Snooker legend and BBC commentator John Virgo has died aged 79.

Virgo enjoyed an 18-year professional career, winning the UK Championship and reaching the semi-finals of the World Championship in 1979.

He is perhaps best known for his post-playing career, presenting snooker TV programme Big Break alongside comedian Jim Davidson from 1991 to 2002.

Following his retirement from playing in 1994, Virgo became a BBC commentator.

His last commentary for the BBC came 17 days ago when Kyren Wilson beat John Higgins in the Masters final.

Virgo was a popular commentator, with his famous "where's the cue ball going?" catchphrase when a player was close to committing a foul.

Four-time world champion Mark Selby said: "So sad to hear the news of the passing of John Virgo! Such a great guy and a huge character! He will be greatly missed! RIP JV."

A World Snooker statement read: "Everyone at World Snooker Tour is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of legendary snooker player and broadcaster John Virgo."

Virgo, who was born in Salford in 1946, had two children - Gary and Brooke-Leah.

• Virgo on the Snookered podcast in 2023
• Virgo speaking on the Framed podcast

Everton have sacked manager Brian Sorensen only three days after their first home win of the Women's Super League season.

They are fourth from bottom of the table under Sorensen, who was appointed in 2022.

"Sunday's first win of the season at Goodison Park was important, but it has become evident that a change of direction is necessary to ensure the progression on the pitch we are all striving for," read an Everton statement.

Coaches Stephen Neligan and Ashley Toole have also left the club.

Everton Under-18s coach Scott Phelan, 37, will take charge of the women's team for the rest of the season.

Women's first-team coach Jennifer Foster will remain at the club to work alongside Phelan, as will goalkeeping coach Ian McCaldon.

More to follow.

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

• Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page

Over the last two years, the offensive line for the New Orleans Saints has been among the worst in the NFL. They were especially awful in the middle, with the team needing major upgrades at the guard positions heading into the 2026 offseason. Another reason for poor play inside has been due to the absence of Erik McCoy, one of the league's most underrated centers. Injuries limited McCoy to only to just seven games in 2024. The injury bug bit McCoy again in 2025, when a torn biceps ended his season after only seven contests. The difference was incredibly noticeable and crippling.

Late in the 2025 preseason, the Saints swung a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to bring in veteran offensive lineman Luke Fortner. A third round pick by the Jaguars in the 2022 NFL draft, Fortner had started all 34 games over his first two years and had experience at both guard and center. As it turned out, the Saints needed that experience more than they'd originally anticipated.

Luke Fortner Year in Review

• Position: Center
• Age: 27
• Height: 6-feet, 4 inches
• Weight: 307 pounds
• NFL experience: 4 years (1st with Saints)
• 2025 season: 17 games (10 starts)

Immediately after their preseason game against Jacksonville in August, the Saints traded defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to the Jaguars in exchange for Fortner. The goal was to strengthen the weak interior of their offensive line with the fourth-year pro. Over the first six games, Fortner would play just six offensive snaps in reserve duty. After McCoy went down in Week 7 against Chicago, Fortner would start the remaining 10 games in his center spot.

While guard play was putrid with Dillon Radunz and Cesar Ruiz, Fortner was adequate at center. He isn't nearly the technician and doesn't have the power of McCoy. However, Fortner was decent in pass protection and a solid finesse run blocker. Fortner played every offensive snap for the Saints over the last 10 games, the only New Orleans offensive lineman to do so.

Luke Fortner is officially a free agent in March. Don't be surprised if the Saints attempt to bring him back on a reasonable deal. New Orleans should upgrade their guard spots, but Fortner brings valuable starting experience along the inside and provides some insurance behind Erik McCoy.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints 2025 Year in Review: Luke Fortner was an underrated pickup

Jess Fishlock says she is "fleshing out the details" over a potential role with Wales following her retirement from international football.

Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson said in December that she hoped Fishlock, who ended her stellar international career last October, would join her coaching staff for the start of World Cup qualifying in March.

Seattle Reign midfielder Fishlock, 39, says her phone "blew up" after Wilkinson's comments – and that she got a telling off from her mother because she found out the news from the media rather than her daughter.

"My mum saw it and asked, are you working for Rhian? She got me in trouble," Fishlock said.

On whether she has spoken to Wilkinson and what the role might be, Fishlock said: "I can't say, but we had a brief conversation about me being involved and what it would look like - I just didn't realise it would go public.

"But we have had conversations, we are on the same page, just fleshing out the details."

Fishlock is Wales' record appearance maker and goalscorer, having won 166 senior caps and scored 48 times.

She stepped away from Wales duty in the wake of Euro 2025, the country's first major international women's football tournament, insisting it was "the right time" after her farewell appearance in a friendly against Australia.

On the idea of playing some part for Wales in their 2027 World Cup qualifiers against Czech Republic and Montenegro in March, Fishlock remains coy.

"I would love to stay involved in some capacity; it wasn't a clean break - I still text the girls all the time. But we will just wait and see," Fishlock told BBC Sport.

Fishlock played 18 times for Seattle Reign last season and helped them qualify for the end-of-season play-offs in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Her contribution at club level has led some in Wales to suggest she could still play a full part as Wilkinson's team attempt to qualify for the Women's World Cup finals for the first time.

But though Fishlock says she misses her international team-mates, she has reiterated that the time has come for the next generation to take over.

"People have said, if you are back you may as well play," she says. "But it is still the right time not to play internationals.

"I still want to help any way I can, my experience being around might help. But no, no thoughts about coming out of retirement."

Fishlock also has no regrets about the Euros, despite Wales being outclassed in a group with France, Netherlands and eventual champions England.

Wales lost all three games while conceding 13 goals, leaving them with the worst group stage record in the history of the competition.

"I still look back at it with such pride and joy," Fishlock says. "Getting to represent the entire country, it was even more impactful that I thought it was going to be.

"Seeing how Wales showed up for us, that was the best part of it all. As a competitor it hurt, but the whole world seeing who we are as a nation overrides it.

"I still get goosebumps coming out for the first game [versus Netherlands] and seeing the Red Wall - it will stay with me forever."

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

• Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page

The men's T20 World Cup starts on Saturday against a backdrop of political tension.

The tournament, which features 20 teams, will be held in India and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh are boycotting it after a request for their fixtures to be switched from India to Sri Lanka was refused by the sport's governing body.

Their place in Group C has been taken by Scotland.

Pakistan had considered boycotting but have since confirmed they will take part, though will not play their scheduled match against India.

Why are Bangladesh boycotting?

Bangladesh had asked for their games to be switched from India, citing safety concerns amid growing tensions between the countries.

Relations between the South Asian neighbours have soured since former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India in 2024, following deadly protests.

India has not agreed to send her back despite several requests, and violent protests broke out after Sharif Osman Hadi - a prominent student leader in Bangladesh - was shot dead.

India itself has raised concerns over violence targeting members of the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh.

In December, a Hindu man was accused of blasphemy and beaten to death by a mob in an incident that resulted in protests by Hindu nationalist groups in India.

Against that political backdrop, Indian Premier League (IPL) side Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman in January after being instructed to do so by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

In response, Bangladeshi authorities banned broadcasts of the IPL in the country.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board then requested that their World Cup fixtures be played in Sri Lanka.

The International Cricket Council - the sport's governing body - rejected that request, saying there was an "absence of any credible security threat" and gave the BCB a final 24 hours in which to declare their participation.

When that deadline passed, Scotland were invited to the tournament.

The ICC said it was keen not to establish "precedents that could undermine the neutrality and fairness of ICC events".

Why are Pakistan boycotting their game against India?

Pakistan are boycotting their match against India, which was scheduled to take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 15 February.

In a statement, the Pakistan government said it granted "approval" to the team's participation in the tournament but they "shall not take to the field" for the match against India.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi previously said the team could pull out completely after Bangladesh were removed from the tournament.

Pakistan and India have not faced each other outside men's major tournaments since 2013, and India have not played in Pakistan since 2008.

Pakistan did not host any touring nations between 2009 and 2019 following the Lahore attack on Sri Lanka's team bus, which killed six policemen and two civilians.

Pakistani players have also been banned from the IPL since 2009 following the Mumbai attacks that left 174 people - including nine gunmen - dead.

Last year India refused to travel to Pakistan to play in the Champions Trophy and eventually played their matches in the United Arab Emirates.

It resulted in the two nations signing an agreement stating the two countries would play at neutral venues whenever one of them hosts an ICC event.

The neighbours have fought a number of wars and had several military stand-offs since the partition of India in 1947, when the nation was split into India and the new state of Pakistan. It created an upsurge of violence, in which approximately 15 million people were displaced and an estimated one million died.

Recent escalations were sparked after the neighbours engaged in a four-day military conflict in April 2025 following a deadly militant attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir.

How did the ICC respond?

The ICC said Pakistan's stance was "difficult to reconcile" and called on the country's cricket chiefs to explore a "mutually acceptable resolution".

The governing body said that "selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions".

It said it "respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy" but continued: "This decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan."

It added it hoped the PCB would "consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country".

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is among those who have accused the ICC of mishandling the situation.

In a post on X, he said: "It's regrettable that Pakistan won't play India, but I stand behind my government's decision.

"This is the moment for the ICC to lead and prove through decisions, not statements, that it is impartial, independent and fair to every member."

Matches between Pakistan and India can draw huge TV audiences.

Reportedly, more than 600 million people watched last year's Champions Trophy fixture on Indian streaming platform JioHotstar.

Will Pakistan be punished?

The ICC has not published its playing conditions for the tournament so it is not known what sanction Pakistan could face.

However, the rules for the previous tournament stated: "If the match is decided by one side conceding defeat or refusing to play, the result shall be stated as match conceded or match awarded, as the case may be."

It is assumed India will be awarded two points for a win and Pakistan's net run-rate will also be hit by the forfeiture.

Pakistan face the Netherlands, USA and Namibia in their other group-stage games, and it is unclear what could happen if they were to face India in the final.

Teams have pulled out of tournament fixtures before, with Australia and the West Indies both deciding not to travel to Colombo in the 1996 World Cup that was co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

England also decided not to play their 2003 World Cup match against Zimbabwe in Harare, citing security concerns and social unrest in the country.

None of those nations received a subsequent fine or punishment from the ICC, though all forfeited the matches.

What could happen in the long term?

Both Pakistan and Bangladesh could receive other sanctions as the ICC has a precedent for punishing governments who interfere in the game.

Under article 2.4 of the ICC constitution, it outlines boards must manage their affairs "autonomously and ensure that there is no government (or other public or quasi-public body) interference in its governance, regulation and/or administration of cricket".

In 2019, Zimbabwe were suspended for three months after the government replaced the cricket board, leading to a freeze on funding and exclusion from World Cup qualifiers.

Four years later, Sri Lanka also lost the right to host the Under-19 World Cup after its government dismissed the national board following poor performances.

Both nations later had their ICC membership restored.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

More questions answered...

• ICC Men's T20 World Cup - everything you need to know
• Who owns the teams competing in The Hundred?
• What is the 'designated batters' rule introduced by Big Bash League?

England hooker Curtis Langdon has become the latest Northampton Saints player to sign a new contract with the Prem leaders.

The 28-year-old made his 50th appearance for the club in last season's European Champions Cup final against Bordeaux and will extend his time at Franklin's Gardens.

He has been unable to add to that tally in the current campaign because he is still recovering from shoulder surgery.

Langdon won his first two caps against the US and Canada in 2021 and added two more during England's summer tour last year.

"Curt has had an enormous impact at Saints. He's an outstanding talent, and he's worked very hard over the last couple of years to put himself back into international contention," said Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson.

"His physicality, his ability to break a game open, his offloading skills, and his knack for being in the right place at the right time because he reads play so well make him a top class hooker."

• Hendy sign new Northampton Saints deal
• Lock Prowse signs new Northampton contract

Langdon, whose brother Nathan also played for the club before being released at the end of last season, is hoping to play again "at the back end of the season".

"Mentally, this season has been one of the toughest of my career as I've worked through my first surgery," he said.

"The support the club has shown me throughout my recovery – especially from our head of medical, Matt Lee – has been outstanding, and has helped me push through the difficult moments.

"Staying positive during rehab has also been so much easier because of how well the team has been playing."

Northampton did not disclose the length of the contract.

A quirk of the calendar promised a cheap gag about the deadline falling on Groundhog Day, 2 February, and the familiar feeling of Wolves leaving everything to the last minute.

That would have been both unfunny and probably unfair, this January being unlike any previous window since Wolves were last promoted.

The idea of lying doggo and holding money back until the summer gained more support than might have been expected. It had an undeniable logic.

You could wonder how it would really feel the morning after, realising that the rest of the campaign – which season-ticket holders paid for months ago – had effectively been written off as a bad job. (Perhaps, after the rest of the league was equally inert for most of Monday, not that bad after all.)

At a meeting with the club's senior management last week, a selection of fans' group leaders and podcasters were assured that work was continuing, but with a "focus on protecting the club's value".

It was also noted that attracting players had proved very difficult, which was not hard to believe. Players who feel their place is in the Premier League could consider any club in the top half of the Championship more likely to appear in the top flight next season than Wolves.

But the deadline day business offers encouragement that squad-building, now overseen by Matt Jackson, will be better next summer – as it will need to be if the stated aim of an immediate bounce back up is realistic. Adam Armstrong, proven in the second tier, was a logical purchase at a fair price.

The signing of Angel Gomes is more intriguing. A full England international within the last 18 months, his record suggests he could be a very high-end Championship player. The notion that he might use a loan at Wolves to remind Premier League clubs who he is feels misplaced after his first club interview, in which Gomes was clear that the chance to work with Rob Edwards, one of his coaches at England Under-20 level, was a major pull factor.

And of course there was the Jorgen Strand Larsen deal. It's better that we remember his form from last season, which feels more aligned to the Crystal Palace offer.

Last summer, Wolves' mishandling of the window left them in a position where both choices – either rejecting Newcastle's massive offer or allowing their striker to leave with no serious cover – felt equally unthinkable.

The next window could be their most complex for years and they cannot afford to be so poorly prepared again.

Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Wolves content on BBC Sounds

Feb. 4—Aiken High recently expanded its athletics Hall of Fame with the induction of two of the Hornets' all-time greats.

Nessie Harris and Faye Norris were honored midway through a basketball doubleheader between Aiken and Gilbert, with their names now forever etched into a Hall of Fame that inducted its inaugural class in 2022.

Both were multi-sport athletes, and both played prominent roles on Johanna Gibbs' basketball teams that were among the state's very best, playing in three Class AAAA state championship games in a four-year span, capped by an undefeated title in 1975.

Harris, who also competed in track and field and volleyball, was the co-captain of the basketball team for two years and like Norris was part of a senior class that departed with a career record of 61-4. Her list of individual honors at Aiken High include first-team All-State and Upper State selections, Class AAAA Player of the Year, CSRA Player of the Year, Aiken Standard Player of the Year, All-County and an MVP award from the Aiken County Christmas Tournament.

She continued her playing career at the College of Charleston, earning multiple All-America and State Player of the Year honors as one of the nation's top front-court players. She led CofC to three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championship appearances, and in the 1979-80 season she helped the team to 32 wins.

She graduated from CofC as a four-time All-State performer in addition to two All-America nods, and she ranks third in program history with 1,796 points scored. Her jersey hangs from the rafters at TD Arena, and in 1996 she was inducted into CofC's Hall of Fame.

Norris won the Hornets' Offensive Award in 1975, made the Upper State All-Tournament Team in 1974, made multiple All-CSRA and All-Tournament teams before following Gibbs to USC Aiken to be a member of the first women's basketball teams there.

She put together a Hall of Fame career at USCA, where her jersey No. 10 was retired. She played from 1976-79, capping her USCA career as a first-team All-American — making her the first in the school's athletic history. She was an All-State selection by the SCAIAW and South Carolina's sports writers in her final season, and in 2007 she was inducted into the Randy Warrick Athletics Hall of Fame.

She had a highly successful coaching career in South Carolina, and between her years at North Augusta and later Dutch Fork she amassed more than 500 wins with a dozen region titles, including three consecutive state championships at Dutch Fork. She was inducted into the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame in 2019.

Feb. 4—The USC Aiken men's basketball team knew it needed a win Friday over Middle Georgia.

The Pacers needed a win to get back to a .500 record overall, needed it to snap a two-game losing streak in Peach Belt Conference play, needed it to keep from falling any further down the PBC standings, needed it to remind everyone else — and maybe even themselves — of what USCA men's basketball is all about.

That meant an unorthodox lineup, with a few players earning rare starts as a way of being rewarded for their competitiveness in practice, anything to jolt the Pacers back into a rhythm during a season when their steps just haven't been timed right from song to song.

One thing it didn't take was some fiery halftime speech from head coach Mark Vanderslice with the Pacers only leading by one while still playing uncharacteristically. It didn't require a big commotion or any begging and pleading to get things back on track.

It just took a word from Caleb Byrd. The Pacers' senior guard inspired his teammates to a much more USCA-like second half, pouring in a career-high 26 points along the way to give USCA a much-needed 92-76 victory heading into a key stretch on the schedule featuring some of the PBC's heavy hitters.

In the second half, the Pacers issued a reminder that they can still pack a punch, too.

"One word from a leader, just one word from a leader," Vanderslice said. "The word was 'respond' from Byrd at halftime. Sounds simple, but it was something he wanted the guys to rally upon. We can say whatever we want as coaches, but leadership is not something — it's everything.

"When guys continue to take advantage of that ownership with leadership, then good things can happen. Unity can spread. Byrd really ignited the run in the second half because he just got on the fellas. He was a part of it, but he got on the fellas to respond."

Byrd, like the rest of the Pacers (10-10, 5-7 PBC) overcame a sluggish start to go 8-for-11 from the field, 6-of-9 from beyond the 3-point line and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line, with two steals thrown in for good measure. He surpassed 1,000 career points in the process in his second season at USCA after starting his college career at Newberry.

"At first, I think it was a little bit of a slow start for me. I had two fouls early in the first half, but our keys to victory, and I know I always talk about them, but support your teammates with energy," Byrd said. "That was our third key to victory today, so it was kind of what I wanted to do because we had to get a win today. Like I said, came out kind of slow, but we had to battle some adversity and I just wanted to make sure that we got the win at all costs. It was just going out and getting the win."

Byrd, one of just three players on the roster who played for last year's PBC Tournament champions, is a leader in a variety of ways, and he took time away from discussing his own milestone to credit Chedlet Delva for pulling down 16 rebounds and true freshman TJ Jackson for being ready to step up into a starting role.

He's the Pacers' top scorer at 16.8 points per game. He doesn't require a lot of volume to do it, either — he ranks 21st in Division II in 3-point shooting percentage at 43.5%, and that efficiency was on full display Friday.

"I was proud of everybody, especially (Byrd)," Vanderslice said. "He continued to keep battling, even in the face of adversity with some of the tough things that happened tonight — I guess I'll keep it at that. But he kept playing hard, playing well, and boy oh boy did he knock down some big jumpers."

The first half Friday wasn't USCA's best, but the second half looked a lot more like the kind of basketball the Pacers have played for years while remaining among the PBC's best. The Pacers are hopeful that's emblematic of the season as a whole, too, as now they must find a way to respond again and push forward in the league gauntlet. Up next is a road trip to North Georgia on Wednesday.

"I just think we can't look back," Byrd said. "Our past, it is what it is, and we know we have some shortcomings, but it's all on us. The rest of our season is on us. We're just going to take that word 'respond,' and now we're just going to build on it, have more momentum and keep pushing."

Jack Draper says he has had to overcome "lots of dark moments" during his injury lay-off as he prepares to make his long-awaited return in Great Britain's Davis Cup qualifier against Norway in Oslo.

The 24-year-old's 2025 season was derailed by an injury to his upper left arm which first flared up during the clay-court season in the spring. He has played just one singles match since his second round exit at Wimbledon.

Draper, the British number one, had previously been enjoying a breakout season, reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open and French Open, winning his maiden Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, and climbing to a career-high ranking of four in June.

Although he attempted a comeback at the US Open, partnering Jessica Pegula in the mixed doubles and winning his first round singles match, he later pulled out of the tournament due to injury.

He subsequently withdrew from the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in December and did not travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open.

"[It's] been a long time since I've been able to compete. I've stayed in a good place, although it's been tricky [with] a lot of dark moments and a lot of tough times, but that's the sport I signed up for," Draper told the LTA website.

"I'm happy to be back playing again. I miss the buzz of competing. I've missed the thrill of playing in front of people, against great players, and that winning feeling you can't replicate in training.

"It's going to feel great to get back out there again."

• GB back in Davis Cup elite with 'really good chance'

Draper, who has dropped down to number 13 in the rankings, hopes last year's positive start can serve as motivation as he attempts to return to the top.

"Last year started off amazingly well. The second half was extremely challenging," Draper said.

"I took a lot of belief and confidence from the first half of the year and what I achieved. I kept in mind that I want to be competing right at the top of the game.

"It's going to be a bit of a challenge and a journey to get back to where I was because I've been out for such a long time but at the same time, I'm constantly getting better and improving, and I hope I get to show that sooner rather than later."

'We're ready to fight for every point'

Ten-time Davis Cup champions Great Britain have only lifted the trophy once since the 1930s - an Andy Murray-led triumph in 2015 - and fell to Japan at the first hurdle last year.

Great Britain beat Poland 3-1 in September to retain their place in the top tier.

They head to Oslo, where their first-round qualifier will be held from on February 6 and February 7, as the favourites to advance. The squad features two singles players ranked inside the top 30 in Draper and Cameron Norrie, British number three Jacob Fearnley, and a Grand Slam-winning doubles pairing in Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash.

Hosts Norway are yet to confirm the availability of world number 12 Casper Ruud after he became a father last week.

Draper says Great Britain have to be prepared to "fight for every point" against an "amazing" Norway team.

"They've got a young player in [Nicolai Budkov] Kjaer, who was number one in the world juniors and playing great tennis on the tour. He'll be tough to beat – a young guy who's got a lot to prove," Draper said.

"We all know Casper Ruud has been a top-10 banker player for a long time.

"It's going to be a great challenge for us all but I think we're ready to embrace it and fight for every point."

The winner of this tie will face either Australia or Ecuador in a second round qualifier for a spot at November's Davis Cup Finals in Italy.

• Live scores, results and order of play
• Get tennis news sent straight to your phone

Armagh captain Aidan Forker says his headbutting incident with Michael Murphy on the Donegal forward's return last year was a "silly act".

In February 2025, Murphy made his first inter-county appearance in 981 days as a second-half substitute in the Allianz Football League fixture.

Moments after Murphy's introduction he found himself, the pair found themselves in a pushing match before the Amragh captain headbutted Murphy in the chest and was sent off.

"There's no explaining it, really. It was a silly act and a rush of blood, or whatever you want to say," Forker said on the GAA Social podcast.

"It's on me. I'll take responsibility and it was silly, but it's well gone now at this stage."

Forker said it was "in the moment" and he remained off social media for six weeks, but his wife, Eimear, struggled with seeing abuse sent in the direction of the Armagh captain.

"It was a silly thing to do, it looked silly and there was a bit of aftermath there," he said.

"Apparently I took a lot of abuse online, and Eimear really struggled with that. I just walked off the pitch and didn't see any of the coverage. It is what it is, no one got hurt so it's fine."

No date on return from injury

Forker had surgery on his ankle in the inter-county off season and has been managing a back issue, so did not feature in the McKenna Cup or Armagh's opening league games - a win over Moaghan and a narrow loss to Galway.

