The Blue Raiders are in 10th place.

The Pelicans need to find a way to get a win tonight down 2-0 to the defending champion Golden State Warriors. New Orleans lost the first two games of the series by an average of 14 points, after beating Golden State in the final week of the regular season. Coach Alvin Gentry says this isn’t the same they faced in that contest….
cut 18 (15) “…right now”
New Orleans is hoping to get to the free throw line more in this game. Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday never made a trip to the charity stripe in game two.

LSU officials told the Advocate that football season ticket renewals are down only one-percent, despite a nationwide trend of falling attendence across college football.

Georgia Football Coach Kirby Smart has received a new seven-year, 49-million dollar contract.

LSU baseball takes on the first place team in the SEC West when they host Arkansas tonight for the start of a weekend series. The Tigers are 10-11 in the league, while the Razorbacks are 13-8. Sophomore infielder Josh Smith is not expected to play this weekend as he continues to have issues with his back. Blaine Knight starts on the hill for the Hogs, he’s 7-0 on the year.

The Ragin Cajuns get a chance at the best team in the Sun Belt as they host 15th ranked Coastal Carolina for a three game series. Coastal is 17-4 in the Sun Belt, while UL Lafayette is 12-9, a half game back of Little Rock for first place in the West Division. ULM hosts Georgia State.

Louisiana Tech begins a three-game set with Middle Tennessee tonight. The Bulldogs have won seven of their last nine. In six of those victories, they’ve scored in double figures.

In the Southland, all of the Louisiana teams are on the road. Southeastern is at first place Sam Houston.

Grambling is at Texas Southern in a big matchup in the SWAC.

The Pelicans hope home court advantage will help them get back into the series with Golden State as they are down two games to none after losing the first two contests in Oakland. Head Coach Alvin Gentry says they should be able to knock down more shots…
cut 25 (13) “…make shots”
And New Orleans will hopefully get a chance to shoot more free throws. They only shot nine free throws in Game 2, while Golden State had 27 opportunities from the free throw line. Game 3 is tomorrow night.

They are throwing money around in Georgia like it’s going out of style. The Falcons reportedly signed quarterback Matt Ryan to a five-year, 150-million dollar contract extension.

And Georgia Football Coach Kirby Smart has a new seven-year, 49-million dollar contract that keeps him in Athens through the 2024 season.

LSU begins an eight-game homestand tomorrow night against 4th ranked Arkansas. D-1 Baseball-dot-com Kendall Rogers says the Tigers need to finish strong to make an NCAA Regional, but they haven’t been able to play good baseball for long stretches this season….
cut 20 (18) “…has been”
Both D-1 Baseball and Baseball America do not have the Tigers in their NCAA Tournament projections with just three weeks left in the regular season.

Louisiana Tech is back home this weekend to host Middle Tennessee. The Bulldogs are 15-6 in conference action, a game and half behind league leader Southern Miss.

Two of the best teams in the Southland meet in Huntsville as Southeastern Louisiana visits Sam Houston State. The Lions are 2.5 games behind Sam Houston.

Coach Ed Orgeron spoke at the LSU Football Caravan stop at the Touchdown Club of Houston yesterday and Tiger fans in the Longhorn State are also asking about LSU’s quarterback situation. Orgeron says the battle to be the starter is even right now between Myles Brennan, Justin McMillan and Lowell Narcisse
Cut 17 (15) “we’ll see”
Six-foot-six high school quarterback recruit Grant Gunnell was at the caravan event. He heard from Steve Ensminger about what the Tigers offense will look like in 2018.

Former LSU Tiger and free agent Eric Reid still has yet to sign with a team. He’s filed grievance against the league allegeding collusion by the owners. The former 49er joined Colin Kaepernick in not standing for the national anthem.

Golden State Head Coach Steve Kerr says Stephen Curry will be in the starting lineup for tomorrow night’s Game 3 between the Pelicans and Warriors. Curry came off the bench in Game 2, his first action in five weeks, and scored 28 points in 27 minutes. New Orleans is hoping they’ll have a few more trips to the free throw line. The Pelicans were outshot 27-9 from the charity stripe in game two.

The Walk-On’s Independence Bowl will be played on Thursday December 27th at 12:30 PM this year. The R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will be played on Saturday December 15th and kick-off 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.

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.

__________________________________________________________________

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.