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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 It also meant that Mark Williams faced the team he was dealt to at the trade deadline, only to have it rescinded when he failed a physical.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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Lucas Herbert wins LIV Golf United Kingdom with record-setting score

Jul 17, 2026; Southport, ENG; Lucas Herbert lines up a putt on the 18th green during the second round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Birkdale. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesJul 17, 2026; Southport, ENG; Lucas Herbert lines up a putt on the 18th green during the second round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Birkdale. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Lucas Herbert wasn’t about to be denied the LIV Golf United Kingdom championship on Sunday.

Entering the final round at 20-under with a three-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau, the Australian holed 10 birdies for a final-round 62 and a 30-under-par 258 for the four-day event. That gave him a six-stroke victory over England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who turned in a 63.

DeChambeau closed with a 68 to finish 21-under par and in third place at JCB Golf & Country Club in Rocester, England.

Herbert’s dominance this week — his 62 was preceded by rounds of 61, 66 and 69 — led Rippers GC to a 52-under finish, four strokes ahead of captain Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII.

The 30-under finish by Herbert marked the lowest in LIV history. This was his second individual victory of the season — he also won LIV Golf Virginia in May — and he also set the league record for most birdies in a tournament with 30. His combination of 32 birdies and eagles in a tournament also broke a LIV record.

Herbert said confidence in his game grew after his strong finish at the Open Championship last week at Royal Birkdale, where he finished four shots behind winner Ryan Fox and tied for sixth.

“Just wanted to really carry that into this week the best I could,” Herbert said. “I think I got out of my own way the first two rounds and I started thinking about it yesterday. It was just good to play like that today when I was being pushed by two of the best players in the world.”

Hatton pushed as hard as he could with nine birdies, but it wasn’t enough given Herbert’s unprecedented four rounds.

“Obviously Lucas played amazing today, Hatton said. “I wanted to get off to a fast start, which is what I did, but unfortunately Lucas did as well. Yeah, I’m very proud of how I played. It would have been amazing to win in front of home fans, but I tried my best. But actually Lucas was incredible this week.”

Herbert said he did a good job at something else — hiding his nerves.

“I was definitely feeling it out there. I can only do what I can do,” Herbert said. “I was able to take care of what I needed to do today pretty well to get me over the line. I knew it wasn’t going to be a day where even par, 1-under, was going to get it done for me. I knew I had to go out there and get it. Just kept pushing myself the whole way, and here we are.”

Australian Cameron Smith shot a 69 on Sunday to finish in fourth at 17-under. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer (71) and Caleb Surratt (67) shared fifth at 14-under.

–Field Level Media

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Tadej Pogacar rides away with record-tying fifth Tour de France title

Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia celebrates winning his fifth Tour de France on Sunday in Paris.Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia celebrates winning his fifth Tour de France on Sunday in Paris.

With a record-tying fifth Tour de France title already in hand, Tadej Pogacar did his best to put on another show on Sunday before relenting near the finish of the shortened final stage in Paris.

The cycling star from Slovenia was overtaken on the final straightaway of Stage 21, but still won the overall title in a time of 73 hours, 56 minutes, 26 seconds over the three-week event. He finished 6:26 ahead of Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel.

Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates teammate Isaac del Toro of Mexico finished third overall, which also clinched the title for top rider 25-years-old and under.

Mathieu van der Poel of Belgium won the final stage in a sprint to the finish line along Paris’ Champs-Elysees.

Pogacar and van der Poel were locked in a duel on the final circuit before van der Poel used his famed sprinter’s speed to pull away. It was a 1-2 finish for the Alpecin-Premier Tech team with Jasper Philipsen of Belgium coming in second. Mads Pedersen of Denmark, and the Lidl-Trek team, finished third.

Stage 21 was adjusted this year to include the hilly Montmartre circuit, which has gained popularity since being used during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The route was adjusted further Saturday when it was reduced to 88.7 kilometers due to wildfires outside of Paris.

Richard Carapaz of Ecuador won the overall title for top climber while wearing the polka-dot jersey while Pedersen clinched the sprinter’s title in the green jersey. Lidl-Trek, which includes Quinn Simmons of the United States, won the team title.

Simmons, the reigning United States road race champion, was awarded “Best Teammate” for the second consecutive year.

Pogacar ended up in 30th on the final stage, but the overall title had long been in hand as he won the Tour de France for the third consecutive year. He also won titles in 2020 and 2021.

“It’s an incredible day and an incredible atmosphere,” Pogacar said. “I’m happy that it’s over and we won for a fifth time.”

Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark are the only riders to win the Tour de France since 2000. Vingegaard was forced to abandon this year’s race on Stage 15 when he crashed in a turn and came away with a right arm injury. Vingegaard was second overall when he crashed.

Miguel Indurain of Spain was the last to win five Tour de France titles, clinching the last of those in 1995. Bernard Hinault of France, Eddy Merckx of Belgium and Jacques Anquetil of France also won five titles.

“Every victory is really special and seven Tours already, seven times on the podium, with five wins, it’s something that you wouldn’t even write in a storybook,” Pogacar said. “It’s unbelievable for me.”

Pogacar stamped himself as one of the top road racers of all-time by winning Stages 3, 6, 10, 14 and 19 this year. The five wins this year give him 26 Tour de France stage wins.

“It’s a lot of factors,” Pogacar said when asked how he was able to secure title No. 5. “You enjoy what you’re doing, and you have the people around you that you trust and they help you. They’re there for you when you’re at your lowest and you can be yourself and chase your dreams.”

–Field Level Media

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Mario Hezonja back in NBA, signs deal with Cavs

Aug 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Mario Hezonja (44) battle for the ball during the second half of a NBA game at The Field House. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn ImagesAug 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Mario Hezonja (44) battle for the ball during the second half of a NBA game at The Field House. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Mario Hezonja is returning to the NBA for the first time since 2020 after signing a one-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN reported Sunday.

The deal for the Croatia native, who was the fifth overall selection in the 2015 draft, is reportedly worth $2.8 million.

Hezonja, 31, has spent the last six years in the EuroLeague and the last four at Real Madrid where he blossomed. Hezonja helped Real Madrid clinch the EuroLeague championship in 2023 and was named the MVP of Liga ACB for the 2025-26 season when he averaged 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds.

The Golden State Warriors also pursued the former lottery pick, according to the report. The Cavaliers came out ahead in the end as they look to improve on a run where they made it to the Eastern Conference finals last season. It was their first conference final since 2018.

Hezonja last played in the NBA during the 2019-2020 season with the Portland Trailblazers and also spent time with the Orlando Magic (2015-18) and New York Knicks (2018-19) in five seasons. In 330 career games (69 starts) Hezonja averaged 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while shooting 41.7% from the field and 31.9% from 3-point range.

–Field Level Media

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