Sports
Skidding, short-handed teams clash as Grizzlies face Mavericks
Feb 25, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Taylor Hendricks (22) dunks as Golden State Warriors center Quinten Post (21) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images With a little more than a month left in the season, the Memphis Grizzlies are doing their best to persevere as their best players remain on the mend and the losses mount.
Star guard Ja Morant will miss his 16th consecutive game when the Grizzlies visit the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. Morant has been sidelined with a left elbow injury and hasn’t been on the floor since Jan. 21.
Big man Zach Edey remains out with an ankle issue, and rookie Cedric Coward hasn’t played since the All-Star break because of a knee injury.
The situation has left the Grizzlies scrambling to assemble a cohesive unit. And the loss of Edey — in addition to recent trades of 6-foot-10 Jaren Jackson Jr. and 6-11 Jock Landale — has rendered the Grizzlies ineffective on the boards as well.
After being outrebounded 48-34 in a 133-112 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, the Grizzlies have been outrebounded 150-106 in their past three games, all losses.
Memphis has lost seven of its past eight games, and the disparity on the glass has been a factor.
“Absolutely,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “With the size disadvantage that we have, we have to be able to have some friction on the ball, some ball pressure and not allow the offense to get to the spots where they want to get the ball.
“We’ve given up way too easily (in the past three games). There’s no primary rim protector, and we have very little secondary rim protection right now that will erase those mistakes.”
The Grizzlies made a move on Thursday to address the situation by signing 40-year-old free agent forward/center Taj Gibson to a two-year deal. Gibson, a 16-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 1,002 games, is 6-foot-9.
His most recent NBA action was 37 games last season for the Charlotte Hornets, when he averaged 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Taylor Hendricks, a recent trade acquisition from the Utah Jazz, saw significant time at center — not his natural position — on Wednesday and finished with 14 points and six rebounds.
“He was in a tough situation (against Golden State),” Iisalo said. “(Kyle) Anderson was a late scratch for the game. Taylor went into a new position after being with the team very little time. I thought he did a good job for not having practiced there once.”
Dallas has encountered its share of injury issues, too. Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg missed the past five games because of a foot sprain and likely won’t play against Memphis. The Mavericks, who will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set, have dropped 11 of their past 13 contests.
Dallas fell 130-121 to the visiting Sacramento Kings on Thursday despite Naji Marshall logging a season-high 36 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists. Khris Middleton chipping in with 17 points.
Brandon Williams added 16 points and four assists off the bench. On Tuesday, Williams scored 19 points and added 10 assists in a road win over the Brooklyn Nets.
“I think you can see that (Brandon has) turned the corner of being able to play-make for others,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “(He’s) using his speed to get into the paint and not always looking to score but making plays for others.
“He’s made some big shots for us, and I thought he played some pretty good defense, too. I think you can see he’s getting comfortable running the team.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red Sox tie club mark with 15th straight win in DH opener vs. O's
Jul 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) hits a two run RBI double against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Ceddanne Rafaela homered, Jarren Duran drove in three runs and the Boston Red Sox tied a franchise record for consecutive victories with 15 by beating the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-3 in the first game of a split doubleheader Wednesday.
The Red Sox, who also won 15 straight during the 1946 season, haven’t lost since a 10-2 home setback against the Washington Nationals on July 1.
Boston starter Jake Bennett (6-3) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits and struck out five. Aroldis Chapman tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 23rd save of 2026 and 390th overall, tying him for ninth on the all-time list with former Red Sox pitcher Dennis Eckersley.
Dean Kremer (1-3) gave up six runs on eight hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Rafaela, Caleb Durbin and Willson Contreras each collected two hits for the Red Sox, who never trailed.
Baltimore received a solo home run from Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who had three hits and two RBIs.
Durbin’s two-run single and a two-run triple from Duran handed Boston a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Baltimore made it 4-1 in the third, when Pete Alonso doubled and scored on Tyler O’Neill’s two-out double that Rafaela lost in the sun.
The Red Sox regained a four-run lead in the bottom of the third. Durbin scored on Duran’s sacrifice fly to make it a 5-1 contest.
Encarnacion-Strand’s home run came against Bennett in the fourth and cut Boston’s lead to 5-2. It was his second home run in as many games since being called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.
Rafaela’s home run, his ninth of the season, extended Boston’s edge to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth, but Encarnacion-Strand’s third hit of the game was an RBI single that drove in Coby Mayo and trimmed Boston’s advantage to 6-3 in the sixth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Guardians star 3B Jose Ramirez activated, batting second
Jun 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after scoring during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images In a virtual tie atop the American League Central, the Cleveland Guardians received a major boost with the activation of star third baseman Jose Ramirez, who is in the starting lineup and batting second Wednesday against the visiting Minnesota Twins.
Ramirez, 33, a seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger, had been out since June 13 with a left hamate fracture. He underwent surgery three days later and was given a timetable of five to seven weeks. Wednesday marked five weeks and a day since the procedure.
In a corresponding move, outfielder Kahlil WIlson was optioned to Triple-A Columbus.
Without Ramirez, the Guardians went 15-15 but struggled offensively, ranking 28th in the majors in runs (121) and 26th in OPS (.690). In 72 games this season, the 14-year veteran is hitting .239 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs, along with 18 doubles and 24 stolen bases.
In other injury news, Cleveland outfielder Angel Martinez began a rehab assignment on Friday after suffering a non-displaced left foot fracture the same day of Ramirez’s injury.
Martinez played seven innings in his third rehab game for Triple-A Akron on Tuesday and could be activated by this weekend, MLB.com reported. In 66 games this season for Cleveland, he has hit .239 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spain's Gavi: No suspension for Argentina’s Leandro Paredes
July 19, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.; Argentina’s Leandro Paredes clashes with Spain’s Gavi next to assistant coach Walter Samuel. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images Spain midfielder Gavi doesn’t feel Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes should be suspended for his postgame tirade following Spain’s 1-0 victory in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Tensions were high after the match and Paredes had a hand in elevating them further. While players were mixing it up, Paredes charged in from behind and crashed into Gavi, eliciting further pushing and shoving and an occasional swing.
FIFA said earlier this week it will have a prosecutor conduct an investigation.
Still, Gavi said Paredes shouldn’t receive a ban.
“I don’t think he should be suspended,” Gavi said after the match. “I understand it’s not a good image for children, but I think there’s also that side to football, which is a bit more physical, more aggressive.
“The most logical thing would have been to send him off during the match, and that’s it. In the end, I think it’s all football, and it has to be that way.”
Gavi became involved in the incident after attempting to intervene in a confrontation that involved teammate Eric Garcia.
At one point, Paredes was listed as receiving a red card for his postgame actions. That was deleted a short time later.
After the match, Paredes was asked about the incident.
“I was just talking to them after the match,” Paredes said. “Things got heated with their teammates being aggressive. … They didn’t need to get physical like that. It was childish.”
Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute for Spain.
–Field Level Media
Red Sox tie club mark with 15th straight win in DH opener vs. O's
Guardians star 3B Jose Ramirez activated, batting second
