ROBBED | TMK #25

Today, on TMK:

A Spanish man gets robbed, Englishmen get bored, and Italians everywhere breathe a sigh of relief.

Headlines

Catch Up

• 🏁 F1 Las Vegas Qualifying

• ⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifiers

• 🏀 NBA

The Main Events

• 🏁 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

• ⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifiers

• 🏈 College Football Week 12

• 🏀 NBA

• 🎾 Djokovic - Alcaraz

Extra Time:

• ❓ Sports Trivia

• 🗣️ Quote of the Day

• ⭐ Can’t Miss Moment

• 🧮 Stat of the Day

• 📽️ Video of the Day

Charles Leclerc takes pole position for F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

• Leclerc narrowly beat teammate Carlos Sainz for first, with Verstappen third. Sainz was ROBBED and will start 12th due to a ridiculous penalty.

Denmark, Albania qualify for Euro 2024

• A win for Denmark and a draw for Albania were enough to seal the deal and compete in the Euro 2024

The Los Angeles Clippers win a game

• They finally did it. This is James Harden’s first taste of victory as a Clipper, and he also nailed the game-winning 4-pointer.

Premier League club Everton hit with a 10-point penalty for financial rule breaches

• Everton lost 124 million pounds in 2021, more than the 100 million they were allowed to lose. So now they’re losing points as well and dropping to the relegation zone.

QB Joe Burrow is out for the season, NFL to investigate Bengals for injury report compliance

• Burrow was seen with a soft cast on his hand before the Ravens game in a since-deleted social media post. If the Bengals knew he was injured and didn’t report, they’re in trouble. He reinjured his wrist and will be out for the season.

🏁 F1 Las Vegas Qualifying

After being a shambolic Thursday full of frustration, jokes, and memes, it was time to get to business in Las Vegas.

Unlike free practice, qualifying delivered great action on the track and beautiful shots of cars on the Las Vegas strip. Was it $500 million worth of good shots? I’m not sure. But let’s get into the racing.

After an hour dominated by Charles Leclerc, the driver from Monaco was able to secure his 23rd pole position of his career. He came just 0.044 seconds ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, who will be ROBBED of a front-row start due to a 10-place grid penalty because of F1’s stupid rules and inability to take responsibility for a faulty track. As a reminder, he’s taking a penalty for having to use a new car component because a metal valve cover came off the track and destroyed his car.

Verstappen, Leclerc’s arch-rival on track, will be starting second instead. We’re on for another Leclerc pole, Verstappen win. Traditions.

Russell finished fourth, followed by Gasly in fifth. Both drivers can be happy with their performance. So can Albon and Sargeant, who put BOTH Williams into Q3 AND qualified 6th and 7th. The Williams have great straight-line speed, and they will be very tough to overtake.

Bottas and Magnussen gave very strong performances on the new track and finished 8th and 9th. Both will be hoping to score points for their teams. Alonso finished 10th.

Q2 had some surprises as both Hamilton and Perez were eliminated earlier than anticipated. They qualified in 11th and 12th, but Sainz will come between them due to his penalty. They were followed by Hulkenberg, Stroll, and Ricciardo in 13th, 14th, and 15th.

But perhaps the biggest shock of this qualifying session was McLaren, who have looked so strong in recent races but only managed to qualify 16th (Norris) and 19th (Piastri). Something about the cars simply did not work for McLaren, as both of their drivers are proven to be very capable.

Ocon is 17th after having a moment with Verstappen in Q1 in which they cursed each other on the radio, Zhou Guanyu had a disappointing showing in 18th considering that Bottas is 8th, and Yuki Tsunoda failed to get a clean lap and went off twice in Q1 to qualify 20th.

After a horrific day yesterday, F1 was hoping for a clean qualifying session to change the narrative a bit around this Grand Prix weekend, and they got it. On, on to the race.

⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifiers

Group C

Italy 5-2 North Macedonia

England 2-0 Malta

Italy broke its North Macedonia curse and won to set up a showdown with Ukraine over a spot in the Euro. A draw will do it for Italy.

England won a boring game in which it didn't shoot on goal until the 63rd minute. The English were already qualified, but fans at the stadium deserve better.

Group E

Moldova 1-1 Albania

Poland 1-1 Czech Republic

Albania is qualified despite only drawing against Moldova. Poland is officially eliminated from the direct qualification route, and Moldova will get a chance at glory against the Czech Republic in the next game. They will qualify only with a win.

Group H

Kazakhstan 3-1 San Marino

Finland 4-0 Northern Ireland

Denmark 2-1 Slovenia

Denmark is officially qualified for the Euro. Kazakhstan and Slovenia will battle it out for the second spot in the next game. Finland at least gave its fans something to cheer about, which is more than England can say.

🏀 NBA

Los Angeles Clippers 106 - 100 Houston Rockets

THEY DID IT.

The Clippers have FINALLY won a game with Harden. All it took was sacrificing Westbrook to the bench.

Kawhi led the scoring with 26, Harden added 24, and Paul George 23. These numbers are more in line with what we initially expected from the Clippers. Westbrook seems to have been excluded from the big 3, and played only 17 minutes from the bench, scoring 8 points.

