Southern California, Notre Dame and Arch Manning headline the teams and players under pressure in Week 12 of the college football season.
College football picks for Week 12 include Georgia-Texas, Alabama-Oklahoma showdowns
The schedule for Week 12 in college football features two major SEC showdowns. Our experts make picks for those matchups and every Top 25 games.
Dear, New York Giants: Please take Bill Belichick off our hands. Signed, North Carolina
Profound change is there for North Carolina. All it's going to take is the NFL to take football coach Bill Belichick off its hands.
NCAA punishment of Michigan State football shows its justice has 2 tiers
What the NCAA did to Michigan State football Wednesday hurts college football and creates a perception the sport has a two-tiered justice system.
Tom Izzo, Michigan State basketball know Spartans from San Jose State present a trap game
In between two marquee matchups, Tom Izzo knows Michigan State basketball needs to get better when it hosts San Jose State on Thursday night.
Latest spin on coaching carousel produces plenty of loyalty oaths. Keep receipts
Jedd Fisch, Lincoln Riley and Brent Key are among coaches pledging loyalty to current jobs. You buying it? At least Lane Kiffin isn't playing games.
‘The butt of every joke’: when Wolves were relegated three seasons in a row
Wolves are yet to win a game in the Premier League this season but their older fans know it could be far worse
You fear for Wolves. Eleven matches into the season they are without a win, have sacked manager Vítor Pereira and look likely to be relegated after nearly a decade in the Premier League. It turns out that selling your best players and failing to replace them adequately is not a recipe for success. But surely things cannot be as bad as they were during the 1980s, when they went from the First Division to the Fourth Division in three years.
Wolves experienced the perfect start to the decade when they won the League Cup in 1980, beating the reigning European champions Nottingham Forest at Wembley. But all was not well at the club. The decline can be traced back to their decision in the late 1970s to spend £3m on the John Ireland Stand (now the Steve Bull Stand) at Molineux, which left the club financially drained during a time of declining attendances. They were relegated from the top flight at the end of the 1981-82 season and, with debts totalling £2.5m, were minutes away from going out of business that summer.
Continue reading...Curry outshines Wembanyama as Warriors edge Spurs
Stephen Curry scored 46 points as the Golden State Warriors inflicted a first home NBA defeat of the season on the San Antonio Spurs.
The two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) helped the Warriors end a six-game losing streak on the road with a 125-120 victory at Frost Bank Center in Texas.
Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle became the first Spurs players to record triple-doubles in the same game, but Curry scored 29 points in the second half as the Warriors outscored the Spurs 76-64.
"That third quarter is what we do - getting stops, pushing, creating easy offence. Thankfully I was able to knock a couple down," Curry said.
Jimmy Butler contributed 28 points and eight assists for the Warriors, while Moses Moody scored 19 points.
Thunder thrash Lakers
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 30 points, five rebounds and nine assists as defending champions the Oklahoma City Thunder thrashed the Los Angeles Lakers 121-92.
The Thunder led by 37 points at one stage, allowing Gilgeous-Alexander and other starters to sit out the fourth quarter at Paycom Center.
Five-time All-Star pick Luka Doncic managed 19 points and seven assists for the Lakers, before being subbed when the result was all but confirmed by the final quarter.
Thunder are top of the Western Conference with a 12-1 record.
"We definitely got better the last two days and that's the main goal," said Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jokic downs Clippers
Nikola Jokic scored 55 points, including 25 in the first quarter, as the Denver Nuggets extended their winning run to six games with a 130-116 victory at the Los Angeles Clippers.
The three-time MVP also claimed 12 rebounds and six assists at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
It is the fourth time that Jokic has scored at least 50 points in a regular season game.
Watch Nikola Jokic drop 55 on Clippers as Nuggets cruise to win
In a season where Nikola Jokic is arguably playing the best basketball of his career, Wednesday night was his best game of the season.
Jokic put up 25 points in the first quarter, took over in the third and finished with 55 points on the night — not to mention 12 rebounds and six assists — to help the Nuggets pull away in the second half and cruise to a 130-116 win over the Clippers on the road.
HAVE YOURSELF A NIGHT NIKOLA JOKIĆ.
— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2025
⚒️ 55 PTS (33 IN 1H)
⚒️ 12 REB
⚒️ 6 AST
⚒️ 18-23 FGM
⚒️ 5-6 3PM
⚒️ 34 MIN
⚒️ DEN W
He's just the 4th player in NBA history to score 55 PTS on 78 FG% or better pic.twitter.com/NpKKAK6rna
That tied Jokic with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the most points scored in a single game this season. Jokic did it while playing just 2:30 in the fourth quarter because Denver had the game in hand.
