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OOPS | TMK #28
Today: Brazil-Argentina, for real this time
Clement Thibault
November 21, 2023
Today, on TMK:
The Chiefs make mistakes, the Celtics make mistakes, and I make mistakes. Oops.
Headlines
Catch Up
š Superbowl Rematch: Eagles - Chiefs
ā½ Euro 2024 Qualifiers
š NBA
The Main Events
ā½ WC 2026 Qualifiers: Brazil - Argentina
ā½ Euro 2024 Qualifiers
š NBA
Extra Time:
ā Sports Trivia
š£ļø Quote of the Day
ā Canāt Miss Moment
š§® Stat of the Day
š½ļø Video of the Day
Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic qualify for Euro 2024
The reigning European Champions will get the chance to defend their title this summer in Germany.
NFL MNF: Eagles def. Chiefs, 21-17
Uncharacteristic mistakes from the Chiefs cost them a hard-fought game. This was a worthy rematch of the Super Bowl.
PFL acquires Bellator, plans champs vs. champs event in 2024
This is HUGE news for MMA, as the PFL is trying to give the UFC a run for its money.
Nuggetsā Jokic and coach Malone ejected in W over Pistons
That doesn't happen every day. Jokic was ejected for arguing (twice), and Malone for stepping on the court.
š Superbowl Rematch: Chiefs 17-21 Eagles
Uncharacteristic mistakes.
Going into this game, we knew both teams had strong defenses that could limit the opposing quarterback, and they did. Eaglesā QB Hurts threw for 150 yards, and Chiefsā QB Mahomes only managed 177 yards. A far cry from the usual offensive performances that weāve come to expect from two of the leagueās winningest quarterbacks in the past two seasons.
But the key today was limiting mistakes, and the Chiefs made plenty.
Patrick Mahomes threw a rare endzone interception in the second quarter to Kevin Byard, the Eaglesā safety who was recently acquired from the Titans. Thatās seven points off the board, or at the very least three. But the Chiefs still had time to make up for that mistake.
In the fourth quarter, Mahomes completed a pass to Kelce at the Eaglesā 10-yard line, who then proceeded to fumble the ball. Philly recovered the ball, and thus once again, the Chiefs turned over the ball very close to the goal line. But at this point, the Chiefs were still in the lead.
The final and fatal mistake came with less than two minutes on the clock and the Chiefs down 4 points. Chiefsā WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling ran a deep route and was wide open in the endzone, Mahomes threw MVS a perfect passā¦that hit his hands and dropped to the ground. Game over.
Take those three mistakes away, and the Chiefs comfortably win this game. Theyāve looked like the better, sharper team throughout - but ultimately couldnāt get it done.
The Eagles climb to 9-1 and keep 1st place in the NFC, the Chiefs fall to 7-3 and fall to 2nd in the AFC, behind the 8-3 Baltimore Ravens.
ā½ Euro 2024 Qualifiers
Group C
Ukraine 0-0 Italy
North Macedonia 1-1 England
Italy got the job done - barely - and booked a ticket to the Euro. Ukraine will regret a few squandered opportunities to take the lead. This game featured everything except goals, including a controversial non-call penalty for Ukraine. They will get another chance at the Euro through the Nations Leagueās playoffs.
England was lethargic and passive against North Macedonia, who despite holding the ball only 24% of the time, had more shots on goal than England. This is a disappointing showing for England who started most of its top players and still couldnāt get it done.
Group E
Czech Republic 3-0 Moldova
Albania 0-0 Faroe Islands
The Czech Republic had its destiny in its hands and made the most of it. They played attacking football, looking not only to qualify - but to do it in style. They rightfully claim a place in the Euro and leave no doubt that they belong.
Albania, already qualified, played a lame draw against the weak Faroe Islands, who finished the qualifiers with a lowly 2 points from 8 matches.
Group H
Slovenia 2-1 Kazakhstan
San Marino 1-2 Finland
Northern Ireland 2-0 Denmark
Slovenia knew the assignment; donāt lose, and youāre in. They did better than that and controlled the game on their way to a victory and a spot in the Euro.
Denmark, despite controlling the ball 80% of the time, fell to an efficient Northern Ireland team who converted two shots on goal to two goals.
