Sports
DeMar DeRozan leads high-powered Kings against Heat
Nov 1, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images DeMar DeRozan has added quite a bit to the Sacramento Kings, who are set to visit the Miami Heat on Monday night.
Both the Kings and Heat had to clear customs in order to arrive in Miami on Monday. The Kings played in Canada on Saturday, the same day the Heat beat the Washington Wizards in Mexico.
DeRozan, who was acquired in July as part of a sign-and-trade deal, is in his 16th NBA season. The 35-year-old is a six-time All-Star and still going strong, scoring at least 20 points in all six of Sacramento’s games. He leads the Kings in scoring (25.3 ppg).
DeRozan is coming off a game-high and season-high 33 points in Sacramento’s 131-128 overtime loss at the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night, which snapped a three-game win streak.
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox raved about DeRozan and his tricks of the trade.
“It’s a joke around the league that you get a silly fine if you jump at (DeRozan’s) pump fake,” Fox said. “He’s going to pump fake, and everyone knows it.
“At some point, he’s going to get you with it.”
Fox said DeRozan — perhaps the best mid-range shooter in the NBA — makes the game look easy.
“Teams have to send another guy at him,” Fox said, “or at least have two or three sets of eyes on him.”
While DeRozan was Sacramento’s big addition after last season, the Kings also returned their nucleus, which includes Fox, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, 3-point shooter Kevin Huerter and Domantas Sabonis, one of the most skilled centers in the NBA. Sabonis leads the Kings with 13.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists to go with 21.5 points per game.
Fox may be the fastest player in the league, and he finished last season ranked eighth in the NBA in scoring (26.6). Through six games this season, he has averaged 23.5 points per game.
Miami is coming off a 118-98 win over Washington in a game played in Mexico City as part of the NBA Global Games series.
“We had a great time,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Mexico experience. “We love the fans … and the most important thing is that we were able to get a win.”
Miami has started the same lineup for all five of their games, featuring Tyler Herro (team-high 20.8 scoring average) and Terry Rozier in the backcourt; Jimmy Butler (team-high 5.6 assists) and Nikola Jovic at forward; and Bam Adebayo (team-high 8.6 rebounds) at center.
Butler is Miami’s emotional leader, but, at age 35, there have been some signs of decline, including frequent injuries the past couple of years. His scoring pace has ticked down from 20.8 ppg last year to 17.0 through five games this season.
At the other end of the spectrum, Jovic, 21, is the most underrated Heat starter. He played for Serbia in the Olympics this past summer and continues to improve.
Adebayo, a three-time All-Star, signed a three-year, $166-million extension in the offseason. He had 32 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday’s Mexico game.
The Heat bench is led by Jaime Jaquez Jr., who made NBA first-team All-Rookie last season.
Power forward Kevin Love, who has yet to play this season, and 3-point shooter Duncan Robinson missed Saturday’s game due to personal reasons.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jannik Sinner wins Madrid, shatters record for consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles
Mar 29, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates his victory over Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic in the final of the men’s singles at the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Jannik Sinner became the first player to capture five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles when he breezed past Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 on Sunday in the Mutua Madrid Open final.
The 24-year-old Italian, who ranks No. 1 in the world, started his unprecedented streak in France by winning the Paris Masters on Nov. 2. He set the record there for losing the fewest number of games (29).
Sinner won the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in March, where he became the first player not to lose a set in two consecutive ATP Masters 1000 events. He followed that by claiming the Miami Open, the Monte-Carlo Masters and now the Mutua Madrid Open. The last four victories have come in a nine-week span.
In Sunday’s win over the second-seeded Zverev, Sinner never faced a break point while converting all four of his break points against Zverev. Of his 29 first serves that landed, he won the point on 27 (93.1%). He averaged 130 miles per hour on his first serves compared to Zverev’s 124 mph.
Sinner needed just 25 minutes to complete the first set and 31 minutes to take the second set and wrap up his ninth consecutive win over Zverev. The German sensed the match might go this way.
“He’s world No. 1 and hasn’t lost a match since the beginning of February,” Zverev told reporters after capturing his semifinal match on Friday. “Right now he’s definitely the best player in the world. I have to play very, very good tennis to have a chance.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Raptors' Brandon Ingram downgraded to doubtful for Game 7
Apr 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) shoots the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defends during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram was seen in a walking boot during the team’s shootaround on Sunday morning, several hours before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the host Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ingram initially was listed as questionable to play due to right heel inflammation. He was downgraded to doubtful when the NBA released its official injury report early in the afternoon.
An All-Star this season for the second time in his career, Ingram was limited to 11 minutes and scored one point in Toronto’s 125-120 setback to Cleveland in Game 5 on Wednesday. He did not play in Toronto’s 112-110 overtime victory in Game 6 on Friday.
During the regular season, the 28-year-old Ingram averaged a team-high 21.5 points over 77 games. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists and drilled 38.2% of his 3-point attempts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros' Christian Walker batting cleanup one day after HBP to head
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) is helped off the field after being hit by a pitch during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Less than 24 hours after taking a fastball to the helmet, Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker was penciled into the starting lineup for the Astros’ series finale on Sunday at Boston.
Facing an 0-2 pitch from Red Sox rookie left-hander Tyler Samaniego, Walker was drilled over his left eye by a 93.3 mph fastball on Saturday that broke his helmet and sent the biggest piece flying 10 feet toward the backstop.
With the Astros leading 6-3 in the ninth, they took precautionary measures and removed Walker in favor of pinch runner Brandon Shewmake.
“I feel OK,” Walker told reporters afterward. “I think the helmet took most of it. And turning away from it hopefully made it more of a glancing blow than straight impact.”
Clearly Walker felt good enough to fill the cleanup spot for Sunday’s game against the Red Sox. Walker has appeared in every game this year for the Astros — starting all but one — and the 35-year-old has been producing some career numbers.
His .309 batting average, .386 on-base percentage and .577 slugging percentage all represent career bests. He has delivered eight homers and 26 RBIs through 34 games, which put him on pace for a career-high 38 homers and 124 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Jannik Sinner wins Madrid, shatters record for consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles
Raptors' Brandon Ingram downgraded to doubtful for Game 7
