Sports
NBA roundup: Cole Anthony caps Magic's 21-point rally past Nets
Dec 29, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic celebrate their 102-101 win against the Brooklyn Nets at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Cole Anthony hit the game-winning basket with 1.3 seconds left to cap a furious rally as the host Orlando Magic erased a 21-point deficit and completed a season sweep of the Brooklyn Nets with a 102-101 victory on Sunday.
The Magic ended their fourth win over the Nets this season on a 22-4 run over the final 7:16 and capped the comeback on Anthony’s dramatic shot.
da Silva led the Magic with 21 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds. Goga Bitadze collected 11 rebounds and added 19 points, including a free throw that gave Orlando its first lead since the opening quarter with 17.7 seconds left.
Cam Thomas returned from a hamstring injury and led all scorers with 25 off the bench but the Nets did not make a field goal in the final 7:16 and lost for the 10th time in 13 games. Jalen Wilson added 16 and Keon Johnson contributed 14 as the Nets also lost Cameron Johnson to a sore left hip after the third.
Timberwolves 112, Spurs 110
Donte DiVincenzo scored a season-high 26 points as Minnesota outlasted Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio in a wild Western Conference clash in Minneapolis.
The game was tied heading to the fourth quarter after the Spurs rallied from a 16-point deficit early in the third period. Rudy Gobert scored 17 points and 15 rebounds as the Timberwolves won their third straight game. Julius Randle had 16 points, Anthony Edwards scored 14 on 6 of 20 shooting from the floor, Jaden McDaniels hit for 12 and Naz Reid scored 11 for Minnesota.
Wembanyama rang up 34 points to lead all scorers. Harrison Barnes added 24 for San Antonio, Devin Vassell hit for 22 points, Keldon Johnson tallied 13 and Chris Paul had 14 assists and four steals.
Thunder 130, Grizzlies 106
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points to help Oklahoma City run its winning streak to 11 games with a home victory over Memphis.
The loss snapped the Grizzlies’ two-game winning streak and was just their fourth in 18 games. The Thunder had a season-high 35 assists, led by eight from Jalen Williams. Six other Oklahoma City scorers joined Gilgeous-Alexander in double figures, including 17 points off the bench from Ajay Mitchell and 16 from Aaron Wiggins.
Without Ja Morant, who sustained a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder in Friday’s win over New Orleans, and several other key players, Memphis didn’t have an answer for the Western Conference-leading Thunder. Desmond Bane led Memphis with 22 points.
Heat 104, Rockets 100
Tyler Herro recorded game highs of 27 points and nine assists before being ejected during a hostile final minute as Miami rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to beat host Houston.
Herro was one of five players tossed in the final 47.4 seconds after Nikola Jovic’s 3-pointer gave Miami a 98-94 lead. Houston’s Fred VanVleet was ejected first for arguing a five-second call on the Rockets’ ensuing inbounds play. Twelve seconds later, Herro and Rockets forward Amen Thompson ignited a skirmish that led to both being disqualified along with Heat guard Terry Rozier and Houston guard Jalen Green. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and assistant Ben Sullivan were also kicked out.
Jovic finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists off the bench. Haywood Highsmith tallied 15 points and eight rebounds for the Heat, who played a fifth consecutive game without Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo paired 12 points with 10 boards. Dillon Brooks scored a team-high 22 points for Houston after missing the last three games with right ankle soreness.
Pacers 123, Celtics 114
Tyrese Haliburton had 31 points, six rebounds and seven assists as Indiana pulled away late to defeat host Boston for the second time in the teams’ three regular-season meetings.
Andrew Nembhard returned from a one-game absence (left knee) and added 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pacers, who also got 17 points, eight boards and six assists from Pascal Siakam.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 31 points and six assists. Jayson Tatum added 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists but was just 2-of-10 from 3-point range. A three-point play by Tatum completed a 9-0 spurt that pulled the Celtics within 105-103 with 7:38 left, but the Pacers scored the next 13 points to put the game out of reach.
Hawks 136, Raptors 107
Trae Young collected 34 points and 10 assists and Atlanta never trailed in dealing host Toronto its 10th straight loss.
Reserve De’Andre Hunter added 22 points for the Hawks, who have won four games in a row. Jalen Johnson chipped in 15 points, six steals and one block.
Scottie Barnes had 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Raptors, who committed 31 turnovers. RJ Barrett added 17 points, and Jakob Poeltl (groin injury) was back in the lineup after missing four games and had 13 points. Bruce Brown made his season debut and scored 12 points off the bench.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Lionel Messi to miss next two Inter Miami games, All-Star Game
Argentina forward Lionel Messi (10) is trapped by Spain midfielder Rodri (16) during the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Argentina and Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, NJ. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC teammate Rodrigo De Paul will not play in the MLS club’s next two games, ESPN reported on Monday.
Both Messi and De Paul played in all eight matches for Argentina in the World Cup. Messi started all eight contests and played all 120 minutes in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the final.
