Franchise Opportunities in San Antonio, TX

SAN ANTONIO – It took something very special Wednesday night for the Dallas Mavericks to find their way to a 137-128 overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs.

As a matter of fact, it took something that’s never been done in Mavs’ history.

When the clock finally ran out on this Interstate-35 donnybrook, the Mavs had five players score at least 20 points. That’s the first time that’s happened in the team’s history.

Christian Wood led the scoring parade with 28 points off the bench, Dwight Powell and rookie Jaden Hardy each scored 22 points, Josh Green popped in 21 points and Reggie Bullock poured in 20 points. The scoring burst by that quintet was one that was sorely needed for a Mavs team trying to keep their head above water until they can get their injured players back on the court.

“Everybody who participated helped us when that game (Wednesday), “ coach Jason Kidd said. “We just have to continue to stay positive, keep coaching, keep putting guys in a position to be successful.”

In addition to their individual scores, Wood and Bullock grabbed 13 rebounds apiece, Powell went 8-for-8 from the field and also collected eight rebounds, Hardy had six boards, and Green finished with seven assists and two steals.

Here are the takeaways from the nine-point win over the Spurs.

WOOD A BIG FACTOR: Just when the San Antonio Spurs thought they had rattled the Mavs by forcing the game to go into overtime due to a series of late mistakes by Dallas, up stepped Christian Wood to calm his team down. After the Spurs took a 123-121 lead at the outset of overtime, Wood tallied four straight points to put the Mavs ahead for good and jumpstarted a massive 13-0 run that finally put the Spurs out of their misery.

POWELL TO THE RESCUE: At a time when the Spurs had their feet on the gas pedal and were on the verge of pulling away from the Mavs, Dwight Powell put up a major roadblock which stopped San Antonio dead in its tracks. The Spurs were ahead, 112-103, with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Powell – who had just split a pair of free throws – then scored the Mavs’ ensuing eight points to get Dallas within 114-111 of San Antonio with 3:23 left in regulation play.

GREEN WITH ENVY: After what Josh Green did to them Wednesday night, the Spurs must have been green with envy. Green was all over the floor as he knocked down 9-of-18 shots, distributed seven assists, buried 2-of-5 three-pointers, and also picked up a couple of steals while playing a steady all-around game. All of this came while Green played a career-high 45 minutes and ended the game with a plus/minus of plus 17.

Twitter: @DwainPrice

The extremely short-handed Memphis Grizzlies will look to keep their top-seeded hopes alive as they head on the road to the Alamo City to do battle with a familiar foe in the division rival San Antonio Spurs. Let’s check out our NBA odds series, where our Grizzlies-Spurs prediction and pick will be made.

Trying to navigate through the Ja Morant controversy while also missing out on the services of big man Steven Adams and also seeing Brandon Clarke go down for the remainder of the season due to an Achilles tear, Memphis has done their best to navigate the treacherous storm by reeling off wins in three of their previous four outings. Despite falling short to the Heat in which Memphis allowed a whopping 138 points, the Grizzles are doing a commendable job in keeping their heads above water.

With one of the worst records in the Western Conference and all of the NBA for that matter, the Spurs come into Friday’s contest sitting at 18-51 and are eager more than ever to book some tee times this summer as soon as possible. All jokes aside, San Antonio has been fairly average lately going 4-4 over their last eight games, so don’t expect the Spurs to lay down and die this evening.

Here are the Grizzlies-Spurs NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Grizzlies-Spurs Odds

Memphis Grizzlies: -8.5 (-108)

San Antonio Spurs: +8.5 (-112)

Over: 234.5 (-110)

Under: 234.5 (-110)

How To Watch Grizzlies vs. Spurs

TV: Bally Sports Midwest/ Bally Sports South

Stream: NBA League Pass

Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread

Coming into play entrenched as the three-seed out west and only trailing the Kings by half a game for the second overall spot, there is no question that these are the types of games that the Grizzlies need to have if they want to be taken seriously among the elites in the NBA. Unfortunately, Memphis is 13-22 on the road this season in comparison to their extremely productive 28-5 mark at home, so the Grizzlies will need to be dialed in all game long in order to avoid a massive letdown in San Antonio.

If Memphis is going to take care of business by also finding a way to cover the spread, don’t be surprised if the Grizzlies make it a priority to play a full four quarters without appearing lackadaisical. In fact, this may be the overall difference between covering and not, as the Grizzlies lost control of the game in Miami when they allowed the Heat to score 42 points in the third quarter. Even in facing off with a bad Spurs team on the road will require extreme focus especially since Memphis has struggled so mightily away from home this season.

Not to mention, but some unlikely heroes will need to step up as Morant continues to serve his eight-game suspension. At the moment, the best player on the floor for Memphis happens to be All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr, as the ferocious 23-year-old’s ability to be a strong two-way hooper on both ends of the floor proves to give opposing teams fits. Fresh off of pouring in 25 points versus Miami, look for Jackson Jr. to electrify the ‘Grizz both offensively and defensively.

Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread

While the Spurs don’t have much to play for at this point other than pride, San Antonio could certainly send shockwaves around the league with a spreads-covering victory over their division counterparts! So far this season, the Spurs remain winless versus Memphis with an 0-3 record, so San Antonio could be due to treat their home fans to a win to kick off the weekend.

First things first, there is no question that the Spurs are going to want to make life miserable for Memphis by storming out of the gates with a fiery start. Alas, this will undoubtedly start on the defensive end of the floor, as even though the Spurs have struggled stopping teams all year long, forcing turnovers resulting in transition points on the other end will end up being the recipe for success.

After missing four members of the roster due to injury in the overtime loss to the Mavericks, the Spurs should see the return of guys like Jeremy Sochan, Zach Collins, Keita Bates-Diop, and Devin Vassell to the lineup. Considering how shorthanded the Grizzlies will be in this game and the foreseeable future for that matter, San Antonio should have the advantage here with more bodies able to suit up for action.

If all else fails, one intriguing statistic to keep in mind if bettors want to side with the Spurs is that San Antonio does happen to turn the ball over at an alarming rate, so playing cleanly and not making mistakes when they have the ball will be huge in covering versus Memphis.

Final Grizzlies-Spurs Prediction & Pick

With the line set at 8.5, it seems difficult to put trust in a Grizzlies squad that is difficult to predict each night out on the floor. Believe it or not, but siding with the Spurs to cover at home is the pick here.

Final Grizzlies-Spurs Prediction & Pick: Spurs +8.5 (-112)

Nevaeh Caffey takes pride in her unique first name.

The Incarnate Word Academy sophomore loves to see the reactions when she explains its origin.

"It's Heaven spelled backwards," she beams. "Usually, they'll have no idea,"

The 5-foot-10 inch point guard regularly gets a "wow" or "how cool" as a response.

Now those descriptions are used to talk about her on-court prowess, too.

Caffey is the driving force behind one of the most successful girls basketball programs in the country.

Her ball-handling prowess and uncanny ability to read and dissect defenses has kept the Red Knights rolling along.

Incarnate Word (30-0), riding a nation-best 98-game winning streak, seeks a sixth successive state championship when the Class 6 final four begins Friday at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield.

The private north St. Louis County school takes on Raytown (24-2) in a semifinal game at 8 p.m. Friday. Eureka (23-7) faces Rock Bridge (23-7) in the first semifinal at 6 p.m.

The winners meet for the state crown at 4 p.m. Saturday.

IWA is making its 21st final four appearance in search of its 13th state title, both state records.

And Caffey is quietly leading the charge.

"She's taken this new role and done a fantastic job," IWA coach Dan Rolfes said. "Her ability to move right in has been huge for us."

Caffey was handed the keys to the high-powered Ferrari by Rolfes after standout Saniah Tyler, last year's ringleader, graduated and headed off to continue her career at the University of Kentucky.

A Warrenton resident, Caffey welcomed the new responsibility and quickly mastered the challenge.

She has become the focal point of the offense after coming off the bench in 2021-2022.

"From last year to now, she's improved so much," IWA senior Natalie Potts says. "Especially having to fill such big shoes. From not playing to starting point guard, that's not easy. She's definitely done what she needed to do to fill the spot."

Caffey is third on the team in scoring at 8.1 points per game.

But her strength lies in her ability to distribute the ball on offense along with her quickness at the top of the defensive press. She leads the team with 68 steals.

Most importantly, Caffey keeps the attack humming by dishing the ball to forwards Potts, who averages a team best 19.1 points, and senior Brooke Coffey, who is scoring at a 13.6 clip.

"I like having the (responsibility) on my shoulders," Caffey said. "Before the season, (Rolfes) explained to me that I just need to take control and stay focused. I felt like I was ready for it."

Caffey didn't bat an eye when given a much more important workload.

"The toughest part has been becoming a team leader and learning how to talk on the court," Caffey said. "Calling the plays and stuff like that. It took a while to get used to."

Caffey didn't exactly ease into the situation. She simply took charge from the start with 48 points and 15 steals over her first five games.

That lightning-quick transformation came as no surprise to Rolfes.

"I don't want to say she's exceeding expectations because she was always a good player," Rolfes noted. "Last year, there were just some upperclassmen who had more experience.

"But she's really solidified her spot."

Caffey also has become a dangerous scorer when called upon to do so.

The spitfire has scored 10 or more points 10 times this season and is hitting 45 percent from the field, including a nifty 48 percent from 3-point range.

"She can shoot, she can get to the rim and she's pretty long," Rolfes said.

Caffey honed her basketball skills at Black Hawk Middle School in Warrenton. When it came time to choose a high school, she quickly realized IWA was the right fit despite a two-hour daily round trip between home and the Bel-Nor campus. Now that's she 16 years old, Caffey can drive herself back and forth.

"This was where she always felt like she should go," explained her mother Kelly, who got the idea for the first name Nevaeh from her sister Stephanie Hilligardt.

Caffey is hoping to continue her career in college. This breakthrough campaign will go along way to making that dream a reality.

"I'm getting better," Caffey said. "There's still a long way for me to go to get to where I want to be."

