Sports
Celtics launch long homestand against NBA-best Cavaliers
Feb 26, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles on Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to extend their eight-game winning streak Friday night when they visit the Boston Celtics in a matchup between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings.
Cleveland leads Boston by 6.5 games, but has lost two of the three meetings against the Celtics this season. Boston prevailed at home 120-117 on Nov. 19, and at Cleveland 112-105 on Feb. 4. Cleveland, which has the best record in the NBA, earned a 115-111 home win against the Celtics on Dec. 1.
“We’re playing well,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Now the real test is Boston. We’ll see if we can keep our standards high, go in there and get a win.”
Atkinson said he doesn’t plan to use a vanilla game plan in an attempt to keep things hidden in the event the Celtics and Cavaliers meet in the playoffs.
“We still have to prove we can beat them — beat them at their place,” he said. “I think we go in there kind of guns a blazing. We gotta go for the win, whatever it takes. Throw everything out there and then after that game we’ll kind of surmise what we can do in the playoffs, but we’re not going to hold anything back.”
Boston’s six-game winning streak came to an end with Wednesday’s 117-97 road loss to the Detroit Pistons. It was the fifth time the Celtics failed to score at least 100 points this season. The Celtics made 12 2-point field goals in the loss, which is the fewest 2-point field goals the team has made in a game during the franchise’s history.
Boston was without Jaylen Brown (left thigh contusion) and Luke Kornet (personal reasons) against the Pistons. Brown is the team’s No. 2 scorer (22.9 points per game) and Kornet is averaging 5.2 points and 17.2 minutes per contest.
Jayson Tatum said because the Celtics last season’s NBA championship, they have to be at their best — or close to it — every game if they expect to win.
“In recent years we’ve gotten everybody’s really good shot,” he said. “Now, on a nightly basis, we get everybody’s best shot. We’re like the standard … and that’s with any NBA champion the next year. They are the standard and guys are trying to get what they have.
“We do a really good job of responding, and I have no doubt we will do that Friday night.”
De’Andre Hunter is shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 14 points per game in six games since the Cavaliers acquired him from the Hawks.
“He’s not just trying to fit in,” Atkinson said. “He’s really come into our team with force and kind of imposed his will at both ends. Sometimes after a trade, like I said, guys just want to fit in. They don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. He’s just struck the right balance at both ends.”
Darius Garland has missed Cleveland’s past two games with a left hip contusion.
Garland is averaging 21.3 points and 6.7 assists in 30.1 minutes per game.
The Friday game will kick off a seven-game homestand for Boston. The Celtics have an 18-10 record at home this season but are 24-7 on the road.
“We’re going to be home for a while,” Tatum said. “Get back to defending our home court, get some wins and just play well in front of our home crowd. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lakers sign developing forward Ziaire Willaims
Mar 31, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (1) controls the ball against Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Lakers announced the signing of five-year veteran forward Ziaire Williams on Sunday.
Terms were not released, but multiple outlets reported on Monday that the deal was for one year at a $3 million salary.
The 6-foot-9 Williams is reuniting with Bronny James, who he played alongside at California high school Sierra Canyon. The Lancaster, Calif. native earned McDonald’s All-America honors and was a consensus five-star recruit in the 2020 class.
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Stanford by the Memphis Grizzlies, Williams is a career 8.7 points-per-game scorer, though he averaged a career high 10.2 points last season for the Nets, his second season in Brooklyn after three seasons in Memphis.
He reached career highs in games played and starts (63/45), points (632), field goals made (214), 3-point field goals made (103), rebounds (287), assists (84) and blocked shots (28) during his first season in Brooklyn.
Williams, 24, converted 85% (119 of 140) of his free throw attempts in 2025-26 and is an 82.4% career shooter from the stripe.
–Field Level Media
Sports
DeWanna Bonner helps Mercury halt losing streak, avenge loss to Sun
Jul 19, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward-guard DeWanna Bonner (24) drives against Connecticut Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa (10) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images DeWanna Bonner scored a game-high 21 points and the host Phoenix Mercury ended a five-game losing streak with a 72-63 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.
The win avenged a 96-83 loss to the visiting Sun on Friday. But on Sunday, Phoenix led for nearly the entire game and used a fourth quarter run to pull away.
Phoenix (9-18) had a balanced performance, led by Bonner’s 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Kahleah Copper added 18 points and made all eight of her free throws. Monique Akoa Makani tallied 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. Alyssa Thomas added seven points and dished out 11 assists.
