Sports
Flyers try to get even vs. surging Maple Leafs
Jan 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) tries to carry the puck past Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov (39) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Flyers won’t have to wait long to try to exact revenge on Morgan Rielly and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After losing to Toronto in the finale of their six-game road trip, Philadelphia hosts the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
The Flyers spent nearly two weeks away from home, traveling to the West Coast before stopping in Toronto on the way back. They ended up going 2-3-1 on the trek, with the lone overtime loss coming in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to the Maple Leafs.
Rielly scored the decisive tally on Sunday, taking a feed from Auston Matthews and beating Ivan Fedotov midway through overtime.
“It feels good,” said Rielly, who had not scored since Nov. 5. “I thought we played well within the structure and it was a close game. Obviously we’ve been in a lot of these recently, which I think is good, so to get the results is good.”
Indeed, the Maple Leafs have played four consecutive games decided by two goals or fewer and have won all four. Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored on Sunday, while Matthews registered two assists and Dennis Hildeby made 30 saves.
“I thought it was a gutsy win,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “I thought that Philly is hard to play against. They’re quick, they’re fast, they play hard and they had legs, so it was a difficult game for us.”
Tyson Foerster and Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers, while Rasmus Ristolainen registered a pair of assists.
Fedotov made 22 saves for Philadelphia, which continues to play without starting netminder Samuel Ersson (lower-body injury). In his absence, Flyers coach John Tortorella typically toggles between Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov.
“Other than the first period in pockets when we turned the puck over a little bit, I thought it was one of our better games playing forward, checking time and space,” Tortorella said. “I thought it was one of our better games.”
To deny the Maple Leafs a fifth straight win, Philadelphia will have to punch back in a series recently dominated by Toronto, which has won nine of the last 10 meetings.
Of course, that won’t be easy against a talented Maple Leafs team that sits at the top of the Atlantic Division with 54 points. The Flyers hope to one day develop the type of top-end talent that Toronto currently has in the form of Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares.
All four of those players are averaging at least a point a game for the Maple Leafs. The Flyers only have one such player in Travis Konecny (43 points in 40 games), although even Konecny has been limited to two goals and no assists over the last five contests.
“Another good one against a highly skilled team,” Laughton said of Tuesday’s clash with Toronto. “We shut down the middle of the ice for the most part in the neutral zone and limited their chances. They get the last one there, but we get them again (in Philadelphia) and will try to do the same thing and get one more than them.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
76ers' Joel Embiid to home fans: 'Don't sell your tickets'
May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) scores a three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers with 25 seconds to go in game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images It’s just a little more than 100 miles from Madison Square Garden in New York to Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia — a relatively short car ride or train trip for Knicks fans who wanted to see their team in action against the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player and a first-team All-Pro selection in the 2022-23 season, wants no part of Knicks fans invading his team’s home arena.
In his postgame interview Saturday night after the Sixers stunned the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their series to advance, he put 76ers fans on notice.
Don’t sell your playoff tickets — especially not to Knicks fans.
New Yorkers overtook the Philadelphia arena two years ago when the No. 2-seeded Knicks eliminated the No. 7 Sixers in the opening round of the postseason. It has been presumed that Knicks fans bought their tickets from 76ers fans.
“I just have a message for our fans,” Embiid said Saturday night. “Last time we played the Knicks, it felt like [Philadelphia] was Madison Square Garden East. We’re going to need the support.
“Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys.”
Embiid offered a solution, if need be.
“Knicks fans travel — they buy tickets,” he said. “There’s going to be people who will sell the tickets because they need the money. Don’t do it, we need you guys. We need the support, and we need them to be extremely loud. If you need money, I’ve got you.”
The Eastern Conference semifinal between the teams begins Monday in New York, with Game 2 set for Wednesday. The series will move to Philadelphia on Friday for Game 3, followed by Game 4 on Saturday.
The Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks in six games to advance.
–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
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76ers' Joel Embiid to home fans: 'Don't sell your tickets'
