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NHL (National Hockey League)

Revised Canucks aim to snap losing streak against Avalanche in Vancouver showdown

Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche

The Vancouver Canucks are set to play with a fresh sense of energy when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.

The Canucks are looking to avoid a third consecutive loss after making big changes to their roster on Friday. One of the trades sent last season’s top scorer, J.T. Miller, to the New York Rangers.

On January 24, the Avalanche added Jack Drury and Martin Necas after trading their top scorer, Mikko Rantanen, to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Filip Chytil, Marcus Pettersson, and Drew O’Connor all made their debuts for Vancouver in the team’s 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit on Sunday.

“There is a lot of smiling, a lot of excitement,” said Canucks coach Rick Tocchet after Sunday’s game. “There was a freshness from the guys who are excited to be here.

“Now it is kind of OK, we got the trades over, and this is our team.

“Let’s start at zero, even for the guys who have struggled this year. It is a time to just reset your brain, come out with a good attitude, work hard. Those are the type of things that are going to get you out of slumps.”

Chytil had an immediate impact, scoring an unassisted goal in the third period.

“(Chytil) was really good. He controlled the play and he wanted the puck,” Tocchet said. “He scored a big goal for us, so it was a good debut for him.”

Colorado Avalanche (NHL)

Pius Suter also scored, and Kevin Lankinen made 15 saves for Vancouver.

The Canucks are hopeful that star defenseman Quinn Hughes will return to the lineup on Tuesday. He missed Sunday’s game due to an unspecified injury.

If Hughes plays, Tuesday’s game will feature a matchup between two of the league’s top offensive defensemen: Hughes and Colorado’s Cale Makar. Hughes won the Norris Trophy last season, while Makar was named the top defenseman in 2022.

Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood could be aiming for his third consecutive shutout if he starts against Vancouver.

Blackwood made 19 saves in a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday, then stopped all 24 shots in a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday in Denver.

“I try and play the same way day-in and day-out,” said Blackwood, who has posted back-to-back shutouts three times in his career. “Over these last two games, we’ve done a tremendous job in the D-zone just playing the right way.”

Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Samuel Girard scored for Colorado, and Jonathan Drouin added two assists. Colorado completed a two-game homestand with wins in both games.

“I don’t think we’ve given up very many high-danger chances in the last couple of games,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. “We’ve done a nice job defending, and when we have a breakdown, (Blackwood) has been there.”

MacKinnon, the league’s leading scorer, added a power-play goal and became the first player to reach 80 points this season.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Canadiens look to end slump in San Jose matchup

Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

The struggling Montreal Canadiens will look to break their winless streak when they face the last-place San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.

The Canadiens dropped to 0-4-1 in their last five games after a 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

Montreal was up 2-0 for most of the game, but the Ducks quickly tied it with two goals in a 40-second span. Alex Killorn scored the game-winning goal 11:11 into the third period, handing Montreal another tough loss.

“It’s not like we’re getting dominated, but we’re finding ways to lose,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “We’re hurting ourselves. We’re not as sharp, we don’t execute. … It’s not the time of the season you want to get a slide, so we’ve got to stop the bleeding.”

Before this losing streak, Montreal had been 13-3-1 in their last 17 games and had moved close to the Eastern Conference playoff race.

On paper, facing the NHL’s worst team might seem like a good chance for Montreal to get back on track. But the Sharks have had a strong record against the Canadiens, going 16-3-1 in their last 20 matchups dating back to the 2010-11 season.

This season, San Jose has only won four of their last 22 games (4-17-1).

The Sharks are also in the middle of a rebuild and traded Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars on Saturday in exchange for two picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Granlund led the Sharks in assists (30) and points (45), while Ceci led in ice time (1,175 minutes, 41 seconds) and blocks (100) this season. Aside from their stats, both players had been important mentors to San Jose’s younger players.

Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks

“(Granlund) said whatever I need, I can ask him,” forward Will Smith told the San Jose Mercury News. “Obviously, I did that. We sat next to each other in the locker room too, so (it’s) tough having him go. … It’s a huge piece we’re losing, but I’ve learned a lot from him.”

In addition to the trades, San Jose is dealing with injuries. Alexander Wennberg (upper body) is expected to miss his second game in a row, while Tyler Toffoli (lower body) and Fabian Zetterlund (illness) are questionable after missing Sunday’s practice.