The 33-year-old said his "body is generally feeling good" but he is not putting a time frame on his return to action.

"The hunger is still there to keep going," Forker said.

"I'm determined to get back, the boys are flying and I want to be part of that again.

"I usually like putting numbers on things but I haven't with us, I'm just going by how my body feels.

"I'm not saying it's going to be three, six or 12 weeks, I'm just going by how I feel."

Forker said he was always talking to Kieran McGeeney about his return, but the Armagh manager wasn't putting any pressure on him to rush his recovery.

"Last year I wasn't feeling myself and I was probably lying to myself.

"I wasn't useful last year, I wasn't myself physically. I wasn't doing anyone a service.

"The itch is still there but you have to listen to your body.

"Hopefully I'm on the right track and over the worst of it."

Stay up to date with all the latest GAA news and reports here.

We are inching towards a sliding doors moment in the life of Gregor Brown.

The day is surely fast approaching when Brown is no longer quizzed about being Blair Kinghorn's cousin and when the Scotland full-back is instead asked what it is like being related to the Glasgow forward.

It is not exactly clear which position Brown is going to play for Scotland in the Six Nations, or indeed, if he starts or is on the bench, but there is one certainty - he is going to be pivotal to the team's hopes.

The 24-year-old is only really 18 months into his time as a top-level player - a whirlwind of progress that he calls "insane" - but his impact has been enormous.

He has played Test matches with four, five, six and seven on his back. He has started against France at lock and against New Zealand and Argentina at blindside flanker.

He was Jonny Gray's understudy in the Six Nations last season and by the summer had played some minutes for the British and Irish Lions in Australia.

"If I went back 18 months and you told me that I would have done all this, I would have laughed at you. Like, no way. It's just been absolutely mental," he told the Scotland Rugby Podcast.

True, but Brown is a pivotal figure now for Townsend, a guy who gives the coach some questions to answer.

Townsend's natural inclination for their Six Nations Opener against Italy in Rome on Saturday might be a second row of Grant Gilchrist and Scott Cummings.

That would leave Brown either starting at six or, more likely, on the bench covering lock and blindside.

No matter how you slice it, Brown's power, energy, footwork and all-round skill-set is indispensable. The only puzzler is how best to deploy it.

The man himself only sees the positives, no matter which way Townsend goes.

"Obviously, everyone wants to start, but I think a big growth in rugby over the past few years has been that it's an 80-minute game and that the bench has such an important role to play," he added.

"I have spoken about South Africa leading the way in that sense. When you're a pack and it gets to 50, 60 minutes and you see six or seven fresh forwards come on, it's like, 'right, we've got to up it now'.

"Test match rugby is physical, it's fast. When you get to those last 15, 20 minutes, it's usually the crunch time. The game is usually still in the balance at that point and it will be the bench making that difference."

So he's cool as a finisher, for now, even though plenty believe he should be in the second row alongside Cummings with Max Williamson as the bench lock.

"I remember Franco talking about it. He was kind of joking but also being serious about how you have all your friends around to watch a rugby game and when it kicks off, people are getting a drink, snacks, going to the toilet," said Brown.

"But in that last 15, 20 minutes, everybody is sat glued to the TV and that's when the bench are on.

"This old-school mindset of secondary players coming on is just not what it is any more. Off the bench, you can bring more punch, more dynamism in the carries, tackles, things like that.

"Everyone wants to start, but at the same time, being involved in a Scotland team is one of the greatest honours you can have and I dreamed of it as a kid. I'm not going to kick my heels if I'm on the bench. Being involved is absolutely huge."

• 'Uncage the gorilla' - Schoeman knows what Scots must improve
• Why autumn pain can bring Scotland Six Nations gain

The strength of Scotland's bench is particularly relevant given how many times they have fallen away late in games, which was a bit of a theme in their camp last week.

Stacking the bench as much as he can makes sense. It will be fascinating to see what Townsend does when he names the team on Thursday to face Italy.

In Brown, he has a player who is growing up fast. His cameo with the Lions - the highlight of which was coming on for James Ryan in the battle against First Nations & Pasifika in Melbourne - has only helped the process.

It was brief, sure, but he made the most of it.

"I was only there for a few days but being in the same environment as some of the best players in the world was absolutely incredible," he said.

"I've got my jersey and I still look at it. I'm just like, 'wow!'

"What came out from a lot of the Scottish lads is that a lot of the stuff that we do is right up there. We're sometimes just that one step away. Let's go and take that next step."

Related internet links

• Scottish Rugby Union

In the second part of his chat with BBC Radio Newcastle looking back on breaking Jackie Milburn's all-time Newcastle scoring record 20 years on, Alan Shearer recalls the moment the ball hit the net and the feeling this gave him.

The Magpies led Portsmouth 1-0 through a Charles N'Zogbia effort on 41 minutes, before Shearer ran ontoShola Ameobi's backheel to fire past Dean Kiely.

"I remember that Shay [Given] kicks the ball, I flick it on into Shola [Ameobi] and sort of turn and swivel in the hope that he might be able to flick it into my path and he did just that," he recalled.

"It was a perfect little flick from Shola so then the rest was up to me. I had to get across the defender, who was Andy O'Brien actually who of course used to play for Newcastle, and then the goal is there and my eyes light up.

"It just happened so quickly to think 'God, this is this could be it'.

"It was just a matter of just get it in and worry about what happens afterwards but then once I got the connection, once I've seen it go under the goalkeeper then that was it.

"The relief, the feeling of joy and everything else, the emotion for all of those reasons that I've mentioned.

"Jackie Milburn was my dad's hero and still is to this day and people talk about Jackie, how great he was, everything he meant to the football club and how long the record had stood for.

"Then me being from Newcastle and doing it at the Gallowgate End just felt right.

"I can't remember ever having a feeling like that on a football pitch in all my years when I saw and felt the ball hit the back of the net.

"It was one of those moments where I wish I could have bottled that feeling because of the crowd noise, the excitement, the adrenaline. I've never had a hit like that to be honest.

"I've scored some pretty important goals in my time but I just think because of the build up, because of the enormity of it in Newcastle, and because of me being from Gosforth and my mum and dad being there it was just an unbelievable feeling - one of the best I've ever had on a football pitch.

"I used to stand and watch my hero Kevin Keegan and I remember all those years ago when he made his debut in 1982 when I was 11. From that day I wanted to understand what that felt like.

"I had that feeling lots of times but none of them ever felt like that did that afternoon."

Come back to this page later on Wednesday for the third part of Shearer's chat

Access Newcastle United audio on BBC Sounds here

This is your Newcastle United page. If you're on the BBC Sport app and signed in, hit the bell icon and select news alerts. We'll then send you the best content. If you're not on the app, press 'follow' and you'll see more Newcastle content when you use the BBC Sport website.

What are your memories of that day? Which of Shearer's 206 Newcastle goals was your favourite? Get in touch using this form

Penn State will open a brand new era of college football under head coach Matt Campbell in 2026, and the schedule is seemingly pretty manageable for a potential rebound season. After a tough 7-6 season in 2025, capped by a win in the Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State looks for a fresh start in 2026. The new era begins with a home game against Marshall in Week 1 and will include a big home game against USC in mid-October.

Penn State's road schedule is highlighted by road trips to Seattle to face Washington and Ann Arbor, Michigan, to take on the Michigan Wolverines. The Nittany Lions also take trips to Philadelphia (Temple) and Maryland this season.

Penn State will be the first opponent Northwestern will host in its rebuilt Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois in early October. The game was moved up a day to a Friday night game to showcase the opening of Northwestern's home stadium after two years.

Here is Penn State's 2026 football schedule with updated start times and TV information. This will be updated as needed. Home games are listed in all CAPS and all times are Eastern (ET).

• "*" denotes Big Ten Conference game
• Penn State's bye week is during Week 8 (Oct. 24)
• The Big Ten Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, December 5 in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Full Penn State 2026 football schedule, kickoff times, and TV info

After full-time on Sunday, you could feel that uneasy mood that hung over Aston Villa and their connections last August coming back, the general sense that the world was not quite giving them a square deal.

Like in August, you couldn't say that Villa were being cheated: the PSR regulations are what they are, and the ball probably was over the line, and all the way back there probably is where the attacking phase started - nothing personal, just rules.

But as they set off home, you could tell that the Villa collective were sensing the ground beneath them somehow tilting slightly uphill.

The fearsome look on Unai Emery's face as he left the playing area had softened by the time he arrived in the radio room 40 minutes later and the tone of his remarks was well-judged.

He gently protested against the disallowing of Tammy Abraham's goal – the words "not fair" made for an easy headline, but were part of the most polite of complaints – but his first thought was to congratulate Brentford on their outstandingly disciplined performance and he reminded all concerned that Villa being in third place at all remains a big deal.

Emery's tone is worth taking time to note because it is hard to think of another major club at present where the head coach is such a singular, totemic figure.

Managers are the most prominent public face and voice at most clubs now, but few are regarded with the reverence Emery inspires among Villa fans, players and staff.

This never lasts for ever – even Manchester City fans must soon contemplate a world after Pep Guardiola – and one could easily believe that Emery is so invested in his work that he is to some extent unaware of his own standing.

But players, when interviewed, frequently talk unprompted about his influence within the club, and fans take their cue from his mood. In Emery, they trust.

The Brentford defeat was of a different nature to the loss against Everton. Where they appeared short of energy a fortnight previously, this time they lacked guile to pick through the visitors' remarkably well-constructed defence.

A 10-man plan is seldom executed so well for so long as it was by Brentford, which was Villa's real misfortune.

Their response to the last setback, winning two demanding away fixtures in seven days, was impressive. This time the next task is equally difficult, to visit Bournemouth without being distracted by the pack behind them finally gathering momentum.

This working week, behind the gates of Bodymoor Heath, may therefore be the most important of the season to date.

Listen to full commentary of Bournemouth v Aston Villa at 3pm on Saturday on BBC Radio WM [95.6FM]

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Aston Villa content on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's semi-final League Cup game between Arsenal and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Jerry: This is the mark of champions. With backs against the wall, find a way regardless. Arsenal made a good account of themselves matching Chelsea's funny tactics - how do you set up defensively while chasing a game?

Micky: It certainly was not pretty, but a calculated and methodical approach saw us handle the game superbly. We never looked under any serious pressure and that's testament to the players sticking to the process. Well done to Arteta and the boys for getting us to Wembley, now let's go and win what will hopefully be the first of many trophies!

Zyd: For all the negativity that surrounds the way Arsenal play, the reality is that what matters is the scoreline at the end of the 90 minutes. As much as we celebrate our wins because of our solid defence and laser-sharp focus, we need to bring the same focus to the end of the season. A League Cup trophy might give us a mentality boost; it is level heads that will bring us a quadruple.

Bruce: They used to say we 'bottled it'. Now we show grit, steel, concentration and organisation...and we're 'dull'. Bring on 'boring, boring Arsenal'

Rachel: An uncomfortable watch. Yes Arsenal won, but the intensity was lacking and I didn't feel we ever had total control. Can we win a cup final playing like this?

Chelsea fans

Stuart: Totally understand the requirement to frustrate and subdue Arsenal for an hour or so. The concern is that when we did go for it we looked toothless in attack.

Graham: It was always going to be a big ask playing against one of the best teams in Europe, but great to see (at long last) a change of formation that made us more solid and far more flexible. We always needed not to concede and take the game as far as possible and we managed to still be in the tie at 95 minutes. If rotation takes place v Wolves on Saturday, please not seven players but two or three max.

Marco: Well, that was both confusing and disappointing. I understand Rosenior trying something different in terms of formation, but I have no idea why Delap was on the right wing, for example. It felt like a tactic that should be employed when you are winning, not when you are chasing the tie. The lack of urgency and obsession with keeping the ball would make one feel that Chelsea were the team in the lead. This is not how you want to see your team get knocked out.

Nicholas: Arsenal certainly didn't deserve to win this game but maybe we didn't create enough chances to win it either. I really don't think they are that good a team. They only appear to be good because everyone else is so average and that applies to European football in general. It's just not of a high calibre at the moment.

Keith: Good effort from Chelsea. Unlucky to lose on the night really, although Arsenal deserved it over the two legs. Thought the referee was too quick to stop the play. Delap has to go though, just not up to it!

The New York Giants are hiring Matt Robinson as their assistant defensive line coach, continuing the influx of talent from head coach John Harbaugh's former Baltimore Ravens staff.

Robinson, who spent five seasons with the Ravens (2021-2025), most recently served as outside linebackers coach. He joined Baltimore in 2021 as a defensive coaching fellow, progressed to defensive backs in 2022, defensive quality control (focusing on the front) in 2023, and assisted the defensive line in 2024.

During his tenure, the Ravens boasted one of the NFL's top defenses, including ranking first in rush defense in multiple seasons -- allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (80.1), yards per rush (3.6), and opponent rushing first downs (69) in 2024 -- while finishing second in sacks (54) and quarterback hits (115).

A University of Maryland product, Robinson played defensive end/outside linebacker from 2010-2014, tallying 198 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and other contributions across 39 games. After an undrafted stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars ended due to injury, he transitioned to coaching, serving as a graduate assistant at UConn (2017-18) and defensive quality control at Maryland (2019-20).

The move, first reported by CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, bolsters the Giants' defensive staff with experienced Ravens-developed talent familiar with Harbaugh's schemes.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants hiring Ravens' Matt Robinson as assistant DL coach

When the Washington Commanders hired Daronte Jones as defensive coordinator last week, we began connecting the dots about which coaches could follow him to Washington.

One of those names was former Vikings defensive line coach Marcus Dixon. Dixon was Minnesota's defensive line coach for the past two seasons, working with Jones, who served as the defensive backs coach/defensive pass game coordinator.

However, Dixon will not be following Jones to Washington. On Monday, he chose his next destination, joining new Cowboys' defensive coordinator Christian Parker in Dallas. Parker, like Jones, is a first-time NFL defensive coordinator. The 34-year-old Parker worked with Dixon for two seasons in Denver before going to the Vikings in 2024.

The Cowboys have agreed to a deal with Marcus Dixon to be their defensive line coach. He worked with new DC Christian Parker in Denver and spent the last 2 seasons in Minnesota, per source. He joins Derrick Ansley (pass game coordinator) and Ryan Smith (corners).

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) February 3, 2026

This was an outstanding hire for the Cowboys. It's also worth noting that while we and others connected the dots for Dixon to the Commanders, it's uncertain if they were even trying to hire him. Washington did move on from three assistants last weekend, including franchise legend Ryan Kerrigan, but defensive line coach Darryl Tapp remains.

The Commanders like Tapp. And it's not like he has had elite talent to work with over the last two years, especially at edge rusher. You could make the case that Washington should make sweeping changes in the secondary instead of the defensive line. One of the Commanders' assistants in the secondary, defensive passing game coordinator Jason Simmons, took the same position with the Steelers.

More changes are coming for Washington. Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic was the first to report last week that the Commanders were looking to bring in someone to oversee the front seven, with the goal of improving the pass rush. Jones will make additional hires, but it doesn't necessarily mean there will be a new defensive line coach.

Stay tuned.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Potential Daronte Jones assistant to Cowboys

MILAN — Three-time U.S. figure skating champion Amber Glenn, the most prominent LGBTQ female athlete in her sport, criticized the Trump administration during a pre-Olympic news conference with fellow U.S. skaters Wednesday morning at the 2026 Winter Games.

“It's been a hard time for the (LGBTQ) community overall in this administration,” she said. “It isn’t the first time that we've had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights. And now especially, it's not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities, and I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn't have to before, and because of that, it's made us a lot stronger.”

Glenn, 26, said she will not shy away from talking about these issues during the Olympics. 

“I hope I can use my platform and my voice throughout these Games to try and encourage people to stay strong in these hard times. I know that a lot of people say you're just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics, but politics affect us all. It is something that I will not just be quiet about because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives. So of course, there are things that I disagree with, but as a community, we are strong and we support each other, and brighter days are ahead of us.”

Glenn, a native of Plano, Texas, came out as pansexual in a December 2019 interview with the Dallas Voice.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US figure skater Amber Glenn speaks out for LGBTQ community at Olympics

Framber Valdez should have been wined, dined and extolled at a lavish press conference, signed to a contract with enough zeroes to assure lifetime wealth and picking out furniture for his new home.

Instead, less than one week before the start of spring training, he sits unemployed.

Valdez, 32, the two-time All-Star who has averaged 30 starts a year the past four seasons, with Cy Young votes in three of them, was arguably the best pitcher on the free-agent market.

He was projected to be the highest-paid player this winter outside his former Houston Astros teammate, Kyle Tucker. Yet, three full months have come and gone, and Valdez continues to wait with questions abound throughout the game.

Is he asking for too much money? Are teams concerned about the wear and tear on his arm, pitching 809 innings in the regular season and postseason the past four years?

Do they wonder whether Valdez intentionally hit his own catcher, Cesar Salazar, in the chest with a 93-mph fastball out of frustration in September after giving up a grand slam against the New York Yankees?

Whatever the reason, or if it’s simply a matter of a slow developing market for free agent pitchers, Valdez is easily the best player remaining on the market.

With time running out, in a survey of scouts, executives and agents, here are their predictions for the top six candidates to sign Valdez:

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles remain the heavy favorite to sign Valdez, and could turn a fabulous winter into a spectacular one. And let’s face it, if they’re going to have a real chance to bounce back and win the AL East, they need another front-line starter.

Valdez would give them a formidable rotation with Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Dean Kremer and Zach Eflin already in the mix. And remember, they were aggressive in the bidding for Ranger Suarez before he signed a five-year, $130 million deal with the Boston Red Sox.

The Orioles are clearly the team to beat in the Valdez sweepstakes, executives believe.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Orioles’ biggest threat to signing Valdez is the Blue Jays. They’ve had perhaps the best winter of any team in baseball, spending $337 million to give them every chance for a return trip to the World Series. So why not push it closer to $500 million?

If they signed Valdez, they will have locked up the top two starters on the market, having already signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract. They would be even further flush with starters with Valdez, Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce and Jose Berrios. Considering that Gausman and Bieber are free agents after the 2026 season, the signing of Valdez makes perfect sense.

Besides, if they had $350 million to sign Kyle Tucker before he went to the Dodgers, why not give up a chunk of that to Valdez?

San Diego Padres

They haven’t done anything all winter besides bringing back Michael King and signing Korean infielder Sung-mun Song, and may have trouble enough keeping up with the San Francisco Giants – let alone the Dodgers. The signing of Valdez could save the offseason..

Financial constraints and an impending sale has handicapped them, but if Yu Darvish walks away from the $43 million he’s owed – including $16 million this season – the Padres could use it to find a creative way of bringing in Valdez. It would be similar to their deal a year ago with free agent Nick Pivetta when he was left stranded on the free agent market, giving him an opt-out after two seasons.

The Padres are a longshot compared to the Orioles and Blue Jays chances, but with GM A.J. Preller at the helm, you can never rule anything out.

Chicago Cubs

You want the Cubs’ fans to lose their minds after their fine winter? Go ahead and sign Valdez, giving them a team that could not only run win the NL Central, but peraps challenge the mighty Dodgers.

The Cubs, who already dropped $175 million with the Alex Bregman signing, would have a sensational rotation of Justin Steele (when he returns the second half), Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon in the mix for starts.

The Cubs, who have been engaged in talks with fellow free agent Zac Gallen, will need another front-line starter in a year, anyways, with Boyd, Taillon and Imanaga all free agents after the 2026 season.

Detroit Tigers

Can you imagine a rotation with Tarik Skubal and Valdez as your 1-2 punch? It would bring back memories when Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer were leading their powerful rotation during their glory days.

While it may seem to be far-fetched, the Tigers have to face reality, too. They are not going to fork out $400 million and sign Skubal when he hits free agency in 10 months. They will have a gaping hole in the rotation. So why not be proactive and grab his replacement a year early? This would give them a rotation of Skubal, Valdez, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Reese Olson and Drew Anderson to start 2026.

They would have the team built for a deep October run. Who says no?

Milwaukee Brewers

We get it. If you can’t afford to keep Freddy Peralta, why turn around and spend money for Valdez? Yet, the Peralta trade was simply acknowledging they couldn’t keep him a year from now.

Considering the Brewers have spent only $1.25 million in free agency this winter, and the fans are loudly grumbling about losing Peralta. Why not get them feeling as if you’re giving away free beer and cheese curds at all home games?

The Brewers privately say they still are interested in signing a free-agent pitcher, they could shoot for the sunand leave the Cubs cursing under their breath.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Framber Valdez news and rumors as top MLB free agent remains unsigned

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Philadelphia 76ers walked into the Chase Center on Tuesday night and earned a 113-94 win over the Golden State Warriors for their fifth-straight as they continue trending upwards in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers dominated in a number of areas on their way to the win. They improved to 2-0 on their 5-game road trip and 3-0 since losing Paul George to the 25-game suspension.

VJ Edgecombe had 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points and five rebounds. Tyrese Maxey had 14 points, Adem Bona added 11 and seven rebounds, Quentin Grimes had 10 and five rebounds, and Trendon Watford had 16 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Andre Drummond added 12 and 11 rebounds while Dominick Barlow added 10 points and six rebounds.

Here are the three biggest takeaways for the Sixers after the win:

Second unit coming up large

The starters had some good moments on Tuesday, but the bench unit gave the Sixers a real spark. The play of Watford, Grimes, and Bona was a key reason why Philadelphia was able to build the lead it did in the early going. The Warriors didn’t have an answer for any of the three and the Sixers were able to lean on those three to help get the team moving with the spark they played with in the second quarter.

"All of them," said coach Nick Nurse. "Throw the whole group in there. Obviously, I think TWatt has given us some versatility that we've talked about. He'll handle. He can get a post up bucket here and there. He was really making good reads out of the double teams as well. I think Bona was bouncy tonight. A lot of dunks. A lot of shots at the rim."

Huge rebounding advantage

This is a big one for Philadelphia. It had been a struggle on the glass in recent weeks, but that changed in this one. Drummond set the tone early while Oubre, Barlow, and Edgecombe all made contributions on the glass. The Sixers played with much more energy than the Warriors and it showed in the hustle stats as Philadelphia was able to lean on that to come away with the victory.

"I think we're probably playing bigger lineups for one thing, but I just think, again, that obviously different games, different opponents present different things sometimes," Nurse explained. "We have tried to emphasize showing a lot of film on how to get better and practicing it quite a bit and stuff like that when we can."

Edgecombe produces in a number of ways

The rookie just makes an impact. After being helpful in Monday’s win despite shooting just 1-for-11, he had a big offensive game on Tuesday long with stuffing the box score in a number of other areas. It truly is impressive to see a player as young as Edgecombe continue to go through the grind of an 82-game regular season and the ups and downs of it all to stay focused and rise to the occasion on a nightly basis.

"He, obviously, was really good,: Nurse added. "I thought he took it to some points and bolted up and made a bunch of shots. He's got an ability to do it. We don't see it that often, but it kind of presented itself tonight. I thought he got us off to a great start as well. Just playing confidently. Obviously, they took the ball out of Tyrese's hands the whole night, so other guys had to step up, and they did a good job with him leading the way."

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following road win over Warriors

Not that long ago, we wrote that the Cincinnati Bengals’ upcoming tough decision on free agent Trey Henrickson isn’t that simple. 

Hendrickson contract projections aren’t making it any easier. 

