Sports
Mavs flagging despite Cooper Flagg; Celtics rolling with Jaylen Brown
Jan 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) and Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) shake hands after the game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The Dallas Mavericks hope Cooper Flagg’s recent individual brilliance finally translates to team success when they host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Flagg backed up his record-breaking 49-point haul on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets — the most by a teenager in an NBA game — by pouring in 34 during a 111-107 loss Saturday at the Houston Rockets.
“That’s how he’s built,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s built to win. He’s going to try to do everything to help his team win. He’s done that all season.”
These solo heroics from the rookie sensation — back after a two-game absence with a rolled left ankle — couldn’t prevent the Mavericks’ losing streak from extending to four.
Flagg scored 21 of his points after halftime against Houston, but he missed a game-tying layup with 25 seconds left and a 3-point attempt with 0:09 on the clock that would have reduced Dallas’ deficit to one.
Nevertheless, teammate Daniel Gafford is more than happy for Flagg to be the man to take those important shots.
“Coops? Oh, amazing,” Gafford said. “Put the ball in his hand and good things happen throughout the stretch of the game. We trust him to take those shots at the end of the game that he took. And the majority of the time, those shots fall.
“I’m pretty sure it was tough that he didn’t see that last one go in. He just came off a 49-point game. The sky’s the limit for him, so let him just get the ball and go.”
Compounding Dallas’ disappointment in defeat, neither guard Brandon Williams nor forward P.J. Washington finished the game.
Williams, who got off to a hot start with 13 first-quarter points, was ruled out in the second period after limping off with a lower right leg contusion following a collision with Rockets guard Reed Sheppard.
Later, Washington went to the locker room after copping an accidental elbow from teammate Naji Marshall, before being ruled out with a head contusion in the closing minutes of regulation. Washington is in concussion protocol and out for Tuesday, while Williams is questionable.
The Mavericks, already down their best player — Anthony Davis (finger) — for the foreseeable future, can’t afford to keep losing bodies with the Celtics coming to Texas fresh off a 107-79 demolition of the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Boston stumbled into a shocking 12-0 hole before dominating Milwaukee for the rest of the contest, especially on the defensive end where the Celtics limited the Bucks to 16, 19 and 18 points in the last three quarters.
Jaylen Brown led Boston’s charge with 30 points and a season-high 13 boards. The league’s fourth-leading scorer, averaging 29.4 points per game, has been on a rebounding tear of late.
He has averaged 9.6 boards across his past seven outings, to boost his season average to a career-high 6.9 per game.
“We always talk about (how) there’s a bunch of different ways you can lead — there’s 1,000 ways,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “One of them is what you saw (Sunday) — he had nine rebounds in the first half alone … It’s just another way that he leads. His understanding (of) what gives us the best chances to win every night, and also helping set the tone for the standards we have to have on both ends of the floor.”
Dallas and Boston split their pair of meetings last season with the road team winning both times.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros, IF Isaac Paredes avoid arbitration with 1-year deal
Jul 8, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) reacts after striking out during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The Houston Astros have avoided going to arbitration with All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes, announcing a new one-year deal with a club option for the 2027 season on Tuesday.
The terms of the contract weren’t announced by the team but Paredes is set to receive a $9.35 million salary, according to multiple reports. That reported salary would fall directly between the $9.95 million Paredes requested and the $8.75 the team offered in the pre-arbitration filing, per MLB.com.
Paredes, who turns 27 later this month, is coming off his second consecutive All-Star season in his first year in Houston. He hit .254 and had a .352 on-base percentage with 20 home runs, 15 doubles and 53 RBIs in 102 games, missing two months late in the season with a hamstring injury.
He’s played on four teams in six major league seasons, previously making stints with the Detroit Tigers (2020-21), Tampa Bay Rays (2022-24) and Chicago Cubs (2024) along with the Astros. He also was an All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2024 before he was traded to Chicago shortly before the trade deadline.
In 566 career games, Paredes is a .237 hitter with 92 homers, 287 RBIs, 387 strikeouts and 246 walks.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Seahawks nostalgic to be back in San Francisco, site of 2024 turning point
Feb 2, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald looks on during Opening Night for Super Bowl LX at San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images SAN JOSE, Calif. — As a rookie head coach in 2024, Mike Macdonald took his team to San Francisco for the first time with no trophies on the line but a sense the Seattle Seahawks’ season was on the brink.
“We were on a rollercoaster,” Macdonald said Tuesday at the San Jose Convention Center, recalling a critical moment during his first season as head coach.
With five losses in a string of six games, the Seahawks boarded the team plane at Sea-Tac Airport for a road game against the 49ers sporting a 4-5 record and more baggage than Macdonald could count.