On the brighter side, Vitek Vanecek has been recalled from his AHL conditioning stint after missing 21 games due to a fractured cheekbone. Vanecek may play Tuesday, or the Sharks could start Alexandar Georgiev if they prefer to ease Vanecek back into the lineup.

Since the Canadiens also play the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, goalies Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes are expected to split the back-to-back starts. The goalies have mostly been alternating starts recently, so Dobes could start Tuesday since Montembeault played against Anaheim.

Captain Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists).

The Canadiens’ penalty kill is one of the best in the league, with an 82.5% success rate. Opponents have gone just 2-for-25 on the power play in Montreal’s last 10 games, and 0-for-9 in their last five.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Ducks and Stars face off in Anaheim after strong runs

Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

The Dallas Stars are bringing a five-game winning streak with them to California for a three-game road trip that begins Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Stars, who are second in the Central Division and eight points behind the first-place Winnipeg Jets, will finish the trip with games in Los Angeles on Friday and San Jose on Saturday, before a break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Tuesday’s game will be the second of three meetings this season between the Stars and Ducks. Anaheim won the first game 4-2 on Nov. 18 in Dallas, with Lukas Dostal making 34 saves and Brett Leason contributing a goal and two assists.

Dallas coach Pete DeBoer was disappointed with his team’s performance in that loss, which ended a three-game winning streak. Anaheim led 3-0 after two periods, but Dallas came back with goals from Esa Lindell and Matt Duchene in the third period. A late goal from Jackson LaCombe sealed the win for the Ducks.

“This type of game is going to happen to everybody in the league at some point. Over an 82-game schedule, you’re going to have a game where you’re either off, flat or get behind and can’t come back,” DeBoer said. “It’s over with; there’s nothing we can do about it now. It’s all about our response.”

Since that loss, Dallas has gone 23-11-1 and is third in the NHL with 69 points.

The Stars kept their streak alive with a 5-3 comeback win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. Evgenii Dadonov scored twice in the third period, Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist, and Mason Marchment, who had been out since taking a puck to the face on Dec. 27, also scored.

Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars (NHL)

“My nose was shattered, so just breathing was the hardest part,” said Marchment, who had surgery on his face and is wearing a special bubble shield. “It was swollen for so long, and it took so long for me to breathe out of my nose. You need to breathe out of your nose to play, so that was probably the worst part.”

Anaheim comes into the game with a 4-1 record in their last five games. They most recently won 3-2 over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday after coming back from a 2-0 deficit. Mason McTavish, who has scored seven goals in his last six games, and Frank Vatrano, with five goals in his last six games, both scored in the second period to tie the game. Alex Killorn netted the game-winner in the third period.

“After the first period, we did a better job getting up ice, creating more,” said Killorn, who also had an assist. “We didn’t spend as much time in the (defensive) zone.”

Anaheim, which is 6-1-1 in its last eight home games at Honda Center, improved to 21-0-2 when scoring three goals in a game. The win was the fifth time this season the Ducks have come back from a multi-goal deficit to win.

“It’s great. It’s great to come back,” Killorn said. “(But) I think we’d rather not come back to win games and just get ahead. It shows the resilience of this group.”

The victory moved the Ducks into sixth place in the Pacific Division, just nine points behind Calgary for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Lightning face a tough challenge in cooling down the red-hot Senators in Tampa

Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

The Tampa Bay Lightning will wrap up their five-game homestand with matchups against the in-form Ottawa Senators on Tuesday and Thursday.

Although these games will feel like early playoff showdowns, the chances of these two Atlantic Division teams facing each other in the first round of the postseason are slim.

A recent slump in scoring for both the Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, along with the Detroit Red Wings’ six-game winning streak, has pushed the Lightning out of a playoff position. This is surprising given Tampa Bay’s strong goal differential of +34.

“You look at the first three months of the season, and scoring wasn’t that difficult,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after his team posted a 7-8-1 record in January. “And (in January) we played like 14 games in 24 days, three different time zones, 10 on the road. I’d probably say fatigue was a part of it. We were probably scoring more than expected, and then we started scoring way below expected.”

Nikita Kucherov leads the team in assists (52) and points (76), while Brandon Hagel is second with 54 points. Brayden Point, however, has just three points in his last six games and hasn’t had a multi-point game since his three-point performance against the New York Rangers on December 28.