The Rockets played their usual game, with Sengun finishing with 23, Green with 20 and VanVleet with 19. It wasn't enough this time.

New Orleans Pelicans 115-110 Denver Nuggets

The Pelicans handed the Nuggets a rare loss behind Zion Williamson’s 26 points. Denver was down 20 points during the game but came back to being within a point in the fourth quarter. Zion and Ingram (21 points) wouldn't let the Pelicans lose and went on an 8-0 run with 4 minutes to go to put the game out of Jokic’s reach.

Jokic finished with yet another bonkers statistical line, 26-16-18, but it wasn't enough and the Nuggets lacked some clutch in the 4th. The Nuggets generally shot poorly from the three, 25%, with Jokic only making 1 of 8 attempts. The Pelicans, on the other hand, shot 52% from three.

Utah Jazz 128-131 Phoenix Suns

Good things happen to the Suns when Durant and Booker are able to share the playmaking load. Durant led all scorers with 38, while Booker added 24 points and a career-high 15 assists.

Perhaps more importantly, Durant scored 10 of the Suns’ last 12 points in the 4th quarter to overcome a spectacular 37 points from the Jazz's Jordan Clarkson. The Suns are now 6-6 despite a very injured start to the season.

Quick Notes

• Lamelo Ball scored 37 in a 130-99 losing effort to the Bucks. Lillard scored 27, Giannis 15.

• Are the Wizards the worst team in the league? Perhaps. Brunson scored 32 for the Knicks in a 120-99 victory over Washington.

• Tobias Harris is justifying his superstar salary with a 29-point effort for the 76ers in a 126-116 win over the Hawks. Embiid led with 32.

• The Cavs didn’t need Mitchell to beat the Pistons, 108-100. Darius Garland led the Cavs with 28. Cade Cunningham had 20 for Detroit.

• The Celtics overcame a terrible night from 3 for Tatum (1 of 11) to beat the Raptors 108-105. Brown had 23 for the Celts, while Siakam and Schroder had 23 for the Raptors.

• DeAaron Fox is the man in Sacramento, and his 43 points led the Kings to a 129-120 victory over the Spurs. Zach Collins scored 28 for San Antonio, and Wemby added 27.

• If the Bulls can’t win with 34 points from Zach Lavine and 23 from Demar DeRozan, can they win at all? They lost 103-97 to the Magic.

• LeBron James keeps on giving the Lakers everything, and his 35 points were crucial in overcoming the Trailblazers, 107-95.

🏁 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Here are the main storylines to watch going into the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

• Will the racing be any good?

Since it’s our first time at this track, we have no idea how the race will turn out. Will there be overtaking opportunities? Will cars just follow each other? The Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled to be a part of the F1 calendar for the next decade - so the racing better be good.

• Can Charles hold off Verstappen?

History suggests that he can’t, as the Ferrari is known for going through its tires too quickly. However, given the expected low temperatures, this could end up being an advantage as the Ferrari should theoretically be able to generate temperature faster, giving it more grip.

• Can Williams finish with both cars in the points?

The Williams are RAPID in a straight line and will start 6th and 7th. Will they strategize to keep both cars in DRS range? Logan Sargeant’s car should be impossible to overtake if he is in Albon’s DRS. This is a massive opportunity for Williams to lock up the 7th place in the constructors’ championship for good.

• Will Hamilton, Sainz, and Perez play nice at the start?

These three aren’t used to starting 10th, 11th, and 12th. Well, maybe Perez is. But anyway, these are three of the best cars on the grid that will have to fight in the middle of the pack for position in the early stages. The middle of the pack is often where incidents happen…

• Will McLaren storm back?

Norris and Piastri are uncharacteristically starting from 16th and 19th, despite having the 2nd best car on the grid in recent races. Something about qualifying in Vegas didn’t work for them, but is it a setup issue, a tire issue, or a track issue? They will certainly be looking to have a fun race and overtake as many cars as they can.

⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifiers

Group B

Netherlands - Ireland

France - Gibraltar

The Netherlands can qualify for the Euro 2024 with a win over Ireland. The Dutch team is playing at home and should get the job done. France will be playing to win despite being already qualified, as a win would guarantee it a place in Pot 1 for the Euro 2024 draw.

Group D

Armenia - Wales

Latvia - Croatia

Everything is still to play for in Group D, with Armenia, Wales, and Croatia all chasing Turkey and the second qualifying spot. Armenia would be eliminated from direct qualification with a loss, but the top two teams are likely to be decided on the final matchday.

Group I

Belarus - Andorra

Switzerland - Kosovo

Israel - Romania

Switzerland can qualify for the Euro with a win at home over Kosovo. Israel will be desperate to beat Romania and hope that Romania loses on the final matchday to have any chance of overtaking it for the second spot.

