Phoenix Suns guard Cameron Payne drives as Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale (23) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, April 30, 2021, in Phoenix. | Matt York, Associated Press
The Utah Jazz, without Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, fell to the Phoenix Suns 121-100 on Friday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
High notes
The Jazz have a 45-18 record on the season, now tied with Phoenix in the win-loss column. Although the Suns own the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Jazz have a pretty easy schedule ahead of them. They’re a very good team tied for the best record in the league, but you wouldn’t know it from Jazz fans on social media. The Jazz are still in a very good spot with just nine games left in the regular season.
With two of the Jazz’s best players unavailable, Quin Snyder played around with the rotations a little bit, bringing in Trent Forrest and Jarrell Brantley at the end of the first quarter, starting the second half with Derrick Favors in place of Rudy Gobert and then bringing in Ersan Ilyasova to play with Forrest later on. Playing with rotations and subs is a good thing, especially if the game is an obvious blowout.
Also, Snyder unloaded the bench with just over eight minutes left to play, giving the Jazz’s most heavily used players a good amount of rest heading into tomorrow’s back-to-back home game against the Toronto Raptors.
Joe Ingles was aggressively shooting the ball and hit a 3 right out of the gate for the first score of the game. Love to see that kind of quick trigger and aggressive approach from him. He couldn’t hit another 3 for the rest of the night, but he kept shooting, and that’s a good sign.
There were a few times I found myself a little surprised by Jordan Clarkson’s on-ball defense. When he wants to be, he can be a pretty pesky defender.
Low notes
Royce O’Neale passes up open shots still. Nothing new there.
Bad shooting all around for the Jazz.
One thing you absolutely can’t do against the Suns is commit live-ball turnovers. They run and they run fast. The Jazz must have missed that memo.
“In this type of situation, against a team that is as good as Phoenix, you’re never going to be perfect, but you can’t make mistakes.” —Quin Snyder
Flat notes
I tried my best to talk people off the ledge before this game even happened. This was pretty much a scheduled loss considering that the Jazz were without Mitchell and Conley. That does not mean the Jazz are a bad team. It does not say something bigger about the Jazz that they have lost three games to the Suns. The Jazz lost the fourth game of the season to the Suns, an overtime game when they shot 25% from 3-point range, then they lost on Friday without two All-Stars. This is not the end of the world, no matter how much people on Twitter want you to think it is.
“You can’t look at this like it’s the end of the world or nothing. They still got games to play, we still got games to play. We’ve got to suit up tomorrow and beat Toronto.” —Jordan Clarkson
The Logan Grizzlies cruised into the 4A second round with a 3-0 shutout victory over Pine View. Logan’s Andy Martinez and Adrian Espinoza each recorded a goal and an assist to help boost the Grizzlies to the win.
Ben Lomond beat Tooele Friday afternoon for the third time this season, but this win carried more weight than the other two as it sent the Scots into the 4A second round. Riley Wright scored just three minutes into the game to help Ben Lomond secure the win.
The Aviators secured their spot in the 4A second round Friday afternoon by defeating Bear River by three goals. Tyson Carter and Landon Dunn each netted a brace for Cedar Valley.
Rhett Christophersen scored two goals in the first half for Uintah, but after Hurricane rallied in the second half to force overtime and then eventually penalty kicks, the Utes prevailed 6-5 in the shootout to advance to the 4A second round. Bryson Allen converted the winning penalty kick for Uintah, while keeper Macort Pickup made two penalty saves in the shootout.
The Reds advanced to the 4A second round thanks to a five-goal rout of Canyon View. Isaac Fletcher notched a hat trick for Cedar. Fletcher now has a team-high 13 goals on the season.
American Leadership Academy picked up its fourth win of the season on Friday and its third shutout with a 2-0 defeat of Union. Goalkeeper Marcus Haston was credited with the clean sheet for the Eagles who will play Morgan in the second round of the 3A playoffs.
Providence Hall picked up its second win of the season with a four-goal thrashing of South Sevier. Alan Dedic scored three of the Patriots’ five goals to help his squad advance into the second round.
Summit Academy opened its playoff quest with a dominant 8-0 victory over San Juan. Elias Holt recorded a hat trick for the Bears and Beckham Blair followed closely with two goals of his own. Summit Academy will now play in the second round of the 3A state tournament.