The Senators, on the other hand, have been on a roll, having defeated Tampa Bay 5-4 in their first meeting in Ottawa on October 19.

Ottawa Senators (NHL)

However, Ottawa took a hit when Josh Norris (mid-body injury) was unable to travel with the team on their four-game road trip. Norris, who has 19 goals this season, is expected to miss a few weeks after taking two hard hits during Saturday’s 6-0 win over the Minnesota Wild.

In that game, the Senators dominated, outshooting Minnesota 52-16 and completing a perfect 4-0-0 homestand.

To replace Norris, Ottawa called up Cole Reinhardt from their AHL team in Belleville. “Any time someone goes out, it’s another opportunity for someone else to come in,” said Senators coach Travis Green. “(Reinhardt) will draw in the lineup tonight, and someone else will play center.”

That “someone else” was Ridly Greig, who scored in Ottawa’s 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday.

Goaltender Anton Forsberg made 25 saves to secure the Senators’ fifth straight win, marking the second time this season they’ve had a winning streak of at least five games.

Linus Ullmark, who has been sidelined since December 22 with an injury, served as Forsberg’s backup and could start in Tuesday’s game in Tampa.

Tim Stutzle, 23, reached a milestone by recording his 300th career point with an assist on a goal by Adam Gaudette. Defenseman Jake Sanderson extended his point streak to five games (three goals, six assists) by scoring for the third straight game, and David Perron netted his first goal with the Senators in his 15th game with the team.

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NFL (American Football)

Andy Reid Confirms He’s Staying with the Chiefs for the 2025 Season

Reid prepares for his 13th season leading Kansas City (Kansas City Chiefs)

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid made it clear on Tuesday that he has no plans to step away, confirming that he will continue coaching through the 2025 NFL season.

During a press conference, Reid addressed his future and reaffirmed his passion for the game, stating, “Yes, I’ll be back.” At 66 years old, he has established himself as one of the most accomplished coaches in league history, ranking fourth in all-time regular-season wins with 273.

Nearly three decades in, Reid’s passion for the game remains strong (Kansas City Chiefs)

With nearly 30 years of head coaching experience in the NFL, Reid’s upcoming 2025 season will mark his 27th all in all and his 13th leading the Chiefs.

His tenure in Kansas City followed a 14-year run as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, where he built a strong reputation before transitioning to his current role.

Success has defined Reid’s time with the Chiefs, as he has already guided them to three Super Bowl championships.

This Sunday, he will have an opportunity to secure a fourth title and make history with an unprecedented third consecutive championship—ironically against his former team, the Eagles.

Even with a growing legacy, Reid downplayed any focus on personal milestones or moving up the all-time coaching victories list. What continues to drive him is his deep-rooted love for football and the relationships he has built within the sport.

Reid Looks Ahead to 2025 with His Unwavering Dedication to the Game

“I just enjoy teaching. I don’t get caught up much in the stats or the records,” Reid explained. “I enjoy being around the guys. I enjoy football, the game.

You can’t put in the hours we do and not enjoy it. I love the game.” His words reflect a genuine passion for coaching, emphasizing the importance of fostering a positive environment for his players and staff.

Sustaining success in such a demanding role requires adaptability and an exceptional work ethic, both of which Reid has demonstrated throughout his career.

He has embraced the evolution of the sport while maintaining a high level of achievement, earning the respect of players and peers alike.

As he prepares for another Super Bowl appearance, Reid remains focused on the aspects of coaching that matter most to him—teaching, leading, and fully immersing himself in the game that has defined his career.

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FEATURED

Rockets aim to bounce back and improve against the Nets in Houston

Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets, usually one of the NBA’s better defensive teams, are struggling to protect the paint and are in the middle of their longest losing streak of the season. They’ll try to stop their three-game skid when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night in Brooklyn.

While Houston’s defense ranks sixth in the league, allowing just 108.8 points per game, they’ve allowed 118 points in each of their last three games. In their 124-118 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday, the Rockets gave up 80 points in the paint and allowed 46 points in the fourth quarter.

On Saturday, they gave up 60 points in the paint during a 110-98 loss to the Nets, and they allowed 72 points in the paint in a 120-119 loss to Memphis last Thursday. On average, the Rockets have allowed 48.9 points in the paint this season.

