Sports
New-look Bulls to focus on defense vs. confident Nets
Feb 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown (11) defends Chicago Bulls guard Collin Sexton (2) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Less than a month after the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets clashed in consecutive games, the teams will meet again Monday with the Bulls sporting an entirely different look.
On Jan. 18, the Bulls dominated in a 124-102 home win over the Brooklyn Nets that started a four-game winning streak. The run of success got Chicago to one game over .500 at 23-22.
Since then, though, the Bulls’ roster underwent a massive makeover, and the revamped version will attempt to halt a four-game skid when they visit the Nets on Monday night in New York.
The Nets had Dec. 3 and Jan. 16 victories over the Bulls before Chicago broke through in the season series. Seven players hit double figures in Chicago’s victory, but Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter were among those traded as last week’s deadline arrived.
The deals resulted in Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton, Rob Dillingham, Nick Richards and Leonard Miller joining a team that was in the play-in round in each of the previous three seasons.
The Bulls are 1-7 since their four-game winning streak and 19-29 since opening the season with a five-game winning streak.
Chicago allowed opponents to shoot 53.7% overall, 46.8% from 3-point range and 54.5% in the paint during double-digit losses to the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets.
In Saturday’s 136-120 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets, the Bulls allowed a season-worst 57.6% from the field that included 68.2% in the fourth when they were outscored 39-16.
“The defense was not good (in the fourth quarter),” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “We’re going to make some mistakes. The guys are all playing together (but) guys are forgetting plays. The spacing may not (be there). It’s going to happen, but we’ve got to get much, much better defensively.”
Chicago allowed its third-most points of the season while getting mixed results from its newcomers offensively. Sexton scored 17 in his debut, Simons and Richards added 15 apiece, while Guerschon Yabusele finished with 12 and Ivey had 10. The seven newbies who played combined for 17 assists and 12 turnovers while shooting 42.2% (27 of 64) from the field.
The Nets are 4-18 over their past 22 games, but coming off one of their better showings of late to create the rare opportunity for consecutive victories. On Saturday, the Nets took control in the first quarter, led by as many as 34 and recorded a 127-113 home victory over the Washington Wizards, who suited up eight available players.
Brooklyn scored 80 points in the first half, its most since a 91-point opening half against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 21, 2022. The Nets shot a season-best 54.9%, scored a season-high 66 points in the paint and tied a season-best with 36 assists.
“The message was there shouldn’t be distractions anymore, and this is who we are,” Brooklyn rookie Danny Wolf said. “Guys did a great job buying into the game plan.”
Michael Porter Jr. led seven in double figures with 20 of his 23 points in the first half. Day’Ron Sharpe tied a season-high with 19 points while the Nets saw three of their five rookies reach double figures.
Wolf finished with 16, Nolan Traore added 15 while starting in the backcourt with fellow rookie Egor Demin and Ben Saraf finished with 10.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lindsey Vonn hospitalized in stable condition after downhill crash
This screen grab taken from a video shows Lindsey Vonn of the United States crashing during the women’s downhill on Sunday at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — U.S. ski great Lindsey Vonn was flown to a hospital after her bold bid to win Olympic downhill gold with a ruptured ACL ended in a horrific crash after 13 seconds on Sunday.
A helicopter took the 41-year-old to a hospital in Treviso, a source told Reuters, after she was strapped into a medical stretcher and winched off the sunlit slope.
“Lindsey sustained an injury, but is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians,” the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team said in a statement after the Sunday crash.
It was the second time in nine days that she was airlifted off a mountain. She crashed in a World Cup race in Switzerland on Jan. 30 and suffered the ACL tear.
Vonn, whose battle to reach the start line despite her knee injury dominated the opening days of the Milan Cortina Olympics, saw her unlikely quest halted in screaming agony on the snow.
Wearing bib number 13 and with a brace on the injured left knee, Vonn looked pumped up at the start gate.
She tapped her ski poles before setting off in typically aggressive fashion down one of her favorite ski runs on a mountain that has rewarded her in the past.
The 2010 gold medalist in the Vancouver Olympics and the second most successful female World Cup skier of all time with 84 wins, Vonn appeared to clip the fourth gate with her shoulder, losing control and being launched into the air.
She then barrelled off the course at high speed before coming to rest in a crumpled heap.
Vonn could be heard screaming on television coverage as fans and teammates gasped in horror before a shocked hush fell on the packed finish area.
The helicopter took Vonn initially to Cortina’s Codivilla Putti Hospital for a medical assessment.
“The medical team responded immediately and the intervention time was excellent,” the International Olympic Committee said.
The crash left the other skiers shaken.
“My heart goes out to her,” said Breezy Johnson, her U.S. teammate who won the first American medal of the Games. She had skied before Vonn, and her time held up as the other skiers attempted to better it.
“When you love the course so much and it hurts you like that, it hurts even more.”
Vonn had been hoping to become the oldest Alpine skiing Olympic medallist after winning two World Cup downhills this year and finishing on the podium in the other three.
Double Olympic gold medalist Tina Maze, working the race on TV for Eurosport, said Vonn had risked too much in her run.
“Of course if you’re not healthy then the consequences are even worse, but we know all Lindsey,” she said. “It’s her decision that she wanted to do this no matter what.
“It’s really tough for everyone here to see this and especially for her family and her teammates and everyone working with her. I mean it’s terrible.”
Vonn’s sister, Karin Kildow, said she Lindsey put her “whole heart” into racing at the Olympics, especially as it was being staged on a course she loves so much.
“That’s definitely the last thing we wanted to see,” she told NBC. “When that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s OK, and it was scary.”
“She dared greatly, and she put it all out there.”
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Sidney Crosby tabbed as captain of Team Canada
Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) prepares for a face-off against Team United States in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Sidney Crosby will serve as the captain of Team Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics, Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced on Sunday.
Crosby, 38, is no stranger to holding that role, as he previously served as the captain of Canada’s gold medal-winning team at the 2014 Sochi Games. The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar forward famously scored the golden goal in overtime to defeat the United States in the gold-medal game at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Edmonton Oilers star forward Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche standout defenseman Cale Makar will serve as alternate captains for Canada in Milan.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, and it is an honor to be named captain of Canada’s men’s hockey team, which has so many great players and leaders,” Crosby said in a statement. “Connor and Cale, along with our entire group, provide incredible leadership, and I am happy to represent Canada together on the same team. We are all proud to wear the Maple Leaf and compete with Team Canada in Milan.”
Canada begins play against Czechia on Thursday in Group A of the preliminary round.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rockets' Alperen Sengun replaces Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in ASG
Jan 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) looks to pass the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun on Sunday was named to replace injured Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Team World for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
The selection of Sengun, 23, was made by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. The All-Star Game will take place next Sunday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
Sengun, of Turkey, earned his second consecutive All-Star selection after averaging 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and a career-high 6.3 assists in 44 games (all starts) this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander, of Canada, is nursing an abdominal injury that has forced him to miss consecutive games heading into a road contest against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP last season, has been named an All-Star in four consecutive seasons.
–Field Level Media
Lindsey Vonn hospitalized in stable condition after downhill crash
Sidney Crosby tabbed as captain of Team Canada
