Sports
Pistons, winless but optimistic, visit Heat
Oct 26, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Celtics forward Xavier Tillman (26) defends against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images The Detroit Pistons, who had the worst record in the NBA last season, still are looking for their first win of the 2023-24 campaign.
But that doesn’t mean things aren’t looking up.
The Pistons, who will visit the Miami Heat on Monday night, are 0-3, with the three losses coming to teams that were in the NBA playoffs last season, including the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
Two of their losses have been by six points, the other by 12.
The Pistons led the Celtics 112-106 with just over five minutes remaining Saturday, but Boston went on an 8-0 run that Detroit couldn’t recover from in the 124-118 loss.
Part of that is due to the Pistons’ long-running problem of being able to close out games. In the first quarter of games this season, the Pistons are averaging 30.3 points. In the fourth quarter, it’s 22.
But despite that disparity, Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart is confident in his team.
“It’s completely different than last season,” Stewart said. “We have good chemistry. We have confidence. It’s just a different feeling.”
One of the additions made by Detroit for this season is 6-foot-5 shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., the son of the former Heat star. The younger Hardaway, who went to high school in Miami, is averaging 10.7 points this season.
The Pistons are under new management this season. Former Duke star Trajan Langdon is the new president of basketball operations, and he hired J.B. Bickerstaff as coach. Bickerstaff led Cleveland to the second round of last season’s NBA playoffs before getting fired.
Aside from Hardaway, the Pistons brought in veterans Malik Beasley (14.7 scoring average) and Tobias Harris (10.3).
But Detroit relies most on young stars such as Cade Cunningham (27.3 points, 8.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds) and Jaden Ivey (21.7 points, 4.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds).
Cunningham is 23, and Ivey is 22.
Miami, meanwhile, lost its opener at home against the Orlando Magic, 116-97, and won Saturday at Charlotte.
“Everybody had an impact,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said after the 114-106 win against the Hornets.
With power forward Kevin Love out due to personal reasons, Miami has been starting Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro at guard, and Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic and Adebayo up front.
The bench is led by 2023 first-round pick Jaime Jaquez Jr., 3-point shooter Duncan Robinson and free-agent signee Alec Burks.
“We’re a deep team,” Herro said. “(Burks) is a pro’s pro. I haven’t seen him miss a corner 3-pointer since he got here.”
There’s a lot of pressure on Butler, who is in the twilight of his career at age 35. Butler had just three points, four rebounds and five assists in the loss to Orlando, but he bounced back with 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against Charlotte.
Butler also had a team-high 75 touches against the Hornets as Miami seemed to make a big effort to get their star more involved.
It’s just two games, but Adebayo is off to a slow start, averaging 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Last season, he averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Jovic, who represented Serbia in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, is an ascending player at age 21. In certain lineups, Jovic, at 6-10 and 210 pounds, subs in for Adebayo at center.
Jovic is averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds over 27 minutes per game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
New England Revolution blast Atlanta United to climb up East standings
Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Dor Turgeman (11) protects the ball from Atlanta United defense Junior Alonso (6) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Carles Gil and Dor Turgeman each scored a first-half goal while Matt Turner made six saves on Saturday to help the New England Revolution earn a 4-1 victory over Atlanta United in Foxborough, Mass.
Peyton Miller and Brooklyn Raines also scored a goal apiece for New England (9-5-2, 29 points), which passed the Chicago Fire (26 points) for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta (3-11-3, 12 points) extended its winless stretch to six games and fell to 1-6-2 away from home. Miguel Almiron scored a goal in the 85th minute to help the visitors avoid their eighth shutout of the year. Atlanta’s 17 goals scored are the fewest in the league.
New England tacked on to its 2-0 halftime lead in the 56th minute, as Miller tallied his fourth goal of the year to give the Revolution a three-goal advantage. Alhassan Yusuf picked up his second assist of the match in the process.
In the 67th minute, Raines scored the first goal of his MLS career. Assisted by Jackson Yueill, Raines’ left-footed strike marked just the second time New England has scored four-plus goals in a game this season.
