Sports
Timberwolves prep for Pelicans by adding Ayo Dosunmu
Dec 2, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Jaden McDaniels can breathe a sigh of relief.
The versatile forward heard his name mentioned in plenty of rumors as the Minnesota Timberwolves explored the idea of adding a star player before the trade deadline.
However, Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed put with the Milwaukee Bucks and McDaniels stayed put in Minneapolis, where the Timberwolves will play the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
“It’s hard to block out,” McDaniels said before Thursday’s trade deadline. “It’s everywhere you go on your phone, you see something. I try. I’ve been through six deadlines, and I just keep it the same way every time.”
This time, McDaniels and the Timberwolves will welcome a new teammate.
Minnesota and several other teams failed to land the NBA’s biggest prize in Antetokounmpo, but the Timberwolves added much-needed talent and depth when they acquired Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls before the deadline. In exchange, Minnesota parted with lightly used Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller along with four second-round picks.
Dosunmu, 26, averaged a career-high 15.0 points along with 3.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 45 games for the Bulls this season. The fifth-year pro shoots 51.4% from the field and a career-best 45.1% from 3-point range.
It is not certain whether Dosunmu will join his new team in time for Friday’s game.
Whenever he arrives, he figures to come off the bench and play a prominent role in the Timberwolves’ rotation. He averaged 26.4 minutes primarily in a reserve role with Chicago this season, compared with 9.3 minutes per game for Dillingham with the Timberwolves.
As the Timberwolves prepare to welcome reinforcements, the Pelicans head to Minnesota without a trusted veteran. New Orleans traded Jose Alvarado, 27, to the New York Knicks on Thursday in exchange for Dalen Terry, two second-round picks and cash considerations.
Alvarado averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 assists in 41 games this season and provided dependable defense. Terry averaged 3.5 points and 1.3 assists in 34 games for the Bulls.
New Orleans rests near the bottom of the Western Conference standings and plots how more losing might benefit its future. The Pelicans have lost three games in a row, including a 141-137 overtime loss Wednesday at Milwaukee.
Pelicans interim coach James Borrego praised Trey Murphy III for his career-high 44-point performance, but said his team needed to do more on the other end of the court to stop the skid. The Bucks hit 60.9% from the field, which featured 21 of 47 shooting (44.7%) from 3-point range.
“It was our defense,” Borrego said. “Not enough resistance. (Our) point-of-attack defense was too weak, too soft. We’ve got to be better (defensively).”
The Timberwolves are coming off a 128-126 road win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night. Minnesota has won five of its past six games.
Anthony Edwards will look to stay hot after scoring 30 points on 11-for-23 shooting against the Raptors. He added eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.
This is the third of four meetings between the Timberwolves and Pelicans this season.
Minnesota won the first two games as it held on for a 149-142 overtime win on Dec. 2 in New Orleans, then won the rematch two days later with a 125-116 verdict in New Orleans.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lakers star Luka Doncic suspended 1 game after 16th technical foul
Mar 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives against Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (1) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The NBA suspended Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic for one game without pay on Saturday for receiving his 16th technical foul this season, and he will miss Monday’s game against the visiting Washington Wizards.
Doncic, the league’s leading scorer, was assessed a technical along with Brooklyn forward Ziaire Williams when they jostled each other with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter of the host Lakers’ 116-99 victory on Friday.
An offensive foul was called seconds earlier on Doncic, and a video review showed him pushing Williams, with the Nets player retaliating by swiping at Doncic’s face.
The 16th technical triggered an automatic suspension, which will cost Doncic 1/174th of his annual salary, about $264,000, per ESPN. League rules stipulate that following the 16th technical, for every two additional technicals, the player will be suspended another game without pay.
The Lakers had successfully appealed Doncic’s most-recent technical for a yelling match with Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze on March 21. The league rescinded the technicals.
Doncic, 27, is averaging 33.7 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds for the Lakers (48-26), who are in third place in the Western Conference with eight games remaining in the regular season.
A six-time All-Star guard, Doncic has been selected All-NBA first team five times and was the 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Marta Suarez scores 33 as TCU upends Virginia in Sweet 16
Mar 28, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) and forward Marta Suárez (7) embrace after a called foul during the second quarter of the game against the Virginia Cavaliers in the Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Marta Suarez scored a career-high 33 points, Olivia Miles added 28 points in a near triple-double and third-seeded TCU ended Virginia’s magical NCAA Tournament run with a 79-69 victory in the Sweet 16 in Sacramento on Saturday.
Miles had 10 rebounds and eight assists and Suarez had 10 rebounds as the Horned Frogs (32-5) overcame a one-point halftime deficit by scoring the first 11 points of the third quarter to take control.
The Horned Frogs will make their second straight Elite Eight appearance when they meet top-seeded South Carolina on Monday.
Suarez had 13 points in the third quarter, when Miles had six assists and four rebounds as the Frogs pushed their lead to 15. The 10th-seeded Cavaliers did not get closer than eight until the final 31 seconds.
Miles’ two free throws with 26.1 seconds left for a 77-69 lead clinched it. She is one of four Division I players with at least 600 points, 250 rebounds and 100 assists.
Paris Clark had 20 points and Kymora Johnson had 18 for the Cavaliers (22-12), the lowest seed to reach the Sweet 16 since 2022.
Clara Silva had eight points and eight rebounds for TCU, which had a 38-29 edge on the boards and limited Virginia to 41% shooting.
Virginia led by seven late in the first quarter. TCU took a 35-33 lead with 1:09 left in the first half, when Suarez made a free throw after Romi Levy was called for a Flagrant 1 foul for pulling Miles down as she drove to the basket.
Clark’s three-point play gave the Cavaliers a 36-35 lead at halftime.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Troy appoints NC State assistant Adam Howard as new coach
Nov 13, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg and assistant coach Adam Howard watch play during the first half against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images North Carolina State assistant Adam Howard is the new head coach at Troy, the school announced Saturday night.
Howard replaces Scott Cross, who left after the NCAA Tournament to become head coach at Georgia Tech. Cross finished his seven-year tenure with five straight 20-win campaigns.
Troy went 22-12 this season and reached the NCAA tourney for the second straight season. The Trojans, seeded 13th, were routed 76-47 by Nebraska in the first round of this year’s tournament.
Howard will look to continue the success. He had a two-season stint as an assistant with Troy (2016-18) earlier in his career with the Trojans qualifying for the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Last season was Howard’s lone campaign at NC State, which went 20-14 and reached the NCAA Tournament before losing to the Texas in the First Four. Wolfpack coach Will Wade departed for LSU after the season.
Howard’s other stops as an assistant coach include Southern Miss (2012-14), Tennessee (2014), South Alabama (2018-22) and Nebraska (2022-25).
Howard resigned at Tennessee in November 2014, citing personal reasons, during a time when he and then-Volunteers coach Donnie Tyndall were being investigated by the NCAA for recruiting violations at Southern Miss, where Tyndall was previously the head coach.
–Field Level Media
Lakers star Luka Doncic suspended 1 game after 16th technical foul
Marta Suarez scores 33 as TCU upends Virginia in Sweet 16
