Sports
James Harden in focus, for whichever team, when Cavs visit Clippers
Jan 27, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) reacts after a shot against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images There could be familiar faces in different places when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.
Multiple reports on Tuesday had the Clippers sending 11-time All-Star guard James Harden to the Cavaliers for two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick.
Harden, 36, has not played in either of the Clippers’ past two games, with his official designation listed as “personal.” If the trade is made in time, he presumably could take the court against his former team Wednesday.
Garland, 26, has missed the Cavaliers past nine games with a toe sprain, leaving his potential availability in doubt.
While Cleveland will enter the game following a 130-111 victory at Portland on Sunday, Los Angeles will try to bounce back following a 128-113 loss to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Despite the loss, Los Angeles is still 17-5 since Dec. 20 and 1-1 without Harden the past two games. Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points in the loss but was held to 0-of-5 shooting in the opening quarter when the 76ers raced to an early double-digit lead and never relented.
Leonard, who was named an All-Star for the seventh time in his career Tuesday, was double-teamed as soon as he touched the ball in the early going against the 76ers, and no teammate emerged as an alternate scoring threat.
“I’m not necessarily sure … it’s more than one thing,” Clippers forward John Collins said when asked what went wrong. “Offensive execution. They were making a lot of tough shots. Second night of a back-to-back. I mean those are all excuses. Just got to step up and play better.”
Jordan Miller scored 21 points, rookie Kobe Sanders had 17 and Collins added 15 for the Clippers, who lost despite shooting 59.0% from the floor. Their typically strong defense saw the 76ers go 17 of 39 (43.6%) from 3-point range.
The Cavaliers received a career-high 40 points and also 17 rebounds from center Jarrett Allen in Sunday’s win over the Trail Blazers. Sam Merrill scored 22 points and Jaylon Tyson added 18 as Cleveland won going away on a below-average night from star Donovan Mitchell (14 points).
The Cavaliers did make a trade Saturday, acquiring guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder from the Sacramento Kings for forward De’Andre Hunter in a three-team deal that included the Chicago Bulls.
“I’m excited to be on a winning team,” the defensive-minded Ellis said Tuesday. “(The Cavaliers) are a great team with some good pieces. I’m playing hard every night and being a great teammate. I feel like I just play winning basketball night in and night out.”
The Cavaliers have won six of their past seven games, with their only loss in the stretch at Phoenix on Friday. The Clippers won at Phoenix on Sunday but stumbled one day later.
If a Harden-Garland deal is not made by the time the teams meet Wednesday, there will be less than 24 hours to make roster adjustments via trade before Thursday afternoon’s league deadline.
Clippers players do not want to see Harden depart, but they have no hard feelings over his reported request for a trade.
“It was a surprise,” Leonard said of the trade rumor, which surfaced while the Clippers were playing the 76ers. “… I respect his decision, or whoever’s decision it is. He’s still going to be my boy, and I trust the front office.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royce Lewis' HR helps Twins dispatch Orioles
Mar 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Taj Bradley (26) delivers during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Royce Lewis hit a two-run home run and the Minnesota Twins won for the first time under first-year manager Derek Shelton by beating the host Baltimore Orioles 4-1 on Saturday.
Six Minnesota pitchers combined on a five-hitter while striking out 16 batters and walking six.
The Twins prevailed despite managing only four hits – including two by Byron Buxton – with the bats. The outcome came in the second game of the season-opening series.
Anthony Banda (1-0) was the winning pitcher with two-thirds of an inning of relief. Cole Sands worked the ninth and was credited with a save.
The Orioles stranded 11 runners on base. Jeremiah Jackson had two hits for Baltimore.
Minnesota starter Taj Bradley struck out nine in 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits but he was finished after 92 pitches.
Orioles starter Kyle Bradish (0-1) was done after 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and taking the loss. He walked three and struck out four.
Baltimore scored first on Jackson’s run-scoring single.
Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly tied it in the fourth. When Lewis belted his homer in the fifth, it gave the Twins a lead for the first time this season.
Lewis had 13 home runs last year while playing a career-high 106 games.
Banda entered behind Bradley and notched strikeouts for his two outs and then Kody Funderburk fanned the first two Orioles in the sixth, so it meant that 13 of the first 17 outs recorded by the Twins came via strikeouts.
