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
Titans release starters Lloyd Cushenberry, Xavier Woods
Dec 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tennessee Titans safety Xavier Woods (25) intercepts a pass intended for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images The Tennessee Titans announced Wednesday they have released center Lloyd Cushenberry and safety Xavier Woods.
Cushenberry started 15 games for the team in his second season in Tennessee, while Woods made 11 appearances (10 starts) in his first year with the club.
Cushenberry, 28, joined the Titans in 2024 after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos. He has made 80 appearances in the league — starting each game — and played 99% of the Titans’ offensive snaps when available in 2025.
Woods, 30, recorded two interceptions and a sack to go with 39 tackles for the Titans. He had stints with the Dallas Cowboys (2017-20), Minnesota Vikings (2021) and Carolina Panthers (2022-24) as a starting safety before inking a two-year contract with Tennessee last offseason.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly to miss opener with nerve issue
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly (29) during spring training workouts on Feb. 10, 2026, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly will miss his scheduled Opening Day start because of an intercostal nerve irritation, the team said on Wednesday.
Kelly was scheduled for additional testing Wednesday, including a CT scan, after he was scratched from a throwing session against hitters last week because of mid-back tightness.
Kelly, 37, was scheduled to start for the Diamondbacks in the regular-season opener against the host Los Angeles Dodgers on March 26.
“We’ve done pretty much every test under the sun that we can think of and everything’s coming back clear, which is a positive,” Kelly said on Wednesday. “Structurally wise, we’ve looked at the spine, we’ve looked at the ribs, we’ve looked at the muscles, we’ve looked at the tendons, we’ve looked at everything back there, and that’s all coming back good, which is a positive, obviously. But there’s still something going on back there. Still feel something. So we’re just trying to turn over every rock and kind of look wherever we can to see what we can figure out about it.”
Manager Torey Lovullo has not named a replacement starter for Opening Day, nor has he placed a timeline on Kelly’s return to action.
“I saw it as kind of my one shot to throw Opening Day,” Kelly said. “And obviously that’s disappointing, but injuries are part of it, and all I really care about at this point is being able to throw again and then be ready for the team whenever, whether it’s Opening Day or the last game of the rotation, doesn’t really matter at this point as long as I’m back for it.”
Kelly was a combined 12-9 with a 3.52 ERA in 32 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers last season. He was moved to the Rangers at the trade deadline before he re-signed with the Diamondbacks in the offseason on a two-year, $40 million contract.
In seven major league seasons, the majority of which have been in Arizona, Kelly is 65-53 with a 3.77 ERA in 172 regular-season appearances (all starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: USMNT M Weston McKennie to re-sign with Juventus
Jun 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Juventus FC midfielder Weston Mckennie (16) practices before the match against Wydad AC for a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images Weston McKennie’s busy year continues to take flight with ESPN reporting Wednesday that the United States men’s national team midfielder is close to a contract extension with his club Juventus.
With Juventus since 2021, including a short loan to Leeds United in 2023, McKennie’s contract was set to expire at the end of the current season in Italy’s Serie A. His new deal reportedly will go 2030.
McKennie has scored 15 goals in 161 appearances since 2021 for Juventus. In 62 games with the national team, since 2017, he has 11 goals.
Born in Washington, McKennie grew up in Texas but also spent time in Germany as his father was as an officer for the United States Air Force. McKennie came up in the FC Dallas system before a transfer to FC Schalke 04 in Germany.
McKennie is expected to play a pivotal role for the USNMT during the World Cup this summer, with all U.S. games set to be played on home soil.
–Field Level Media
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Titans release starters Lloyd Cushenberry, Xavier Woods
