Sports
NBA roundup: Celtics rout Knicks for 5th straight win
Feb 23, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts after a play during the second half against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Jayson Tatum had 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to five games with a 118-105 victory over the visiting New York Knicks on Sunday.
Jaylen Brown added 24 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, who have also won nine of their past 10. Boston received 19 points from Derrick White, 15 from Kristaps Porzingis and 14 from Jrue Holiday. White, who was 5 of 6 from 3-point range, also had nine rebounds and seven assists.
New York, which trailed by 27 in the third quarter, was within four points following a Karl-Anthony Towns 3-pointer with 11:32 to play, but the Celtics pulled away to lead by 20 with 3:54 remaining. Towns led New York with 24 points and 18 rebounds. He left the game with an apparent leg injury midway through the fourth quarter but returned minutes later. Jalen Brunson tossed in 22 points for the Knicks.
The Celtics entered the game second in the Eastern Conference standings, three games ahead of the third-place Knicks. Boston made 17 of 44 shots from 3-point range and outrebounded New York 49-40.
Thunder 130, Timberwolves 123
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points on 13-for-24 shooting from the field, grabbed eight rebounds and dished eight assists, and Oklahoma City held on for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Chet Holmgren added 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting for Oklahoma City, which earned its ninth win in its past 10. Jalen Williams finished with 18 points and nine assists, and Aaron Wiggins scored 15 points off the bench while making all four of his 3-point attempts.
Anthony Edwards scored 29 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out seven assists to lead Minnesota, which lost for the fourth time in its past five games. Naz Reid (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Jaden McDaniels (17 points, 13 rebounds) also recorded double-doubles.
Warriors 126, Mavericks 102
Stephen Curry had 16 of his game-high 30 points in the third quarter, Jimmy Butler celebrated his home debut in front of his new fans with 18 points and Golden State blitzed Dallas in San Francisco.
Brandin Podziemski chipped in with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for the Warriors, who retired Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey in a postgame ceremony.
Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington tossed in 17 points apiece to pace the Mavericks, who saw a three-game winning streak come to an end as news-making acquisition Anthony Davis sat out a fifth consecutive contest with an adductor strain.
Cavaliers 129, Grizzlies 123
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points as Cleveland won its seventh straight game, beating visiting Memphis.
Sixth man Ty Jerome added 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, and Evan Mobley posted 25 points and 13 rebounds.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22 points for Memphis, Ja Morant paired 21 points with 10 assists and Luke Kennard contributed 19 points off the bench.
Bucks 120, Heat 113
Damian Lillard scored 28 points and dished eight assists to lead Milwaukee to a victory over visiting Miami.
Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 23 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, and Brook Lopez scored 17 points as the Bucks won their fourth straight game and fifth in their last six.
Tyler Herro, a native of the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield, tied a season high with 40 points to go along with 11 assists for Miami. Bam Adebayo added 24 points and seven rebounds, and Andrew Wiggins had 20 points.
Magic 110, Wizards 90
Anthony Black matched his career high with 23 points and Franz Wagner also scored 23 as Orlando dominated the second half in a win over visiting Washington.
Paolo Banchero added 19 points for Orlando, which led by as many as 26 and won its eighth straight meeting against the Wizards. Orlando led by two at the half before opening the third quarter on a 22-6 run. The Magic maintained control and cruised to their fourth win in their last six games.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 16 points. Bub Carrington scored 13 points, Tristan Vukcevic added 12, Bilal Coulibaly had 11, and Richaun Holmes finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the short-handed Wizards lost their sixth straight and fell to a league-worst 9-47.
Pacers 129, Clippers 111
Tyrese Haliburton’s 29-point, 12-assist double-double led a balanced offensive effort, and Indiana led wire-to-wire in a home rout of Los Angeles.
Seven Pacers scored in double figures, including 19 points from Aaron Nesmith and 17 from Myles Turner. Pascal Siakam posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Andrew Nembhard rounded out the Indiana starting five’s collective scoring effort with 12 points.
The Pacers weathered a monster start from James Harden, who was in on all of Los Angeles’ first 20 points either through scoring or assists. He rode his hot start to a game-high 31 points. Harden also dished a team-high 11 assists and grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds.
Pistons 148, Hawks 143
Cade Cunningham scored 38 points to help visiting Detroit win its season-best sixth straight game, over Atlanta. Cunningham finished 14-for-24 shooting from the floor with seven 3-pointers, 12 assists and seven rebounds.