Over at Pro Football Focus, the latest Hendrickson contract prediction comes from Mason Cameron, who suggests an average annual value of $25 million: 

“Let’s not overthink this. Even at 31 years old, Hendrickson hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He is one of six edge rushers to record a pass-rush win rate above 20% over the past three seasons, and he also places in the 96th percentile in PFF pass-rush grade on true pass sets.”

The Bengals actually went to $29 million average annual value before the season with Hendrickson. Granted, this is the Bengals, so structure and length of guarantees beyond Year 1 become hiccups compared to normal franchises. 

Still, $25 million AAV to retain Hendrifckson and keep the win-now window open doesn't sound like that bad of way to spend cap space. 

Reports have said the Bengals and Hendrickson are fully done with each other. But his age, recent injury and money demands could make for a quieter market than perhaps expected. Plus, the Bengals still have the option of the franchise tag. 

The Bengals want to move forward with Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart. But if the Hendrickson market is in this range and short-term, he’s an All-Pro defender for a team that wants to win right now, too. 

Never say never, right?RELATED: Bengals sound ready to leave comfort zone, do contract extension early

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Trey Hendrickson contract projection comes in lower than expected

Super Bowl week is always good for some soundbites, and this year has been especially fruitful with former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel leading the New England Patriots to the big game in his first season as head coach. 

With Vrabel in New England, it should come as no surprise that some of his former players joined him when their time in Nashville was up, and one of those is edge Harold Landry. Landry was released during the last offseason in a cost-cutting move, and almost immediately signed with the Patriots. 

During Super Bowl festivities, Landry was asked to compare the culture of the Titans with that of the Patriots now, and he had an interesting response. 

“I mean, I ain't really gonna speak on my last year in Tennessee, but the coach is very similar to when Vrabel was in Tennessee. High-quality guys, no egos, no selfishness, high standards for everyone, no matter who you are. But yeah, I would say that's the same standard.”

Harold Landry III on the biggest culture difference between Titans and Patriots:

"I ain't really going to speak on my last year in Tennessee"#thesickpodcastpic.twitter.com/Zjp2pkkSov

— The Sick Podcast - Talking Titans (@SickPodTitans) February 3, 2026

This isn’t the first time a current or former member of the Titans deflected questions on the team’s culture under Brian Callahan. In fact, it has been a theme throughout the organization's coaching search and in discussions of its future. 

There is no doubt that the goal of this offseason is to rebuild the team's culture, and hopefully, Robert Saleh can do what Callahan failed to do during his tenure. 

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans: Patriots' Harold Landry doesn't have much to say

Yes, the Washington Commanders' official website ran a mock draft story on Monday. No big deal, right?

The much BIGGER news of the story was not (and accordingly, should not be) who the Commanders will take at No. 7 in April's 2026 NFL Draft. We are going to be force-fed mock drafts daily until the draft. We will be sick of seeing mock drafts anyway. More importantly, the Commanders were sporting a new look on their website.

Commanders show off a new look on their website featuring double spears going through the W. It's an awesome look that will hopefully pop up more places. https://t.co/ZFNwGrvRxZpic.twitter.com/wS0RCKggIm

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) February 3, 2026

Is this logo testing? Are the Commanders testing the fanbase to gauge the reaction? The Harris Ownership Group (HOG) last season received much praise for the Super Bowl-era uniforms, rather than the alternate uniforms implemented to eliminate historic franchise throwbacks. Perhaps if the fan base shows enough support and excitement, the HOG might consider changing the boring "W" logo they inherited?

#67 DT Clarence Washington of the Pittsburgh Steelers trying to wrap up Washington Redskins QBand future Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen in the Redskins 14-7 victory on October 26, 1969 at Pitt Stadium.Rookie and future Hall of Fame DT Joe Greene is being blocked by #74 Jim Snowden pic.twitter.com/EZFcPQPRvA

— Cool Old Sports (@CoolOldSports) April 12, 2024

Those of us old enough remember the spear helmets in the 1960's (above). They were awesome! The younger crowd will recall those awesome throwback uniforms for the 70th Anniversary season of 2002 (below).

WASHINGTON REDSKINS Custom 2002 70TH ANNIVERSARY VINTAGE REEBOK JERSEYhttps://t.co/4PNIqwbuHt
US size
Name Must be Within 12 Chars, Number Must be 1 or 2 digits.
Material: 100% Recycled Polyester
Custom WASHINGTON REDSKINS Jersey pic.twitter.com/0904iSLMOg

— Ravi Kumer (@KumerRavi1049) August 27, 2025

The HOG recognizes they will never get the support of the other NFL owners to return to "Redskins." But the HOG also recognizes that they inherited a frustrated fan base whose historic team name, "Redskins," was taken from them, as well as the iconic helmets worn by the franchise from 1972-2019. Many fans are justifiably never going to get behind the Commanders' uniforms, logo, and name. So, perhaps the HOG will at least give fans more of their team's history in the logo and uniforms?

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Is a new logo/helmet on the way?

For the first 24 minutes of Tuesday's contest, the Golden State Warriors battled the visiting Philadelphia 76ers. In the second quarter, the Sixers stretched their early lead to 15 points. However, the Warriors closed the second quarter strong, trimming the Sixers' advantage to only three at the halftime buzzer.

After exchanging buckets throughout the first two quarters, the second half was different. The Warriors' offense went cold in the third and fourth quarters. With Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler sidelined and the Warriors' offense struggling, the Sixers took advantage.

Rookie VJ Edgecomb led the Sixers with 25 points, seven assists and seven boards on the way to a 113-94 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday night at Chase Center. Alongside Edgecomb, seven other members of the Sixers notched 10 or more points against the Warriors, including Trendon Watford with 16 points off the bench.

In the second half, the Warriors shot 40.5% from the field with nine turnovers. The Warriors struggled with turnovers on Tuesday against the Sixers, turning the ball over 20 times. The Warriors also had trouble defending the paint, allowing 54 points in the paint to the Sixers. The Warriors were outscored 54-30 in points in the paint on Tuesday evening.

Gui Santos and Pat Spencer each tallied 13 points to lead the Warriors. Santos finished with 13 points to go along with three assists, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 26 minutes. Spencer tallied 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Spencer also led the Warriors with five turnovers. Brandin Podziemski added another four turnovers.

After winning four games in a row, the Warriors have now dropped five of their last seven, falling to 27-24 on the season. The Warriors will hit the road on Thursday for a contest against the Suns. Before tipping off against the Suns on Thursday, the NBA trade deadline is set for 1 p.m. PT.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors can't answer Sixers in second half on way to 113-94 loss

Chelsea forward Fran Kirby says the evidence of the players "buying into" Liam Rosenior's methodology was clear in Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal.

The Blues lined up with three centre-backs and restricted the Gunners to very few chances before a double attacking substitution on 59 minutes, with Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian replacing Jorrel Hato and Liam Delap, to move back to a more familiar shape and push for an equaliser.

However, they could not find a goal and were eventually caught out on the counter-attack to lose 1-0 on the night with the last kick.

"I think Chelsea can take huge confidence from the game," Kirby told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"They really nullified Arsenal and that's not easy to do, especially at the Emirates.

"Rosenior hasn't had long to work on this, players are playing out of position and having to learn where to be in and out of possession.

"But, you could see they have been working on their shape and their press. They reduced Arsenal to a lot of long balls as they struggled to find their pockets around how compact Chelsea were.

"Malo Gusto was coming into midfield, Enzo Fernandez was moving out to the left - these are not their natural positions so they had to learn.

"The effort levels that the players put in - you can see the way Rosenior wants them to press aggressively and run back for each other is starting to rub off on them.

"You can see the players are buying into it, there were no arms being thrown in the air or complaining at each other.

"You look at Fernandez - he covered every blade of grass with his effort levels out of possession and then towards the end of the game was getting involved in possession and driving the team forward.

"Those are the players you want your other players to look at as an example and the ones you want in your team."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

The 25th Winter Olympics is taking place in Milan and Cortina in Italy and will feature a record 116 medal events.

There are 16 sports at this winter's Games, eight on ice and eight on snow. Can you name them all?

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

Play more quizzes

• Take on our BBC Gameshows ultimate football quiz
• Can you spot the Faithfuls in our Traitors-inspired sports quiz?
• Check out our Sports Quizzes page

Last week I wrote that, too often, Aberdeen have been the perfect opponent for a side in desperate need of a victory and more evidence of this was presented to the court last weekend.

17 games and almost four months had elapsed since Kilmarnock last enjoyed any sort of win. They had lost 13 of those 17, scored just eight times and hadn't managed more than one goal in a game since that last success at the start of October.

Step forward the Dons bearing gifts.

An insipid performance from the off at Rugby Park saw them lose 3-0. In truth, Neil McCann's men could, and should, have scored many more against the 10-men.

It was the first time Killie had scored three goals in a single league match since last May, it was just their third win of the season in the Premiership and it was their biggest margin of victory in the competition since a 4-0 victory on Boxing Day 2024 when, yes, you guessed it, Aberdeen were in town.

The Dons have an 11 point cushion over 11th placed Kilmarnock as it stands, but when you look at the fixtures laid out in front of them this month, there is no guarantee they won't get dragged into the mire with trips to Tannadice, Fir Park and Tynecastle all awaiting them.

The run begins with a visit from Celtic tonight, a team they haven't got the better of in 90 minutes since 2018 and at Pittodrie in almost exactly a decade, with the champions unbeaten on their last 18 visits to the Granite City since Jonny Hayes and Simon Church scored in a 2-1 win to take them to within three points of the then leaders. Halcyon days for the Dons fans by comparison.

Almost a quarter of a century has passed since Celtic last failed to score at least once in Aberdeen, amid a barrage of snowballs in December 2001, during Martin O'Neill's second season in charge. The Aberdeen keeper that night, and the last one to keep a clean sheet against the Glasgow side at Pittodrie, was Peter Kjaer. He celebrated his 60th birthday last year.

After Celtic comes their now season-defining Scottish Cup tie at home to red-hot Motherwell who have conceded as many goals in their last 14 games as Aberdeen did in 90 minutes at Rugby Park.

If their grip on the trophy is loosened completely on Saturday night, all that remains a dark chasm of what 2025/26 might have been.

James Harden is set to join the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Los Angeles Clippers, with Darius Garland moving in the opposite direction after the sides agreed a trade.

Harden, 36, is an 11-time NBA All-Star and regarded as one of the greatest guards in history, but he has never won an NBA title.

Although the deal is yet to be confirmed by the NBA, Harden said the opportunity to win a first championship was key in deciding to move.

The Cavaliers are fifth in the Eastern Conference in their pursuit of a play-off spot, while the Clippers are ninth in the West.

"I see an opportunity to win in the East - they got a very good team, coaching staff, all of the above," Harden told ESPN.

"As much as I wanted to stay in LA and give it a go, I've never won one before. As a basketball mind, I think we have a bit better chance."

Harden has helped the Clippers climb the table after a dismal 6-21 start this season, but sat out Sunday's defeat by the Philadelphia 76ers while talks with the Cavaliers progressed.

Harden, who won the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award in 2018 while with the Houston Rockets, denied speculation that he requested a trade from the Clippers.

"That wasn't the case at all. In life, not even just basketball, when things don't work out, there are ways to end things in relationships without having to crack each other," he said.

"Maybe we just don't see a future with each other. Maybe we just outgrew each other. Whatever the case may be, I feel like our situations weren't like that."

Across stints at five franchises, Harden has scored 28,805 points, putting him ninth on the NBA's all-time list.

The Cavaliers have not won a title since 2016.

Garland, 26, averages 18 points this season in a campaign blighted by injury.

As part of the trade, the Clippers secured a second-round pick for this year's draft.

The Clippers host the Cavaliers on Wednesday, but Harden and Garland must pass medicals before the trade is confirmed.

The Women's Super League winter transfer window closed on Tuesday - but which club did the best business?

League-leaders Manchester City made a statement signing, reigning champions Chelsea had a quiet one and it was a busy month for struggling West Ham and Liverpool.

We asked former internationals Steph Houghton, Ellen White, Karen Bardsley and Jen Beattie for their opinions - and you can rate each club's dealings too.

• Every WSL winter window transfer
• WSL: Latest updates as winter transfer window set to close

How have the WSL's top four fared in the transfer window?

Sitting 11 points clear at the top of the WSL, Manchester City could not have hoped for much more at this point in the season.

The club's first WSL trophy since 2016 is well within their reach but the £600,000 addition of United States midfielder Sam Coffey from Portland Thorns will give Andree Jeglertz's side an extra boost going into the final eight games of the season.

"Coffey is a very shrewd signing," said former City captain Houghton. "She has international experience and is a more defensive-minded midfielder, which City didn't really have."

Any faint hopes Chelsea had of overhauling City to claim a seventh straight title have not been helped by the lack of recruitment this month, although Houghton was not surprised.

"Chelsea have got a really good squad already," she said. "They've built one for the future and have experienced players as well. It's just at this moment in time they haven't been performing to the expectations we have seen."

After Sunday's humiliating defeat by City, Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor indicated she had hoped for more January signings.

"I couldn't believe that. She has the strongest team quality-wise when looking at depth and signings made," former Scotland defender Beattie told BBC Women's Football Weekly.

"I could not tell you what positions she is looking to fill. There are no gaps."

Second-placed Manchester United, meanwhile, were active early on in the window, bringing in experienced Germany striker Lea Schuller, along with Sweden's Hanna Lundkvist and Ellen Wangerheim.

"There's been a lot of talk about where United want to take their women's team and the signing of Lea Schuller is the answer - she is prolific," Houghton said.

"Defensively, they've always been solid and now they've bought a really good all-round player to strengthen their forward line. They are right in the mix."

Meanwhile, Champions Cup winners Arsenal have also added some young Swedish talent to their squad, with Smilla Holmberg the only new arrival in north London.

As Tottenham look to continue their fine start to the season and boost their chances of European football next term, Martin Ho has added a handful of new signings to his squad - including one of the world's best young talents in Signe Gaupset.

"Martin Ho has done a really good job of propelling them into the top half of the league and making them more consistent," said Houghton. "I think Spurs have been really clever this window and are going from strength to strength."

Promoted side London City Lionesses were the busiest team in the summer transfer window but they've taken a more measured approach this time around with just one new signing - France international Delphine Cascarino.

"She's clever, quick and I like watching her play," Houghton said of Cascarino. "London City did a lot of their business in the summer and now all the foundations are there for them in the WSL."

Aston Villa, meanwhile, have shown ambition in bringing in Oriane Jean-Francois from Chelsea for £450,000 and they've also signed Arsenal defender Jenna Nighswonger on loan.

By contract, Brighton have had a quiet winter window. They have signed Norway midfielder Olaug Tvedten along with American forward Olivia Garcia, who has been sent straight out on loan to Swedish side AIK.

Everton, who sit ninth, have opted to bring in two players on loan deals, with Manchester United's Hannah Blundell and Arsenal's Laila Harbert joining for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, 10th-placed Leicester have been more active, snapping up experienced WSL players Alisha Lehmann, Ashleigh Neville, Sarah Mayling and Rachel Williams to help distance themselves from the relegation play-off spot.

But it is the bottom two clubs - West Ham and Liverpool - who have been the busiest, each bringing in six new players.

Under new boss Rita Guarino, the Irons have strengthened their defence with the additions of Estelle Cascarino and Tuva Hansen while Katie Zelem - on loan from London City - adds experience to the midfield.

However, key defenders Anouk Denton and Amber Tysiak have left the club.

Struggling at the bottom of the table, Liverpool have reinforced across their squad to try to get out of trouble.

Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk has already become the club's number-one goalkeeper, while Republic of Ireland midfielder Denise O'Sullivan became the club's record signing.

In attack, forwards Alice Bergstrom, Anna Josendal and Aurelie Csillag have all joined on permanent deals, along with Spurs striker Martha Thomas on loan.

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

• Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page

Jens Berthel Askou has confirmed Motherwell dismissed late deadline-day interest in Tawanda Maswanhise, who had been interesting Anderlecht, Celtic and Blackburn Rovers. (Scottish Sun)

Interim manager Martin O'Neill says Arne Engels and his agent "did not kick up a fuss" about Celtic rejecting Nottingham Forest's late interest in the Belgium midfielder. (Daily Record)

Celtic are set to bank some income with Besiktas reaching an agreement for striker Hyeon-Gyu Oh, who had a sell-on clause inserted in his deal when the Glasgow club sold him to Genk. (Scottish Sun)

Felix Passlack - a deadline-day arrival at Easter Road who is in line to make his debut against Dundee United - says his Borussia Dortmund upbringing is perfection preparation for him to thrive at Hibernian. (Daily Record)

Hibs head coach David Gray has stressed Thibault Klidje can still have a long-term future at Easter Road despite his shock deadline-day move. (The Scotsman)

• Tuesday's Scottish gossip
• Wednesday's English and European gossip

Celtic and Rangers' "snobbishness in judging players from within Scottish football" could cost them in the transfer game and the title race. (The Herald)

Dundee's season could have been ruined by Luke Graham's exit, says boss Steven Pressley. (The Courier)

Dons legend Willie Miller insists change was necessary in the dugout and the playing staff at Pittodrie after an inconsistent campaign for Aberdeen. (Press & Journal)

Former Scotland striker Steven Fletcher is poised to play for a $1m prize when he represents the Wrexham Red Dragons in the TST 7v7 - a golf tournament. (Scottish Sun)

The PDC Premier League is back and is set to be more competitive than ever.

Luke Humphries is back to defend his title after triumphing over back-to-back world champion Luke Littler in the final of last season's edition.

The eight-player tournament starts on Thursday, 5 February in Newcastle.

There will be weekly fixtures until the finals night in London on Thursday, 28 May.

What is the Premier League?

Premier League Darts is an annual tournament contested by eight players, run by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

The top four players in the world rankings qualify automatically and four others are selected as 'wildcard' entries by the organisers.

The tournament has taken place annually since 2005.

How does the Premier League Darts work?

Every Thursday, the eight players go head-to-head in a straight knockout tournament.

Each player enters at the quarter-final stage, before moving to the semi-finals and then a final.

These matches are all played over the best of 11 legs, or a race to six.

Players take home points from each of these rounds. The winner of the night gets five points, the runner-up three points, and each semi-finalist wins two points.

A new tournament starts each Thursday with the quarter-final line-up changing on a weekly basis.

The players meet each other once at the quarter-final stage from weeks one to seven, and then again in weeks nine to 15.

The matches in weeks eight and 16 are played based on position in the league at that point.

The four players at the top of the table at the end of night 16 qualify for finals night, which take place on Thursday, 28 May.

The semi-finals of the play-offs are played over 19 legs, while the winner is crowned in a final match played across the best of 21 legs.

Who is in the line-up this year?

Title defender Humphries will make his return, alongside world champion Littler, debutant Gian van Veen and seven-time winner Michael van Gerwen.

All four players qualified through the PDC Order of Merit, which is the world ranking system for professional darts players.

The remaining four players, Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price, have all been selected as wildcards.

The PDC told BBC Sport its board of directors "discusses a range of factors" when deciding who gets a wildcard place, including "form, achievements, whether a player is considered 'ready' for the Premier League, their experience and profile".

Van Gerwen is the most successful Premier League player of all time with seven titles.

What is the prize money?

There is a £1,250,000 prize pot for the competition.

The winner of each night takes home a bonus of £10,000.

The pot is then split based on the final positions in the league table.

Winner: £350,000

Runner-up: £170,000

Semi-finalists: £110,000

Fifth: £95,000

Sixth: £90,000

Seventh: £85,000

Eighth: £80,000

The 2026 Premier League champion's prize has seen an increase of £75,000 compared to last year's winnings of £275,000.

Full schedule and venues

Night one - Thursday, 5 February, Newcastle

Night two - Thursday, 12 February, Antwerp

Night three - Thursday, 19 February, Glasgow

Night four - Thursday, 26 February, Belfast

Night five - Thursday, 5 March, Cardiff

Night six - Thursday, 12 March, Nottingham

Night seven - Thursday, 19 March, Dublin

Night eight - Thursday, 26 March, Berlin

Night nine - Thursday, 2 April, Manchester

Night 10 - Thursday, 9 April, Brighton

Night 11 - Thursday, 16 April, Rotterdam

Night 12 - Thursday, 23 April, Liverpool

Night 13 - Thursday, 30 April, Aberdeen

Night 14 - Thursday, 7 May, Leeds

Night 15 - Thursday, 14 May, Birmingham

Night 16 - Thursday, 21 May, Sheffield

Play-offs - Thursday, 28 May, London

How to follow the Premier League Darts on the BBC

There will be live text commentary for each match night of the Premier League Darts.

Coverage will be on the BBC Sport app and website every Thursday.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

More questions answered...

• How do players get picked for Premier League Darts?
• What is dartitis and what causes it?
• How do darts world rankings work?

Spanish figure skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate is optimistic he will be allowed to perform to music from the Minions films at the Winter Olympics after receiving copyright clearance from Universal Studios.

Sabate, known for his flamboyant routines, has performed to songs from the Minions animated film series while wearing a yellow T-shirt and blue overalls, similar to the characters' outfits, throughout the 2025-26 season.

He said on Monday that he would not be able to perform to the music at the Olympics as rights holders Universal Pictures had not given permission.

However, on Tuesday Sabate said Universal Studios had reversed its objection and that he is "so close" to being allowed to perform his routine.

The Milan-Cortina Games officially start on Friday, although the action starts on Wednesday.

"Huge thank you to everyone who reposted, shared and supported," Sabate said.

"Because of you, Universal Studios reconsidered and officially granted the rights for this one special occasion.

"There are still a couple of things to be tied up with the other two music of the program, but we are so close to accomplishing it! And it's all thanks to you.

"I'm so happy to see that the Minions hitting Olympic ice is becoming real again!"

The routine in Sabate's short program - the first of two routines in singles figure skating - has proved a hit in competitions, including in Sheffield at this year's European Figure Skating Championships, where he finished 18th but became a fan favourite.

Sabate, a six-time Spanish champion set to make his Olympic debut in Milan, said he followed all required procedures and submitted the music through the International Skating Union's (ISU) ClicknClear system in August.

If he is unable to perform to the Minions mix, he may use music by the Bee Gees for his short program, as this was the routine he performed to in 2024-25.

The men's event starts in Milan on Tuesday.

"As soon as we have more details on this specific case, we will share them as appropriate," read an ISU statement.

"Copyright clearances can represent a challenge for all artistic sports."

• What’s happening when at the Winter Olympics?

Drafted by the Warriors in 2012 and a driver of their dynastic run, Green first acknowledged the possibility he might be traded Friday, following a seven-point loss to the Detroit Pistons. “I’ve been here for 14 years, I have no reason to sit and worry about leaving,” said Green, who has a contractual player option for 2026-27. “But if I’m traded, that’s part of the business. It is what it is. I ain’t losing no sleep, though. I slept great last night, longer than I’ve slept in a long time.”