“We were at an inflection point of where we want to go,” Macdonald recalled as the Seahawks are preparing to play once more at Levi’s Stadium in Super Bowl LX on Sunday night.
The Seahawks lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 3 that season and split for their bye week. The buzzword bouncing around the offices of Macdonald and general manager John Schneider always came back to one idea.
“Connected,” Macdonald said of the theme he shared to inspire a defensive turnaround. “We made a pact: We’re going to be a great defense no matter what happens.”
The Seahawks ended up winning six of their last eight games in 2024 then won 14 games during the 2025 regular season. They head toward the Super Bowl with Macdonald in position to win his 27th game, playoffs included, in his first two seasons.
Since their turning point, the Seahawks are 22-5, counting two victories in the current playoffs. With changes along the way to further the shared vision of what Seattle could become, Macdonald views Super Bowl LX as an exhibit of the collective investment in the ongoing mission.
“It’s a masterclass by John and our personnel folks,” Macdonald said. “When you have a shared alignment of what kind of people you want what kind of player fits the process. They’ve bought in. All of us. And they’re doing it for the guy next to him.
“For us, we said it after the (NFC) Championship Game that we didn’t care (if they were expected to win). We don’t. I think what was important to us was that we had to become a championship team. That’s what our focus was on.”
–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
Sports
Desperate Panthers face Bruins team looking to rebound from tough loss
Feb 1, 2026; Tampa Bay, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) reacts after missing during a shootout in the 2026 Stadium Series ice hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk is nothing if not honest.
“We’re in trouble right now,” Tkachuk told reporters Monday after Florida’s 5-3 loss to the visiting Buffalo Sabres.
The Panthers — the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champs — have lost four straight games and trail the Boston Bruins by nine points in the battle for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
On Wednesday night, the Panthers will face the Bruins in Sunrise, Fla.
The Panthers have 27 games left in the regular season but just two before a three-week Olympic break. The sense of urgency surrounding the team is real.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice, speaking after Monday’s loss, said his players are “grinding and battling” as hard as possible. In fact, Florida outshot Buffalo 42-20 on Monday.
“If the shots were 40-20 the other way, we’d be shook,” Maurice said.
Even so, Maurice admitted Florida’s injuries are an issue, especially after center Sam Bennett left Monday’s game in the first period due to an upper-body injury.
Bennett joins several prominent injured Panthers, including forwards Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand as well as defensemen Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov.
“That’s a problem,” Maurice said, while also sharing Tuesday that a number of these players could return as soon as Wednesday.
Tkachuk, who scored a total of 48 goals the previous two seasons, has only played eight games this season due to injuries.
Following Monday’s game, Tkachuk said the Sabres — who are trying to break an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought — are more talented than the champs.
“From an individual standpoint, they have us by a lot,” Tkachuk said. “We have a certain style, and if we play it, we are successful. We just haven’t played it enough.
“We cannot try to out-skill teams. We have to get back to the basics and win 1-0 or 2-1. If we don’t simplify things, this year will get away from us.”
Barkov and Kulikov each skated in Tuesday’s optional practice, the first time either has skated since sustaining their injuries. However, time is starting to dwindle for the twice-reigning champs.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are coming off a 6-5 shootout loss to the host Tampa Bay Lightning in an outdoor game played before 64,617 fans on Sunday.
Boston blew a 5-1 second-period lead.
“The game was over,” Bruins forward David Pastrnak said. “We had them.”
Wednesday’s game will be Boston’s final one before its Olympic break.
So far, things have gone relatively well for the Bruins under first-year head coach Marco Sturm, a former Bruins player.
Goalie Jeremy Swayman has bounced back this season from the first losing record in his six-year NHL career. Last season, he went 22-29-7 with a 3.12 goals-against average. This season, he is 22-12-3 with a 2.92 GAA.
Joonas Korpisalo, who is 10-8-1 with a 3.12 GAA, is in his second year as Swayman’s backup.
Armed with that duo, the Bruins have not lost consecutive games this calendar year, going 12-2-2 since Dec. 31.
“They’re on a heater,” Maurice said of the Bruins.
Offensively, Pastrnak leads Boston in assists (48) and points (70). He’s gunning for his fourth straight 100-point season.
Morgan Geekie leads the Bruins in total goals (32), even-strength goals (22) and power-play goals (10). He’s also one goal away from matching his career high of 33 goals, set last season.
Charlie McAvoy leads Boston’s defensemen in assists (34) and points (38). He also has a six-game point streak, with one goal and eight assists during that span.
The key for McAvoy has been improved health as he has already played 44 games as opposed to just 50 all of last season.
–Field Level Media
Astros, IF Isaac Paredes avoid arbitration with 1-year deal
Seahawks nostalgic to be back in San Francisco, site of 2024 turning point
