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Healthy Nuggets eye ninth straight win as Hornets visit

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Denver NuggetsFeb 10, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) reacts after a call as center Nikola Jokic (15) looks on in the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Riding an eight-game winning streak, the Denver Nuggets return to action, rested and ready for the last 27 games of the regular season. The Charlotte Hornets aren’t as fresh for Thursday night’s matchup in Denver.

Charlotte was in action Wednesday in the first NBA game since All-Star weekend and will face a Nuggets team that hasn’t played in a week. The Hornets come in with momentum, though, after knocking off the Lakers in Los Angeles 100-97.

Wednesday’s game was originally scheduled for Jan. 9 but was postponed due to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. It also meant that Mark Williams faced the team he was dealt to at the trade deadline, only to have it rescinded when he failed a physical.

Wednesday was his first game since the aborted trade. He had 10 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes.

“I mean, it’s crazy,” Williams said before the game. “Your mind has to shift from you got traded, you’ve got to go to L.A. and then you’ve got to shift back from you’re not going to L.A. So, it’s definitely different.”

Before Wednesday night, the Hornets struggled over the last month, losing 11 of 13 and falling out of the postseason hunt. Charlotte doesn’t have a player who has appeared in all 53 games this season, which doesn’t help continuity.

The Hornets are led by LaMelo Ball, who went into the All-Star break averaging 27.3 points and 7.2 assists. Brandon Miller is second in scoring (21.0), followed by Miles Bridges (19.5) and Williams (15.6).

Thursday night will be the teams’ second and final meeting. Visiting Denver won the first meeting 107-104 on Feb. 1 behind a triple-double from Nikola Jokic. The victory was the second in the Nuggets’ current winning streak that has vaulted them into third in the Western Conference.

After an uneven start to the season — Denver was 11-10 — the Nuggets have played well despite dealing with injuries.

Russell Westbrook has missed the last seven games with a hamstring strain, Michael Porter Jr. sat out the last three games due to hamstring tightness and Aaron Gordon has missed a total of 23 games, mostly due to a right calf strain.

That has forced coach Michael Malone to use different starting lineups, and he’ll have decisions to make with Westbrook, Porter and Gordon listed as probable to play Thursday night.

“All I’ll say is that it’s great to have options,” Malone said Wednesday. “We have a healthy team, and obviously, Russell Westbrook’s done great things for us. Christian Braun, this last eight-game stretch, is playing just incredible basketball.”

At 15 points a game, Braun is one of six Denver players averaging double figures in scoring. Jokic leads the way with 29.8 points, 12.6 points and 10.2 assists per game, which puts him in the top five in the NBA in all three categories.

Jamal Murray (21.0) and Porter (19.0) are next in scoring and Westbrook is averaging 13.0 ppg.

–Field Level Media

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Orioles blow another late lead, but Dylan Beavers bails them out

Jul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brandon Young (63) pitchin in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn ImagesJul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brandon Young (63) pitchin in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images

Dylan Beavers singled in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Saturday night.

Gunnar Henderson homered as the Orioles evened the series at one game apiece after failing to hold a late-game lead for the second game in a row.

Ozzie Albies homered for the Braves, who lost for only the third time in their last 10 games.

Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday doubled with one out in the ninth and moved to third on pinch hitter Colton Cowser’s flyout before scoring on Beavers’ hit off losing pitcher Didier Fuentes (4-1). Yennier Cano (2-2) was the winning pitcher with one inning of shutout relief.

Brandon Young pitched into the seventh inning for the second consecutive strong start for a Baltimore pitcher, but just like Friday night the bullpen couldn’t make it hold up. Young held the Braves to one run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Orioles reliever Rico Garcia gave up a game-tying home run in the eighth inning for the second night in a row.

Braves starter Bryce Elder worked five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) with four hits, four walks and eight strikeouts. Victor Mederos threw two shutout innings in relief before Fuentes entered and gave up his only two hits to two of the last three batters he faced.

Holliday and Beavers each finished with two hits as the game’s only players with more than one hit. The Orioles have won nine of their last 12 games.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand continued to give the Baltimore offense a boost as his two-out single in the third inning drove in the game’s first run.

Henderson homered with two outs in the fifth to make it 2-0.

Atlanta scored in the sixth on Mauricio Dubon’s groundout. Albies’ 17th homer of the season pulled the Braves even on the second pitch of the eighth inning.

–Field Level Media

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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 ImagesJul 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

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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 ImagesJul 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

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