Sports
Rockets focus on slowing Kawhi Leonard again in rematch vs. Clippers
Feb 10, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball as Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The memory of Los Angeles All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard scoring at his leisure during a late-December matchup remained front and center for the Houston Rockets as they prepared for the first game of a home back-to-back against the visiting Clippers on Tuesday.
Leonard scored 41 points in that 20-point victory on Dec. 23, the first of his career-high four 40-point games this season. Leonard entered play Tuesday averaging 30.2 points per game this month, and he held the Rockets’ undivided attention with another contest between the teams set for Wednesday.
The Rockets responded by hounding Leonard throughout their 102-95 win on Tuesday, limiting him to 24 points on 7-for-19 shooting. Tari Eason drew the primary defensive assignment on Leonard, but the Rockets sent several bodies his way. Amen Thompson and Dorian Finney-Smith also chipped in with the occasional double-team to slow the assault.
“He’s on a hot streak right now,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of Leonard, who ranks eighth in the NBA with a career-best average of 27.9 points per game. “The ball is in his hands more, and they’re surrounding him with good pieces. For us, we like our length and size on the wings defensively, and we’ve got a lot of bodies we can throw at him. But you want to keep him off-balance.
“I’ve coached Kawhi for years (as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs), and I’ve seen some things I can possibly do to go after him.”
The Clippers remade their roster at the trade deadline, shipping out James Harden and Ivica Zubac and welcoming Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson.
Garland (toe) has yet to play for the Clippers. Mathurin scored nine points in 26 minutes in his Los Angeles debut on Tuesday. Jackson also appeared for the Clippers for the first time, netting five points in five minutes.
Brook Lopez has replaced center Zubac in the starting lineup, and with Harden in Cleveland, Leonard will get additional opportunities as the unquestioned primary option on offense.
Rockets star Kevin Durant acknowledged that his team’s task against the Clippers was eased by Harden’s departure.
“I just think our physicality ramped up,” Durant said. “I mean, not having James Harden out there helps, too, as somebody else who can create offense and get everybody else involved. But yeah, we knew this team, Kawhi’s playing great basketball, and he’s willing these guys to up their game.”
The Clippers shot just 40.9% from the floor and missed 22 of 30 3-point attempts. John Collins (17 points) was the only double-digit scorer aside from Leonard for Los Angeles, which has ample experience of teams attempting to stifle Leonard. The trick is converting scoring opportunities when they are presented.
“They put two on the ball,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “I don’t think we capitalized well enough when they double-teamed Kawhi. We didn’t do a good job with our spacing and making the right play and making the right pass. (Wednesday), we’ll be ready.
“We understand our space, and we understand how to get to our spots. And teams are going to double-team Kawhi, so we know exactly what should be on the floor, so we just can’t panic. Take our time, make the right pass, make the right read, and we’ll be fine.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
NCAA approves Montana LB Solomon Tuliaupupu for 9th season
Nov 22, 2025; Missoula, MT, USA; Montana State Bobcats running back Julius Davis (32) is tackled by Montana Grizzlies linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu (58) and linebacker Peyton Wing (32) during the first half at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Thomas Shroyer-Imagn Images College football is set to have its second nine-year player after the NCAA granted Montana linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu another season of eligibility.
Tuliaupupu is set to join tight end Cam McCormick in the nine-year club. McCormick spent 2016-22 at Oregon before playing for Miami in 2023 and ’24. He is mow a scouting assistant for the New England Patriots.
Tuliaupupu first arrived in college at Southern California out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., in 2018 but missed that season and the following one due to a foot injury. A knee injury sustained in the summer of 2020 kept him out that year, and he didn’t play for the Trojans the following year after missing spring practice.
He finally saw action in 2022, making 10 tackles, including 2.5 sacks, in 14 games.
Another training camp injury cost Tuliaupupu the entire 2023 season, but he returned to play nine games for USC in 2024, registering 13 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery.
Tuliaupupu transferred to Montana for the 2025 season, and he played in 14 games, producing 43 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. The Grizzlies finished 13-2, reaching the FCS semifinals.
Montana also announced that offensive lineman Dylan Jemtegaard was cleared by the NCAA to play a sixth season of college ball in 2026.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Inter Miami worth $1.45B, but some MLS clubs see value drop
Dec 6, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) looks on with the Philip F. Anschutz trophy after winning the 2025 MLS Cup against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Inter Miami’s investment in Lionel Messi continues to pay dividends.
In December, the Argentine superstar helped deliver the club its first MLS Cup. With the 2026 season less than two weeks away, Messi has helped deliver the Herons another title.
Most valuable franchise in MLS.
According to a report in Sportico on Tuesday, Miami is valued at $1.45 billion, an increase of 22% from last year and $50 million ahead of the Los Angeles FC — marking the first time in Sportico’s five years of doing MLS valuations that LAFC are not No. 1.
Though second, LAFC still jumped 9% in year-over-year valuation to $1.4 billion. The Black and Gold employ arguably the league’s second-most popular international superstar, South Korea’s Son Heung-Min. Messi and Son are by far the two highest-paid players in MLS.
While that sounds good news for Miami and Los Angeles, the league-wide economics could be a bit of a red flag. The bottom 12 teams in valuation saw their value go up just 2% on average from 2025. Three clubs — the San Jose Earthquakes, Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montreal — fell in value, per the report.
The Whitecaps reached the MLS Cup final last year behind German legend Thomas Muller.
Sportico valued all clubs — including real estate and business related to soccer owned by club owners, such as an NWSL franchise — at a total of $23 billion.
San Diego FC, the league’s newest club entering their second season of existence, are valued at $765 million, 10th in MLS.
The MLS season kicks off Feb. 21 with the marquee game being the strategic choice of Miami at LAFC. The game was moved to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to accommodate more fans for the highly in-demand event.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spurs hand Lakers historic blowout loss
Feb 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers forward Maxi Kleber (14) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Victor Wembanyama scored 37 of his 40 points in the first half, Carter Bryant added 16 points off the bench and the visiting San Antonio Spurs turned a fast start into a dominating 135-108 victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Dylan Harper scored 15 points and Harrison Barnes added 11 as the Spurs matched a season high with their fifth consecutive victory. Stephon Castle had seven assists in 12 minutes before he departed after sustaining a pelvic contusion in the second quarter and did not return.
Wembanyama also had 12 rebounds while going 13 of 20 from the floor and left for good in the third quarter with the game well in hand.
The Spurs won the season series 3-1 over the Lakers, who were missing Luka Doncic (hamstring), LeBron James (foot), Austin Reaves (calf) Deandre Ayton (knee) and Marcus Smart (ankle).
Drew Timme and Luke Kennard each scored 14 points for the Lakers, who have lost consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 15-17. Bronny James had a season-high 12 points in 25 minutes for Los Angeles.
While Doncic missed his third consecutive game, James and Reaves were out on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Spurs were aggressive from the jump, taking a 14-4 less than three minutes into the game and leading 47-30 after one quarter. It tied the franchise record for first-quarter points, with the Spurs last doing it in 1993.
San Antonio led by as many as 30 points in the second quarter and took an 84-55 lead into halftime. It was the second highest scoring first half in franchise history and the most ever scored against the Lakers in any half in franchise history.
Wembanyama departed for good with 4:13 remaining in the third after scoring his 40th point on a 3-pointer that gave the Spurs a 100-68 lead.
The Spurs shot 63.8% from the floor in the first half and 56.5% in the game. The Lakers were shooting 44.7% at the half and finished the game at 48.2%.
–Field Level Media
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NCAA approves Montana LB Solomon Tuliaupupu for 9th season