The game was tied 135-all at 2:35 and went through five lead changes until Dennis Schroder’s three-point play put the Pistons ahead to stay 142-140 with 33 seconds left. Detroit put it away when Malik Beasley made two free throws with 23 seconds remaining. Schroder, a former Hawk, came off the bench to score 16 points, his most since joining the Pistons at the trade deadline. Beasley added 24 points with six 3-pointers in a reserve role.
Atlanta’s Trae Young scored 38 points with 13 assists. It was the 17th time Young surpassed the 30-point mark this season as he notched his 33rd double-double.
Raptors 127, Suns 109
Immanuel Quickley, Chris Boucher and RJ Barrett each scored 23 points, and Toronto defeated visiting Phoenix.
As a reserve, Boucher scored 14 of his points in the second quarter and grabbed 10 rebounds for the game. Scottie Barnes added 20 points and nine rebounds and Orlando Robinson scored 10 points for the Raptors, who had lost their previous two games.
Devin Booker scored 31 points for the Suns, who have lost five of six. Bradley Beal added 30 points, Kevin Durant scored 15 and Nick Richards scored 10.
Pelicans 114, Spurs 96
Zion Williamson scored 22 points, Kelly Olynyk had a double-double and host New Orleans defeated San Antonio.
Olynyk, playing just his second game with the Pelicans since being acquired in a trade with Toronto, finished with 14 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Karlo Matkovic scored a season-high 19 points, Trey Murphy III had 15, CJ McCollum and Jose Alvarado added 12 each and Jordan Hawkins scored 10 for the Pelicans.
Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie scored 18 each for the Spurs. De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes had 13 each and Bismack Biyombo added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who were outscored 74-43 in the second half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NYCFC focusing on Fire, not player's demand, fan reaction
Sep 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder a(7) brings the ball up the pitch against Charlotte FC during the second half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Their leading goal scorer wants out of town and their goalkeeper is public enemy No. 1 after a costly gaffe during the World Cup played a key role in the United States losing to Belgium in the round of 16.
But New York City FC is still relying on Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Matt Freese for big contributions Saturday night when the Chicago Fire invade Yankee Stadium.
Fernandez Mercau scored his 11th goal on a penalty kick Wednesday night during a 2-1 win at Columbus that got NYCFC (6-6-4, 22 points) to .500. It came one day after reports that the club rejected an $18 million offer for his services, leading to his demand that the team transfer him.
“You see a player that is performing for and with his team with a lot of energy,” head coach Pascal Jansen said of Fernandez Mercau. “That’s what he’s supposed to do.”
Freese, whose whiffed clearing attempt led to a third goal for Belgium in a 4-1 win on July 6, was booed on every touch Wednesday. Despite the jeers, he made three saves in the team’s first fixture after the World Cup break.
Meanwhile, Chicago (8-5-2, 26 points) sits third in the East table despite a 3-2 loss Wednesday night at Inter Miami. The result snapped the Fire’s three-match winning streak.
Chicago opted not to stand pat during the summer transfer window, adding Robert Lewandowski from Barcelona on a two-year deal. The 37-year-old Lewandowski, the captain of Poland’s national team, started at Miami and played 63 minutes.
“After just two days with my new team, I didn’t expect everything to work perfectly in my first game,” Lewandowski said.
Lewandowski’s signing led to the departure of star striker Hugo Cuypers. The Fire sold him to LIGA MX’s Monterrey for a reported $7.5 million after he scored 40 goals in 75 league matches over the past 2 1/2 seasons. Cuypers scored 13 goals in 11 matches this season, tying Dallas’ Petar Musa for the league lead.
NYCFC is 3-0-2 in its last five matches against Chicago.
–Field Level Media
Sports
CF Montreal acquire Brayan Ceballos from Revs for up to $850K GAM
Mar 15, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Luca Langoni (41) congratulates defender Brayan Ceballos (3) after he scored his second goal during the first half against the FC Cincinnati at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images The New England Revolution traded defender Brayan Ceballos to CF Montreal on Friday in exchange for up to $850,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM).
The payments were divided into $500,000 in 2026 GAM, $250,000 in 2027 GAM and up to $100,000 in conditional GAM. The Revs also retained a percentage of Ceballos’ sell-on rights should he be transferred again.
“Brayan is a reliable and versatile defender who can play effectively in a variety of systems, making him an important addition to our roster,” Luca Saputo, Montreal’s managing director for recruitment and sporting methodology, said in a statement. “His strengths will complement those already present in our defensive unit. We are confident that he will contribute to our collective objectives as well as the team’s development.”