š NBA
Charlotte Hornets 121-118 Boston Celtics
How to throw away a game, the Boston Celticsā way:
Have Jason Tatum score 45 points, including 31 in the first half
Have a 9-point lead with 2 minutes to go
Miss 2 game-sealing free throws with 10 seconds to go
Let a guy accused of domestic violence who hasnāt played in over a year make a dagger three in overtime
Lose
Confused? So are the Celtics.
Meanwhile, Lamelo Ball kept on balling and finished with 36 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. Superstar territory.
Detroit Pistons 103-107 Denver Nuggets
Jokic is not having a good time.
After yesterdayās game in which he was limited to 18 points and 28 minutes, Jokic was ejected in the first half after arguing with the refs and getting called for a second technical foul. He played 15 minutes and scored 9 points before the ejection.
Lucky for the Nuggets, their opponent was the Pistons, which allowed them to be competitive even without Jokic and Murray. Reggie Jackson took over for the Nuggets with 21 points, including 8 points in the final 6:30 minutes. KCP added 20.
The Pistons got another great performance from Cade Cunningham, who scored 27 and added 9 assists. But this Pistonsā team was good enough to take advantage of the severely diminished Nuggets.
Minnesota Timberwolves 117-100 New York Knicks
THIS IS NOT A DRILL: The Minnesota Timberwolves are the #1 team in the west.
Long gone are the memes and jokes about the Rudy Gobert trade, as the Timberwolves are finally putting things together and are leading the West with a 10-3 record.
Anthony Edwards (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Karl Anthony Towns (20 points) are hitting their stride and leading this team to new heights. The Timberwolves have won 9 of their last 10.
Knicksā stars Brunson (25 points) and Randle (21 points) did what they could, but didnāt get enough help to put up a serious fight and fell 16 points behind in the third quarter.
Quick Notes
Giannis Antetokounmpo did everything and finished with a 42-13-8 line to lead the Bucks over the Wizards, 142-129. The Bucksā defense looks shaky, but theyāre hard to match on offense.
Bam Adebayo scored 23 points and the Heat shot 48% from the three in a comfortable win over the Bulls, 118-100. Coby White led the scoring for the Bulls with 20.
The Pelicans pummeled the Kings 129-93. The Kings had an off night, with Fox and Sabonis combining for 24 points. Ingram and Zion scored 31 and 26 respectively for the Pelicans.
The Clippers won 2 in a row with a 124-99 demolition of the Spurs, who now lost 9 straight. Paul George led the Clippers with 28, while Wemby had a bad night, scoring 9 on 4-12 shooting, including 0-4 from three.
Curry scored 32 and Thompson had a season-high 20 points in the Warriors W over the Rockets, 121-116. This is only the Warriorsā second win at home this season. Sengun led scoring for the Rockets with 30.
ā½ World Cup 2026 Qualifiers
I messed up yesterday and confused Monday with Tuesday. I was all excited about Brazil - Argentina until I realized that the game is today, not yesterday. Oh well. Iām still excited for it. In case you missed it, hereās the preview I sent yesterday:
Brazil - Argentina
Can you call yourself a football fan if you donāt get excited about Brazil playing Argentina? No, you canāt. This is a potential World Cup Final in any edition and some of the most flamboyant football on earth.
Amazingly, both teams have lost their recent game: Brazil to Colombia, and Argentina to Uruguay. Brazil has even lost two in a row, which very rarely happens. To top it all off, Brazil has never lost a WC qualifying match at home. A loss would send the Brazilians into crisis mode, and you can bet Messi and Co. will do everything they can to make their South American rivals suffer.
Paraguay - Colombia
Colombia is coming off a historic 2-1 win against Brazil at home and now sits in third place in the qualifying group. They will be looking to make this a perfect 2 out of 2 against a weak Paraguayan side who held the ball only 28% of the time in a scoreless draw against Chile.
Ecuador - Chile
Both teamsā previous games ended in a scoreless draw with very little attacking chances. Both teams are tied with 5 points after 5 games and are likely to fight for the last qualifying spot or the intercontinental playoff spot. This game may not be very enjoyable to watch, but it is a crucial match for both teams.
Uruguay - Bolivia
Uruguay is on fire, having beaten Argentina 2-0 in Argentina in the previous matchday, and Brazil in the one before. Theyāre now in clear 2nd place in the qualifying group and have scored 10 goals in 5 matches - the most of any team. Bolivia, while coming off a victory against Peru, has conceded 11 goals, making it the worst defense in qualifying. Uruguayās potent offense should enjoy this game.
