Sports
Keshan Johnson wins dunk contest; Damian Lillard wins 3rd 3-point contest
Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) celebrates with the trophy after winning the three point contest during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat has not started a game this season, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers has not played in one, and yet both made their impact on All-Star Weekend.
Johnson delivered the defining moment of his short two-season NBA career so far when he won the Slam Dunk competition over rookie Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs to close out Saturday’s prelude of events to Sunday’s All-Star Game.
In the 3-point Contest, the veteran Lillard defeated seven other long-distance shooting rivals and won the event for a third time, tying the record previously held by Larry Bird and Craig Hodges. The 35-year-old has been out due to an Achilles injury.
Johnson used a between-the-legs reverse dunk and a running dunk from just inside the free-throw line to post a combined score of 97.4 in the final round. He then had to wait out a final dunk from Bryant, who delivered a perfect 50.0 on his opening dunk of the final round.
Needing a score of 47.5 to become the dunk champion in his native Southern California, Bryant struggled to deliver some flash and settled for a 360-degree dunk just before time expired. His score of 43.0 left him with a final-round total of 93.0.
Eliminated in the opening round of the dunk competition were Jase Richardson of the Orlando Magic and Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Johnson, who has played in just 21 games off the bench this season and averages 7.6 minutes per game, outlasted them all.
Lillard’s 3-point victory was almost as much of a surprise. He has been out of action since an Achilles tear during last season’s playoffs as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
“For me, it means a lot just being able to get involved in some competition, feel a little bit of pressure, to do something that I haven’t been able to do all year,” Lillard said. “But just as a shooter, any time you can get in this competition and win it amongst other great shooters, I think that’s one of the greatest honors you can have as a shooter in this league.”
Lillard scored 29 points in the final round to hold off Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, who had 27 in the final after posting a high score of 30 while advancing from the first round. Rookie Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets also advanced to the final round but was eliminated with a score of 17.
While Lillard made his final 3-point shot to record his 29, Booker reached 27 by making his first two shots on the final rack of balls, then missed all three of his final shots, any one of which would have forced overtime in the competition.
In addition to Booker’s 30 in the first round, Knueppel and Lillard each scored 27 to move on. Failing to advance were the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (24), the Miami Heat’s Norman Powell (23), the Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray (18), the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey (17) and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis Jr. (15).
Lillard said his entry in the contest started off as a joke between NBA executive Michael Levine and became a reality when one player in the field backed out.
“It didn’t really take much,” Lillard said “I think I’ve done it enough times. … I think this was my sixth time doing it. I get up every day, and my mind is engaged in being able to play the game. I knew it was an opportunity to get back on this stage.”
Team Knicks — comprised of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and team legend Allan Houston — won the Shooting Stars contest with a dominating 47 points in the final. Team Cameron – consisting of former Duke players Jalen Johnson, Kon Knueppel and Corey Maggette — were the runner-up with 38 points.
The Shooting Stars competition had all three players shoot from seven different spots on the floor with each distance worth a varying amount of points.
Team All Star (Scottie Barnes, Chet Holmgren, Richard Hamilton) and Team Harper (Dylan Harper, Ron Harper Jr., Ron Harper) were eliminated in the first round of the Shooting Stars contest.
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Raiders elevating Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator
Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive line coach Rob Leonard against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Rob Leonard is receiving a promotion from the Las Vegas Raiders, moving from run game coordinator/defensive line to defensive coordinator under new head coach Klint Kubiak, multiple media outlets reported Saturday.
Leonard, 38, has spent the past three seasons on Las Vegas’ coaching staff and is reportedly close with Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby, whose name has surfaced in trade rumors after he expressed displeasure with being inactive for the team’s final two games. Crosby is under contract through 2029 after signing a 3-year, $106.5 million extension in 2025.
Per NFL Network: “Leonard earns the promotion, a key hire for coach Klint Kubiak. Leonard is also close with Maxx Crosby. With Crosby’s future uncertain in Las Vegas, worth noting that the Raiders hired the coach with whom he works directly. As one person noted, ‘The plot thickens.'”
Before joining the Raiders, Leonard was the outside linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 after three seasons on the Miami Dolphins’ coaching staff.
Leonard’s first taste of coaching at the NFL level came with the New York Giants from 2013-18 as an assistant.
–Field Level Media
Sports
New All-Star format takes center stage in Inglewood
Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Team World center Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets during a news conference for the NBA All Star game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Inside an arena covered by a shell that could pass for a globe, the NBA will try to entertain on Sunday while also reaching out to the rest of the world.
