One of the first passes thrown by Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay Packers camp was as noteworthy for who was competing for the ball as much as the play's result.
Cornerback Kevin King Authentic Erick Aybar Jersey , locked in coverage deep against receiver Randall Cobb, appeared to wrestle away an interception, though the ever-competitive quarterback disputed that call.
Coach Mike McCarthy took a diplomatic approach.
"Yeah, I'm a head coach so I thought it was an excellent play by both guys," McCarthy said Friday, drawing laughs. "I like the way Randall finished with the ball but I like the position that Kevin was in."
Outcome aside, the most important takeaway might be that two players who could be pivotal to Green Bay's success are healthy again.
Cobb revealed Friday that he had ankle surgery after offseason workouts. He was spotted at an airport with a walking boot on his right foot last month.
Doctors "went in and pretty much just removed a piece of cartilage that was giving me some problems," Cobb said . "Obviously not that big of a deal. But feeling a lot better than I did before."
Enough so that the senior member of the Packers receiving corps is a full go in camp .
"I think the first call, the first play ... where the ball goes deep to Randall, I think that tells you the kind of shape (Cobb is in)," McCarthy said.
Cobb's health is important for a receiving corps that lost Jordy Nelson after the respected veteran was cut in the offseason in a money-saving move. It left Cobb and Davante Adams as the Packers' top wideouts, plus a bevy of young players competing for targets that once went to Nelson.
"At this point Mike McGlinchey Jersey Limited , it's just getting my conditioning back. I was here the entire offseason working with our strength and conditioning staff trying to get back and get right," Cobb said.
King had left shoulder surgery after his injury-shortened rookie year. The shoulder maligned him for much of last season, and King was limited to individual workouts in the offseason as he recovered.
But King is a full go now, and his interception against Cobb in practice Thursday offered a glimpse of King's full potential when healthy. He is talented enough to be the Packers' top cornerback.
King wasn't done. On the next play, he broke up a throw for receiver Geronimo Allison and ended up hitting the ground.
"I could have done that last year," King said in the locker room.
Maybe, but he might have been in pain.
The shoulder no longer hurts, King said. The injury during his rookie season also sharpened his mental game.
"Mentally, it elevated me. It's been positive for me," King added.
A healthy King could do wonders at a cornerback position beleaguered by injuries the last couple of years. The 6-foot-3 King has the length to play effective press coverage for new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.
Now King just needs to stay on the field after making 31 tackles in nine games last season, including five starts.
"There's no question about Kevin's ability and his level of talent and the ability to play," McCarthy said. "Yes Saquon Barkley Giants Jersey , he made two competitive plays on the ball. ... The biggest thing I'm happy about is Kevin's healthy and he's come back from the shoulder surgery and is off to a good start."
NOTES: OLB Nick Perry, who is starting camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list, said he had no concerns about being ready for the opener on Sept. 9 against Chicago. Perry, who had offseason ankle surgery, and Clay Matthews are the veteran leaders at a position otherwise short on experience and production. "We're still going to take it one day at a time just to make sure that everything goes smoothly and I'm here for the long haul," Perry said. ... Rodgers and TE Jimmy Graham showed rapport in connecting for some tough pass plays during team drills. Graham was signed in the offseason as a free agent. ... A pass from Rodgers over the middle during a two-minute drill was picked off at the goal line by ILB Blake Martinez. ... Two backups, QB DeShone Kizer and TE Robert Tonyan, connected on a 15-yard scoring pass in coverage for the offense's only score in two-minute drill work.
Giannis Antetokounmpo asserted himself in the biggest game of his budding career with his team on the brink of playoff elimination.
Now it’s on to Game 7 for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 14 rebounds and the Bucks pulled away late to beat the Boston Celtics 97-86 on Thursday night to force a winner-take-all game Saturday night in Boston.
”At the end, it was (all) about will,” Antetokounmpo said. ”I was out there, I was trying to make plays, I was trying to be aggressive.”
He had plenty of company to help keep the Celtics on their heels down the stretch.
Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon each added 16 points Youth Michael Dickson Jersey , with Brogdon hitting a momentum-swinging 3 from the left corner to give the Bucks a two-possession lead with 5:22 left.
Just getting to Game 7 is a small but significant step for a young team that lost in six games to the Toronto Raptors a year ago. The up-and-coming Bucks haven’t played a seventh game in the playoffs since losing to Atlanta in the first round in 2010.
”This is what you work for. Embrace that moment. Go out as a team, attack it together … find a way to get a win,” coach Joe Prunty said.
The Celtics had their shots to win in it six. They led by nine early, then drew as close as 80-78 with 7:13 left on Marcus Morris’ 3-pointer.
The Bucks made the last big push to close out the Celtics.
Boston had to settle for perimeter looks down the stretch. They couldn’t hit enough 3s, finishing 10 of 36 (28 percent) on the night, and the Bucks limited Boston on the glass.
”We got stagnant and we weren’t very good,” coach Brad Stevens said
At the other end, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks’ charge right at the heart of the Celtics’ defense.
After Eric Bledsoe picked off Jayson Tatum’s inbounds pass, Antetokounmpo converted an offensive rebound with a putback off the glass for an 89-81 lead with 3:08 left. It was part of an 11-3 run late to help the Bucks pull away for 10-point advantage.
With his team facing elimination, Antetokounmpo vowed to be more aggressive following a five-point loss in Game 5.
The two-time All-Star produced in the crunch time, scoring 20 points in the second half on 8-of-14 shooting.
”It’s big. We’ve grown as a team,” Antetokounmpo said. ”For us to win Game 6 – we have a big opportunity ahead of us.”
Tatum finished with 22 points Kentavius Street Color Rush Jersey , and Terry Rozier had 18 for the Celtics. After holding the edge on the glass for most of the series, Boston got outrebounded 48-39.
”Clearly their speed and length and athleticism affected us,” Stevens said. ”They were quicker to the ball all night than us, best probably exemplified by the rebounding numbers.”
TIP INS
Celtics: Stevens stuck with the same starting five he used for Game 5, with Semi Ojeleye in for Aron Baynes for a quicker frontcourt on defense. … Former President Bill Clinton attended the game and exchanged handshakes with guard Marcus Smart. … Jaylen Brown added 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting.
Bucks: C John Henson (back) missed his fourth straight game, with Thon Maker getting his first start of the series over Tyler Zeller. Maker finished with four points and one block. … Held a 25-4 edge on transition points. … Jabari Parker had another strong game off the bench with nine points and 11 rebounds, while Tony Snell had six points.
YOUNG CELTICS
Veteran forward Al Horford chalks up Game 6 as another valuable learning experience for his young teammates.
No better education than a seventh game in the playoffs on home court.
”It’s going to be new for our group. This whole playoff experience has been new, we have a lot of new pieces,” Horford said. ”As a basketball player, fan, one of the places that you want to enjoy and be is the TD Garden for a Game 7.”
He finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
QUOTABLE
”We got great looks this whole series. It’s a matter of knocking it down and trusting the pass. … We need to have that same mentality going into Game 7.” – Middleton.
UP NEXT
Game 7 is Saturday night at the TD Garden in Boston.
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