Connecticut pulled to within 63-62 on a Charlisse Walker-Leger 3-point play with 4:42 to play, but Phoenix responded with a 9-1 run to finish the game, with Bonner and Copper scoring eight of the pivotal points. Copper’s backdoor layup and pair of free throws most on the next two possessions immediately stemmed the tide.
Phoenix led, 18-12, after the first quarter as Bonner and Akoa Makani each scored six points.
They took control after trailing 27-26 as Leger-Walker scored a lay-up for the Sun with 4:24 left in the first half. The Mercury went on a 17-6 run to end the first half, with Bonner contributing a 3-point shot and an old-fashioned 3-point play to the run.
Phoenix led, 43-33, at the half and 54-49 after three quarters.
The Mercury won despite shooting just 2-for-15 (13.3%) from 3-point range and being outrebounded, 43-39.
Connecticut (7-19) saw a two-game winning streak end. Veteran center Brittney Griner scored 19 points for the Sun, shooting 7-for-12 from the field while pulling five rebounds. Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s double-double helped Connecticut stay close, as she tallied 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds.
Leila Lacan scored a career-best 26 points on Friday but scored just seven points on 2-for-9 shooting on Sunday while committing nine turnovers.
Connecticut shot 37.9% (22-for-58) overall and committed 21 turnovers in the loss. The 21 turnovers led to 22 Mercury points.
Bonner Leads Mercury to Revenge Win over Sun to Halt Losing Streak
–Field Level Media
Sports
FaZe Vegas won't be denied at CDL Championship grand final
Jul 19, 2019; Miami Beach, FL, USA; A general view of custom PlayStation controllers sold by a vender during the Call of Duty League Finals e-sports event at Miami Beach Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images FaZe Vegas completed an undefeated tournament run with a 5-2 victory over OpTic Texas on Sunday in the grand final of the 2026 Call of Duty League Championship in Las Vegas.
The victory was worth $800,000 in the $2 million prize pool, with OpTic Texas collecting $480,000.
American Chris “Simp” Lehr of FaZe Vegas was named tournament Most Valuable Player.
This was the final event and the world championship of the Black Ops 7 competitive season. Eight of 12 teams qualified for the CDL Championship in the regular season from Dec. 5, 2025 to June 29, led by first-place OpTic Texas (40-12, +69).
The playoff format was a double-elimination bracket, with all matches best-of-five except for Sunday’s grand final, which was best-of-nine.
OpTic Texas took the opening map, Colossus Hardpoint, 250-216. FaZe Vegas responded by capturing the next four maps to be on the brink of the championship.
Vegas won 6-5 on Raid Search and Destroy, 4-3 on Scar Overload, 250-194 on Scar Hardpoint and 6-5 on Den Search and Destroy.
Texas stayed alive with a 4-3 victory on Den Overload, before FaZe Vegas closed out with another close outcome, 6-5 on Hacienda Search and Destroy.
Zack “Drazah” Jordan paced FaZe Vegas with a match-high 153 kills for a plus-23 kill-death differential. Teammate Jordan “Abuzah” Francois of Belgium posted 151 kills and a match-best plus-40 K-D differential. All four Vegas players had positive differentials.
All four OpTic players were in the negative, with Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro recording a team-best 129 kills but also a team-worst 156 deaths for a minus-27 K-D differential.
FaZe Vegas went unscathed in the tournament, downing G2 Minnesota 3-1, the Riyadh Falcons 3-0 and OpTic Texas 3-2 in the upper bracket to advance to the grand final.
OpTic Texas opened with a sweep of the Miami Heretics 3-0, then topped the Paris Gentle Mates 3-1. After losing to Vegas and dropping to the elimination side of the bracket, Texas beat the Falcons 3-1 on Saturday to get another shot at FaZe.
Call of Duty League Championship prize pool
1. $800,000, FaZe Vegas
2. $480,000, OpTic Texas
3. $320,000, Riyadh Falcons
4. $160,000, Paris Gentle Mates
5-6. $80,000, Miami Heretics, G2 Minnesota
7-8. $40,000, Los Angeles Thieves, Toronto KOI
–Field Level Media
Lakers sign developing forward Ziaire Willaims
DeWanna Bonner helps Mercury halt losing streak, avenge loss to Sun
