Sports
NBA roundup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (51), Thunder win 50th game
Mar 3, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) blocks a shot by Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 51 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 137-128 home win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
It was Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth game with 50 or more points this season and ninth game with 40 or more points — both tops in the NBA. He had never produced a 50-point game in his career before January.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot 18 of 30 from the floor and 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts while adding seven assists and five rebounds.
Oklahoma City has won four consecutive games and 13 of its past 15. The Thunder registered their 50th win of the season before any other team in the conference hit 40 wins. Oklahoma City is the first team to accomplish that feat since the 2004-05 Miami Heat.
Warriors 119, Hornets 101
Buddy Hield racked up 22 points and Stephen Curry scored 21 points in his hometown as Golden State defeated host Charlotte.
Brandin Podziemski added 19 points and 11 rebounds, Draymond Green finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven rebounds and Jimmy Butler III had 13 points as seven different Golden State players made at least one 3-point shot. Hield connected five times from beyond the arc.
Charlotte’s losing streak reached seven games despite 35 points from Miles Bridges and 25 points from LaMelo Ball. Mark Williams provided 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who committed 17 turnovers. Tidjane Salaun had 10 points off the bench.
Hawks 132, Grizzlies 130
Caris LeVert’s reverse layup at the buzzer lifted visiting Atlanta to a victory over Memphis, spoiling the first career triple-double by Desmond Bane.
Levert scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half. Zaccharie Risacher led the Hawks with 27 points, Onyeka Okongwu added 16 points and 12 rebounds, Daniels contributed 14 points and Trae Young finished with 12 points and 15 assists.
Bane scored a season-high 35 points — including 18 in the third quarter — and added 10 points and 10 assists. Luke Kennard had 17 points and seven assists. The Grizzlies lost their third game in a row and have dropped six of their last eight. Jaren Jackson Jr. injured his left ankle 1:39 into the game and did not return.
Trail Blazers 119, 76ers 102
Anfernee Simons scored 34 points and Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan each posted a double-double as Portland continued its strong road trip with a victory over Philadelphia.
Sharpe registered 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, while Clingan totaled 13 points, 13 boards and three blocks. The Trail Blazers improved to 4-1 on their seven-game road trip, which continues this week with challenging contests in Boston and Oklahoma City.
Philadelphia, which has lost 10 of its past 11, continued to play without Joel Embiid (knee), who is out for the season. Paul George (groin) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) also sat out, while Tyrese Maxey left with a back contusion after taking a hard fall in the third quarter. Andre Drummond posted a season-high 25 points and 18 rebounds.
Pistons 134, Jazz 106
Cade Cunningham scored 29 points and Detroit cruised to its 10th win in 11 games by beating Utah in Salt Lake City.
Cunningham, who also contributed nine assists and four steals, put up 17 points in the first half as Detroit built a 23-point lead. Jalen Duren contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Kyle Filipowski compiled 25 points and eight boards for the Jazz, who concluded their homestand with a 3-6 record. Collin Sexton scored 16 points.
Heat 106, Wizards 90
Bam Adebayo posted 19 points and 15 rebounds and Miami used a fourth-quarter run to pull away from visiting Washington.
Duncan Robinson added 17 points for the Heat, who have won three of their past four games. Pelle Larsson scored half of the Heat’s points during a decisive 12-0 stretch in the fourth quarter.
The Wizards shot a dismal 3 of 23 in the second quarter, finishing 31 of 84 (36.9 percent) for the night. Khris Middleton led Washington with 16 points.
Kings 122, Mavericks 98
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan combined for 42 points and Sacramento took advantage of a knee injury sustained by Kyrie Irving to run away from host Dallas.
Irving left the game for good with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter after it appeared he hyperextended his left knee on a drive to the basket. LaVine led all scorers in the game with 22 points, making eight of his 12 shots and four of his five 3-point attempts.
