Sports
Raptors, Wolves each searching for consistency amidst contention
Feb 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) shoots the ball against Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images The Minnesota Timberwolves will be searching for consistency when they complete a three-game road trip Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors.
The Timberwolves’ inconsistency was recently exposed in a two-game set against the Memphis Grizzlies.
After defeating the Grizzlies 131-114 on Saturday, the Timberwolves dropped the rematch 137-128 on Monday.
The loss ended a four-game winning streak that followed a five-game losing streak.
The Raptors, meanwhile, opened a five-game homestand with a 107-100 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday. They had lost their two previous games after winning four straight.
This will be the first meeting of the season between Minnesota and Toronto. The teams split two games last season.
In the last game vs. Memphis, Anthony Edwards scored 39 points for the Timberwolves but their defensive intensity was lacking as the Grizzlies shot 50% (44 for 88) from the field.
“Defense wasn’t there tonight like we needed it to be,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said.
The Grizzlies shot 46.3% from 3-point range (19 of 41) and had a 45-40 advantage in rebounds.
Finch was not impressed with the effort.
“It’s on them,” he said. “They’ve got to come and put the work in. It can’t be a sometimes thing.”
Jaden McDaniels had his third straight 20-point game for Minnesota with 29 points on 11-for-14 shooting.
“He got a lot of great offense, but we didn’t get a lot of great defense from him or anyone else,” Finch said. “Offense, I’m not worried about. It comes from wherever it comes from.”
Julius Randle (thumb) and Edwards (back spasms) were listed as questionable before the game. Finch said that Randle was “banged up,” but not enough to miss the game. He finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Both are again listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game, although Edwards is now dealing with left elbow soreness.
The Raptors survived a sloppy game on Sunday to reach 30 wins, matching their total for last season.
Utah committed 24 turnovers leading to 26 Toronto points. The Raptors made 19 turnovers leading to 15 points.
During the game, it was announced that Scottie Barnes was going to the All-Star Game as a reserve. He was mobbed by his teammates during a timeout in the first quarter.
Brandon Ingram, however, did not make the team despite a strong season in which he is averaging a team-high 21.9 points per game.
“There are things that Brandon does at an elite level and there are things that Scottie is doing at elite level, but they’re so different,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic, who will coach the World team in the All-Star Game. “You know, Scottie is amazing in open court and transition. Now, (Ingram) is taking advantage of that. He’s doing a better job in open court as well. (Ingram) is an elite scorer in half court, in (isolations) and post-ups. I think they have a lot of respect for each other and what they bring to the team at the end of the day. Winning basketball games, that’s what they do. They help the team win.”
Barnes had 14 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots on Sunday.
He limped off the court late in the fourth quarter but returned and is not listed on the injury report. He felt Ingram should also be an All-Star.
“I was disappointed Brandon didn’t make it,” Barnes said. “He has done so much for us this year. Look at the difference from last year to this year. He has been instrumental to our success.”
Minnesota gained some salary cap room Tuesday when it dealt veteran point guard Mike Conley to the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team trade that included the Detroit Pistons.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mammoth's Nick Schmaltz scores twice, including in OT to edge Kings
Mar 22, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) skates with the puck against Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) and left wing Lawson Crouse (67) during the second period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Nick Schmaltz scored his second goal of the game 1:46 into overtime and the Utah Mammoth beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Sunday night in Salt Lake City.
Schmaltz entered the zone 2-on-1, kept the puck and beat Darcy Kuemper with a wrist shot.
Lawson Crouse had two goals and an assist for the Mammoth (37-28-6, 80 points), who have won three of four and hold the first wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Kevin Stenlund had two assists, and Karel Vejmelka made 33 saves.
Quinton Byfield had a goal and an assist for the Kings (28-25-17, 73 points), who have lost three straight and trail the Nashville Predators by two points for the second wild-card spot in the playoffs from the West. Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves.
The Kings’ Artemi Panarin tied it 3-3 at 16:30 of the third period, scoring in his third straight game. He entered the zone on the rush, briefly lost the puck but recovered it and sent a shot on net from a sharp angle along the right boards and it snuck under Vejmelka’s left pad.
Crouse gave Utah a 1-0 lead at 7:04 of the first period. John Marino stole the puck from Sam Helenius, skated behind the goal and fed in front to Crouse, who scored on a quick wrist shot from the low slot.
Alex Laferriere tied the game 1-1 just 36 seconds later when he entered the zone 2-on-1, kept the puck and scored on a snap shot from the right circle.
Crouse put Utah up 2-1 at 9:19 when he got a pass at the bottom of the left circle and chipped it up, off Kuemper and into the top of the net.
Byfield tied it 28 seconds later. Vejmelka made a save on Brandt Clarke’s long shot but couldn’t control the rebound. The goalie poked the puck away, but Byfield got to it and scored from the left circle.