Also according to the report, both players, who were selected to the MLS All-Star Game on July 29, will not compete in the contest against the Liga MX All-Stars.
Messi skipped the 2025 MLS All-Star Game without league approval and was suspended for Inter Miami’s next regular-season match. Miami has informed the league that Messi will miss this year’s game, per ESPN.
FIFPRO, the global representative organization for pro soccer players, has recommended a 21-day rest period at the end of each season for health reasons.
In 2025, FIFA and FIFPRO agreed to a 72-hour rest period between matches for the World Cup.
Messi and De Paul will not play against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday and CF Montreal on Saturday.
Miami plays at home against Columbus on Aug. 1, then competes in the Leagues Cup from Aug. 5-12 before returning to MLS action on Aug. 15. Barring injury, the two players would miss three MLS games that fall within the 21-day window.
Messi scored eight goals and added four assists in the World Cup, finishing second to France’s Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.
Inter Miami sit in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with a 9-2-4 record, five points behind first-place Nashville SC.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: NFL analyst Ryan Clark laid off by ESPN
Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; ESPN MNF broadcaster Ryan Clark shown on set prior to the game between the Los Angeles Rams against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images In the first of another round of layoffs at ESPN, the network parted ways with NFL analyst and former NFL standout Ryan Clark on Monday.
The move occurred as Clark, who has been with ESPN for 11 years, was on the air during “NFL Live.” Sources told The Athletic that Clark was told of the decision during the broadcast and the outspoken 13-year former NFL safety did not finish the program.
Clark’s departure had been rumored since February and those rumors ramped up last week, according to The Athletic.
The Emmy-Award winning Clark was earning about $2 million per year.
ESPN sources told Sports Business Journal the move was planned for Tuesday, but the network was receiving media inquiries and feared the news would leak out before they could inform Clark.
Disney, the parent company of ESPN and the NFL Network, is expected to cut ties with additional on-air ESPN personnel, and a larger number of NFL Network employees, as soon as Tuesday.
ESPN acquired NFL Network in February, giving the NFL a 10% stake in ESPN. The deal was valued at approximately $3 billion.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Fresh off extension, Connor Bedard eyes Blackhawks' playoff return
Apr 13, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) looks to pass the puck against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Connor Bedard doesn’t know exactly what he’ll be able to do physically when the Chicago Blackhawks open training camp in the fall.
The young star forward is sure of one thing, though. Chicago is interested in nothing other than getting back to the playoffs for the first time since the turn of the decade.
“We want to take a big step this year. We want to be a playoff team and that’s our only goal,” Bedard said Monday in his first meeting with reporters since signing a five-year, $75 million contract extension Saturday.
Bedard, who turned just 21 on Friday, was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023 and the Calder Memorial Trophy winner the ensuing season as the NHL’s rookie of the year.
Hailed as the top prospect to enter the league since Connor McDavid, Bedard has played three solid seasons for the Blackhawks, collecting career highs in goals (30), assists (45) and points (75) in just 69 games in 2025-26.
One thing the Blackhawks have yet to produce in the Bedard era is a winning season. But they have climbed from 52 points in Bedard’s rookie season to 61 in 2024-25 to 72 last year.
The playoff drought reached six years, dating back to the end of Patrick Kane’s tenure in town. Bedard, though, likes what his franchise did to improve this offseason, starting with the acquisition of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram.
“We’ve had a great, great summer,” Bedard said. “Obviously getting Bo, he’s someone who’s going to be one of the best D-men in the league. He’s always shown that, but when you play behind Cale (Makar) and (Rasmus) Dahlin (with the Sabres), it’s not easy to take their spots, so just for him to have that opportunity to be that one and prove himself in that way and he’s going to do it. He’s one of the most skilled players in the league.”
He also pointed to the additions of veteran forward Jordan Greenway and defenseman Ian Cole, among others.
But one more potential signing would be the biggest splash of all in Chicago: a reunion with Kane.
After the Blackhawks traded Kane to the New York Rangers late in the 2022-23 campaign, the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history went on to play three seasons with the rival Detroit Red Wings. Kane, still producing goals at 37, is one of the top free agents still available.
“I don’t know what I can say to persuade his decision, but we’d all be so excited to have a player like that but also a guy like that.
“I can’t imagine his first game back at (Chicago), just the reaction he’d get and how much juice that would bring not only to our team but our fans as well. That would be incredible to get to play with him and learn from him.”
Kane underwent surgery for a left shoulder injury on July 8 and was given a four-month timetable for his return. That would place him back on the ice in early November; the regular season begins in late September rather than the usual October start due to the expansion to an 84-game schedule.
Kane didn’t rule out beating the four-month timeline.
“We’ll see,” he said. “… I’m just going to do everything I can day-to-day to try to get back as quick as possible.”
–Field Level Media
Report: Lionel Messi to miss next two Inter Miami games, All-Star Game
Report: NFL analyst Ryan Clark laid off by ESPN
