Australian produces some fine tennis to win Rotterdam Open
First indoor title comes after 6-3, 6-2 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime
Alex de Minaur sealed a landmark week by delivering a masterful performance to defeat the red-hot Felix Auger-Aliassime and finally land one of the biggest titles of his career at the Rotterdam Open.
The Australian produced some of his finest tennis on Sunday (Monday AEDT) to crush the Canadian world No 6, who had won the Montpellier Open just a week earlier and whose service had been seemingly unbreakable.
American Vincent Trocheck and German Jonas Muller compete for the puck during the first period of the U.S. win. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
With NHL stars back in the Winter Olympics for the first time in 12 years, organizers of the Milan-Cortina hockey tournament have seemingly done everything they can to make the players feel at home.
A horn blast marks goals and the end of each period, an NHL tradition since the 1970s; foreboding organ music plays whenever a player is banished to the penalty box; and the songs used during breaks in play lean heavily toward American artists such as Dean Martin, Neil Diamond and The Black Eyed Peas.
They even brought in Kings’ organist Dieter Ruehle to complete the ambience. So it should be no surprise that the U.S. and Canada, whose rosters include only NHL players, have been the most comfortable in that environment, emerging from the three-game group stage Sunday as the tournament’s only unbeaten teams.
Canada blitzed France 10-2 behind two goals from the San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini to earn the top seed into Wednesday’s quarterfinals while the U.S beat Germany 5-1 to grab the second seed.
The Americans got two goals and an assist from Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain Auston Matthews and goals from Zach Werenski, Brock Faber and Tage Thompson in its win. The U.S. have scored at least five goals in each of its three games.
“It's kind of been familiar to an NHL-style environment, but with the pride of country,” said Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. “So it's been a blast.
“The environment that they created here, I think they did an awesome job.”
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson, who was still in college during the 2022 Olympics, played for the U.S. in front of an empty arena in the COVID-marred tournament in Beijing, where there was no environment. These Games are better, he said.
“The crowd's a little bit different than in NHL,” he said. “It's a little more rowdy, maybe that's just the European way. But it's amazing seeing the flags. Obviously, a lot of American flags, but flags from all over the world.”
McAvoy and Sanderson are two of 147 NHL players at the Milan-Cortina Games. All 32 teams sent at least one player and every country in the tournament, save host Italy, has an NHL player on its roster.
Italy, not surprising, lost all three of its first-round games, getting outscored 19-4.
NHL players were held out of the 2018 Olympics after the IOC announced it would no longer cover player-related costs such as insurance, travel and accommodations, and they missed the 2022 Games after a COVID-19 outbreak scrambled the league’s schedule, forcing it to withdraw its players from the Olympics six weeks before they were to leave.
In their absence, countries fielded teams of college players or professionals from lower-tier leagues while many NHL players figured their Olympic dreams would never be realized.
The United States men's hockey team leaves the rink after defeating Germany. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“We missed out on a couple. So I think it kind of went to the back of everyone's mind,” said Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who is playing in his first Olympics for Canada. “But then they announced that we're going to this one. I think everyone got really excited.”
“I dreamed about it growing up, like every other kid,” he continued. “Whenever we were playing mini-sticks or street hockey or on the outdoor rink, you were always playing for the Stanley Cup or playing for Olympic gold.”
Kuemper has already won a Stanley Cup. A title in Milan would complete the set.
“The two greatest honors in hockey,” he said. “Winning the Stanley Cup and winning Olympic gold.”
Canada will probably have to get by the U.S. to get Kuemper his medal and the U.S. looked beatable for most of a sloppy first period Sunday, one that saw two defensemen collide on a power play, knocking one another to the ice. Later in the period forward Jack Hughes tumbled to the ice untouched.
The Americans finally found their stride, going ahead to stay when Werenski, a defenseman with the Columbus Blue Jackets, took a pass from Matthews in the center of the right circle, stepped up and drilled a wrister past German goalie Maximilian Franzreb nine seconds before the first intermission.
