Sports
Out-of-sync offenses collide as Suns host Lakers
Feb 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots against Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Two teams in varying states of offensive dysfunction will meet when the Phoenix Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
The Suns enter the matchup after their two lowest-scoring games of the season, a 92-77 loss to Portland and a 97-81 defeat to Boston. Phoenix was unable to generate consistent looks without top scorers Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks.
The Lakers return after an uncomfortable 6.7 seconds, when they misfired on an inbounds play in a 110-109 loss to Orlando on Tuesday. It was their second straight loss after a 111-89 defeat to Boston two days before.
“We’re a work in progress,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
Redick drew up an inbounds play to get Luka Doncic a shot in the final seconds of the Orlando game, but Doncic turned down an open but longish 3-point attempt before being swarmed. He passed to a surprised LeBron James, whose attempted game-winner was not close.
“Obviously, you have to ask Luka what he saw on that,” James said. “I thought he had a good look, and it looked like he kind of just lost his balance. Didn’t have the rhythm of the ball, whatever the case may be.
“I was kind of off-balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look, but that’s my POV.”
Doncic, who had 22 points and 15 assists but was 8 of 24 from the field, said he could have done things differently.
“I knew it was open, but I thought it was a little bit far,” Doncic said. “I tried to get one dribble closer. I thought it was enough time to get a better look. Probably shouldn’t have picked up the ball. Should have attacked. That’s on me.”
The Lakers and Suns are straddling the line that separates the top six in the Western Conference from the play-in round as the stretch approaches.
L.A. (34-23) is sixth in the West, two games ahead of seventh-place Phoenix (33-26), and neither team has been able to make up ground recently.
The Lakers were 4-4 on an extended but testing homestead. They have lost four of the last six, including to top contenders Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Boston.
“We’ve got to be more consistent,” Doncic said. “There’s been a couple of games we should have won.”
The Suns have lost four of five and seven of 10. They have shot below 40% from the field in each of the last four games and are shooting 41% in that 10-game stretch.
Booker (24.7 points per game) has missed seven games and Brooks (20.9) has missed three. Reserve guard Jordan Goodwin (calf) has missed the last two, while guards Grayson Allen and Jalen Green have been in and out due to injury.
Green has started the last four while working into form following an extended absence due to hamstring and hip injuries. He is averaging 17 points in those starts but shooting only 33.7%.
“(Booker) has said it since Day 1 — when you have five guys that are threats on the court, that’s when it feels right and you can just play basketball,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “It’s a rhythm to the game.
“Right now, we cannot find it, but we’re going to keep trying. This is going to be a huge part of our season, us breaking through this little rough patch. We have to do it together.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
NASCAR revamps format for first All-Star Race at Dover
Feb 15, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; Driver Chase Elliott (9), Driver Josh Berry (21), and Driver Christopher Bell (20) during the 68th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images A change in venue isn’t the only difference on deck for NASCAR’s All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway this season, the league announced on Wednesday.
The 350-lap marathon is set to take place at the “Monster Mile” in Delaware on May 17, with a $1 million purse at stake, a move from North Wilkesboro, N.C., where the event took place the past two seasons.
North Wilkesboro instead will host a race on July 19.
The race at Dover will be broken into three segments, consisting of two sections of 75 laps apiece and a 200-lap final leg.
The top 26 finishers of the first leg invert position for the next segment. The results from each of the first two segments will be averaged together to help determine the field for the 200-lap finish, which also will feature Cup Series winners from the past two years, ex-Cup Series winners still with a full-time ride plus a fan vote winner.
Seventeen drivers are already locked into All-Star Race berths: Christopher Bell, Josh Berry, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Shane van Gisbergen and Bubba Wallace.
Bell took the checkered flag at the 2025 All-Star Race.
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 25 Vanderbilt puts six in double figures, staves off Georgia
Feb 25, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Duke Miles (2) goes under the arm of Georgia Bulldogs guard Jeremiah Wilkinson (5) during the first half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images No. 25 Vanderbilt never trailed, but had to survive Georgia’s second-half rally to earn an 88-80 win over the Bulldogs on Wednesday evening in Nashville, Tenn.
The Commodores (22-6, 9-6 Southeastern Conference) got double-figure scoring from Devin McGlockton and Tyler Tanner (17 points apiece), Duke Miles (15), AK Okereke (13), Tyler Nickel and Jalen Washington (10 apiece).
McGlockton had a game-high 10 rebounds, including several big ones late, while Okereke had a game-high six assists.
Georgia (19-9, 7-8) got 28 points (18 in the second half) from Jeremiah Wilkinson, who was 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Kanon Catchings scored 15 and Blue Cain had 10.
Georgia shot 56.0% in the second half and gained momentum when Miles, Vandy’s second-leading scorer, went to the bench with his fourth foul with 13:20 left. Cain hit a step-back 3 with 9:28 left to tie the game for the first time since the opening tip, capping a 10-0 Georgia run.
The Bulldogs tied it twice more, but McGlockton had two big offensive rebounds on a possession which ended with two free throws to extend the lead to 79-75 with 3:35 left.
McGlockton grabbed a board off a Wilkinson miss and Okereke, with the shot clock running down, hit a jumper in the lane, got fouled and hit the free throw with 2:48 left.
Georgia never got closer than five from there.
Vanderbilt led 42-35 at half, but threatened to run away with it early. It led 35-15 with 6:37 left in the first half on McGlockton’s put-back, but Georgia picked up the defensive intensity and went on a 9-0 run to cut into the lead.
The Commodores hit just 1 of their last 8 from the floor in the half’s final 6:36, while the Bulldogs hit 13 of 15 first-half foul shots to help close the deficit.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braden Frager helps No. 12 Nebraska put away Maryland
Feb 21, 2026; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg reacts to a call during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Braden Frager delivered 21 points and eight rebounds as No. 12 Nebraska spurted late for a 74-61 Big Ten victory over Maryland on Wednesday in Lincoln, Neb.
Pryce Sandfort added 16 points and eight rebounds as the Cornhuskers (24-4, 13-4) won their second straight and matched their program-high in conference wins, set in the 2017-18 season.
Sam Hoiberg contributed 12 points and seven rebounds and Rienk Mast scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half as Nebraska snapped a three-game losing streak against Maryland.
The Cornhuskers struggled through the game’s first 28 minutes and trailed 48-45 before going on an 18-3 spree, fueled by three baskets in the paint from Mast and 3-pointers from Sandfort and Frager.
The burst, capped by two Hoiberg free throws, put Nebraska in command 63-51 with 4:44 left.
With the win, the Cornhuskers advanced their effort to finish in the top four in the conference and gain a triple bye in the Big Ten tournament. Nebraska now is tied with Illinois for second-place in the league.
Andre Mills scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half to pace Maryland (11-17, 4-13), which is in danger of finishing in the bottom four in the conference, which would require them to play a first-round game in the Big Ten tournament.
Elijah Saunders scored all 15 of his points from beyond the arc and Solomon Washington put up 13 points and seven rebounds.
Nebraska struggled in the opening minutes, missing six shots and committing three turnovers before Frager hit two free throws to get the Cornhuskers on the board with 14:17 left.
Maryland failed to take advantage, however, as it missed 10 of its first 12 shots.
Late in the half, Sandfort and Hoiberg scored four points each as Nebraska went on a 10-3 burst to take its biggest lead of the first half, 31-24.
Early in the second half, the Terrapins went on a 7-0 burst to pull even at 39-39. A jumper by Mills gave Maryland a 48-45 lead with 12:07 left.
–Field Level Media
NASCAR revamps format for first All-Star Race at Dover
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