March 6, 2021 Issue, Page 4 of 24

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Sports March 6, 2021 Brady Manek’s confidence a work in progress heading into what could be his final home game Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman start to the season to a slump, shots to tie the game in the final extreme to the other. “Tm real confident in him,” formances have come at Lloyd then an injury against Baylor 1:30 of regulation and then hit “It definitely goes up and teammate Umoja Gibson said. Noble Center. The Sooners are NORMAN — Brady Manek and a subsequent positive test a 3-pointer in overtime that put down especially when I had a “The last game, he got back to 13-0 at home the last four sea- wore a green shoelace in his left for COVID-19 and then battling the Sooners ahead before they cold streak there for a couple being himself and I think we'll shoe in OU's Bedlam loss Satur- his way back from that. ultimatelyfell 94-90. games. It was wearing on you a be able to see that from here on sons when Manek scored 17 day at home. Heading into Thursday's reg- Before that 3-pointer, Manek little bit.” out.” or more points and 31-2 there ‘The Sooners wore the laces for ular-season finale against No. had missed 11 consecutive shots ‘The first game against Texas ‘The No. 16 Sooners could use when Manek scores more than mental health awareness. 15 Texas at Lloyd Noble Center, from behind the arc going back was one of those low moments, that, as they come into Thurs- Manek might as well have Manek is riding some momen- to the win at West Virginia on personally, for Manek. day's game on a three-game los- 10 points. been wearing them for himself. tum after his 20-point perfor- Feb. 13. He played just eight minutes, ing streak and needing a win to “Hopefully we can go off this “T's a big thing especially for mance in Monday's Bedlam loss “You don’t make many shots, the fewest of his career, and assure that they avoid having to last one and finish strong,” athletes and people in general,” in Stillwater where he hit four it wears on you,” Manek said didn’t see the floor at all in the play a first-round game at the Manek said. Manek said. “You go through 3-pointers and tied a career high when asked if his confidence final 13:42 as the Sooners pulled Big 12 Tournament next week. Manek said he wasn’t ready to stretches in life where it can be with four assists. had faltered at all this season. off a 80-79 win. It was just the Over his career, Manek has tough and wear on you mentally. That success left Manek “Go into games wide open, miss- second time in his career and shot 40.7% from behind the think about whether or not he It happens a lot with athletes.” scratching his head as much as ing them, you don’t know what's the first since his freshman sea- arc at home compared to 33.4% would return for afifth season. Manek should know. the rough patches. going on. Then you turn around son where he didn’t hit a field elsewhere. “Tl make it when the season’s ‘This season has been a roll- Manek’s most recent tough and like I did the other night, goal, going 0 of 5 from the floor. Overall from the floor, Manek over,” Manek said of the deci- ercoaster for everyone, but few have a good game and now I stretch started ending late in Manek is hoping for better has shot 48.2% in Norman and have had things swing quite as regulation of the first Bedlam definitely don’t know what’s go- things in what could be his final 42.6% in other venues. sion. “I don’t have anything to wildly as Manek, from a strong ‘meeting where he hit a couple of ing on because you go from one game at Lloyd Noble Center. His top seven scoring per- say to that.” Why Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham is no solo act for Cowboys: ‘My teammates don’t get enough credit’ Jacob Unruh, The Oklahoman No, 2-ranked Baylor on Thurs- the 81-66 loss. ered big steals. Avery Anderson shortly after. They hadn’t made Heading into the Big 12 Tour- day and at No. 6-ranked West “That's been something that III — arguably OSU's most-im- a field goal and that extended nament and the NCAA Tourna- STILLWATER — Oklahoma Virginia on Saturday, the per- we've tried to build on since he’s proved player — has shined on until the 13:26 mark when Key- ment, OSU is a dangerous team. State superstar Cade Cunning- ception of Cade and the other been back and I think our guys both ends of the floor. lan Boone broke out of his long Cunningham is the biggest ham saw a second Kansas de- guys has fallen flat. for the most part have learned “It’s really no surprise to us slump with a 3-pointer. reason. But his teammates