Matthews doubled the advantage 3:25 into the second period, poking the rebound of a Quinn Hughes’ shot by Franzreb for his second power-play goal of the Olympics. Faber, who plays in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild, made it 3-0 with less than 2:30 left in the second period, playing the puck off the boards near the blue line and flicking it on goal where Eichel got a stick up in front of Franzreb, distracting the goalie as he reached up unsuccessfully to glove the puck.
Thompson, of the Buffalo Sabres, and Matthews closed out the scoring for the U.S. with goals less than five minutes apart into the final period. Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators finally got Germany on the board with his fourth of the Olympics with less than nine minutes to play.
Now for the U.S. it’s on to the quarterfinals, which is the Olympic version of the NHL playoffs.
“We'd be idiots to think anything other than the game in front of us,” McAvoy said when asked about facing Canada in the final. “We've said from the beginning ‘every single game, every single day.’ It’s just about winning one hockey game.
“We were able to accomplish our goal, get two wins, win the group. That was our goal coming into this and now we get some added some added rest, which is huge.”
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Clara Strack had 28 points and nine rebounds, Tonie Morgan added 14 points and nine assists, and No. 18 Kentucky beat No. 14 Mississippi 74-57 on Sunday.
Asia Boone scored 10 of her 15 points in the second quarter for Kentucky (20-7, 7-6 SEC).
Latasha Lattimore scored four points and Cotie McMahon the next five in a 9-0 spurt that trimmed the Rebels' deficit to 57-51 with 6:45 left in the game, but Strack scored eight consecutive points over the next three-plus minutes before Morgan made a layup to give Kentucky a 16-point lead with 2:59 to play.
Ole Miss (20-6, 7-4) had won four of its last five, the lone loss in that span coming at then-No. 21 Alabama, 64-63, on Feb. 5.
McMahon led the Rebels with 18 points but made just 4 of 18 from the field. Lattimore finished with 15 points, on 6-of-17 shooting and added 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Lattimore made a layup to open the scoring, but Strack hit two free throws and then a jumper that made it 4-2 less than three minutes into the game and Kentucky never trailed again, although there was one more tie.
Boone converted a four-point play to spark a 19-0 run that culminated when Boone sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around another 3 by Amelia Hassett to make it 39-15 with 3:18 left in the second quarter.
Up next
Ole Miss: Hosts No. 22 Tennessee on Tuesday in a game that had previously been scheduled for Jan. 26.
PROVO, Utah — BYU guard Richie Saunders will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, the school announced Sunday.
Saunders was injured Saturday on No. 22 BYU’s first possession only 45 seconds into its 90-86 overtime victory over Colorado. He fell awkwardly after driving to the rim and kicking a pass back out to Keba Keita. He grabbed his right calf and stayed down under the basket for several minutes before being helped to his feet by BYU trainers.
“I think it sucked the life out of the gym, if I’m being honest,” BYU coach Kevin Young said after the game, before the team learned the severity of the injury. “You never want to see an injury to any player, but definitely (not) to someone who’s the heart and soul of our team (and) bleeds BYU blue. Just didn’t like seeing it.”
Saunders has appeared in 128 games over four seasons with the Cougars. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last season and was also voted the league’s Most Improved Player after averaging 16.5 points and shooting 43.2% from 3-point range in 35 games.
“To end my BYU career like this is heartbreaking,” Saunders wrote on Instagram. “I’ve loved every moment and every challenge that came with representing the school I love. These past four years have shaped who I am — on and off the court.”
This season, Saunders is BYU’s third-leading scorer behind AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright III, averaging 18 points on 48.9% shooting while appearing in 25 games.
Before his injury, Saunders had been projected as a potential late second-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft in multiple mock drafts.
UConn is 24-2 this season, but Dan Hurley is sick of playing in a building that doesn't reflect that energy.