These are two teams going in opposite directions — this was the sixth straight win for the Nuggets and the sixth straight loss for the Clippers. Los Angeles learned earlier in the day that it will be without Bradley Beal for the rest of the season due to hip surgery, while Kawhi Lenord remains out with a sprained ankle.
Aaron Gordon had 18 points and Jamal Murray added 15 for the Nuggets. James Harden scored 23 points with eight rebounds and five assists to lead the Clippers, while Jordan Miller added a career-high 22 points and Ivica Zubac scored 18.
What Turner's age-33 season could look like, by the numbers
What Turner's age-33 season could look like, by the numbers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
It was another steady campaign for Trea Turner.
A .304 average, 179 hits, 94 runs and 36 stolen bases. The shortstop earned his second career batting title — as the only hitting in the National League to eclipse .300 — and reminded everyone why he’s one of baseball’s best shortstops.
He was just as sharp in the field — arguably as sharp as he’s ever been. Turner posted 17 Outs Above Average in 2025 which was tied for third among all shortstops and in the 99th percentile leaguewide.
This was easily his best season since joining Philadelphia.
Now comes the challenge.
Set to earn $27.2 million, Turner enters his age-33 season in 2026, and the question is whether he can keep producing at that level.
Based on history and his profile, there’s reason to believe the 32-year-old, who turns 33 on June 30, can.
Since 2000, 27 shortstops have recorded at least 500 plate appearances at age 32, and 19 have done so at 33. The drop-off between the two age groups has been mild. The average slash line at 32 is .277/.337/.422; at 33, it’s .266/.331/.404.
If Turner followed that trend, a projected .293/.349/.439 line (.788 OPS) would still rank among the top National League shortstops — second, in fact, based on 2025 OPS marks.
Still, some of Turner’s underlying data points toward regression. According to Baseball Savant, his 42.1% hard-hit rate ranked in the 44th percentile — his lowest qualified mark of his career — and his 5.8% barrel rate (22nd percentile) tied a career low.
Turner’s hitting profile is unconventional. His chase, whiff and walk rates all sit below league average, yet he consistently produces. The approach isn’t built for power — and that’s fine with the Phillies.
“I don’t care about home runs,” manager Rob Thomson told On Pattison back in May. “We’ve got plenty of guys that can do that. I want you to get on base.”
Turner did exactly that, and there’s little reason to expect it to change.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski even echoed that sentiment during the end-of-season press conference when asked about Turner potentially trying to incorporate more power. “We don’t need more pop. His numbers were phenomenal,” he said. “He’s tough on himself; that’s great. But he doesn’t have to give us any more offense than he did.”
Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – Imagn Images
Defensively, his turnaround was dramatic.
In his first two seasons with the Phils, he tallied -9 OAA with 40 errors. Disappointing numbers from a $300 million shortstop.
In 2025, Turner’s +11 fielding run value was tied for 18th among all defenders in baseball.
His improvement can be attributed to and coincided with a closer relationship and more work with infield coach Bobby Dickerson during Spring Training, as detailed by The Athletic’s Matt Gelb in March.
Whatever adjustments he made, they stuck — a positive sign as he ages at one of the game’s most demanding positions.
The only real concern is health. Turner has dealt with hamstring strains in both legs the past two years. His speed remains elite — 100th percentile sprint speed this past season — but that makes lower-body maintenance essential. Hamstrings tend to linger, and the Phillies will likely manage his workload carefully.
While his contract outlook may not be pretty, as he’s signed through his age-40 campaign in 2033, Turner’s outlook for 2026 is simple: stay healthy and stay consistent. If he does both, another batting title — and maybe his first career Gold Glove — could be within reach.
Knicks Notes: Impact of Jalen Brunson's injury; Mike Brown says there's no excuse for loss to Magic
Mike Brown thought the Knicks got their "a—es" kicked by the Magic on Wednesday. But that wasn’t the worst thing to happen to Brown’s team.
Late Wednesday, Jalen Brunson was leaving the locker room in a protective boot and on crutches. A reporter from The Athletic saw Brunson leaving the locker room in the boot and crutches. A league source confirmed that Brunson did indeed leave The Garden on crutches with his right foot in a boot.
Brunson rolled his ankle with 1:52 to go in the game. We don’t know the specific injury or the severity of the injury, but the Knicks left MSG knowing that Brunson had suffered a legitimate injury.
