Sports
Rested Heat crave first win over Magic this season
Dec 9, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Looking to solve their in-state rival for the first time this year, the Miami Heat host the Orlando Magic in a Southeast Division meeting on Wednesday.
The Heat have dropped the first three games of the season series against the Magic, each single-digit losses. Miami is also vying to create some separation between the two, as it sits a game ahead of Orlando for the No. 7 seed in the current Eastern Conference standings.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra’s team enters play following its only two-day stretch without a game in the month of January. The Heat went 3-2 in their recent five-game Western Conference road trip. After the brief break, Miami will play four games in five days, including three in a row against the Chicago Bulls due to a postponement on Jan. 8.
For Spoelstra, finishing the trip with victories over the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns proved the group’s toughness.
“It was a fun two games,” Spoelstra said. “That was a tough turnaround. I’m not making any excuses, but we got to bed at 6 a.m. and had two games in less than 22 hours. It’s fun. It’s fun to try and rally around that challenge. Oftentimes that could be a schedule-loss and everybody rallied around the opportunity. Hopefully it can lead to more momentum.”
The travel-weary Heat will enjoy the rare consecutive off-days.
“I’m sure everybody could use it, but the guys who will really need it the most are Norman (Powell), Bam (Adebayo) and Andrew (Wiggins),” Spoelstra said. “Probably Jaime (Jaquez Jr.) could use some extra time, as well. We’ll try to maximize that as much as possible.”
Powell’s 23.1 points per game lead Miami, while Adebayo adds 17.9 and Wiggins scores 15.7. The Heat were without Tyler Herro (21.9 ppg) for the road trip, as an MRI exam revealed a costochondral issue with his ribs. Herro has only appeared in 11 games this season and will be sidelined once more against the Magic.
Orlando is coming off back-to-back losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers, matching a season-long with its fourth straight loss. A year after leading the league in scoring defense with an average of 105.5 points allowed per game, the Magic have regressed, surrendering 115.4 ppg this season.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley’s team has allowed 120.8 points per game in its four-game skid.
Compounding the lack of defense, the Magic have failed to reach the 100-point mark twice in their last three games.
“We just need to continue to stick with what we’ve been doing, because we’re getting open looks,” Mosley said. “That’s what we have to know. If we weren’t getting the looks we needed, then there’s something else we can look at.”
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero scored a season-high 37 points against Cleveland on Monday. The fourth-year forward has pulled his weight in January, averaging 24.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists since the calendar flipped to 2026.
“I thought he was ultra-aggressive demanding the ball (on Monday),” Mosley said. “His rebounding is the thing that we continue to challenge him to do and coming up with 10 tonight was big.”
Franz Wagner’s 22.2 ppg in an injury-plagued season leads Orlando. Wagner has missed the last three games with left ankle soreness and will sit out again Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mexico threatens Liga MX players' World Cup spots over camp dispute
Nov 17, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Mexico Coach Javier Aguirre Onaindia speaks to the media ahead of his Mexican National Team match against Paraguay at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Jefferson-Imagn Images Liga MX players were given an ultimatum by the Mexico Football Federation (FMF): Report to a pre-planned World Cup camp on Wednesday and miss their league playoffs and CONCACAF Champions Cup matches or lose their spots on Mexico’s World Cup roster.
The FMF stated in a Wednesday morning press release that “any player who does not turn up at the (national team’s) training center will miss the World Cup.”
On April 28, FMF announced that 20 players from Liga MX would participate in a pre-World Cup minicamp in Mexico City beginning Wednesday, with 12 of those players guaranteed a spot on the World Cup roster.
As a result, players from Toluca and Chivas de Guadalajara called in by Mexico manager Javier Aguirre would not be able to participate in the Liga MX quarterfinals and any subsequent matches, along with the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal second leg and final.
Toluca requested on Tuesday that FMF release players Jesus Gallardo and Alexis Vega for the club’s Champions Cup semifinal decider Wednesday against LAFC. Toluca trails 2-1 on aggregate after losing the first leg. FMF had an agreement with Liga MX clubs, and Toluca’s request was seen as a breach of that agreement.
As for Chivas, it will play Tigres in the Liga MX playoffs on Saturday, and trails 3-1 on aggregate ahead of the second leg of a quarterfinal.