After Almiron’s early shot was saved by Turner, New England found the back of the net at the 11-minute mark, as Matt Polster found Gil for his team-leading sixth-goal of the season.
Polster, recording his first assist of the year, left the ball for the New England star, who shook defender Tristan Muyumba and fired in a left-footed shot past the sprawling Lucas Hoyos.
Turgeman threatened to double New England’s advantage in the 26th minute, but Hoyos made his first save to preserve the one-goal deficit.
Turgeman broke through 10 minutes later, however, as the 22-year-old scored his third goal of the season. Yusuf’s perfectly placed cross found Turgeman in the box, where a left-footed shot made it 2-0.
Despite the two-goal halftime-margin, Atlanta put seven shots on goal in the first half to New England’s four.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Agustin Ojeda, NYCFC score early, douse Fire
Jul 25, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City Football Club offense Agustin Ojeda (26) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Fire FC during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images Agustin Ojeda scored a goal and added an assist Saturday night as New York City FC shredded the visiting Chicago Fire’s defense in the first half of a 3-1 win at Yankee Stadium.
Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Malachi Jones also scored for NYCFC (7-6-4, 25 points), which won their second straight fixture despite numbering nine players on the injured list. NYCFC earned an 11-9 advantage in shots as Chicago couldn’t consistently maintain its defensive shape.
Joel Waterman scored the only goal for the Fire (8-6-2, 26 points). Newly-signed striker Robert Lewandowski played the second half in his second match with Chicago and generated a shot.
The storylines for each team prior to kickoff couldn’t have been more diverse. While NYCFC was coming off a solid 2-1 win Wednesday night at Columbus, the Fire suffered a 3-2 loss at Miami that had coach Gregg Berhalter upset because of their poor defense.
It took just 10 minutes for Berhalter to see a rerun of Wednesday night. A failed clearing attempt and weak marking presented Fernandez Mercau space to wire a shot from just past the top of the 18-yard box by goalie Chris Brady. The shot carried a goal expectancy of only 2%.
Chicago equalized in the 21st minute off a set piece. NYCFC deflected a free kick but Waterman pounced on it at the left post, roofing a shot under the crossbar for his first goal of the year.
But Ojeda put NYCFC ahead for good eight minutes later. Andres Perea sent him down the right side and Ojeda angled a sharply-struck shot past Brady that hit the inside of the left post before nestling into the net.
Ojeda played the feeder’s role in the 41st minute as the Fire again lost their defensive structure. Perea found Ojeda on the right side and he passed into the middle, giving Jones a point-blank opportunity that he converted.
Goalie Matt Freese helped protect the lead for NYCFC in the second half, coming up with four of his five saves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orioles blow another late lead, but Dylan Beavers bails them out
Jul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brandon Young (63) pitchin in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images Dylan Beavers singled in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Saturday night.
Gunnar Henderson homered as the Orioles evened the series at one game apiece after failing to hold a late-game lead for the second game in a row.
Ozzie Albies homered for the Braves, who lost for only the third time in their last 10 games.
Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday doubled with one out in the ninth and moved to third on pinch hitter Colton Cowser’s flyout before scoring on Beavers’ hit off losing pitcher Didier Fuentes (4-1). Yennier Cano (2-2) was the winning pitcher with one inning of shutout relief.
Brandon Young pitched into the seventh inning for the second consecutive strong start for a Baltimore pitcher, but just like Friday night the bullpen couldn’t make it hold up. Young held the Braves to one run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Orioles reliever Rico Garcia gave up a game-tying home run in the eighth inning for the second night in a row.
Braves starter Bryce Elder worked five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) with four hits, four walks and eight strikeouts. Victor Mederos threw two shutout innings in relief before Fuentes entered and gave up his only two hits to two of the last three batters he faced.
Holliday and Beavers each finished with two hits as the game’s only players with more than one hit. The Orioles have won nine of their last 12 games.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand continued to give the Baltimore offense a boost as his two-out single in the third inning drove in the game’s first run.
Henderson homered with two outs in the fifth to make it 2-0.
Atlanta scored in the sixth on Mauricio Dubon’s groundout. Albies’ 17th homer of the season pulled the Braves even on the second pitch of the eighth inning.
–Field Level Media
