Sports
Rebuilding Wizards draw red-hot Celtics in season opener
Oct 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7), guard Jrue Holiday (4) and guard Derrick White (9) react after a play against the New York Knicks in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images The Washington Wizards kick off their 2024-25 season Thursday night with a home game against the Boston Celtics.
The Wizards finished last season 15-67 — the worst record in team history — and the rebuild is ongoing.
Washington’s offseason additions include first-round draft picks Alex Sarr (No. 2), Carlton “Bub” Carrington (No. 14) and Kyshawn George (No. 24). The Wizards also added veterans Jonas Valanciunas, former Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey, although Bey is expected to miss much of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL.
Brogdon will also miss Thursday’s game because of a torn thumb tendon.
“If we’re really to think about it — the phases of the rebuild — there’s the deconstruction phase. There’s the laying-the-foundation phase. There’s the building it back up, and then there’s fortifying what you build,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said during the team’s media day. “We’re still focused on deconstructing and laying that foundation.”
Jordan Poole, who is entering his second season with the Wizards after being acquired from Golden State, is expected to play more point guard this season. Poole’s role as a ball handler increased when Brian Keefe replaced Wes Unseld Jr. as the team’s head coach last January.
“Being able to get into transition, building confidence into my teammates — it’s something I’ve always been able to do, especially with the ball,” Poole said. “Guys are open, just get them the ball and try to put them in situations to be successful.”
Defending NBA champion Boston opened its season Tuesday with a 132-109 victory over the visiting New York Knicks. The Celtics tied an NBA record by making 29 3-pointers in the win.
Al Horford made the 29th 3-pointer with 8:54 to play, but Boston missed its next 13 shots from behind the arc to end the game. Boston tied the record set by the Milwaukee Bucks against the Miami Heat in 2020.
“It’s almost like we got jinxed or something,” Boston’s Jaylen Brown said. “When we were just playing, having fun, playing our style of basketball, everything was going in. And then once the crowd got into it and we started hunting them, we couldn’t even hit the broad side of the barn. Everything was off. We got a bunch of great looks and it was like a lid on the basket.”
Jayson Tatum made eight 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 37 points. Boston also received multiple 3-pointers from Derrick White (six), Brown (five), Jrue Holiday (four), Horford (three) and Sam Hauser (two). Payton Pritchard connected on the other 3-pointer.
“The biggest thing I’m proud of us is the mindset of the guys,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We weren’t stuck in the past. … We were physical on defense and were together on offense. It’s a great start.”
Washington hasn’t won 50 games in a season since 1979, which was the last time the franchise advanced to the NBA Finals.
“This is the best team I’ve been around in terms of chemistry, camaraderie and character since I’ve been in Washington,” Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma said.
–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
