Sports
NBA roundup: Wolves swat Thunder in overtime
Feb 24, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) blocks a shot by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Anthony Edwards came up with a block in the closing seconds of overtime to help lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a stunning 131-128 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
The Timberwolves trailed by as much as 24 in the fourth quarter and by 16 with less than four minutes remaining. Minnesota, though, scored the final 16 points of the quarter, capped by Jaden McDaniels converting an and-one layup with 11 seconds remaining to force overtime.
In overtime, after Naz Reid made two free throws to put the Timberwolves on top 129-128 with 22 seconds left, the Thunder put the ball in Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands coming out of a timeout. Edwards came over from the help side to block Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot.
Minnesota’s Terrence Shannon Jr. grabbed the rebound and Nickeil Alexander-Walker — Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin — made a pair of free throws. Edwards then matched up with Gilgeous-Alexander once more in the closing seconds, forcing a missed 3-pointer to end the game.
Nuggets 125, Pacers 116
Aaron Gordon scored 25 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Nikola Jokic added 18 points, nine rebounds and a career-high 19 assists Denver beat Indiana in Indianapolis.
Christian Braun had 17 points for Denver, which bounced back after having its nine-game winning streak snapped in a 123-100 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Jamal Murray added 16 points and Zeke Nnaji had 14 off the bench.
Myles Turner led Indiana with 23 points. Tyrese Haliburton added 19 points and 15 assists, Pascal Siakam had 19 points and nine rebounds, Aaron Nesmith scored 17 points and Obi Toppin finished with 11.
Bulls 142, 76ers 110
Josh Giddey scored 25 points, Kevin Huerter added 23 and Zach Collins had 19 as Chicago routed host Philadelphia, which extended its losing streak to eight games.
Knocking down an impressive 50.6 percent of field goals (45 of 89) and 45 percent of 3-pointers (18 of 40), the Bulls snapped their own six-game losing streak in the victory.
Led by 19 points apiece from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Paul George, the 76ers were missing former MVP Joel Embiid — who underwent imaging on his left knee — and trailed by as many as 50 points during the contest.
Pistons 106, Clippers 97
Cade Cunningham posted 29 points, nine boards and seven assists as Detroit picked up its seventh straight win – the franchise’s longest winning streak since the 2014-15 season.
The Pistons took advantage of a short-handed Los Angeles team that was playing without its leading scorer in Norman Powell and franchise player Kawhi Leonard. Still, the Clippers grabbed the lead early in the third quarter before Detroit answered with a Cunningham lay-in and an alley-oop dunk from Jalen Duren.
Los Angeles narrowed the gap to four points in the fourth quarter. But a 3-pointer from Malik Beasley put Detroit back in front 96-84, and Cunningham’s 3-pointer with 1:06 to play put the game away for the Pistons, who handed the Clippers their third straight loss.
James Harden paced Los Angeles with 18 points and 12 rebounds, but he also committed seven turnovers.
Wizards 107, Nets 99
Jordan Poole scored 26 points, Bilal Coulibaly added 20 and Washington snapped a six-game losing streak with a home win over Brooklyn.
The Wizards closed the game on an 11-2 run and held the Nets without a field goal for the final 4:45. That stretch included a Brooklyn scoring drought of more than four minutes. Poole and Coulibaly shot a combined 8-for-12 from beyond the arc for the game, with Poole sinking 5 of 8.
Ziaire Williams’ 19 points led the Nets. Cameron Johnson added 17 and Tyrese Martin scored 15 points off the bench.
Kings 130, Hornets 88
Zach LaVine exploded for a season-high 42 points in 31 minutes, Malik Monk recorded a double-double, and Sacramento gradually pulled away from visiting Charlotte.
LaVine hit 16 of his 19 shots, including 8 of 9 from 3-point range, en route to the 22nd 40-point game of his career. Monk added 13 points and 10 assists while DeMar DeRozan had 18 points for the Kings, who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Miles Bridges had 23 points to pace the Hornets, who were playing their seventh consecutive road game and took their second straight loss of at least 42 points. On Saturday, Charlotte fell by 53 points at Portland.
Hawks 98, Heat 86
With 11 points and 14 assists, Trae Young picked up his 34th double-double of the season, one of six Atlanta players scoring in double figures, as the Hawks snapped a three-game skid with the home win.
Onyeka Okongwu had 17 points to pace Atlanta, while both Caris LeVert and Terance Mann chipped in with 15 points off the bench.
Andrew Wiggins scored 23 for his third straight 20-point game for the Heat, who finished just 7-of-40 from 3-point range. Leading scorer Tyler Herro finished with just 11 points, missing all nine of his 3-point tries as Miami lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Trail Blazers 114, Jazz 112
Anfernee Simons had 28 points, and Portland withstood a late barrage of 3-pointers from Keyonte George to record its 12th win in 17 games.
Leading by as many as 13, the Trail Blazers fell behind 92-90 early in the fourth quarter before a 9-0 run put the Blazers back on top by seven points. After building a 10-point lead with just over four minutes left, the Jazz then stormed back.
George hit a 3-pointer with under 12 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 111-109, then, after two made free throws from Simons, buried another triple with four seconds remaining to put the score at 113-112.
Jerami Grant made just one of two free throws, but George missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to earn Portland the win.
George finished with 21 points off the bench for Utah, which lost for the sixth time in eight games.
–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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