San Francisco Chronicle

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Draymond Green: 'If I’m traded, that’s part of the business'

“If you would have told me 13½ years ago, you can sign this sheet of paper to be in a place for 13½ years, would you sign it? And I would have signed it faster than you can blink. “So what do I have to worry about or be upset about? I’ve been here longer than probably 98% of NBA players have been in one place. And a guy from Saginaw has been in a place for 13½ years. I don’t know that it ends at 13½ years, but if it does what a f---ing run it’s been.” ‪https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/warriors-kerr-spoke-draymond-green-nba-21332141.php

San Francisco Chronicle

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “If you would have told me 13½ years ago, you can sign …

Ramona Shelburne says the Mavericks are a team to watch for Chris Paul, after he eventually gets waived: “I think the Dallas Mavericks make a lot of sense. He worked out with Cooper Flagg in the off-season, they’re represented by the same agency, I think Cooper likes him.” The only problem is the Mavericks don’t currently have a roster spot for CP3, but that can be solved.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “I think the Dallas Mavericks make a lot of sense. He …

That’s because, as the Celtics prepare to face the Houston Rockets, Simons is headed to Chicago, where he was traded earlier Tuesday afternoon in exchange for veteran big man Nikola Vucevic. And, though all of the Celtics understand that midseason trades are a part of the business, it doesn’t necessarily make things any easier. “We had a growing relationship that was really good,” Scheierman said. “He’s just a good dude. Was a great teammate. As far as a basketball player, obviously, very talented — came in and put his work in, did things the right way, and cared about the people here. I’m definitely sad to see him go.”

Celtics Blog

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “We had a growing relationship that was really good,” …

Around 2,900 athletes from more than 90 countries will compete on the ice and snow at Milan-Cortina 2026.

The world's biggest winter sports stars will descend on northern Italy from Friday 6 February and there's certain to be thrills, drama and breakout performances.

BBC Sport takes a look at some of the global stars and stories to look out for.

Lindsey Vonn - alpine skiing

Age: 41 Nation: United States

Just five days before the women's downhill event takes place in Cortina, Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn announced that she had ruptured her left anterior cruciate ligament but is still hopeful that she can compete on Sunday.

Vonn was airlifted to hospital in Switzerland after crashing in the final World Cup race of the season but remains determined to compete in her fifth Olympics, despite the serious injury.

The veteran skier is no stranger to a comeback having retired in 2019 because of injury before undergoing partial replacement knee surgery on her right knee and returning to the sport in 2024.

The four-time overall World Cup winner is unsure whether she will be able to compete in the super-G and team events but, as a heavy favourite for the downhill gold before suffering the injury, she is determined to make the start gate at what will likely be her last Olympics.

Mikaela Shiffrin - alpine skiing

Age: 30 Nation: United States

Mikaela Shiffrin is the greatest alpine skier of all time and, competing at her fourth Olympics, has said she wants to "make peace" with the Games following disappointment in Beijing along with serious injury and mental health struggles.

The five-time overall World Cup winner has 108 World Cup wins, securing victory in the opening five slalom events of the season which, when added to her victory in the final slalom of last season, equalled her own record of six consecutive wins in the discipline.

But the two-time Olympic champion will be targeting a return to the podium in Cortina while her fiance Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is also on the comeback trail from a bad injury.

Maxim Naumov - figure skating

Age: 24 Nation: United States

American figure skater Maxim Naumov's participation in the Milan-Cortina Games could be emotional as he makes his Olympic debut after his parents were killed in a plane crash in Washington DC last year.

Naumov's dream to make Team USA was one of the last things he spoke about with his parents before they were killed.

His parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, skated for Russia and were world champions in pairs figure skating in 1994.

Emily Harrop - skimo

Age: 28 Nation: France

Ski mountaineering, or 'skimo', is making its Olympic debut at Milan-Cortina and, while Great Britain have failed to qualify an athlete in the Games' new sport, France's Emily Harrop is the next best thing.

With English parents, Harrop could have competed for Team GB but having relocated to the French Alps as a child she opted to represent France.

Harrop is well placed for an Olympic medal having finished the 2025 season with seven wins out of seven races at the ski mountaineering World Cup, winning the sprint and overall crystal globe for the fourth consecutive season.

Jutta Leerdam – speed skating

Age: 28 Nation: Netherlands

Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam will compete in the 1,000m and 500m in Milan.

A former world sprint champion, Leerdam also won a silver medal in the 1,000m at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

She is also engaged to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who can often be spotted at competitions and will be cheering her on from the sidelines in Italy.

Finley Melville Ives – freestyle skiing

Age: 19 Nation: New Zealand

Teenager Finley Melville Ives arrives in Italy as one of the most exciting prospects on the freestyle skiing circuit.

Ives' parents are both snowboard instructors and his twin brother followed in their footsteps, but Ives opted instead for skis from a young age.

His breakout season came last year when he claimed his first World Cup victory in Calgary then weeks later became the halfpipe world champion in Engadin, Switzerland, beating Olympic greats Alex Ferreira and Nick Goepper along the way.

Eileen Gu – freestyle skiing

Age: 22 Nation: China

Born and raised in California, freestyle skier Eileen Gu was China's poster girl for Beijing 2022, where - aged 18 - she won gold in the big air and freeski halfpipe competitions and silver in the slopestyle.

In addition to her Olympic triumphs, she is also a two-time world champion and three-time Winter X Games champion.

Away from the snow, Gu is one of the most famous winter sports athletes in the world and has modelled in New York, Barcelona, Paris and at Milan Fashion Week while also studying quantum physics at Stanford University.

NHL stars – ice hockey

For the first time since Sochi 2014, the National Hockey League is permitting its athletes to participate in the Winter Olympics.

NHL stars did not travel to the 2018 or 2022 Games because of financial disputes and pandemic-related complications but will return to the ice this year.

In their absence, the last two men's titles have been won by Olympic teams from Russia and Finland while the United States failed to win a medal at both events, but this could be a huge boost to their hopes of returning to the podium.

Chloe Kim – snowboarding

Age: 25 Nation: United States

Eight years after winning gold as a 17-year-old in Pyeongchang, American halfpipe snowboarder Chloe Kim is going for a three-peat in Italy.

She successfully defended her title in Beijing four years ago but her preparations for Milan-Cortina have been disrupted after she dislocated her shoulder at the beginning of the year.

She said in an update on Instagram she was "good to go" for the Games, where she will aim to become the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the halfpipe.

Francesco Friedrich - Bobsleigh

Age: 35 Nation: Germany

Legendary German bobsleigh pilot Francesco Friedrich arrives in Italy hoping to become the first man do the treble double - winning two and four-man gold for the third Games in a row.

He is a 16-time world champion across the two and four-man events while he has well over 100 World Cup podium finishes, claiming a 50th victory in the two-man earlier this year.

Germany tend to dominate the Olympic bobsleigh events and the question is whether anyone can stop him from making history.

Arianna Fontana - speed skating

Age: 35 Nation: Italy

Competing at her sixth Games, Arianna Fontana is an 11-time Winter Olympic medallist and has won medals at her five previous appearances - including as a 15-year-old in Turin.

Twenty years later, the short track skater is also aiming to compete in long track speed skating.

Two-time Olympic champion Fontana will also be one of Italy's flag bearers at the opening ceremony at the San Siro.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen - alpine skiing

Age: 25 Nation: Brazil

Norwegian-born skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen could make history in Italy by winning a first Winter Olympics medal for a South American country after he switched allegiance to compete for his mother's home country of Brazil.

The slalom and giant slalom expert retired in 2023 having competed for Norway but returned in 2025 to represent Brazil and became the first Brazilian to finish on a World Cup podium last year before claiming the country's first victory this season to add to his five for Norway.

A charismatic and deep-thinking character, Braathen says that people don't believe him when he tells them he represents Brazil in alpine skiing.

Adeliia Petrosian - figure skating

Age: 18 Nation: Independent Neutral Athlete

Russian skater Adeliia Petrosian is one of around 20 Russian or Belarusian athletes competing under a neutral flag in Italy.

The teenager had not competed internationally at senior level until the Olympic qualifiers because of the ban on Russian athletes but is a genuine medal contender having won the qualifying event.

She is coached by the controversial Eteri Tutberidze, who coached Kamila Valieva during the Beijing 2022 Olympics. Valieva was given a four-year ban for doping after she helped Russia to win team gold before it was then revealed she had failed a drug test before the start of the Games.

Ilia Malinin - figure skating

Age: 21 Nation: United States

Ilia Malinin is the only skater to have successfully landed the quadruple Axel, skating's most difficult jump, in competition, earning him the nickname the 'Quad God'.

The American, born to Olympic figure skaters Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, is the hot favourite for the men's singles title in Italy with previous routines including seven quads and a back flip.

The reigning world champion will be competing at his first Olympics having controversially been left out of the US team in Beijing.

Fenerbahce have confirmed the signing of France midfielder N'Golo Kante from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad.

The Frenchman's hopes of joining the Turkish club appeared to be over on Tuesday, when Fenerbahce released a statement blaming Al-Ittihad for the collapse of the the move.

Fenerbahce claimed Al-Ittihad failed to file the necessary paperwork to complete the transfer, which involves Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri moving in the opposite direction.

However, Fenerbahce confirmed on Wednesday that the issue had been resolved and that former Chelsea player Kante had joined the club after two and a half years in Saudi Arabia.

Kante, 34, joined Al-Ittihad from Chelsea in 2023, having won the Champions League, Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup with the London side.

He joined the Blues from Leicester City in 2016, having guided the Foxes to the Premier League trophy the previous season.

En-Nesyri, 28, is a replacement for former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who left the club earlier this week to join Saudi Pro rivals Al-Hilal.

• Follow your club with BBC Sport
• Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast
• Get football news sent straight to your phone

Former college basketball coach Bruce Weber joined Fox 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne on the Sports Final set on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weber the former Illinois head coach led the Illini to the NCAA Championship game in 2005. He also coached at SIUC and Kansas State during his career compiling 497 wins during his college coaching career. Weber now works in television as a basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network. Among the topics Coach Weber and Martin discussed: the Illini’s strong season so far, the Billikens and their chances at making the NCAA post season tournament and how NIL has changed college basketball.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.

It is difficult to hide from the cameras when you are as box office as Louis Rees-Zammit, even when you are among 70,000 spectators.

And sure enough, he was picked out among the Principality Stadium crowd when Wales suffered a 10-try drubbing by England during last year's Six Nations.

Rees-Zammit was chasing his NFL dream at the time, before returning to rugby union in the summer.

"Obviously it wasn't a great watch, especially against England and losing in that manner," he said on Sarra Elgan's Six Nations 2026 Preview.

But this weekend, Bristol's flying full-back will have more of a say as he and his Wales team-mates prepare to take on the old enemy at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

• Six Nations preview & BBC pundit predictions
• State of play for Wales' clubs before Six Nations

A Twickenham first

It will actually be a first for Rees-Zammit, who at 25 has already played in three Six Nations, a World Cup and toured with the British and Irish Lions.

But he has never run out for Wales at Twickenham.

"We played Quins there for Bristol a couple of months back and that was unbelievable, the crowd was insane," he said.

"I'm looking forward to it, it's the first game as well. It's kind of the unknown with Wales – what have we done to bring a more consistent performance from the autumn to now?

"All of the boys are raring to go. There's no bigger game than Wales England."

A clean slate for Wales

It is fair to say Welsh fans are not carrying a great deal of hope into this year's Championship, especially after record defeats in the autumn.

You have to go all the way back to March 2023 to find Wales' most recent Six Nations success, in a match against Italy.

But with Steve Tandy leading Wales in the Six Nations for the first time, Rees-Zammit says this year feels like a fresh start.

"It's like a new team coming together. When you get new coaching staff and different ideas, it feels like everyone freshens up and starts from scratch," he said.

"In parts, we put in some good performances in the autumn, it's just about doing it consistently for a full 80 minutes."

Rees-Zammit also recognises with the 2027 World Cup fast approaching, Wales are playing catch-up with the other nations.

"We've got to continue to work hard and try and accelerate this process as quick as possible," he said.

"We've got some real quality in our team, you've just got to bring the best out of each and every player."

Full-time full-back

Rees-Zammit's pace and power have seen him flourish at full-back at Bristol, while Wales Tandy also sees "high potential" for him there.

"I love it. It allows me to get more touches on the ball in open field, it suits my game," Rees-Zammit said.

"I much prefer it. I've played 15 in the past for Wales, but I think now I'm kind of seen as a 15 that can play on the wing.

"It just brings something different and the way Bristol play is absolutely perfect for me.

"I've got the licence to not do what I want, but when I've got the ball back there I have to make a decision and back myself."

Rugby needs personalities

As a poster boy of world rugby, Rees-Zammit's return to the Six Nations is not only a boost for Wales, but for fans and media alike.

"I try to not focus on that," Rees-Zammit said.

"Everything that I've had off the field has come from my skills in rugby, and obviously going to America brought a new audience, but it's all about performance.

"You've got Henry Pollock going through the same thing, he's burst on to the scene and is playing unbelievably."

And while England's Pollock ruffles a few feathers, Rees-Zammit believes it is for the good of the game.

"You've got to try and bring your personality out when it comes to rugby, because a lot of it gets shut down," he added.

"Henry is doing a great job of bringing his personality to the game and we need more people like that, it'll just grow the sport.

"He obviously gets stick for it, and I got stick for it when I was younger, but you just go through it."

You can watch Sarra Elgan's Six Nations 2026 Preview at 19:00 on Wednesday, 4 February on BBC One Wales and iPlayer.

The Miami University RedHawks pulled out another close Mid-American Conference (MAC) win on Tuesday.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Luke Skaljac scored 15 of his career-high 19 points as Miami beat the Buffalo Bulls, 73-71, in Buffalo, New York.

Brant Byers added 11 points for the RedHawks while Peter Suder finished with 10 points and eight assists.

Miami improves to 23-0 overall and 11-0 in the MAC.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Questions remain for future of scammers involved in shooting death of local Uber driver
• Dayton snaps 4-game losing streak as free throws beat St. Bonaventure
• Woman shares concerns after finding property in storage covered in mold

The Red White led 18-11, but the Bulls tied it at 18-18. But Justin Kirby buried a three-pointer, and Skaljac’s layup gave Miami a 23-18 advantage.

Buffalo led, 33-32, with just over four minutes left until halftime. But Miami led, 38-35, at halftime.

The RedHawks’ largest lead was 52-40, but the Bulls scored nine straight points to cut it to 52-49.

Miami led 73-71 but missed the front end of a one-and-one. Buffalo had a chance to win it, but Ryan Sabol missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer, and the RedHawks held on for the win.

MU is one of two unbeaten teams remaining in men’s college basketball. The other is No. 1 Arizona.

Miami’s next game is Saturday, Feb. 7, at Marshall.

Tip-off is at 4 p.m.

[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

The Arizona Cardinals have work to do with new head coach Mike LaFleur to build a coaching staff. One major question is who will be the Cardinals' defensive coordinator. They targeted Gus Bradley, but Bradley elected to join Robert Saleh's staff with the Tennessee Titans.

There is another name to watch, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That would be former New York Giants defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale.

The Cardinals appear to want a veteran defensive coordinator to pair with LaFleur. Martindale has loads of experience. He has been in the college ranks the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator for Michigan.

He was coaching in the NFL from 2004-2023 and has been a defensive coordinator since 2018 for the Baltimore Ravens and Giants. He had a top-10 defense in both yards and points three times, but in his final season with the Giants in 2023, they were 25th in total defense and 17th in points allowed.

Martindale is an aggressive playcaller. He loves to blitz. We will see if he ends up being the guy for LaFleur.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Former Giants DC Wink Martindale a 'name to watch' for Cardinals DC

NEED TO KNOW

• Patrick Mahomes Sr., the father of NFL star Patrick Mahomes, had reportedly been arrested after he allegedly violated his probation
• The former MLB star pleaded guilty to his third DWI in 2024 and was allegedly caught consuming alcohol, multiple outlets reported Tuesday, Feb. 3
• If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison

Patrick Mahomes Sr. has been arrested after an alleged probation violation, according to multiple reports. 

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, the 55-year-old father of NFL star Patrick Mahomes, 30, was booked into the Smith County Jail in Texas for allegedly consuming alcohol, Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman told KLTV.

Mahomes Sr.'s alcohol ankle monitor allegedly delivered a high reading on Jan. 1. He then took two urine test analyses, one on Jan. 5 and another on Jan. 9. They both allegedly came back negative at the time, TMZ reported, citing court documents.

A motion has been filed to end the violation, and Mahomes Sr. can challenge the allegations, according to CBS 19.

PEOPLE reached out to Putman for comment.

His probation stems from his third DWI arrest in February 2024. At the time, his blood alcohol content was 0.23 when an officer pulled him over in Tyler, Texas. 

He was arrested just eight days before his son and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl that year.

The following August, the former professional baseball player pleaded guilty to the driving while intoxicated charge and agreed to five years of probation and one year of "intense supervision," local news station KETK reported at the time.

If found guilty of violating his parole, Mahomes Sr. could face a 10-year prison sentence, according to CBS 19.

A hearing date has not been set for Mahomes Sr., per the Kansas City Star.

Since his father’s third DWI, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has spoken out about the incident. 

"It was during that Super Bowl. It became a story, and so, I had to answer questions about it," Mahomes recalled during an August 2025 episode of ESPN's original seriesChiefs Kingdom. 

"I think just knowing that it hurt me woke him up to know that like, you can't keep doing the same things,” the father of three added.

Mahomes Sr. also weighed in, saying, "For him to have to answer questions about me was probably the most embarrassing thing I've ever been through in my life. I called him right after and I told him, I said, 'I'm sorry that it's taking away from your time and taking away from your focus.'”

That same month, PEOPLE had an exclusive sneak peak of the series, in which Mahomes Sr. opened up about raising the Super Bowl champion.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"As soon as he came out, he's had a ball in his hand," he said of his son. "I don't know if he thought he was going to be a professional athlete, but he always lived his life like he was going to be one."

Before his 2009 retirement, the former MLB player was a pitcher from 1992 to 2003. He played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates and earned himself a spot in the Sioux Falls Canaries Hall of Fame.

Reps for Mahomes Sr. could not immediately be reached by PEOPLE on Tuesday.

Read the original article on People

Lone Peak opened Region 3 play looking like the clear region favorite. It started 4-0 and looked like it could sweep the region.

What the Knights didn’t expect was a shocking 52-49 loss to Corner Canyon on Friday. The Chargers have struggled more than most 6A teams and stand with a 4-16 total record.

Lone Peak was eager to bounce back from that loss, and that’s exactly what it did Tuesday as it dominated American Fork 58-35.

“I think for us, it’s just the ability to bounce back and to show up for the next one,” said Lone Peak head coach Nancy Warner. “I think that’s what this team showed us. Their response after our last game, and especially coming into tonight, is knowing that we have three more region games to play and staying focused in the moment, focusing on this one.”

The Knights built their lead on the defensive side of the ball while American Fork struggled to even establish its half-court offense. Lone Peak’s early full-court press and zone defense forced 12 Cavemen turnovers in the first half.

American Fork was also held to only two points in the second quarter as the Knights built a 28-9 lead.

“That really set the tone from the beginning,” Warner said. “Holding American Fork to nine first-half points is a huge team effort. We just pride ourselves on our talking and ability to just pick up and be there for each other. So, whether it’s our on-ball pressure or being able to shift and rotate the way that we want to, I think our press stifled them a little bit, and that was a big difference in the first half.”

American Fork finally got its offense going in the second half, but Lone Peak matched or outscored them the entire rest of the way. Knights’ Lave Holdcraft led the way with 15 points, including seven in the third quarter.

The focus never dropped for the Knights, even when they were up by nearly 20 points. When Lone Peak struggled in the fourth with a few careless turnovers, it jumped right back to get high-quality shots and regrow its lead.

Charli Warner and Peyton Warner helped keep the Knights’ strong lead intact after the turnovers. Charli Warner scored eight in the fourth, while Peyton Warner added five.

“I think it’s just, they’re prepared,” said coach Warner. “They know what to do, and it’s making sure that they’re trusting each other to be able to execute what we’ve worked on in practice. I think it just showed that they trusted what needed to be done, the play call that was called, and just being available for each other.”

Lone Peak has only two region games left, and its destiny is fully in its own hands. A win against Skyridge on Friday would guarantee an outright Region 3 title.

The Oklahoma City Thunder made easy work of the Orlando Magic with a 128-92 win on Tuesday. They led the entire night and by as many as 41 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander barely had 20 points and nine assists. Isaiah Hartenstein logged his first career triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Isaiah Joe scored 22 points off the bench. Lu Dort had 18 points and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, Paolo Banchero struggled with 17 points and four assists. Jalen Suggs had 20 points and six assists. Anthony Black finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

Let's look at some of the best photos from the Thunder's 36-point win over the Magic:

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Photos: Best images from Thunder's 128-92 win over Magic

OKLAHOMA CITY — One by one, OKC's best players came out for warmups. Going through their usual routine, the group of question marks all became officially ready to go. Considering it was a coin flip of that happening, fans got the best possible outcome as the reigning NBA champions flexed their muscles.

The Oklahoma City Thunder absolutely destroyed the Orlando Magic in a 128-92 win. In their second straight wire-to-wire victory, they led by as many as 41 points and by double-digit points for most of the night.

To start things off, Lu Dort swished in a couple of outside jumpers. He had an extra pep to his step. Eventually, the Thunder started the game with a comical 25-8 lead. That only escalated the rest of the way. They had a 39-14 advantage after the first quarter.

The second quarter was filled with highlights for the Thunder. Playing within the flow of the offense, Isaiah Hartenstein felt daring and attempted an outside jumper. A few possessions later, Isaiah Joe had his annual poster when he dunked over a struggling Paolo Banchero.

The Thunder had 29 points in the second frame. They entered halftime with a 68-41 lead over the Magic. The final result was already known. The only drama left was on the miscellaneous level. Eventually, Gilgeous-Alexander crossed the 20-point mark at the free-throw line. OKC scored 26 points in the third frame. It had a commanding 94-68 advantage.

The fourth quarter turned inconsequential. Hartenstein logged his first career triple-double in it. Everybody for OKC logged serious minutes. They scored 34 points in the final frame and added to the final tally.

The Thunder shot 52% from the field and went 12-of-35 (34.3%) from 3. They shot 20-of-26 on free throws. They had 33 assists on 48 baskets. Six Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and nine assists. Joe scored 22 points off the bench. Chet Holmgren had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Dort finished with 18 points and five rebounds. Hartenstein totaled a 12-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist triple-double. Kenrich Williams had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Magic shot 38% from the field and went 13-of-41 (31.7%) from 3. They shot 11-of-11 on free throws. They had 21 assists on 34 baskets. Four Magic players scored double-digit points.

Banchero struggled with 17 points and four assists. Jalen Suggs had 20 points and six assists. Anthony Black finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Noah Penda tallied 11 points and five rebounds.

Welcome back, old-school Thunder. It's been an up-and-down month plagued by injuries. But these last two games have shown that they're still the team to beat when push comes to shove. They completely dismantled the Magic in a game that was over within the first few minutes.

The most encouraging part about it — Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't really needed in this one. Instead, OKC's supporting cast showed out as Orlando looked overwhelmed from the moment the ball was thrown up in the air. Everybody across the roster had their moments in this one. What a way to get back into the groove of things and return to their dominating self.

Let's look at Thunder player grades:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: C

Driving to the basket, Gilgeous-Alexander forced Jase Richardson to foul him. The reigning MVP went after the Orlando rookie a couple of times to extend his historic streak. Swishing the second free-throw attempt, he finally reached 20 points the blue-collar way.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 20 points on 8-of-22 shooting, nine assists and five rebounds. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had two steals.

Considering how synced up everybody else was, Gilgeous-Alexander read the room. He took a backseat as more of a playmaker than a dynamic scorer. The Thunder quickly buried the Magic on the scoreboard. That was the top goal of this one as they have a more exciting matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on the second night of this back-to-back.