🏈 College Football Week 12

Washington (10-0) at Oregon State (8-2)

Washington is on a roll in the Pac-12, eyeing a spot in the conference championship and maybe even the College Football Playoff. But first, they've got to take on Oregon State, a team with similar aspirations for the Pac-12 title game. If Washington wins against the Beavers or their next game against Washington State, they secure a slot in the conference championship. Oregon State faces a tough road ahead with a game against No. 6 Oregon, but they're still in the running for the conference championship.

A big concern for Oregon State is their defense. They've given up quite a few points in earlier games, and now they face a high-scoring Washington team averaging 41 points per game. However, the Beavers have been solid in interceptions this season, ranking second in the Pac-12 with 12.

Keep an eye on Washington's quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. He's a Heisman Trophy contender, leading the nation in passing yards per game. On the other side, Oregon State's running back, Damien Martinez, is making waves with over 1,000 rushing yards this season, coming off an impressive performance with four rushing touchdowns in their last game.

Georgia (10-0) at Tennessee (7-3)

Georgia is on a 27-game winning streak, aiming to match the SEC record set by Alabama. Winning would solidify their spot in the SEC championship game, but there's even bigger history in the making: they're eyeing a chance to become the first team since 1936 to win three straight national championships.

However, a loss to Tennessee could shake things up. Even if they win the SEC championship against Alabama, it might not be enough to secure their spot in the College Football Playoff, especially with four other unbeaten Power 5 teams in contention.

Georgia's been on fire lately, especially after their impressive win against Ole Miss. Their offense is hitting high marks, with a scoring average of over 40 points per game, which is quite unusual for a team known for their defense.

On the flip side, Tennessee's reeling a bit after a tough loss to Missouri. They've got a strong home record but have struggled against Georgia, losing six straight matchups and 11 of the last 13 games in this series.

Kansas State (7-3) at Kansas (7-3)

The last time both Kansas and Kansas State had such strong seasons was way back in 1995. Fast forward to now, they're both sitting at 7-3, and things are heating up. Kansas State has been owning this rivalry, winning 14 straight and 26 of the last 30 matchups. But this time, the Jayhawks have a shot at flipping the script.

If Kansas can pull off an upset, they'll put a dent in Kansas State's Big 12 title aspirations. However, the Jayhawks might have a quarterback issue. Their main man, Jalon Daniels, is out, and the backup, Jason Bean, got banged up in the last game. Coach Leipold is optimistic about Bean's return, which is crucial because Kansas State's offense has been on fire, averaging a whopping 42 points per game lately.

🏀 NBA

Milwaukee Bucks - Dallas Mavericks

Any matchup that involves 2 of the world’s best players is worth watching, and I’m not talking about Lillard and Kyrie Irving. Luka and Giannis, the European better half of their respective duos, have been on a tear this season. Both are averaging 30 points per game.

Both teams are healthy coming into this game and should put on a show. Both teams aim to contend for a championship but have been relatively recently formed - which makes this game a great proving ground to show they have what it takes.

Other Games

Charlotte Hornets - New York Knicks

New Orleans Pelicans - Minnesota Timberwolves

Chicago Bulls - Miami Heat

San Antonio Spurs - Memphis Grizzlies

Golden State Warriors - Oklahoma City Thunder

🎾 Djokovic - Alcaraz

Despite Alcaraz’s bad run of form lately, this is still one of the best matchups world tennis has to offer.

Both men look like they can be beaten, and have been beaten this tournament - Alcaraz by Zverev, Djoko by Sinner - but they remain two of the world’s best tennis players on any given day.

Alcaraz will try to build on his last couple of wins after losing three in a row. Djokovic will try to prove to the younger generation, once again, that he is still the GOAT and hasn't lost a step.

This is set to be a cracking game.

❓Sports Trivia

F1 has raced in Las Vegas before, in a very different but somehow similar farce of a weekend. But in what year?

The answer is in the wrap-up.

🗣️ Quote Of The Day

“No”

Max Verstappen’s answer to the question “Did you have fun driving the Las Vegas track”.

I love this blunt version of Max Verstappen. He's a three-time world champion and is untouchable. He'll tell you what he really thinks.

⭐ Can’t Miss Moment

James Harden Hits 4-Point Game Winner

We’ve been dunking on Harden so much this season that I almost feel the need to be nice and mention him in a positive context. So here goes. Well done James.

🧮 Stat Of The Day

Joe Burrow has been sacked 148 times in 52 games

Remember Andrew Luck, who retired to protect his health? He was sacked 115 times in 55 games. And now Burrow is out for the season with an injury. If the Bengals don’t get their protection right, I fear the worst for Burrow.

📽️ Video of the Day

Toto Wolff’s Meltdown

The Mercedes’ team principal wasn’t too happy when a reporter asked him if the FP1 drain cover incident was a black eye for F1. Toto Wolff is hugely invested in Mercedes, and Formula 1, and it’s a joy to see him rattled. FP1 was a joke and F1 should be ashamed.

Click HERE to watch on Youtube.

Wrap Up

Saturdays are always insanely packed with action, and today’s no different. We have no less than 5 major events happening throughout the day. This is going to be fun. See you tomorrow.

❗Trivia answer: The 1982 Caesar’s Palace Grand Prix, when F1 literally raced in the Caesar’s Palace parking lot.