Sports
NBA roundup: Pascal Siakam's 3 pushes Pacers past Celtics in OT
Oct 30, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) and guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrate Siakam’s game-winning three point basket against the Boston Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-Imagn Images Pascal Siakam made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 7.3 seconds remaining in overtime to help the Indiana Pacers defeat the Boston Celtics 135-132 on Wednesday night in Indianapolis.
Jaylen Brown missed a 3-point attempt that would have tied the game on Boston’s final possession. The defending NBA champion Celtics took their first defeat this season after four wins.
Siakam had 29 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Teammate Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench to score a team-high 30 points and grab 11 rebounds as Indiana ended a three-game losing streak.
Boston was down by 24 with 3:35 left in the third quarter and trailed by 21 with 8:55 remaining but tied the game on Jayson Tatum’s 3-pointer with 14.4 seconds to play. Tatum scored a game-high 37 points and Brown added 25, but they shot a combined 6-for-29 from 3-point range.
Cavaliers 134, Lakers 110
Los Angeles rookie Bronny James scored his first NBA basket, but Evan Mobley tallied 25 points and Donovan Mitchell added 24 points and seven assists as host Cleveland improved to 5-0 this season.
It is Cleveland’s best start since the 2016-17 season, when LeBron James was wearing No. 23 for the Cavs. Cleveland led by as many as 28 points and overcame a major foul disparity, committing 26 fouls to Los Angeles’ seven.
James’ father, LeBron James, 39, finished with 26 points, six rebounds and six turnovers. Teammate Anthony Davis, who entered the game leading the NBA in scoring at 32.8 points a game, finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Knicks 116, Heat 107
Karl-Anthony Towns enjoyed his best game with New York, scoring 44 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in defeating host Miami.
Towns, acquired in an offseason trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, made 17 of 25 shots from the floor, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, in 39 minutes. Jalen Brunson added 22 points and nine assists with just one turnover for the Knicks.
Tyler Herro led Miami with 34 points and seven assists. He made 12 of 20 shots, including 8 of 13 from beyond the arc. Terry Rozier scored 16 points. Miami was again without power forward Kevin Love (personal reasons).
Thunder 105, Spurs 93
Luguentz Dort scored 20 points as Oklahoma City remained undefeated by beating visiting San Antonio.
The showdown between the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama never really materialized. Wembanyama limped to the locker room after appearing to injure his foot on a post-up during the second quarter and was a non-factor when he returned. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year finished with a career-low six points, going just 1-of-5 from the field, and grabbed eight rebounds.
Holmgren, who finished as runner-up for rookie honors, had 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting with five boards and two blocks. He made all three of his 3-point tries as the Thunder made a season-high 17 from beyond the arc, including 13 before halftime.
Pistons 105, 76ers 95
Jaden Ivey scored 23 points and Cade Cunningham chipped in 22 as Detroit earned its first win of the season in five games, defeating host Philadelphia.
Detroit’s Tobias Harris, who spent the previous 5 1/2 seasons with Philadelphia, contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 32 points, but he shot just 2 of 10 from 3-point range as part of a teamwide 8-of-28 effort (28.6 percent) from long distance. The 76ers remain without stars Joel Embiid and Paul George due to knee injuries.
Trail Blazers 106, Clippers 105
Anfernee Simons scored 25 points and Deandre Ayton added 15 points and 12 rebounds as visiting Portland held on for a victory over Los Angeles at Inglewood, Calif.
Scoot Henderson had 14 points while Deni Avdija had 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Blazers won for the second time in their past three games and earned their first road victory in two tries.
Los Angeles’ Norman Powell scored 30 points and James Harden added 19 points with 10 assists. Ivica Zubac had 12 rebounds but was held to six points after he averaged 22.7 points over the first three games of the season. Kevin Porter Jr. scored 10 points for Los Angeles, which fell to 0-2 in the new $2 billion Intuit Dome.
