Sports
Suns continue playoff climb vs. lowly Pacers
Mar 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots against Milwaukee Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng (21) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Devin Booker is heating up at the right time for the Phoenix Suns, who have won three straight heading into Thursday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
With Booker leading the way, Phoenix has won five of its last six to move within one game of the Denver Nuggets for sixth place in the Western Conference standings.
The Suns look to carry the momentum into their meeting against Indiana, which has lost 10 straight and owns the NBA’s worst record at 15-50.
The Suns opened a season-long-tying six-game trip with a 129-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Booker scored 27 points and Jalen Green added 25 for Phoenix, which made a season-high 24 3-pointers.
Royce O’Neale matched his career-high with seven 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 21 points in the win. Phoenix also received a spark from Jordan Goodwin, who scored six points in 14 minutes after missing seven games with a left calf strain.
One year after finishing 10 games under .500 and missing the playoffs, the Suns are trending in the right direction under first-year coach Jordan Ott, who credits Booker for spearheading the team’s turnaround.
“He’s just about the right things not only as a human, but as a player,” Ott said. “Offensively, he’ll move the ball. He wants bodies to move, always wants to make the right play. Defensively, he plays hard every night. When your top guy does that, it sets the tone. … I think we have the right group led by our right superstar.”
Booker has scored 27 or more points in four straight games for a Phoenix team that drew praise from Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers before Tuesday’s game.
“(They) play hard. They play together,” Rivers said. “It’s amazing. You look at their team last year and this year, I don’t think anyone predicted them to be better this year, but they are. It’s just really cool to watch them play.”
Phoenix is seeking a series sweep of Indiana after winning 133-98 at home on Nov. 13.
The Pacers concluded their four-game West Coast trip with a 114-109 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. Aaron Nesmith scored 29 points to lead Indiana, which led by 20 midway through the third quarter before being outscored 42-27 in the fourth.
“Their bench just played unbelievable the last 15 minutes of the game, just tremendous,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of the Kings. “So you’ve got to give them credit. Their shotmaking, their aggression, all that was big time. We had some pretty good looks that didn’t go in. That was disappointing.”
Indiana forward Obi Toppin remains on a minutes restriction after missing 56 games with a right foot stress fracture. He had an encouraging outing on Tuesday with 17 points and five rebounds in 15 minutes.
Indiana played without starters T.J. McConnell (right hamstring), Pascal Siakam (right knee sprain) and Andrew Nembhard (back/neck). All three are uncertain to face the Suns.
The injury-plagued Pacers have given extended playing time to young reserves such as Kam Jones, Kobe Brown, Micah Potter and Jarace Walker, who combined for 38 points on Tuesday.
“This has been a great look at each of these guys,” Carlisle said. “In almost all cases, people are rising to higher levels of responsibility. Playing more minutes than they probably would have. The organization has had a great chance to see what these guys are all about. A great opportunity to evaluate for future decisions.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Florida International fires coach Jeremy Ballard
Nov 8, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Florida International Panthers head coach Jeremy Ballard talks during a timeout in the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Florida International fired men’s basketball coach Jeremy Ballard on Wednesday after eight seasons and a 113-141 record.
Ballard, 44, guided the Panthers to just one postseason appearance, reaching the CIT second round in his first year at the Westchester, Fla., program in 2018-19.
Florida International just completed a 15-17 campaign (8-12 Conference USA) with a 75-72 loss to Missouri State in the first round of the conference tournament on Tuesday.
Including a 20-14 record in his debut season at FIU, Ballard’s only other winning record came the following season at 19-13. The Panthers have not been to the NCAA Tournament since their lone appearance in 1995.
“I want to thank Jeremy for pouring his heart and soul into the program the past eight years, and for the genuine and respectful manner in which he operated every day,” FIU athletic director Scott Carr said. “Jeremy is one of the best human beings and leaders I have ever encountered, and his authenticity carried over into the student-athletes he coached and the culture he established.
“Jeremy has left the program in a better position than what he inherited, and I want to thank him for that improvement. However, the on-court success has not been to the level we aspire to; we want to be competing for conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths. With that standard in place, a comprehensive national search will begin immediately, and there will be no further comment until that is completed.”