Oftentimes, you don’t know the true severity of an injury until the player wakes up the next morning. Maybe Brunson wakes up on Thursday feeling great. But he left Wednesday’s game like a player who knew he was hurt. Shortly after Brunson turned his ankle, he intentionally fouled Jalen Suggs to stop the game. (The Knicks trailed Orlando by 15 at the time.) Rather than going back to the Knicks bench, Brunson went directly to the Knicks locker room.
KNICKS WITHOUT BRUNSON
If Brunson is out – and it’s safe to assume that he’ll miss Friday’s game against Miami, at a minimum – what do the Knicks do?
I assume they’d go with Miles McBride at point guard. Brown has been creative with his lineups/rotations early in the season. So maybe he goes in a different direction.
Regardless of who is in or out of the starting lineup, the Knicks have a lot to clean up ahead of their matchup with the Heat.
TOO MUCH TALKING TO REFS
Orlando neutralized the Knicks on the boards. They were the aggressor for much of the night, shooting ten more free throws than the Knicks. Brown didn’t seem to have an issue with how the game was called. He was instead disappointed in how his team engaged with the refs.
“In the first half, everything that happened on the court we blamed on the officials. And that was disappointing to see because we were the culprits of a lot of stuff that happened out on the floor,” Brown said. “Six of their first eight points came from the free throw line and we fouled them. I couldn’t even use a challenge because we were fouling. If one of our keys is to play physical without fouling, but our first six points, first three or four possessions that they had, start at the free throw line, then we’re not giving ourselves a chance and we’re letting them get comfortable with the way that they play.”
The Magic took 33 free throws; the Knicks had 23 attempts from the line. Brown felt the Knicks didn’t crash the offensive glass as well as they should have. Usually, if you don’t crash the offensive glass, you can get back and defend well in transition. That wasn’t the case for the Knicks on Wednesday.
“Shot went up and everybody just watched and then jogged back,” Brown said. “…. The way we chart it, they still scored 33 fast break points against us for the game.”
Brown obviously didn’t like his team’s approach on the board. But he was more bothered by the Knicks’ reaction to the refs.
“I personally think that it doesn’t matter how the game is being called. If we’re locked in and we’re playing like we’re capable of, we don’t need to rely not eh officials making this call or that call,” Brown said. “Our focus in that area was not where it should have been.”
Mikal Bridges agreed with Brown’s assessment.
“Got to leave the refs alone. Even if there’s fouls or something, everybody makes mistakes,” Bridges said. “Just got to, let it go and bring energy to the other end.”
BIG MINUTES FOR LANDRY
Landry Shamet was the first sub off the bench on Wednesday. He was also on the floor to close the game. In all, Shamet played 27 minutes – the most of any Knick reserve. Josh Hart played 18 minutes.
Brown went with Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup on Wednesday and had Miles McBride in over Bridges to close the game.
“Yeah, I was just trying to spark something defensively, offensively. Deuce hit a couple threes. I thought he was pretty good defensively. Same with Landry; I thought he was pretty good defensively; he hit a couple of shots,” Brown said. “So I was just trying to go with, find the combination that I thought could possibly get it done on both ends. Just searching.”
Brown clearly isn’t afraid to try different combinations of players as he feels things out with his team.
NO EXCUSES
Brown was asked after the game if the Knicks were tired on Wednesday because it was the second game of a back-to-back.
“Nah, we're a no-excuse team and if we're a no-excuse team, we've gotta go play the right way as best we can and not lay the blame any place else except square on us,” the coach said. “So it doesn't matter if we play three games in a row, we've gotta go figure it out, and if we can't, maybe I need to go deeper into the bench and play guys lesser minutes. Maybe that's where I can help them, but we can't sit here and say. ‘We played last night and they did this.’ No, go win the game, play the right way, leave it on the floor, and if you leave it on the floor the right way, you're not gonna win them all, then you'll take an L and move onto the next one. I just didn't think we did a great job doing what we're supposed to do to set the tone, especially at the beginning of the game.”
The coach also felt the Knicks didn’t handle the Magic’s attempts to get a bigger player matched up with a Knicks guard on their offensive possessions.
“When that happened, our smaller guys did not do their work early. What I mean by that is that they let the bigger guy walk them – or run them – all the way down to the charge line (near the basket) and then we tried to start fighting,” Brown said. “And one of our main rules is if you’re guarding a bigger guy, you’ve gotta stand him up; at least at the top of the key. We didn’t do that.”
The coach also felt the Knicks didn’t do enough to combat the mismatches when guarding Orlando’s pick-and-roll.