The Orioles loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth. Eric Orze got Gunnar Henderson on a flyout to end the threat.
The Twins tacked on a run in the seventh on Kody Clemens’ two-out single that drove in Lewis.
Baltimore used five pitchers, registering a total of 10 strikeouts.
The result handed Baltimore’s Craig Albernaz his first loss as a big-league manager.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ta’Niya Latson scores 28 as South Carolina blows out Oklahoma
Mar 28, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Ta’niya Latson (00) looks to shoot the ball against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second quarter in the Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Ta’Niya Latson scored 28 points to help top-seed South Carolina beat fourth-seeded Oklahoma 94-68 in a Sweet 16 matchup Saturday in Sacramento.
Latson set the tone from the start, scoring eight points during the Gamecocks’ 10-0 run to start the game.
South Carolina will take on the winner of Saturday’s TCU-Virginia matchup Monday.
The Gamecocks (34-3) are looking for their sixth consecutive Final Four appearance.
South Carolina lost the regular-season matchup between the teams 94-82 in overtime Jan. 22.
In their NCAA Tournament matchup, though, the Gamecocks never gave the Sooners a chance for any kind of a late push.
Latson helped make sure of that, hitting a jumper on the opening possession, nailing a 3-pointer shortly thereafter, then hitting three free throws after being fouled less than three minutes into the game to put her team up 10-0.
Oklahoma briefly cut the deficit to six, but after the first quarter, South Carolina’s lead never dipped below double figures.
Latson finished 7 of 11 from the floor with five assists. The Gamecocks shot 50.7% from the floor.
Raven Johnson added 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and Tessa Johnson scored 14.
The Sooners (26-8) were led by freshman Aaliyah Chavez, who had 21 points. Oklahoma finished with a season-low nine assists, while South Carolina had 21 on 34 field goals.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Top teams Natus Vincere, Team Vitality clinch sports in BLAST Open Spring grand final
BLAST Premier 2022 CS:GO Team Vitality continued its dominance while Natus Vincere held strong to set up a matchup of top-seeded teams in the best-of-five grand final after wins in the semifinals of the BLAST Open Spring on Saturday at Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Both teams received byes to the semifinals after undefeated runs in group play. Team Vitality still has yet to drop a game as they defeated Aurora Gaming 2-0 to set up a clash with Natus Vincere, which downed PARIVISION 2-1.
The 16 teams in the $400,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event were split into two groups of eight that contested double-elimination brackets in Copenhagen, Denmark. The top three finishers in each bracket advanced to the six-team playoffs in Rotterdam.
The winning team will earn $150,000 along with three BLAST Frequent Flyer tokens.
Team Vitality was dominant against Aurora Gaming, claiming 13-5 victories on Inferno and Nuke. Israel’s Shahar ‘flameZ’ Shushan had a match-high 37 kills and a plus-15 K-D differential. Ali ‘Wicadia’ Haydar Yalcin had a team-best 30 kills for the all-Turkish side, but had a minus-2 K-D differential.
Natus Vincere had a tougher time with PARIVISION but still came away with the victory, winning 13-11 on Dust II and 13-7 on Mirage to clinch it after falling 13-8 on Inferno. Ukrainian Ihor ‘w0nderful’ Zhdanov paced Natus Vincere with 59 kills and a match-best plus-17 K-D differential. Dzhami ‘Jame’ Ali led the way for all-Russian PARIVISION with 50 kills and a plus-3 K-D differential.
BLAST Open Spring prize pool (cash prize, BLAST Frequent Flyer tokens)
1. $150,000, 3
2. $60,000, 1
3-4. $40,000, 1 — PARIVISION, Aurora Gaming
5-6. $20,000, 1 — Team Falcons, The MongolZ
7-8. $10,000 — FURIA, Team Spirit
9-12. $7,500 — TYLOO, NRG, 9z Team, Team Liquid
13-16. $5,000 — FaZe Clan, B8, MOUZ, Ninjas in Pyjamas
–Field Level Media
Royce Lewis' HR helps Twins dispatch Orioles
Ta’Niya Latson scores 28 as South Carolina blows out Oklahoma
