Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Friday, April 28, 2017
NBA
Raptors blow 25-point lead, but beat Bucks
Toronto and San
Antonio advance to
second round
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE
—
DeMar
DeRozan scored 32 points and
the Toronto Raptors squandered a
25-point lead late in the third quarter
before holding on for a 92-89 victory
Thursday night over the Milwaukee
Bucks to take their first-round playoff
series in six games.
Cory Joseph had five points in a 9-0
run in the final 2 minutes, including a
3-pointer with 1:27 left, to help stave
off the pesky Bucks.
The Raptors move on to face the
Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern
Conference semifinals in a series that
starts Monday. They’ll need to work
on finishing off opponents in the
second half.
Jason Terry’s 3 with 3:06 left gave
the Bucks an 80-78 lead, completing
an unlikely comeback from the
25-point deficit with 5:16 left in the
third quarter. The Raptors looked as
AP Photo/Morry Gash
Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Toronto Raptors’
DeMar DeRozan battle for a loose ball during the second half
of Game 6 of an NBA first-round playoff series basketball game
Thursday, April 27, 2017, in Milwaukee.
if they were on cruise control after
DeMarre Carroll’s 3 gave them the
71-46 advantage.
Giannis Antetokounmpo spear-
headed the second-half rally for
Milwaukee. He had 34 points.
But the Bucks finished one come-
back short.
The furious effort appeared to
sap the energy of the young Bucks.
Even Antetokounmpo, a renowned
gym rat, looked tired with his hands
on hips as he caught his breath
during fourth-quarter breaks. He
played 47 minutes.
Antetokounmpo finished 13 of
23 from the field but was 2 of 6 in
the fourth.
The Raptors could finally breathe
easy after DeRozan went 2 of 2 from
the foul line with 3.1 seconds to play
for a three-point lead. Tony Snell’s
inbounds pass on the ensuing posses-
sion was intercepted by DeRozan.
Rebounding from 2-1 series deficit
and an embarrassing 27-point loss
in Game 3, the Raptors will face
Cleveland a year after losing to the
Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference
finals in six games.
Kyle Lowry added 13 points for
Toronto.
SPURS 103, GRIZZLIES 96 —
At Nashville, Tenn., Kawhi Leonard
scored 29 points, and the San Antonio
Spurs advanced to the Western
Conference semifinals by beating the
Memphis Grizzlies 103-96 Thursday
night to take the series 4-2.
The Spurs now have beaten
GRITZ: Will reunite with Hermiston teammate
Continued from 1B
game and he fits all three.”
Blue Mountain also pres-
ents Gritz with a great oppor-
tunity to play right away, as
two of the three catchers on
the Timberwolves roster are
sophomores. Gritz said that
Baker expects him to catch
a lot of innings for BMCC in
2018.
“He thinks if I work hard
I’ll play a lot which is great,”
Gritz said. “And hopefully
I’ll be starting by the time
spring rolls around, that’s
my goal. I have to work hard
though.”
Gritz added that he is
really excited about reuniting
with former Hermiston
teammates Tyler Sexton and
Chase Root at Blue Mountain
next season, both of whom
were battery mates with Gritz
on the Bulldogs. Root is the
only one that has earned
playing time this season, as
he is currently second on
BMCC in appearances with
14 this season, with a 4.98
ERA in 43 1/3 innings.
Gritz was Root’s catcher
last season for Hermiston
when Root tossed 14 strike-
outs in 20 1/3 innings with
a 0.69 ERA in four league
starts. Now Gritz is counting
down the days until he is the
one catching Root’s pitches
again, this time in Timber-
wolves gear.
“That’ll be great, I’m
definitely comfortable with
Chase,” Gritz said, “and I
think that’ll be good for us
again.”
And aside from joining up
with friends again, Gritz was
ecstatic to be staying close to
home.
“That’s a plus,” he said
with a smile. “I didn’t want
to travel that far from home.”
———
Contact Eric at esinger@
eastoregonian.com
or
541-966-0839. Follow him
on Twitter @ByEricSinger.
ANDREASON: Opened eyes with defensive play
Continued from 1B
be a shooter,” she said. “Just
catching and shooting from
the outside.”
Hermiston head coach
Juan Rodriguez said he
knows she’s going to repre-
sent the Bulldogs well at the
next level.
“I’m just happy for her,”
he said. “She’s worked hard,
ever since she was little,
and it’s a goal she’s come to
realize and I just wish her the
best from our program.
“She’s always been a
very offensively skilled
individual, but she needed to
work on her defensive end,
and I kind of challenged her
last summer, and this year
she guarded pretty much
everybody else’s best player.
By doing that I think it kind
of opened eyes for college
programs that she can be a
two-way player. She’s not
just a shooter.”
Rodriguez
said
the
program’s past dealings with
the Titans made Andreason’s
recruitment process a smooth
one.