Warriors 104, Pelicans 89
Buddy Hield had 21 points to lead six scorers in double figures, Brandin Podziemski nearly recorded a triple-double as Stephen Curry’s replacement, and Golden State pulled away from visiting New Orleans for a victory in San Francisco.
Podziemski, who hadn’t started any of Golden State’s first three games until Curry sprained his left ankle on Sunday, totaled 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He had 19 points and five assists in his first start on Tuesday. Trayce Jackson-Davis added 15 points and nine rebounds, while Jonathan Kuminga had 16 points, Draymond Green 14 and Kyle Anderson 10 for Golden State, which took the opener of the two-day, two-game series 124-106.
Jordan Hawkins put up a game-high 23 points for New Orleans, which completed a six-day, four-game western swing with a 1-3 record.
Wizards 133, Hawks 120
Bilal Coulibaly scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds, helping Washington defeat visiting Atlanta for the second time in three days.
Jordan Poole added 24 points and a team-high nine assists for Washington, beat Atlanta by two points in Atlanta on Monday. Jonas Valanciunas and Corey Kispert put up 22 and 16 points, respectively, off the Wizards’ bench.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 35 points and 15 assists, while Jalen Johnson added 21 points and 17 rebounds. The Hawks have dropped three straight games.
Hornets 138, Raptors 133
Tre Mann and Cody Martin combined for 52 points off the bench for Charlotte as the Hornets outlasted visiting Toronto.
Mann scored a team-high 27 points and Martin was right behind with 25 as Charlotte snapped a two-game losing streak. Nick Richards added 24 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots, LaMelo Ball poured in 19 points with six assists and reserve Grant Williams had 17 points with five assists.
RJ Barrett racked up 31 points and eight assists, Gradey Dick had 30 points and Jakob Poeltl posted 20 points and 16 rebounds to pace the Raptors, who have lost three games in a row. Scottie Barnes, Toronto’s leading scorer (19.2 points per game) didn’t play due to a fractured orbital bone injury he sustained Monday night against Denver.
Bulls 102, Magic 99
A balanced scoring effort and overwhelming defense in the second half helped host Chicago overcome 31 points from Orlando’s Paolo.
The Bulls held the Magic to 12 points in the fourth quarter and 37 in the second half, helping Chicago rally from a 10-point halftime deficit. Coby White scored 21 points, Josh Giddey had 20 points and Nikola Vucevic finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds for the Bulls.
Jalen Suggs put up 17 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 14 for the Magic, who shot 38.5 percent from the floor in the second half.
Nets 119, Grizzlies 106
Dennis Schroder scored a season-high 33 points and dished out eight assists to lead visiting Brooklyn past injury-plagued Memphis.
Cam Thomas put up 19 points, Cameron Johnson had 14 and Jalen Wilson finished with 12 for the Nets, who got their first road win in three tries this season. Brooklyn’s Ziaire Williams, who began his career with the Grizzlies, had 17 points, four steals and three assists in his return.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 30 points for Memphis, which lost two starters during its second straight defeat. Marcus Smart departed in the closing seconds of the first quarter when he sprained his right ankle before Desmond Bane left after injuring his oblique early in the third.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cavs guard duo out for even more in Game 2 vs. Raptors
Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates after hitting a three point basket against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images The Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden lived up to the hype in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first round series against the Toronto Raptors.
Mitchell scored 32 points in 31 minutes, and Harden dissected the defense for 22 points and 10 assists, leading the fourth-seeded Cavaliers to a 126-113 home victory Saturday. Cleveland built a 24-point lead before coasting home with the win.
Fifth-seeded Toronto must figure out how to slow them down Monday, when Game 2 takes place at Cleveland.
“Every scenario is on the table,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We’ve got to take a look at the film. I have my own thoughts, just based on the game, but I want to watch it to see what adjustments we can make.”
Mitchell and Harden were the best players on the court in the opener, combining to make 19 of 38 field goal attempts, 8 of 14 from 3-point range and 8 of 9 free-throw opportunities. They also combined for four steals, as the Cavaliers forced 17 turnovers as a team.
