Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Monday, October 21.

NFL

Game one of the Monday Night doubleheader was in Tampa, as the Ravens took on the Buccaneers. Here’s what went down:

• The Bucs jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, and wide receiver Mike Evans became just the 11th player in NFL history with 100 receiving touchdowns. Unfortunately, the future Hall of Famer left this game early with a hamstring injury.

• After overcoming the early deficit, the Ravens absolutely dominated. Lamar Jackson threw for five touchdowns and ran for 52 yards as Baltimore scored 34 unanswered points. Derrick Henry added 169 yards rushing to close this one out, as the Ravens continue to look like one of the best teams in the league.

• Baker Mayfield and the Bucs made this one interesting, recovering an onside kick and scoring a few late touchdowns to shrink Baltimore’s lead. The game eventually ended 41-31. Unfortunately, the extension of this game came at a price. Star receiver Chris Godwin was carted off the field with less than a minute left after suffering a serious ankle injury. It was a brutal ending to a disappointing night for Tampa Bay.

Game two was a defensive battle between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals:

• Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker kicked 224 yards of field goals last night! LA just couldn’t get the ball in the end zone, and were forced to settle for 15 points from Dicker.

• Unfortunately for the Chargers, it was the Cardinals who kicked last. Kyler Murray and James Connor marched Arizona down the field in the final two minutes, setting up Chad Ryland for a game-winning kick as time expired. The Cardinals won this game 17-15.

• Murray made two crucial plays in Arizona’s victory. Kyler connected with Wake Forest alum Greg Dortch on this touchdown pass late in the first half. He also had the play of the night from either game, as the Arizona quarterback scampered for a long touchdown run. Take a look at this one:

NHL

Just one NHL game last night- the Toronto Maple Leafs took down the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2. William Nylander led the way for the Leafs with two goals, but the play of the game was this save by goalie Anthony Stolarz:

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

A pair of NFC West wide receivers have been added to the growing NFL injured list. Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf is week-to-week with a knee injury, while 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk is out for the year with an ACL injury.

The day before the new season begins, it was announced that Nike and the NBA have agreed to a 12-year contract extension. As part of the contract, Nike will continue to be the exclusive uniform provider for the league. Commissioner Adam Silver wasn’t sure if it was a good deal, but his advisors told him to “just do it”

Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has reportedly been suspended two games for performance-enhancing steroids. Williams has been impressive this season in Detroit, but you may remember he was suspended six games last year for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.

There were a whole host of NBA contract extensions signed on the eve of the new season, but most notable was the deal between Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets. Gordon signed for four years and $133 million– a well-deserved reward for the power forward. 

POWER RANKINGS

Fire up Roundball Rock because it’s time for another NBA season! As always, the Remix is here with a new set of Power Rankings to get things started. There’s so much talent in the NBA, it’s quite difficult to pick out the top contenders. On the bright side, the multitude of competitive teams means the on-court action will be incredibly entertaining. Without further ado, here are the 2024-25 Remix NBA Power Rankings:

TIER FIVE: Drag for Flagg

30. Washington Wizards | 29. Charlotte Hornets | 28. Brooklyn Nets | 27. Detroit Pistons

This is the tanking tier, and there’s quite a top-prize for the biggest loser. All eyes are on Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Get ready for a race to the bottom.

TIER FOUR: Somewhere in the Middle

26. Portland Trailblazers | 25. Utah Jazz | 24. Los Angeles Clippers | 23. Houston Rockets | 22. Chicago Bulls | 21. Toronto Raptors | 20. Atlanta Hawks| 19. San Antonio Spurs

Each of these teams is either building something around young talent (Portland, Utah, Houston, Toronto), stuck in perpetual mediocrity (Bulls and Hawks), or has been derailed by an injured superstar (Clippers). It’s a tier of teams that could make the play-in game, but are unlikely to advance past the first round of the playoffs. Instead of dwelling on all that, let’s focus on the Spurs! No one is truly prepared for season of two of Victor Wembanyama. Plus this year, he’s got Chris Paul running the show. The old point guard and the young star/alien could be quite the duo. You’ve been warned…

TIER THREE: Don’t Bet Against Them…

18. Indiana Pacers | 17. Miami Heat. | 16. Golden State Warriors | 15. Memphis Grizzlies | 14. Orlando Magic | 13. Sacramento Kings | 12. Los Angeles Lakers | 11. New Orleans Pelicans

It feels silly to have Tyrese Haliburton, Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry, Ja Morant, Paolo Banchero, De’Aaron Fox, LeBron James, and Zion Williamson on teams outside the top ten. This ranking is more a reflection on the teams ahead of them in the standings– although these squads have star-power, they also face key questions about depth, age, and/or health.

TIER TWO: Championship Aspirations

10. Milwaukee Bucks | 9. Cleveland Cavaliers | 8. Phoenix Suns | 7. Minnesota Timberwolves | 6. Philadelphia 76ers | 5. Dallas Mavericks

Giannis and Damian Lillard will improve in year two, but they face a lot of pressure in Milwaukee. Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs are probably underrated, but they’ve also yet to win a big playoff series. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal form the best big three in the league (when healthy) for Phoenix. Anthony Edwards is ascending for the T-Wolves. Paul George joins Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid as a legit title contender in Philly. And the Mavs went to the finals, then improved in the offseason! So why are these franchises outside the top tier?

TIER ONE: A Class Above

4. New York Knicks | 3. Denver Nuggets | 2. Oklahoma City Thunder | 1. Boston Celtics

Because I believe these four teams will be in the conference finals. The Knicks have a starting five with no flaws. The Nuggets have the best player in the world, only a year removed from a championship. The Thunder have an MVP candidate surrounded by the league’s most versatile supporting cast. And the Celtics return practically their entire championship roster.

The Remix encourages you all to bookmark this list– we can see if I’m right next spring. Until then, let’s enjoy some basketball!

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

NHL: All 32 NHL teams play tonight! The first puck drops at 6 PM with the Capitals at the Flyers and ends with the Kings at the Golden Knights at 11 PM. And there’s a brand-new way for hockey fans to catch all the action:

NBA: Welcome to opening night in the National Basketball Association! We’ve got two fantastic games to tip off the new season:

• New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics, 7:30 PM on TNT

  • The defending champs against the winners of the offseason. It’s Tatum vs Towns as the two favorites in the east battle at TD Garden

• Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers, 10 PM on TNT

  • Anthony Edwards takes on The King in this thrilling matchup out west. Plus LeBron and Bronny take the court for the first time together– even the Griffeys will be there to witness history.

“The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need.” –Dr. James Naismith

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