Sports Brief: Week of Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

NBA: Rose flashes back to MVP season, Thompson sets record

Derrick Rose’s career has been plagued with injury, hindering him to live in a shadow of his former athletic ability. Rose, whose career started with the Chicago Bulls, was once league MVP before his acrobatic style of play led to season-ending injuries. He journeyed from the New York Knicks to LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers before signing with former coach Tom Thibodeau and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 30-year-old was able to drop 50 points on Halloween, a career high, giving the league and fans flashbacks of his 2010-2011 MVP campaign while leading them to a 3-point victory.

Earlier last week, Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson knocked down an NBA record 14 three-pointers. Thompson racked up 52 points in 27 minutes while shooting 18-for-29 from the field.

In Oklahoma City news, the Thunder is 4-4, still struggling to hit their stride. With Russell Westbrook slowly getting back to mid-season form and rebuilding from a summer knee surgery, he is notably improving his basketball I.Q. The Thunder guard has seen an early rise in shooting percentage, which can be contributed to his enhanced shot selection.

CFB: Alabama remains undefeated, OU leads Big 12

The No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide beat Louisiana State University Saturday night 29-0, dropping the Tigers to ninth in the AP Poll. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said they were beat at the line scrimmage, which created problems on both sides of the ball. Alabama will play Mississippi State this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and LSU will play Arkansas at 6:30 p.m.

The University of Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech Saturday in an offensive shootout 51-46.Sooner quarterback Kyler Murray threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 100 yards. Wide receiver Lee Morris caught two touchdown passes and had 101 yards of total offense.

Red Raider quarterback Alan Bowman, who experienced a collapsed lung earlier in the season, was knocked out early in Saturday’s contest after stating he had difficulty breathing. This briefly slowed the offensive production from Tech’s side of the ball.

The Sooners will face Oklahoma State University during Bedlam weekend Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Texas Tech will play the University of Texas.

Oklahoma State University fell short against Baylor University Saturday losing 35-31. The Cowboys have struggled to remain consistent offensively and dropped to seventh in the Big 12.

UFC 230

With the initial card snake-bit with injuries, heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and number-one contender Derrick Lewis refilled the headlines as UFC 230’s main event at Madison Square Garden last Saturday. Cormier, after a recent transition to the weight class and an upset victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, was able to defend his belt through a second round submission over the stand-up specialist Lewis.

In the co-main event, Ronaldo Souza ended the fight with a third round knockout over Chris Weidman.

Breeder’s Cup

At Churchill Downs in Kentucky, the 2018 Breeder’s Cup Classic featured a spectrum of prestigious horses, which brought the season to a head. Early in the race, Mendelssohn, a contender for the Triple Crown earlier in the year, led out of the gate but slowly slipped in the standings. Accelerate, jockeyed by Joel Rosario, pulled away in the final stretch, winning the Classic. 

NFL: Rams take first loss

The Los Angeles Rams saw their first loss of the season Sunday, 45-35, coming from Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

The Saint’s started the game hot, leading 35-17 at halftime. The Rams then scored 18 unanswered points to tie it at 35 midway through the fourth quarter. Brees threw for 346 yards and four touchdowns. Runningback Alvin Kamara rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns, highlighting the Saints’ versatility.

The Rams will face the Seattle Seahawks at 3:25 p.m. this Sunday. The Saints will play the Cincinnati Bengals at noon.

MLB: Kershaw resigns, free agency starts

 After coming off an NLCS championship, Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw has decided to re-sign a three-year deal for $93 million. The deal includes workload and performance bonuses. This re-signing sparks the start of Major League free agency.

Other notable free agents looking to cash in big include outfielder Bryce Harper, shortstop Manny Machado and pitchers Patrick Corbin, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel.

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