After a 79-75 win over Georgetown on Feb. 14, Hurley and Hoyas coach Ed Cooley were surprised by the lack of enthusiasm in Storrs.
"Very tough place to play. Honestly, I was surprised there was empty seats up in the section," Cooley told reporters after the game. "I mean, you've got a national championship team. This place should be sold out every day. That actually shocked me ... This place should've been bouncing off the wall on a Saturday night with a team that's out there like that. That's just what I saw."
Hurley had no interest in disabusing Cooley of that notion. He also called out the UConn faithful for its showing on Valentine's Day in a lengthy response.
"I've kind of given up on [hyping up the crowd]," Hurley said when he was asked about Cooley's comments. "I've done that. I don't get the same response." He added UConn is the self-appointed "Basketball Capital of the World" and it doesn't reflect that.
After rattling off his impressive resume with UConn, Hurley mentioned a few places that do live up to their crowd billings. "The section behind our basket was empty," he said. "It should be a madhouse when we play here at the 'Basketball Capital of the World' for our games ... Xavier's a madhouse when we go there. Creighton is a madhouse. When we play St. John's now in the Big East road game, that's not Storrs South no more. That environment that we played in was a serious, serious nasty environment. Intense environment. We were at a major disadvantage in terms of the atmosphere. I could go to Kansas and some of these different places that we play."
Hurley signed off by saying he doesn't question his own standing.
"I got some [expletive] equity," he said. "I got two national championships here in the last three years. And we've given you the season that there's a lot of programs across the country that's fans wish they had going. So I'm not doing that anymore. I ask the players to try to do it. You don't come to watch the game, it's not a [expletive] social event ... It needs to be a madhouse."
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair scored 14 points each on their senior day and No. 11 Duke edged No. 21 North Carolina 72-68 on Sunday, the Blue Devils' 16th consecutive win.
After a back-and-forth first half that saw 16 lead changes, Duke led 41-33 at halftime and never trailed in the second half. The Blue Devils' lead was only 56-54 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter but the Tar Heels got no closer.
Delaney Thomas' layup made it a six-point game with 30 seconds remaining. Nyla Brooks hit a 3 for North Carolina with 15 seconds left, but Jackson added a free throw for the final margin.
Riley Nelson scored 13 points and Toby Fournier grabbed 12 rebounds for Duke (19-6, 14-0 ACC). Mair finished with seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Ciera Toomey scored 14 points, Indya Nivar 12 and Brooks and Nyla Harris 10 each for North Carolina (21-6, 10-4). It was UNC's first loss this season when the Nyla's — Brooks and Harris — both scored in double figures.
There were 10 lead changes in the first quarter and Nelson's jumper in the final minute gave Duke a 19-18 lead at the end of the period.
A 7-0 run helped put North Carolina ahead 29-23 in the second quarter. Jordan Wood hit three second-quarter 3-pointers to help Duke take an eight-point lead at halftime.
Duke, which visits North Carolina on March 1 in a regular-season finale, leads the series 57-55.
INGLEWOOD, CA — LeBron James, holding court before his record 22ndNBA All-Star appearance, took some time to reflect on his future — but not too much.
At 41 years old, James remains an impact player and is reimagining what can be expected of a player his age. And though there has been plenty of speculation about James’ future beyond this season, he said he has not made up his mind on potential retirement.
“I want to live,” James told reporters Sunday, Feb. 15. “When I know, you guys will know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that’s all.”
James was speaking at a press conference at the Intuit Dome, hours before he plays for Team Stars in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will employ a USA vs. World format.
But he’s essentially on an expiring contract, and will be able to test the open market this offseason, a rarity for a player of his stature.
The Los Angeles Lakers went into the All-Star break 33-21, in fifth place in the Western Conference, which is crowded at the top. Just three games separate the No. 6 team, the Timberwolves, and the No. 2 team, the Spurs.
