Sports
Chiefs, chasing history, attempt to tune out distractions
Feb 3, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images NEW ORLEANS — The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t interested in distractions.
As they prepare to pursue an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, they will have to deal with more than usual.
Super Bowl Opening Night — the media kickoff that was held Monday — almost always presents a multitude of diversions and hysteria, with celebrities, international media and jokesters alike all vying for the attention normally directed at the participating teams.
After all, this is an event at which a reporter once showed up in a wedding dress and asked both starting quarterbacks if they would marry her.
Underscoring the fun on Monday, Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston, who formerly played for the New Orleans Saints, was on hand passing out (OK, throwing) cookies to all of the players.
It might have been somewhat tame by New Orleans standards. The city, set to host its record-tying 11th Super Bowl, has a well-earned reputation for being a travel destination for those looking to give in to most any interruption or vice a person could devise.
It’s a lot of the reason New Orleans continues to win Super Bowl hosting nods.
Within that environment, at a sometimes crazy media event in an often wild city, it was perhaps more than appropriate that the theme of distractions came up repeatedly for the Chiefs on Monday.
Several players spoke about tuning out the noise and focusing on the football.
“New Orleans is great .. they do a great job of hosting,” Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton said. “We came here to do something special. At this point of the year when you have this on the line, you’ve got to stay focused.”
Teammate Trent McDuffie agreed, noting that it was already tougher this year than last, when they stayed in a hotel far away from the Las Vegas strip.
“This year, we’re right downtown,” the cornerback said. “All hours of the night you can hear bands and trumpets playing; there’s a lot of chaos right outside the building. So, we’re staying inside, chilling, kicking my feet up — that’s how I’m locking in.”
Late last week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid took it a step further, saying he probably would even boycott his favorite New Orleans restaurant this week (Emeril’s), though he had a good reason beyond the distraction angle.
“The head chef there, tremendous chef, was a huge Eagles fan,” Reid noted. “I probably won’t go there.”
The bigger concern might be the biggest elephant in the room of all. The pursuit of a third title in a row and earning a place in the history books could be called a distraction all by itself. No NFL team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row.
In fact, no major professional sports team in the United States (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA, MLS) has managed to pull off the feat of winning three championships in a row in the past 22 years.
Chiefs players and coaches have been asked about it ever since it became a possibility following their win in Super Bowl LVIII last season.
But Kansas City players know that none of that — winning a championship, let alone a third straight while making history in the process — is even possible without a focus on the task at hand: winning a singular football game against the Eagles.
Several players pointed to their veteran roster — a team that has been in high-pressure situations before — as having the culture in place to cross the finish line.
“I think our team (stays focused) really well,” offensive lineman C.J. Hanson said. “We’re all really close, sticking together at all times, and being together, it keeps it the same and keeps that formula together.”
Kansas City defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah added, “We follow along in (the veterans’) footsteps, follow their processes so that those processes can help me.”
–David Gladow, Field Level Media
Sports
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Jan 31, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Minnesota Timberwolves wrap up a three-game road trip at the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon with a chance to improve their seeding in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Minnesota has won the first two games of its trip and now faces a tough task against its Northwest Division rival.
Denver already secured the tiebreaker in the season series by winning the first three matchups. With both teams holding identical 37-23 records, the winner of Sunday’s game will have sole possession of fourth in the Western Conference standings.
The Nuggets have lost three of their first five games out of the All-Star break, including a 127-121 overtime setback at Oklahoma City on Friday night. Sunday’s game gives them a chance to get back some momentum.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic appears to already have a postseason mindset after mixing it up with the Thunder during the loss.
Jokic was knocked down when Luguentz Dort hit him with his hip in the fourth quarter and then confronted the Oklahoma City forward. There was pushing and shoving before Dort was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected.
Jokic, who leads Denver in points (28.7), rebounds (12.6) and assists (10.5), has a casual and deliberate demeanor on the court that belies his competitive nature.
“I think he was reacting to what was being done to him,” Denver head coach David Adelman said. “And his reaction’s not going to be to cower away. He’s competitive.”
Playing Minnesota again should keep that fiery spirit alive for Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets. The teams have forged a rivalry over the last four seasons, including two playoff series.
There is no question about the fiery nature and competitive spirit of Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards missed the first game against the Nuggets this season but is averaging 35.0 points in the two games between the teams. That includes a 44-point performance on Christmas night before he was ejected in overtime for arguing foul calls.
