Sports
Torrid Pistons pose challenge to reconfigured Wizards
Feb 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) tugs on the shorts of Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) before trying to drive past him in the second quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Though the All-Star break approaches, the Detroit Pistons show no signs of slowing down.
The Pistons have won 12 of their last 15 games to maintain a healthy Eastern Conference lead over New York and Boston.
Detroit wraps up a four-game homestand with a back-to-back as it hosts the new-look Washington Wizards on Thursday and the Knicks on Friday.
The Wizards are acquiring 10-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks in an eight-player trade, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
In addition to Davis, out since Jan. 8 with a hand injury, Washington gets Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum, per the report.
The Mavericks receive Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham and Marvin Bagley III plus two first-round draft picks and three second-round selections.
The Pistons followed up a 53-point victory over Brooklyn on Sunday — the largest margin in franchise history — with a 124-121 win over Denver on Tuesday. Though Detroit never trailed, the Nuggets rallied to make things interesting in the closing minutes.
“I feel like at the end of the game, it comes down to who wants it more, who’s going to get the loose balls, who’s going to be the most disciplined, who’s going to go back to their strategy and do it best,” Pistons forward Ausar Thompson said. “I feel like we did it best (Tuesday). They’re a great team, but you know we came up victorious.”
That has been the norm for Detroit, especially on its home court. The Pistons have a 20-5 record at Little Caesars Arena.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff felt the Nuggets’ comeback was a good test for his club.
“Two really good teams competing at a high level,” he said. “Two teams that have elite players on their teams, that can make a difference, that can start runs, that can stop runs. Two teams that understand the selflessness, the physicality, the toughness that it takes to win at this level.”
The Pistons had a 26-9 edge in fast-break points, though they forced only 10 turnovers.
“Our entire team has bought into the identity that when we’re at our best, we’re the best defensive team on the floor,” Bickerstaff said.
The Wizards had won three of four before getting pounded by the Knicks, 132-101, on Tuesday.
“We didn’t play to our standard,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. “We’ve been playing good basketball here for a long time and we didn’t have the necessary execution on our defensive end. And offensively, too.
“We played one of the better teams in the NBA,” Keefe added. “If you don’t have your best stuff, that can happen. It’s not who we’ve been, it’s not who we’re going to be. We were not happy with our performance. We did not uphold to our standard.”
The Wizards had posted wins over Portland, Milwaukee and Sacramento after a nine-game losing streak.
“Got to give them some credit, but that’s the deal here in the NBA. You’ve got to raise up to what you’re going to see,” Keefe said. “We didn’t have our necessary level tonight. Excited to get back at that in Detroit.”
Washington gave Detroit a strong challenge in their first meeting on Nov. 10. The host Pistons eked out a 137-135 overtime victory at home.
Detroit’s Daniss Jenkins hit two 3-pointers in the final three seconds to force overtime. Cade Cunningham otherwise carried the Pistons with 46 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and two blocks.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NBA clears Kings, says coach made mistake vs. Warriors
Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie yells during the second quarter against the LA Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images The NBA announced Thursday that Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie made an honest mistake in his team’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.
The league was investigating Christie after he instructed forward Doug McDermott to intentionally foul Warriors guard Seth Curry with his team leading by one with 3:15 remaining in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game.
“The league’s investigation determined that Christie mistakenly believed that the Warriors were not in the penalty and therefore instructed his team to foul in an attempt to stop the clock and utilize one of the team’s remaining timeouts,” the NBA’s statement said. “The investigation found that Christie made no intentional effort to give the Warriors a shooting foul, or to cause the Kings to lose the game.”
Curry made one of two free throws to tie the game at 101-101. The Kings (21-59) went on to lose the game, 110-105.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jannik Sinner sees record set streak snapped, advances in Monte Carlo
Mar 29, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Jannik Sinner of Italy hits a backhand against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic after beating him in the final of the men’s singles at the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images No. 2 Jannik Sinner saw his record streak of consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 events snapped at 37, but the Italian still managed to beat Czech competitor Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Thursday.