Ceballos, 25, came to the Revolution from Brazil’s Fortaleza EC in January 2025. He had three goals in 38 career games (37 starts) for the Revs, with two of those goals coming in one game this season, March 15 against Cincinnati.
“We are grateful to Brayan for all his contributions during his time in New England. We wish him all the best in Montreal,” Revolution general manager Chris Tierney said in a statement. “As we look to continue improving the first team, generating this significant amount of allocation money will allow us to continue investing in the roster in the future.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
UFC Abu Dhabi Best Bets: Top Picks for Ankalaev vs. Guskov Fight Night
Mar 28, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; UFC CEO Dana White talks to the press after the fight between Israel Adesanya (red gloves) and Joe Pyfer (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images We’re one day away from the UFC returning to its Fight Island home on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for another weekend Fight Night. It’s the first of what is expected to be two occasions this year where the Octagon lands in Abu Dhabi, with the annual late October numbered card in Abu Dhabi expected.
The main event will see former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev taking on Bogdan Guskov.
This will be Ankalaev’s first fight since dropping the title to Alex Pereira last year at UFC 320. Before that, Ankalaev went on a 14-fight unbeaten streak, culminating with his UFC 313 title win over Pereira.
Guskov takes this fight on short notice, only being announced for this bout on July 13 after an injury to Khalil Rountree Jr. Guskov dropped his UFC debut but then won four straight. He most recently fought at UFC 323, battling former champion Jan Blachowicz to a majority draw.
The co-main event will see former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg battle Ramazan Temirov. After losing three straight, Erceg enters this bout with back-to-back wins, defeating Ode’ Osbourne last year and Tim Elliott this past May in Perth. Temirov, meanwhile, has won 11 straight, including his first two UFC bouts, finishing CJ Vergara and earning a decision over Charles Johnson.
The rest of the main card will see Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman, Damian Rzepecki vs. Magomed Zaynukov, Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune, and Abubakar Vagaev vs. Saygid Izagakhmaev.
ISLAM DULATOV VS WELLINGTON TURMAN
Unbeaten since dropping his pro debut, Islam Dulatov is a name the UFC has had its eye on. He’s 11-1, had a strong first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series, and quickly finished Adam Fugitt in his UFC debut last year. At 6’3” and with a 75-inch reach, Dulatov is a fairly big man for the welterweight division. Add in his high-volume striking and pressure, and his ability to finish by either KO/TKO or submission, and you can see the danger he presents.
Wellington Turman is an experienced veteran of the Octagon, and he’ll look to trouble Dulatov with his jiu-jitsu work. This will be Turman’s first fight since December 2023, however, and he enters this fight on a three-fight losing skid. Signs point to this being another Dulatov showcase.
BET: Dulatov to win via KO/TKO in Round 1 (FanDuel: -110)
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VALTER WALKER VS THOMAS PETERSEN
How Valter Walker is not on the main card of this event is downright criminal. He might be fighting an unranked fighter and the heavyweight division might be lackluster, but he’s probably this writer’s favorite thing about the division right now. The man gets submissions like crazy, and he’s developing into one of the most talented heavyweights in a UFC division that desperately needs talent.
Petersen has talent, but he’s been up and down since entering the UFC – and I prefer the competition Walker has faced. Point blank, a loss for Walker here would be devastating for not just Walker, but the division as a whole. The challenge for making a play here is that Petersen has a wrestling base and has never been submitted…and yet, the way Walker’s momentum has been, that might not matter.
BET: Walker via submission (DraftKings: +165)
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DUSTIN JACOBY VS MUHAMMAD SAID
Dustin Jacoby might not reach the upper echelon of the UFC light heavyweight rankings, but he’s tough competition for anyone who is put in front of him. The power in his strikes, which stem from his kickboxing days, translated well into the Octagon. Not only are his losses not bad, but he’s riding a three-fight KO/TKO streak entering this bout.
Said is going to have a hometown factor in this one, and he’s a strong striker and finisher in his own right. The question about him is the level of competition. Jacoby is the most experienced guy he’s going to have fought – in his first six fights, he fought fighters who had no more than four fights. He’s faced experienced fighters in his last three, but they didn’t have the greatest of records.
Some have felt this will be a difficult fight to predict, but I’ll trust in both fighters’ finishing abilities.
BET: Fight to end via KO/TKO/DQ (Caesars: -125)
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