James has maintained that he wants to compete for championships in his final seasons, but Los Angeles will face stiff competition for the conference title.
This has been magnified by injury issues the Lakers have faced.
“Most important for our ball club right now is health,” James said. “I can’t state it any more clearly. I’m not quite sure how many games we’ve had where we’ve had a full roster. We’re over the half-way point and it has not been many games. …
“Our success is going to come down to our health. Our coaching staff is going to put us in the right position, they’re going to give us the game plan every night, but when it comes to what we have to work with, we actually have to see it.”
When James was asked if the uncertainty surrounding his personal future in Los Angeles was weighing on him in any way, he rejected that notion.
“Nah, we’re gearing up toward the postseason,” he said. “It has nothing to do with that. Same motivation, same mind factor. We got past the marathon and now the sprint is about to start. I think everybody understands that.”
Still, James was asked about his post-playing plans, and if he had any ambitions about ownership of an NBA team. He said he would explore that and any other potential ventures that might interest him down the road, though he stressed that his focus is on the remainder of the season.
“What I want to do at 45, 50 and 55 will be creating great vibes and fun with my family and my friends. That’s one of my passions: creating memories that will last forever. That’s for sure the most important thing for me, creating things that we will never forget.”
The 75th Annual All-Star Game has come to Los Angeles and the timing was perfect for this new format, tying into the intense international competition going on across the globe in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Just hang out here and hit refresh to keep up with everything happening in the Intuit Dome.
How to watch the 2026 NBA All-Star Game:
When: Sunday, February 15 Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA Time: 5:00 PM ET Live Stream: NBC and Peacock
After the game, stay tuned wherever you are for live Olympics coverage from Milan and Cortina, and if you have any questions about how to watch, just ask Oli!
Luka Doncic will play for World
Lakers star Luka Doncic missed the team's last four games with a hamstring injury, but he will play on Sunday in the All-Star Game.
"I feel pretty good. You know, I've been working to get back," Doncic said on Saturday. "Obviously, I wanted to play the last [Lakers] game, but it wasn't possible. I was almost there, so I think I'll play a little bit."
Doncic was the leading vote getter in the Western Conference and will start for the World Team. Expect coach Darko Rajakovic (of the Toronto Raptors) to keep his minutes down. Even if this game is competitive, it's not the stress load of a normal NBA game, so it's a good way for Doncic to ease back in.
USA vs. World format
The format for the USA vs. the World is necessarily unique.
Three teams of eight (or nine for the World) will compete in a round-robin format, culminating in a championship game. Those teams are:
USA Stars: Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey
USA Stripes: Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, De'Aaron Fox
World Team: Deni Avdija, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, Norman Powell
(Note: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were voted in as starters by the fans but are out due to injuries. They have been replaced on the rosters.)
Those three teams will play in a round-robin tournament, with the games being 12 minutes (one NBA quarter):
Game 1: USA Stars (younger) vs. World Game 2: Winner of Game 1 vs. USA Stripes (older) Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. USA Stripes Game 4: Championship game featuring top two teams from first rounds. (If teams are tied, it comes down to point differential.)
After it ends, the champions will celebrate on the court and the MVP will be named.
Want to watch the Winter Olympics after Dunks? Ask OLI!
India routed their bitter rivals Pakistan by 61 runs on Monday morning AEDT to qualify for the next round of the T20 World Cup in a showdown that had been in doubt until a few days ago.
It’s no secret that the Vancouver Canucks have not had a great season — but how would they stack up against the 2026 Winter Olympic men’s hockey teams?
That’s a question that NHL Hall-of-Famer and former first-overall pick Mike Modano answered while on TSN’s OverDrive, claiming that Team Switzerland would beat the Canucks “maybe seven” times in a 10-game series.
“I’ve always thought the Swiss play a real good team game, but that’s the only thing that saves them and keeps these games going, but they don’t really have anybody to break open any games,” he explained on the show. “They always seem to play real tight defensively, and play good, and just kind of wear you down and hope you make a mistake. I don’t know if Vancouver has that type of patience in their game anymore.”
Vancouver, which currently sits at 32nd in the NHL, has seven members of the organization currently at the 2026 Winter Olympics: Elias Pettersson (Sweden), Kevin Lankinen (Finland), Teddy Blueger and Anri Ravinskis (Latvia), Filip Hronek and David Kämpf (Czechia), and Lukas Reichel (Germany). Only five of these players play with their NHL club regularly.
Switzerland’s roster, while only sporting 10 active NHL players, is still filled with high-end talent. Standout players include three New Jersey Devils — captain Nico Hischier, forward Timo Meier, and defenceman Jonas Siegenthaler; Kevin Fiala of the Los Angeles Kings (who suffered an unfortunate injury that will keep him out of the remainder of the Olympics); and former Canucks centre Pius Suter. As well, Nashville Predators star and former James Norris Memorial Trophy winner Roman Josi leads the way from their blueline.
Switzerland, which is in Group A during the 2026 Winter Olympics, faced Hronek and Kämpf in ther matchup with Czechia earlier today, taking a surprising 4–3 win in overtime. Their only loss of the preliminary round came against Canada, which they dropped by a score of 5–1. Switzerland finishes the preliminary round in second place in Group A with a record of 1–1–0–1.
Feb 15, 2026; Milan, Italy; Dean Kukan of Switzerland celebrates scoring their fourth goal with teammates against Czechia in men's ice hockey group A play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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The San Jose Sharks will be a team to watch closely once the NHL Olympic roster freeze lifts later this month. With the Sharks being in the Western Conference playoff race, there is certainly a chance that they will continue to look to add to their roster.
One of the Sharks' biggest needs right now is to add another defenseman. Their right side, in particular, could use a boost. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Calgary Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud stands out as an interesting option for the Sharks to consider.
While Whitecloud was recently acquired by the Flames, he is being viewed as a trade candidate on Calgary. It is understandable, as the Flames are rebuilding, and the 29-year-old defenseman has the potential to get them a nice return.
If the Sharks landed Whitecloud, he could slot very nicely in their top four and on their penalty kill. This is because he plays a smart defensive game and is not afraid to throw the body.
Whitecloud would also give the Sharks a player with plenty of playoff experience and a Stanley Cup on their resume. This would not be a bad thing at all for a young Sharks club on the rise.
Whitecloud would also be more than a rental for the Sharks if they acquired him, as he has a $2.75 million cap hit until the end of the 2027-28 season. This certainly adds to his appeal.
Ultimately, with the Sharks' blueline needing a boost, Whitecloud stands out as a player who could fit well on their roster.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Tariq Francis scored 21 points, Harun Zrno added 13, and Rutgers defeated Maryland 68-57 on Sunday, lifting the Scarlet Knights out of the Big Ten cellar.
Zrno hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 of Rutgers' first 15 second-half points as the Scarlet Knights built a 42-34 lead through the first seven minutes after halftime. The lead reached 13 points with 8 1/2 minutes remaining.
Maryland cut the deficit to five points a couple of times and the Terrapins were still within 60-54 with two minutes left. Rutgers (10-15, 3-11 Big Ten) then closed it out at the free-throw line with Francis making 6 of 6 and Jamichael Davis going 2 for 2.
For the game, Francis made 12 of 13 free throws and the Scarlet Knights were 19 of 24.
Solomon Washington had 11 points and 14 rebounds for Maryland (10-15, 3-11), which had won two in a row. Darius Adams scored 13 points and David Coit had 12.
Rutgers led 18-13 with seven minutes remaining in the first half before Washington had a layup and a dunk in an 8-2 run that put Maryland on top 21-20 with four minutes left. Rutgers quickly went back ahead and held the lead until Washington's free throw in the final second made it 27-all going into halftime.
