Sports
Jazz's Ace Bailey, an 'incredible athlete,' focuses on defense ahead of game vs. Raptors
Mar 21, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) looks for a play against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images In an encouraging development for the rebuilding Utah Jazz, rookie Ace Bailey’s defense quickly is catching up to his impressive offensive game.
Bailey will look to continue his growth when the Jazz face the Toronto Raptors on Monday night in Salt Lake City.
Toronto (39-31) is in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, while Utah (21-50) has been eliminated from playoff contention in the West and has lost five of its last six games.
The Jazz knew all about Bailey’s offensive upside when they selected the talented wing with the fifth overall pick in 2025 NBA Draft, out of Rutgers.
In recent weeks, the 6-foot-9 Bailey has starred on both ends of the court.
One game after scoring a career-high 33 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, Bailey had 25 points, seven rebounds and a season-high five blocks in a 126-116 home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Bailey became the second-youngest player in NBA history to score 25-plus points with five or more blocks in a game. Kevin Durant is the only player younger than Bailey to achieve the feat.
Jazz coach Will Hardy continues to be pleased with Bailey’s all-around play. Bailey has averaged 19.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his last nine games while shooting 45.7% from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range.
“Ace is an incredible athlete, and it’s not just offensively,” Hardy said of Bailey, who is averaging 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the season. “Like, his ability to cover ground and close out his ability to guard the ball. I truly believe that he’s grown more on the defensive side of the ball than he has offensively.”
Bailey said defense has been a primary focus during his rookie campaign.
“With the team we’re looking to have, being a defender, it’s gonna be a very big role, especially if you wanna stay on the court. And if you wanna win, you’ve got to, and I want to win, so I have to play offense and defense,” Bailey said.
Utah is looking to avenge an 107-100 road loss to Toronto on Feb. 1.
The Jazz could use another strong outing from guard Kennedy Chandler, who scored a career-high 19 points in his team debut on Saturday after being signed to a 10-day contract.
The Raptors, meanwhile, will play the second night of a back-to-back set after losing 120-98 to the host Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Scottie Barnes scored 17 points for Toronto, which trailed by as many as 31 points and never led in the contest. Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said he was baffled by his team’s lack of competitiveness.
“I wish I knew the answer to that one,” Rajakovic said. “I tried everything. I tried encouraging. I tried not encouraging. I tried a lot of things, and we failed. We did not have it tonight.”
Brandon Ingram was held to six points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field after averaging 25.8 points over his last five games, but Rajakovic said after the game that there was plenty of blame to go around.
“It’s a whole team. It cannot be just one player. We win as a team, we lose as a team. We never want to point out a player,” Rajakovic said. “I thought that our whole team did have enough urgency for the game, and enough respect for our opponent (Sunday).”
Toronto hopes to have forward Collin Murray-Boyles available as soon as Monday. The promising rookie has missed the past 11 games with a left thumb sprain.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Caddie fired after PGA starting-time gaffe finds new job
Jul 31, 2020; Truckee, CA, USA; Caddie Austin Gaugert during the second round of the Barracuda Championship golf tournament at Old Greenwood. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images The caddie who was fired after a late tee-time arrival at the PGA Championship is on a new bag this week.
Austin Gaugert gained notoriety when Garrick Higgo was a minute late to start his first round at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia two weeks ago.
Higgo was penalized two strokes and wound up missing the 36-hole cut at the major by just one shot. He fired Gaugert the following Monday and brought back former caddie Nick Cavendish-Pell.
Gaugert shouldered the responsibility for the controversial penalty following his dismissal.
“As a caddie, you try to do everything you can to prepare your player for competition and I fell short of that,” he wrote on Instagram. “Garrick was understanding throughout the situation and handled it with professionalism and class. This has happened to players before and will again. Garrick handled a difficult situation with grace, and I wish him nothing but success moving forward.”
Gaugert has moved forward. He is caddying this week for Dylan Wu at the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
Wu, who missed the cut in his five previous events, opened with an even-par 70 at Colonial Country Club on Thursday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Steelers assistant coach out over violation of club policy
Jun 7, 2021; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers special teams coordinator Derius Swinton III during organized team activities at the Hoag Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Steelers and Derius Swinton II, a senior assistant coach for special teams, have split over a violation of club policy, ESPN reported Friday, citing league sources.
Swinton, 41, was hired in the offseason to the staff of new head coach Mike McCarthy for what was to be his 16th season in the NFL.
Swinton spent the past three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, becoming the interim special teams coordinator when Tom McMahon was fired in Week 10.
He has worked for 10 NFL teams. He was special teams coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 following stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals.
Swinton’s NFL career started in St. Louis, where he was the Rams’ special teams quality control coach from 2009-11.
The Steelers have yet to confirm Swinton’s departure, nor did ESPN specify the policy he reportedly violated.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ian Poulter plays on torn meniscus, surgery set for September
Ian Poulter tees off on the ninth hole Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, during day one of the LIV Golf Indianapolis tournament held at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana. Ian Poulter said he needs surgery after tearing his meniscus while hopping up two steps at LIV Golf Virginia earlier this month.
Poulter didn’t let the injury impede him on the golf course on Thursday, as he shot a 4-under 66 in the first round of LIV Golf Korea at Asiad Country Club. The co-captain of Majesticks GC followed with a 2-over 72 on Friday to reside in a tie for 13th place, six strokes in back of leader Talor Gooch.
“I tore my meniscus Thursday of Virginia just hopping up two steps, so went for an MRI when I got back from Virginia, and yeah, I’m going to have to have surgery in September,” Poulter said Thursday.
Poulter, 50, admitted that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to compete in Korea.
“Bizarrely I have no sensation throughout the golf swing that there’s anything wrong with it,” he said. “I sense it when I’m walking downhill, steep downhills. I’m just edging it a little bit. But look, I’m going to have to strengthen that leg. It’s not affecting my golf in any way, shape or form.
“I just have to be reminding myself that I can’t go and play paddle tennis or do anything stupid or hop up steps like I did a couple of weeks ago. Walking in straight lines and being super sensible is not something I’m used to doing.
“Look, I feel good. I feel great. The body feels good. We’ll deal with that at some stage.”
Poulter has yet to win an individual LIV Golf event since joining the upstart league in 2022. He has 17 professional wins, including three on the PGA Tour.
–Field Level Media
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Caddie fired after PGA starting-time gaffe finds new job