Peru - Venezuela
Despite a scoreless draw last time, Venezuela is playing some of its best football in recent years. It cannot afford to drop points to Peru, a team that hasnāt scored a single goal in 5 matches. This is the kind of match big teams know how to win, but that can trip up smaller teams. We will find out which group the new Venezuela belongs to.
ā½ Euro 2024 Qualifiers
Group B
Greece - France
Gibraltar - Netherlands
There is nothing to play for here; two exhibition matches for the top two teams in the group. France will be rotating the squad heavily and giving chances to bench players to show what they got. The Netherlands will be looking to build confidence and chemistry on offense against a much weaker team.
Group D
Croatia - Armenia
Wales - Turkey
Croatia will qualify with a win or a draw against Armenia. Wales needs to beat Turkey at home and hope for an Armenian upset to steal 2nd place at the buzzer. Croatia is heavily favored and should take care of business.
Group I
Kosovo - Belarus
Romania - Switzerland
Andorra - Israel
The Swiss and Romanians have secured their place in the Euro but will be fighting for first place in the group, which should lead to an easier Euro 2024 group stage. The rest of the group will play for honor, as Israel has secured a place in the Nations League playoffs.
š NBA
Philadelphia 76ers - Cleveland Cavaliers
By now you know how much I like games between teams with winning records; this is the only one today. Unfortunately, it wonāt feature Donovan Mitchell who is out with a hamstring injury.
The remaining Cavs will have to step up to make up for the absence of their leader, who averages 29 points per game. Garland, Mobley, and Allen have proven to be valuable players in the Cavs W over the Nuggets in their last game, and theyāll be looking to replicate that success.
The 76ers will be almost at full strength, with their top three players available and rested. Embiid is leading the league in scoring with 31.9 points per game, and Maxey is the best second option in the NBA with 26.8 points per game. Batum, Covington, and Tucker - the three main players the 76ers got for Harden - are contributing on defense, which is exactly what the 76ers need. I am more invested in the 76ers this year than in any other year.
Atlanta Hawks - Indiana Pacers
So far, the Hawks and Pacers look like two potential playoff teams.
Trae Young is having a solid but somewhat quiet season for the Hawks and is averaging 23 points per game, with 11 assists. He is complemented by Dejounte Murray, a streaky shooter who can deliver a 30-point performance on any given night.
The Pacers are led by the NBA top passer Tyrese Haliburton, who is taking his game to the next level this season. He is averaging 23.5 points and leading the league with 11.6 assists a game. The āissueā with the Pacers is the lack of a strong second option; instead, they have 8 players averaging more than 10 points per game. This is distributed basketball with a field general at the helm, and how the team holds on as the year goes by remains to be seen.
Other Games
Orlando Magic - Toronto Raptors
Phoenix Suns - Portland Trailblazers
Los Angeles Lakers - Utah Jazz
āSports Trivia
The Celticsā Jason Tatum had a great first half against the Hornets, scoring 31 points. Who holds the record for most points in a half of an NBA game?
The answer is in the wrap-up.
š£ļø Quote Of The Day
āOur combined roster is now equal to the UFC in terms of Top 25-ranked talentā
PFL chairman Donn Davis is making waves with the Bellator acquisition. They may have equal talent, but if weāre really honest - they need a McGregor-style superstar to really compete with the UFC for public attention.
ā Canāt Miss Moment
Heartbreak for the Chiefs as MVS drops a Game Winning pass
You will never be more open than this in the NFL. You will never get a pass from a better QB than Mahomes. And yet, he drops it. Heartbreaking.
š§® Stat Of The Day
Maradonaās Hand of God Jersey sells for $9.28 million
This makes the game-worn shirt from the 1986 World Cup the most expensive sports memorabilia item ever sold, surpassing the original Olympic manifesto that was previously sold for $8.8 million.
š½ļø Video of the Day
The Nuggets are vibing in the locker room
Jokicās got jokes, tries to kiss a coach, and everyone is having a laugh. The Nuggets got vibes for days.
Wrap Up
The final day of the international break is upon us. Back to club football this weekend. Tomorrow weāll recap the Euro 2024 qualifiers, but letās enjoy Brazil - Argentina first, for real this time.
āTrivia answer: Whenever itās a crazy stat, itās always Wilt Chamberlain. He scored 59 in a half as a Philadelphia Warrior vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.