Sports
With just seven players, Jazz beat Pacers to snap losing streak
Feb 3, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen (23) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Johnny Furphy (12) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and Brice Sensabaugh added 20 as the Utah Jazz beat the Indiana Pacers 131-122 in a matchup of two short-handed teams on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
The Jazz snapped a season-worst six-game losing streak by shooting 56.8% from the field and 44.8% (13 of 29) from 3-point range.
All seven players who took the floor for Utah scored in double figures, including Ace Bailey (19), Svi Mykhailiuk (18), and Isaiah Collier, who had 17 points and a career-high 22 assists. Kyle Filipowski added 16 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, and Cody Williams chipped in 14 points.
Utah led 112-108 with 6:19 left before Sensabaugh hit two 3-pointers during a 15-5 run to help the Jazz extend their lead to 127-113 with 2:39 remaining.
The Pacers had nine active players and lost their second straight game despite shooting 53.6% from the field.
Jarace Walker and Quenton Jackson led the Pacers with 24 points apiece. Johnny Furphy scored 14 points, Jay Huff and Kam Jones added 12 apiece, Isaiah Jackson had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Ethan Thompson scored 11.
Hours before the game, Utah acquired two-time All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr. and Jock Landale from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round selections.
Indiana played without Bennedict Mathurin (rest), Aaron Nesmith (left hand), Andrew Nembhard (lower back), T.J. McConnell (left knee) and Pascal Siakam (rest) on the second night of a back-to-back.
Indiana led by as many as 10 early in the second quarter before Utah battled back to tie the game at 56-all at halftime.
Quenton Jackson scored 13 points in the first half for the Pacers, who trailed 91-83 after Mykhailiuk scored with 2:23 left in the third quarter.
Utah held a 96-89 advantage at the end of the third quarter after outscoring the Pacers 40-33 in the period.
Collier started at point guard in place of Keyonte George, who missed his second straight game due to a sprained left ankle.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Auburn eyes trip to Indy as Nevada challenges in NIT third round
Auburn Tigers guard Kevin Overton (1) takes a jump shot as Auburn Tigers take on Seattle Redhawks during the second round of the National Invitation Tournament at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala. on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Auburn Tigers lead Seattle Redhawks 42-31 at halftime. Auburn is the last power-conference program standing in the NIT as it prepares to host Nevada in a quarterfinal game Wednesday night.
The No. 1 seed Tigers (19-16) fought off a hard charge by Seattle University Sunday night in a 91-85 victory.
The win kept coach Steven Pearl’s squad home for one final game, which will help set the semifinals on April 2 on Butler’s campus.
Kevin Overton scored 23 points, 16 in the second half, after Auburn led the visitors 42-31 at halftime.
Seattle held a 54-49 scoring edge in the second half, but the Tigers outrebounded the Redhawks 41-23 overall and made 24 free throws compared to the West Coast Conference squad’s seven.
Afterward, Pearl talked about his defense’s shortcomings but credited his group for putting up 91 against Seattle’s 29th-ranked scoring defense.
“Obviously, we aren’t a good defensive team,” Pearl said. “That’s something that we’ve got to improve in the offseason. We’ve just got to find ways of trying to limit teams from scoring more points. They made 16 3s. The problem is that their best shooter is the one that hit seven of them.
“Our recognition of personnel wasn’t great.”
Overton has averaged 22 points in the two NIT wins by sinking 11 of 22 3-point shots.
Keyshawn Hall (15 ppg), Elyjah Freeman (11.5) and Tahaad Pettiford (10) also have averaged double figures.
With the triumph, the Tigers extended the nation’s longest nonconference home winning streak to 66 games — a stretch that began Nov. 11, 2016.
Second-seeded Nevada (24-12), a 73-63 winner over Liberty in its second-round home finale, got a triple-double from Corey Camper Jr. (10 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists) as the Wolf Pack finished 17-2 at home.
