Sports
Familiar foes Timberwolves, Thunder to tangle again
Feb 23, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark (22) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten plenty familiar with each other recently.
The teams will square off for the third time in four games and the second consecutive night when they meet Monday in Oklahoma City. This will be the their final clash of the season.
The Thunder won Sunday night’s matchup in Minneapolis 130-123 behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 37-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist performance.
The Thunder outscored the Timberwolves 25-13 after Gilgeous-Alexander re-entered the game with eight minutes left.
Of course, it wasn’t just Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday. just as it hasn’t been for Oklahoma City’s so-far dominant season atop the Western Conference.
Sunday, it was also three fourth-quarter 3-pointers from Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren’s three blocks at the rim, and seven players with multiple assists — among other factors.
“The depth that we have right now is a positive thing,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s going to be different players on different nights. We need everybody. It’s obviously been a more limited rotation these two games out of break, but that won’t be the case for all 25 games.”
While the Thunder’s defense has been the team’s calling card all season, Sunday wasn’t up to the standards Daigneault has set for his club.
“We gotta get a little better tomorrow,” Daigneault said after Sunday’s game.
Oklahoma City comes into Monday’s game with an NBA-best 104.8 defensive rating — points allowed per 100 possessions. The Thunder have a Western Conference-best 46-10 record.
“It’s a tough team to play, Oklahoma City. They’re very, very physical on one end and on the other end they seemingly create a lot of contact offensively and benefit from that,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “It can be frustrating, but we’ve just got to try to make the next play.”
It is unclear whether Holmgren will play Monday. He has yet to play both nights of a back-to-back since returning from a pelvic fracture Feb. 7.
While Oklahoma City might be without Holmgren, the Timberwolves continue to be even more shorthanded.
Rudy Gobert has missed the past three games with back spasms. Donte DiVincenzo (toe sprain) and Julius Randle (groin strain) have missed significant time, though both DiVincenzo and Randle are nearing a return. DiVincenzo and Randle haven’t played since Jan. 15 and Jan. 31, respectively.
Minnesota’s Jaylen Clark also was knocked out of the game on Sunday after a hard fall in the third quarter sidelined him the rest of the way with neck pain.
Finch said after the game he didn’t have an update on Clark’s status for Monday’s game.
Oklahoma City has won nine of its past 10 overall, its only loss in that stretch coming 116-101 in Minnesota on Feb. 13 in the teams’ final game before the All-Star break.
The Timberwolves have dropped four of their past five games. They enter the game in seventh place in the Western Conference, one game out of an automatic playoff berth.
The contest Monday is the first of a four-game road trip for the Timberwolves, who will play seven of their next nine away from home.
For the Thunder, the game is the lone home game in the middle of a pair of three-game road trips.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards has picked up two technical fouls in two games since the All-Star break and has 14 on the season to move within two of receiving an automatic one-game suspension.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cardinals support Andre Pallante with big 6th inning to down Reds
Jul 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) hits a one run single against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The St. Louis Cardinals broke open a pitcher’s duel Saturday night with a six-run sixth inning to support right-hander Andre Pallante in a 7-0 victory against the visiting Cincinnati Reds.
Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera and Blaze Jordan all had key hits for the Cardinals, who came in having dropped seven of nine.
Pallante (11-6) allowed two hits in seven innings. He finished with eight strikeouts, tying his season high for the sixth time, and was just one strikeout shy of his career best. Pallante also retired his final 12 batters, and walked just one overall. He lowered his ERA to 3.77 in what likely was his best start of the season.
The Cardinals scored an unearned run against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene in the bottom of the first inning, but poured it on in the sixth, which was Greene’s third time through the lineup.
JJ Wetherholt walked to lead off and Burleson lined a single to right. Herrera followed with a two-run double to left making it 3-0.
Bryan Torres later hit an RBI single and Jordan followed with two-run single to right on a two-strike count to make it 6-0, prompting Reds manager Terry Francona to remove Greene (2-2).
Nathan Church followed with a safety squeeze against left-hander Sam Moll to push across Torres as the seventh run.
Unable to keep the Reds’ three-game winning streak going, Greene’s era ballooned to 7.06 in his fourth start of the season.
Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz made three fielding miscues in the first inning, booting a soft grounder for an error, getting his feet tangled on a pop-up single, and making a poor relay throw to the plate on Burleson’s RBI single.
Burleson finished with three hits, and Wetherholt scored twice, helping the Cardinals improve to 13-2 when he scores at least two runs.
