Sports
Losers of a combined 13 in a row, 76ers and Bulls clash in Philly
Feb 20, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) controls the ball against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Two teams desperate to end long losing streaks collide Monday when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Chicago Bulls.
Philadelphia enters the week having lost seven games in a row, while Chicago is aiming to snap a six-game slide. Despite the teams’ rough play of late, they are both on the fringe of postseason contention in the Eastern Conference, as the Bulls sit in 10th place — the final spot of the play-in tournament — while the Sixers are two games out of 10th.
Of course, neither team can be counted on to make any noise in the postseason unless things start to improve in a hurry.
The Sixers lost 105-103 to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Tyrese Maxey hit the tying 3-pointer with 22 seconds left before Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton put in an offensive rebound at the buzzer.
“It’s tough,” Philadelphia guard Quentin Grimes said. “That’s one of the games that we felt like we should’ve won.”
Meanwhile, Chicago has lost a pair of tight contests since returning from the All-Star break. The Bulls fell 113-111 in overtime on the road against the New York Knicks on Thursday before dropping a 121-117 decision to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
In the setback against Phoenix, Josh Giddey paced the Bulls with 24 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Coby White chipped in 20 points and eight assists, while Nikola Vucevic added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
All things considered, though, Chicago coach Billy Donovan was pleased with his team’s performance.
“The New York game and this game, at the rim there’s more presence and being aggressive at the point of attack,” Donovan said. “We are trying to do those things. I’m happy and pleased with the way the guys are competing and battling; I really am.”
Rookie Matas Buzelis scored 15 points in 24 minutes.
Buzelis is averaging just 6.5 points per game, although he has scored in double figures in nine of his past 10 contests. Giddey, meanwhile, is averaging 25.5 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists over his past two games.
On the Sixers’ side, Grimes has scored in double figures in all six games since joining the team in a trade with Dallas Mavericks. He also has pulled down at least seven rebounds in five consecutive outings.
Joel Embiid, on the other hand, was 7-of-22 from the field in the past two games as he struggled to play through a knee ailment that will keep him out of Monday night’s game against the Bulls.
He was benched in the fourth quarter on Saturday night, a move Sixers coach Nick Nurse said was because the five players on the court were playing well.
“They had a good feel for the game at that point,” Nurse said. “Just wanted to let them roll with it.”
However, there may have been more to it than that, as ESPN reported Embiid had swelling in his knee after the game and underwent new imaging on Monday. Embiid and the Sixers will reportedly consult specialists to get further medical opinions about possible options, including surgery, according to ESPN.
Maxey, who is averaging 27.4 points and 6.1 assists through 48 games, was listed as questionable for Monday night’s game with a right finger sprain. He missed eight games earlier in the season with a right hamstring injury.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tour de France final stage rerouted due to wildfires
A firefighter works to battle wildfire near the A9 motorway near Beziers, France, July 3, 2026. Wildfires in southwest France have forced organizers of the Tour de France to reconfigure the final stage, set for Sunday.
The change is necessary because multiple first responders have been diverted to the fires. The new route will leave a smaller race footprint for local officials to secure.
“As numerous wildfires are currently affecting France, particularly the Gironde region, emergency services are fully mobilized to combat the blazes, while internal security forces are working to secure the affected areas and protect the population,” the Amaury Sport Organisation said in a statement.
“In light of this, the Ministry of Interior has decided to redeploy a portion of the internal security forces initially mobilized to ensure security for the final stage of the Tour de France, in order to reinforce the response efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires.”
The wildfires have led to the evacuations of about 200,000 people.
Stage 21 had been set as a 132.5-kilometer ride from Thoiry down the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
The re-imagined Stage 21 still will end along the famed road, just after a circuit on the Montmartre. But the run now will occur solely within the Paris boundaries and travel just 89 km. Cyclists will take two extra circuits along the Champs-Elysees before heading out for the Montmartre climb.
The Montmartre circuit has proven to be popular after it was used in the 2024 Paris Olympics and then added to the 2025 Tour de France. The area can accommodate large gatherings of fans, who turn the area into a party atmosphere.
Earlier in the Tour de France, fans were asked to stay away from the final 40 kilometers of Stage 3 because of wildfires and the need to deploy first responders to the area.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Robert Kraft: Patriots offered CB Christian Gonzalez record-setting deal
Jun 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) takes questions from the media at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the team offered Christian Gonzalez a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
Kraft did not reveal the specific terms of the deal on Saturday, the first day of training camp.
“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said during the team’s Pawtriots pet adoption event, per the Boston Herald. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL, and coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in the Patriots franchise history.
“So we’re glad we drafted him and we developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”
Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension for the first time after being selected by the Patriots with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Los Angeles Rams’ Trent McDuffie is currently the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, pocketing $31 million per season on his four-year, $131 million contract that he signed this offseason.
Gonzalez, 24, made the Pro Bowl last season after posting 69 tackles and 10 passes defensed in 14 starts. He has three interceptions, 24 passes defensed, one fumble recovery, one sack and 145 tackles in 34 career games (all starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
49ers' Kyle Shanahan to be limited in camp after serious car crash
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan talks to the media during the NFL League Meetings on March 30, 2026, at Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan broke his nose, three ribs and his hand, needed over 40 stitches to his face and sustained a severe concussion after he was involved in a car accident last week, ESPN reported Saturday.
Per the network, the accident occurred on July 14 after Shanahan collided with an SUV near his northern California home.
The other driver was not injured, per Palo Alto lieutenant Nicholas Martinez. Martinez added that drugs and alcohol were not involved.
The 49ers said Shanahan will participate in team activities on a limited basis at the start of training camp, with ESPN reporting doctors will not clear Shanahan for all activities until concussion symptoms clear.
The team said assistant head coach Chris Foerster along with team coordinators will handle the head-coaching responsibilities during this time.
49ers general manager John Lynch is scheduled to hold a news conference at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The Niners are scheduled to hold their first practice of training camp Sunday morning and are set to open the season on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Shanahan, 46, will begin his 10th season as head coach in San Francisco. He owns an 82-67 record in the regular season. He has a 9-5 postseason record, guiding the 49ers to a pair of Super Bowl appearances — losing to the Kansas City Chiefs both times (2020, 2024).
–Field Level Media
Tour de France final stage rerouted due to wildfires
Robert Kraft: Patriots offered CB Christian Gonzalez record-setting deal