are fender closing in and made the OSU has found various way how the parts work a little bit that our team did well without When Cunningham returned right choice to pass away. to win in Big 12 play, especially better,” Boynton said. (Cunningham) when he was to the game nearly 6 minutes making their own case to be no- during their current five-game In the two games without with COVID,” Walker said. “That later, OSU had the lead. ticed. ‘Quickly, a second pass found winning streak. Cunningham entirely, forwards just shows how deep our team ‘The other guys weren't so bad. “We have so many different Isaac Likekele on the low block, Cunningham remains the Kalib Boone and Matthew-Al- is yet again. For him to be our but his layup was no good. A “He's a great player,” said OSU weapons,” Cunningham said. “If star — his 40-point explosion exander Moncrieffe emerged, leading contributor and we still senior Bryce Williams, who de- we can get everybody clicking narrative emerged on the ESPN Saturday in Bedlam was crucial broadcast. — Gd ke aims to get others in- allowing Boynton to shift his go out there and make a key run livered in the Bedlam sweep at once, I think we'll be super “P've said this a couple times. without him, that just means with two big scoring runs and volved. It's possible a few of his lineups more. Til say it again,” analyst Fran teammates will play in the NBA Since OSU's shutdown, Boone how good ofa team we are.” strong defense. “Not to take deadly. Fraschilla said nearly a month someday, but the grit and grind has averaged 13.2 points and That was certainly true on anything from my guy, but we're “But the fact that we always ago. “Next year, he's going to of the Cowboys has not faltered. 7.5 rebounds. Moncrieffe has Feb. 22 in the rematch against a great team at the end of the find a way to compete just be- give the ball up to NBA players ‘Texas Tech. day. We have all the pieces, we cause we have a bunch of guys who can do something with it in ally good team,” Boynton said. averaged 11.1 points and 7.3 re- “T like to think we have a re- Cunningham picked up his have all the playmakers, we have that just go out there and hoop, short role or kickouts for open “T know Cade gets all the hype, bounds. fourth foul with 16:49 remain- all the finishers, all the shooters. 3s.” Other players have had big ing and was forced to the bench. “T feel like we can play with I think that says a lot about us ‘Throughout the season, the and he deserves it, because he’s a great, great player, but we've moments, too. ‘The Cowboys were in a tailspin whoever, but Cade just takes the and about Coach Mike for giving outside perception of the Cow- ot some other guys flying un- Walker hit big shots and deliv- offensively, falling behind by 11 pressure off the rest of us.” us all that type of confidence.” boys is they are Cunningham der the radar that arehaving and a group of mostly nobod- some really good years.” ies, He's an elite player bound ‘Just one of those nights:’ for likely the No. 1 overall pick out‘The Cowboys have won with- Cunningham. in the upcoming NBA Draft He fouled out with 2:44 re- and the rest of the Cowboys are maining just bodies to fill the other four at Texas inTech. overtime on Jan. 2 OSU was up by Thunder held to 78 points in loss at Mavericks spots on the floor. two at the time, The Cowboys But that belief is wrong. ‘These Cowboys are more than closed 77 win. out the game for an 82- just Cunningham. OSU _won at Iowa State on “I know how much attention Jan. 25 without Cunningham, I bring,” Cunningham said. “I who missed his second straight Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman big to overcome on a night when score off the Thunder's bench in the G League bubble. Hall was always feel like my teammates game due to COVID-19 proto- the Thunder shot a season-low the first half. inactive against the Mavericks don’t get enough credit for ‘The Mavericks were 1-of-22 from 33% from the field in an 87-78 Dallas was a dreadful 1-of-19 what they do on the court and cols. with left knee soreness. Hall only But the biggest growth start- 3-point range Wednesday night defeat at Dallas. The last time the from 3-point range in the first in the locker room. I know that ed two days before that. OSU before Tim Hardaway Jr. drained ‘Thunder was held to 78 points half. appeared in one game with the they're appreciative of me, but maybe I can do a better job of hosted Baylor without Cun- a triple early in the third quarter was Novy. 11, 2014 at Milwaukee. Playing slow Blue. letting them know how much ni Walker and freshman Rondel to give Dallas a 10-point