Sports
Lakers' Luka Doncic in question as road trip continues at Wizards
Jan 28, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Lakers continue a season-long eight-game road swing on Friday when they take to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Wizards.
Los Angeles fell to 3-2 on its eight-game, 14-day odyssey with a 129-99 blowout loss at Cleveland on Wednesday. The 30-point margin of defeat marked the Lakers’ most lopsided of the season.
Compounding problems on Wednesday was the exit of Luka Doncic in the first quarter with an apparent left leg injury sustained when he fell from Cleveland’s elevated court. The All-NBA guard returned to the lineup and scored 29 points in almost 30 minutes of action, but told reporters following the contest that “obviously, (I) wasn’t 100 percent.”
Doncic’s status for Friday is unclear as of Thursday. The NBA’s leading scorer at 33.6 points per game, the potential absence of Doncic adds to recent woes with 26.6-point per game scorer Austin Reaves sidelined since Dec. 25 with a calf injury.
With injuries impacting the rotation, Lakers coach JJ Redick said that against Cleveland “substitution patterns got a little bit out of whack.”
In addition to the uncertainty in the immediate future from injuries, the longer-term outlook for LeBron James is another hot topic for Los Angeles ahead of Friday’s contest. Cameras captured a visibly emotional James during a tribute video played in his return to Cleveland, where he spent tenures from 2003-10 and 2014-18 before joining the Lakers.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” James said. “Just try to live in the moment and not take it for granted; try to be present.”
After missing the campaign’s first 14 dates, the 41-year-old James is averaging 22 points and 5.9 rebounds per game — both season-long lows for the 21-time All-NBA honoree after his 2003-04 rookie year.
James finished with 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and committed six turnovers on Wednesday.
Washington, meanwhile, comes into Friday’s matchup chasing a feat it has yet to reach in 2025-26: scoring a third consecutive win.
The Wizards earned a 109-99 win on Thursday over the flailing Milwaukee Bucks, coming on the heels of a 115-111 defeat of Portland on Tuesday.
This marks just the third time this season Washington has won consecutive games. In their two previous attempts to score a third straight victory, the Wizards lost by 14 and 26 points to Phoenix and Minnesota.
Friday’s pursuit of three in a row is Washington’s first since trading CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to Atlanta for Trae Young. The four-time All-Star Young has yet to debut for the Wizards since the Jan. 7 deal was announced, remaining sidelined with a quadriceps injury that has shelved him since Dec. 27.
This week’s wins over the Trail Blazers and Bucks are Washington’s first victories since shipping out McCollum and Kispert. Second-year big man Alex Sarr recorded double-doubles in both contests, following up his 29-point, 12-rebound performance on Tuesday with 16 points and a career-high 17 boards vs. Milwaukee.
“Just trying to find energy, do what we usually do. … That’s very fun,” Sarr said in his postgame interview with NBA on Prime. “We just have to see what worked for us and keep it rolling.”
One thing that’s worked for Washington this week has been the scoring of Kyshawn George, who went for 19 and 23 points the last two outings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Ben Shelton shows love of clay, wins BMW title
Ben Shelton connects with the ball during his second-round match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Friday, March 6, 2026. Ben Shelton rolled to his second title of the year, winning the BMW Open with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli at Munich, Germany.
Shelton won 85% of his first-serve points on the clay surface and saved all six break points he faced to win his fifth career title and first since Dallas earlier this year. Shelton showed his form early when he broke Cobolli’s serve twice in the first three games of the match.
With the second set tied 5-5, Shelton broke Cobolli again and won on serve on his first match point. Shelton became the first American man since 2009 to win three ATP 500 titles.
“I have big ambitions for the clay courts,” Shelton said in his post-match interview. “It is a surface I want to get better on each year. It is slowly becoming one of my favorite surfaces to play on.”
Barcelona Open
Arthur Fils of France held off a late charge from Russia’s Andrey Rublev to record a 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory in the final of the tournament.
Fils won his first title since returning in February after missing eight months because of a back injury.
Fils was well on his way to victory after cruising in the first set and leading 5-2 in the second before Rublev dug in his heels. Rublev broke Fils’ serve to pull within 5-4 in the second set, then staved off one match point to make it 5-5.
Rublev broke serve again to lead 6-5 in the second set before Fils finally regained control and finished off the match in a tiebreak.
“The end of the second set was just about the mental (pressure),” Fils said. “The whole match was a bit tough because I was a bit tight. I played well for a set and a half, but when I had to close, I started to think a little. But I’m very happy with the way I played the tiebreak.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
WTA roundup: Elena Rybakina wins at Stuttgart for second time
Aug 31, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in action against Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic in the fourth round of the women’s singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Second-seeded Elena Rybakina won 25 of her 32 first-serve points (78.1%) and needed just 78 minutes on Sunday to post a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Karolina Muchova to win the championship match of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, had three aces while winning her 13th career title and second in Stuttgart. She also won the event in 2024. This victory marks the first time she has won multiple titles at a tournament.
The Czech Republic’s Muchova, the No. 7 seed, was much less efficient on her first serves, winning just 52.3% (23 of 44). She saved four of eight break points.
Muchova trailed 5-2 in the first set before winning three straight games to knot the match. But Rybakina won the final two games and then sailed through the second set to win her fifth clay court title.
Rouen Metropolitan Open
Top-seeded Marta Kostyuk hit 34 winners against 23 unforced errors while claiming a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Veronika Podrez in the first all-Ukrainian WTA final at Rouen, France.
Kostyuk converted 6 of 9 break points against the 19-year-old Podrez to win her second singles title. Podrez, a qualifier, was playing in her first final.
“This match today was not just a match,” Kostyuk said during the trophy presentation. “It was a historical moment for Ukrainian tennis. First time two Ukrainians playing in the final. I know how much work, sacrifice, tears and sweat goes into this sport and to be able to be on this stage. So I’m incredibly proud of Ukrainian tennis right now.”
Podrez had just one ace while committing seven double faults.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Former Georgia WR Zachariah Branch arrested
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) takes questions from the press during the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals Media Day at Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, La., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. Players and coaches from Ole Miss and Georgia took questions from the press. Wide receiver Zachariah Branch, a Georgia standout who was expected to be selected in the NFL Draft later this week, was arrested early Sunday in Athens, Ga., according to Athens-Clarke County jail records.
Branch, 22, was charged with obstructing public sidewalks/streets and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, both misdemeanors. He was booked at 1:26 a.m. and released on bond at 3:44 a.m.
Widely projected as a Day 2 NFL draft pick, estimates show Branch going as high as the second round on Friday.
In his first season at Georgia, following a transfer from Southern California, Branch led the Bulldogs with 81 receptions for 811 yards and six touchdowns last season. Georgia went 12-2 and lost 39-34 to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
In three college seasons, the first two at USC, Branch had 159 receptions for 1,634 yards and nine touchdowns in 37 games.
–Field Level Media
ATP roundup: Ben Shelton shows love of clay, wins BMW title
Save on gas (and everything else) with a $15 BJ’s membership