It didn’t matter who Toronto used against the star guards defensively. The guards took turns beating the defense off the dribble, in transition and making pinpoint passes in half-court sets. Max Strus took advantage with a career playoff-high 24 points off the bench and four 3-pointers.
“Our job now is to stay in the moment and take one game at a time,” Harden said. “I’ve been in this (situation). Things happen fast. Our job is to focus on what we can do better.”
Harden, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Clippers, was especially proficient at slowing down the pace and feeding his big men. Seven of his 10 assists went to either center Jarrett Allen or forwards Evan Mobley and Keon Ellis.
Mitchell was much more aggressive, bypassing his heavy diet of 3-pointers in favor of slashing through the lane. Thirteen of his 20 shots were within the arc, which also led to him go 6 of 7 from the foul line.
“You’ve got to pick, right? Do you trap James? Do you trap me? Do you switch?” said Mitchell, who extended his league-record streak of 30-plus points in a series opener to nine straight. “There are so many different things you have to pick. James makes my life a lot easier.”
Being so efficient on offense allowed Cleveland to set up defensively, stopping the fast-paced Raptors from using their youth and athleticism to speed up the game.
Toronto couldn’t adapt and only managed to take 71 shots — a whopping 18 below the league average. The Cavaliers took 81 shots, making 54.3% of them, and were 16 of 32 on 3-pointers.
“They were getting back, stopping us from running,” Toronto power forward Scottie Barnes said. “They beat us at one of the things we do best, and that’s transition. We’ve got to be prepared and have some urgency.”
RJ Barrett scored 24 points, Barnes had 21 points and Brandon Ingram and Jamal Shead added 17 apiece, but none had more than 14 shots. Shead started in his playoff debut with point guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain) inactive.
Quickley did practice Sunday, when the Raptors worked out in the practice gym at the Cavaliers’ arena, but Rajakovic said his status won’t be known until the pregame.
Regardless of which point guard is playing, the coach will emphasize the importance of feeding Ingram. Toronto’s leading scorer in the regular season (21.5 points per game) only got off nine shots while being blanketed by Strus, Ellis and Dean Wade.
“We have a small margin of error,” Ingram said. “They knew everything (play-wise) we would run throughout the year. They tried to deny me the ball every time I ran down the floor.
“At the end of the day, me shooting nine shots is not going to win basketball games.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Gilbert Burns Retires: A Look Back at His Legendary UFC Career
UFC Winnipeg was that kind of card that had everything – a couple of fantastic fights, one of the worst robberies of the year, a draw, referee action, referee inaction, a devastating knockout, and a couple of impressive finishes.
But while Mike Malott got the win at UFC Winnipeg, taking himself one step further up the welterweight ranks, there needs to be a dedicated spotlight on his opponent, Gilbert Burns.
After Malott scored the victory, he gave time in his post-fight interview to praise Burns for all he has done in and out of the Octagon. Burns then got his own time to speak, laying his gloves down and retiring from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. And while Burns never won a UFC championship, he should be saluted as a fantastic athlete who gave his all to the sport.
Burns’ path to MMA started with Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In fact, the story goes that Burns’ father got Burns and his brothers three months of jiu-jitsu lessons as payment from a car repair customer. That deal, and those three months of training, set Burns on a path that helped him land in the UFC.
Burns became a Brazilian and European jiu-jitsu champion, then went on to win several world titles in the discipline. Then, in 2015, Burns won a bronze medal at the 2015 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships.
It was 2012 when Burns made his professional MMA debut, starting his career with seven first-round finishes. That was the same year he served as a coach on Vitor Belfort’s team for The Ultimate Fighter.
A couple of years later, the UFC came calling, and he debuted in the promotion in July 2014, scoring a decision win over Andreas Stahl. He started his UFC tenure 6-3, but it was in late 2018 that Burns started to really find a groove.
