Sports
Blazers, trying to keep pace in playoff chase, go for sweep of Jazz
Mar 10, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images The Portland Trail Blazers are out to complete a four-game season sweep of the visiting Utah Jazz when the teams match up Friday night.
Portland averaged 136 points in the first three meetings, including a 20-point home victory on Jan. 5 and a 16-point road win on Feb. 12. The Trail Blazers also won by two on Oct. 29 in Salt Lake City.
Portland could use a victory as a five-game road trip awaits. The Trail Blazers are in 10th place in the Western Conference, just 1 1/2 games behind the Golden State Warriors and 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers.
Portland has just 16 games remaining, adding a sense of urgency.
“We’ve got the players to do it,” veteran forward Jerami Grant said. “We’ve just gotta come together. Now that mostly everybody’s healthy, we should be able to string together some wins in these upcoming weeks.”
The Trail Blazers missed an opportunity Tuesday when they led the visiting Charlotte Hornets by 19 points in the second quarter before eventually losing 103-101.
Portland forward Toumani Camara felt the Trail Blazers were their own worst enemy in blowing the big lead.
“Everything was under our control,” Camara said. “I feel like we had some stupid turnovers, couldn’t make shots, but you know, that happens. (We could’ve) controlled the pace a little bit better. I feel like we let them kinda creep up on us a little too easily. I feel like we didn’t really put up a fight like we should’ve.”
Grant scored 24 points and Deni Avdija added 22 to lead Portland.
Backup Scoot Henderson had 17 points and made five 3-pointers for his second straight big performance. He had a season-best 28 points in Sunday’s 131-111 rout of the visiting Indiana Pacers.
The Jazz are beginning a three-game road trip that includes stops in Sacramento and Minnesota.
Utah has split its last four games, falling 134-117 to the visiting New York Knicks on Wednesday.
The Jazz came out firing and led 41-26 after the opening quarter but their defense was missing in action the rest of the way as New York scored 108 points over the final three quarters. The Knicks outscored Utah 78-52 in the second half.
“Sort of a tale of two halves,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “We came out to start the game and couldn’t be hotter, so we dictated the tempo. In the second half, they got hot and we had to start playing more against a set defense and it hurt us.”
Brice Sensabaugh made a season-best six 3-pointers and scored 29 points for Utah. It was his straight solid performance as he scored 21 points in Monday’s 119-116 home victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Sensabaugh is averaging 20.3 points over the last four games.
Rookie Ace Bailey added 21 points against New York and has excelled in two of his past three games. Bailey had 32 against the Washington Wizards on March 5 but just nine two nights later versus the Milwaukee Bucks before missing the Golden State game due to illness.
Standout guard Keyonte George could be sitting out Friday after leaving in the third quarter against the Knicks due to a right hamstring injury.
George had 14 points in 20 minutes before exiting. He averages 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game.
Utah has dropped five of the last six meetings with the Trail Blazers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Chiefs get help at CB with signing of Kader Kohou
Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (4) celebrates following an interception against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images The Kansas City Chiefs are signing cornerback Kader Kohou, a former starter with the Miami Dolphins who missed all of last season with a partially torn ACL, ESPN reported on Thursday.
Kohou, 27, can help the Chiefs replace departed cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (trade) and Jaylen Watson (free agency), both now on the Los Angeles Rams. He played both nickel and outside corner roles with the Dolphins.
Kohou stared 38 of his 47 regular-season games with Miami from 2022-24, totaling 180 tackles, three interceptions, 28 passes defended, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack. He also started two playoff games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Bengals signing DT Jonathan Allen to 2-year, $26M deal
Aug 17, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) warms up before a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Cincinnati Bengals are set to sign defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $26 million contract, according to multiple reports Thursday.
The deal could be worth up to $28 million with incentives for the two-time Pro Bowl selection, ESPN reported.
Allen, 31, started all 17 games for the Minnesota Vikings last season and had 68 tackles with 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and one fumble recovery.
The Vikings released Allen on Wednesday, the first day of the new league year, for salary cap considerations. Last offseason, the former Washington Commanders standout signed a three-year, $51 million contract with $31 million guaranteed.
Allen joins new Bengals edge rusher Boye Mafe, who left the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent and signed a three-year contract in Cincinnati valued at a reported $60 million.
Allen has 469 career tackles with 45.5 sacks, 67 tackles for loss, 129 QB hits, one interception, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 126 regular-season games (125 starts). He played his first eight seasons with the Commanders.
Washington selected Allen with the 17th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 and 2022.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Trump advises Iran team to skip World Cup for 'their own life and safety'
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Dec 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; FIFA President Gianni Infantino and United States of America President Donald Trump arrive on the red carpet ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Ernst-Reuters via Imagn Images President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that Iran’s national soccer team should withdraw from the upcoming FIFA World Cup as a personal safety measure.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, that Iran is welcome to play this summer in the United States, “but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Each of Iran’s three group stage matches is scheduled to take place on American soil.
The Iranians open Group G play in Inglewood, Calif., against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21. They are slated to face Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
The U.S. and Israel initiated war with Iran on Feb. 28 with a series of airstrikes that killed the longtime Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khameini, and other officials.
Iran’s national sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, reportedly told state television this week that the country could not participate in the World Cup following Khameini’s death.
The White House did not immediately explain the reference to “safety” in Trump’s post, which seemed to conflict with what he said in a recent meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that Football Unites the World.”
The 48-team World Cup, the largest in tournament history, runs from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Iran planned to train in Tucson, Ariz., before the group stage.
Ranked No. 20 in the world, the Iranians qualified for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time last March as one of the top sides in the Asian Football Confederation. They were eliminated from the group stage in 2022 with a 1-0 loss to the U.S. in Doha, Qatar.
Iranian athletes and coaches are exempt from the travel ban Trump imposed against their country last June.
–Field Level Media
Report: Chiefs get help at CB with signing of Kader Kohou
Reports: Bengals signing DT Jonathan Allen to 2-year, $26M deal