Chivas club president Amaury Vergara wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday, “The agreement is valid only when all parties respect it. I have instructed the club’s sporting leadership that our players are to report to the club’s facilities tomorrow.”
Five Chivas players — former U.S. international midfielder Brian Gutierrez, veteran Luis Romo, winger Roberto Alvarado, forward Armando Gonzalez and Raul Rangel, who is expected to be the starting World Cup goalkeeper — are affected by this conflict.
Mexico’s World Cup roster announcement is expected to come June 1, following friendlies against Ghana and Australia. Mexico faces Serbia on June 4 in a final World Cup tune-up.
Co-hosting the World Cup along with the United States and Canada, Mexico opens the tournament June 11 against South Africa in Mexico City. The tournament runs through July 19.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Streaking Rays cap sweep of Blue Jays with a shutout
May 6, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) scores a run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Shane McClanahan fired 5 2/3 scoreless innings and the Tampa Bay Rays earned their 10th straight home win by grounding the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 on Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.
McClanahan (4-2) allowed just two hits to stretch his scoreless streak to 16 2/3 innings over the past three starts and drop his ERA to 2.60.
He struck out four and walked one as the Rays swept their six-game homestand over the San Francisco Giants and Blue Jays and moved to 12-1 over the past 13 games with a sixth straight win.
Jonny DeLuca and Chandler Simpson produced RBIs in the fourth inning as Tampa Bay improved to 14-4 in its repaired dome and 16-2 against the American League overall.
Toronto’s Myles Straw went 2-for-3 with a double, but Toronto, on a four-game losing skid, managed only four hits.
Starter Patrick Corbin (1-1) tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Tampa Bay shortstop Taylor Walls ended the top of the first inning with a sensational sliding stop deep in the hole and throw to get Lenyn Sosa with Kazuma Okamoto at second after a double.
Corbin’s wildness cost him in the fourth after a one-out walk to Jonathan Aranda. DeLuca followed by slashing a double into the right-center field gap to plate Aranda for a 1-0 lead. Simpson lined a single to right to score DeLuca two batters later.
McClanahan was sharp after allowing Okamoto’s double in the first. The left-hander retired 13 straight hitters until Straw drilled a double off the left-center field wall in the fifth inning.
Kevin Kelly replaced McClanahan after a two-out walk to Okamoto in the sixth brought up Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the reliever induced a deep flyout to left to hold the 2-0 lead.
Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger tossed a wild pitch in the seventh to advance runners to second and third but whiffed Yohendrick Pinango for the final out.
Tampa Bay added an unearned insurance run in the eighth on a throwing error by second baseman Ernie Clement on a double-play ball.
Ian Seymour spun a perfect ninth for his first save.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Flyers' Noah Cates (lower body) out for rest of series vs. Canes
Apr 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates (27) watches for the puck drop on a third period face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Philadelphia Flyers will be without versatile two-way center Noah Cates for the remainder of the series due to a lower-body injury.
Cates, 27, has four points (one goal, three assists) in eight playoff games following the best offensive season of his career, when he posted 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 82 games.
“I mean, he’s been Mr. Consistency all year. Does a lot of things for us,” coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday. “But like I said, it’s no different than other teams. Next man up. You’ve heard the drill before.”
Cates averages 16:15 in ice time and is one of the league’s top defensive forwards, as the Flyers averaged only 1.67 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 during the regular season with him on the ice.
Despite losing Cates, Tocchet is confident in the Flyers’ centermen, including 20-year-old rookie Denver Barkey, who has received more time at the position. Trevor Zegras will return to center as a move “to get him going,” Tocchet said.
Veteran Sean Couturier is a reliable option at the position along with Christian Dvorak, who is expected to play in Game 3 despite an undisclosed injury.
With the Flyers limited to two goals over the first two games, Tocchet is encouraging his players to have a “shot-first mentality” to overcome the Hurricanes’ defensive aggressiveness.
“I think to help some guys out that are struggling against Carolina, they’ve got to have a shot-first mentality,” he said. You’ve got to be able to make a play around them. I think some guys are overpassing and that’s the one thing Carolina’s good at. They make you overpass. But if you throw pucks at the net, beat their aggressiveness, you’re going to get chances.”
The best-of-seven series resumes Thursday night with Game 3 in Philadelphia.
–Field Level Media
Mexico threatens Liga MX players' World Cup spots over camp dispute
Streaking Rays cap sweep of Blue Jays with a shutout
