Sports
NBA roundup: Last-second trey gives Suns wild win over Lakers
Feb 26, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Royce O’Neale (00) celebrates the game winning shot against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Royce O’Neale made a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining as the host Phoenix Suns overcame a 13-point second-half deficit for a 113-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
O’Neale gave the Suns a 110-108 lead on their previous possession before LeBron James’ tip-in tied it with 22.7 seconds remaining. The Suns played for one shot, and Grayson Allen drove the lane and kicked it to Collin Gillespie, who found O’Neale wide open on the left wing.
Allen scored 28 points and made six 3-pointers, while Gillespie scored 21 points and also hit six 3-pointers as the Suns overcame a 41-point game from Luka Doncic to win the season series with only one game remaining. Doncic made six 3-pointers and had eight assists and eight rebounds, as well.
LeBron James had 10 of his 15 points in the second half and Marcus Smart had 14 points for the Lakers, who have lost five of seven and are one game ahead of the Suns for the sixth spot in the Western Conference.
Hornets 133, Pacers 109
Kon Knueppel set the NBA single-season rookie record for 3-pointers and Brandon Miller matched a season high with 33 points, fueling Charlotte Hornets to a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.
Knueppel highlighted his 28-point performance by matching his own franchise rookie record with eight 3-pointers, boosting his season total to 209. LaMelo Ball collected 20 points and eight assists and Moussa Diabate contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, who extended their franchise-best road winning streak to nine.
Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard contributed 20 points and seven assists and Micah Potter added 19 points off the bench. Jarace Walker added 16 points for the free-falling Pacers, who have dropped five in a row and nine of their last 11 games.
Spurs 126, Nets 110
Julian Champagnie scored 26 points in a successful homecoming and San Antonio extended its longest winning streak since the 2015-16 season to 11 with a victory over Brooklyn in New York.
Champagnie’s big night helped offset a second straight quiet showing from Victor Wembanyama, who was held to 12 points and had eight rebounds. Stephon Castle added 13 of his 18 in the opening quarter, Devin Vassell scored 14 and De’Aaron Fox contributed 10 of his 14 in the third.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 17 of his 25 in the third when the Nets made a comeback attempt before taking their sixth straight loss. Day’Ron Sharpe contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench and rookie Danny Wolf also scored 14.
Rockets 113, Magic 108
Kevin Durant scored 40 points and Houston went on a 21-0 run in the third quarter to overcome a 19-point deficit and drop host Orlando.
Reed Sheppard added 20 points and made five 3-pointers for Houston, while Alperen Sengun had 16 points and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 13 for the Rockets, who won their third straight game.
Desmond Bane led Orlando with 30 points, while Paolo Banchero totaled 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. With the Magic leading 76-57 with 5:04 left in the third, Houston scored 21 straight points over a span of 3:31 to grab the lead. A Sengun layup with 3:07 left in the game gave the Rockets the lead for good.
76ers 124, Heat 117
Tyrese Maxey registered 28 points, 11 assists and five steals to guide host Philadelphia to a victory over Miami.
Joel Embiid produced 26 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers, who finished the game on an 8-0 run to capture their third straight win. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21 points and eight boards.
Bam Adebayo paced Miami with 29 points and 14 rebounds and Tyler Herro pitched in with 25 points and seven assists off the bench, but the Heat lost their second game in a row.
Timberwolves 94, Clippers 88
Anthony Edwards scored 31 points and Donte DiVincenzo added 18 as Minnesota shook off short-handed Los Angeles to earn a victory in Inglewood, Calif.
Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 12 points and Rudy Gobert added 13 rebounds as the Timberwolves improved to 5-1 since Feb. 9 and 2-0 to start a three-game road trip that ends Sunday at Denver.
Derrick Jones Jr. put up 18 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 14 for the Clippers, who were without Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and John Collins (head/neck). Kris Dunn scored 11 points for Los Angeles, which has dropped three consecutive games for the first time since a five-game skid from Dec. 5-18.
Hawks 126, Wizards 96
Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum took it to their old team, combining for 58 points to help Atlanta roll to a win over visiting Washington.
The duo, obtained in the trade that sent Trae Young to the Wizards last month, sparked Atlanta to its second wire-to-wire victory over Washington in the past three days,Kispert had career highs with 33 points and 11 field goals, including six 3-pointers. McCollum scored 25 points, shooting 9-for-19. They each scored 22 points in the first half.
Washington was led by Tre Johnson, Will Riley, Justin Hardy and Justin Champagnie with 14 points each. The Wizards were without leading scorer Alex Sarr, who missed his sixth game with a right hamstring strain, and second-leading scorer Kyshawn George, out because of a left knee contusion.
Trail Blazers 121, Bulls 112
Jerami Grant scored 27 points and Toumani Camara added 16 to help visiting Portland post a victory over struggling Chicago.
Robert Williams III recorded 14 points, a season-best 14 rebounds and four blocked shots and fellow reserve Vit Krejci also scored 14 points as the Trail Blazers won for the sixth time in their past nine games.
Matas Buzelis had 20 points and seven rebounds and Tre Jones scored 19 points off the bench as the Bulls dropped their 11th straight game, matching the third-longest losing streak in franchise history.
Kings 130, Mavericks 121
Precious Achiuwa posted a career-high 29 points to lead Sacramento to a win over host Dallas.
Achiuwa shot 13 of 19 from the field, including 3 of 3 from 3-point range, and had 12 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud scored 22 points and Daeqwon Plowden added 19 off the bench.
Naji Marshall racked up a season-best 36 points to go with 10 boards for Dallas, which fell short of a third successive victory. Khris Middleton contributed 17 points and Brandon Williams had 16.
Pelicans 129, Jazz 118
Saddiq Bey had a season-high 42 points along with seven assists and five rebounds to lead New Orleans past Utah in Salt Lake City.
Zion Williamson added 20 points and four steals to help the Pelicans pick up their third straight win. Dejounte Murray tallied 17 points, nine assists and four steals in his second game back from an Achilles tendon injury.
Ace Bailey led Utah with 23 points. Brice Sensabaugh added 20 points off the bench for the Jazz, who shot 50% from the field but still lost their fourth consecutive game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Fever's defense trending up ahead of visit from Sun
Jun 13, 2026; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) drives the ball against Connecticut Sun guard Saniya Rivers (22) during the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Defensive improvement has contributed to the Indiana Fever’s current stretch of success.
Aiming for a third straight win, the Fever look to continue that stinginess in Indianapolis on Wednesday night against the Connecticut Sun, one of WNBA’s lowest-scoring teams.
Indiana (16-10) averages a league-high 94.4 points, but ranks near the bottom defensively, giving up 89.7 per contest. However, amid a 6-2 stretch, the Fever have held six opponents to 89 or fewer points.
On Saturday, they outscored the visiting New York Liberty 30-12 during the third quarter, paving the way for a 108-88 victory.
“We know we can score, but for us to accomplish what we want to accomplish, we’ve got to get better on the defensive end,” Indiana coach Stephanie White said.
The Fever held Connecticut (7-19) to nine second-quarter points and 5-of-17 shooting from 3-point range during their 85-75 road win June 13.
Caitlin Clark had 25 points, just above her average of 20.7 per game. The Indiana superstar has been on a minutes restriction over the last four games while dealing with a lingering back issue. With one game left before the All-Star break, she could receive another night of rest.
Star teammate Kelsey Mitchell (23.3 points) looks to record at least 20 points in an 11th straight contest. After scoring 30 in Indiana’s 110-107 win over Seattle on Friday, Mitchell dropped 33 on 10-of-14 shooting against the Liberty.
“She’s just a ballplayer,” White said. “She just wants to play.”
Mitchell scored 19 last month against the Sun, who will try to snap a four-game series losing streak to the Fever.
Though Connecticut is next-to-last in the league standings, while scoring 79.7 points per game, the team is 5-4 since losing seven in a row from June 2-19.
“Be mentally ready,” Sun coach Rachid Meziane said. “We have to be ready to respond by showing character.”
The Sun’s attempt at a third straight victory ended with a 72-63 loss at Phoenix on Sunday. They shot 37.9% overall, finished 4 of 14 from 3-point range and committed 21 turnovers that led to 22 points for the Mercury.
Connecticut center Olivia Nelson-Ododa tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds Sunday. She has averaged 11.7 points in her last 10 games, and posted 12 with seven boards against Indiana in June.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Georgia RB Dante Dowdell injured in accident
Nov 8, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Dante Dowdell (2) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Florida Gators at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Georgia running back Dante Dowdell was admitted to an Atlanta hospital with serious injuries following an all-terrain vehicle accident, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart confirmed to ESPN that Dowdell was injured in the accident near his home in Mississippi.
Dowdell was set to join his fourth program in four seasons after he played as a freshman at Oregon before transfers to Nebraska for the 2024 season and Kentucky last season.
In 30 college games over three seasons, Dowdell has rushed for 1,264 yards on 272 carries with 16 touchdowns. His best season came with Nebraska when he ran for 614 yards on 143 carries with 12 TDs.
Smart said there is no timetable for a potential return, and no certainty that Dowdell will be able to recover in time to play this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Aces face Mystic while searching for 'championship' form
Jul 20, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) reacts against the Toronto Tempo during the third quarter at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images The Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have something in common as they prepare for Wednesday night’s meeting in Washington.
Both teams are coming off high-scoring outings in victories Monday night.
Las Vegas scored 60 first-half points on the way to a 109-83 road victory in Toronto. A’ja Wilson finished with 26 points to lead the Aces in scoring for the fourth consecutive game and put her league-leading scoring average at 25.6 points per game.
The Aces (18-7) have won three of their last four games.
“We just want to continue to gain momentum,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. “We’re still in the process of trying to get better. We’re not a championship product yet.”
Washington secured a 90-82 triumph at Golden State to match its highest scoring game that did not go into overtime. The Mystics finished off the victory with 36 fourth-quarter points.
The Mystics (13-12) are scoring a league-low 79.6 points per game, although an 18-3 run late in Monday’s game gave them a much-needed boost.
“This team is sizing up to be one of the mentally toughest teams I’ve ever coached,” Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said. “It’s inspiring. There’s a togetherness and toughness that we’re rooted in.”
Kiki Iriafen poured in 23 points on Monday after managing a combined eight points in her previous two games. She has reached at least 23 points in three of her last eight games.
Keeping the Aces under control will be vital for the Mystics. Las Vegas is third in the WNBA in scoring at 90.7 points per game.
“We’re fortunate to have the third-best defense in the league,” Johnson said.
Las Vegas connected on 14 shots from 3-point range Monday, while Wilson was 3-of-3 from long range.
“Even for (Wilson), it makes her off the dribble even more dangerous,” Hammon said of the ability for her star player to stretch out defenses.
Sonia Citron is Washington’s top scorer at 17.0 points per outing — a number she matched against Golden State.
The Mystics are 3-3 in home games across the past month.
This will mark the first meeting of the season between the teams, who will face each other three times across a stretch of about three weeks.
–Field Level Media
Fever's defense trending up ahead of visit from Sun
Report: Georgia RB Dante Dowdell injured in accident