The NBA All-Star Game’s latest concept involves a team of the league’s top international players competing against two teams composed of domestic talent. The format will be a round-robin, leading to a championship game after one of the three teams is eliminated through a series of head-to-head matchups.
Team World will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada, yet still features the talents of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of Serbia, Luka Doncic of Slovenia and Victor Wembanyama of France among its nine players.
The USA Stars team skews younger with Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards, while USA Stripes boasts experience with Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard of the host Los Angeles Clippers.
Leonard is eager to showcase what the Clippers’ two-year-old Intuit Dome is all about. He appears less enthusiastic about the All-Star Game format that departs from traditional norms.
“I know it’s three teams and I’m like, ‘Is it a pickup game where we wait until somebody (wins)?” Leonard said. “I’d rather just be East and West and go out there and compete and see what the outcome is.”
At first glance, the setup appears to give players worldwide a chance to represent themselves in basketball’s best league, but even that opportunity feels somewhat empty. At least until the competition kicks off, it does.
“For me, I’m going to play like I played every year,” Jokic said Saturday. “… I’m not sure that it is going to bring (more) fire to me, no, because I play (that way) every game the same.”
The NBA is known for setting trends, but Sunday’s format appears to draw inspiration from the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off last year and the ongoing international showdown that is the Milan Cortina Olympics.
And yet, it doesn’t seem to be generating the same passion as either event. Jokic even has a prediction about how it all will unfold.
“We are going to have (veteran) OGs and maybe they’re going to play the most. They’re going to try to prove they can still be in this league,” Jokic said. “They are really good players. Probably all of them are Hall of Famers.
“I think Europeans are going to probably pass the ball a lot and have fun out there. OGs (are) probably going to win it, and the third team is probably going to dunk the most times.”
For all of the complaints that All-Star Weekend no longer moves the needle, Jokic does point out what is on the line for each squad. Perhaps that is the lens to use come Sunday.
“They need something to complain about (and) I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, to be honest, the All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend,” Durant said about All-Star Game criticism. “Just here to celebrate the game of basketball. People still coming to celebrate the game of basketball. They’re coming to watch.”
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
Sports
In key SEC clash, No. 14 Florida handles No. 25 Kentucky
Florida guard Boogie Fland (0) steals the ball from Kentucky guard Jasper Johnson (2) during the first half of a NCAA mens basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, February 14, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] Urban Klavzar netted 19 points off the bench and sparked a second-half run as No. 14 Florida led wire-to-wire to knock off No. 25 Kentucky 92-83 on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, Fla.
Klavzar, who was 5 of 11 from distance, scored eight points in a span of 4:06 to turn an eight-point game into a 14-point lead to help the Gators win their fifth straight game and 10th in their last 11.
Leading the Southeastern Conference standings, the Gators (19-6, 10-2 SEC) led by 15 in the first half and created a two-game lead over the Wildcats (17-8, 8-4), who fell to 8-2 in their past 10 games.
Florida’s Xaivian Lee scored 22 points and Thomas Haugh had 17 points and eight rebounds. Alex Condon posted 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Rueben Chinyelu also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Kentucky’s Denzel Aberdeen notched 19 points and four assists, while Collin Chandler had 18 points, three rebounds and three steals. Otega Oweh had 13 points and five boards and Malachi Moreno totaled 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The home side started fast by making four of five shots, including Lee’s two three-pointers, as it led 10-2. The Gators then built a 20-8 advantage at 13:55 on Lee’s driving layup.
Just after the half’s midpoint, the Gators moved the margin to 32-17 as Haugh and Lee combined for 25 points. Boogie Fland punctuated a 5-0 burst with a steal and dunk at 9:24.
Aberdeen’s driving hoop with 4:03 left cut Kentucky’s deficit to 34-29, but the Gators left the court with a 43-34 advantage after shooting 50% (17 of 34) from the field.
A member of Florida’s national champion squad last season, Aberdeen netted nine points, but the Wildcats were successful on just 12 of 32 shots (37.5%).
Florida held a 16-5 margin in points off turnovers after the first 20 minutes.
However, Kentucky broke out on a 7-0 run to start the second half to make it a one-possession game. Klavzar, a long-range specialist, hit a wing three-pointer at 13:14 to make it 59-51.
With just over 10 minutes left, Klavzar canned a corner three and added a layup as Florida’s lead moved to 72-58.
Kentucky managed to slash the deficit to five in the final 36 seconds, but the Gators hit four free throws to seal the win.
–Field Level Media
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Reports: Raiders elevating Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator
