Here is part 3 of 50 Cent’s interview with Jack Thriller where he talks about Street King, maybe selling champagne in the future, wanting to get Floyd Mayweather to fight in New York and more.

Previously: Part 1 | Part 2

So much for that apology, which apparently didn’t register too strongly with some members of the Miami Heat. According to Yahoo! Sports, before today’s Game 4 tipped off, Miami big man Juwan Howard (verbally) went at Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, and the two needed to be separated by an assistant coach: “Nearly 90 minutes before tipoff of Game 4 of an acrimonious Eastern Conference playoff series, Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson again appeared to be a source of irritation to the Miami Heat. Miami Heat forward Juwan Howard and Stephenson exchanged sharp words within inches of each other’s faces on the court. Stephenson, who flashed a choke sign at Heat star LeBron James in the Pacers’ Game 3 victory, had been shooting with the Pacers on one end of the floor when Howard walked past on the way to Miami’s locker room. It was unclear which player had said something to start the jawing, but Howard was soon warning Stephenson to keep his mouth shut, as Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw stepped between the players and nudged Howard away from the court. There didn’t appear to be any possibility that the altercation would evolve into violence, but Howard clearly had no use for Stephenson, nor his attitude. Stephenson responded with a half-smile, and kept taking his warm-up jumper shots as Howard was escorted away from the floor.”

Directed by Colin Tilley. Rip via CSHH.

Previously: Behind The Scenes

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106 & Park introduced “The Backroom” to their show, and 2 Chainz was the first artist to be featured. In the new segment, he kicked an exclusive freestyle.

Previously: 2 Chainz Interview w/ GlobalGrind

Blake Griffin showed up in a big way  Saturday afternoon at Staples Center, but his best effort of the Western Conference semifinals, however, wasn’t enough. Typically, 28 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the floor, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 rebounds and a pair of assists should get the job done and put the Los Angeles Clippers in position to win. Not against the San Antonio Spurs though. We’re talking about a different animal. A different beast. Even with all of the things Griffin brought to the table, the Clippers were in some serious trouble.

The mood in the locker room afterward was one of desperation. Griffin & Co. have little, or no, chance in the series at this stage of the game. For all intents and purposes, this one is over. It was right from the start. A good indication of that was the fast start by the Clippers on Saturday. They jumped out to a 24-point lead and Griffin scored 20 points in the first half.

There wasn’t much panic in the Spurs camp, of course. They went on a run of their own, a 24-point scoring spree in the second half. With that, the once thought to be insurmountable advantage was a thing of the past. So was Griffin’s stat line. No one will remember what the box score said after this one. No one will remember the Clippers putting up much of a fight. An end to the series inevitable as Game 4 is Sunday night.

“If we don’t play with that sense of urgency, it’s not going to be pretty,” Griffin said.

There was no urgency from the Clippers of their normally raucous rooters during the second half on Saturday. The Spurs held their counterparts to eight points in the third quarter. Eight points! You could hear a pin drop in the building. San Antonio, on the other hand, played well and outscored Lob City by 18 points right after intermission. A 24-0 run capped by a fadeaway jumper from Tim Duncan gave the Spurs the lead. He scored nine points during the outburst. Danny Green got in on all the fun and scored seven points in that stretch. Kawhi Leonard added five points of his own. All the while, Griffin was seemingly helpless. Everything he had done was seemingly erased.

Duncan was calm, cool and collected. He knew it was a matter of time before the Spurs rallied. “We didn’t plan on being down that much. We stuck with it,” said Duncan who finished a well-rounded effort with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks.

Tony Parker was not fazed. Not the least bit. He knew what needed to be done and was determined to make it happen. And 23 points, to go along with 10 assists later, Parker did indeed deliver. “They came out like we expected, very strong,” he said. “Blake was making crazy shots. We just took our time. It’s a long game, a very long game. At halftime, we were very calm.”

Bottom line: Griffin put his best foot forward and the Clippers still came up short. Break out the broom, the Spurs look like they’re about to finish this thing off with the sweep. —Sean Ceglinsky (@seanceglinsky)

Thunder 103, Lakers 100 (Thunder lead 3-1)

As Russ and KD entered the press room post game, the laughs from the scribes rang out. Westbrook—fitted in glasses with no lenses, red denim jeans and a tight designer shirt dipped in the color wheel—stopped as he sat down. “What are y’all laughing at?” The feisty PG had just finished giving the Lakers a blurry 37 points (15-26) and a heartbreaking loss. “Oh, I know,” Westbrook said with a massive smile.