These struggles have come with center Alperen Sengun missing the last few games due to a left calf bruise. Sengun had been playing in every game until his injury on January 28 against the Atlanta Hawks. Without him, the Rockets have had trouble defensively.

After their loss to New York on Monday, coach Ime Udoka said the team was “very soft and uncompetitive defensively,” adding that they had trouble with rebounding, not doing their assignments, and letting players get easy baskets.

Sengun might miss Tuesday’s game as well. If so, Jae’Sean Tate and Steven Adams will likely take most of the minutes at center. Tate played 22 minutes on Monday and Adams played 26. The Rockets will also be without Fred VanVleet, who is week-to-week after injuring his right ankle on Saturday.

Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks

Tari Eason started in place of VanVleet on Monday and scored 12 points. The team was led by Amen Thompson’s triple-double: 25 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds.

On the other hand, the Brooklyn Nets are hoping to win three straight games for the second time this season and break their 11-game home losing streak. Their last home win was on December 4, 2023, when they beat the Indiana Pacers. Since then, they’ve been struggling with a 7-23 record and have failed to score 100 points in their last nine home games.

Brooklyn’s home losing streak is the third-longest in franchise history, with only two longer streaks (14 games in 2010 and 16 games in 2017). They’ll try to end the skid by continuing to give more minutes to their younger players, as Cameron Johnson (right ankle) will miss his fifth straight game. Johnson’s name has also come up in trade rumors ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

Coach Jordi Fernandez remains optimistic, saying after Monday’s practice that the team’s energy was great. He added that while players might be thinking about trade talks, they’re focused on getting through it together and seeing how things unfold.

The Nets are hoping their performance from Saturday, where they shot 49.4% from the field and had six players score in double figures in a 104-83 win over Charlotte, can carry over into Tuesday’s game.

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NBA (Basketball)

Pacers aim for seventh consecutive road win in Portland against the red-hot Trail Blazers

Indiana Pacers (NBA)

The Indiana Pacers are trying to match their longest road winning streak in franchise history, but Portland might not be the best place for them to do it.

Not only are the red-hot Trail Blazers on a four-game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine games, but the Pacers have lost 14 of their past 15 games in Portland. The only win during this stretch was on January 14, 2021, when there were no fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pacers are hoping to match their franchise record of seven straight road wins, set at the start of the 2003-04 season, which was the same year Reggie Miller’s career was winding down in Indiana and Rick Carlisle was in his first stint as the Pacers’ coach.

Indiana is in position to tie the record thanks to a thrilling 112-111 road win over the Utah Jazz on Monday.

“It’s one of the best wins of the year considering the circumstances and how we shot the ball,” Carlisle said after the game.

The Pacers were down by 12 points midway through the fourth quarter but went on a 14-1 run to overtake the Jazz. This came despite being outrebounded 60-37 and hitting only 10 of 42 three-pointers.

“This speaks to the maturity and growth of our group,” said Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star. “Because the last couple of years, if we don’t make shots, we get blown out.”

Pascal Siakam scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including a dunk with 5.1 seconds left that made it a two-possession game.

And just like that, the Pacers had an unlikely win.

Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves

“It was just hard to get to the hump throughout the game, let alone get over the hump,” Carlisle said. “If you’re watching the game as a Pacers fan, you’re thinking, ‘It’s not going to happen tonight.’ But our guys kept saying let’s hang around and give ourselves a chance.”

Indiana has now won four straight and 12 of its last 14 games, as they try again to beat Portland, where they haven’t won in front of fans since November 28, 2007.

Portland, however, is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. Just a couple of weeks ago, they were 15 games below .500, but they’ve won five double-digit games since then.

On Monday, the Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 121-119 in overtime, completing a two-game sweep of Phoenix. They had also routed the Suns 127-108 on Saturday.

Deandre Ayton, who was the No. 1 overall pick by Phoenix in 2018, had a standout performance in the two games. He averaged 24.5 points and grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds on Monday, with nine of those coming on the offensive glass.

“When the shot goes up on our end, I had the chance to really chase these boards,” Ayton said after scoring more than 20 points for the fifth game in a row. “And let us have daggers and put us in position to win.”

Ayton also made five of six free throws in the final 7.8 seconds of overtime.