It was another game where Gilgeous-Alexander showed off his facilitating. If the Magic tried to double him, he swung the ball elsewhere or found the open man himself. The passive approach at least created some intrigue in a second half that most folks would've skipped otherwise.

Sitting at 12 points, Gilgeous-Alexander needed a few more buckets to keep his streak alive. For a moment, it looked like he wouldn't get it. The mid-range jumper was off. They didn't feather in like they do most nights. It led to one of his more inefficient scoring outings. Eventually, though, he forced the issue and got there.

Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the fourth quarter. Feels like it's been a while since that's happened. You always welcome a short shift — especially considering who's next up on OKC's schedule.

So smooth 👌 pic.twitter.com/iOQrGZVkyx

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

Isaiah Hartenstein: A

Setting the ghost screen on Desmond Bane, Hartenstein rolled to the basket without any interference. As Gilgeous-Alexander drew the attention of both Orlando defenders, he threw a lollipop pass over to the seven-footer for the elementary alley-oop. That's been an element the Thunder have missed on offense.

Hartenstein finished with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 4-of-5 on free throws. He also had one block. It was his first career triple-double.

It's been a minute since we've this version of Hartenstein. Even after he returned from his initial soleus strain, his vertical leap was gone. Recently returning from a month-long absence, this was the closest he's looked to the early-season version of himself that became an advanced analytics darling.

Once Gilgeous-Alexander threw the first alley-oop to Hartenstein, the Thunder quickly remembered how dangerous that wrinkle can be for their halfcourt offense. He was spoonfed plenty of easy looks around the rim. It's the type of easy offense that has been dearly missed by OKC.

Elsewhere, Hartenstein helped on the boards. That's the other part of basketball he helps with. Just look at OKC's rebounding splits when he is and isn't on the floor. The playmaking also shone. Running the secondary offense, he helped his teammates get easy looks inside the paint. His signature dribble handoffs also mustered up quality looks from deep.

With everybody aware of how close he was to a triple-double, Hartenstein finally achieved the statistical crown when he found Joe on a dribble handoff that formed into a curling 3-pointer. The remaining OKC crowd celebrated in what turned into a fun and stress-free fourth quarter.

Picked it ✅
Rolled it ✅
Lobbed it ✅
Slammed it ✅ pic.twitter.com/6by5lKr6et

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

Chet Holmgren: B

Pump-faking from the perimeter, Holmgren decided to put the ball down and drive to the basket. Bumping into Wendell Carter Jr., he went with his signature turnaround fadeaway jumper. The ball swished through as the Thunder kept their distance in the second half.

Holmgren finished with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds and one assist. He shot 0-of-4 from 3 and went 2-of-4 on free throws.

On a night where everybody had it going, Holmgren played in the background. The outside jumper didn't fall, but he made up for it by hanging around the basket. When your team almost doubles the opponent on the scoreboard, it's difficult to be the guy who completely messes with their synergy.

The other side of the floor is where Holmgren had the better impression, anyway. The Magic only shot an ugly 42% from inside the paint. A pretty wild stat considering their whole thing is being bigger than your frontcourt. The 23-year-old roamed as a rim protector. Nobody in Orlando could crack the code on how to maneuver around him for layups and dunks.

Again, Holmgren didn't really steal any headlines. But not for the wrong reasons. He naturally plays within the flow of the game — for better or worse. Tonight, it was for the better. The Magic's incompetence to run a decent halfcourt offense favored the Thunder from the jump.

Block party in OKC 🚫 pic.twitter.com/qp7pRBEE54

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

Cheddar getting right to it 🧀 pic.twitter.com/254o0pDsmR

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

Lu Dort: A

Catching Gilgeous-Alexander's pass, Dort calmly knocked down the outside jumper to open up the scoring. Soon afterward, he received the reigning MVP's pass as the trailer. One dribble later, he knocked down another outside jumper to set the tone.

Dort finished with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, five rebounds and one assist. He shot 4-of-5 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had two steals.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the Thunder have returned to their championship-level play as Dort has had his best stretch of the season. The outside shot is finally starting to fall. Think we all knew that was due. Now that the percentages are at a respectable number, opposing defenses won't be able to cheat off him much longer.

On the other end, Dort has returned to being one of OKC's best perimeter defenders. It was an easy assignment against the Magic. They don't really have a high-end perimeter scorer. That makes it easy to beat up on Orlando's backcourt, filled with complementary guys more than bucket-getters.

After a slow start to his season, Dort has turned things around in recent weeks. How the Thunder play defense is directly tied to how he holds up against the opposition's best scorers. Against Banchero and others, it was just too easy. Especially since Orlando's franchise player is going through an existential crisis on what his fit is there.

Lu's got @PaycomCenter rockin' early 💥 pic.twitter.com/SkWSk31JKD

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

🤲 ➡️ 😤 pic.twitter.com/sPNs0reABc

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

Isaiah Joe: A-plus

Cutting to the basket, Joe caught Hartenstein's bounce pass. As soon as the ball reached his hands, he flew off the floor. On his way to a nasty dunk, Banchero decided to make it a poster as a late contest only added an extra spiciness to the highlight play.

Joe finished with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He shot 5-of-8 from 3 and went 1-of-1 on free throws. He also had one steal.

Now and then, Joe reminds everybody why he's OKC's best outside shooter. This was one of those games. The 26-year-old had it rolling the moment he stepped on the floor. Seven of his buckets were assisted by Hartenstein. You can tell those two have missed playing with each other as a second unit offense.

When the Thunder can get this type of scoring production from their role players, they're unbeatable. Last game, it was Cason Wallace at Denver. This game, it was Joe. As much as you want to question his value in the playoffs, you can't discount this type of production in a mundane regular season.

With an endless amount of energy, Joe ran all over the floor to get open looks. He helped the Thunder put this one away with 11 points in the second quarter. It added to their avalanche run that didn't stop until the final buzzer. OKC is on a roll. You can sense it when its role players start to feel confident about themselves.

JOE GOT 🆙 https://t.co/fV7aA4ecvvpic.twitter.com/V9H11NF3LW

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

From one Isaiah to another 🤝 pic.twitter.com/FntOnSuTo1

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

Kenrich Williams: B

Going with the pump-fake, Williams dribbled his way to his favorite mid-range spot. Penda couldn’t stay in front of him. The 31-year-old felt comfortable enough to flip up the floater that swished in. The finesse scoring play helped the Thunder put this game away in one quarter.

Williams finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, seven rebounds and one assist. He shot 1-of-1 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had one steal.

A decimated frontcourt paved the way for Williams to get consistent minutes over the last month. Let's just say he's taken advantage of the opportunity. He's played his way back into the rotation. Which shouldn't be a shocker. Anytime he logs serious minutes, positive things usually ensue.

Williams scored seven points in the opening frame to put this game away. He's shown he can score at all three levels on a decent clip. The tough-nosed defense is another reason why the Thunder should figure out how he can get more minutes the rest of the way.

In his sixth season with the Thunder, Williams knows what it takes to play your best basketball when the games matter the most. He feels like this group is reaching that point. Let's see if that continues, but it's hard to deny the evidence when OKC is mostly or even fully healthy.

Kept it moving 🏀 pic.twitter.com/NROjlQBIGC

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 4, 2026

Highlights:

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder make easy work of Magic with 128-92 win

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday looking to extend their win streak and keep things moving in the right direction. Coming off a win on Monday night in LA, the Sixers took the trek up the California coast to take on the Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back.

Despite Joel Embiid being sidelined due to the schedule, the Sixers had a huge advantage in the paint and on the glass. The Sixers used their strong play in a number of areas to knock off the Warriors 113-94 on the road and extend their winning streak to five.

VJ Edgecombe had 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points and five rebounds. Tyrese Maxey had 14 points, Adem Bona added 11 and seven rebounds, Quentin Grimes had 10 and five rebounds, and Trendon Watford had 16 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Andre Drummond added 12 and 11 rebounds while Dominick Barlow added 10 points and six rebounds.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Tyrese Maxey: C

The All-Star guard was held in check in the first half as the Warriors sent waves of defenders at him every time he crossed halfcourt. He didn’t get too many opportunities as he had to move the ball to open shooters to take advantage of Golden State’s aggressiveness and he wasn’t able to find a groove in the early going. Maxey was able to get to the free-throw line, which allowed him to get the scoreboard moving, but he was relatively quiet in this one.

VJ Edgecombe: A

After a tough shooting night in LA on Monday, Edgecombe put all of that behind him in this one. He was lightning quick all night long and got into the paint leading to a couple of easy buckets due to his aggressiveness and soft touch around the basket. He also was able to knock down some mid-range jumpers in order to get himself going offensively. The shots he was making in the third quarter to keep the Warriors at bay when they tried to make a run were so impressive. The poise he continues to play with is going to be a huge factor for him in the playoffs.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: A-minus

With the Warriors blitzing Maxey every time he crossed halfcourt, it allowed opportunities for others to step up and knock down open shots. Oubre was the recipient of a few of those open looks as he knocked down a couple of 3s in the early going. His overall field goal percentage wasn’t great, but he came up with a number of winning plays on the defensive end and on the glass to be a positive contributor.

Dominick Barlow: B

Once again, Barlow played with a ton of energy. He was helpful on the glass and was able to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor in order to find a way to contribute. He struggled with his efficiency in this one, but the Sixers will take the energy he was able to play with.

Andre Drummond: B-plus

Getting the start with Embiid out, Drummond did normal Drummond things. He played with energy, was aggressive on the glass, had some good defensive moments, and was an overall positive contributor on both ends. He set the tone in the early going with his work in the rebounding department. When Drummond is engaged as he was in this one, he is an important piece due to his rebounding and ability to make a difference in the hustle department.

Trendon Watford: A

The Sixers turned to Watford in the early going and he produced right away. He contributed in a number of different areas for Philadelphia whether that was scoring in the paint, helping on the glass, or making plays for others, Watford showed off his versatile game in this one. One has to believe Watford is going to continue making an impact for the second unit the more he gets comfortable and recovers from his early season injuries.

Quentin Grimes: A

The first half run for Grimes was great. He knocked down his 3s, got into the paint to make things happen offensively, and was active defensively. He bothered Golden State’s perimeter players with his work on that end and gave Philadelphia a big boost. When Grimes is able to pump in some easy buckets as he did in this one, he makes a difference because he already contributes in other ways.

Adem Bona: A

To use one word to describe how good Bona was in his initial stint, one would have to say phenomenal. He was like a pogo stick in the paint as it seemed as if he was just jumping out of the gym for easy points in the paint whether it be off a putback or an alley-oop. He also had a steal and slam in transition to give Philadelphia some offense.

Jared McCain: Incomplete

The night for McCain was a bit of a struggle. He had one corner 3-pointer blocked and then airmailed a wing attempt. He didn’t get a look after halftime.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Sixers knock off Warriors to extend win streak to 5

BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — South Knox defeated Sullivan in sectionals, 43-32.

Kendal Hill led the Spartans in scoring with 19 points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com.

Here’s a look at our local high school basketball highlights and scores from February 3rd, 2026:

Girls Basketball

Iowa

Bishop Heelan 80, Sioux City West 30

Sioux City East 47, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 36

Sioux Center 56, Boyden-Hull 19

Coon Rapids-Bayard 57, Ar-We-Va 10

George-Little Rock 61, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 20

Harris-Lake Park 59, South O’Brien 23

IKM-Manning 59, Missouri Valley 54

Newell-Fonda 82, G-T/R-A 35

Rock Valley 58, MOC-Floyd Valley 40

Pocahontas Area 48, East Sac County 33

Remsen St. Mary’s 32, Sibley-Ocheyedan 29

South Central Calhoun 44, Southeast Valley 6

Sioux Central 63, Storm Lake St. Mary’s 35

Trinity Christian 41, MMCRU 38

Central Lyon 47, Unity Christian 35

Emmetsburg 90, Alta-Aurelia 22

West Lyon 51, Western Christian 33

Nebraska

Elkhorn Valley 78, Lutheran High NE 19

Madison 34, Wakefield 31

West Holt 76, Hartington-Newcastle 24

South Dakota

Sioux Valley 59, Dakota Valley 51

Vermillion 74, Beresford 56

Lennox 52, Elk Point-Jefferson 35

Boys Basketball

Iowa

Sioux City West 73, Bishop Heelan 66

Le Mars 61, Sioux City North 49

OABCIG 68, Lawton-Bronson 24

Ridge View 62, Kingsley-Pierson 56

Sioux Center 51, Boyden-Hull 49

Storm Lake 73, Denison-Schleswig 26

Newell-Fonda 69, G-T/R-A 66

Sheldon 55, Okoboji 48

MOC-Floyd Valley 58, Rock Valley 54

Remsen St. Mary’s 50, Sibley-Ocheyedan 46

Southeast Valley 79, South Central Calhoun 50

Sioux Central 74, Storm Lake St. Mary’s 14

Unity Christian 76, Central Lyon 54

Westwood 59, Siouxland Christian 51

Alta-Aurelia 56, Emmetsburg 47

Pocahontas Area 57, East Sac County 38

Nebraska

Cedar Catholic 48, Pierce 45

Crofton 59, Guardian Angels Central Catholic 48

Norfolk Catholic 70, Battle Creek 32

Pender 67, Wakefield 43

Wausa 60, Winside 29

Wisner-Pilger 49, Oakland-Craig 39

Wynot 68, Walthill 57

South Dakota

Vermillion 64, Beresford 34

Lennox 74, Elk Point-Jefferson 34

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KCAU 9 News | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.

LAWRENCE (KSNT)- The Jayhawks are hungry for more.

After a 43-17 season (20-10 Big 12), the Jayhawks are determined to go even farther in 2026.

“It didn’t feel great to end the season the way we did,” junior pitcher Dominic Voegele said. “It left a sour taste that we want to get back.”

The 43 wins tied for second most in program history, but the Jayhawks went 0-2 at the NCAA Regionals.

With a large transfer class for the Hawks, the team knows they’ll have to gel together quickly.

“We’ve done it every year now for our college career,” Brady Ballinger said. “It’s gotten easier but its still a challenge.

Ballinger was named a preseason first-team All-American by D1 Baseball. He’s the second Jayhawk ever to earn the honor.

“We all bond being over JUCO players,” Dariel Osoria said. “We talk about our experiences and get ready together to go out and face good competition.”

The Jayhawks will open its season Friday in Edinburg, Texas, for a three-game series against UTRGV.

For more sports news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.

The San Francisco 49ers have some building blocks for a successful future on the offensive side of the ball, but they could really use upgrades at few key spots, including along the offensive line.

While Trent Williams and Jake Brendel are locked in for 2026 at left tackle and center respectively, they need long-term plans at both positions.

With that said, ESPN's Mike Miller recently produced a new two-round mock draft for 2026, and he has San Francisco taking a pair of offensive linemen with their first two picks.

Miller mocked Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu to the 49ers in the first round (No. 27 overall).

"Is this the year we finally see the 49ers draft the heir apparent to Trent Williams at left tackle? The future Hall of Famer will be in his age-38 season in 2026, meaning retirement could come in the near future," Miller wrote. "Lomu started the past two seasons at left tackle, moving Spencer Fano to the right side in the process. Lomu hasn't given up a sack since 2024 and has surrendered only three in his career. The 6-foot-6 308-pounder is an easy mover with the reactive agility to thrive in the 49ers' outside zone scheme. He also has the frame to keep adding muscle and strength."

Then, in the second round, he has the 49ers taking Iowa center Logan Jones with pick No. 58.

"We'll stick with OL for the 49ers, who need to fill multiple holes up front if they want to remain a Super Bowl contender," Miller wrote. "Jones is a plug-and-play starter with the agility to thrive in Kyle Shanahan's scheme."

Shanahan has been extremely complementary of Brendel in recent weeks, so it's hard to envision the team moving on from him as a starter in 2026. And, if that's the case, that means that the 49ers would use their first two picks on players who might not play as rookies. That would be a hard sell to fans and the aging players in the locker room.

More 49ers: 49ers top defensive assistant out, joining Robert Saleh with Titans

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 2026 NFL draft: 49ers select Caleb Lomu, Logan Jones in ESPN mock

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WZZ) — The Peoria High Lions are still undefeated in Big 12 play.

The Lions went to archrival Manual and beat the Rams, 73-66, on Tuesday night to move to 8-0 in conference play. Peoria High played its first game without coach Daniel Ruffin, who was placed on unpaid leave Tuesday, according the Peoria Public Schools.

Ruffin, 41, was arrested Monday for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a child, police said. Assistant coach Ryan McElmurry was named the interim coach.

Other boys basketball winners Tuesday included Normal Community, Richwoods, Bloomington, Dee-Mack, Eureka, LeRoy, Fieldcrest, Heyworth, Havana and North Fulton. Girls basketball winners included Washington, Morton, Metamora, Canton, IVC and Tri-Valley.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.

BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — West Vigo defeated Eastern Greene in sectionals, 46-27.

Lydia Jones led the Vikings in scoring with 16 points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com.

VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Washington defeated Jasper in sectionals, 49-31.

Shay Hawk led the Hatchets in scoring with 17 points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com.

One of the best high school basketball games of the regular season happened last month when St. John Bosco came away with a 74-73 double overtime road victory over Santa Margarita.

Those two teams are set for a rematch on Wednesday night at Hope International to decide the first Trinity League tournament championship and finalize their seedings for the Southern Section Open Division playoffs.

Santa Margarita (25-3) and St. John Bosco (20-6) both won semifinal games on Tuesday night.

Santa Margarita used balanced scoring to defeat JSerra.

When Santa Margarita is making threes, the Eagles are tough to stop. By the end of the first quarter, four of the five starters each made at least one three. The Eagles made 14 threes on the night. Drew Anderson scored 21 points, Kaiden Bailey 20, Rodney Westmoreland 15 and Brayden Kyman 14.

JSerra (18-12) will play Mater Dei at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the third-place game. Jaden Bailes led the Lions with 21 points.

St. John Bosco 72, Mater Dei 66: The Braves opened an 18-point cushion in the first half, then held off the Monarchs in a semifinal game of the Trinity League tournament. Christian Collins finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Max Ellis added 21 points. Richie Ramirez scored 22 points and Zain Majeed 19 points. Mater Dei was without Luke Barnett (sick).

Etiwanda 50, Damien 43: The Eagles (26-2) won the Baseline League tournament championship, avenging one of their only two defeats.

Milken 67, Oakwood 64: Dinn Duvdevani finished with 22 points to help Milken clinch the Liberty League championship.

Heritage Christian 65, Bakersfield 62: Houston Rolle led Heritage Christian (21-6) with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Redondo Union 90, Mira Costa 63: The Sea Hawks (25-3) wrapped up the Bay League championship. SJ Madison scored 30 points.

Girls basketball

Lynwood 66, Downey 43: A state record was set by Lynwood when it won its 30th consecutive league championship.

Esperanza 37, Villa Park 36: The Aztecs won the Crestview League championship.

Sierra Canyon 67, Harvard-Westlake 27: Jerzy Robinson had 36 points for the Trailblazers.

Boys soccer

Oak Park 1, Camarillo 0: The Eagles won the Coastal Canyon League title on a goal by Cole Mitchell.

Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Indiana State defeated Evansville, 84-63.

Markus Harding and Enel St. Bernard tied a team-high in scoring with 19 points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com.

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Falcons’ Boys Basketball team started slow at the beginning of the 2025-26 season. After losing to Liberty before the Christmas break, Falcon dropped to 2-6 to start the season.

But the boys from Falcon have found their formula in the new year, going into their matchup with TCA having won nine straight games. The Titans have been formidable to this point as well, reaching 10 wins by the end of January.

TCA started the game taking an early lead behind sophomore Wilson Grothe who helped lead the Titan attack in the first frame. But the Falcons did not win nine games in a row by panicking when facing a defacit. The Falcons responded through junior point guard Kamrin Lane, who found his shot beyond the arc to keep Falcon close.

From there, the Falcons would find their rhythm to win 61-42 over the Titans and produce their tenth straight victory. Falcon will look for 11 in a row against Sand Creek next, while TCA will take on Mitchell looking to bounce back.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.

Once upon a time the Dallas Cowboys had a completely competent backup quarterback on their roster. It was a backup capable of holding the fort in case injury befell Dak Prescott. It was a backup even capable of hitting a bigtime throw from time to time. It was a backup who finished his Cowboys career with a 9-5 record and gave Dallas the confidence their season could survive a temporary injury to their QB1.

That QB was none other than Cooper Rush and from 2020 to 2024 he started a total of 14 games for the Cowboys, posting a win percentage of 64.3. In 2022, specifically, he played a critical role in getting the Cowboys to postseason. In that campaign he went 4-1 in what would eventually be a 12-win season for Dallas. It would go down as Mike McCarthy’s most successful season with the Cowboys, blowing out Tom Brady’s Buccaneers in the wild card round and eventually losing by seven points to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.

During his time in Dallas, Rush proved the importance of having competent and reliable play at QB2. The Baltimore Ravens seemed to think so since they signed Rush in free agency of last year to a two-year, $6,250,000 contract to back up Lamar Jackson.

But things didn’t go so well for Rush in Baltimore. Rush was unable to reproduce his success with the Cowboys and stumbled to a 0-2 record as the Ravens starter. He posted just 125.5 yards per game, throwing a combined four interceptions with zero touchdowns. His efforts effectively bumped him to QB3 and now puts him on the chopping block in 2026.

If made a post June cut, the Ravens could save $1,098,000 against the cap by releasing Rush this year. Rush always looked like an ill-fit behind the dual threat Jackson and now looks like a possible roster cut this offseason. If so, the Cowboys would be wise to give Rush a call.

🎯n target @rush_cooper finds @brandincooks for 29!

📺: #TBvsDAL on NBC
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LvklCbYJ1epic.twitter.com/RoErsl4e3J

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 23, 2024

With all due respect to Joe Milton and his impressive skillset, but the two-year vet doesn’t appear to be a guy equipped to hold down the fort in case of an extended Prescott absence. Prescott has missed five or more games in three of the last six seasons so durability and depth at the QB position need to be considered for the Cowboys in 2026.

After such a poor 2025 season, it’s hard to imagine the 32-year-old Rush will be in high demand on the open market. The Cowboys could likely secure his services on the cheap and gain a touch of security in the process.

With a physical skillset that can’t be taught, Milton still deserves to be on the roster. The developmental prospect out of Tennessee has a ceiling that demands patience. The good news is a veteran like Rush does little to block that development. Rush isn’t a player that demands constant practice reps because he’s generally seen as a finished product. In the preseason, when most backup QBs get more of their development, Milton would likely dominate the snap count at QB. Prescott rarely, if ever, plays in the preseason and Rush doesn’t require much either. A Rush reunion is just a hypothetical at this point but it's one which offers the best of both worlds.

For as unexciting as a Cooper Rush-Cowboys reunion sounds, it’s something that’s entirely possible and could very well end up saving a season.

You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: How QB Cooper Rush could come back to the Cowboys again in 2026

OKLAHOMA CITY — Groundhog Day might have been Monday but Tuesday night between the Magic and Thunder felt like a repeat of most other contests from the past two months for Orlando.

Coach Jamahl Mosley‘s squad failed to get off on the right foot, trailed by as many 41 points and fell, 128-92, during its lone trip of the season to Paycom Center.

Oklahoma City led wire-to-wire, imposing its will against Orlando’s defense.