Coach Steve Alford was pleased with the output of 6-foot-10 center Joel Armotrading, who missed 16 games in the middle of the season with a chest injury.
“I thought Joel was as good as he’s been,” Alford said after the senior produced 10 points (6-for-6 at the line), five rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. “We’re starting to see what it would’ve looked like if we’d have had Joel the whole year being healthy.”
Nevada features four scorers in double figures for the year: Camper (16.8 ppg), Elijah Price (12.6), Tayshawn Comer (11.3) and Vaughn Weems (10).
–Field Level Media
Sports
AL West capsules: Can Mariners reach next level in 2026?
Feb 24, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) at bat during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox in Peoria, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images Athletics
2025 record 76-86 (4th place, AL West)
He gone: OF JJ Bleday, RHP Oswaldo Bido, C Willie MacIver, LHP Sean Newcomb, INF Max Schuemann, RHP Mitch Spence
New faces: RHP Scott Barlow, RHP Aaron Civale, UTL Andy Ibanez, RHP Mark Leiter Jr., 2B/LF Jeff McNeil
Biggest question entering Opening Day: The Athletics are all about being competitive when they begin play in Las Vegas in 2028, but the club has enough talent to top .500 this season if the starting pitching takes a step forward. RHP Luis Severino openly criticized the home digs in West Sacramento last season — he was 2-9 with a 6.01 ERA in 15 starts at the ballpark — and he needs to have a much better attitude about it this year as the club’s top pitcher. LHPs Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez are streaky but highly effective when performing well. The Athletics have young stars in 1B Nick Kurtz (2025 Rookie of the Year), SS Jacob Wilson (Rookie of the Year runner-up), LF Tyler Soderstrom and RF Lawrence Butler to go with veterans such as two-time All-Star DH Brent Rooker, C Shea Langeliers and offseason acquisition McNeil, the 2022 National League batting champion.
2026 Outlook: The Athletics were crushed by a 3-24 stretch during a 29-day span early last season, and the rest of the campaign was focused on development. While the future remains more important than the present, the A’s have the type of offense that can outscore opponents. However, the team needs better pitching before it can seriously think about the playoffs.
Houston Astros
2025 record 87-75 (2nd place, AL West)
He gone: C Victor Caratini, INF Mauricio Dubon, RHP Luis Garcia, OF Chas McCormick, OF Jacob Melton, OF Jesus Sanchez, LHP Framber Valdez
New faces: SS Nick Allen, RHP Mike Burrows, RHP Tatsuya Imai, OF Joey Loperfido, RHP Nate Pearson, RHP Ryan Weiss
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Houston has RHPs Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier at the top of the rotation but will badly miss workhorse Valdez, who exited as a free agent. Houston traded for Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he will be heavily counted on, as will Imai, an import from Japan who will turn 28 in May and had a 1.92 ERA and five complete games for the Seibu Lions last season. Injury-prone RHP Lance McCullers is slated to be in the rotation but has made just 63 appearances (60 starts) over the last seven seasons. Offensively, SS Carlos Correa needs to regain the form of his first Houston stint (2015-21). He was a big disappointment for most of his 3 1/2 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and had just six homers in 200 at-bats after the Astros reacquired him last season.
2026 Outlook: The Astros missed the postseason last year after eight straight appearances (including two World Series titles) and will have to fight for a berth this season. Keeping slugger Yordan Alvarez healthy (48 games in 2025) will be a big key as Houston missed his power bat after he topped 30 homers in each of the previous four seasons.