The Eagles thrashed the Thunderbirds Friday afternoon to punch their ticket into the 2A second round. Juan Medina (three goals) led the five separate goal scorers for the Eagles.
After a first half that saw them gridlocked with North Sevier, Merit Academy netted four goals over the final 40 minutes to secure a fairly comfortable first round playoff win. Sandro Diaz and Leo Monje each scored two goals for the Knights.
Kaleb Begg scored two goals while Kyler Begg added a goal and three assists as ICS picked up the first round win in the state tournament. Isaiah Longoria recorded the shutout.
Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) dries as Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson (23) and guard Cameron Payne (15) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, April 30, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York) | AP
The Utah Jazz, who have been at the top of the NBA standings for the majority of the 2020-21 season, fell to No. 2 in the Western Conference with a road loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Though the two teams are tied in the win-loss columns, Phoenix owns the tiebreaker, having swept head-to-head season series 3-0 against the Jazz.
The Jazz have nine regular season games remaining, starting with the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors, a game that kicks off a five-game home stand for the Jazz.
The Suns beat a depleted Jazz, who were playing without Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley.
Mitchell, who has missed seven games with a right ankle sprain, is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Saturday with an update on his status to follow.
Conley has missed two games after aggravating the hamstring that has been nagging him all season. Though he has missed time and only played in one back-to-back set this season in order to manage the stress on his hamstring, Conley has said that most of it has been out of an abundance of caution.
The Jazz are one of just four teams to have already clinched a playoff berth.
President Joe Biden departs after attending Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church as snow falls, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Wilmington, Del. | Patrick Semansky, Associated Press
Religious groups remain divided over the president’s approach to immigration, LGBTQ rights and other issues.
At his inauguration, President Joe Biden promised to be a unifying leader. But, 100 days and several faith-related policy moves later, religious groups remain divided over whether he has their best interests in mind.
More liberal denominations have applauded many of Biden’s actions, including efforts to reduce anti-LGBTQ discrimination and boost abortion rights. But these same decisions angered conservative people of faith, including leaders from Biden’s own church.
“The unalienable dignity of women and their unborn children deserves so much more,” said one Catholic archbishop after the Biden administration announced it would increase access to a chemical abortion pill.
He and other Catholic leaders are so angry with the president’s approach to abortion rights that they’ll vote this summer on whether Biden should still take communion, according to The Associated Press.
When faith groups from across the political spectrum have united, it’s usually been to push back against something Biden has done. For example, religious leaders of all stripes cried out when the administration tried to keep a Trump-era plan for refugee admissions in place.
“We’re in a global refugee crisis,” said Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS, a Jewish refugee resettlement organization, to Religion News Service last month. “This is a time to demonstrate real leadership.”
Overall, around half of Catholics (58%) and Protestants (47%) approve of the job Biden has done so far, according to Gallup. By comparison, 71% of religiously unaffiliated Americans are pleased with the president after 100 days.
Here’s a list of Biden’s key faith-related actions from the past three months, as well as notable responses from religious leaders.
Repealed President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from some Muslim-majority countries
Within hours of taking office on Jan. 20, Biden signed an executive order rescinding Trump’s travel ban. Many religious leaders credited faith-based activism with inspiring the move.
“We have fought tirelessly for this moment,” said Iman Awad, legislative director for the Muslim group Emgage Action, in a statement at the time.
The travel ban, which Trump presented as a national security measure, was seen by many faith groups as an assault on religious freedom. Leaders from a variety of denominations praised Biden for standing up for Muslims’ rights.
The policy change “will help ensure that those fleeing persecution and seeking refuge or seeking to reunify with family in the United States will not be turned away because of what country they are from or what religion they practice,” said leaders from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Sent an immigration reform bill to Congress
Faith groups were also broadly supportive of Biden’s early work on immigration reform, which began on Inauguration Day. That’s when he sent his immigration plan to Congress and signed executive orders pausing certain deportations, as well as construction on the border wall.
“We ... celebrate what this legislative proposal symbolizes: a renewed appreciation for the ways in which the United States is strengthened by the contributions of immigrants,” said Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, in a statement on Biden’s immigration bill.