Reserve guard Isaiah Joe led the Thunder (40-11) with 22 points. Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and nine assists in 28 minutes.

Owners of the league’s best defensive rating (105.8 per NBA.com), the Thunder scored 28 points off 16 Orlando turnovers.

The Magic (25-24) return home to face the Nets at Kia Center Thursday evening.

Another slow start

The Magic opened 1 for 8 from the floor and ended the first quarter 4 for 22.

Orlando went from the 7:35 mark of the opening frame to 3:38 without scoring. That allowed the Thunder to lead 39-14 after the first quarter.

The Magic's 18.2% field-goal percentage marked their season low for any quarter.

Paint points

Oklahoma City had no problem scoring near the basket early and often. In the first half , the Thunder shot 14 for 20 (70%) in the paint for 28 points.

Orlando shot 6 for 17 (35.3%) for 12 points in the paint before the break.

And the Thunder continued to attack the paint. They finished with a 60-26 scoring edge in the painted area.

Inaccurate from distance

The Magic missed their first 10 shots from beyond the arc. It wasn’t until Moe Wagner’s 3-pointer at the 9:59 mark of the second quarter did Orlando hit from distance.

The team ultimately finished 13 for 41 (31.7%) from 3-point range.

The Thunder shot 12 for 35 (34.3%) from distance.

Rookie watch

Noah Penda entered late in the first quarter. The French forward shot 4 for 11 from the floor for 11 points with five rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes.

First-round pick Jase Richardson stepped onto the floor late in the third frame. The No. 25 pick was scoreless in 13 minutes.

____

Instead of a high-scoring affair in this year's NFL Flag Girls High School Showcase, fans were treated to a defensive slugfest that came down to the final play — from a familiar Super 25 flag football standout.

Led by Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) quarterback Ariana Akey, the AFC held on for a narrow 7-6 win over their NFC counterparts.

The AFC's lone touchdown came on its opening drive as Akey, who was nomintated as QB1 by the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 flag football committee, found Kirsten Gudmalin on a short touchdown strike with 8:30 to go in the first half. Akey was 3-for-3 passing on the drive and had multiple long runs to get the AFC within striking distance, along with calling her own number on the extra point attempt.

That rush proved to be the difference.

The NFC team would answer back late in the half as Daisy Throckmorton connected with Samaya Taylor-Jenkins, another Super 25 standout, who somehow weaved into the end zone without having a flag pulled. However, the extra point attempt fell incomplete.

Akey displayed her speed once again, nearly leading the AFC on another scoring drive midway through the second half. However, her touchdown was called short, and on fourth down, the NFC defense came up with a stop.

Neither side managed to get much else going offensively in the half and in the waning minutes, the NFC had one last shot to win it.

Throckmorton hurled a deep pass as time expired that ultimately fell incomplete as neither NFC receiver in the area was able to make the reception.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: USA TODAY Sports Super 25 standouts shine at NFL Pro Bowl event

SEXTON 64, CHARLOTTE 60

Keyshawn Summerville scored 23 points and added six assists, five rebounds and three steals to help the J-Dubbs stay unbeaten in CAAC White play with a home win over Charlotte. Mario Murray and Markese Murray each contributed 10 points for Sexton.

PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA 77, SARANAC 28

SARANAC — Grady Eklund led the Pirates with a team-high 25 points in their CMAC win over Saranac. Logan Farmer scored 11 points, Cam Nurenberg had 10 points and Damon Huhn tacked on seven points for Pewamo-Westphalia (13-2, 13-0). Rejz Conner picked up a team-best eight points for the Red Hawks (6-11, 4-10).

ALMA 76, FREELAND 72

ALMA — The Panthers made 8-of-10 free throws in the final quarter while securing a win over Freeland, which is ranked No. 3 in Division 2 in this week's BCAM state poll. Koby Shunk had 29 points and seven rebounds to lead four players in double figures for Alma (11-6, 5-3). Penn Seeley had 14 points and seven rebounds, Treyshon Olgesby had 12 points and seven boards and Brendan Francisco chipped in 10 points for Alma.

PERRY 41, BATH 39

Alex McEwan had 18 points to lead the Ramblers in their CMAC win over Bath. Aiden Wolf scored 15 points for Bath. Andy Wonch contributed 11 points and Brady Smith added 10 points for the Bees.

IONIA 54, OLIVET 36

IONIA — Ethan Wenzel finished with a game-high 21 points to push the Bulldogs to a CAAC White home win over Olivet. Carter Ralston tallied 17 points and Colt Piercefield chipped in eight points for Ionia (8-9, 7-4). Aaron Atkins finished with 16 points and Ethan Miars added on 10 points for the Eagles (10-7, 4-6). JV score: Olivet d. Ionia

PORTLAND 70, LAKEWOOD 30

LAKE ODESSA — Tej Virk led all scorers with 22 points to lead the Raiders to a CAAC White road victory over Lakewood. Owen Moore picked up 20 points and Carson Simon chipped in eight points for Portland (12-4, 8-2). Jaxon Jablonski finished with a team-high 15 points for the Vikings (4-12, 3-8).

More: Girls basketball roundup: East Lansing, Eaton Rapids extend win streaks

LANSING CATHOLIC 67, EATON RAPIDS 38

Zach Snitgen led the Cougars with 20 points, five steals, three rebounds and three assists as Lansing Catholic picked up the CAAC White win over Eaton Rapids (0-17, 0-11). Seth Hahnenberg notched 16 points and hauled in eight rebounds and Joe Gulock tacked on nine points, six rebounds and three assists for Lansing Catholic (6-10, 4-6).

WILLIAMSTON 58, EASTERN 24

WILLIAMSTON — Tommy Pratt paced the Hornets with 10 points in their CAAC Red victory over Eastern.

LESLIE 66, EAST JACKSON 33

LESLIE — A 25-0 run in the third quarter opened up the game for the Blackhawks en route to a Cascades East victory over East Jackson (4-12, 4-9). Hudson Phillips picked up a team-high 16 points, Joel Cranmore picked up 13 points and Braydin Johnson tacked on 10 points for Leslie (14-4, 12-2).

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Boys basketball roundup: Sexton, P-W remain unbeaten in league play

For the first time this season, the Boston Celtics squared off against the Dallas Mavericks, and No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg who grew up a Celtics fan as a kid. Boston was looking for their third consecutive win as they take on a short 2-game road trip in the state of Texas.

The Celtics were in control for most of the game, with Dallas trying to make it a close contest during the fourth quarter, but Boston's offense was too much as they were carried by Jaylen Brown, who finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds on the night.

Here's a quick recap of the Celtics third consecutive win, as they picked up a 10-point win over Dallas on Tuesday, the same night they made a trade sending Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for center Nikola Vucevic.

Final score: Boston Celtics 110, Dallas Mavericks 100

Keys to the game:

Jaylen Brown's first quarter: For the sixth time this season, Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown scored at least 15 points in the first quarter, setting a new career high for himself in that regard. Brown's hot start set the tone early for the Boston offense and they never looked back, on a night where they needed him to carry them throughout the game, especially after the trade left them short-handed with offensive weapons with Simons being moved.

Bench scoring: Given the news of the day with their roster, the Celtics opted for a lineup change on Tuesday night, moving Payton Pritchard to the bench and inserting Baylor Scheierman into the starting lineup. The move allowed for more opportunities for the bench unit for Boston, with the entire bench scoring 44 points combined, but they were carried by both Pritchard and Luka Garza. The two top reserve players on Tuesday combined for 42 of the 44 points, as Garza lit it up from deep, going 4-4 from 3-point range.

Highlight of the game: Jaylen Browns makes Mavericks defenders bite on the pump fake

Got them 🆙 in the air pic.twitter.com/0Hdk3HmRyj

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 4, 2026

What's next: @ Houston Rockets, Wednesday, February 4, 8:00PM ET

Boston will be out for revenge against the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday night, looking to bounce back from their 27-point loss earlier in the season. The Rockets are expected to get Kevin Durant back on the court for this matchup, lining up a big opportunity for the Celtics as they look to extend their winning streak to four games. There is no word on the pending arrival of the newly acquired Vucevic, but he would provide a big boost for Boston on the back end of their two-game road trip in Texas. In their first meeting in November, Jaylen Brown had just 12 points on 22 minutes, and after finishing Tuesday's win with 33 points and 11 rebounds, the All-Star may be looking to put up a statement performance.

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics beat Dallas Mavericks in first matchup of season

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel has reportedly accepted an invitation to compete in the 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend, according to Chris Haynes of the NBA on Prime.

Knueppel is the first known participant for the annual showcase on Feb. 14 as part of All-Star Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. He is also among the 10 first-year players who will suit up in the Rising Stars Game on Feb. 13.

Last year, eight players competed in the 3-Point Contest at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro defeated Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland and Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield in the final round for his first title.

Charlotte Hornets rookie sensation Kon Knueppel has accepted the league’s invitation to participate in the 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/GgI7wtBtga

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 4, 2026

Knueppel is averaging 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 42.5% from 3-point range in 50 appearances with the Hornets. He is third in the league in total 3-pointers (166) and is second in the rookie class in scoring.

The fourth overall pick in December became the fastest player in history to reach 100 career 3-pointers, doing so in 29 total games. He is currently on pace to shatter the rookie record for a season, set by Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray in 2022-23 (206).

Knueppel on Tuesday was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for the third straight time. He and Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg are the only two players to win the award this season, beginning in October and November.

This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Report: Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel to participate in 3-Point Contest

Following their 12-point loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers needed to end their eight-game Grammy road trip the right way when they faced the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

Before the opening tip, they got a boost when guard Austin Reaves, who had been out of action for just over a month due to a gastrocnemius strain, was cleared to return. Apparently, that was all the Lakers needed to administer a beatdown on the hapless Nets.

They got out to a 45-23 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. Their lead grew as large as 39 points in the third quarter, and from there, they coasted to a 16-point win. The final score of 125-109 didn't indicate how lopsided this game was.

Los Angeles had big advantages in two categories in particular: free throws and transition. It attempted 39 free throws, although it made a subpar 26 of them, while Brooklyn was 9-of-14 from the foul line. L.A. scored 31 fast-break points, compared to 18 for Brooklyn, and it looked to run the floor when it could from the start.

Thanks to this performance, the team ended its road trip with a solid 5-3 record. Overall, the Lakers are now 30-19 and have moved into fifth place in the Western Conference.

Marcus Smart: C-plus

Smart didn't seem to make much of an impact in this game, but then again, it wasn't the type of game where he needed to make much of an impact. He made three of his five shot attempts and finished with six points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Deandre Ayton: B-minus

Ayton scored a decent seven points and five rebounds in the first half, and he coasted from there. In 28 minutes, he finished with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Jake LaRavia: A

LaRavia got involved plenty against Brooklyn, and he maximized his offensive opportunities. He scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, giving him his high in scoring for this road trip, and he also added five rebounds and one steal.

Luka Doncic: B

Doncic scored 14 points in the first quarter to help propel the Lakers to a big lead. As a result, not a whole lot was needed from him the rest of the way. He played 29 minutes and scored 24 points on 8-of-18 overall shooting and 4-of-11 from 3-point range, six rebounds, five assists and one steal. However, he did commit five turnovers.

LeBron James: B-plus/A-minus

James again showed that he still has plenty of tread left on his tires. He did a good job of creating pace in this game, and he ended up with multiple dunks. Overall, he scored 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting, although he missed all three of his 3-point attempts, three rebounds, seven assists, three steals and just one turnover in 30 minutes.

Jaxson Hayes: B/B-plus

Hayes scored nine points, with all of them coming in the first quarter. Although he only had one rebound, he was fairly active, especially in transition. In 15 minutes, Hayes also contributed two assists and one steal.

Gabe Vincent: D

In 16 minutes, Vincent missed all three of his shot attempts and ended up with no points, one rebound, one assist and two steals.

Rui Hachimura: C-minus

Hachimura was very quiet in this game. He was on the court for 26 minutes and made two of his three shot attempts to end up with five points, to go along with three rebounds and one steal.

Jarred Vanderbilt: A

Vanderbilt did a good job during this game in multiple facets. In addition to the active defense he normally brings, he did well on the boards and was effective in handling the ball in transition. He ended up with six points on 2-of-3 shooting, five rebounds and three assists in 19 minutes.

Austin Reaves: C-plus/B-minus

Reaves entered this game with 1:30 left in the first quarter, making it the first time he played in a game since Christmas Day. He was on a minutes retriction, and he ended up playing nearly 21 minutes, and while he wasn't fully in rhythm offensively, he was still productive.

He shot 3-of-9 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range, but he got to the free throw often and hit eight of his 10 foul shot attempts. Reaves finished with 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals.

Drew Timme, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Maxi Kleber: Incomplete

Timme, Knecht, the younger James and Kleber were on the court for the last few minutes of this contest. Knecht and the younger James had four points apiece, and the two connected for a highlight play on a fast break when Knecht threw a lob pass to the 21-year-old for a layup. Timme had two points and two rebounds and the younger James also had one assist and one steal.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers player grades: L.A. looks super sharp versus the Nets

EAST LANSING 42, COLDWATER 37

COLDWATER — Sydney Black went 8-of-9 from the free-throw line while scoring 15 of her game-high 25 points in the second half while helping the Trojans push their win streak to eight with a nonleague victory over Coldwater. East Lansing (12-3) was boosted by a strong first half and owned a 25-11 advantage at halftime before hanging on in the second half. Naomi Knox had eight points for East Lansing. JV score: East Lansing 41, Coldwater 10.

IONIA 57, OLIVET 42

OLIVET — Logan Thomas led the Bulldogs with a game-high 25 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in their CAAC White victory over Olivet (9-5, 4-4). Avery Hoppough notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Kennedi McDirmid pulled down seven rebounds for Ionia (10-4, 7-4).

EATON RAPIDS 51, LANSING CATHOLIC 44

EATON RAPIDS — Remie Ellis, Delaney Collins and Addyson Schultz each led the Greyhounds with a team-high 10 points as Eaton Rapids picked up its sixth-straight victory with a CAAC White win over Lansing Catholic. Devyn Winkelman and Elle Lorente each added on eight points for Eaton Rapids (10-5, 9-2). Sydney Hanes led all scorers with 18 points and Kyra Vukovic chipped in 15 points for the Cougars (4-9, 3-7).

PORTLAND 62, LAKEWOOD 24

PORTLAND — Summer Stopczynski and Claire Lyon each finished with a team-high 12 points for the Raiders in their CAAC White win over Lakewood. Lilly Thelen added 11 points and Leigha Roberson scored 10 points for Portland (11-3, 9-0). Ana Grant had 12 points to pace Lakewood.

DeWITT 65, SAGINAW UNITED 32

DeWITT — Jessie English led all scorers with 14 points to help propel the Panthers to a nonleague home victory over Saginaw United (4-10). Carly Dennis finished with 12 points and Golden Nicholson tacked on 10 points for DeWitt (13-2). JV score: DeWitt d. Saginaw United

WILLIAMSTON 54, EASTERN 21

Bella Eaton finished with a game-high 14 points to lead the Hornets to a CAAC Red road victory over Eastern. Madyson Bush notched 12 points and Stella Oxley tacked on 10 points for Williamston (7-8, 4-3). Illyana Montgomery tallied a team-best 12 points and snagged seven steals and Surae Curtis added six points and six rebounds for the Quakers (3-10, 1-6).

OWOSSO 46, LAKE FENTON 30

OWOSSO — Danica Dwyer led the Trojans with a team-high 23 points and pulled down six rebounds as Owosso secured the Flint Metro League win over Lake Fenton (6-11, 3-5). Audri Hrncharik picked up 14 points and Raya Buggs chipped in five points, seven rebounds and four steals for Owosso (9-8, 5-3).

CORUNNA 58, CLIO 24

CORUNNA — Kaylee Owens led the Cavaliers with 11 points as Corunna secured the Flint Metro League victory over Clio (0-15, 0-8). Audrey Miller and Lizzie Dettman each scored 10 points and Rachel Steinacker added on nine points for Corunna (12-4, 5-3).

ALMA 50, FREELAND 44

Lauren Seeley had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Panthers in their win over Freeland. Reese Mueller added 14 points and Savannah Beery added 12 points and six rebounds for Alma.

CAPITAL HOMESCHOOL 56, FORT WAYNE 44

Lainey Grihorash led the Chariots with 21 points, with five three pointers, and grabbed three steals in a victory over Fort Wayne. Lucie Lautzenheiser notched 14 points and hauled in six rebounds and Jasmine Hall chipped in 14 points and five rebounds for Capital Homeschool (14-6).

PARMA WESTERN 57, HOLT 52

HOLT — Olivia Gadson scored 23 points to lead the Rams in their nonleague loss. Maya Barker added 13 points for Holt.

STANDISH-STERLING CENTRAL 54, ITHACA 44

STANDISH — Libby Maurer finished with a team-best 15 points for the Yellowjackets in a nonleague road defeat to Standish-Sterling Central (13-1). Jazlyn Pratt and Riley Skinner each added on eight points for Ithaca (9-6).

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Girls basketball: East Lansing, Eaton Rapids extend win streaks

We can now look towards Super Bowl 60 as the NFC won the Pro Bowl Games with an overall score of 66-52 over the AFC in San Francisco. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was 11 of 13 passing for 169 yards and four touchdowns.

We're looking at highlights, sights, and sounds from the 2026 Pro Bowl Games and Flag Football competition.

AFC Pro Bowlers

Shedeur touchdown to Nico Collins!

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/zEKmIeAU1H

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Tee Higgins scores the TD and does the Sexy Dexy dance 😂

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/drh2nCINdO

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Shedeur ripping it and smiling 🙂

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/PH0P14WSk8

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

And the AFC team 🤩

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App https://t.co/ACHdZ7a3QCpic.twitter.com/jAS8Oec0rK

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Pro Burrow. pic.twitter.com/x2YMgsPu80

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 4, 2026

Joe Cool

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/wAaVDOTb0r

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Bet you didn't think you'd see a Joe Burrow trick play TD tonight 😏

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/DUoBN05Vsi

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Denzel had Kyle Hamilton doing the signature celly 🎸 pic.twitter.com/sczA8lvjPj

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) February 4, 2026

Garett Bolles thought he had a two-point conversion but it got taken back due to penalty 😅

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/7GXh2APb9v

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Ja'Marr Chase can do it all

An All-Pro wide receiver, Chase just returned an interception for a touchdown while playing defense.

JA’MARR CHASE ONE-HANDED INTERCEPTION AND TAKES IT ALL THE WAY!! 🤯

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN Apppic.twitter.com/Amvi2W8lDa

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) February 4, 2026

JA'MARR CHASE PICK SIX?!?!?!

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/0dKz1AQVEq

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Swiss Army Knife makes a big play

Stealth mode @kyledhamilton_

Tune in: Pro Bowl on ESPN/DisneyXD pic.twitter.com/tYNd0FFDfu

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 4, 2026

Hamilton can do it all, and he helped snuff out an NFC drive by intercepting a pass from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on the trick play.

Dak to Jalen to Kyle Hamilton 😅

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/CgL1W1MiDl

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Big man touchdown

All-Pro OT Garrett Boles has caught 3 TD passes in the Pro Bowl flag game.

GARETT BOLLES GETS HIS MOMENT!

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/AEe7M4pWIo

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Pat Ricard gets to eat

Let @PRic508 eat!

Tune in: Pro Bowl on ESPN/DisneyXD pic.twitter.com/ULaUZAtpeJ

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 4, 2026

AFC holds a 44-36 first half lead

Shonny showin’ out 😤

📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/OBaVmuPllj

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 4, 2026

The NFC tonight ran the Tush Push to close out their win over the AFC. Maybe DeSean Jackson called the play for Jalen Hurts 😂

pic.twitter.com/7GAErAAZtn

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 4, 2026

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: 2026 Pro Bowl Games: Highlights from the Flag Football competition

We can now look towards Super Bowl 60 as the NFC won the Pro Bowl Games with an overall score of 66-52 over the AFC in San Francisco. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was 11 of 13 passing for 169 yards and four touchdowns.

We're looking at highlights, sights, and sounds from the 2026 Pro Bowl Games and Flag Football competition.

NFC Pro Bowlers

Saint with the first down and the octopus 🤣 #ProBowlGamespic.twitter.com/oHyjcEzIbb

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) February 4, 2026

George Pickens’ price going up even in the Pro Bowl pic.twitter.com/t3l14zmEYa

— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) February 4, 2026

Micah having too much fun 😂

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/XoKu6ijWVs

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Introducing the NFC Pro Bowl squad 🔥

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/ouC6YH5UcC

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Jalen Hurts is in the building.

Making memories at the #ProBowlGamespic.twitter.com/G8vHQ220Yz

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 4, 2026

The Eagles' star quarterback will participate in his second Pro Bowl game. Hurts has played in two Super Bowls, eliminating a chance for his fourth appearance.

QB1 in the building pic.twitter.com/glg1y0EvXM

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 4, 2026

All-Pro Coop and Zack Baun arrive.

The two vibes we bring to the function 🤣 pic.twitter.com/WAGbelQ7FY

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 4, 2026

Jalen Hurts delivers a strike for a touchdown

An NFC East connection in the Pro Bowl for a TD!

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN Apppic.twitter.com/QLVkZV9gWQ

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) February 4, 2026

F E R G ‼️

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN pic.twitter.com/N70BPRA1Qq

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) February 4, 2026

Cooper DeJean is always making plays

2-way Coop coming soon? 👀 pic.twitter.com/cPkl0sBkOJ

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 4, 2026

DeJean tried the lateral after the pick 😂

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/9bbpvakqsF

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Now we've got a Cooper DeJean reception to end the first quarter

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/bPS27XDrAX

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Jason Kelce was missing his quarterback

Just a Center missing his QB 😂 pic.twitter.com/DDdLnEPT0p

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 4, 2026

Swiss Army Knife makes a big play

Hamilton can do it all, and he helped snuff out an NFC drive by intercepting a pass from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on the trick play.

Dak to Jalen to Kyle Hamilton 😅

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/CgL1W1MiDl

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

6 points for No. 7

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/HDk8IlTQhE

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Shedeur touchdown to Nico Collins!

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/zEKmIeAU1H

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

It's him again!#ProBowlGames on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/pAq6vqhNw3

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) February 4, 2026

AFC holds a 44-36 first-half lead

Shonny showin’ out 😤

📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/OBaVmuPllj

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 4, 2026

Dak to Turp ties it up 👀

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN pic.twitter.com/HCHZypQhAB

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) February 4, 2026

ARE YOU KIDDING GEORGE 🤯

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN pic.twitter.com/uFfQZP6ODm

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) February 4, 2026

Jared Goff ➡️ Puka Nacua for the TD! 🎯

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN Apppic.twitter.com/jbgcNX1ekf

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) February 4, 2026

George Pickens gives the NFC the lead!

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/OCu13DdPN5

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Micah and his scooter are back 😂

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/ynIk4zTE6Y

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

The NFC tonight ran the Tush Push to close out their win over the AFC. Maybe DeSean Jackson called the play for Jalen Hurts 😂

pic.twitter.com/7GAErAAZtn

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 4, 2026

CeeDee calls game 😏

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN pic.twitter.com/6SoCkVTEEr

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) February 4, 2026

Jalen Hurts to CeeDee Lamb to seal the win for the NFC!

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN Apppic.twitter.com/m5ujtH2Zvm

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) February 4, 2026

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: 2026 Pro Bowl Games: Highlights from the Flag Football competition

The NFC defeated the AFC 66-52 in the 2026 Pro Bowl flag football on Tuesday evening in San Francisco.