OKC’s magical duo put together a memorable performance Saturday night at Staples Center, combining for 68 points and highlights for days. After trailing the majority of the game, the Thunder put together a phenomenal run with about eight minutes left in the game and down 13. With the game tied at 81, Pau Gasol passed up an open look faced up on the right block, forcing a pass to Metta World Peace on the perimeter that was easily stolen by Durant. Matched up one-on-one with MWP on the offensive end, Durant lulled him to sleep with a few dribbles before pulling a nasty three-pointer from 26 feet for the kill shot.

The Lakers immediately called timeout and even though there was 14 seconds left in the game and Kobe Bryant on the floor, a positive outcome for the Lakers didn’t feel possible. They had led the majority of the game and the three from Durant hushed the crowd. Kobe inbounded the ball and got it right back, dribbling to the top of the three-point line and unleashing a jumper that bounced off the side of the rim. James Harden added two free throws after being fouled and Kobe added a meaningless jumper as time expired, the Thunder hanging on for the 103-100 come from behind win.

“I wanted to run the shot clock down and get the last shot,” Durant explained. “I had been going to the rim and they did a great job swiping and contesting at the rim. I saw Artest backing up just a hair and I shot it. It left my hand and I was thinking, ‘If this doesn’t go in it’s going to be a terrible shot and they’re going to criticize me a lot.’

Even though he was on fire late in the game, Westbrook made it clear who the Thunder look to in the clutch. ”He’s the best scorer in the game and has proved it all season long,” Westbrook said of his running mate. “My job as a point guard is to let him finish off games for us like he’s been doing all year and he did a great job of it tonight.”

In addition to his late game heroics, Durant did a great job on the defensive end when he switched to Bryant late in the game at the request of Thunder coach Scott Brooks.

“There was no conversation, he just told me you get him,” Durant explained.  ”I had to go guard him I couldn’t tell coach no–I didn’t want to back down from a challenge”

Bryant finished with a game-high 38 points (12-28) and added 8 rebounds and 5 assists, but was 2-10 in the 4th quarter. He was hot early on, driving to the basket at will on Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha, who played him tight to take away his jump shot, relying on his quick feet against drives to the lane. But Bryant was too fast and was getting to the cup with ease.

Durant used a different strategy when he was finally deployed. He played off Bryant a bit, trying to entice him to pull jumpers. ”He’s an unbelievable player as everybody knows in the world—one of the best to play the game,” Durant said. “He can score so many different ways. I am tall and I have long arms so I just tried to space it a little bit and kind of cut him off and make him take tough shots. He makes them sometimes. I just try to put a hand up and hopefully he misses.”

Kobe seemed extremely pissed after the game. He said the Thunder did a good job surrounding him and fronting Andrew Bynum in the second half.

“Pau’s got to be more assertive,” Bryant declared. “He’s the guy that they’re leaving. When he’s catching the ball, he’s looking to pass. He’s got to be aggressive. He’s got to shoot the ball. He’s got to drive the ball to the basket.”

Bynum scored 18 points and 9 rebounds but was disappointed about his looks in the second half. “They started running in transitions, I didn’t touch the ball, so the game started speeding up,” he said. “They beat us in transition at the end.”

The Thunder can close out the series on Monday night in OKC. —Nima Zarrabi (@NZbeFree)

The Orlando Magic just completed an insane roller coaster of a season, and now that it’s over, speculation is spreading that Head Coach Stan Van Gundy will soon be out of a job. Well, according to the Orlando Sentinel, Mr. Van Gundy ain’t too worried about all that: “For a man likely looking to be strung up on a whipping post soon, Stan Van Gundy has no worries. Life is good, even if he gets canned as coach of the Orlando Magic. Life as a baseball fan looks like a cushy Plan B. Van Gundy was at Tropicana Field Saturday afternoon, catching up with his good friend, Atlanta Braves Fredi González, as the Braves came to town for a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Van Gundy and Gonzalez became close friends when both me were in Miami — Van Gundy was coaching  the Heat and Gonzalez managing the Marlins. Wearing shorts, a casual shirt and sandals, Van Gundy was a carefree man behind the backstop. He accepted warm welcomes from a handful of Braves players while Van Gundy’s son, Mike, and one of Mike’s friends shagged  throws from the Braves’ players during batting practice. Magic assistant coach Brendan Malone also joined Van Gundy for the short road trip from Orlando. Doesn’t sound like a man with any job insecurities. ‘I’m not too worried about it,’ Van Gundy said. ‘This is a slow time of year anyway.’”