“We’ve been working
last summer and this fall,
and through the school year
trying to find a good fit for
her and Coach (Greg) Sheley
over at Lane was really
impressed with her play,” he
said. “She fits their style and
they really approached her
and recruited her hard.
“What’s really nice is
with Lane we have kind of
a pipeline there right now. I
know the coaches really well
… they understand our style,
which fits well into their
style. They understand that
we’re never going to send
a player that we don’t think
will play.”
There was only one thing
giving Andreason pause.
“I think I narrowed it
down pretty quickly, the only
concern was that it was far
away from home,” she said
of the Eugene campus. “But
I felt like basketball-wise it
would have been the best
opportunity for me.”
MARINERS: Miranda to start in series opener with Cleveland
Continued from 1B
marking the first time he has
pitched back-to-back days
during his recovery process.
Cishek hopes to return to
Seattle’s bullpen in early
May.
Tigers: SS Jose Iglesias
was activated from the
concussion list before the
game, and LHP Kyle Ryan
was optioned to Triple-A
Toledo. Ryan posted a 7.94
ERA in eight relief appear-
ances, allowing nine hits and
seven walks in 5 2/3 innings.
... Adduci left the game
after eight innings when his
calf tightened up after the
sixth-inning collision with
Collins.
K-ROD CAN’T SOLVE
LEFTIES
The ninth inning saw
Rodriguez
continue
to
struggle against left-handed
hitting. After Seager’s double
and Gamel’s single, lefties
are hitting .385 with a .429
on-base percentage and .846
slugging percentage in 28
plate appearances against the
Detroit closer.
“I’m extremely disap-
pointed,” he said. “I’m just
missing my spots. I’ve got to
pitch better and quickly start
getting people out.”
MARINERS PITCHING
REBOUNDS
After allowing 19 runs in
the series opener and losing
Felix Hernandez to a stiff
shoulder, Seattle outscored
the Tigers 10-1 in the final
two games. James Paxton
threw seven shutout innings
in Wednesday’s 9-0 win
before Iwakuma’s strong
outing on Thursday.
“We all have to step up
to replace Felix,” Iwakuma
said through an interpreter.
“That’s what we did the last
two days.”
UP NEXT
Mariners: LHP Ariel
Miranda (1-2, 4.35) will face
Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco
(2-1, 1.65) to start a three-
game series in Cleveland.
Tigers: LHP Matthew
Boyd (2-1, 3.86) takes on
former teammate Mike
Pelfrey (0-1, 4.15) as the
Chicago White Sox visit
Detroit for a weekend series.
Pelfrey was released by the
Tigers this spring despite
being owed $8 million in the
last year of his contract.
NFL DRAFT: Seattle Seahawks trade down twice, out of first round
Continued from 1B
City gave up its first-rounder
next year to go from 27th to
10th for Texas Tech’s Patrick
Mahomes.
Altogether, eight of the
first dozen picks were to aid
offenses, including Clemson
QB Deshaun Watson to
Houston — which also
traded up for a passer.
All of which overshad-
owed the predictable at
the top of the draft: Roger
Goodell got booed, then
Myles Garrett was picked
first by the Cleveland
Browns.
“C’mon, Philly, C’mon,”
Goodell said Thursday night
amid the boos, not even
wincing at the reception.
Moments later, he was back
onstage announcing the
Texas A&M defensive end’s
name. Garrett, a junior and
All-American considered the
best pass rusher in this crop,
is the first Aggie selected No.
1 overall.
Garrett was not on hand,
but promised Cleveland fans
“great things are coming.”
Cleveland went 1-15
last season and has holes
everywhere. It ranked 31st
defensively and had only 26
sacks.
Then the Bears sent a
third-round pick, a fourth and
a 2018 third to San Francisco
to switch that one slot and take
Trubisky, who started only 13
games for North Carolina.
“It was crazy,” Trubisky
said. “There was no call. I
didn’t think I was going to
be picked until the commis-
sioner said my name.”
San Francisco was up next,
and new general manager
John Lynch already was
looking good for bringing
in such a haul to drop back
to No. 3. The 49ers took DE
Solomon Thomas from just
down the road at Stanford.
One player whose status
was uncertain, Ohio State
cornerback Gareon Conley,
was drafted by Oakland
at No. 24. He has decried
allegations that he raped a
woman as “completely false”
and no charges have been
filed as police investigate
claims made by a 23-year-old
woman. Conley was named
in a police report that details
the allegations but no infor-
mation has been forwarded
to prosecutors.
For much of the round, it
was an offensive draft.
“We had a lot of scenarios,
but we did not have any
scenarios
like
what’s
happened here,” Eagles
executive vice president of
football operations Howie
Roseman said.
LSU
running
back
Leonard Fournette, who some
scouts compared to Adrian
Peterson, went to Jackson-
ville; new Jaguars boss Tom
Coughlin is enamored of
powerful running backs.
“He’s special,” Coughlin
said. “We need playmakers.
