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Nuggets win 11th straight as reserves outlast Thunder counterparts

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver NuggetsApr 10, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) lines up a three point basket attempt in the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Jonas Valanciunas amassed 23 points and 17 rebounds, both season highs, and Julian Strawther added 22 points as the host Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-107 in a matchup of benches on Friday night.

Denver (53-28) clinched at least the fourth seed in the Western Conference with its 11th straight win. The Nuggets can still capture the No. 3 seed with a win Sunday in San Antonio or a Los Angeles Lakers’ loss.

Denver rested its entire starting five and Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson, both of whom have been sidelined with hamstring strains.

Oklahoma City (64-17) has secured the top overall seed.

The only starter dressed for either team was Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, who was required to play at least 20 minutes in each of the final two games to qualify for postseason awards, according to coach Mark Daigneault.

Dort played 20:27 and scored five points.

Denver’s David Roddy scored 16 of his season-high 21 points in the fourth quarter. Jalen Pickett and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 13 points each and Bruce Brown added 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets.

Branden Carlson led Oklahoma City with 23 points. Jared McCain and Kenrich Williams added 15 apiece, Nikola Topic and Brooks Barnhizer contributed 14 points each and Aaron Wiggins finished with 13 points.

The lack of star power showed in the first half when both teams struggled to make shots. Hardaway, who entered the night ninth in made 3-pointers with 221, missed all six of his attempts in the first half before making his only three attempts from deep in the second half.

Denver led 59-51 at the half and pushed the lead back to nine on Brown’s 3-pointer near the midpoint of the third quarter, but the Thunder got within 80-79 on two free throws by Barnhizer late in the third.

Denver took a 90-85 advantage into the fourth and Roddy sparked a surge, driving for a dunk and then a layup and hitting a step-back 3-pointer to give the Nuggets a 100-85 lead.

The hosts led by as much as 23 down the stretch.

The Nuggets knocked down 21-of-43 shots (48.8%) from behind the arc and 49 of 93 (50.5%) from the field.

–Field Level Media

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Alex de Minaur notches victory at ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Mar 2, 2026; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Alex de Minaur (AUS) during a practice session for the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesMar 2, 2026; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Alex de Minaur (AUS) during a practice session for the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Second-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia recorded 27 winners against 17 unforced errors while notching a 7-6 (8), 7-5 victory over Martin Damm in the second round of the Libema Open at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

With a 7-6 advantage in aces, de Minaur also had just one double fault compared to four for his opponent. Damm committed 44 unforced errors to go with 28 winners and stayed in the match by saving 11 of 14 break points.

No. 6 Tallon Griekspoor notched a 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-4 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp in an all-Dutch affair that that was suspended Tuesday and finished Wednesday. Australia qualifier James McCabe knocked off No. 8 Zizou Bergs of Belgium 6-7 (2), 6-2, 7-6 (4).

Others winners were Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak and Thijs Boogaard of Netherlands.

BOSS Open

Third-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan had a 22-17 edge in aces while outlasting Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 in the second round at Stuttgart.

Bublik had 38 winners and 22 unforced errors in a rematch of a first-round French Open match in which Struff prevailed in four sets. Struff had 37 winners and 29 unforced errors in the rematch.

In other matches, Italy’s Mattia Bellucci recorded a 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-2 victory over Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann, and France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard sailed to a 7-6 (1), 6-2 victory over Gauthier Onclin of Belgium.

–Field Level Media

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Texas Tech AD: School supports Brendan Sorsby, not out to 'engineer his eligibility'

Texas Tech director of athletics Kirby Hocutt looks on during the team trophy celebration after the Big 12 Conference championship football game, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.Texas Tech director of athletics Kirby Hocutt looks on during the team trophy celebration after the Big 12 Conference championship football game, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said he understands the concerns of his colleagues regarding the case of Brendan Sorsby but backed the school’s commitment to seeing the quarterback through treatment for a gambling addiction.

Hocutt made his extensive comments in a statement issued Wednesday.

Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech in the offseason for a reported $5 million payday, was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA after it was discovered he placed $90,000 in bets on sports — including on his own Indiana team in 2022. On Monday, a Lubbock County district court judge granted a temporary injunction that allows him to play in the 2026 season.

The NCAA issued an immediate appeal over the decision, which outraged athletic directors and coaches from programs across the country.

