Sports
Spurs visit Kings with key NBA Cup game on deck
Nov 27, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) grabs a rebound in front of guard Chris Paul (3) in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Victor Wembanyama makes his second career visit to California’s capital, in search of his first win there, when the San Antonio Spurs take on the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.
The Spurs played twice at Sacramento last season, but Wembanyama performed just once before the Kings’ fans. He had 19 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and five blocks in his Sacramento debut last February, a game the Kings won 127-122. He sat out the other game with a sprained ankle.
The Kings swept the three-game series last season, but Wembanyama broke into the win column against the Western Conference rivals with 34 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in a 116-96 thumping in San Antonio on Nov. 11.
This matchup opens a two-game trip for the Spurs, who could be excused for looking ahead to Tuesday’s NBA Cup contest at Phoenix. San Antonio will enter that round-robin finale in a three-way tie atop the West Group B with the Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs saw a four-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday in a 119-101 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Wembanyama had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in the defeat.
Th club found a silver lining in the blowout with Devin Vassell having returned from a five-game absence due to a knee injury to contribute 14 points off the bench in 21 minutes.
“(It) feels good to have him back,” Wembanyama said. “He opens up our floor. He’s a great offensive player. I’m still looking forward to expanding our game even more once he gets all his minutes back.”
Vassell contributed 12 points and four assists off the bench to the earlier win over the Kings.
Wembanyama got plenty of support during the team’s recent winning streak from rookie Stephon Castle, who averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds during the run.
Sacramento has featured a different look of its own the last two games, with Jae Crowder having not only joined the team but been stuck right in the starting lineup.
The 13-year veteran, signed as a free agent, made his season debut with eight points and four rebounds in 27 minutes in a 115-104 win at Minnesota on Wednesday. He then had 10 points and two rebounds in Friday’s 115-106 loss at Portland, the Kings’ fifth defeat in their last six games.
Kings coach Mike Brown was not surprised to see Crowder make an immediate impact despite having played just a total of 68 games the previous two seasons.
“Jae has been around a long time,” Brown cited. “He’s been in the playoffs 11 straight years, so he knows what it takes to win. He isn’t going to back down.”
Crowder has yet to play alongside DeMar DeRozan, who has missed Sacramento’s last two games with a sore back. He remains questionable for Sunday’s game against his former team.
Domantas Sabonis had his fourth triple-double of the season in Friday’s loss at Portland, putting up 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. He logged 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Wembanyama’s lone visit to Sacramento last season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Reddick starts bid for 3rd straight NASCAR Cup win with pole run
Feb 22, 2026; Hampton, Georgia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick rounds the track at EchoPark Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images AUSTIN, Texas — One of the few things that wasn’t startling about Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Circuit of the Americas was Tyler Reddick’s run for the pole position.
Negotiating the 2.4-mile road course in 97.760 seconds (88.380 mph) in the second qualifying group, Reddick claimed his third Busch Light Pole Award in six attempts at the track. He will lead the field to green in Sunday’s DuraMAX Grand Prix Powered by Reladyne (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Of course, there’s more at stake for Reddick than simply a victory at COTA. In winning at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta last Sunday, the driver of the No. 45 Toyota became the sixth Cup competitor to start a season with two consecutive wins. No driver has ever won three straight to open a season.
The 23XI Racing driver acknowledged that the pole position, the 12th of his career, is a positive first step toward that goal.
“It helps the chances, certainly,” said Reddick, whose series-best average finish of 4.6 at COTA includes a victory in 2023. “I think starting up front is huge.”
Michael McDowell led the first qualifying group of 19 drivers with a lap at 88.031 mph but fell to sixth soon after the second group took to the track. Ultimately, Ross Chastain posted the second-fastest lap at 88.256 mph (97.897 seconds) and will start on the front row beside Reddick.
The shocker was not that Chastain, the 2022 COTA winner, fashioned an excellent lap. What was surprising was that his two Trackhouse Racing teammates, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch — both vaunted road course racers — failed to crack the top 10 in qualifying.
Van Gisbergen was 13th fastest on his third lap. Zilisch could do no better than 25th. Van Gisbergen is seeking his sixth straight road course victory in the Cup Series, a mark that would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon for most consecutive road course wins.
Chase Briscoe (88.242 mph) will start third, followed by Ryan Blaney (88.179 mph) and Chase Elliott (88.161 mph). Elliott leads active drivers with seven road course victories.
Behind McDowell in sixth, AJ Allmendinger qualified seventh, followed by defending race winner Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and William Byron.
“We’ll see how it gets going,” Reddick said. “Certainly, Ross, Shane, Ryan Blaney-there’s a number of good drivers who were really strong in practice today. We’ll try to understand what that all looks like and make our best decisions on the car and everything.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Warriors F Gui Santos signs multi-year extension
Feb 25, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos (15) passes the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Javon Small (10) defends during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos signed a multi-year contract extension on Saturday.
Specific terms were not disclosed by the Warriors. However, ESPN reported it was a three-year, $15 million contract extension with a player option in 2028-29. Santos was in line to become a restricted free agent prior to this extension.
Santos, 23, is posting career-best averages in points (6.6), rebounds (3.2) and assists (1.7) in 48 games (13 starts) this season.
He is contributing 4.9 points, 3.0 boards and 1.4 assists in 127 career games (15 starts) since being selected by the Warriors in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Isaiah Evans, No. 1 Duke overwhelm No. 11 Virginia
Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Isaiah Evans (3) grabs a pass as he moves around a pick center Patrick Ngongba II (21) as Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis (5) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images Isaiah Evans used a hot start on the way to 19 points and top-ranked Duke’s defense contained No. 11 Virginia for much of Saturday afternoon’s showdown in a 77-51 victory at Durham, N.C.
The Blue Devils, with two games remaining, secured at least a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship and locked up the top seed for the upcoming ACC tournament.
Cameron Boozer racked up most of his 18 points on free throws for Duke (27-2, 15-1 ACC), which built its lead to 28 points in the second half. Boozer also had a team-high nine rebounds, while Patrick Ngongba II added 11 points.
Thijs De Ridder had 16 points for Virginia (25-4, 13-3), which was bidding to pull even atop the ACC standings. Instead, the Cavaliers’ nine-game winning streak was halted as they were held to a season-low point total.
Virginia went 29.1% from the field, including 7-for-35 on 3s, so the Cavaliers’ 12-for-13 shooting at the foul line couldn’t save them. Virginia collected nine offensive rebounds despite its volume of missed shots.
Evans shot 5-for-9 on 3-pointers and was 7-for-11 overall from the floor, accounting for nearly half of Duke’s 12 baskets from 3-point range.
Boozer had 11 first-half points on 11-for-12 free-throw shooting, but didn’t make a field goal until a 3-pointer early in the second half. He ended up 3-for-9 from the field in 33 minutes in Duke’s second-to-last home game of the season.
Aside from De Ridder, Virginia’s starters shot a combined 4-for-22 from the field.
An 11-0 run in the second half stretched Duke’s advantage to 70-43.
Duke built an 18-9 lead across the first 11 minutes, with Evans providing 14 of those points. The Blue Devils carried a 41-26 lead into halftime.
Virginia shot 4-for-17 on first-half 3s, while going 4-for-8 on 2-point range attempts.
By game’s end, Boozer attempted 12 of Duke’s 14 free throws.
–Field Level Media
Tyler Reddick starts bid for 3rd straight NASCAR Cup win with pole run
Warriors F Gui Santos signs multi-year extension
