Sports
Promising foundation in place, Rockets focus on pace vs. Hornets
Dec 23, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and guard Jalen Green (4) come out the locker room to play against the New Orleans Pelicans before the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images The Houston Rockets turned the debilitating loss of burgeoning star center Alperen Sengun, who missed the final 18 games last season with knee and ankle injuries, into a period of discovery that propelled an unexpected pursuit of a playoff berth and reshaped their philosophy offensively.
With Sengun sidelined, the Rockets leaned fully into a faster pace spurred by guard Jalen Green. Houston reeled off an 11-game win streak in March — Sengun sat the final nine games — while Green averaged 30.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists to fuel the surge.
Committed to the hastened pace they established late last season, the Rockets will open the 2024-25 campaign Wednesday by hosting the Charlotte Hornets.
Houston will do so with both Sengun and Green signed to extensions beyond their rookie contracts, after Sengun agreed to a five-year, $185 million deal on Monday hours after Green signed a three-year, $105.3 million pact.
Incorporating Sengun, a gifted post player lacking plus athleticism, into their up-tempo offense will yield fits and spurts. The transition turnovers committed this preseason proved as much.
“We understand playing at a faster pace, some of that is going to happen,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “But we’ve got to clean that up and have certain guys look a little more comfortable in transition when they’re pushing and handling it.”
After clawing their way to a .500 finish and ending a string of three consecutive losing seasons, the Rockets find themselves on the brink of the proverbial next step. Their roster is teeming with young talent, and a quartet of veterans — Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green and Steven Adams — are available to serve as a bedrock for the foundation developed around Green and Sengun in addition to Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.
The preseason was the first step toward the future. The regular season is a different ballgame.
“Continue to build on what we’ve been doing,” Udoka said. “Start to fine-tune on the things that worked well in the preseason.”
While the Hornets open the season as a consensus bottom-five team in most power rankings, there is some promising development on the margins.
Point guard LaMelo Ball has labored against lingering ankle injuries but his star potential is undeniable. Center Mark Williams has struggled with injuries as well but offers upside and, like Ball, is entering his age-23 season.
Second-year forward Brandon Miller turns 22 next month. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting last year and has showcased the initiative to improve upon his prodigious two-way talent.
“He’s taken his player development meeting to heart,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “All the areas we’ve hit him on on both sides of the ball, he’s aware of them, and he’s trying to be intentional about how he plays in addressing them.
“I think he’s in a really good place hunting 3s, both catch-and-shoot and off the dribble, and also playmaking offensively in just taking what the defense gives you. He’s actually found other ways to either get himself some 3-point opportunities or also get his teammates some 3-point opportunities and also just getting himself to the basket.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Vikings agree to deal with veteran LB/S Jamal Adams
Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Jamal Adams against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Three-time Pro Bowl linebacker/safety Jamal Adams is headed to his sixth NFL team after agreeing to terms with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday.
The 30-year-old veteran confirmed his decision with a post on X that said “Year 10 #skol”.
Adams spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, amassing 45 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in 17 games (four starts) as a linebacker.
Adams also previously played for the New York Jets (2017-19), Seattle Seahawks (2020-23), Tennessee Titans (2024) and Detroit Lions (2024). Adams earned his Pro Bowl appearances as a safety from 2018-20.
It remains to be seen which position the versatile Adams will play for the Vikings. However, his addition comes as safety Harrison Smith mulls retirement.
Overall during his pro career, Adams has tallied 546 tackles, 22.5 sacks, four interceptions, 36 passes defended, eight forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
Adams is joining a stingy Vikings defense that ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed per game last season (282.6).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ali Sanchez's first homer helps Yankees complete rally vs. White Sox
Jul 27, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones (78) hits an RBI-ground out against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Jazz Chisholm Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Ali Sanchez blasted his first major league homer in the eighth inning to break the game open as the visiting New York Yankees defeated the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Monday.
New York overcame an early three-run deficit for its fourth win in five games. The Yankees moved within 2 1/2 games of the idle Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East.
AL Central-leading Chicago committed three errors as its lead over the second-place Cleveland Guardians fell to two games. The White Sox have lost three of their past four.
The Yankees scored a total of five runs in the seventh and eighth innings and navigated two errors in the ninth to hold on.
Ben Rice delivered a go-ahead single in the seventh, and New York maintained the lead in the bottom half when Colson Montgomery was erased at the plate while trying to score on a Chase Meidroth double.
Chisholm had a bunt single in the eighth that resulted in a run thanks to a throwing error. He scored when Sanchez connected against Sean Newcomb for a three-run shot three batters later. Sanchez was playing in his 75th major league game with six teams across five seasons.
Montgomery went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
Jasson Dominguez and Rice contributed two hits each for New York.
Brent Headrick (6-1) delivered 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory. David Bednar entered with runners on the corners and two outs in the ninth, and he fanned Meidroth to notch his 21st save.
Chicago reliever Bryan Hudson (3-4) allowed one run and two hits in the seventh.
The White Sox stormed to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Yankees starter Max Fried. Colson Montgomery drove in the game’s first run with a single, and Meidroth added a sacrifice fly before Braden Montgomery punctuated the rally with an RBI triple.
White Sox rookie left-hander Noah Schultz retired the next six Yankees before control issues prompted an early exit. New York opened the fourth with two walks and a single to load the bases. Schultz departed after Anthony Volpe produced an RBI groundout but was charged with two more runs when Chisholm greeted reliever Chris Murphy with a double to right-center.
Chisholm scored the go-ahead run on a Spencer Jones groundout, but Chicago tied the game at 4-all in the fifth on an RBI single from Colson Montgomery.
Schultz permitted three runs and two hits in 3 1/3 innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Fried allowed three runs and five hits in three innings, walking two and striking out four.
–Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Terence Atmane upsets Frances Tiafoe in Washington
Jul 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Terence Atmane (FRA) hits a backhand against Frances Tiafoe (USA) (not pictured) on day one of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images France’s Terence Atmane avenged a first-round Wimbledon loss to Frances Tiafoe, prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in the first round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington.
Tiafoe, a Washington-area native, was the tournament’s sixth seed.
Atmane got the decisive service break in the next-to-last game, then served out the match.
Earlier in the day, third-seeded Taylor Fritz swept his service games and rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.
Fritz saved all four break points he faced while converting two of his four break opportunities. The California native was playing his first match since losing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon to Germany’s Alexander Zverev.
Fourth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti won an all-Italian matchup when Matteo Arnaldi retired while trailing 6-0, 3-1. Musetti was returning from injury issues that kept him out since early May.
Also advancing to the second round were Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.
Mifel Tennis Open
Australia’s Bernard Tomic was nearly perfect in the first round at Los Cabos, Mexico, powering to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mexico’s Alex Hernandez.
Hernandez, a 27-year-old qualifier who is ranked No. 498 in the world, held serve while trailing 5-0 in the first set to avoid a double bagel. Tomic, a 33-year-old who is ranked 171st, made the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying.
In other first-round action, U.S. qualifier Tristan Boyer downed Canada’s Gabriel Diallo 7-5, 6-2. The night slate included fifth-seeded Cameron Norrie of the United Kingdom facing Aleksandar Kovacevic, and Hong Kong’s Chak Lam Coleman Wong opposing Darwin Blanch.
–Field Level Media
Vikings agree to deal with veteran LB/S Jamal Adams
Ali Sanchez's first homer helps Yankees complete rally vs. White Sox