“We were getting cracked on the pick and roll – or the DHO (dribble hand off) because we weren’t up into the ball,” the coach said. “So our big ended up taking the ball and they ended up rolling us to the post and we didn’t do a good job recognizing it and trying to switch as they rolled a small down to the post.”
BRUNSON OFF THE BALL
Before the game, Brown was asked if he uses Steph Curry as a model in any way for how Brunson plays off the ball.
Brown, who coached Curry as an assistant in Golden State, said that he has used Curry as a template for his own point guards.
“I always felt that if I every had a team, I don’t care what my point guard is like, I’m going to try to get him off the ball so that he’s comfortable with it during the regular season and then come playoff time, teams can’t sit on it and say, he’s dominant in the pick-and-roll so let’s keeping it out of his hands,” the coach said. “Now you got to defend him in a lot of different ways. Not only that, it’ll be hard to just get up and deny him, bully him, because he’s not just going back to get the ball every time. If the defense wants to play you this way, go to the corner. The ball will find you if we’re moving and spacing the right way. That’s what I did with (De’Aaron Fox in Sacramento). He’s a pick-and-roll dominant guy, ball in his hands. And that’s what I’m trying to do with Jalen.”
Blackhawks Relinquish Three Leads, Lose To Devils In OT
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks came into Wednesday's matchup with the New Jersey Devils having lost six consecutive matchups. With both of these teams on the rise, it was expected to be a tight game throughout.
For the most part, however, the Devils outplayed the Blackhawks, but Spencer Knight's goaltending and some timely goal scoring kept Chicago in it.
In the first period, the Blackhawks outshot the Devils 12-10 and had a 1-0 lead. In the second and third, New Jersey outshot Chicago 23-8 and outscored them 3-2 to force overtime. The Blackhawks relinquished three leads in the process.
In overtime, New Jersey almost exclusively controlled play. On their fourth shot of the extra period (the Blackhawks had 0), the Devils won it on a hat-trick goal scored by Simon Nemec.
The Blackhawks collected a standings point, which they can thank Spencer Knight for. Knight made 33 saves on 37 shots in the loss.
Connor Bedard's Point Streak
One of Chicago's goals was scored by Connor Bedard. This pretty 5-on-3 goal was the first goal that put them up 1-0. Bedard's point streak is now up to nine games. His 26th point also ties him with Leo Carlsson and Macklin Celebrini for second in the league.
Landon Slaggert Makes Quick Impact Upon Return
In addition to Frank Nazar and Jason Dickinson, who were already expected to be out, Andre Burakovsky's game-time decision turned out to be an absence against the Devils. After the game, head coach Jeff Blashill confirmed that Burakovsky had an illness.
"I think he'll be back Saturday, knock on wood," Blashill said of Burakovsky.
In his place, they had Landon Slaggert called up, ready to go. He made an impression upon his return, as he tipped in a Louis Crevier shot for their second goal of the game. His time in Rockford seems to have served him well, as he was noticeable on many occasions.
Sam Lafferty also scored a beautiful goal. With three very important forwards out of the lineup, a guy like Lafferty needs to take advantage of his opportunity to draw back in.
Watch Every Blackhawks Goal
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xhey siri could you play Chelsea Dagger pls🎶
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xback and better than ever😎
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xa Sam Lafferty Chicago Blackhawks goal🙂↕️🙂↕️Next Up For Chicago
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be in town to play the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night. The Blackhawks will be seeing an 8-8-1 Maple Leafs team that is not playing up to their standard that they've created during the Auston Matthews era. That game will come at 6 PM CT on CHSN in Chicago and as a part of Hockey Night in Canada.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
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Simon Nemec completes hat trick with OT game-winner to lift Devils over Blackhawks, 4-3
CHICAGO (AP) —Defenseman Simon Nemec scored his third goal of the game at 3:28 of the overtime to lift the New Jersey Devils to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Dawson Mercer also scored and Jack Hughes had two assists for Eastern Conference-leading Devils, 3-0-1 in their last four. Jacob Markstrom stopped 17 shots.
Chicago’s Connor Bedard scored for the fourth straight game and extended his points streak to a career-high nine games, with eight goals and 11 assists in the run. Landon Slaggert connected after being recalled from Rockford of the AHL on Wednesday, Sam Lafferty added a highlight reel goal for his first point of the season and Spencer Knight made 33 saves.