In Friday opinion, justices said concerns could be taken up by courts after May 6 election

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Truck driver from Texas kills woman, husband in Seattle area after stalking them for months, police say

Efforts to decriminalize marijuana and abortion in San Antonio are officially on the May 6th ballot.

SA Justice Charter's aim to decriminalize marijuana, abortion unenforceable, city attorney says

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Supreme Court on Friday knocked down a legal challenge to the proposed San Antonio charter amendment, paving the way for residents to vote on the wide-sweeping measure May 6.

In a 6-3 opinion issued Friday morning, justices said the filing asked the court to interfere in an election before it takes place.

In the February legal filing, the Texas Alliance for Life asked the court to move the proposition from the May to November election, to force the city of San Antonio to separate the proposed amendment into single-subject parts and to alter the ballot language.

“There is no corresponding redress from pre-election judicial meddling that prevents voters from voting in the first instance,” Justice Jane Bland wrote.

The opinion noted that legal concerns with the calling of the election could be taken up by the courts after the May election.

Decriminalizing abortion and marijuana possession are the centerpieces of the 13-page charter amendment, which would also make existing policies permanent, like the cite-and-release program, and bans on chokeholds and no-knock warrants -- and even expand some of them.

If passed in May, the amendment would also create a new “Justice Director” position, which could not be filled by anyone with law enforcement experience.

A coalition of public advocacy groups, including ACT 4 SA, gathered more than the 20,000 required signatures to get the proposed amendment on the May ballot.

The San Antonio City Council on Feb. 16 voted 7-0 to order the election as part of a host of normal city business items. Because the proposed charter amendment was the result of a successful petition, the city’s legal team said the city council had no choice but to put it on the ballot.

Even so, three North Side councilmen made sure to leave council chambers rather than help pass it: they were Councilman Manny Pelaez (D8), Councilman John Courage (D9), and Councilman Clayton Perry (D10).

In a dissenting opinion released Friday, three Texas Supreme Court justices stated the amendment should have been moved to the November election, since it did not receive eight or more votes from council and therefore did not fit within the proper timeline for calling special elections.

ACT 4 SA Executive Director Amanda Tomas released the following statement regarding the ruling:

From the beginning, we knew we were justified with every piece of our proposition. The Supreme Court decision today further proved that. From day one this initiative had win after win because it is direct democracy in action and it is what the people of San Antonio want. We expect to see continued wins and success throughout the campaign.

City Attorney Andy Segovia released this statement:

We are not surprised by the Court’s ruling to allow the May election on the proposed Justice Policy to go forward. The Court highlighted the importance of letting voters speak but also pointed out that legal challenges are still available post-election.

“We are tremendously disappointed in the Texas Supreme Court’s decision to allow the San Antonio Proposition A charter amendment to remain on the May 6 ballot, despite obvious violations of state law,” Texas Alliance for Life Communications Director Amy O’Donnell said via email. “We raised significant reasons in our briefs on how Prop A violates voter’s rights.”

“This precedent invites municipalities to disregard well-established election laws regarding charter amendments, protections for unborn babies, and numerous other issues, an unintended but foreseeable consequence,” O’Donnell added.

“We now focus our efforts on defeating this terrible proposition at the polls by mobilizing voters, especially the pro-life, pro-family citizens in San Antonio, who we believe will be shocked to learn what Prop A means – unrestricted illegal abortions throughout pregnancy up to birth, including secret abortions performed on teens by pimps, sex traffickers, and to cover acts of rape or incest.”

O’Donnell, in a virtual interview with KSAT Friday afternoon, said the measure contains lengthy language that can be confusing, but stopped short of saying her group would again challenge its legality if it passes in early May.

“This charter amendment grouped several propositions together under one umbrella, which is a violation of voters’ rights because it does not allow them to vote up or down on each individual item,” said O’Donnell.

Also on KSAT.com:

Copyright 2023 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

The Texas Supreme Court decided San Antonio voters will get a say on a charter amendment decriminalizing abortion after it brought a legal challenge from an anti-abortion group to a halt.

Driving the news: Any challenges to the amendment — known as Proposition A on the May 6 city ballot — must wait until after the election, the Texas Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Friday.

Why it matters: San Antonio will be the first Texas city to vote on protecting abortion, organizers have said, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year, triggering a state law that prohibits abortion in Texas.

Catch up fast: The amendment made it onto the ballot after organizers gathered more than the required 20,000 signatures.

Reality check: In practice, the city already follows most of the measures in Proposition A. But to enshrine such policies in the city charter would run contrary to state law, city attorney Andy Segovia has said.

What they're saying: The Texas Supreme Court’s decision adhered "to our longstanding commitment to avoid undue interference with elections," Justice Jane Bland wrote.

The other side: "We are tremendously disappointed in the Texas Supreme Court's decision … despite obvious violations of state law," said Amy O'Donnell, the communications director for Texas Alliance for Life, which sought the legal challenge, in a statement.

Of note: The court's ruling doesn't determine whether Proposition A is legal or whether its opponents have legal standing. The opinion only states the election should move forward as planned.

What's next: The Texas Alliance for Life will now focus its efforts on mobilizing anti-abortion voters against Proposition A, O'Donnell said.