Jerry Rice coached the NFC team with Steve Young coaching an AFC squad that featured five Denver Broncos players: wide receiver Courtland Sutton, left tackle Garett Bolles, defensive lineman Zach Allen, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and cornerback Pat Surtain.

Bolles stole the show, although it came in a losing effort.

In the first quarter, Bolles — who played as an eligible center — caught a two-point conversion, but the score was nullified by a flag for an illegal forward pass (it was close). Later, after a Sutton catch got the ball down to the one-yard line, Bolles caught a touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders (and there was no foul this time).

Second time's the charm for @gbolles72 🙌

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN pic.twitter.com/D7kjy4aXid

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) February 4, 2026

Bolles also caught a one-point conversion pass from Joe Burrow in the second quarter.

Garett Bolles WR1

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/rfZ7a5MXIT

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

In a sideline interview, Bolles said his goal was to score four touchdowns.

"I'm going to score four tuddies."

Garett Bolles is determined to put on a show 💯

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/KmjDFXpoCP

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Just before halftime, Sutton took a lateral and dove into the end zone for a would-be touchdown, but he was ruled down just short of the goal line. Sutton ended the game with two receptions for 37 yards.

THE FINAL PLAY OF THE HALF CREATES UTTER CHAOS 😅#SuperBowlLXpic.twitter.com/WRO3LLXGDB

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) February 4, 2026

Pro Bowl highlights

Up next on the calendar are "NFL Honors" on Thursday evening, followed by the Super Bowl on Sunday. After that, attention will turn toward the NFL offseason (here are the key dates to know).

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 2026 Pro Bowl: Garett Bolles stole the show, but AFC fall to NFC

MIAMI – Bodies were lacking and so was the inspiration.

Shorthanded yet again, not even a celebration of the team’s 2005-06 championship season could provide needed motivation as the Heat fell 127-115 Tuesday night to the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center.

So 27-25 it is, with the Heat now idle through Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline.

By the third quarter, with the deficit in double digits throughout most of the night, chants began of “We want Giannis!” as if a recognition of what currently is on display simply is not good enough.

Granted, the Heat this time were without Andrew Wiggins (hamstring), Tyler Herro (ribs) and Norman Powell (personal reasons). But this also was against a Hawks team that this season already had punted on Trae Young and entered 24-27.

So while Hawks All-Star forward Jalen Johnson was going for 29 points, Heat All-Star Powell was merely a spectator on the bench, missing his third consecutive game.

The Heat got a 16-point, 14-assist double-double from Bam Adebayo, but little of overall substance, save for 21 points from Jaime Jaquez Jr., as they simply proved unable to keep up with Atlanta’s 21 of 51 3-point shooting.

Five degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:

— Game flow: The Heat trailed 33-23 at the close of the opening period and 67-50 at halftime.

Unlike previous games when it had gone south for the Heat in the third period, the Heat this time clawed within seven midway through the quarter. But that is when the rally ended, with the Heat down 98-81 entering the fourth.

From there, the Heat got within 11 with 8:52 to play, but by the time 6:33 remained, the Hawks’ lead was back up to 20, sparked by guard CJ McCollum, the player acquired in the trade of Young. McCollum closed with 26 points, 6 of 9 on 3-pointers.

— Minding Myron: The Heat’s lack of available bodies had Myron Gardner in the Heat’s lineup with his second career start.

Once again the two-way player energized with his attacking style and 3-point stroke.

Based on the Heat’s roster composition, they could transition Gardner from his two-way deal to a standard contract as soon as the passing of Thursday’s trading deadline.

Gardner now has scored in double figures in three of the last four games, after doing so just once previously this season. He closed with 14 points and six rebounds.

— Another rough one: It again was a rough go for Kel’el Ware in his opening stint, the Heat outscored by 11 in his first 8:17.

In the wake of recent tough love with the 2024 first-round pick, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra this time stopped to speak with Ware as he came off the floor following that stint, with assistant coach Malik Allen also offering words to Ware as he made his way to the bench,

Ware was 1 of 6 from the field during that initial action.

It got worse from there, with the Heat down 19 when Ware left after his second stint, in the third quarter.

He closed with nine points and eight rebounds, closing during mop-up duty.

— Uneven ride: It was another uneven start for Adebayo, who opened 1 of 8 from the field.

But, as with many of his recent performances, he bounced back to close with his 20th double-double of the season.

That made it seven seasons with at least 20 double-doubles for the 2017 first-round pick, the most in the franchise’s 38 seasons. Alonzo Mourning had six such seasons, Rony Seikaly and Hassan Whiteside five apiece, Udonis Haslem four.

— Halftime commemoration: The Heat had an extended halftime commemoration to honor the 20th anniversary of the 2005-06 title team, the franchise’s first championship.

“This is the standard,” Dwyane Wade said of that team during the courtside ceremony.

Before the game, Wade said he hoped the commemoration could inspire this Heat iteration.

“We believed in each other, and we accomplished something that no one thought we could,” he said of the 2006 title team. “They will be doing the same thing. And so I hope there’s some inspiration to be pulled and I hope you want to come back and celebrate with your teammates, celebrating something that is as incredible as winning a championship.So, yes, damn right, they better be inspired.”

____

Feb. 3—CALLAWAY — Five Bemidji High School Nordic skiers will head to state next week.

The Lumberjacks competed at the Section 8 Championships at Maplelag Resort on Tuesday in Callaway. While BHS didn't qualify for state as a team, five individuals did.

The top two teams in the boys and girls competition qualify for state. Additionally, the top four individuals for both boys and girls not on state-qualifying teams will also go to state, as will the top relay team.

Moorhead won the boys section championship, while Fergus Falls won the girls title. Brainerd finished in second place in both team events. Full team scores were not posted at the time this was published.

Three Bemidji girls and two boys will head to Giant's Ridge in Biwabik for state on Feb. 11-12. Wendy Mellema and Rylee Story won the sprint relay section title, while Izzy Renn finished in eighth place in the pursuit race. Leo McKeon and Peter Mathews also qualified in the boys relay with a third-place finish.

Mellema and Story clocked a time of 17:35.9, which was 12.3 seconds faster than Lilly and Cece Jamison of Sartell/St. Cloud Cathedral.

Renn qualified for state with 2.1 seconds to spare. She finished with a time of 38:33.0, which was the final individual qualification in the girls pursuit.

McKeon and Mathews were the beneficiaries of Moorhead and Brainerd qualifying as a team. Because Moorhead's Wes Brouillard and Tavan Schlichting won the section title with a time of 14:51.0, followed by Brainerd's Wyatt Brown and Patrick Ryan in second place (14:59.7), McKeon and Mathews' time of 15:47.1 was enough to finish in third and claim the boys relay individual state berth.

The rest of the Jacks saw their 2025-26 season come to a close on Tuesday.

Claire Story finished in 13th place with a time of 40:05.2. Her sister, Casey, took 17th at 42:14.4. Halle Aylesworth (44:51.3, 28th) and Chloe Derby (45:42.9, 31) rounded out the day for the BHS girls.

Jack Martin clocked the fastest time in the boys race, finishing in 16th at 34:47.3. Blake DeWitt (39:36.1, 26th), Liam Larson (40:01.1, 29th), Jack Galloway (40:30.1, 31st) and Solomon Benson (40:32.5) also raced for the Jacks.

This story will be updated with the full team results when they are made available.

Feb. 3—RED LAKE — Pine River-Backus was not expecting the type of atmosphere it walked into on Tuesday afternoon at Red Lake.

Due to Tuesday's state caucuses, the Minnesota State High School League only permitted games before 6 p.m. statewide. The Red Lake High School boys basketball team agreed with PRB to have the tipoff commence at 2:30 p.m., allowing Red Lake's student body to attend the game.

To say that the crowd was into it would be an understatement.

When the Warrior bench broke out into a "DE-FENSE" chant, it was aided by thunderous stomping in the bleachers. Students would scream before the Tigers shot free throws. Every big Red Lake 3-pointer was met with a deafening roar.

"It was the first time ever in Red Lake history that we got to have a day game in front of the student body," Red Lake head coach Nolan Desjarlait said. "You could see the momentum; it was carrying. They fed off the crowd."

The Warriors were energized by the atmosphere, and the Tigers appeared to be distracted by it. Mental mistakes, along with the Warriors' aggressive defense, led Red Lake to a 73-58 win.

Dominant most of the game, the RLHS defense was put to the test with six minutes left in the second half. Up 64-43, Red Lake's offense went cold, giving the Tigers some life. They went on a 9-0 run, cutting the lead to 12 and gaining confidence.

Desjarlait called timeout with three minutes left, up 64-52. He knew the Tigers could smell blood, so he convened his defense and emphasized staying poised. The message worked, as the Warriors stood tall by getting well-timed steals and crucial rebounds until the clock showed zeroes.

The Warriors like to keep opposing offenses guessing. Defensively, they run man-to-man, 2-3 zone, 1-2-2, full court trap — whatever they feel is needed for the situation.

Opposing offenses never know what to expect from them. Along with the raucous crowd, it helped the Warriors jump out to an early 22-11 run to begin the game, led by junior Austin Perkins.

Perkins scored 18 of the Warriors' first 25 points, including three 3-pointers. He ended the game with 20 points before he fouled out nine minutes into the second half.

"First half, he was unconscious," Desjarlait said. "Just keep feeding the ball, do what he does. Foul trouble will get him; that's his pet peeve. When he gets in foul trouble, the confidence starts to go down a little bit. ... (But) he's our leading scorer. He's closing in on 1,000 points."

"He's fun to have on the team," senior Dimitrius Harris added. "You can depend on him; he can get the job done."

The Warriors took a 42-25 lead into halftime, although they ran into foul trouble before the end of the first half. They committed nine fouls to PRB's four, which they focused on cleaning up by the second half.

"We were gambling too much," Desjarlait said of Red Lake's first-half fouls. "We were just putting our hands in the cookie jars. (If) we played defense the way we should, we would wall up without reaching."

Despite his night being cut short, Perkins led the team in points with 20, followed by Harris with 12.

The win moves RLHS to 9-8 on a season that's been up-and-down. From injuries and illness, Red Lake hasn't had a full, healthy squad as of late. Tuesday afternoon was the first game in weeks that there wasn't anybody out of the lineup.

"It feels pretty good to get a win again," Harris said. "It's a tough team, (and) we got our players back, so that's good. It feels good because now we can play (at our best)."

Hoping their issues with health are behind them, the Warriors look to maintain their strong defense as they ride out the rest of the season. As Desjarlait says, defense is their best offense, and they think they can win more games with that formula.

Red Lake will travel to Northome/Kelliher on Friday before facing rival Cass Lake-Bena on Feb. 10 at home, which could be the game Perkins gets his 1,000th point.

RLHS hopes for more electric atmospheres like it had on Tuesday afternoon. Rattling its opponents with noise is a true homecourt advantage.

"It was a big crowd," Desjarlait said. "They wanted to (put on a) show for their fellow classmates ... and they responded very well."

Red Lake 73, Pine River-Backus 58

PRB 25 33 — 58

RL 42 31 — 73

Pine River-Backus — Eveland 17, Downie 15, Oberfell 10, Nelson 8, Aleckson 6, Shogren 2.

Red Lake — Perkins 20, Harris 12, Loud 9, Curry 8, Kingbird 5, Oakgrove 5, Barrett 4, Papageorgiou 3, Cook 3, Anderson 2.

Feb. 3—MORGANTOWN — This can either be filed under the get-real category or it's an interesting nugget that somehow sets the scene for an amazing late-season run.

Either way, it is yet another reminder of just how differently college athletes view the sports world compared to the rest of us who simply watch, analyze, celebrate or agonize over it.

It's a story told by Jasper Floyd, point guard of the WVU men's basketball team.

That's the same WVU men's team most of us would agree is caught in the middle of, well, they're just in the middle at the moment. The Mountaineers (14-8, 5-4 Big 12) aren't considered close to being a bubble team for the NCAA tournament, yet they are also far from being in such a disrespected place like, say, Pitt is.

Yet, the way Floyd tells the story, one would conclude that WVU players believe they're just minutes away from landing in Joe Lunardi's First Four Out.

"We've talked about the (NCAA tournament) a little bit, " Floyd said Tuesday, as the Mountaineers prepared for their upcoming road matchup against Cincinnati on Thursday. "It's tough, because we all have a goal in mind. I believe and we believe we still control our own destiny.

"If we can continue to control what we can control and focus on the next day, the next practice, the next game, we can put ourselves in the best place possible."

This is where the split of realities comes in, and it has always been a fascinating topic to me. I know what the computers and projections are spitting out about WVU right now. Most of you do, too. It isn't good.

Whether it's WVU's strength of schedule (107th in the country), RPI ranking (99th) or NET ranking (66th), all the metrics say the Mountaineers need a miracle run over their final nine games of the regular season to even get into the NCAA tourney conversation.

Rest assured, WVU players are not oblivious to those metrics. I guarantee you there is at least one player on WVU's roster who knows all of those rankings by heart, and then could hit you with even more, such as Ken Pomeroy efficiency ratings or ESPN Power Index numbers.

There is always at least one player on every college hoops roster — men's or women's — who is a bracketologist. Always.

On the outside, we say no way. Among the players, it is a totally different world.

"It's at any time, " Floyd said on when a conversation about the NCAA tournament may pop up. "Practice, before games, in the locker room after practice, eating ; yeah it's at any time really. We all know what's at stake. That conversation is easy to come up. It's on our minds all the time."

You may see that as grasping for very thin straws or holding on to a hope that is hardly there. At best, that is simply the team's point guard getting behind the microphone and just saying the right things publicly.

It's not.

"I was talking to one of our managers today, actually, " said Floyd, who transferred to WVU this season from North Texas, but began his career at Fairfield. "We were talking about the bubble watch. I told him every place I've been, I had to win the conference in order to get to the tournament.

"We all know we don't have to do that here. We just have to control what we can control, take care of business and focus on beating Cincinnati at Cincinnati."

To some degree, it is admirable to be able to see the positive when most around you see the opposite. It is a trait that will work favorably for young men like Floyd in the real world.

The fascinating part is it's very doubtful college athletes see it as a type of trait. It is simply their way of life. It's who they are.

As long as there is even the slimmest of avenues available to attain a goal, they will work, sweat and grind until someone finally tells them to stop.

So, it's just not rah-rah talk. You need to win the Big 12 tournament to get in, fine, that's the mission they will focus on. You need a miracle ; they will work for the miracle.

We look at the projections and see one thing. They look at those exact same numbers and see opportunity. It really is fascinating.

"The best thing for us is to just focus on the now, " Floyd said. "We just have to stay in the moment as best as possible."

Feb. 3—GLEN DALE — From the opening tip, the University Hawks had John Marshall on the ropes—but the Monarchs bounced back.

After falling behind 16-0 out of the gates against the visiting Hawks, John Marshall had enough time to right the ship and advance over University 45-35 in their OVAC 5A girls basketball semifinals matchup inside the John Marshall Field House.

University employed a 1-3-1 zone to start Monday's action, a strategy that stymied John Marshall, who were held scoreless until there was just over a minute left in the first quarter.

Before then, the Hawks had feasted on a steady supply of Monarch turnovers and had success scoring on the fast break.

"I gotta give [University ] credit, " John Marshall head coach Brock Melko said. "We weren't ready for a 1-3-1 zone at all. We've preached all year that when we're good, it's because we're playing defense and taking care of the ball. We had six turnovers in the first five minutes, and it's like, guys, we're not taking care of the ball. We can't play defense. We can have a bad offensive performance and still win—but we just gotta stop throwing them the ball.

"When we finally did that, we gave ourselves a chance. I'm proud of them. I mean, you can't always play your best, so I'm proud of them for showing up with probably our worst effort to start that we could have imagined, and still not getting down on ourselves and earning a spot in the finals."

Riley Storm hit a 3-pointer with 1:20 on the clock in the first quarter to put the Monarchs on the board, and John Marshall trailed 18-5 after the first quarter. Storm hit two more 3's early in the second quarter, and it seemed as if the Monarchs were back in business and had come up with answers for University's zone.

John Marshall's star senior finished with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks against the Hawks.

"I think I could have stayed home today and we would've won, " Melko said. "Rilee wouldn't have let us lose this game. We could have been down 50-0, and we were gonna win if we had her."

While John Marshall found answers to cut down on their turnovers and adapt to University's defense, the Hawks had no answers on the boards against the Monarchs.

John Marshall secured 16 offensive rebounds throughout Monday and outrebounded University 39-21 in the game.

In addition to Storm's 16 caroms, Paislee Babiczuk also had double-digit rebounds with 12, finishing with 10 points to notch a double-double.

After scoring 18 points—eight on the fast break—in the first quarter, University's offense couldn't find that same rhythm the rest of the game. The Hawks still led at halftime, 24-15.

"You can't fault their defense whatsoever, " University head coach Sammy Lusk said of his team. "You give up 45 points to this team, that's a really good job defensively. But when you score 35, that is the flip side of it. In all of our losses, we've been at 48 points or less. So, the losses are when we're struggling to put the ball in the basket. I gotta find different ways to get us in better positions."

John Marshall's Kalyn Reese scored seven straight points to start the third quarter, and there was a bit of a role-reversal as the Monarchs started the second half with some full-court traps that kept University's offense off-balance.

Reese finished the game with eight points and nine rebounds, and John Marshall trailed 31-26 going into the fourth quarter.

Rilee Storm tied the game with a 3-pointer at the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter, 31-31, and went coast-to-coast on the Monarchs' next possession to put John Marshall ahead for the first time, 33-31.

The 16-point deficit was the biggest comeback win of the year for John Marshall.

"I'll tell you this ; it's a lot more fun to not do that, " Melko said of the comeback. "I'd rather just play well at the start. But instead, you gotta give them credit for not making excuses and just digging ourselves out of the hole we created."

Bri Fox led University with 18 points, nine in the first quarter. Maddie Campbell had five points and five steals.

"We have to find different ways to pressure people and get points off turnovers, " Lusk said. "That's kind of been our Achilles heel in these big games ; we struggle to put the ball in the basket. [John Marshall ]'s a good team. You're not gonna keep them down the whole time. Rilee Storm's one of the best players in the state. We just gotta get back at it and find creative ways to get the ball in the basket for us."

John Marshall has a date with Steubenville for the OVAC 5A championship on Saturday. Big Red has prevailed in two regular-season meetings against the Monarchs this season.

"I respect their players and coaches, " Melko said of his team's upcoming opponent. "Over the last five or six years, we've developed a really friendly rivalry with them. They're not 18-1 for no reason. They're really, really good. They're as good as any team we have on our schedule. We're aware of that. We'll enjoy this tonight and start breaking into Steubenville again tomorrow. Hopefully, the third time will be a charm for us."

Feb. 3—BEMIDJI — Bemidji State women's tennis sophomore Mia Leshem was recognized as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Week for the first week of league play.

Leshem helped the Beavers to wins over St. Scholastica, 7-0, and Minnesota Duluth, 4-3, to open the 2026 season.

Leshem earned her second career NSIC weekly award after being named the NSIC Player of the Week on Feb. 11 of last year.

Leshem went 2-0 in singles and doubles play in the Beavers' season-opening doubleheader in Duluth. She opened the season with a 6-2, 6-0 win over CSS's Sophia Cosgrove at No. 2 singles and then defeated Carly Chaney of Minnesota Duluth 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles. She also teamed with freshman Marla Davies to go 2-0 at No. 1 doubles for BSU.

Leshem and the rest of the Beaver Tennis team continue their start to the 2026 season this Friday, Feb. 6, with a pair of matches against Minnesota-Morris and Minnesota Crookston in Grand Forks, N.D. The first match of the day against Minnesota Morris is set to begin at 3 p.m.

Bemidji State 7, St. Scholastica 0

Singles

No. 1: Garcia Acebal (BSU) def. Sendele 6-3, 56-1

No. 2: Leshem (BSU) def. Cosgrove 6-2, 6-0

No. 3: Davies (BSU) def. Sosa 6-0, 6-2

No. 4: Ibáñez Castro (BSU) def. Rewertz 6-2, 6-2

No. 5: Rutten (BSU) def. Vincent 6-2, 7-6

No. 6: Rodriquez (BSU) def. Hokanson 7-6, 6-0

Doubles

No. 1: Leshem/Davies (BSU) def. SendeleCosgrove 6-3

No. 2: Rutten/Garcia Acebal (BSU) def. 6-3

No. 3: Ibáñez Castro/Rodriguez (BSU) def. Clark/Hokanson 6-1

Bemidji State 4, Minnesota Duluth 3

Singles

No. 1: Leshem (BSU) def. Chaney 6-3, 6-4

No. 2: Friedrich (UMD) def. Garcia Acebal 6-2, 1-6, 11-9

No. 3: Davies (BSU) def. Hammer 6-2, 6-2

No. 4: Ibáñez Castro (BSU) def. Miller 7-5, 6-3

No. 5: Heideman (UMD) def. Rutten 6-2, 6-0

No. 6: Gortan (UMD) Rodriguez 6-3, 5-7, 10-8

Doubles

No. 1: Leshem/Davies (BSU) def. Eppen/Heideman 6-4

No. 2: Garcia Acebal/Rutten (BSU) 6-2 def. Hammer/Gorton

No. 3: Ibáñez Castro/Rodriguez (BSU) def. Chaney/Simon

This article originally appeared on PGHHockeyNOW.com.

There is always drama between the Pittsburgh Penguins (28-15-11) and New York Islanders (30-21-5). Always.

In a four-point Metro Division battle between the second-place Penguins and third-place Islanders, the Penguins couldn’t hold a pair of one-goal leads in the third period.

Bo Horvat scored a breakaway goal in overtime for a 5-4 OT Islanders win.

A surprise tying goal midway through the third period by the Islanders was short-lived. Then the Penguins and New York Islanders began trading goals.

The Penguins reclaimed a 4-3 lead two minutes after the Islanders tied the game midway through the third period, when Justin Brazeau tipped Brett Kulak’s shot at 10:40.

However, the Islanders again tied the game with another goal from the top of the one when Adam Pelech beat Stuart Skinner at 15:24 of the third, and the drama only grew.

Click here to read more from PGHHockeyNOW.com.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

NEWTON FALLS, Ohio (WKBN) – LaBrae topped rival Newton Falls, 69-63, in a key Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference boys basketball clash on Tuesday night.

The game was televised live as the WKBN High School Basketball Game of the Week.

The Vikings have now won five straight games overall.

Following the victory, LaBrae head coach Chad Kiser spoke with Sports Team 27’s Chad Krispinsky.

Watch the video above to see his complete postgame interview.

The LaBrae victory avenges a loss to Newton Falls back on Jan. 8.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.

No one was better at taking the football away than the Chicago Bears, who led the NFL in takeaways (33) and interceptions (23) during the 2025 season. So it's no surprise that safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright continued the streak during the Pro Bowl's flag football game -- at the expense of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

On the AFC's opening possession, Sanders was picked off by Byard on a tipped pass, and he nearly had a pick-6. Unfortunately, a penalty negated the would-be touchdown. Last season, Byard led the NFL with seven interceptions for Chicago.

But in the second half, it was Wright's turn to make a play. With the AFC threatening to score, Wright picked off Sanders in the back corner of the end zone to halt a scoring drive, which led to the NFC marching down the field to tie the game. Wright was right behind Byard with interceptions (5), but he did lead the NFL in total takeaways (8).

