From the Las Vegas Golden Knights entering preseason to the Las Vegas Raiders’ first win, here’s everything that happened last week in Las Vegas sports (Sept 26 – Oct 2).
#4 Las Vegas Golden Knights start preseason with a 1-3 record under Bruce Cassidy.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights’ climb back to the playoff started against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. When all was said and done, The Golden Knights suffered a 3-1 loss against their divisional rival. The lone goal was scored by Paul Cotter, who recorded three shots on goal throughout the game.
Fast forward to the second game, and the Golden Knights took a 2-1 loss against the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Eichel would score the only goal for Las Vegas, but he wasn’t the only one that impressed. That honor goes to Riley Smith and Phil Kessel, who both managed assists.
While Logan Thompson managed nine saves in nine attempts, Adin Hill let two goals slip by him in nine shots made against him. Not a great start for Hill and his time with Las Vegas. It will be interesting to see how much the Golden Knights rely on him.
The third game of the preseason resulted in a much-needed 7-1 victory against the Colorado Avalanche. Paul Cotter, William Karlsson, Keegan Colesar, Gage Quinney, Michael Amadio, and Kaedan Korczak all scored for the Knights that evening.
The Golden Knights are 1-3 so far this preseason.
#3 Kurt Busch gives a status update
Las Vegas native Kurt Busch has been sidelined with concussion-like symptoms ever since backing into the wall during a qualifying lap at Pocono Raceway in July. While Busch is continuing to recover from what he described at one point as “one of the worst hits in his career,” he still doesn’t know exactly when he will be able to return to action.
“I feel good, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Time has been a challenge. Father Time is the one in charge on this one,” Busch said during an interview. “I know that I have more doctor visits and more distance to go, and I keep pushing each week.”
#2 A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum lead the way to USA’s 4th straight FIBA Cup.
Team USA took on China in the FIBA World Cup and it was a pretty competitive game at first. Team USA had several top stars including Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, and A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, but China only trailed by five after the first period. That lead only extended to ten by halftime and left China very much in the game. That was until the second half when Team USA wreaked havoc on the court.
It all started in the third quarter when Team USA scored 25 points and held China to only 14 of their own. The Red, White and Blue did this by forcing their opponents into 19 turnovers and blocking five of their shots. This led to the fourth quarter, where Team USA unsurprisingly held onto their dominating defense and outscored them again by 11.
The effort was led by A’ja Wilson, who put up 19 points and five rebounds. Kelsey Plum had a great night, too, scoring 17 points, three assists, and one rebound. Finals MVP Chelsea Gray also got in on the action with 10 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. The victory marked Team’ USA’s fourth straight FIBA Title
#1 Las Vegas Raiders earn their first victory of the season against the Denver Broncos.
The Las Vegas Raiders were finally able to come up with a win last week after a 32-23 battle with the Denver Broncos. This marks the first victory of the season and comes at a time when many were questioning the organization. The victory wasn’t without its controversy, however as Derek Carr failed to score one touchdown for his team.
Joshua Jacobs eventually found the endzone after ripping off a ten-yard run in the second quarter. The score marked his first touchdown of the season and was a big momentum boost for an otherwise lackluster offense. Although Carr continued to fall apart under pressure, Jacobs and Daniel Carlson were able to keep the game within reach.
As for their defense, they actually came up with a scoop and score in the second quarter. The honors were done by Amik Robertson after Duron Hampton knocked the ball out of Melvin Gordon’s hands. This allowed Robertson to run 63 yards for a touchdown and put the Raiders up 16-10. The defense was finally running on all cylinders, but it would still be up to the offense to win.
The Raiders were leading 25-23 in the fourth after a few key kicks by Carlson, but things still weren’t a sure thing. In fact, a late score by Russel Wilson forced the offense back onto the field for a key drive. They needed to either chew the clock or come up big on defense again to win. Fortunately, Jacobs would come up big again with a clutch seven-yard score to win the game for the Black and Gold.
Las Vegas Raiders versus Denver Broncos stats
- Carr finished the game with 21 completions on 34 attempts for 188 yards.
- Jacobs totaled 144 yards, two touchdowns, and an average gain of 5.1 yards on 28 attempts.
- Davantae Adams continued to be Carr’s favorite target on Sunday, bringing down 9 catches for 101 yards and zero touchdowns.
- As for the defense, Nate Hobbs and Max Crosby combined for three sacks on Wilson during Sunday’s game.
The Raiders now move on to the Kansas City Chiefs in a Monday night Divisional matchup on ESPN.
And that’s what happened last week in Las Vegas Sports (Sept 26 – Oct 2)!
