Sports
No Joel Embiid, but Paul George to visit ex-team as Sixers meet Clippers
Nov 4, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) protects the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images The Philadelphia 76ers are back to waiting on star big man Joel Embiid when they thought he might be ready for his debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in Inglewood, Calif.
The 76ers, who are off to a 1-5 start without their former MVP, lost 118-116 to the host Phoenix Suns on Monday as Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points and Guerschon Yabusele added 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists off the bench. Philadelphia lost its third consecutive game as it began a three-game trip into the Western Conference.
Embiid reportedly was in consideration to make his season debut against the Clippers after dealing with an ongoing left knee injury. Now he must serve a three-game suspension, which was handed out by the NBA on Tuesday in the wake of an altercation Saturday with a newspaper columnist, who wrote a piece that referenced Embiid’s son and late brother.
If the Sixers upgrade Embiid to available for Wednesday’s game, the three-game suspension would begin, with a target of Nov. 12 at home against the New York Knicks for his season debut.
Paul George did make his debut for the Sixers on Monday and scored 15 points in 32 minutes on 4-of-14 shooting from the floor after dealing with his own knee issue. He missed a game-tying jumper from 23 feet with 3.1 seconds remaining.
George, a Los Angeles-area native, is now set to face the team he departed after five seasons. George averaged 23.0 points in 263 regular-season games as a member of the Clippers.
“I was able to go out there and compete, free of any thoughts of my body not holding up,” George told the media after Monday’s game. “I felt completely fine. That was a positive in it. But all around, it was definitely a rusty game.”
The Clippers know all about missing star performers. Not only did George depart as a free agent in the offseason, Kawhi Leonard has been unable to play because of a chronic knee issue and remains out indefinitely.
After losing their first three home games, the Clippers finally won in their new $2 billion arena, the Intuit Dome, when they rallied for a 113-104 victory Monday over the San Antonio Spurs.
“I thought this (place) was cursed at first,” Clippers veteran James Harden said after the first home win was complete.
Los Angeles trailed by 26 points at the end of the first quarter then chipped away until taking a 93-91 lead with 7:25 remaining on a 3-pointer from Norman Powell, who finished with a team-high 23 points.
Amir Coffey added 21 points for the Clippers, with 19 of those coming in the second half when he was 5 of 5 from 3-point range. Harden finished with 17 points and eight assists after not making his first basket from the floor until the closing seconds of the first half.
“It was good for us to get this monkey off our back, you know, to complete a game, to play well the last three quarters, and I’m just happy for our guys,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said.
Harden made three more 3-pointers on Tuesday and has 2,958 in his career, moving him 15 away from matching Ray Allen, who is second on the all-time list. Stephen Curry leads with 3,762.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Andrew Putnam wins 9-hole playoff for final U.S. Open spot from Oregon
May 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Andrew Putnam watches his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Romance-Imagn Images PGA Tour veteran Andrew Putnam took the concept of “Golf’s Longest Day” to a new extreme.
After playing 36 holes at Emerald Valley Golf Club for U.S. Open final qualifying Monday in Creswell, Ore., Putnam and Spencer Tibbits were tied for second on the leaderboard. The problem was that only two spots were available from Oregon, requiring a 2-for-1 playoff.
Putnam and Tibbits played six more holes late Monday and couldn’t break their deadlock. They returned to the course Tuesday morning, and Putnam finally claimed victory on the ninth hole.
Putnam, a 37-year-old from Tacoma, Wash., will play his second major championship this year after appearing in none of the majors in 2025. He tied for 55th last month at the PGA Championship. Putnam last appeared in the U.S. Open in 2023, when he tied for 43rd.
His only victory on tour came in 2018 at the Barracuda Championship.
Greyson Leach shot 4-under-par 140 over 36 holes for medalist honors at Emerald Valley. Putnam and Tibbits tied at 3-under 141, with Tibbits squandering an advantage by following an opening 66 with a second-round 75.
Emerald Valley was one of 10 final qualifying sites across the U.S. and Canada on Monday. They were also contested in Toronto (near this week’s RBC Canadian Open), at two locations in Ohio, one in California and several courses around the East Coast.
The U.S. Open will be contested June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
Here is the final list of players to qualify Monday (three other qualifiers were previously held):
–Ball Ground, Ga.: Chris Kirk, Jake Peacock, Keith Mitchell, Robbie Higgins, Chase Kyes (a)
–Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.: Giuseppe Puebla (a), Ben Silverman, Ryder Cowan (a), Miles Russell (a)
–Purchase, N.Y.: Kevin Roy, Max Greyserman, Benjamin James (a), James Nicholas
–Gastonia, N.C.: Jackson Ormond (a), Carl Yuan, Jackson Van Paris, Brandon Wu, Cole Hammer
–Rockville, Md.: Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles, Logan Reilly (a), Jake Sollon
–Springfield, Ohio: Neal Shipley, Zac Blair, Dylan Wu, Billy Horschel, Nick Hardy
–Westerville, Ohio: Davis Thompson, J.B. Holmes, Vaughn Harber (a), Arni Sveinsson (a)
–Toronto: Emiliano Grillo, Alejandro Tosti, Marcelo Rozo, William Mouw, John Parry, Max McGreevy
–Sacramento, Calif.: Taylor Montgomery, Eric Lee (a), Matthew Robles (a), Marek Fleming (a)
–Creswell, Ore.: Greyson Leach, Andrew Putnam
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Brewers signing OF prospect Luis Lara to 7-year, $31M deal
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Luis Lara adjusts his cap during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. The Milwaukee Brewers are in agreement with outfield prospect Luis Lara on a seven-year, $31 million extension, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
The contract with the 21-year-old Venezuelan begins this season and includes three club options, potentially taking the deal through 2035.
The extension could max out at $78 million if Lara reaches all the incentives, a source told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Lara is ranked No. 5 among Milwaukee’s prospects and No. 91 among all major league clubs by MLB Pipeline.
He is batting .338/.447/.500 with seven homers, 27 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 56 games this season at Double-A Nashville.
The Brewers have signed similar long-term deals with up-and-coming prospects before, including outfielder Jackson Chourio in December 2023 and current minor league shortstop Cooper Pratt in April.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Defender Chris Richards returns to USMNT practice
June 8, 2026; Irvine, California, U.S.; Chris Richards of the U.S. signs an autograph for a fan during training. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Defender Chris Richards is back on the field with the United States Men’s National Team on Monday and appears to be on track for the World Cup opener against Paraguay this week.
“We will see … first time with the team,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said Monday. “Nearly everyone ready to be selected for the game.”
Richards sustained an ankle injury last month and is viewed as a vital defender in the center of the backline.
Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie filled in for Richards on Saturday in the final World Cup tuneup against Germany in Chicago.
At Monday’s practice in Irvine, Calif., Tyler Adams was not on the field. He worked in the gym for load management purposes, Pochettino said.
Richards, 26, suffered a pair of torn ligaments in his left ankle on May 17 as his Crystal Palace team played Brentford in a Premier League match. He did complete the match but limped off the field and has not competed since.
–Field Level Media
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