“I think this might have been D.A.’s best all-around game,” said Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups. “Everything, all across the board, and being able to close it out with the clutch free throws.”

Indiana’s center Myles Turner, who is dealing with an ankle injury, missed the game against Utah and is listed as questionable for the game in Portland.

The Pacers had beaten the Trail Blazers 121-114 at home on November 27. Siakam scored 29 points for Indiana, while Anfernee Simons had 30 for Portland.

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NBA (Basketball)

Raptors aim to avoid second consecutive season sweep by Knicks in New York

Toronto Raptors (NBA)

The Raptors will try to keep their momentum going and avoid being swept by the New York Knicks when the teams meet on Tuesday night in Toronto.

The Knicks have won the first three games between the two teams this season and have defeated the Raptors in the last seven matchups. Toronto’s last win against New York was on January 22, 2023.

After struggling with a 1-16 record, the Raptors have won eight of their last 10 games, including a 115-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Coach Darko Rajakovic agreed that it was probably one of their best performances this season.

“Yeah, to be honest with you,” he said. “Every player that stepped on the floor contributed.”

The Knicks could be vulnerable after a tough home win against the Houston Rockets, 124-118, on Monday. They were down by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter when Jalen Brunson stepped up, scoring 17 of his 42 points in the final period.

“We know what we’re capable of,” Brunson said. “We put ourselves in those positions. We knew that we were at fault and obviously we knew they were not going to quit, so we had to step it up. Just having the confidence in each other knowing, knowing we’re not going to quit.”

The Knicks were without former Raptor OG Anunoby (right foot) on Monday. He was part of the trade last season that brought RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto.

Anunoby had played every game until Monday, when he got injured during the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday with what Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau called a mild sprain.

New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs

The coach wasn’t sure if Anunoby would be able to play on Tuesday.

“We’ll see how he responds to the treatment,” Thibodeau said. “It would be premature to say. You deal with the reality of it. It’s good that it’s a mild sprain. Just work your way through the treatment and get ready to go. … Next guy get in there and get the job done.”

Precious Achiuwa, who also came to the Knicks in the trade, started in place of Anunoby on Monday. He scored seven points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had two steals.

The Raptors are a different team than the one that lost 112-98 at New York on January 8, during a five-game losing streak. The return of injured players has helped, and they’ve been able to finish games stronger.

“There’s so much change with our roster in the past couple weeks, with guys coming back,” said Gradey Dick, who scored 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting on Sunday.

“I think it’s just knowing in our heads we don’t need to change really anything. We just need to go out there and play hard.”

It also helped that the Raptors shot 51.8 percent (44-for-85) from the field on Sunday, and were even better from 3-point range, making 52.0 percent (13-for-25).

The Raptors are slowly moving up in the standings, entering Monday just 4 1/2 games out of the last play-in spot. However, Rajakovic said this won’t change his approach.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I do not look into the standings at all, I really don’t,” Rajakovic said at practice on Monday. “That’s not going to change anything on how we go about the business. That’s not going to change our preparation. That’s not going to change our motivation.”

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NBA (Basketball)

NBA roundup: Hawks edge Pistons in Detroit to snap 8-game losing streak

Atlanta Hawks (NBA)

Trae Young made the game-winning basket with just 1.6 seconds left, helping the Atlanta Hawks end an eight-game losing streak with a 132-130 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

Young led the Hawks with 34 points and nine assists. De’Andre Hunter scored 20 points, and Dyson Daniels added 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.

Cade Cunningham scored 30 points and had 14 assists for Detroit, which had won two games in a row before this loss. Tobias Harris contributed 22 points. Cunningham’s layup with 26.5 seconds left tied the game, but Young hit a long 2-pointer as the shot clock was about to run out. The Pistons didn’t get a shot off on their last possession.

Thunder 125, Bucks 96

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points to lead Oklahoma City to an easy home win against Milwaukee.

The Bucks played on the second night of a back-to-back and were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis. The Thunder were also without Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso.

Ousmane Dieng scored a career-high 21 points for the Thunder. Ryan Rollins scored a career-high 16 points for the Bucks. Bucks rookies AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith also had their best performances of the season with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Pacers 112, Jazz 111

Pascal Siakam scored 22 points to lead Indiana to its fourth straight win, a comeback victory against Utah in Salt Lake City.