Ballard was an assistant coach at VCU, Pitt, Illinois State, Tulsa and his alma mater, Colgate, before taking over at FIU.
Associate head coach Jesse Bopp has been named the Panthers’ interim head coach.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Returned to sender: Maxx Crosby at Raiders' facility, sides mending fences
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Signs point to the Las Vegas Raiders welcoming Maxx Crosby back into the fold as a result of the return-to-sender rejection of a trade with the Baltimore Ravens.
Sports Illustrated reported the star defensive end was back at the team facility to rehab from left knee surgery at 8 a.m. on Wednesday and considers himself an employee of the Raiders going forward.
The Raiders agreed to a trade on Friday with the Ravens, sending Crosby to Baltimore in exchange for multiple first-round picks. But the deal was pending the results of Crosby’s physical and was not official until Wednesday, the first day of the league year. On Tuesday night, the Ravens informed the Raiders the deal was off, according to multiple reports, because of questions surrounding Crosby’s health and what they considered a “failed physical.”
On Wednesday morning, the Ravens reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with free agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson. The 31-year-old is also coming back from surgery. He played in seven games last season and underwent core muscle surgery. The terms of the agreement, with a value of around $112 million according to multiple reports, matches the total compensation remaining on Crosby’s deal.
NFL Network reported the Chicago Bears were willing to part with two first-round picks to acquire Crosby but were outbid. The Ravens likely jumped ahead because Baltimore’s 2026 first-round pick is 11 slots better than Chicago’s No. 25 overall pick.
The Raiders and Crosby, 28, had been at odds since fired head coach Pete Carroll decided to sit him late in the 2025 season when the fiery Pro Bowl talent argued he wasn’t hurt.
By reversing direction, the Ravens retained the No. 14 overall pick and their 2027 first-rounder promised in the handshake agreement.
The Raiders signed two edge rushers — Malcolm Koonce and Kwity Paye — but remain responsible for Crosby’s contract and the $35.7 million cap hit for 2026, per Spotrac. Las Vegas also signed Ravens free agent center Tyler Linderbaum.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Game Isn’t the Same as Kobe Bryant's Historic Night
On Tuesday night, Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards.
Adebayo’s big game dethroned Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game as the second-best individual performance in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game. By dropping 83 points, Adebayo also became the highest-scoring living NBA player.
It’s a moment that deserves celebration. Clearly, it meant something to Adebayo, who was hunting baskets on a random Tuesday in March against one of the worst teams in the NBA.
But that last part is exactly why Adebayo won’t get all of the flowers for this feat. Because partially, his 83-point game is what’s wrong with the NBA.
The Wizards deserve to be relegated.
Seriously.
Of course, the NBA has evolved over the years. There are plenty of players in the league capable of scoring 50, 60, 70, and clearly 80+ points on a given night. But on the list of players capable of surpassing Bryant’s 81 points? Adebayo’s name is pretty far down on that list.
A 31-point first quarter gave this feat hope on Tuesday evening. But it just goes to show that the Wizards aren’t even trying to win games at this point in the season.
With the defeat, Washington devolved to 16-48. They’re two losses away from their 50th loss of the season. Unfortunately for the NBA, the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings have already claimed their 50th loss.
For casual NBA fans, there was no reason to tune into Tuesday night’s game against the lowly Wizards and Heat. Miami is the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, but there’s no reason to believe they’ll do anything of substance in the postseason.
Did Adebayo’s 83-point game really change anyone’s belief about the Heat this season? No.
Adebayo shot 43 free throws against the Wizards. He’s a great player who proved capable of an incredible feat. But beyond that? The Wizards are actively trying to lose games and had no intentions on stopping him even before the opening tip.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is likely to step in at some point this offseason to try and fix tanking in the NBA. It’s a difficult issue. But teams like the Wizards, who have been bad for seemingly forever, need to find a way to get themselves off the mat.
Adebayo deserves his moment in the limelight for what he accomplished on Tuesday night.
But let’s not pretend this feat is anywhere near what Bryant did when he scored 81.
Florida International fires coach Jeremy Ballard
Returned to sender: Maxx Crosby at Raiders' facility, sides mending fences