In the second half of the Pacers-Heat game Thursday night, Lance Stephenson flashed a “choke” gesture in LeBron James’ direction following a missed free throw. Then Saturday afternoon, the inevitable occurred: the Pacers guard apologized for his actions, admitting it was disrespectful. The Miami Sun-Sentinel has the report: “Lance who? That was LeBron James’ response Saturday when asked about seldom-used Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson giving him the ‘choke’ sign after James missed a third-quarter free throw during the Miami Heat’s 94-75 Thursday loss at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Even with the video of Stephenson crossing his hands over his neck having gone viral, James insisted at Saturday’s practice he had not seen or even heard about the display on the Pacers bench. ‘What happened?’ he said in response to the question about the action, which came in the wake of his missed free throw following a technical foul on Pacers forward Danny Granger. ‘Nah, I didn’t see that.’… ‘I’m not…I’ve been there before,’ he said with a pause. I’m not going to stoop down to Lance Stephenson. Lance Stephenson? You guys want me to quote about Lance Stephenson? I’m not even going to give him the time. Knock it off.’ Stephenson knew he had gone to a bad place. ‘I was wrong and disrespectful to my teammates, the Miami Heat and their organization,’ he told NBA.com after the Pacers’ Saturday practice. ‘I’m sorry that I did that. It was very disrespectful.’”

By Kris Knox
Senior Writer


Ever since the 2012 NFL Draft ended, the Cleveland Browns have been receiving criticism for what many have considered to be a questionable draft strategy.

Grabbing an elite running back in Alabama’s Trent Richardson and a potential franchise quarterback in Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden in the first round were solid moves, but many analysts seem to feel the Browns did not have a plan after round one.

The apparent reach on former Cincinnati defensive tackle John Hughes in the third round was a head-scratcher, and the fact the receiver-needy Browns did not select a wideout until the fourth round have left many questioning the drafting capabilities of general manager Tom Heckert.

However, lost in all the post-draft hype is the fact Cleveland’s 2012 draft class is littered with starting-caliber players, many of whom are likely to be in the starting lineup when the Browns open the season against the Eagles on Sept. 9.

Richardson and Weeden are virtual locks to be starting at their respective positions in Week 1 and Cleveland’s second round choice, California offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz, is almost certain to be manning the trenches at right tackle as well.

Miami’s Travis Benjamin, the aforementioned fourth-round receiver, wound up being the only wideout Cleveland added over draft weekend. He is a bit undersized at just 5’10″ and 172 pounds, but due to his elite speed (he posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine at 4.36 seconds), Benjamin has more than a fair chance of lining up across from Greg Little when the offense takes the field against Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, circumstances may force the Browns to start a fifth rookie on opening day.

Second-year defensive tackle Phil Taylor suffered a torn pectoral muscle earlier this month and is expected to miss most, if not all of the 2012 season. With Taylor out, either Hughes or sixth-round pick Billy Winn may be forced to step in and help anchor Cleveland’s 4-3 defensive front.

Of the two, Winn seems to be a more natural fit to replace Taylor. The 6’4″ and 294-pound Boise State product appears better suited to fill the role of traditional 4-3 defensive tackle, while Hughes seems more likely to provide depth behind nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin. However, Hughes still may become an early contributor, especially on rushing downs.

Other rookies may find a way to crack the starting lineup early this season as well. Linebackers James Michael Johnson (fourth round, Nevada) and Emmanuel Acho (sixth round, Texas) could vie for playing time while starting outside linebacker Scott Fujita sits out the first three games of the season with a league-imposed suspension.

Meanwhile, cornerback Trevin Wade (seventh round, Arizona) could make an immediate impact in nickle and dime packages, especially if the Browns decide to move Sheldon Brown over to safety, as many analysts have speculated.

Only time will tell whether or not any of Cleveland’s 11 draft picks wind up becoming stars, but the potential exists for many of them to at least become solid contributing pieces on a Browns team looking for a quick turnaround.

If the Browns manage to pull a handful of starters out of their draft class, then the 2012 draft has to be considered a success for Cleveland, even if most analysts do not see it that way now.

Follow National Football Authority on Twitter: @NFAuthority & @Kris_Knox
For more NFL coverage follow @NFA_NFL

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By Kris Knox
Senior Writer


After an offseason of chasing quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn and Alex Smith, the Miami Dolphins have finally settled on incumbent Matt Moore. For something, anyway.