The Reds did not mount a scoring threat until the ninth, against Cardinals right-hander Gordon Graceffo, who loaded the bases with no outs after pitching a scoreless eighth. A strikeout and a double play followed.
The Cardinals have won five of seven from the Reds in the season series, which continues Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Miami extends win streak to 6 with late Luis Suarez PK at Montreal
Jul 25, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; Inter Miami CF midfielder Casemiro (5) kicks the ball away as he defends against CF Montreal forward Prince Owusu (9) during the first half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Luis Suarez’s penalty-kick goal in the 81st minute lifted Inter Miami to a 1-0 victory over host CF Montreal on Saturday night.
With the win, Miami (11-2-4, 37 points) has won six straight matches, including the last two without Lionel Messi as he recovers from Argentina’s run to the World Cup final.
The loss extends Montreal’s (4-10-3, 15 points) winless skid to six matches (0-3-3). Montreal has not recorded a victory in the league since a 2-0 decision over Orlando City on May 9.
In the 70th minute, the ball was crossed into the box and Miami forward German Berterame went up for a header and collided with Montreal defender Efrain Morales. Berterame remained down for several minutes, and medical personnel were rushed onto the pitch to attend to Berterame, who was taken off the field in an ambulance.
On the ensuing penalty kick 11 minutes later, Suarez chipped a shot over keeper Sebastian Breza for his ninth goal of the season.
Montreal had opportunities at the game’s opening goal early in the second half.
In the 50th minute, Hennadii Synchuk’s right-footed strike from the right side of the box missed just to the right of the goal.
Seven minutes later, Miami’s Yannick Bright was awarded a free kick after being fouled by Prince Owusu. Montreal midfielder Matty Longstaff blocked Suarez’s ensuing free kick from just outside the box.
Miami had another glorious opportunity in the 68th minute, but a leaping Breza recorded his only save of the night on Telasco Segovia’s right-footed strike from just outside the box.
Miami dominated first-half possession, but it was Montreal with the lone shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
In the 13th minute, Synchuk had a glorious opportunity, but Miami keeper Rocco Ríos Novo (two saves) got his right hand on the strike to make the save.
Saturday was the first of two meetings between the clubs this season. They’ll meet again in Florida on Aug. 29.
–Field Level Media
Sports
D.C. United, with help from Toronto, get in win column
Jul 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson (1) plays the ball against the Toronto FC during the first half at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Tai Baribo scored on a penalty kick in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time to give D.C. United a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday in Washington.
Baribo’s game-winner came after Toronto’s Jackson Gilman was called for tripping Andre Dozzell in the middle of the penalty box. The call came on a VAR review.
Baribo’s penalty shot was low and inside the left post, out of the reach of Toronto keeper Luka Gavran, who finished with six saves. It was Baribo’s 10th goal this season.
Against his former team, Sean Johnson had six saves as D.C. United (5-5-7, 22 points) snapped a five-match winless streak, which included ties in their previous three games.
D.C. also enhanced its position in the MLS Eastern Conference standings after entering the match holding the bottom rung of the playoff ladder.
Theo Corbeanu scored in the 76th minute for Toronto (3-7-7, 16 points), which also was victimized by an own goal as its winless streak reached 11 games.
D.C. United extended Toronto’s winless streak in Washington to 10 games as well, with the Reds’ last win in D.C. coming in 2016.
D.C. worked for several quality opportunities in the first half before finally cashing in off a corner kick. From the right side, Keisuke Kurokawa sent an in-swinger into the goal area.
Toronto’s Kobe Franklin rose amid a pack of players and inadvertently headed his attempt to clear just inside the left post in the 41st minute.
D.C. United center back Kye Rowles was initially credited with the score before officials switched it to an own goal.
Toronto had difficulty breaking through against Johnson. But after the 37-year-old made two brilliant saves in the second half, the Reds finally cashed in.
The opportunity came after D.C. defender Matti Peltola was called for a foul just outside the penalty box. Walker Zimmerman crossed to Jonathan Osorio, whose header from close range was blocked by Johnson.
But the rebound came to Corbeanu in the middle of the box and his left-footed shot hit the top middle of the net.
It was the first goal for the Reds after playing two scoreless draws following the World Cup pause.
–Field Level Media
Cardinals support Andre Pallante with big 6th inning to down Reds
Miami extends win streak to 6 with late Luis Suarez PK at Montreal