Edwards, who leads the Timberwolves in scoring at 29.6 points a game, doesn’t confine his arguments to opponents and officials. He got into a verbal exchange with head coach Chris Finch after hitting a 3-pointer to seal a 94-88 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
It is a feature of their relationship, according to teammates.
“They go at it. Honestly, they do,” Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said. “They go at it… They have days where they’re getting ready to fight, and then after the game they hug each other.”
Finch confirmed that in an interview on Fox Sports Radio.
“We’re both fiery competitors. It’s been part of our relationship since Day 1. … We say these things to each other and we move on,” Finch said. “We don’t take it personally.”
The task of stopping Jokic will fall mainly on Rudy Gobert, who leads Minnesota in rebounds (11.4) and blocks (1.7). Nobody could stop Jokic when the teams met on Christmas, with the three-time MVP recording a 56-point triple-double, including 18 points in overtime.
Jokic has averaged 36.0 points 15.7 rebounds and 12.0 assists in the three games against the Timberwolves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
Cincinnati Bearcats forward Baba Miller (18) makes a basket from the two point line in the first half of a NCAA men’s basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Oklahoma State Cowboys, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Day Day Thomas heated up from long range, draining seven 3-pointers en route to a 26-point performance, Moustapha Thiam added 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and host Cincinnati rolled to a 91-68 home victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon.
The Bearcats (16-13, 8-8 Big 12), which entered No. 54 in the NET rankings, have won five of their last six. Jizzle James and Baba Miller each finished with 11 points for Cincinnati.
Oklahoma State (17-12, 5-11), playing its first game since losing big man Parsa Fallah to a torn ACL, was overwhelmed throughout. Vyctorius Miller led the team with 15 points, while Jaylen Curry and Kanye Clary both added 11 points. The Cowboys have lost six of their last seven games.
The Bearcats seized control early, going on an 11-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Thomas and Thiam to lead 12-4 less than four minutes into the game.
Those early minutes foreshadowed the rest of the game.
Cincinnati dominated from the start, leading 51-33 at halftime. The Bearcats shot 53.1% from the floor, made seven three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 20-15 in the first half. They finished with a two-handed dunk by Thiam. Miller was credited with an assist on the play as he found Thiam open underneath.
In the second half, the Bearcats pulled away. They went on an 11-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Thomas to lead 65-37 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Cincinnati continued to extend the lead, reaching as many as 32 points, with an 81-49 advantage after another 3 from Thomas at the 8:22 mark.
Cincinnati finished with 14 made 3s, dished out 24 assists, and had a 24-7 edge in second-chance points. The Bearcats also led for 39:24 of the 40 minutes and improved to 14-3 at home.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday. Cincinnati hosts No. 19 BYU, while Oklahoma State travels to UCF.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bobby Durkin has career night as Minnesota tops UCLA
Feb 24, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Bobby Durkin (3) dribbles against Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the second half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Bobby Durkin scored a season-high 23 points with seven made 3-pointers and Langston Reynolds added 21 points with six assists as Minnesota claimed another victim at home with a 78-73 victory over UCLA at Minneapolis.
Cade Tyson also scored 21 points for the Golden Gophers (14-15, 7-11 Big Ten), who shot 62.3% from the floor and 52.2% from 3-point range. Durkin, who reached 1,000 points for his college career in the first half, went 7 of 11 from long range.
Minnesota improved to 12-4 at home this season with victories in its own building over a trio of ranked teams in Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State.
Tyler Bilodeau scored 32 points with eight rebounds and Eric Dailey Jr. added 18 points for the Bruins (19-10, 11-7), who failed to build off huge victories over No. 10 Illinois and rival Southern California over the past week.
Skyy Clark scored 17 points, while Donovan Dent had 15 assists but just three points, as UCLA now prepares for a key home game upcoming against No. 12 Nebraska.
With the game tied 61-61 with 7:59 remaining, Cade scored four points in a 6-0 run for Minnesota to give the Gophers a 67-61 lead with 6:15 left. The Bruins got within 76-73 on a three-point play from Bilodeau with 1:50 remaining.
The Bruins then missed four consecutive 3-pointers over the final 1:08, including two by Bilodeau, as the Gophers held on for the victory.
In a first half of swings, Minnesota led by as many as nine points early before UCLA went on a 17-3 run to lead by as many as seven points before taking a 41-40 lead into the break. Bilodeau had 16 points in the first half, while Dent had nine assists for UCLA.
Durkin scored 15 points in the first half for Minnesota and reached 1,000 points on one of his five 3-pointers before halftime. UCLA’s Clark reached 1,000 career points on a basket in the second half.
–Field Level Media
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