On Friday, the Dolphins named Moore as the recipient of the 2011 Dan Marino Most Valuable Player Award for his performance over the final 12 weeks of last season.

Taking over for injured quarterback Chad Henne during a Week 4 loss to the San Diego Chargers, Moore helped breathe life into a stagnant Miami offense. Making 12 starts total, Moore managed to compile 2,497 passing yards and 16 touchdowns while posting a respectable 87.1 passer rating.

Moore was also a key factor in the Dolphins’ late-season surge that saw the team win six of its final nine games. During that nine game stretch, Moore tossed 15 touchdown passes and just five interceptions while leading Miami to divisional wins over Buffalo (twice) and the New York Jets.

“Matt did a great job in a tough situation, becoming a starter suddenly and without benefit of an off-season with the team,” The award’s namesake, Marino said during the awards ceremony. “Despite that he played extremely well and showed everyone what kind of competitor he is, leading the Dolphins to a 6-3 record in their last nine games. I want to congratulate him on being named as the team’s MVP.”

Follow National Football Authority on Twitter: @NFAuthority & @Kris_Knox
For more NFL coverage follow @NFA_NFL

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WVU.edu

By Bob Evans
Senior Writer

Now that the 2012 NFL Draft has come and gone, the Big 12 conference has lost perhaps the most exciting player in all of college football, Robert Griffin III, to the Washington Redskins of the NFL. With the majority of the conference’s star-power moving on to the next level, many have wondered who will be next to take the Big 12 by storm.

Well, you can look no further than the conference’s newest soon-to-be star, quarterback in Geno Smith of the West Virginia Mountaineers.

In all of the offseason movement and playoff talk, many have forgotten the Mountaineers will be leaving the Big East and beginning Big 12 play in 2012. With that move is the return of West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen to the conference where he once commanded high-octane offenses at both Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

Coming with Holgorsen and West Virginia is Smith, a starting quarterback who thrived in the brand new pass-happy system installed last season. He finished the year with 4,385 yards passing, a 65.8 completion percentage, 31 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. For his career, Smith has racked up 7,457 yards passing, 56 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

With the conference losing the likes of RG3 and Brandon Weeden to the NFL, the Big 12 has lost some major fire-power at the quarterback position. However,  the presence of Smith could keep some Heisman Trophy focus on the conference, especially since the Big 12 is not known for having particularly good defenses. If Smith carved up the likes of LSU for 463 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions—just imagine what he could do against inferior defenses.

The 6’3” and 214-pound signal-caller has excellent accuracy, gets rid of the ball quickly and has a pretty good arm. Not to mention he is able to create plays with his legs, although his rushing statistics do not reflect this attribute.

Last season, RG3 burst on to the scene and stole the Heisman away from Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with his masterful 4,293 yards, 72.4 completion percentage and 37 touchdowns. As amazing as those numbers are, Smith could very well put up even better ones in 2012.

With West Virginia entering a conference their head coach is very familiar with—coupled with the fact Oklahoma is probably the only real contender in that league—the Mountaineers have an excellent opportunity to strike in year one. The weakness of the defenses in the Big 12 could mean big things for Smith, possibly even a Heisman Trophy.

Follow National Football Authority on Twitter: @NFAuthority & @TheRealBobEvans 
For more college football coverage, follow @NFA_CFB


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By Kris Knox
Senior Writer


According to CBS NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, Cincinnati Bengals second-year linebacker Dontay Moch has received a four-game suspension for violation of the league’s banned substance policy.

Moch, a third-round pick of the Bengals in the 2011 draft, came into the league with high expectations after a stellar senior season (64 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss) at the University of Nevada. Unfortunately, the converted defensive end missed all of his rookie season after breaking his foot during Cincinnati’s 2011 preseason opener against the Detroit Lions.

At 6’2″ and 241 pounds, with an impressive initial burst (he ran a 4.44 second 40 at the 2011 scouting combine), Moch was expected to emerge as a pass-rushing force at outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer‘s 4-3 defensive scheme. In four years at Nevada, Moch racked up 27 sacks.

Cincinnati fans have been waiting patiently to see Moch hit the field, where he is expected to provide depth behind projected starters Manny Lawson and Thomas Howard. While details of the infraction have not yet been released, it appears Moch might have to wait until Week 5 to make his NFL regular season debut.

Moch’s suspension is pending appeal.

Follow National Football Authority on Twitter: @NFAuthority & @Kris_Knox
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