The second period was scoreless until Schmaltz batted in his own rebound at 16:11 after winning a puck battle in front to give the Mammoth a 3-2 lead.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Deep-shooting Alabama overwhelms Texas Tech, moves on to Sweet 16
Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Houston Mallette (95) celebrates after a play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Latrell Wrightsell scored 24 points and fourth-seeded Alabama unleashed a relentless 3-point attack in blowing out No. 5 Texas Tech 90-65 in the NCAA Tournament’s second round Sunday night in Tampa, Fla.
Houston Mallette scored all 15 of his points on 3s, Amari Allen had 12 points despite missing his four 3-point attempts and Aiden Sherrell had 10 points. Labaron Philon Jr. contributed nine points and a career-high 12 assists.
Alabama (25-9) meets top-seeded Michigan in the Sweet 16 on Friday night in the Midwest Region at Chicago.
LeJuan Watts’ 16 points and seven rebounds led Texas Tech (23-11), while Donovan Atwell provided 12 points and Leon Horner had 10. The Red Raiders lost four of their final five games, with a once-promising season veering off track after the loss of star JT Toppin to a season-ending injury.
The Crimson Tide led 90-56 with 4:41 remaining and didn’t score again. Substitutes helped finish the job for Alabama in a game that concluded after midnight.
Led by Wrightsell’s six 3-pointers on nine attempts, Alabama made 19 of 42 shots from 3-point spots (45.2%) compared to Texas Tech’s 4-for-25 shooting from long range (16%).
The Crimson Tide also controlled the boards to the tune of 47-35.
In two tournament games, Alabama didn’t look bothered by playing without suspended guard Aden Holloway, the team’s second-leading scorer. The Crimson Tide reached the 90-point level in both games, speeding past Hofstra on Friday.
Alabama, fueled by a 13-2 spurt, held a 49-25 halftime lead with seven different players hitting at least one 3-pointer. The Crimson Tide were 6-for-12 on two-point attempts as they relied almost exclusively on perimeter shooting.
The 49 points were the most scored in the first half in any NCAA Tournament second-round game this weekend.
Alabama made 11 shots from 3-point range in the first half, while Texas Tech shot 2-for-13 on first-half 3-point attempts
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sebastian Korda stuns No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in Miami Open third round
Mar 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Sebastian Korda (USA) celebrates after his match against Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) (not pictured) on day six of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz took a surprising defeat to 32nd-seeded American Sebastian Korda, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in third-round action of the Miami Open on Sunday in Miami Gardens Fla.
Korda, who was 1-4 all-time against Alcaraz with the win coming in 2022 before the Spaniard won his first grand slam, was sensational on his serve, smashing 12 aces while committing no double faults. He had more winners than Alcaraz (33-30), won more service points (63% to 62%) and saved three of five break points while Alcaraz saved two of five.
“It was a lot of tense moments, for sure. But I think today the ultimate thing was belief, going back to just believing, committing in every shot. Luckily, I got it done at the end,” Korda said in his news conference.
It appeared Korda could be headed for a straight-set win when he led 5-3 in the second set, but Alcaraz won the ensuing four games, including his only breaks of the match, to force a third set.
Korda got the decisive break at 3-3 in the final set and finished off the match in his next two service games.
“(Sebastian) was incredible today,” Alcaraz said. “Played such a great game. A lot of tight, tight moments that I just didn’t make the most of it. I think he was better on those points, on those moments. I would say that was the key of the match.”
Alcaraz, who started the calendar year with 12 straight wins, is 5-2 since and failed to make the Round of 16 at Miami for the second straight year.
Of the eight third-round matches contested Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, the other seeded competitor to fall was No. 14 Karen Khachanov of Russia, who fell 6-3, 7-6 (2) to Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce.
Khachanov had more than double as many unforced errors (26) as winners (12), facing eight break points and saving four of them. Landaluce, 20, is through to the fourth round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time. He’ll face the 21-year-old Korda next for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Along with Korda, two other seeded Americans took care of business Sunday. No. 6 Taylor Fritz disposed of fellow American Reilly Opelka 6-3, 6-4 in 63 minutes, and No. 22 Tommy Paul outlasted Belgium’s Raphael Collignon for a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) win in 140 minutes.
Czech No. 21 seed Jiri Lehecka (6-3, 7-6 (6) over Ethan Quinn), No. 24 Valentin Vacherot of Poland (7-6 (5), 6-4 over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini), French 28th-seed Arthur Fils (6-0, 6-1 over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas) and No. 29 Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina (7-5, 6-4 over Spain’s Rafael Jodar) each advanced into the fourth round with straight-set victories.
–Field Level Media
Mammoth's Nick Schmaltz scores twice, including in OT to edge Kings
Deep-shooting Alabama overwhelms Texas Tech, moves on to Sweet 16
