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Good morning to everyone but especially to...
PATRICK MAHOMES AND TRAVIS KELCE
It turns out Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce can win more than just Super Bowls together. The Kansas City Chiefs duo dominated Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in eighth edition of The Match, a 12-hole charity golf exhibition at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas.
Mahomes and Kelce beat the Splash Brothers in 10 holes, giving the Chiefs quarterback a win in the event just over a year after he and Bills signal caller Josh Allen lost to Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
The Chiefs duo raced to a 4 UP lead through the first six holes, but with a chance to win it on the seventh, Kelce missed a put after his tee shot left him 10 feet from the hole to extend the match. Mahomes and Kelce would then miss would-be match-winning putts on the ninth, resulting in the Splash Brothers' lone win. As he's done so often on the football field, Mahomes delivered the game-winning play for his team, this time being a short par-4 10th instead of a no-look pass.While Curry and Thompson didn't get the win, it wasn't all bad for Warriors fans as Draymond Green -- who's hitting unrestricted free agency today -- appeared and showed support. Perhaps that's a sign he's running it back with Golden State?
And not such a good morning for...
THE 76ERS
The James Harden era is over in Philly. After a season and a half with the 76ers, the three-time scoring champ has reportedly opted into his contract to allow Philadelphia to explore trade options.
While Harden has been linked to the Rockets -- the team he won the 2017-18 MVP with -- for several months now, an H-Town comeback tour is unlikely as they're reportedly targeting Fred VanVleet. Harden will land somewhere, though, continuing what's been a strange late-career odyssey for one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history.
If/when Harden is traded, it'll be his fourth team since the Rockets dealt him to the Nets in January 2021. Harden's infamous postseason struggles followed him to Philadelphia, as the 76ers failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs in each of his two postseasons with the team. At age 34 with declining athleticism, Harden might not be as valuable a trade option as he was a player for the 76ers, though he has reportedly drawn interest from the Clippers and Knicks.It's unclear where the 76ers go from here. Harden, despite his flaws, helped unlock Joel Embiid's MVP form with his steady playmaking. With Harden gone -- and potentially without a commensurate replacement -- the clock has to be ticking for Embiid as well, especially if Philadelphia struggles out the gate next season.
