Sports
NBA roundup: Pistons knock off Cavs, clinch winning season
Mar 28, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) celebrates in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Tim Hardaway Jr. had a season-high 32 points and the host Detroit Pistons clinched their first winning season in nine years by defeating the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 133-122 on Friday night.
The last time Detroit (42-32) posted a winning season was 2015-16 when it finished 44-38. The Pistons also snapped a 12-game losing streak against the Cavaliers. Detroit had not beaten Cleveland since Feb. 24, 2022.
Malik Beasley supplied 19 points, while Ausar Thompson had 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Dennis Schroder contributed 17 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell carried the Cavaliers with 38 points. Darius Garland had 21. Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham missed his third straight game due to a left calf contusion.
Clippers 132, Nets 100
Kawhi Leonard finished with 31 points, including 19 in the second quarter, as Los Angeles rolled to its seventh win in eight games with the victory over Brooklyn in New York.
Leonard, who also had six rebounds and four steals, scored 25 points in the first half, while Ivica Zubac added 21 points and 12 boards. James Harden had 17 points and six assists for the Clippers, who shot 55 percent from the field and outscored the Nets 79-42 in the second and third quarters.
Keon Johnson led Brooklyn with 13 points, while Cameron Johnson contributed 11. Brooklyn’s other three starters — Ziaire Williams, Nic Claxton and D’Angelo Russell — were held to a combined 17.
Raptors 108, Hornets 97
Jakob Poeltl scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead host Toronto past Charlotte for its third consecutive win.
Poeltl’s efficient 12-of-14 effort from the field pushed him to his 22nd double-double of the season. Immanuel Quickley scored 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting and had nine assists, while Scottie Barnes added 18 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Mark Williams led the Hornets with 18 points and 12 rebounds on a perfect 9-of-9 from the field. DaQuan Jeffries scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting as Charlotte took its fourth straight loss.
Knicks 116, Bucks 107
OG Anunoby had 31 points, Mikal Bridges added 26 and New York held on for a road win over Milwaukee.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who have won three of the last four, and Josh Hart chipped in 13 points, 14 boards and eight assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points and nine rebounds, while Kyle Kuzma and Ryan Rollins each scored 20 points. Milwaukee has dropped three straight and four of its last six.
Nuggets 129, Jazz 93
Nikola Jokic had 27 points and 14 rebounds and Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 points as host Denver routed Utah.
Russell Westbrook had 17 points and Christian Braun contributed 16 for the Nuggets, who have won three of their past four games.
Collin Sexton scored 20 points to lead the Jazz, who have lost five in a row and 15 of 16. Kyle Filipowski finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Keyonte George also scored 18 points.
Timberwolves 124, Suns 109
Julius Randle had 25 points, six rebounds and eight assists, and Minnesota pulled away for a win over Phoenix in Minneapolis.
Rudy Gobert notched 17 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which completed a four-game sweep of the Suns during the regular season. Anthony Edwards finished with 20 points, and Jaden McDaniels scored 16.
Kevin Durant scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Phoenix. Collin Gillespie had 22 points and 10 assists, and Royce O’Neale finished with 21 points off the bench.
Warriors 111, Pelicans 95
Stephen Curry overcame a slow start in his return from injury to score 23 points as visiting Golden State defeated New Orleans to snap a two-game skid.
Curry, who missed two games because of a pelvic contusion, scored just three points in the first quarter. But the Warriors gradually took control. Jimmy Butler III added 18 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State.
Bruce Brown scored 18 points and Yves Missi had 12 points and 10 boards for New Orleans, which was outscored 28-13 in the fourth quarter.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Lions running back David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Montgomery, however, immediately appeared to refute the report on X, posting: “Damn, Dmo told you that?”
The ESPN report claims the Lions would want “a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder)” in the 2026 NFL Draft in return for Montgomery, who turns 29 in June and is owed $6 million next season.
The report follows general manager Brad Holmes’ remarks after the season about Montgomery being unhappy with his playing time in 2025. Sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery rushed for a career-low 716 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (no starts).
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said of Montgomery in January. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so yeah would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Holmes said the situation with Montgomery is “fluid.” He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season that runs through the end of the 2027 campaign.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Montgomery has rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in 45 games (28 starts) in three seasons with Detroit (2023-25). He has 76 catches for 650 yards in that span.
He began his career with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Montgomery rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 scores in 60 games (51 starts) with the Bears (2019-22).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees LHP Ryan Yarbrough joins U.S. roster for WBC
Jun 18, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (33) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough was added to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic on Sunday.
The 34-year-old reliever replaces Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan, who is dealing with low back tightness. Ryan moves into the designated pitcher pool, meaning he is eligible for a call-up after each round of the WBC.
Yarbrough went 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save in 19 games (eight starts) during his first season with the Yankees in 2025, striking out 55 batters and walking 19 in 64 innings.
Ryan Yarbrough has been added to our roster for the World Baseball Classic!#ForGlory???? pic.twitter.com/RrtKJQ20gz
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 1, 2026
Team USA will play its first game of the 2026 WBC on Friday night, meeting Brazil in a Pool B contest in Houston.
Yarbrough has a career record of 56-41 with a 4.22 ERA and four saves in 215 games (76 starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2018-22), Kansas City Royals (2023), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Toronto Blue Jays (2024) and Yankees. The side-arming southpaw signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in November to return to New York in 2026.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ex-pitcher Dan Serafini gets life sentence for '21 murder
Dan Serafini (file photo) pitched in MLB with seven teams. He was convited of first-degree murder. Former major league pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday for the 2021 shootings of his in-laws in North Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Serafini, 52, was convicted in July of the first-degree murder of father-in-law Gary Spohr and the attempted first-degree murder of mother-in-law Wendy Wood during a burglary. Spohr, 70, died from a single gunshot and Wood, then 68, survived but died by suicide the following year.
In the courtroom on Friday in Auburn, Calif., Placer County prosecutor Morgan Gire described Spohr and Wood as loving grandparents.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
Serafini, who pitched for six MLB teams from 1996 to 2007, addressed the court and maintained his innocence. He said he was out partying with his wife, Erin Spohr, at the time of the shooting and referred to himself as a “broken, imperfect man that makes mistakes,” according to MyNews4.
The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games (33 starts) with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before his retirement in 2007.
He had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He threw 263 2/3 innings and struck out 127 batters.
–Field Level Media
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
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