Siakam made a game-winning dunk in the final seconds, as the Pacers overcame a 12-point deficit in the last six minutes. Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points.

John Collins had 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Jordan Clarkson also scored 21 points for the Jazz, who have now lost nine of their last 10 games. Clarkson stole an inbounds pass near half-court in the final seconds, but Utah couldn’t get a shot off.

Trail Blazers 121, Suns 119 (OT)

Deandre Ayton scored 25 points and grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds against his former team, leading Portland to an overtime win over Phoenix.

Deni Avdija added 24 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, but fouled out as the Trail Blazers won for the second straight game over the Suns, improving to 8-1 in their last nine games.

Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic

Devin Booker scored 34 points for the Suns, becoming the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, but missed a free throw with 4.4 seconds left in overtime that could have tied the game.

Knicks 124, Rockets 118

Jalen Brunson scored 11 of the last 13 points for New York, leading the Knicks to a comeback win over Houston after trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Brunson finished with 42 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds, as the Knicks went 4-1 on their homestand. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns both scored 22 points.

Amen Thompson recorded 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for Houston, his second triple-double of the season. Jalen Green added 21 points.

Grizzlies 128, Spurs 109

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 31 points, GG Jackson added a season-high 27, and Ja Morant had 25 points to lead Memphis past San Antonio.

Morant, who returned from a shoulder injury, shot 9-for-18, including 4-for-6 from three-point range, and finished with 11 assists and three steals. Rookie Zach Edey had 16 points and 14 rebounds. The Grizzlies played without Desmond Bane (ankle).

Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 27 points and 10 rebounds, his eighth straight double-double. Stephon Castle added 21 points.

Warriors 104, Magic 99

Moses Moody scored 17 points off the bench, finishing with a key 3-pointer late in the game to help Golden State beat Orlando.

Andrew Wiggins had a team-high 25 points, and Stephen Curry scored 24 points despite a slow start. The Warriors won for the third time in their last four games.

Cole Anthony came off the bench to score 26 points for Orlando. Wiggins, Kevon Looney, and Draymond Green had key buckets during a six-point run that gave the Warriors the lead for good.

Wizards 124, Hornets 114

Bilal Coulibaly scored 26 points, and Corey Kispert added 25 as Washington defeated Charlotte, marking their second consecutive win.

Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets

Kyle Kuzma had 22 points for the Wizards, who ended a 16-game losing streak by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

Miles Bridges and Nick Smith Jr. each scored 24 points for Charlotte. Bridges also recorded the first triple-double of his career, with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Nuggets 125, Pelicans 113

Michael Porter Jr. scored a season-high 36 points, Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, and Denver defeated New Orleans.

Jamal Murray added 20 points and eight assists for the Nuggets, who were missing three regular players.

Trey Murphy III tied his career-high with 41 points and made eight three-pointers for the Pelicans, including 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the third quarter.

Kings 116, Timberwolves 114

DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points, leading Sacramento to a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Malik Monk added 26 points and eight rebounds for the Kings, who won just their second game in the last six.

Naz Reid scored 30 points for Minnesota. Monk made two free throws with 6.8 seconds left, and Domantas Sabonis added two more free throws to secure the win for Sacramento. Anthony Edwards hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for the Timberwolves, but it was too late.

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MLB (Baseball)

Umpire Pat Hoberg was dismissed by MLB in New York for sharing his sports betting accounts with a friend who placed baseball bets

Umpire Pat Hoberg in the game

Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball (MLB) on Monday for sharing his sports betting accounts with a friend who placed bets on baseball games, and for intentionally deleting messages related to the league’s investigation.

MLB started looking into the situation last February after the sportsbook reported it, and Hoberg did not umpire during the last season. MLB said that while no evidence was found showing that Hoberg personally bet on baseball or tried to influence games, Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president of on-field operations, recommended firing Hoberg on May 24.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said he agreed with Hill’s decision. Hoberg, one of the top-rated umpires for judging the strike zone, can apply to return to the league no earlier than spring training in 2026.

MLB reported that the friend placed 141 bets on baseball games between April 2, 2021, and November 1, 2023, for a total of almost $214,000, with a net win of nearly $35,000.