Since January, some of these good feelings have fizzled out, as the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border has grown more chaotic. But many religious leaders are confident that Biden remains committed to putting humane policies in place.
“We know that changes will take time but applaud President Biden’s commitment to prioritize assisting our immigrant and refugee brothers and sisters,” said Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Committee on Migration, in a February statement.
Instructed federal officials to tackle anti-LGBTQ discrimination
In yet another executive order signed on Inauguration Day, Biden took aim at anti-LGBTQ discrimination. The order expands federal civil rights protections by stating that existing bans on “sex discrimination” cover attacks on gay and transgender people, as well.
“It is the policy of my administration to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation,” Biden wrote.
Leaders from more conservative faith groups were quick to point out that such a policy change could put church-state partnerships in jeopardy.
Federal officials may interpret the order to mean they shouldn’t work with denominations that oppose same-sex marriage, said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, in a January statement.
“Ultimately, if this executive order is able to be fully carried out, it will affect everyday Americans who hold biblical and conservative values,” he said.
Ryan Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., tweeted that the order undermined Biden’s promise to work toward unity.
“Calls for unity while advancing (a) radical, divisive agenda ring hollow,” he said.
Rescinded the “global gag rule” keeping U.S. aid recipients from discussing abortion
Conservative religious leaders were also outraged by Biden’s decision to revoke the so-called Mexico City Policy, which kept some recipients of U.S. aid money from discussing abortion with their clients.
“Foreign aid is a vital part of American leadership in the world and should be used to protect life, not end it,” said Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, in a statement on the decision.
Biden is far from the first Democratic president to rescind the rule, but his Catholicism made the decision more controversial.
The Catholic Church officially opposes abortion rights. However, surveys have shown that around half of Catholics believe abortion should be legal.
“It is grievous that one of President Biden’s first official acts actively promotes the destruction of human lives in developing nations,” said leaders from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a January statement.
Reestablished the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
At several points in his presidency so far, Biden has leaned on faith groups to help him achieve his goals. For example, he’s urged religious leaders to talk to their congregations about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Getting vaccinated is “how we’re going to defeat this virus and that’s how we’re going to come together again in our communities, in our houses of worship,” he said during an April 1 call with pastors and other community leaders, according to The Hill.
In February, Biden showed his support for more formal church-state partnerships by reestablishing the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. For the past two decades, the office has helped coordinate government outreach to religious organizations.
“I’m reestablishing the (office) to work with leaders of different faiths and backgrounds who are the frontlines of their communities in crisis and who can help us heal, unite and rebuild,” Biden said at the time.
A wide variety of religious leaders celebrated the move, as well as Biden’s decision to appoint Melissa Rogers, an expert on religion and policy, to lead the office.
“When she served in the Obama administration, Rogers successfully worked with people across faiths and the nonreligious to adopt policies that protect the religious freedom of people who use federally funded social services,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, in a Feb. 14 statement.
Called on Congress to pass the Equality Act
One month after angering some conservatives with his executive order on LGBTQ discrimination, Biden stirred up more controversy by reiterating his support for the Equality Act, legislation that would add protections for gay and transgender Americans to the federal Civil Rights Act.
“The Equality Act provides long overdue federal civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, preventing discrimination in our housing, education, public services and lending systems. I urge Congress to swiftly pass this historic legislation,” the president tweeted on Feb. 19.
The bill would also limit certain religious freedom protections, leaving faith-based organizations more vulnerable to discrimination lawsuits. For this reason, some religious leaders have asked policymakers to either revise the Equality Act or abandon it.
“The Equality Act would discriminate against people of faith,” wrote five leaders from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a February letter to Congress
Other faith leaders share Biden’s support for the bill, which passed the House on Feb. 25. They applaud the president for acknowledging that LGBTQ rights and religious freedom do not need to be in conflict.
“The Equality Act is a step forward to the full — and overdue — citizenship rights for LGBTQ persons,” said Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance, in a February statement.
The Equality Act is currently awaiting Senate action. Biden urged policymakers to make the legislation a priority during his address to Congress on April 28.
“I ... hope Congress can get to my desk the Equality Act to protect the rights of LGBTQ Americans,” he said.
Biden has yet to weigh in on the Fairness for All Act, which is sponsored by Rep. Chris Stewart, a Republican from Utah.