In the extra period, the 21-year-old Nemec took a stretch pass from Markstrom, raced in and beat Knight high on the glove side for his first career hat trick. Nemec connected for the second straight game and recorded his first multi-goal outing after not scoring in his first 15 contests this season.
The Devils extended their winning streak against the Blackhawks to seven games.
Bedard opened the scoring with a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 1:25 left in the first period, firing with Markstrom down.
Knight sparkled in the second when New Jersey outshot Chicago 14-3 and 11-0 to close out the period. But Nemec broke in from the left side and tucked a backhander inside the post to tie it 1-all on the Devils’ 24th shot with 15 seconds left in the period.
Slaggert’s deflection at 3:05 of the third put Chicago back ahead. Mercer fired in a one-timer off Hughes’s pinpoint feed to tie it at 2 at 10:13
Lafferty sped in and put Chicago ahead 3-2 with 6:28 left in the third period. Set up by Hughes, Nemec tied it at 3 with a one-timer from the left side with 4:46 left in regulation.
Chicago’s Ryan Donato skated in his 500th NHL game.
Up next
Devils: At Washington on Saturday.
Blackhawks: Host Toronto on Saturday.
Simpkins and Shelstad combine for 42 points, Oregon beats South Dakota State 83-69
Jackson Shelstad scored 22 points, Takai Simpkins added 20 and Oregon made 15 3-pointers in an 83-69 victory over South Dakota State on Wednesday night.
Lakers can't keep up with Oklahoma City and are routed
Dalton Knecht soared through the air for an emphatic two-handed dunk. Luka Doncic, who fired the full-court assist on the basket, looked at the Lakers bench and clapped twice in encouragement. But nothing was going to help the Lakers crawl out of this.
Unlike the blowout loss in Atlanta last Saturday, it appeared the Lakers were at least mentally prepared to compete against the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The problem in the 121-92 loss was that they simply could not keep up.
Reigning most valuable player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points on 10 for 18 shooting with nine assists. The Lakers’ own MVP hopeful Doncic had 19 points, making just seven of 20 shots with seven assists and four turnovers.
“We got our ass kicked,” said guard Marcus Smart, who was held to nine points with two turnovers. “And we got to bounce back.”
Crossing into the homestretch of their first extended road trip of the season, the Lakers (8-4) have two games remaining, playing in New Orleans and Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The five-game stretch, which started with a rout by Atlanta and a win in Charlotte, has provided mixed results. The team celebrated its connection and chemistry off the court, but is still trying to find solid footing after major offseason changes and early season injuries.
“I don't think it's been a great road trip for us, just in terms of how we played,” coach JJ Redick said. “Second half against Charlotte, I liked everything that I saw. But the Atlanta game [and] tonight, I don't think are reflective of who the group is going to be, but it clearly is who the group is right now."
Read more:How one aspect of Rui Hachimura's game reminds JJ Redick of Michael Jordan
The group could change again soon after LeBron James practiced with the G League South Bay Lakers on Wednesday. The 40-year-old working his way back from right sciatica participated in five-on-five in the halfcourt. Redick estimated that James got from 12 to 15 possessions of live contact during the workout.
“I think it was also an incredible opportunity for Zach [Guthrie, South Bay Lakers head coach] and his staff and all the guys that are with South Bay right now to have that experience,” Redick said before the game. “But the reports are that he looked good and was moving well.”
When Austin Reaves heard James would be assigned to South Bay, the guard joked the NBA’s all-time leading scorer should play in a game with the G League team.
Next week, when the Lakers have just one game against the Utah Jazz at home on Tuesday, could provide a window of opportunity for James to return at least to the practice court. But when asked if James would practice with the Lakers on Monday when the team returned to L.A., Redick deflected.
“That’s four days away,” Redick said. “So I have no idea on that.”
Read more:How the Lakers use Japanese slideshow presentations to build chemistry
Even shorthanded themselves and playing their second game in as many nights, the Thunder (12-1) showed the desperation and intensity fitting of a champion.
Without top defender Luguentz Dort (right upper trap strain) and All-NBA guard Jalen Williams (right wrist), Oklahoma City still held the Lakers to just 37.5% from the field through three quarters while extending the lead to 36 points. The Lakers entered the game with the NBA’s highest shooting percentage at 51.2%.
The Thunder held the Lakers without a made field goal for almost eight minutes to start the second quarter. The lead ballooned to 32 as Oklahoma City doubled up the Lakers 64-32 with a three-pointer from Isaiah Joe with 2:10 remaining in the first half. The Lakers scored just 38 points in the first half.
“They're champions for a reason,” Doncic said. “So they showed that today."
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.