Sinner, whose streak was 13 sets longer than any other since the 1000 series began in 1990, overcame committing more unforced errors (30) than winners (23) by winning 47.2% of his return points and by creating 11 break-point opportunities and converting seven of them.
He lost consecutive service games in the second set to fall behind 5-2 but rallied to force the tiebreaker which he lost handily to see his streak snapped.
“In the second set, I struggled a bit with trying to find the right energy. This can happen. I tried to push myself through, which I’ve done,” Sinner said. “Even when you don’t feel the best, I’m trying to find ways. That was the case today. I’m happy.”
He’ll face No. 6 Canadian Felix-Auger Aliassime for a semifinal spot after the latter’s 7-5, 2-2 victory over No. 9 Casper Ruud of Norway, who retired due to an apparent calf injury.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz survived a very sloppy second set to defeat Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in third-round action.
Of the Spaniard’s 47 unforced errors, 23 of them came in the second set. He finished with 45 winners and was never really in danger in the third set, breaking to open up a 3-0 lead and serving out the match from there in two hours and 24 minutes.
“I was playing really well in the first set. I was feeling the ball 10/10,” Alcaraz said. “Then I started pretty well in the second set as well and had a chance to break his serve in the second game, but I didn’t take it. When you don’t take the opportunities at this level, you have to run back. He played more aggressive after that, but I would say it was a great fight in the end.”
Alcaraz, who is in danger of losing his World No. 1 spot should Sinner win this event, will face eighth-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan for a semifinal spot.
Bublik had an easier time on Thursday, needing just 75 minutes to beat No. 11 Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-2, 7-5. While Lehecka had seven aces and no double faults, he was not able to force a single break point on Bublik, who won 40 of 51 service points (78.4%).
No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany is also through to the quarterfinals after a 6-2, 7-5 win over Belgium’s Zizou Bergs. No. 5 Alex de Minaur of Australia outlasted Belgian qualifier Alexander Blockx 7-5, 7-6 (4).
In the first of two matches between unseeded competitors, 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca coasted past Italian wild card Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2 in 73 minutes.
Also, local competitor Valentin Vacherot rallied for a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 win over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz to advance to the quarterfinals. It’s the deepest run a Monegasque player has ever made in Monte Carlo.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Athletics' Jeffrey Springs dominates Yanks in 1-hit shutout
Apr 9, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Athletics pitcher Jeffrey Springs (59) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Jeffrey Springs allowed one hit in seven outstanding innings to lead to the visiting Athletics to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday afternoon.
Springs (2-0) took a no-hit bid into the seventh before Ben Rice cleanly singled to right field following a one-out walk to Giancarlo Stanton. The veteran left-hander allowed only Rice’s hit, struck out six and walked two.
Springs threw 60 of 93 pitches for strikes and only allowed four baserunners. He struck out Aaron Judge on a called third strike to end the third with two on and retired Austin Wells on a fly ball with two on to end the seventh.
The A’s won their first series over the Yankees in New York since getting a three-game sweep April 19-21, 2016. The A’s did not score until Max Muncy tripled and trotted home on a single by Tyler Soderstrom off New York starter Ryan Weathers (0-1).
The A’s won for the fifth time in eight games after dropping their first four contests and finished with eight hits.
After Springs finished, right-hander Justin Sterner retired Judge on a groundout with a runner on first to end the eighth. Left-hander Hogan Harris struck out Rice to cap a perfect ninth and notched his first save.
The A’s earned the win after losing right fielder Brent Rooker to right flank discomfort on a swing in the opening inning.
The Yankees were held to one hit for the first time since Aug. 15, 2023, at Atlanta. The A’s allowed one hit for the first time since April 11, 2024, at Texas when JP Sears lost a no-hit bid in the seventh.
Weathers allowed one run on seven hits in a season-high seven innings. The left-hander struck out seven, walked none and threw a career-high 101 pitches.
The Yankees lost for the third time in four games and had three at-bats with a runner in scoring position. New York has not scored since taking a two-run lead on Luis Severino in the first inning of Wednesday’s 3-2 loss.
–Field Level Media
NBA clears Kings, says coach made mistake vs. Warriors
Jannik Sinner sees record set streak snapped, advances in Monte Carlo