Unlike the Equality Act, the bill would balance LGBTQ civil rights protections with enhanced religious freedom rights. For this reason, it may be more palatable for Republican leaders and, therefore, have an easier route through the Senate.
Sanctioned two Chinese officials over human rights abuses
In March, the Biden administration, along with Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union, sanctioned Chinese leaders over their treatment of ethnic and religious minority groups. Religious freedom advocates saw the coordinated action as a powerful step toward protecting people of faith around the world.
“Today’s announcement represents a major victory for religious freedom and an important step toward holding China accountable,” tweeted the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on Mar. 22.
Later that month, Biden’s State Department described China’s actions toward its Muslim citizens as “genocide and crimes against humanity” in a report on human rights practices around the world.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is among the faith groups that have praised Biden for being tough on China while also calling on him to do even more.
“Now that the Biden administration has recognized that China is committing genocide, our nation must take every possible action to stand against these crimes against humanity,” said the council’s executive director, Nihad Awad, in a March statement.
Decided not to raise the refugee ceiling but then agreed to reconsider
Biden’s most contentious faith-related decision came in mid-April, when the administration announced it would not raise a Trump-era limit on refugee admissions as soon as originally planned.
The pushback from people of faith was swift and intense. Religious leaders from across the political spectrum accused Biden of breaking his promises.
“The number of refugees who will be welcomed this year is far short of what we can do as a country and is not an adequate response to the immense resettlement need,” said Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, in a statement released April 19.
Within a few hours, officials from the Biden administration announced it would reconsider the original plan. Refugee resettlement experts expect the new ceiling to be announced sometime in May.
“As Jews, we know too well the harm of turning away those seeking refugee. Our own historical experiences throughout the centuries remind us what it is like to be uprooted from home and to seek refuge in other countries. We demand nothing less than a significant increase in refugee admissions from an administration whose stated values must be matched by actions that reflect justice and compassion,” Rabbi Pesner from the Reform Jewish Movement said in a statement.
Juan Diego and Ogden play in a high school soccer game at Juan Diego on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. Juan Diego won 5-4 on penalty kicks. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Offensive lineman Brady Christensen participates in the 20-yard shuttle during BYU pro day in Provo on Friday, March 26, 2021. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Former two-star recruit from Bountiful High didn’t think he was good enough to play at BYU. Now he’s a member of the Carolina Panthers
The drought is over for BYU when it comes to getting an offensive lineman drafted into the National Football League.
The school that once routinely sent big hogs to the league had one drafted for the first time in 16 years on Friday as the Carolina Panthers selected Cougars offensive tackle Brady Christensen in the third round.
The Panthers must really like Christensen because they made a trade with Philadelphia to move up from No. 73 to No. 70 to get him, giving up their 191st overall pick in the sixth round.
Asked by the Deseret News last month what he will purchase with his first NFL paycheck, Christensen said he would do “the most boring thing ever” and pay off his wife’s car.
“I gotta get out of debt,” he said.
He can probably also afford a set of custom golf clubs he’s been coveting recently.
“I need some that actually fit me,” he said.
Christensen, who will turn 25 this fall, is a big reason why No. 2 overall draft pick Zach Wilson had such a sensational season. The new father from Bountiful protected Wilson’s blind side the past three seasons.
“This dude (is) going to ball out!” Wilson tweeted shortly after the pick was announced. “So excited for him!”
Ironically, Christensen will now protect quarterback Sam Darnold, who was traded to Carolina from New York so the Jets could clear the way for Wilson to be their starter.
The Panthers signed former BYU receiver Micah Simon to a free-agent contract in March, so the two-year teammates will be reunited in Charlotte, North Carolina, this fall.
Christensen is the first BYU offensive lineman drafted since Scott Young was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005. He is the first tackle to get picked since Dustin Rykert went to the Raiders in 2003.
From 1970 to 2000, when LaVell Edwards retired, BYU had 21 offensive linemen drafted.
Christensen and his wife, Jordynn, became parents on March 16 to a baby boy named Ledger.
After graduating from Bountiful High as a two-star recruit, Christensen served a two-year mission to New Zealand for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Last season, he was BYU’s first consensus All-American since 2001.