lead— in the first game after a Wednesday marked the Thunder's ‘The game moved in slow motion Back from break I appreciate them, just because week-long shutdown. its biggest of the night up to that eighth-lowest scoring game in Wednesday night. Not quite the All-Star break, but they bring it every day and In the opening half, the Cow- point. history. ‘The Mavericks outscored the the Thunder had a nice three- they've made me so much bet- boys built a nine-point lead, After missing 21 of its first 22 ‘The Thunder cracked 20 points ‘Thunder 15-7 in fastbreak points. day break at the end of a stretch ter throughout the year.” ‘As the red-hot Cowboys em- point inwas which the largest at that 3-pointers, the Mavericks made in just one of four quarters. Shai “We certainly would like to run, when it played nine games in 14 the season against the four of their next five 3-pointers Gilgeous-Alexander had an off and I thought we tried to push it bark on their final regular sea- Bears. OSU even led in the sec- to build a 73-54 lead. night, but his 15 points led the and run,” Daigneault said. “There days, son road trip with a gauntlet at ond half until it ran out of gas in ‘That 19-point margin was too ‘Thunder. Ty Jerome scored 13 were some plays where I thought ‘The Thunder was back on the points off the bench. we drove it hard and then got floor for the first time since ‘The Thunder shot 9-of-39 (23%) hung up in the paint, and those Providing comfort and Supportfor End of Life cholces Saturday night, when it was from 3-point range and dished a were transition opportunities blown out by the Nuggets. The season-low 13 assists. that we just didn’t necessarily get “Obviously 78 is not good enough ashot on, team practiced on two of its three to win,” Thunder coach Mark “But it was slow-paced. It was days off, Hospice care provides medical services, emotional support, and spiritual re- Daigneault said. “I think some of ahalf-court game and required “Hard to tell,” Daigneault said sources for people who are in the last stages of a serious illness, such as cancer that was controllable, and some execution, and I thought both when asked if the time off af- or heart failure. Hospice care also helps family members manage the practical of that wasn’t, but at the end teams played pretty well defen- fected the Thunder's rhythm. details and emotional challenges of caring for a dying loved one. of the day we just didn't have sively and neither team was great “Possibly, but I thought we were enough punch offensively to win offensively tonight, to be honest.” the game tonight.” Doncic out ready to play. I thought we had For questions regarding hospice service or eligibility, contact: Here are four other takeaways Dallas star Luka Doncic sat out ‘good energy on the defensive end from the game: Wednesday night with lower back of the floor. If we were just le- Carrie Perry, RN/ / dminsistrat First half to forget tightness. Jalen Brunson started thargic on both ends then maybe ‘The Thunder might want to trash at point guard and had 11 points, that'd be the case, but I think it the whole tape, but neither team Pat Welsh, RN/ Joordinator of Patient Care will want to rewatch the first half. six rebounds and four assists. ‘The Thunder was without Hami- ‘was just more of a bad offensive ‘The Mavericks led 49-42 at dou Diallo (right groin soreness) night for us.” Some of the most common conditions are: halftime. and George Hill (right thumb Gilgeous-Alexander agreed. OKC's 42 points tied its lowest- surgery). “I didn’t feel like we were a step * Cancer * Failure to Thi ive * End Stage Cardiac Disease (CHF) scoring first half of the season. Diallo will rest through the All- behind or anything like that, a + End Stage Cerebrovascular Disease (CVA) * End Stage Amyotrophic ‘The Thunder shot 14-of-40 Star break. Hill is still in a hard step slow,” Gilgeous-Alexander Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) * End Stage Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (35%). Gilgeous-Alexander and cast and will be for another one said, “Me personally, I don’t think Kenrich Williams tied for the to two weeks. + End Stage Liver Disease * End Stage Renal Disease * AIDS/HIV $ halftime lead with eight points. Rookie two-way player Josh Hall it had anything to really do with * End Stage Neurological Disease such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s ‘Williams was the only player to returned to the Thunder from it. Just one of those nights.” carrle Perry, RN Professional, Passionate CHRISTENSEN ANGUS RANCH Advance, Attentive... 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