Houston Astros may be employing next-level gamesmanship, and we’re here for it
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31 October 2022
Astros pitcher Framber Valdez received a lot of attention after Game 2 of the World Series for the way he rubbed down the baseball in between pitches. With the thought being, he's using an illegal substance to gain an advantage against the opponent. This behavior isn't something that's really new for Framber, but with all the eyes on Houston during the World Series, he is now receiving a higher level of scrutiny.
Plus, catcher Martin Maldonado has been told by MLB he can no longer use the bat Albert Pujols gave him, as this bat is no longer legal to use in MLB unless you were grandfathered in like Pujols. With so many concerns from Philly about the Astros and their reputation over the last several years, could Framber be taking advantage of the situation and leaning into the narrative just to make the Phillies and their fans waste time worrying about a non-issue? Pretty crafty if you ask us.
Check out the video above to learn more!
Rockets advance to NBA Cup semifinals after thrilling win over Warriors
Dec 11, 2024, 11:50 pm
Jalen Green made two free throws with 3.5 seconds left and the Houston Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 91-90 on Wednesday night to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.
Houston snapped a 15-game skid against the Warriors, winning for the first time in the series since Feb. 20, 2020. The Rockets will face Oklahoma City, which beat Dallas in the other West quarterfinal game on Tuesday night, in the semifinals on Saturday.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 26 points and 11 rebounds and Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 points.
Houston led by 14 before falling behind late to set up the thrilling finish.
Houston trailed by six with about 1 1/2 minutes left before Fred VanVleet made a 3-pointer and Sengun added a layup with 27 seconds to go to cut the lead to one.
Stephen Curry missed a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left and Gary Payton II grabbed the rebound, but Green intercepted his pass and was fouled by Jonathan Kuminga to set up the winning free throws.
The Warriors had a chance to win it at the buzzer but Smith blocked Brandin Podziemski’s 3-point attempt.
Takeaways
Warriors: Golden State beat the Rockets twice this season without Curry before losing Wednesday in a game where he had 19 points.
Rockets: This young team showed poise in finishing this one after squandering a double-digit lead.
Key moment
Green’s hustle on getting the ball late to draw the foul to set up the winning free throws.
Key stat
Houston won despite making just 6 of 27 3-pointers.
Up next
While Houston heads to Las Vegas this weekend, the Warriors will return to regular-season play Sunday at Dallas.
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