Sports
Without biggest star, Bucks look to keep rolling against Pelicans
Feb 6, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) warms up before game against the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Bucks are attempting to limit the noise surrounding the health and cloudy future of their superstar by taking care of matters on the court.
Playing without two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks will bid for their sixth win in seven games on Friday when they return from the All-Star break to face the host New Orleans Pelicans.
Sidelined since Jan. 23, Antetokounmpo was expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a strained right calf. It will be exactly four weeks on Friday.
“I’m healthy today, I just got to check the boxes,” Antetokounmpo said on NBA Today earlier in the week. “I gotta play 1-on-1, 3-on-3, 5-on-5. The moment I do that, that can be the next game.”
The Bucks lost their first three games without Antetokounmpo before picking up mostly positive results over their last six games, including a 141-137 overtime decision versus New Orleans on Feb. 4 in Milwaukee
Ryan Rollins erupted for 27 points and AJ Green had 20 in that game to help the Bucks overcome a sizzling display by the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III, who highlighted his career-high 44-point performance with a franchise-best 12 3-pointers.
Milwaukee spread the wealth in its last game before the break, with seven players scoring in double digits in a 110-93 victory over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 12.
Ousmane Dieng recorded his first career double-double after collecting a season-high 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team in the Thunder. Green had 17 points and Bobby Portis added 15 to go along with 12 boards for the Bucks.
“We’re playing for Milwaukee,” Portis told Sirius XM NBA Radio. “I’m playing for Milwaukee. I take pride in being a Buck. I love the city of Milwaukee. They call me the mayor of Milwaukee.”
The Pelicans rebounded from their overtime loss to the Bucks by winning two of their final three games before the All-Star break.
Murphy scored 19 points in New Orleans’ 123-111 home loss to the Miami Heat on Feb. 11 before exiting the contest with soreness in his right shoulder. Murphy, who averages a team-best 22.1 points and 1.5 steals per game, is expected to return to the court for Friday’s game.
Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen have fared well during their rookie seasons, with the former averaging 13.2 points while the latter is contributing 12.2 points to go along with team-best averages in rebounds (7.2) and assists (4.1).
Queen, however, got the last laugh in the NBA Rising Stars competition as he helped Team Vince defeat Fears’ Team Melo in the title game.
Both players are ready to take the experience of playing in that spotlight into the second half of the Pelicans’ season.
“We’re gonna come back a lot more confident,” Fears said on the Pelicans podcast. “We’re gonna be around (our teammates). We’re just gonna continue to keep working and it’s going to open our eyes for sure.”
Said Queen: “I’m excited to come back. We’ve got three home games. Win those three and get back on the right track.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Speed skater Jordan Stolz denied 3rd gold medal, takes silver in 1500m
Jordan Stolz of the United States won the silver medal in the men’s 1500m speed skating event Thursday at the Winter Olympics in Milan. MILAN — China’s Ning Zhongyan won the men’s 1,500 meters at the Winter Olympics on Thursday, denying American Jordan Stolz of his third speed skating gold medal of these Games.
Stolz claimed silver, while two-time defending Olympic 1,500m champion Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands secured bronze to round out a high-caliber podium.
Stolz entered the event as the overwhelming favorite after record-breaking victories in both the 1,000m and 500m. He was undefeated in the 1,500m this season.
But the field was stacked with heavyweights, including Nuis, the 1,500m world record holder; newly crowned 5,000m Olympic champion Sander Eitrem; 10,000m gold medalist Metodej Jilek; as well as Dutchman Joep Wennemars and Poland’s Vladimir Semirunniy.
But Ning, 26, already buoyed by two bronzes at the Milan Cortina Games in the men’s 1,000m and the team pursuit, had other plans.
Skating in the 13th of 15 pairs, Ning started in the inner lane alongside Nuis. On a remarkable day for the distance, the Olympic record fell twice: first to Wennemars in the 11th pair, and then to Ning, who obliterated the new mark moments later.
He stopped the clock at 1 minute, 41.98 seconds, finishing 0.77 seconds ahead of Stolz.
With Ning’s triumph, China now holds three gold medals at these Games, following Mengtao Xu’s victory in the women’s freestyle skiing aerials and Yiming Su’s win in the men’s snowboard slopestyle.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
US, Canada women advance to Olympics curling semis
Taylor Anderson-Heide, Tabitha Peterson and Tara Peterson of the United States advanced to the women’s curling tournament semi-finals on Thursday with a win against Switzerland in the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. REUTERS/Issei Kato CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Rachel Homan’s Canada team beat South Korea 10-7 on Thursday to book a spot in the semi-finals of the women’s curling competition at the Winter Olympics, where they will be joined by the United States.-
Both teams needed to win to lock in a place in the final four, and Homan delivered a fine performance to seal an Olympic semi-finals spot for the first time in her career.
Canada, two-time world champions, were pre-tournament favorites to win gold, but Homan’s record at the Olympics has been poor. She participated in the past two Games, finishing sixth as skip of the women’s team in 2018 and then once again ending up outside the qualification spots for the semi-finals while competing in the mixed doubles in 2022.
Canada had a poor start to its round-robin campaign with just one win after the opening four games.
“We’ve been in a single elimination tournament. We started off a little bit slow,” Homan said.
“We knew our game. We knew our training. We had belief in each other and just tried to stick with the process. … It’s hard playing a single elimination game the entire time, but that’s what the Olympics is. It’s a tough field.
“Everyone’s gunning for you, and you have to bring your best every single time or it’s going to be a loss.”
Tabitha Peterson and her United States teammates are hoping to become the first U.S. women’s team to win an Olympic medal. They claimed a 7-6 win over Switzerland, which already had sealed a spot in the semi-finals.
The game went into an extra end and Switzerland set up two stones in the house, but Peterson made a difficult draw with her last shot to snatch the win.
Asked about the final shot, the team’s second Tara Peterson said: “We just told her the speed. … You give Tab a draw, she’s going to make it, so we were very happy to have that opportunity.”
The United States will meet Switzerland once again in the semi-finals on Friday, while round-robin leader Sweden takes on fourth-place Canada.
Great Britain, the defending Olympic champion, beat host Italy 7-4 to finish sixth.
–Reuters, Special to Field Level Media
Sports
Ex-skipper Bob Melvin rejoins A's as special assistant
Oct 3, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin (6) looks on from the dugout before the start of the game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Longtime Oakland manager Bob Melvin has rejoined the Athletics as a special assistant in baseball operations.
Melvin, 64, “will serve as an adviser to the front office on baseball matters,” the team announced on Thursday.
Melvin managed the Oakland A’s from 2011-21, reaching the playoffs six times and winning two American League Manager of the Year awards (2012, 2018).
He compiled a record of 1,678-1,588 in 22 seasons as a skipper with the Seattle Mariners (2003-04), Arizona Diamondbacks (2005-09), Athletics, San Diego Padres (2022-23) and San Francisco Giants (2024-25).
The Giants fired Melvin following an 81-81 finish last season.
Melvin also earned National League Manager of the Year honors with the Diamondbacks in 2007. None of his teams reached the World Series.
–Field Level Media
Speed skater Jordan Stolz denied 3rd gold medal, takes silver in 1500m
US, Canada women advance to Olympics curling semis