Los Angeles Angels
2025 record 72-90 (5th place, AL West)
He gone: LHP Tyler Anderson, RHP Brock Burke, LHP Andrew Chafin, RHP Kyle Hendricks, RHP Kenley Jansen, 3B Anthony Rendon, INF Luis Rengifo, OF Taylor Ward
New faces: 2B Vaughn Grissom, OF Josh Lowe, RHP Alek Manoah, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP Jordan Romano, LHP Brent Suter, RHP Kirby Yates
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Let’s say it all together: Can Mike Trout remain healthy? Oh, no, not that one. This one: Will Trout ever play like last decade’s version of himself? He played in 130 games last season after playing in 82 or fewer games in three of the previous four full campaigns. Trout batted just .232 in 2025, with 178 strikeouts, a meager 64 RBIs and a .439 slugging percentage, well off his .628 or higher mark in each year from 2017-19. He hit 26 homers last season. The Angels have moved him back to center field, too. For Trout, 34, expectations can be for another year like last season. A team that was inconsistent on offense traded OF Taylor Ward (career-best 36 homers) for Rodriguez in hopes of shoring up the pitching behind reliable RHP Jose Soriano and LHP Yusei Kikuchi.
2026 Outlook: The Angels haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2014 — when they were swept by the Kansas City Royals — and the only folks feeling they’ll get there this year likely are people employed by the club. Los Angeles has some good young players in SS Zach Neto, C Logan O’Hoppe and RF Jo Adell, but there isn’t enough talent or pitching to compete with the top teams in the division.
Seattle Mariners
2025 record 90-72 (1st place, AL West)
He gone: LHP Caleb Ferguson, C Harry Ford, RHP Jackson Kowar, LUP Gregory Santos, 3B Eugenio Suarez, LHP Trent Thornton, 3B Ben Williamson
New faces: INF Brendan Donovan, LHP Jose Ferrer, C Andrew Knizner, OF Rob Refsnyder
Biggest question entering Opening Day: The Mariners fell one loss short of reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history, and expectations are high this year. The person who most needs to deliver is C Cal Raleigh, as in this: Can he come close to his historic 60-homer, 125-RBI effort from last season? Somehow, 35 homers and 90 RBIs would seem like a letdown. Re-signing Josh Naylor, who excelled in the postseason, also was a big plus, as was the trade to obtain Brendan Donovan. Julio Rodriguez has two 30-homer, 30-steal campaigns in his four MLB seasons, but the Mariners need him to trim his strikeouts (152 last season). The rotation — led by RHPs Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo — remains among the best in the majors, and shutdown closer Andres Munoz (38 saves) is ultra-reliable.
2026 Outlook: Seattle reached the American League Championship Series three times between 1995-2001 and then didn’t make the playoffs for 21 years. So last season’s success has created Seahawks-like enthusiasm that another deep run is on the agenda. The Mariners appear to have the best team in the AL West and should easily be part of the playoffs. Returning to the ALCS is a possibility.
Texas Rangers
2025 record 81-81 (3rd place, AL West)
He gone: RHP Shawn Armstrong, LHP Patrick Corbin, LHP Danny Coulombe, OF Adolis Garcia, RHP Jon Gray, C Jonah Heim, RHP Merrill Kelly, RHP Tyler Mahle, RHP Phil Maton, LHP Hoby Milner, 2B Marcus Semien, 1B Rowdy Tellez, RHP Jacob Webb
New faces: RHP Tyler Alexander, LHP Jalen Beeks, LHP MacKenzie Gore, C Danny Jansen, RHP Jakob Junis, RHP Chris Martin, LHP Jordan Montgomery, OF Brandon Nimmo
Biggest question entering Opening Day: Texas moved on from key 2023 World Series title cogs Garcia and Semien, and even manager Bruce Bochy agreed it was time for a change and parted ways with the club. Skip Schumaker is his replacement. Keeping SS Corey Seager healthy has been a chore, and Texas isn’t going to compete for a playoff spot if he plays in just 102 games again. The five-time All-Star has missed 142 games over the past three seasons. Seager needs new running mates after the offseason housecleaning, and OFs Wyatt Langford (team-best 22 homers in 2025) and Nimmo (average of 24 HRs over the best three seasons) are the best bets. Trading for Gore gives Texas a nice big three in the rotation along with RHPs Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Two-time Cy Young Award winner deGrom made 30 starts last season, his highest work rate since 2019.