“I’ve watched the reaction to Monday’s court ruling with great respect for my colleagues across college athletics,” Hocutt began his statement. “Many of them are people I admire. But I also owe it to Texas Tech, and frankly to the truth, to offer a few facts that seem to be getting lost in the noise.”

Sorsby filed a suit seeking the injunction to allow him to play, with a trial set for next year — after the conclusion of the season. But if the NCAA’s appeal is unsuccessful, he will play for the Red Raiders.

Hocutt said the university is not a party to the lawsuit and is not funding it.

“A young man in treatment for a clinically diagnosed addiction exercised his legal right to seek a remedy in court, and a judge agreed with him. Our role has been to support his recovery, not to engineer his eligibility,” Hocutt said.

“I’ve heard the word ‘integrity’ used a great deal in the last 48 hours. As someone who has dedicated his career to college sports, I, too, believe integrity is central to our industry’s success. I also think integrity applies on more than one front. The integrity of sports matters. So does the integrity of how we treat a 22-year-old who sought help, entered residential treatment, and is working every day toward recovery. Those two things don’t have to be in conflict.”

Still, NCAA member institutions – including the Big 12, Texas Tech’s conference – are trying to figure out their next steps.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark led a call with conference athletic directors on Tuesday and has scheduled calls with the league’s executive committee and campus presidents in the coming days.

“We will continue to have open and honest dialogue amongst the group and until there is something to report, these conversations will remain within the conference,” Yormark said in a statement.

The Big 12 and the College Football Playoff, which is independent from the NCAA, also must consider what legal options are open to them should Sorsby ultimately be allowed to play by the courts.

The Athletic reported that coaches in all sports have been told by officials at Nebraska and Georgia not to schedule competitions against the Red Raiders. The Big Ten is expected to take up the issue on Wednesday with its member universities, per the report.

Hocutt said Texas Tech has a duty to assist Sorsby.

“Let me be direct about what Texas Tech’s position actually is: we are glad Brendan is still part of our community, because that is where we can extend him the best possible support in his ongoing recovery,” Hocutt said. “Clinical care, device monitoring, financial oversight, outpatient therapy – that infrastructure exists because we take our responsibility to this young man seriously.”

Sorsby spent his past two seasons at Cincinnati before leaving for Texas Tech. He also played at Indiana for two seasons (2022-23).

–Field Level Media

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NBA Finals ticket prices continue to plunge ahead of Game 4

Madison Square Garden before Game 3 of the NBA Finals on June 8, 2026.Madison Square Garden before Game 3 of the NBA Finals on June 8, 2026.

Ticket prices for NBA Finals games continue to plummet with the get-in price ahead of Game 4 between the Knicks and San Antpnio Spurs dropping to $3,898 hours before the Wednesday night contest at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The get-in cost for the Knicks’ second home game of the series had skyrocketed to nearly $13,500 before New York’s loss in Game 3 on Monday. But the defeat means the Knicks can no longer sweep the series, which will extend to at least Game 5 in San Antonio.

That led to a drop in Game 4 get-in prices to $4,025 by Tuesday. The trend continued on Wednesday with the three-day average for the game now down 66% to $3,898, according to ticket tracking service TicketData.

And for the first time in the series, the three-day average for all remaining potential games have seen a decline — and now all are in double-digit decreases.

NBA FINALS GET-IN PRICES*

Game 4 — New York: $3,898 (down 66% past three days)

Game 5 — San Antonio: $1,414 (down 24%)

Game 6 — New York: $9,262 (down 19%)

Game 7 — San Antonio: $3,549 (down 18%)

*Source: TicketData

The soonest the Knicks could clinch their first NBA title in more than a half century is Game 5, which has the lowest get-in price among the remaining potential games. Should the series return to New York for Game 6, the get-in price has dropped below $10,000 for the first time since New York won Game 1 in San Antonio, but still remains by far the most expensive at $9,262.

For comparison, the past two Super Bowls had day-of-game get-in prices of $2,002 in 2025 and $3,251 this year. The average Super Bowl get-in price since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic has been $3,914, according to TicketData.

Outside of the World Cup and the Stanley Cup Final, the next-most expensive sporting event through the end of the year currently is UFC 329. The card featuring the return of Conor McGregor against Max Holloway currently has a get-in price of $1,369 and is set for July 11 in Las Vegas.

The Knicks opened the series as significant underdogs, but flipped to -140 favorites at BetMGM following their Game 1 victory. Now ahead 2-1 with up to two more games at home, New York is still the -185 favorite compared to San Antonio at +155.

–Field Level Media

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