Sports
Raptors to draw on motivation of a different sort against Nuggets
Nov 2, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick (1) reacts after a play against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The Toronto Raptors rode the emotion of Vince Carter’s No. 15 being retired to the rafters on Saturday night to beat Sacramento in overtime.
They can use last week’s loss to Denver as motivation when they visit the Nuggets on Monday night.
Denver rallied to beat Toronto in overtime last week for its first win of the season. The Raptors seemingly had the game in hand with an eight-point lead and 1:43 remaining in regulation, but the Nuggets tied it on a layup by native son Jamal Murray and won it in the extra period.
That seemed to kickstart Denver’s season. It has won three of the last four, including a rout of Utah on Saturday night, and has a chance to have a winning record Monday night.
The Nuggets played without Murray, who entered concussion protocol due to a hit to the head in the loss at Minnesota on Friday night. Denver ruled him out Sunday for the game against Toronto.
With Murray out against the Jazz, the Nuggets moved Russell Westbrook into the starting lineup and used Julian Strawther as the backup point guard. Strawther responded with 19 points and helped a struggling bench find success.
The three wins have also calmed the grumbling after Denver opened the season with two home losses.
“We’re definitely finding our identity, and I feel like we’re doing a really good job of keeping things inside our own walls,” Strawther said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of outside noise on what’s going on in our locker room, but we’ve done a good job of just continuing to grow.”
Toronto is trying to grow while dealing with injuries to several key players. Immanuel Quickley (pelvis) and Bruce Brown (knee) sat out Saturday night’s win and Scottie Barnes (orbital fracture) and Kelly Olynyk (back) will miss several weeks.
That has thrust some young players into meaningful minutes, and second-year guard Gradey Dick has responded. Dick is averaging 21 points a game and scored 22 in the win over the Kings to supplement RJ Barrett (31 points) and Chris Boucher (24 points).
Dick averaged just 8.5 points in 60 games as a rookie last season but has taken advantage of his opportunities seven games into this season. He made a key defensive play in overtime on Saturday night and hit a floater in the final minute to extend the lead to three.
That came after scoring 30 against Charlotte and 31 in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
“It’s about how you finish,” he said. “You’re going to have your off-nights, but I just try to keep level-headed at the end, make the shots that I could, make the free throws and control what I can control.”
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic has no problem using Dick or any young player in crunch time, especially missing several players.
“I’m not going to hide him or any other player on our team,” Rajakovic said. “We need to play hard. We need to do what the job demands. There is no hiding in this league.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Vita Vea requests trade from Buccaneers amid contract dispute
Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Vita Vea has requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after negotiations over a new contract failed to produce an agreement.
The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle’s agent, Collin Roberts, confirmed the request to multiple reporters Monday, one day before Tampa Bay’s veteran players were scheduled to report for training camp.
Vea is entering the final season of the four-year, $71 million extension he signed in 2022. The 31-year-old is due a $17 million base salary in 2026, but none of that money is guaranteed. He can also earn up to $1 million through per-game roster bonuses.
The contract dispute had already carried into the Buccaneers’ offseason program. Vea attended mandatory minicamp in June but did not participate in practices, allowing him to avoid fines while continuing to push for an extension.
Coach Todd Bowles said at the time that Vea was healthy and described the hold-in as “part of the business” side of the league.
It is unclear whether Vea will take part in training camp while Tampa Bay weighs its response to the request.
Vea remained one of the most important pieces of the Buccaneers’ defense last season, starting all 17 games and recording 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits. His presence in the middle has helped Tampa Bay consistently rank among the NFL’s stronger teams against the run.
The Buccaneers selected the 6-foot-4, 347-pound lineman with the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has totaled 256 tackles, 35 sacks and 79 QB hits in 112 games (107 starts) over eight seasons.
Vea also helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV and earned Pro Bowl selections following the 2021 and 2024 seasons.
His request creates another major contract issue for the Buccaneers as camp begins. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is also entering the final year of his deal and has been seeking an extension, though he participated fully during minicamp.
Tampa Bay can reject Vea’s request and require him to play out the season, continue trying to reach an extension or explore a trade for one of the league’s most established interior defenders.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Guardians-Reds postponed, set for doubleheader Tuesday
Jul 27, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Rain pelts the stadium before the game between Cleveland Guardians and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The game was postponed due to inclement weather. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images The Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds will have to wait another day to begin the latest installment of the Ohio Cup.
Monday night’s series opener in Cincinnati was postponed because of rain and rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader on Tuesday.
The makeup game will begin at 1:40 p.m. local time, with the second game remaining at its originally scheduled time of 7:10 p.m.
Cleveland had planned to start right-hander Slade Cecconi (4-7, 4.60 ERA) against Cincinnati right-hander Chase Burns (12-1, 2.42) in the opener, and they are listed as the probable pitchers for Tuesday’s first game.
The scheduled pitching matchup for Tuesday night features Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (10-5, 3.78) against Reds right-hander Brady Singer (5-9, 4.53).
The teams will conclude the three-game series Wednesday night in Cincinnati.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson, Aces seek defensive reset against Fire
Jul 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) shoots the ball as Washington Mystics center Lauren Betts (51) defends in the first half at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images After uncharacteristically dropping two of their last three games, the host Las Vegas Aces are looking to get back on track against the Portland Fire in each team’s first game after the All-Star break.
A’ja Wilson poured in 38 points against the Washington Mystics in the Aces last game on July 22. However, the Mystics managed to erase a nine-point deficit in the final four minutes to steal the victory at home. The Aces’ previous loss on July 12 was among their most humiliating of the season, a 109-75 defeat to the Indiana Fever at home, in which only Wilson and Jackie Young reached double-figures in scoring.
“The key for us is when we don’t defend, we lose,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said after losing to the Mystics. “Giving up 100 points, a 29-point fourth quarter, we’re not going to win those games. We’re 0-3 when we do that. In our losses, we give up 95 points, so the defense wasn’t good enough … We’re not where we want to be, obviously. Until we start playing defense, we’re not a serious team. We’re just not. We have to play that end of the floor.”
The Aces have faced the Fire twice this season and both matches were in the Rose City rather than on the Strip. Wilson dominated both meetings, scoring 32 points in both a 105-89 thrashing on June 11 and in a closer 88-80 effort on July 9. Carla Leite led Portland in scoring in both games, with 18 in the first meeting and 13 in the second.
“I think last time with Vegas they were really deliberate to basically make sure our pick and roll handlers weren’t getting downhill into the paint,” Fire coach Alex Sarama said. “I think we just have to be more deliberate with the spacings we’re getting to and then our cover solutions, if we know that something’s being taken away.”
Leite is the Fire’s top scorer this season, averaging 15.3 points along with six assists per game. It’s been a tough start for the first-year expansion team in Portland, which began the season 6-6 but has lost 10 of its last 15 games. The Fire went into the All-Star break on a two-game losing streak, allowing 101 points in back-to-back games against the Minnesota Lynx and Dallas Wings.
Poor defensive efforts have been a pattern for the Fire all season, as they rank 13th out of 15 teams with 90.6 points allowed per game. Meanwhile the Aces rank third in the league offensively with 91 points per game.
–Field Level Media
Vita Vea requests trade from Buccaneers amid contract dispute
Guardians-Reds postponed, set for doubleheader Tuesday