2026 Outlook: The Rangers could be a contender if Seager rakes and deGrom dominates, but they also could be a middling team like last season. Texas has largely revamped the pitching staff, especially the bullpen, but will remain a team that relies on offense. That leaves the Rangers likely competing for the final AL wild-card spot.
–Field Level Media
Sports
March Madness “Group of Death” East Region Delivers Must-Watch Sweet 16 Matchups
There’s a reason it will run you several hundred bucks if you want to catch some basketball in the nation’s capital later this week.
And it has nothing to do with the dreadful Washington Wizards.
The get-in price for the NCAA Tournament East Regional reportedly hit a Sweet 16 record of $482, with most tickets going for even more.
No wonder. The region went exactly according to plan.
Duke, St. John’s, UConn, Michigan State. Scheyer, Pitino, Izzo, Hurley.
You’ll hear the soccer term “Group of Death” thrown around in the months leading up to the World Cup. The selection committee absolutely devised a Group of Death in the top-left quadrant of your brackets this year. And it’s going to be scintillating cinema this Friday and Sunday.
This region also featured blue bloods Kansas and UCLA and would have held similar appeal if a few second-round games went the other way. But all due respect to Bill Self and Darryn Peterson, that fantastic ending to a sometimes difficult-to-watch St. John’s-Kansas game set us up for maximum drama.
“Bells (Dylan Darling) comes up to me, and says run (a play for me). So I walk away like, wait a second, he hasn’t scored a bucket and he wants to run a play for himself. And I’m thinking, ‘But he’s Bells!’” Pitino relayed after the Red Storm’s buzzer-beater.
“Bells” shot less than 40% from the field this year! Is Pitino just YOLO-ing it out here in his 200th NCAA Tournament?
Never mind, because it worked, and as a result we get Pitino vs. Duke on a Friday evening, a rematch of the Christian Laettner game in 1992. The other side pits UConn against Michigan State, with a coach in Izzo who may not have any more chances to go capture a second national title.
“When you have UConn, Michigan State, St. John’s now with Rick and how they’re playing, and Duke. I mean, that’s not a regional final, that a Final Four,” Izzo said this week.
The loaded regional certainly raised eyebrows. For one, it could produce Part IV of UConn-St. John’s, who split their regular-season series in dramatic fashion — including UConn’s absolute beatdown of St. John’s 72-40 just a month ago in Hartford — followed by the Johnnies’ 72-52 revenge in the Big East title game.
“Obviously, we both hoped for a fourth meeting in D.C. It stinks a little bit that they threw us both in the same region,” Hurley said. “It feels like the combination of St. John’s being under-seeded, as well as putting us both in the same region. …
“It’s pretty brutal on Twitter, I think, and socials between our fan bases, but I think we have to try to come together Friday night against our opponent so we can have a blood bath on Sunday.”
Any Elite Eight outcome is mouthwatering to college hoops heads. Duke-Michigan State? That would be a rematch of the 2019 Elite Eight in the same exact building, with the Spartans prevailing and ending Zion Williamson’s college career. St. John’s-Michigan State gives you probably the final meeting of the two old ball coaches still hanging on from their generation.
And of course, Duke-UConn — the traditional blue blood trying to find its first title post-Coach K, versus the program Bomani Jones aptly called nouveau riche, with six titles since ‘99 and going for an unbelievable three in four years.
The head coaches have five natties between them, not counting Scheyer’s as a player or assistant, and if you’re all being honest with yourselves, one of the main reasons you’ll tune in is that you hate at least one of them. It’s not my business who that is. Take your pick. But I’d guarantee these guys are going to produce the story of the regionals, if not the tournament writ large, and this Group of Death will be fantastic for the health of the sport.
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