Dallas’ top six scorers were all reserves. Kai Jones led the way with 21 points, while Naji Marshall added 18, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Max Christie had 10 apiece. Jones pulled down nine boards, while Marshall and Dinwiddie had six assists each.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Browns OT Dawand Jones agrees to reworked deal
Sep 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) lies on the field after being injured against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones agreed to a restructured deal for the 2026 season, NFL Network reported Saturday.
Jones’ deal was lowered to $1.5 million base pay with $1.145 million of it being guaranteed. He played in just three games last season due to a season-ending LCL tear in his right knee.
Jones, 24, was due to receive $3.674 million in 2026 after hitting an NFL escalator by playing in over 35% of his team’s offensive snaps in two of his first three seasons. Jones qualified via the Proven Performance Escalator, which pertains to fourth-year salary for players on rookie contracts who weren’t selected in the first round.
Jones initially signed a four-year, $4.63 million rookie contract after being a fourth-round pick in 2023 out of Ohio State.
But each of his three NFL seasons have ended with an injury and Jones has played in just 24 games with 20 starts.
He started nine games as a rookie before sustaining a season-ending MCL tear in his right knee. In 2024, he played in 10 games before a fractured left fibula ended his season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. leaves Rockies game with hamstring tightness
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left Saturday’s game at the Colorado Rockies with left hamstring tightness.
Acuna grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning in Denver. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
The 2023 National League MVP, Acuna entered the day hitting .248 with two homers and nine RBIs in 33 games. He led off the game with a single and scored when Drake Baldwin followed with a home run.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .186 with two homers and seven RBIs in 19 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates wreck Reds; tie MLB record for consecutive walks
May 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Home plate umpire Willie Traynow keeps Cincinnati Reds second baseman Sal Stewart (27) away from Pittsburgh Pirates cvatcher Henry Davis after he was nearly hit by the ball during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images The host Pittsburgh Pirates scored 15 runs in the first four innings and took advantage of record wildness by the Cincinnati Reds to roll to a 17-7 victory on Saturday.
Rookie Konnor Griffin doubled, tripled and went 4-for-5 while driving in two, while Ryan O’Hearn doubled and drove in three as the top eight hitters in the Pirates lineup each had at least one hit while seven batters had at least two hits.
Pittsburgh also drew seven consecutive walks in the second inning — tying a major league record set in 1909 and equaled in 1983. The Pirates scored five runs in the second without a hit, becoming the first team to accomplish the feat since 1994.
Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (2-2) was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. He struck out a career-high 10 while scattering eight hits, two walks and five runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Will Benson and JJ Bleday homered and Nathaniel Lowe drove in three runs for the Reds, who trailed 15-3 after four innings. Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder (3-2) surrendered eight runs, five hits and four walks before being removed with one out in the second.
Since losing 2-0 to Cincinnati in their first meeting on March 30, Pittsburgh has won the last four by a combined 42-14 score.
For a second straight day, the game was played in raw conditions, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees.
Lowder appeared miserable in the cold and struggled badly early. He was unable to find his rhythm or command while allowing four runs before there were two outs in the first inning. The five runs allowed in the first were a career high for the right-hander.
Lowder labored through 30 pitches in the first as O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Griffin each doubled in the five-run outburst. Lowder then walked the bases loaded in the second before being pulled.
Reliever Connor Phillips came in and walked all four Pirates he faced to force in four runs. He left after throwing just five of his 21 pitches for strikes.
The last time seven straight walks were issued in a Major League game came on May 25, 1983, when three Pirates pitchers walked seven in a row at Atlanta in a 6-0 Braves win.
The five runs without a hit in the second happened for the first time since April 27, 1994, when the Seattle Mariners allowed five runs to the New York Yankees in the top of the third inning.
With the score 15-6, Pittsburgh reliever Chris Devenski was ejected for throwing inside near the ribcage of Sal Stewart to open the seventh. Stewart took exception and stared out at the mound. But the encounter did not escalate as umpires intervened.
–Field Level Media
Report: Browns OT Dawand Jones agrees to reworked deal
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. leaves Rockies game with hamstring tightness