He racked up six straight wins, moving up to welterweight during that time frame. His wins in that span included a victory over Olivier Aubin-Mercier, a first-round finish of Demian Maia, and a decision win over former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
Those performances led Burns to a welterweight title shot against Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. Burns troubled Usman early in the fight, scoring a first-round knockdown, and he was seemingly moments away from capturing the gold. But Usman stormed a comeback, eventually finishing Burns in the third round.
It was a heartbreaking defeat. And unfortunately, it was the start of a skid for Burns over the remaining five years of his UFC career. Burns’ last 10 Octagon bouts, which includes the loss to Usman, saw him go just 3-7.
Burns’ loss to Malott was his fifth straight. At 39 years old, Burns’ retirement is unsurprising, but still unfortunate. He fought so many of today’s fantastic UFC athletes and earned a number of post-fight bonuses. And that’s why while it’s disappointing he never got the UFC gold, he still should go down as a memorable UFC competitor.
And the thing is, he still can do great things in the sport. He will be in the corner of his teammates. He will prepare them for their fights. Maybe we can still see Burns in jiu-jitsu and submission grappling competitions.
“Durinho” has always been considered a man of class. And it was uplifting to see the Canadian crowd give him such a warm ovation and thank you as Burns rode off into the sunset.
Thank you, Gilbert Burns, and congratulations on a tremendous career.
Sports
Which NBA Playoffs Game 1 Loser Is Most Likely To Win Their Series?
Mar 27, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images On Saturday, we watched all the higher seeds take care of business and start their series up 1-0. It’s way too early to overreact to these games, but I think a lot of these winners will end up moving on to the second round. Here are the teams I think have the best chance of coming back from their slow starts.
Houston Rockets
Before the series, I picked the Lakers to pull off the big upset over Houston, and I still believe that’s the case; however, they’re the team I think has the best chance of turning their luck around.
If the Rockets are without Kevin Durant, I have no idea where they’re generating any offense. Houston shot 38% from the field, and Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun struggled to generate any offense as primary ball handlers. On the other end, LeBron James and company did a great job of slowing the game down by running a consistently efficient offense. If Houston can get more stops and generate offense in the fastbreak, they could easily swing this series around.
Atlanta Hawks
Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) is guarded by Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the first quarter of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images For most of 2026, the Hawks have looked like one of the best teams in the NBA. Offensively, they had a solid outing in game one against the Knicks, but New York had one of their better shooting performances, knocking down 48% of their triples.
Atlanta will need to turn New York over more, but that’s something the Knicks have done a good job of preventing all season long. If Atlanta can find a way to steal game two on the road, I think they’ll be in a great spot to steal this series. I would still take the Knicks in this series, but the Hawks didn’t seem rattled on offense, and that’s an important factor in pulling off the upset.
Minnesota Timberwolves
I am fully out on this iteration of the Timberwolves.
It might be dumb to fade the team that’s been to two straight Western Conference Finals, especially one with Anthony Edwards, but I hate the construction of Minnesota in 2026.
The Nuggets are going to get out and run all day on Minnesota, and have more shooting than they have in most years during the Nikola Jokic era. Denver shot poorly in game one and still won by double digits. Donte DiVincenzo is the only player outside of Edwards who can provide any gravity on offense for the T-Wolves, and I don’t think that’s enough to stop the Nuggets. If Jamal Murray starts hitting jumpers, this series could be ugly.
Toronto Raptors
Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images All season long, we wondered when the Cavs would turn it on, and I think we watched them take it to another level in game one. The Cavs are finally all healthy, and we got to see a 10-deep roster that looked very comfortable playing together.
RJ Barrett, Jamal Shead, and Scottie Barnes combined for 11/16 from three, and they still weren’t in this game for most of the second half. Cleveland’s rotations were at their best in this one as well, with one of Donovan Mitchell or James Harden, and Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen on the floor at all times, and they provide way too much firepower for Toronto to handle. The Raptors might steal one game in Toronto, but I’d bet on this one being a sweep.
Cavs guard duo out for even more in Game 2 vs. Raptors
Gilbert Burns Retires: A Look Back at His Legendary UFC Career
