Sports
No. 4 Alabama eyes bounce-back win against No. 15 Missouri
Feb 15, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) receives the ball against the Auburn Tigers during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images With March Madness looming, Alabama coach Nate Oats is trying to coax the best out of Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears.
That process continues Wednesday night when No. 4 Alabama travels to Columbia, Mo., to face No. 15 Missouri in a high-powered Southeastern Conference matchup.
Oats called out Sears on Saturday after the then-second-ranked Crimson Tide (21-4, 10-2 SEC) fell to visiting No. 1 Auburn 94-85.
“He shot 4 of 17,” Oats said. “Obviously, he’s a competitor. He wants to win at a high level. He’s been able to impact winning for most of his career by scoring the ball well. Yet, he was 2 of 6 at the rim. He was 2 of 11 from (3-point range). He was 2 of 6 at the rim, and those are typically the more efficient shots you’d get.”
Sears is averaging a team-high 17.8 points per game and shooting 34.5 percent from 3-point range. However, he is shooting just 39.7 percent overall from the floor.
Last season, Sears averaged 21.5 points while shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the arc and 50.8 percent overall.
Oats also has been concerned about Sears’ defensive and playmaking regression this season.
“We’ve got to be able to play hard when the shots aren’t falling,” Oats said. “A sign of high-character guys is how hard they play when the shots aren’t dropping. Can you keep moving the ball? Maybe sometimes (Sears) needs to get 10 assists.”
Oats is eager to see how his team responds to an emotionally draining defeat.
“We had a chance to become No. 1 in the country,” he said. “We had a chance to be No. 1 in the league. All that’s out right now. What we have right now is a chance to play again on Wednesday against Missouri, and we got to answer the bell.”
Missouri (19-6, 8-4) brings a 16-1 home record into the midweek game. The Tigers scored decisive victories last week at home against Oklahoma, 82-58, and on the road against Georgia, 87-74.
Last season, Missouri went 0-18 in league play and lost in the first round of the SEC tournament.
“I mean, I don’t really think it’s a thing of us trying to prove anybody wrong at this point,” Missouri guard Tamar Bates told SEC Network. “We’re just proving ourselves right. We know who we are, we know who we’ve got in that locker room, and at the end of the day, we’re gonna keep playing ball.”
Bates leads Missouri’s balanced attack with 13.4 points per game. Forward Mark Mitchell averages 12.9 points and 4.7 rebounds, while guard Caleb Grill averages 12.8 points off the bench on 46.7 percent shooting from 3-point range.
The Tigers are coming off one of their best efforts of the season. They dominated the last 20 minutes during their victory over Georgia on Saturday.
“We had 18 assists, three turnovers, nine steals and we ended up winning the rebounding war,” coach Dennis Gates said during his postgame radio show. “So I’m just proud of our guys to be able to do what they did on the road — 28 minutes of the lead, five minutes of the deficit. And we just fought back in the second half, we put up 49 points.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Freddy Peralta says Sunday was 'probably' his final Mets start
Jul 20, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Freddy Peralta believes he may have made his final start for the New York Mets on Sunday, with the struggling club expected to trade the right-hander before the Aug. 3 deadline.
Peralta conceded the likelihood of a move after allowing three runs — two earned — on six hits and two walks over four innings in an 8-3 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He needed 93 pitches to record 12 outs and finished with three strikeouts.
“I know it probably is,” Peralta said when asked whether he believes that was his last time pitching for the Mets.
Peralta is currently scheduled to start Friday against the Miami Marlins, but New York has little incentive to retain an impending free agent after falling well outside the National League playoff picture.
The Mets acquired Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers during the offseason with the expectation that he would lead their rotation. Instead, the two-time All-Star has gone 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA through 22 starts, going at least six innings only six times.
His struggles have become more pronounced of late. Peralta has not recorded a quality start since June 3 and has posted a 7.34 ERA since that outing.
“I know so far I’ve let them down,” Peralta said. “I haven’t done what I was supposed to do.”
The 30-year-old entered the season coming off a career-best season going 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts over 176 2/3 innings with Milwaukee. That track record, along with the demand for starting pitching among contenders, should keep him among New York’s most marketable deadline pieces despite his recent results.
