SPORTS WRAP
BY WILLIAM HATHAWAY, JR.
PHOTOS BY FELICIA LAGUERRE OWENS
This past weekend, the New York Red Bulls kept strong with their winning ways against Atlanta United FC in a 2-0 shutout victory at home. Cameron Harper opened the scoring, and right before halftime, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored on an assist from Cameron Harper to make the score 2-0. Excellent defense propelled goalkeeper Carlos Coronel to his seventh Major League Soccer shutout this season. The Red Bulls are now 8-6-3 on the season, with good momentum as MLS heads into a FIFA international break that will run from June 2nd thru June 10th.
In NBA playoff action, the NBA Finals are set, with the Western Conference Champion Oklahoma City Thunder taking on – not the New York Knicks – but the Indiana Pacers. Indy took the series 4-2 after winning at home Game 6 125-108 to clinch the Eastern Conference title. The Knicks were plagued by turnovers, especially since Indiana pressured NY point guard Jalen Brunson up and down the entire length of the court.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam led the team with 31 points and won ECF MVP honors, despite only putting up big numbers in even numbered games. Leading the Knicks were OG Anunoby with 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns with 14 rebounds in the game.
The New York Knicks finished their season with a 51-31 regular season record that was good for third place in the East. While the Knickerbockers will have a lot to go over in the offseason, one person who will not figure into those plans is now former head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was fired on June 3rd.
Finally, the 31st annual Roberson Football Classic will once again be back home in East Orange. This year’s version will feature four Essex County high school football coaches getting inducted into the football coaches association. Teams from several different counties will take part. The 2025 Hall of Fame class will feature Darnel Mangan, Sr., Anthony Rea, Jamie Bittner, and the late Anthony Bailey, Sr., who was a graduate of Barringer High School and former head coach at Essex Catholic High School in East Orange.