We need people to put the ball
in the end zone. We need to
do something about balance.
We need to do something
about creating a better situ-
ation where the quarterback
doesn’t have the entire game
on his shoulders.”
Another LSU player,
safety Jamal Adams, whose
father, George, was an
NFLer, was taken by the
New York Jets, one pick
after Tennessee, needing an
upgrade at wide receiver,
selected Corey Davis of
Western Michigan. Davis
is the FBS career leader in
receiving yards with 5,285
and was a key to the Broncos’
turnaround last season.
Two more skill position
offensive players went
seventh and eighth. Receiver
Mike Williams, who came
off a serious neck injury in
2015 to help Clemson to the
national championship last
season, was taken by the
Chargers. Then Christian
McCaffrey, son of former
NFL wideout Ed McCaffrey,
wound up with Carolina.
The Panthers, eager to get
back to the form that won
them the 2015 NFC title, got
a versatile running back from
Stanford who also can play
receiver and return kicks.
Cam Newton sure must be
smiling.
“Can’t wait to grind every
single day for that team, the
fans, for everybody there,”
McCaffrey said.
More picks and more
offense followed. A third
receiver, John Ross of Wash-
ington, was taken by Cincin-
nati, which desperately needs
a complement to A.J. Green.
Ross tore a ligament in his
left knee in 2015 that didn’t
slow him down much. He ran
a record 4.2 in the 40 at the
scouting combine.
The next trade saw
Buffalo’s new coach, Sean
McDermott, deal with his
mentor, Chiefs coach Andy
Reid. The Chiefs surged up
for ... a quarterback. They
took Mahomes, whose stock
soared in workouts this year.
Mahomes comes from a
spread attack and will need to
learn a pro-style offense, but
Kansas City has Alex Smith
in place right now.
Memphis four of the five playoff series
between these teams, and this was San
Antonio’s second straight win over the
Grizzlies in the first round.
Tony Parker added 27 points on
11-of-14 shooting, while LaMarcus
Aldridge had 17 points and 12
rebounds. Patty Mills had 10 points off
the bench for the Spurs. San Antonio
outrebounded Memphis 46-28, with
16 of those offensive boards. That led
to 17 second-chance points.
Their semifinal with Houston will
start Monday night in San Antonio.
Mike Conley scored 26 points,
leading the five Memphis starters
in double digits. Marc Gasol added
18, Zach Randolph 13 points and 11
rebounds, and Vince Carter had 12
points.
The Grizzlies fell to 3-10 in elimi-
nation games, losing six straight.
This was a taut game with 16 ties
and nine lead changes, especially with
four ties in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs took control after the
Grizzlies went up 88-81 on three free
throws from Conley with 6:29 left.
Then Leonard scored eight straight
for San Antonio, starting a 22-8 run to
finish the game.
Athlete of the Week
Twenty questions
with Pendleton’s
Payton Hergert
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Pend-
leton senior Payton Hergert
turned in a whopper of a
weekend hitting three home
runs while going 6 for 8
in a doubleheader for the
Buckaroo softball team.
She has been named the
East Oregonian Athlete of
the Week for April 16-22.
EO: What was the first
sport you played and how
old were you?
PH: Either softball or
basketball, and like
seven.
How many sports do you
currently play and what’s
your favorite sport to
play?
I only play softball.
What’s your favorite
thing to do in a softball
game?
I like getting doubles to
start off a rally.
Who’s your favorite team
to watch?
I like watching U of O
play, the softball team.
If you could attend any
sporting event in the
world what would it be?
Probably the World
Series.
What’s your favorite
thing to snack on during
a game?
I always have a granola
bar.
Who has had the largest
impact on you as a
player?
Probably my dad (Dan
Hergert).
What’s your favorite
piece of gear in your bag?
My bat (DeMarini
33/23).
What’s your intro song
when you come to bat?
I honestly don’t know the
name of it.
How many positions have
you played throughout
your career?
I have played some
outfield, second base, and
short, and I used to pitch.
What are your hobbies
outside of sports?
I like to go down with
my friends and play
slow-pitch or kickball
down at McKay.
What’s your favorite
restaurant?
Momiji Sushi & Hibachi
What’s your favorite
subject in school?
Science
If you could change one
thing about PHS what
would it be?
I don’t know, it’s pretty
good.
What are your plans for
after high school?
Play softball at Weber
State.
What was the first job
you ever had?
I was a babysitter.
What’s your favorite part
about living in Eastern
Oregon?
I like to be outdoors, I
just like all the different
trails and stuff we can
go to.
Where’s your favorite
place to go on vacation?
Hawaii
What’s the last book you
read?
1984 (George Orwell)
Do you have any pets?
A dog (German wire-
hair).
ATHLETE
OF THE WEEK
Payton Hergert
Pendleton Softball,
Senior
Hergert collected six
hits in eight at-bats in
Saturday’s doubleheader
against Hood River,
including three home
runs and a double while
driving in eight.
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