“Enforcing MLB’s rules on sports betting is crucial for protecting the integrity of the game,” Manfred said in a statement. “The investigation found no evidence that Hoberg bet on baseball or tried to influence games. However, his poor decision to share his betting accounts with a professional poker player, who he knew or suspected was betting on baseball, along with deleting messages, created at least the appearance of misconduct.

This warrants serious punishment. Therefore, Hoberg’s firing stands due to his failure to meet the high standards of personal conduct required to maintain the integrity of the game.”

Hoberg, now 38, started as a professional umpire in 2009. He made his MLB debut as a call-up on March 31, 2014, and officially joined the major league staff in 2017. During Game 2 of the 2022 World Series, he achieved an “umpire’s perfect game” by correctly calling every pitch, a feat recognized by Umpire Scorecards.

Home plate umpire Pat Hoberg gestures during the fifth inning of the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates

“I take full responsibility for the mistakes mentioned in today’s statement,” Hoberg said in a statement. “These mistakes will always be a source of shame for me. MLB umpires are held to high standards, and I fell short of those standards. To be clear, I have never and would never bet on baseball. I have never provided any information for betting on the game.

Protecting the integrity of baseball has always been my priority. I apologize to MLB and the baseball community for my mistakes. I am committed to learning from this and becoming a better person.”

Hoberg was informed of his firing on May 31 for violating Article 9 (A) of the umpires’ collective bargaining agreement, which states that umpires must “conform to high standards of personal conduct” and “maintain the integrity of the international game of baseball.”

The labor contract gave Hoberg the right to appeal Hill’s decision, so MLB hired a neutral fact-finder who then submitted a report to Manfred.

MLB said the sportsbook notified it that Hoberg opened an account in his name on January 30, 2024. The investigation found that one of Hoberg’s devices used an account in another person’s name, which had placed bets on baseball.

Hoberg’s devices were used to place 417 bets with one sportsbook between December 30, 2020, and January 15, 2024, totaling $487,475.83, resulting in a loss of $53,189.65. The devices also placed at least 112 bets with another sportsbook totaling $222,130, losing $21,686.96. Most of the bets were on sports other than baseball, including football, basketball, hockey, and golf.

Categories
Football (Premier League)

Man City adds midfielder Nico Gonzalez to provide backup for Rodri, pushing their spending over $200M in Manchester

Nico Gonzalez celebrates after scoring

Manchester City reached over $200 million in spending for the winter transfer window on Monday, signing midfielder Nico Gonzalez from Porto to cover for the injured Rodri.

This fifth signing of the window is perhaps the most important, as City’s lack of energy and strength in center midfield has contributed to their poor performance since Rodri’s knee injury in September, which ended his season.

The 23-year-old Gonzalez, son of former Deportivo La Coruna player Fran Gonzalez, came through the Barcelona academy and joined Porto in 2023 for around 8.5 million euros ($8.7 million). Porto made a significant profit, with City reportedly triggering a 60 million euros ($61.8 million) release clause to bring him in. Barcelona will get a 40% share of the transfer fee.

City has spent big in January to try and salvage a season that fell apart at the end of 2024, and which was further derailed by a 5-1 loss at Arsenal on Sunday.

The first signings of the window were young defenders Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, costing a combined $77 million. Egypt forward Omar Marmoush followed from Eintracht Frankfurt for $73 million. Christian McFarlane, an 18-year-old left-back, joined from sister club New York City FC, and 18-year-old center-back Juma Bah was signed before being loaned to Lens.

Why has City spent so much?

Injuries have seriously impacted City’s season. Rodri has been the main absentee, but all four of their center backs — Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, John Stones, and Manuel Akanji — have had injury problems, which weakened the team. As a result, City’s form has suffered, and they are no longer realistically in the race for a fifth straight Premier League title. They only advanced to the Champions League playoffs thanks to a comeback win against Club Brugge in the final round of the league stage.

Manager Pep Guardiola said the club wasn’t initially planning to make any January signings, but the poor results and bad injury situation forced them to act sooner.

Nico Gonzalez runs behind the ball in the opening phase

There will be a lot of pressure on Gonzalez to fill Rodri’s role as a defensive midfielder, a position that has been difficult for many players to master under Guardiola. Even Rodri, who won the Ballon d’Or, took a couple of years to fully adapt to Guardiola’s style.

Is City’s spending linked to financial charges?