All three of Rutgers' conference wins have come at Jersey Mike's Arena, the previous two in overtime against Northwestern and Oregon.
Rutgers and Maryland are one win clear of last place in the conference, ahead of Oregon, Northwestern and Penn State which all have two wins.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Moustapha Thiam had 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, Day Day Thomas scored 16 points, and Cincinnati beat Utah 69-65 on Sunday to extend the Utes skid to seven consecutive games.
Thiam, a 7-foot-2 sophomore, had his fifth career double-double and his third this season.
Baba Miller had 13 points and eight rebounds for Cincinnati (14-12, 6-7 Big 12) and Keyshuan Tillery scored 10 points. The Bearcats have won three straight for the first time since they started the season 4-0.
Keanu Dawes made a spinning fadeaway in the lane that gave the Utes a five-point lead with 1:56 to play. Thomas answered with a jumper before Miller hit two free throws and then threw down a two-hand dunk that gave Cincinnati a 66-65 lead with 40 seconds left.
Don McHenry led Utah (9-17, 1-11) with 18 points and Dawes had 16 points and 14 rebounds, his eighth double-double this season. Terrence Brown added 11 points and Seydou Traore 10. Dawes, a 6-9 junior, is averaging 15.8 points and 10.2 rebounds over the last six games.
The Utes have lost 12 of their last 13 overall and 15 straight on the road — tied with Binghamton and Gardner-Webb for the fifth-longest active streak in the nation.
Cincinnati leads the series with the Utes 5-2, 4-0 at home.
Sunday, the team officially announced the deal, which includes a team option for 2028. To make room for Miller on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment. (Which begs the question, why did they add Cowles to the 40-man in the first place? He’ll likely clear waivers and remain in spring camp.)
Miller’s not expected to pitch this year as he recovers from his second Tommy John surgery, so this is a “let’s have a reliever in hand for 2027” move. The team does not announce contract terms, but it has been reported that this deal is for $2.5 million, so it’ll likely cost $1.25 million to the Cubs’ CBT level for 2026.
The Cubs now have two players — Miller and left-hander Justin Steele — who can be placed on the 60-day injured list at the time the team needs a 40-man roster spot. That likely won’t be until closer to Opening Day, when they might need a spot or two for one or more of the non-roster guys in camp. Notably, that includes Dylan Carlson, who has a reasonable chance of making the Opening Day roster as a backup outfielder.
The first Cubs full-squad workout is tomorrow (Monday) and the Spring Training opener is this Friday, Feb. 20 at Sloan Park against the White Sox at 2:05 p.m. CT.
Hearts manager Derek McInnes: "Obviously disappointed because we came here to get a positive result. Regardless of how the game plays out, we still feel there's so much optimism for the season ahead.
"We showed good courage in the game. Our biggest downfall was losing three goals out the four when we had possession of the ball in their half.
"When we were set and in our shape, Rangers didn't cause us too many problems. Where we were susceptible and looked like losing goals was exactly when we had good possession of the ball and we had too many bodies forward.
"The crowd helped the Rangers team. The longer we stay in front then that becomes more difficult and challenging for the Rangers player. We didn't allow that. We allowed the crowd to get behind the team.
"Rangers have spent £40m-50m in two windows trying to put this squad together so there's no shame for us losing this game, there's just disappointment that we put so much into it.
"Credit to Rangers, they've won a big game. I still think there's a big fight ahead of us for us all. We're not too despondent because I see enough courage, I see enough in the performance and I still feel with the fixtures we've got between now and the split, particularly so many at home, that we can win games that can keep the whole thing moving along for us.
"These lads give everything for the shirt. We're not going to go along away quietly. We're top of the league. It takes a lot of good things for a team to be here where we are in the league and hopefully there's a bit more in it. I do think there'll be a lot of twists and turns yet. We've just got to manage our performances now and try and make some hay."
