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Luka Garza shares best NBA Finals strategy for Miami versus Denver, Nikola Jokic

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Luka Garza shares best NBA Finals strategy for Miami versus Denver, Nikola Jokic


Former Iowa Hawkeye Luka Garza made an interesting prediction ahead of game one of the NBA Finals. In an interview with sports betting network VSin, Garza laid out the game plan on how to possibly contain the two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

“You live with him getting 50 and maybe 5 assists versus 30, 17, and 17,” explained Garza in the interview.

The idea has been thrown out a lot after the Heat’s success in game two where they leveled up the series. Nikola Jokic is going to feast, he’s simply too good to hope to completely eliminate him. Your hope is to contain the scoring outburst to just him, single-covering the big man while trying to stop the shooters around them.

“We’re going to let you get 50 points but we don’t want you to get 15 assists,” Garza said.

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With how great of a facilitator Nikola Jokic is, especially with how the offensive system is designed to flow through him, going all out to stop Jokic can really hurt you. He will find players open. As Garza suggested, just letting Bam Adebayo do his best to try and limit Jokic on offense, while eliminating the shooters around him, seems to be the best way to go.

You could see this in action already this series. In the first game, Jokic was an expert facilitator, his 14 assists combined with 27 points led to a comfortable 104-93 Nuggets win. Then, most recently in game three, Jokic filled up every part of the stat sheet, scoring 32 points, grabbing 21 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists. It didn’t hurt that Jamal Murray had a triple-double as well, but you get the point in Denver’s 109-94 game three victory.

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While Jokic went on a scoring tear in game two with 41 points, the assists numbers were down to just four. Of course, it’s not just that cut and dry. The Denver players weren’t hitting their shots from deep, but that all really played into what the Heat were trying to do defensively. Just as Luka Garza said.

It makes you wonder, when Luka Garza’s playing career is over, can he have an even bigger star as a basketball analyst?

The NBA Finals resume tonight from Miami’s Kaseya Center at 7:30 p.m. CT on ABC with Denver currently owning a 2-1 series lead.

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Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

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Joann liquidation sales near their end. When will Iowa stores close for good?

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Joann liquidation sales near their end. When will Iowa stores close for good?


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Say goodbye to Joann stores because the craft retailer is permanently closing its remaining Iowa stores by the end of May.

Joann shuttered 255 locations in April, including two in Iowa, months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time within a year. Since filing for bankruptcy, the company has held going-out-of-business sales at the locations.

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At those sales, prices are marked down 70% to 90%, according to Joann.com. (Note: sales on the online site have ended.) Stores are also selling the furniture, shelves and equipment, according to the site.

When is Joann closing its stores?

The more than 440 stores that remain will be closed by May 31, said Jo Anne McCusker, a spokesperson for GA Group, the retail liquidator that won all of Joann’s chain’s assets through auction in February. The chain’s website says many stores will close by May 30.

When are Joann stores in Iowa closing?

There are seven Joann stores that will close in Iowa by May 31, according to USA TODAY. The Ames location was not included in a list the company provided to USA TODAY, but the location is listed as a liquidation store on Joann’s website.

  • Ankeny: 1205 SE 16th Court, Suite 200
  • Cedar Rapids: 255 Collins Road NE
  • Clive: 9999 University Ave.
  • Davenport: 902 W. Kimberly Road, Suite 41
  • Dubuque: 2600 Dodge St., Suite A-4
  • Iowa City: 1676 Sycamore St.
  • Waterloo: 1407 Flammang Dr.

Have any Iowa stores already closed?

USA TODAY reported that two Joann stores in Iowa were included in an earlier round of store closures.

JoAnn stores in Mason City and Muscatine closed on April 28.

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Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.





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Northwestern Men’s Basketball Announces Iowa State Exhibition Series

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Northwestern Men’s Basketball Announces Iowa State Exhibition Series


Northwestern University men’s basketball has announced a historic “home-and-home” exhibition series with Iowa State that will be played over the next two years.

The series begins Sunday, October 26, 2025, when Northwestern travels to Ames to face the Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State will return the favor during the 2026 preseason, visiting Welsh-Ryan Arena on either Saturday, October 24, or Sunday, October 25, 2026:

The matchup represents significant firsts for both programs. Northwestern will break new ground by playing its first preseason exhibition against a Division I opponent in program history. For Iowa State, the October contest will mark their first exhibition game at Hilton Coliseum since 2017, when they defeated Emporia State 77-68.

The Cyclones will enter the Northwestern exhibition having already completed their preseason opener at Creighton on October 17. The 2025 schedule marks the first time Iowa State has played two exhibition games in a single season since 2009, when they defeated Black Hills State 96-47 and UNC Pembroke 106-54

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Both teams enter the series following contrasting 2024-25 campaigns. Iowa State posted a 25-10 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, earning the 13th spot in ESPN’s Way Too Early Top 25 rankings. Northwestern finished 17-16 in their third consecutive winning season.

Specific tipoff times and television broadcast schedules will be announced at a later date. Northwestern’s full 2025-26 schedule has yet to be released, buttickets are currently available for purchase.



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Iowa baseball defeats Rutgers, punches Big Ten Tournament semis ticket

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Iowa baseball defeats Rutgers, punches Big Ten Tournament semis ticket


In Iowa baseball’s (33-20-1, 21-9 Big Ten) first game in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament vs. Rutgers (29-28, 15-15) Wednesday night from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., the No. 3-seeded Hawkeyes defeated the No. 10-seeded Scarlet Knights by a score of 4-3 to win the Pool C grouping and clinch a semifinal appearance on Saturday.

Cade Obermueller started on the mound for the Hawkeyes, where he threw a stellar seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and one base-on-balls with 10 strikeouts. Three additional pitchers would see action for Iowa, including Brant Hogue, who picked up a stressful save after allowing Rutgers to pull within one run.

In total, the Hawkeyes’ pitching staff would combine for 13 strikeouts, while allowing three base-on-balls and three earned runs on nine Rutgers hits.

As for the offense, Iowa would record 10 hits, with Miles Risley leading the Hawkeyes with one RBI on 3-of-4 from the plate. Caleb Wulf (2-4) and Kellen Strohmeyer (1-3) also contributed one RBI each. While Gable Mitchell did not record an RBI, he still batted a productive 3-for-5 at the dish.

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Although the Hawkeyes’ win secured them a spot in the semifinals, they will still play their second game of pool play tomorrow vs. No. 6-seed Indiana (31-25, 16-14) from Omaha.

Tomorrow’s game against the Hoosiers, initially scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, has now been rescheduled for 9 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field on the Big Ten Network. In addition to the telecast, fans can listen to the action through the Hawkeyes Radio Network alongside play-by-play voice John Leo and color analyst John Evans.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews



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