Sports
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs stuff Cooper Flagg, Mavs
Oct 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks past Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Victor Wembanyama dominated with 29 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots to carry the visiting San Antonio Spurs past the Mavericks in a 135-123 win on Thursday in Dallas.
Cooper Flagg had 32 points and became the youngest player in NBA history with 30 or more points in four consecutive games, etching his name alongside Michael Jordan as the first rookie with 30 points and at least five rebounds in four games in a row.
The Spurs were up 11 at halftime before the Mavs trimmed the margin to 96-93 heading into the fourth. Naji Marshall’s jumper with 4:09 to play capped a 6-0 run to slice the margin to one point but Stephon Castle answered with a long 3-pointer on San Antonio’s ensuing possession.
Wembanyama added a pair of free throws and Cooper Flagg’s floater with 2:41 remaining answered right back. A key Wembanyama block of Daniel Gafford’s layup try and two more free throws by Harrison Barnes helped San Antonio put the win away.
The Spurs return home for a rematch after the victory in which Barnes had 19 points, Keldon Johnson 18, De’Aaron Fox tallied 17, Julian Champagnie added 14, and Castle and Devin Vassell had 12 each as San Antonio won its third straight game.
Marshall poured in a season-high 32 points for the Mavericks, who have dropped six in a row. Flagg had 32 while Max Christie added 20 and Gafford scored 16 points with 10 boards.
Wembanyama was torrid from the start with San Antonio’s first 10 points and had 20 at halftime.
He hit all net on his first three 3-point attempts and the Spurs built a 12-7 lead five minutes into the game. San Antonio led by as many as nine points before owning a 38-35 edge after 12 minutes of play.
Dallas pushed its way to the front and led 48-44 when Flagg canned a jumper at the 8:30 mark of the second quarter. The Spurs then forged a 21-4 run capped by Johnson’s cutting layup with 4:05 to play before halftime and eventually carried a 74-63 advantage into the break.
Marshall matched Wembanyama with 20 points in the first half to lead their respective teams. Johnson added 12 points and Champagnie had 11 for San Antonio; Flagg and Gafford both produced 10 points in a supporting role for the Mavericks.
Jordan, Bernard King, Allen Iverson and Jalen Green are the other rookies who’ve gone for 30-plus points in four consecutive games. Iverson is the last rookie to put up 150-plus points in the span of four games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alabama locks down Nate Oats, makes him one of highest-paid coaches
Alabama head coach Nate Oats reacts to a play against Michigan during the first half of NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 27, 2026. Alabama has agreed to a contract extension with men’s basketball coach Nate Oats that will make him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the sport, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne announced Sunday via X.
“Appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement and it will soon be formally approved through the Board process,” Byrne wrote in a statement.
“We are good! He’s not going anywhere,” Byrne wrote on his personal X account.
This is the third contract extension in four years for Oats, whose previous extension in early 2024 ran through March 2030 and was scheduled to pay him $6.02 million for the 2026-27 season.
Complete details on the new contract have yet to be announced but, according to USA Today, the five highest-paid coaches at public schools in 2024-25 each made at least $6.1 million — when Oats tied for ninth nationally with a $5 million base salary.
Oats’ impending raise should put him in the same neighborhood with Kansas’ Bill Self, Arkansas’ John Calipari, UConn’s Dan Hurley, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd. On Friday, Arizona announced a new five-year deal with Lloyd that starts at $7.2 million, presumably to keep the national Naismith Coach of the Year from leaving for the open North Carolina job.
Alabama’s rationale for a new deal could have been driven by the same fear.
“As long as we’re able to compete to win championships here — SEC, national championships. We haven’t done that here yet — I’d love to be the coach to bring us our first national championship,” Oats said March 26 when asked about potential links to the North Carolina head coaching vacancy.
“To me, there’s absolutely no reason to leave here. While it’s flattering that a high school guy that caught a couple of breaks would be mentioned with some of these jobs, because they’ve got a lot of tradition, I’m not a guy that’s looking to get out of here any time soon.”
Oats, 51, has been the head coach at Alabama since 2019 and has compiled a 170-73 record (.700) in his seven seasons. The Crimson Tide have competed in a program record-tying six straight NCAA Tournaments.
This season Alabama lost to Michigan, who will play for the National Championship on Monday, in the Sweet Sixteen.
Oats’ deepest run was when he helped lead Alabama to the Final Four as a No. 4 seed during the 2023-24 season. The Crimson Tide fell short to eventual champion UConn.
Oats has led Alabama to at least two NCAA Tournament wins in all but one of his six appearances with the school.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros ace Hunter Brown (shoulder) placed on 15-day IL
Mar 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images The Houston Astros placed ace right-hander Hunter Brown on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right shoulder strain.
The move was retroactive to Thursday.
Brown finished third in American League Cy Young Award balloting last season. He is 1-0 with an 0.84 ERA in two starts this season, striking out 17 in just 10 1/3 innings.
Brown, 27, last pitched Tuesday when he defeated the Boston Red Sox. He gave up one run and one hit and struck out eight against two walks in six innings.
There was no immediate word on how long Brown might be sidelined. Houston announced the move before manager Joe Espada met with reporters prior to the club’s Sunday afternoon road game against the Athletics.
Brown made the AL All-Star team for the first time last season when he went 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA in 31 starts. He struck out a career-high 206 and posted a stellar 1.03 WHIP.
He is 37-31 with a 3.44 ERA in 102 appearances (94 starts) since reaching the majors in 2022.
The Astros promoted right-hander Christian Roa from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. He had a 6.75 ERA in two relief appearances for Houston earlier this season.
The 27-year-old pitched one scoreless inning of relief in his lone outing for Sugar Land this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Garrett Mitchell lifts Brewers over Royals
Apr 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman David Hamilton (6) throws to first base over Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images Garrett Mitchell doubled, homered, and racked up five RBIs for the visiting Milwaukee Brewers in a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Royals in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday.
Luis Rengifo was 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run, and Christian Yelich was 2-for-5 with two runs for the Brewers. Jac Caglianone was 2-for-3 with a walk, and Lane Thomas and Bobby Witt Jr. each had an RBI for the Royals.
Milwaukee starting pitcher Chad Patrick (1-0) picked up the win as he went five innings, gave up four hits, walked three, and struck out three. Luinder Avila (0-1) took the loss for the Royals, as he only lasted three innings, surrendered eight hits, five runs, walked three, and struck out four.
Trevor Megill threw a scoreless ninth inning to earn his second save of the season for MIlwaukee which won its third straight game.
The Brewers jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Mitchell drove a high fast ball to the wall in right center field that plated Rengifo and Yelich in the first inning. In his next at bat, Mitchell launched Avila’s hanging curveball deep over the right field fence for a three-run home run, as Milwaukee extended its lead to 5-0 in the top of the third.
Vinnie Pasquantino led off the sixth inning with a single and advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch by Milwaukee reliever Aaron Ashby. After a Salvador Perez ground out, Jac Caglianone’s infield single placed runners on the corners for the Royals with one out.
But Ashby struck out both Starling Marte and Isaac Collins to end the Royals’ threat.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kansas City finally got on the board when pinch hitter Thomas lined an RBI double into the left field corner that scored Nick Loftin as the Royals cut their deficit to 5-1. Maikel Garcia’s ground out to first moved Thomas to third. Witt’s sizzling one-hooper to second base led to an infield RBI single and the Royals pulled closer at 5-2.
Megill issued walks to Thomas and Witt in the bottom of the ninth but struck out Pasquantino looking to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
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