It’s possible. A verdict in one of the biggest legal cases in English soccer is expected soon. Potential punishments for Manchester City could include expulsion from the Premier League or a cap on future spending. Because of this, City might be using the winter window to prepare by bringing in young talent, potentially before high-earning senior players are let go.

Where does City’s spending rank?

City’s spending is the second-highest ever in a January transfer window. Chelsea holds the top spot after spending over $350 million in January 2023 on players like Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Benoît Badiashile.

How have the new signings performed so far?

The results have been mixed. Khusanov made his debut just five days after joining from Lens. He had a tough start against Chelsea, making a mistake that led to a goal in the second minute and getting booked early, but he settled down in City’s 3-1 win.

Reis and McFarlane have yet to play, while Marmoush had a promising debut against Chelsea and looked good against Arsenal, even though City struggled in the second half once again.

Categories
FEATURED

Veteran FSU coach Leonard Hamilton is retiring “without regrets” at the end of the season in Tallahassee

Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton watches his team during the second half of the Atlantic Coast Conference second-round NCAA college basketball tournament game

Longtime Florida State basketball coach Leonard Hamilton is stepping down at the end of the season.

Hamilton, who is being sued by six former players over claims he failed to deliver on name, image, and likeness (NIL) promises, made the announcement on Monday after a team meeting.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to have given this job my all with no regrets,” Hamilton said in a statement. “Every head coach inherits a legacy and is obligated to leave the job better than they inherited it. I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish here over the last 23 seasons.

“We were a consistent contender, and we created success for our players during their time here. So many of them have gone on to be successful in life. I hope that it will be remembered as my legacy.”

The 76-year-old Hamilton is one of the longest-serving coaches in college basketball. He is the third Division I head coach to retire this season, following Virginia’s Tony Bennett and Miami’s Jim Larrañaga, both of whom are in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Hamilton is ranked 10th among active Division I coaches in wins. He coached at Miami and then with the NBA’s Washington Wizards before coming to Florida State in 2002. Under his leadership, the Seminoles made 16 postseason appearances and had 12 seasons with 20 or more wins.

FSU won the ACC Tournament in 2012 after defeating Miami, Duke, and North Carolina in back-to-back-to-back games. The Seminoles also won the 2019-20 regular-season ACC title before the pandemic ended postseason play.

However, FSU has struggled recently, losing four straight games, including three on the road. The team sits at 13-9 heading into a home game against Notre Dame. Hamilton is in the final year of his contract, which pays him $2.25 million annually.

Hamilton led FSU to Sweet 16 appearances in 2018, 2019, and 2021. The 2019-20 team was viewed as one of FSU’s best, and analyst Dick Vitale even wrote a book claiming the Seminoles would have won the national title if the season hadn’t been cut short by COVID-19.

Virginia Tech and Florida State

But since the Sweet 16 trip in March 2021, FSU has missed both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. The team has gone 56-62 in the four seasons since, including a difficult 9-23 season in 2022-23 due to injuries.

Hamilton will coach FSU’s final nine regular-season games and the ACC Tournament.

Despite the team’s struggles, Hamilton has been praised for his efforts in graduating nearly all of FSU’s four-year players since he arrived in Tallahassee over 20 years ago. However, the recent lawsuit has become a major story. The former players claim Hamilton didn’t fulfill a promise to secure each of them $250,000 in NIL compensation.

The players—Darin Green Jr., De’Ante Green, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, and Jalen Warley—filed a lawsuit in Leon County Circuit Court in December. They claim Hamilton promised the money from his “business partners” but the payments never came.

The lawsuit states that the players walked out of a practice last season because of the missed payments and considered boycotting a February 2023 game against Duke, but ended up playing after Hamilton promised the payments, which never arrived.

“Coach Hamilton’s personal character and integrity, and his leadership, set a tremendous standard for all of FSU Athletics,” said FSU athletic director Michael Alford. “Few people have been as important in building the positive reputation of Seminole Athletics.”

FSU president Dr. Richard McCullough added, “Leonard Hamilton is a beacon of class and integrity whose leadership serves as an indelible example that competitive excellence, academic achievement, and community service are attainable at a leading public institution.

Coach Hamilton’s legacy extends far beyond Tallahassee and college basketball. He is one of the most respected and beloved ambassadors of FSU across the nation and in his profession.”