SPORTS INSIDER WEEKLY – Nationals head home after successful road trip; NBA playoffs heat up

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Ceci Ferrara
May 23, 2016
Sports Writer
Sports Insider

The Washington Nationals are back in D.C. after a successful road trip in which they won four of their six games and extended their division lead to a game and a half.

The Nats (27-17) won two of their three games against the Mets before heading to warmer weather down south to face another division rival. Miami (22-21) has been lukewarm so far this season, despite boasting one of the best sluggers in the league, Giancarlo Stanton. The 26-year old outfielder signed the richest contract in sports history in November 2014 ($325 million over 13 years), but is currently in one of the worst slumps of his career.

The All-Star slugger went 0-4 against the Nats on Friday, and is 4-for-45 with 23 strikeouts over his last 13 games. The slump, which is impacting the Marlins’ record, was welcome news for Washington, who picked up two wins against them. After a 4-1 victory on Friday, the Nationals struggled against Miami ace Jose Fernandez on Saturday. The 23-year old right hander struck out nine over six innings in the 3-2 loss.

Max Scherzer took the mound for Washington in Sunday’s series finale and had a solid game, striking out out eight over eight innings. Miami’s only runs came in the seventh inning on a two-out, two-run home run by Justin Bour. Washington’s offense was much more active, scoring eight runs on 10 hits in the 8-2 victory which also gave Washington the series win.

Center fielder Ben Revere had a breakout game, with three hits, two RBIs, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. The first year National seems to be fitting in well so far, but a big game like that can help solidify his position on a new team.

“I’m sure his confidence is a lot higher now than it was before because he was wondering what he had to do to get hits,” said new Nationals manager Dusty Baker. “But like I was telling everybody, he just had to play and get his timing and get his confidence back.”

The Nats’ seven-game homestand kicks off with a three-game series against the Mets on Monday night.

NBA Playoffs

With a trip to the NBA Championship on the line, the competition between the remaining teams is heating up.

LeBron James is hoping to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship series to capture the title that eluded them last year. So far, the Cavs look like the team to beat in the Eastern conference; they swept both first rounds and dominated the first two-games of the conference finals against the Toronto Raptors.

The Cavs had their first taste of defeat on Saturday night when the Raptors handily beat them 99-84. Despite the loss, the Cavs still posses a 2-1 series and the talent and determination to head back to the title series and a shot at redemption; they lost the 2015 series to the Golden State Warriors 4-2.

The defending champion Warriors, who won a record 73 regular season games, are also hoping for a repeat trip to the NBA finals. After losing just one game in each of the first two rounds, they are struggling against the Oklahoma City Thunder, trailing 2-1 in the series.

Though it won’t be easy for any team to get to the championship, the Western Conference Finals seem to be an especially tough battle. While the Warriors have MVP Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and an impressive supporting cast, the Thunder boast former-MVP Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, two of the NBA’s brightest stars.

The Cavs will look to extend their lead against the Raptors in Toronto with Game 4 on Monday, while the Warriors will look to rebound after a devastating 133-105 loss in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

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