The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder wowed scouts with his athleticism, which many didn’t think he possessed, at BYU’s pro day with a broad jump that measured 10 feet, 4 inches, the best all-time by a college offensive lineman.
The former speed-up runner and center fielder for the Bountiful High baseball team ran a 4.89-second 40 at pro day as well.
Christensen said he talked to every NFL team but one, which he declined to divulge, over the course of the last three months since he declared early for the draft last January.
He’s the third BYU player taken with the 70th overall pick in the last five seasons, joining Bronson Kaufusi and Fred Warner. Kaufusi was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in 2016 and Warner was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic called Christensen, who started all 38 games the past three seasons for BYU, “an older prospect (who) needs to clean up his timing, but he displays quickness and body flexibility in pass protection and gets the job done as a run blocker.”
Added Brugler: “He projects as an NFL starter.”
Congrats @Brady_BYU ! This day was long in the making! I knew you were special from the first practice we shared together. Keep doing your thing bro! Love ya man pic.twitter.com/rpIh3bx1BD
Cleveland also drafted a BYU player in the third round recently, taking linebacker Sione Takitaki in 2019, but with the No. 80 overall pick.
Other BYU offensive lineman hoping to have their names called before the draft is over are Tristen Hoge and Chandon Herring.
With Wilson having been selected Thursday and Christensen on Friday, this marks the first time since 2009 that BYU has had multiple players taken in a single draft.
The draft continues Saturday with rounds 4-7 taking place in Cleveland. BYU players hoping to get selected include wide receiver Dax Milne, linebackers Isaiah Kaufusi and Kavika Fonua, defensive tackles Zac Dawe, Khyiris Tonga and Bracken El-Bakri and safeties Troy Warner and Zayne Anderson.
American Fork pitcher Kaden Carpenter yells after striking out a Skyridge batter in American Fork on Friday, April 30, 2021. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
American Fork baseball used an eight-run fifth inning Friday to knock off Skyridge for the third time this week and remain unbeaten on the year.
Following the 10-1 shellacking of the Falcons, American Fork saw its record improve to 18-0, while Skyridge fell to 9-10, below .500 for the first time since March.
American Fork junior pitcher Kaden Carpenter kept Skyridge off the board for 5 full innings, perplexing one Falcon batter after another. Minus Carpenter’s solo home run in the fourth inning, the Cavemen also struggled to get into an offensive rhythm — that is until the fifth inning, when longtime Cavemen head coach Jarod Ingersoll saw his teams’ bats explode midway through the contest.
“It took us a little bit to wake up,” he said. “A couple of our leaders came up with some big hits and everything else just started to fall in line.”
The Cavemen cycled through the lineup, with every player reaching base, and in effect won the game in the fifth. Fisher Ingersoll got the scoring under way for American Fork following sophomore Ryder Robinson’s double to center field. The lefty batter ripped a two-run homer over the right field fence to give his team a 3-0 edge.
American Fork was only getting started. Six runs and two Falcon pitchers later, the Cavemen had racked up a 9-0 lead.
Skyridge senior McKade Sampson finally got the better of Carpenter in the sixth inning, taking him over the left field fence for the Falcons’ only score of the game. Carpenter would retire the next two batters to end his night.
Teammate Easton Whittaker relieved the southpaw, performing mop-up duty in the final inning.
At game’s end, Carpenter’s head coach found him at the third base line to tell him how proud he was of his play.
“He is so solid,” Ingersoll said. “The presence that he has in the box, the presence that he has on the mound and even defensively, he’s an incredible ball player. He deserves a ton of recognition. Just a great great athlete for us.”
To remain unbeaten next week, The Cavemen will need Carpenter and crew to play well when facing off against fellow undefeated Pleasant Grove. The Vikings enter the matchup outscoring opponents by an average of nearly nine runs per game.
American Fork knows how potent Pleasant Grove’s offense can be.
“We’ve just got to play good defense,” Ingersoll said. “(Our) pitchers have got to step up. We’ve got to have timely hitting. If we come and play tough baseball it should be a fun series. We’re looking forward to it.”
The series between the rival schools is set to begin Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. with Pleasant Grove as the initial host. Skyridge will return home to face a Westlake team looking for its first win of Region 4 play that same day at 3:30 p.m.
