Sports
Raptors to draw on motivation of a different sort against Nuggets
Nov 2, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick (1) reacts after a play against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The Toronto Raptors rode the emotion of Vince Carter’s No. 15 being retired to the rafters on Saturday night to beat Sacramento in overtime.
They can use last week’s loss to Denver as motivation when they visit the Nuggets on Monday night.
Denver rallied to beat Toronto in overtime last week for its first win of the season. The Raptors seemingly had the game in hand with an eight-point lead and 1:43 remaining in regulation, but the Nuggets tied it on a layup by native son Jamal Murray and won it in the extra period.
That seemed to kickstart Denver’s season. It has won three of the last four, including a rout of Utah on Saturday night, and has a chance to have a winning record Monday night.
The Nuggets played without Murray, who entered concussion protocol due to a hit to the head in the loss at Minnesota on Friday night. Denver ruled him out Sunday for the game against Toronto.
With Murray out against the Jazz, the Nuggets moved Russell Westbrook into the starting lineup and used Julian Strawther as the backup point guard. Strawther responded with 19 points and helped a struggling bench find success.
The three wins have also calmed the grumbling after Denver opened the season with two home losses.
“We’re definitely finding our identity, and I feel like we’re doing a really good job of keeping things inside our own walls,” Strawther said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of outside noise on what’s going on in our locker room, but we’ve done a good job of just continuing to grow.”
Toronto is trying to grow while dealing with injuries to several key players. Immanuel Quickley (pelvis) and Bruce Brown (knee) sat out Saturday night’s win and Scottie Barnes (orbital fracture) and Kelly Olynyk (back) will miss several weeks.
That has thrust some young players into meaningful minutes, and second-year guard Gradey Dick has responded. Dick is averaging 21 points a game and scored 22 in the win over the Kings to supplement RJ Barrett (31 points) and Chris Boucher (24 points).
Dick averaged just 8.5 points in 60 games as a rookie last season but has taken advantage of his opportunities seven games into this season. He made a key defensive play in overtime on Saturday night and hit a floater in the final minute to extend the lead to three.
That came after scoring 30 against Charlotte and 31 in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
“It’s about how you finish,” he said. “You’re going to have your off-nights, but I just try to keep level-headed at the end, make the shots that I could, make the free throws and control what I can control.”
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic has no problem using Dick or any young player in crunch time, especially missing several players.
“I’m not going to hide him or any other player on our team,” Rajakovic said. “We need to play hard. We need to do what the job demands. There is no hiding in this league.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Flyers' Noah Cates (lower body) out for rest of series vs. Canes
Apr 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates (27) watches for the puck drop on a third period face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Philadelphia Flyers will be without versatile two-way center Noah Cates for the remainder of the series due to a lower-body injury.
Cates, 27, has four points (one goal, three assists) in eight playoff games following the best offensive season of his career, when he posted 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 82 games.
“I mean, he’s been Mr. Consistency all year. Does a lot of things for us,” coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday. “But like I said, it’s no different than other teams. Next man up. You’ve heard the drill before.”
Cates averages 16:15 in ice time and is one of the league’s top defensive forwards, as the Flyers averaged only 1.67 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 during the regular season with him on the ice.
Despite losing Cates, Tocchet is confident in the Flyers’ centermen, including 20-year-old rookie Denver Barkey, who has received more time at the position. Trevor Zegras will return to center as a move “to get him going,” Tocchet said.
Veteran Sean Couturier is a reliable option at the position along with Christian Dvorak, who is expected to play in Game 3 despite an undisclosed injury.
With the Flyers limited to two goals over the first two games, Tocchet is encouraging his players to have a “shot-first mentality” to overcome the Hurricanes’ defensive aggressiveness.
“I think to help some guys out that are struggling against Carolina, they’ve got to have a shot-first mentality,” he said. You’ve got to be able to make a play around them. I think some guys are overpassing and that’s the one thing Carolina’s good at. They make you overpass. But if you throw pucks at the net, beat their aggressiveness, you’re going to get chances.”
The best-of-seven series resumes Thursday night with Game 3 in Philadelphia.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (back) exits after one inning
May 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow was removed after pitching one inning against the host Houston Astros on Wednesday with low back pain.
Glasnow allowed a first-inning home run to Brice Matthews and attempted to return in the second. After several warmup pitches, Glasnow, 32, motioned for trainers, who along with manager Dave Roberts removed him from the game.
Glasnow’s first-inning strikeout of Yordan Alvarez was the 1,000th of his career.
A 2024 All-Star with Los Angeles, Glasnow was 3-0 with a 2.56 ERA entering his seventh start this season. He signed a five-year, $136.5 million contract before the 2024 season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo to skip Preakness
Trainer Cherie DeVaux, in red jacket at left, helps lift the Kentucky Derby trophy with Daisy Phipps Pulito (representing Phipps Stable) and Vincent Viola (of St. Elias Stable) after Golden Tempo won the 2026 Kentucky Derby. May 2, 2026. For the second consecutive year, the Kentucky Derby winner will not run in the Preakness Stakes, as Golden Tempo trainer Cherie DeVaux announced Wednesday the horse will skip the second leg of the Triple Crown and compete in the Belmont Stakes next month.
“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort,” DeVaux wrote in a statement posted to X.
Golden Tempo was a 23-1 long shot on Saturday but made a late charge down the stretch to edge out favorite Renegade. The victory made DeVaux the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.
Last year, Sovereignty passed on the Preakness, and many trainers feel is too close to the Kentucky Derby — two weeks apart — and makes it difficult to keep a horse healthy for big races in the summer and fall.
The Preakness will be held May 16 at Laurel Park south of Baltimore, due to Pimlico undergoing a grandstand renovation. Pimlico is scheduled to host the 2027 Preakness.
As of Wednesday afternoon, none of the 19 horses who participated in the Kentucky Derby have committed to compete in the Preakness.
The Belmont is slated for June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., due to ongoing construction at the main Belmont Park facility on Long Island, N.Y.
–Field Level Media
Flyers' Noah Cates (lower body) out for rest of series vs. Canes
Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (back) exits after one inning