Peralta said he remains confident he can rediscover his previous form, whether that opportunity comes with the Mets or another organization.
“We haven’t done what we expected to do, in general, but especially myself,” Peralta said. “I know I can be way better than this. I still believe in myself. I was born to be a winner and not a loser. I think I have a lot in me, a lot to show. I know it can change because I still have time to make a change.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Stephen Curry's Future With the Warriors Suddenly Feels Less Certain
You can add the Golden State Warriors to your list of teams that missed out on LeBron James this summer.
The Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are all probably a little miffed about LeBron’s drawn out decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
But as Golden State appears stuck in the middle of a loaded Western Conference, reports are circulating that superstar guard Stephen Curry might no longer be on the same page as the front office.
“I think he’s probably tired of the star chasing,” The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II reported.
After Kevin Durant’s departure, the Warriors won the 2022 NBA Championship by defeating the Boston Celtics. That was Steph’s first championship, and Curry won his first career Finals MVP.
But the Warriors have failed to reach the mountaintop since that last title six years ago. Curry is older. Draymond Green is older. Klay Thompson left Golden State in 2024 to join the Dallas Mavericks.
Curry is eligible for an extension at the end of August, and it’ll be very fascinating to see what the 38-year-old decides to do. If he decides to wait on a contract extension, Curry will be an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Even at 39, he would have no shortage of suitors if he decides to keep playing.
It’s so hard to imagine Curry in anything but a Warriors jersey. Right now, he’s faced with an interesting dilemma. He can become one of the rare NBA stars to play their entire career with the same team. It helps his case to be mentioned in the same breath as what Kobe Bryant meant to the Los Angeles Lakers and what Tim Duncan meant to the San Antonio Spurs.
On popular prediction markets, like Kalshi, that allow users to buy and sell contracts of real-world outcomes, Curry certainly has a chance to be moved. Kalshi has a market for Stephen Curry’s next team – if the future Hall of Famer is moved ahead of October 21, 2026.
It would be a blockbuster surprise if Curry were to be traded months before the deadline. But as of July 26, over $135,000 in volume has been traded on Curry’s next team.
On Kalshi, the overwhelmingly most likely outcome is for Curry to remain with the Warriors or retire by October 21st, an implied 87% chance of happening. They give the Spurs a 13% chance, the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks both have an 11% chance and Curry’s hometown Charlotte Hornets have a 9% chance. These odds will fluctuate by the minute.
Don’t expect the Warriors to trade Curry before the calendar flips to 2027. It would be a huge surprise if they did. But this report of a slight rift is something that bears monitoring.
Curry is still one of the great guards in this sport. He has a legacy to think about. And he just watched his buddy LeBron leave a pretty comfortable situation with the Lakers to gamble on bringing a championship to his fourth franchise.
Winning is what makes these greats happy. They want to contend for championships. The Warriors are planning for their future, so of course Curry doesn’t like that.
Sports
White Sox acquire RHP Jose Urquidy in trade with Pirates
Mar 9, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jose Urquidy (65) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the third inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox acquired right-hander Jose Urquidy from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday in exchange for minor league pitcher Felix Doroteo.
Pittsburgh designated Urquidy for assignment Friday after he struggled during a brief five-game stint with the Pirates. The 31-year-old went 0-1 with an 8.53 ERA and six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
Urquidy spent most of the year with Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 5-4 record and 3.66 ERA across 17 starts. He struck out 73 batters over 83 2/3 innings.
The former Houston Astros starter owns a 27-17 record and 4.07 ERA in 86 major league appearances, including 70 starts, over seven seasons with the Astros, Detroit Tigers and Pirates.
Urquidy underwent his second Tommy John surgery in 2024 before returning with Detroit last season.
Pittsburgh receives Doroteo, a 21-year-old right-hander in his first professional season. He went 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 18 innings across 16 appearances for the Arizona Complex League White Sox.
–Field Level Media
Freddy Peralta says Sunday was 'probably' his final Mets start
Stephen Curry's Future With the Warriors Suddenly Feels Less Certain