Nahshon Wright gets his redemption 😅

Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App https://t.co/rutqyHm2UVpic.twitter.com/qGgspKA7MU

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2026

Byard and Wright are two of four Bears players participating in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, alongside left guard Joe Thuney and center Drew Dalman, who weren't on the field for the flag football game.

Both Byard and Wright are set to hit free agency in March, which means general manager Ryan Poles has some important decisions to make. Byard and Wright have both made it clear they'd like to return to Chicago, and it sounds like at least Byard will be back after Poles singled him out when discussing players he wanted to re-sign.

Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Shedeur Sanders can't stop throwing interceptions to Bears at Pro Bowl

OKLAHOMA CITY — Groundhog Day might have been Monday but Tuesday night between the Magic and Thunder felt like a repeat of most other contests from the past two months for Orlando.

Jamahl Mosley‘s squad failed to get off on the right foot, trailed by as many 41 points and fell 128-92 during its lone trip of the regular season to Paycom Center.

Behind 20 points from league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City led wire-to-wire when the Western Conference opponent imposed its will against Orlando’s defense.

Owners of the league’s best defensive rating (105.8 per NBA.com), the Thunder (40-11) scored 28 points off 16 Orlando turnovers en route to the 36-point victory.

With the NBA trade deadline set for 3 p.m. Thursday, the Magic (25-24) return home to face the Nets at Kia Center that evening.

Another slow start

The Magic opened 1 for 8 from the floor and ended the first quarter 4 for 22.

Orlando went about four minutes from the 7:35 mark of the opening frame to the 3:38 mark without scoring. That allowed the Thunder to lead 39-14 after the first 12 minutes of action.

The team’s 18.2% field-goal percentage marked a season-low for any quarter for Orlando’s field-goal percentage (previously shot 21.2% from the floor in the 4th quarter of a Jan. 9 game vs. Philadelphia).

Paint points

Oklahoma City had no problem scoring near the basket early and often. In the first half alone, the Thunder shot 14 for 20 (70%) in the paint for 28 points.

On the other end, Orlando shot 6 for 17 (35.3%) for 12 points in the paint before the break.

And the Thunder continued to attack the paint the rest of the night. They finished with an 60-26 scoring edge in the painted area.

Inaccurate from distance

The Magic missed their first 10 shots from beyond the arc. It wasn’t until Moe Wagner’s 3-pointer at the 9:59 mark of the second quarter did Orlando hit from distance.

The team ultimately finished 13 for 41 (31.7%) from 3-point range.

The Thunder weren’t much better when they shot 12 for 35 (34.3%) from distance.

Rookie watch

Noah Penda entered late in the first quarter. The French forward shot 4 for 11 from the floor for 11 points with five rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes.

First-round pick Jase Richardson stepped onto the floor late in the third frame. The No. 25 pick was scoreless in 13 minutes.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

It's almost here... one of the best sports months of the year is almost here. So why don't we start to look ahead to see where our Spartans could be landing when March Madness is officially upon us.

Michigan State basketball is once again having a strong season, with the Spartans currently sitting in the top 10 nationally as we enter February. The Spartans are 19-3 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play, and are considered by some already a lock to be dancing in March again this year. The question now really becomes how do they finish the season and where do they land when Selection Sunday rolls around on March 15?

Bracketology has become a year around thing, but it really starts to hit differently when we get this late in the season. The loose projections of which teams could be a top seed or on the bubble in November become more and more clear as games begin in February. So with that being said, let's do a quick roundup of some notable bracketology posts that have came out in the last few days, and see where our Spartans are currently positioned to start the month of February.

USA TODAY Sports

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed North Dakota State in Greenville, S.C.

My Thoughts: I like the draw overall for the Spartans. The seed line seems fitting for where they are currently ranked, and this seems like a manageable path (North Dakota State, No. 6 seed Louisville then No. 2 seed Gonzaga) to the Elite Eight before a potential matchup with No. 1 ranked Arizona.

Click here to see full bracket projection

ESPN

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed Wright State in Buffalo, N.Y.

My Thoughts: This is a comparable draw to the previous bracket projection from USA TODAY Sports, with a similar potential second round matchup against No. 6 seed Louisville and potential Sweet 16 matchup against No. 2 seed Gonzaga. The main difference is playing in Buffalo vs. Greenville -- so I guess if you're traveling as a fan, going south in March beats going further north...

Click here to see full bracket projection

The Field of 68 (On3)

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in East Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed East Tennessee State

My Thoughts: I'm seeing a trend here that Michigan State is a No. 3 seed by nearly everyone in the bracketology field right now. Notable difference in this bracket projection, though, is that Michigan State landed in the East Region, which could mean a potential rematch against Duke in the Elite Eight if things were to shake out that way. I wouldn't mind another crack at the Blue Devils with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Click here to see full bracket projection

NCAA.com (Andy Katz)

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in South Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed UC Irvine in Buffalo, N.Y.

My Thoughts: This may be my least favorite draw for the Spartans when you do the look ahead to the second weekend. If things were to go chalk, Michigan State would be playing No. 2 seed Houston in a Sweet 16 matchup based in Houston -- that's not ideal at all and would be awfully similar to having to play Auburn in Atlanta in the Elite Eight last year.

Click here to see full bracket projection

FOX Sports

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed Harvard

My Thoughts: This is another draw that I like when you look ahead to potential second round and Sweet 16 matchups. If things were to go chalk, Michigan State would face No. 6 seed St. John's and No. 2 seed Gonzaga en route to potentially facing No. 1 Arizona in the Elite Eight. There's no easy matchups in March, but I would like this draw for the Spartans.

Click here to see full bracket projection

CBS Sports

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in South Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed East Tennessee State

My Thoughts: This would be an interesting draw for the Spartans as chalk would have them playing a pair of rematches. First would be No. 6 seed Kentucky in the second round, and then No. 2 seed Illinois in the Sweet 16. We will see this weekend how the Spartans stack up with the Fighting Illini, but I personally don't like rematches in the NCAA Tournament -- especially if it's a team you already beat earlier in the year.

Click here to see full bracket projection

Overall Thoughts

It's clear that if Selection Sunday were today, Michigan State would be a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That is exactly where I'd put them as well so I have no beef with any of these projections.

As we look ahead, Michigan State has a number of high-level games remaining on the schedule in February and into March, so there will be opportunities to raise (or drop) that seed line one or two spots. But assuming they don't tank down the stretch, we are looking at the Spartans most likely landing anywhere between a No. 2 seed through No. 5 seed -- with an outside chance at a No. 1 seed if they really do some damage late in the season. That will allow an opportunity for another run in March this upcoming season for the Spartans.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: 'Bracketology' Roundup: Analyzing where MSU basketball lands in latest bracket projections

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from January 2026: Here are the nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie's Submission of the Month award for January.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

Nominee: Pierre Manzo def Nicolas Santos at ARES 38

Pierre Manzo continued the strong start to his young career with a tenacious choke out of Nicolas Santos in a welterweight regional bout in France.

Once Manzo (2-0) snatched onto an anaconda choke, he was relentless. He wouldn't let go of Santos' (4-2) neck until the fight was over, all of which happened in just 94 seconds.

View this post on Instagram

Nominee: Jonathan Micallef def. Oban Elliott at UFC 325

Jonathan Micallef rallied to score a conclusive stoppage in his second octagon appearance against Oban Elliott.

Micallef (8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) became the first to submit Elliott (12-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in MMA competition when he put him to sleep with a rear-naked choke less than four minutes into the second round of a fight he was losing.

JUST LIKE THAT 💥

Jonathan Micallef gets the submission victory in round two! #UFC325

[ LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/m9QX7dEu2I

— UFC (@ufc) February 1, 2026

Nominee: Billy Elekana def. Junior Tafa at UFC 325

Billy Elekana picked up his third UFC win in a row when he submitted Junior Tafa in the second round of their light heavyweight.

The first round was a slugfest as both men slung leather toward the other. Tafa (6-5 MMA, 2-5 UFC) landed his fair share of hard blows, but Elekana (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) neutralized danger, got the fight to the ground and finish with a rear-naked choke.

Make that 3 in a row for Billy Elekana 👊

He's leaving #UFC325 with the submission victory!

[ LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Q05S8fqAcg

— UFC (@ufc) February 1, 2026

The winner: Quillan Salkilld def. Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 325

Quillan Salkilld continues to look like the real deal as a future lightweight contender with a one-sided finish of Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 325.

After making waves in his previous octagon appearance with a vicious head kick knockout of Nasrat Haqparast, Australia's Salkilld (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) reminded everyone that his ground game is serious, too, when he took Mullarkey (18-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) down early, moved to the back and forced a tap due to what was announced as a rear-naked choke, but looked like a neck crack.

Wasted no time in this one tonight 😤@QuillanSalkilld gets the submission victory in round one! #UFC325

[ LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/PoMvr4be8a

— UFC (@ufc) February 1, 2026

Although it wasn't the most flashy finish, Salkilld became the first to submit 15-year veteran Mullarkey in MMA competition, and at 26, is showing signs of being the next great Australian fighter.

"Sometimes it ends nice and simple in the first round," Salkilld said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. "I come into these fights expecting everything. We're staying active and we're getting that top 15 opponent next. We don't care who it is."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: MMA Junkie's Submission of the Month for January: Quillan Salkilld

C.J. Stroud was destined to change his narrative entering Year 4 with the Houston Texans, but no one ever thought that included his look.

Sometimes change is a good thing, so maybe a fresh new cut will change more than just his image for 2026.

Stroud was seen on X Tuesday morning donning a new 'do, moving off his signature locks for a shorter fade. He was seen on a post from Christian influencer Michael Lopez looking smooth with a clean, short fade haircut.

Looks like C.J. Stroud has a new look going this offseason.

📸: believermike on Instagram pic.twitter.com/lRv505cYjj

— Jacob (@TexansJacob) February 3, 2026

While his hair had grown out in recent years, Stroud's short look hasn't been on display since his senior year at Rancho Cucamonga High School. Back then, it was a fresh start for the young California product before he became a two-time Heisman finalist out in Columbus.

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud will look a little different when he takes his helmet off next year…Thanks to @HoustonWigQueen and Stroud’s personal barber KaseKuttz @KATCH_A_KASE#Texans#Sarge#BigSargeMediapic.twitter.com/SK3CfQR0co

— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) February 3, 2026

While Stroud did struggle in the postseason, he also helped Houston secure the longest winning streak in the NFL to close out the regular season at nine games. He also guided a pair of scoring drives in the wild-card round win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, including finding Christian Kirk for a touchdown in the second quarter.

In three seasons, Stroud has gone 28-18 in the regular season and 3-3 in the playoffs. He's thrown for 10,876 yards, 62 touchdowns and 25 interceptions while also completing 63.8 percent of his throws. This past year, the team's 12-wins, Stroud threw for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns while also tacking on a pair of rushing scores.

Maybe, just maybe, this new style could be just the right thing to change more than just his approach to 2026. The Texans probably won't see Stroud much from now until OTAs, but the last time he changed things up, that led to Houston winning a division title in 2023.

The Texans also own eight picks in the NFL draft, including four in the top 70.  

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: LOOK: Texans C.J. Stroud changes more than approach with fresh haircut

Former New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton's one-and-done run with the team has been one of the great mysteries to ever come out of Foxborough.

When appearing on WEEI's Radio Row, Milton admitted that he felt disrespected by the Patriots for never bumping him to No. 2 behind Drake Maye, after Jacoby Brissett was benched as the starter in 2024. He believed he had shown enough in practice to warrant the opportunity from the coaching staff.

However, former Patriots coach Jerod Mayo kept him at No. 3 behind Maye and Brissett.

"I think it would have been different when Jacoby was the starter—Drake was the backup, I was the emergency quarterback," said Milton. "When you move Drake up to start, what should Jacoby now do? He got his job took. [I should have moved up, too]. But you don't do that. You keep him at the [No.] 2 because he's the vet. But he's not taking reps. It's just me and Drake the only ones practicing, but he's still the two. I just felt disrespected."

"I felt DISRESPECTED"@Qbjayy7 explains what REALLY happened during his time with the Patriots 😳 👀 pic.twitter.com/csc6My5UcL

— WEEI (@WEEI) February 3, 2026

Milton was ultimately traded, along with a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick.

The former Tennessee Volunteer appeared in one game for the Patriots in the 2024 season finale against the Buffalo Bills. He threw for 241 yards and one touchdown, along with rushing for 16 yards and one touchdown, in a 23-16 win over a Bills team resting its starters.

Since joining the Cowboys, Milton has thrown for 183 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in four game appearances.

Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: QB Joe Milton reveals what really happened in fallout with Patriots

HARTFORD – The third-ranked UConn men’s basketball team completed its season sweep of Richard Pitino and Xavier in a 92-60 rout at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford Tuesday night.

UConn improved to 22-1 and 12-0 in the Big East, and will carry its 18-game winning streak into the toughest game of the conference season so far when it meets Richard’s father, Rick, and second-place St. John’s in primetime on Friday night.

Tuesday served as a solid warmup for the league’s first ranked matchup since the Huskies visited Seton Hall, then No. 25, on Jan. 13.

With an overwhelming matchup and talent advantage, UConn continued the relentless effort it showed on the road at Creighton on Saturday and took hold of the game early on its home floor.

The dominance started on the first possession, when UConn controlled three offensive rebounds, though its effort was fruitless after four tries. But Braylon Mullins made a 3-pointer the next time down the court and started a string of seven straight makes, including two transition dunks from the star freshman as he raced to 10 points and the Huskies’ lead ballooned to 16-2 in the first five minutes.

UConn didn’t need much else from the freshman and he finished as one of five in double-figures with 13 points in 24 minutes. Point guard Silas Demary Jr. led the way with 17 points, four rebounds, eight assists and two steals, connecting on 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and Tarris Reed Jr. finished with 14 on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting and eight rebounds.

The Huskies got 11 points from Jayden Ross and 14 with seven rebounds from Eric Reibe off the bench as Alex Karaban went for nine points, six rebounds and six assists and Solo Ball added nine of his own.

Dan Hurley started emptying the bench around the six-minute mark and UConn finished the game shooting 56.75 from the field and 10-for-27 (37%) from beyond the arc.

The Huskies had a 41-24 advantage on the glass, 26 assists on 34 made shots and outscored the Musketeers 46-20 in the paint and 17-3 in transition.

Demary, having the most success he’s had in his career from beyond the 3-point arc on fewer attempts this season, made back-to-back 3s as the lead grew to 22-6. Jaylin Stewart got involved with a triple of his own and the Musketeers had no answer for Reed, who didn’t miss on five attempts in the first half. He assisted Demary on a third 3-pointer before the break and UConn took a 50-22 lead into halftime.

The Huskies shot 61.3% from the field and had assists on 17 of their 19 made shots before the break, connecting on 7 of 13 from beyond the arc (53.8%). They dominated under the basket for a 22-12 rebounding advantage and a 24-10 difference in the paint.

Xavier didn’t fold, matching UConn’s shotmaking to start the second half until it used a 9-0 run to turn a 34-point lead into 25 with 12 minutes to play.

But Reed drove into the lane and threw a no-look pass over to Jayden Ross in the corner for his second 3-pointer of the game. Then Demary used his physicality in the paint for a three-point play on a putback and a dunk on the next possession. Ross hit again from deep off an assist from Karaban and the Huskies’ lead was back to 33 around the eight-minute mark.

Friday’s matchup, No. 3 vs. No. 22 at Madison Square Garden, is set to tip-off at 8 p.m. on FOX.

Jake Fischer: The Cavaliers aren't done, either. Cleveland is very much still working towards finding a trade partner to assume Lonzo Ball's $10 million salary, per sources.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Cavs working to move Lonzo Ball

Chris Mannix: Clippers and Cavs have been in advanced negotiations since last night, when @SInow reported the talks. Cleveland wanted a first rounder but that was never seen as a deal breaker. Cavs wanted to take a big swing. LA wanted a younger All-Star. Both sides get what they were after.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Cleveland wanted a first rounder but that was never …

With the NBA trade deadline approaching and several teams considered to be potential future destinations for LeBron James reportedly involved in talks to acquire star-level talent, James is still expected to finish out the season with the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

ESPN

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: LeBron James expected to remain with Lakers for rest of season

Justin Russo: The LA Clippers are now $7,167,392 above the luxury tax line and $882,608 under their first-apron hard cap.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The LA Clippers are now $7,167,392 above the luxury …

Keerthika Uthayakumar: Clippers were +10.4 points per 100 better on offence with James Harden on court this season. Their defensive rating was 8.6 points per 100 better with him OFF court.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Clippers were +10.4 points per 100 better on offence …

Hunter, who will make $23.3 million this season as part of a four-year $90 million rookie contract extension he signed with the Hawks in 2022, expressed his excitement to get going in Sacramento and becoming acclimated with his new team. "It's good energy here," Hunter told reporters after his first Kings practice. "A lot of great coaches that have a lot of experience in the league. Very experienced players who have been here in the league for a while, I'm just excited for a new opportunity."

USA Today Sports

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "A lot of great coaches that have a lot of experience …

Hunter anticipates playing with Murray because their abilities to do some of the same things on the floor. "Playing with a guy like Keegan, he's another versatile guy who can defend, who can shoot, who can score. I think it'll be fun," Hunter said. "Definitely (exciting). Like I said, he's another guy with size, another guy that guard one through four. As a guy that could do that, it's always good to see another dude on the court that can help you out when you're a little tired."

USA Today Sports

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Definitely (exciting). Like I said, he's another guy …

Mike Curtis: Jason Kidd when asked for advice to players during trade deadline week, especially when you could play great one night & be gone the next: "That's in the small print of the contract. Sometimes we don't look at that or read that, but that's just being a pro...There was a trade in the (Celtics) locker room. You have to do your job. The guys in that locker room, they play hard. They play for each other...The business of basketball sometimes gets in the way. Those guys in that locker room are professionals that understand you could be traded after the game, before the game or during the game. We've seen it all. You see Naji has come out to say he loves playing for the Mavs, but he could be traded, right? And that's just the nature of the business. Sometimes it gets in the way."

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "That's in the small print of the contract. Sometimes …

Justin Russo: Derrick Jones Jr., who has been out since suffering a knee injury on Jan. 3, is not listed on the injury report ahead of tomorrow's game and appears poised to, once again, return ahead of schedule.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Derrick Jones not listed on injury report against Cavs

Iowa basketball star Bennett Stirtz was unstoppable on Sunday.

In the Hawkeyes 84-66 win over the Oregon Ducks, Stirtz poured in 32 points on an incredibly efficient 12-15 shooting from the field. He added seven assists and two steals, while ot committing a single turnover all night despite playing 38 minutes. His effort in that game was a big reason he was named the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday. But that wasn't the only accolade to come out of that game for Stirtz.

In the first half of the win, the senior point guard reached an impressive scoring milestone in his career: 2,000 career points.

2K CAREER POINTS FOR NO. 14 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xM3S37jObk

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 2, 2026

Stirtz had accumulated his points at three different schools. So far this season, he's scored exactly 400 points with the Hawkeyes. He had 673 points at Drake last season, his first Division I campaign. The rest of his career points came with Division II Northwest Missouri State, where he spent the first two years of his career with Ben McCollum. Stirtz scored 945 points across his two seasons with the Bearcats.

While the raw scoring numbers are impressive, Stirtz's efficiency may be better. Across his entire collegiate career, he's shooting 52.3% from the field, 38.5% from behind the arc, and 82.5% from the free throw line. Those are incredibly effective scoring numbers for any player, but especially a guard. No matter what level of college basketball he's played at, Stirtz has dominated.

Iowa fans should appreciate Stirtz and what he's doing while he's still here. He's one of the best pure talents to take the court wearing black and gold in recent memory, and could be one of the biggest reasons why the Hawkeyes finally see some big success in March.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney

This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball star surpasses historic scoring mark

The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the "New Jersey Americans".

Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.

To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise's jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.

And for today's article, we will continue with the second of 14 people to wear the No. 42 jersey, forward alum Mike Bantom. After ending his college career at Saint Joseph's, Bantom was picked up with the eighth overall selection of the 1973 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns.

The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native played parts of the first three seasons of his pro career with the Suns. He also played for the Seattle SuperSonics before he was dealt to the (then) New York (now, Brooklyn) Nets in 1977. His stay with the team lasted until he signed with the (then) Buffalo Braves (now, Boston Celtics - it's a long story) that offseason.

During his time suiting up for the Nets, Bantom wore only jersey No. 42 and put up

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 42 - Mike Bantom (1977)

The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA – a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the sixth of nine players who wore the No. 43 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State big man Jim Petersen. After ending his college career at Minnesota, Petersen was picked up with the 51st overall selection of the 1984 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native played the first four seasons of his pro career with Houston. He also played for the Sacramento Kings before he was dealt to the Dubs in 1989. His stay with the team lasted until he was cut in 1992.

During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Petersen wore only jersey No. 43 and put up 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history - No. 43 - Jim Petersen (1989-92)

York girls basketball’s Tessa Rodwell set two school records in back-to-back games.

On Thursday, Rodwell scored 36 points to set York’s single-game scoring record.

On Friday, she earned a double-double of 29 points and 13 rebounds to become York’s all-time leading scorer.

Her record-setting games earned her the top spot on this week’s Section V Best.

Also featured on this week’s list are CJ Johnson of Penfield, Car’Mella Parker of Lyons, Ryan Carmody of Aquinas and Jonah Bialek of Fillmore.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.

The Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliersagree to a trade that would send former MVP James Harden to Cleveland, while Darius Garland heads to Southern California.

The trade on Tuesday was first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. Cleveland becomes the sixth team in Harden's 17-year career.

See how others are reacting to the NBA news:

Sports world, fans react to Harden-Garland trade:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: James Harden, Darius Garland trade: Reactions to Clippers-Cavs deal

I covered the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX plan to attackNew England Patriots center Garrett Bradbury last week, but guards Jared Wilson and Mike Onwenu have been playing great next to him, too.

Both were third round picks who New England has seen good return on investment with- but both also have weaknesses which Seahawks defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II can exploit.

Wilson is a rookie who can be beaten by a quick get off, which is Williams bread and butter. He also has shorter arms, which will struggle to keep Williams in front of him. He’s good once he locks on with his hands, but Williams can prevent that by long-arming him. Murphy also has a quick get off, and similar weight despite being over two inches shorter than Wilson. He can use his signature knee-in-the-ground technique to hold the line of scrimmage against Wilson, which will be key against the Patriots running game with TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Onwenu is an incredibly stout shorter guard, but his long arms allow him to do well against power rushes. He has surprising quickness, good footwork and is violent with his upper body. However, he struggles to move laterally. This makes for a great double team opportunity for Williams. If he can force both Bradbury and Onwenu to double team him in the A gap, Onwenu’s side-to-side struggles won’t be able to get in front of a Seahawks linebacker taking advantage of the wide open B gap. This way, Williams can create opportunities for Ernest Jones IV and Drake Thomas to get in the backfield and wreak havoc.

Before you see what Williams posted on Twitter this weekend and Instagram today, make sure you’re not in a workplace where you can’t get extremely fired up- because he’s clearly ready. When he has a chance to go from a current to an all-time great, he’s a safe bet to operate like both- respecting his opponents enough to scout them with enough confidence to cryptically broadcast his readiness for war. 

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks' Williams, Murphy II target Patriots' o-line weaknesses