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In the battle of the anthems, a crushing win by Sri Lanka’s jaunty tune. The crowd, with parasol, flag and face paint, sing along enthusiastically.
More news from Simon, who has become something of a banana expert on his trip.
Continue reading...PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) — T20 World Cup co-host Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field against England in their Super Eights Group 2 game on Sunday.
England has happy memories of the venue where it routed Sri Lanka 3-0 in a T20 series before the tournament.
However, Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka was confident to chase under overcast conditions after beating Australia earlier in a group match when opening batter Pathum Nissanka scored a belligerent century.
Sri Lanka made two changes, bringing back fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera in place of Pramod Madushan while Kamil Mishra made way for Kusal Perera.
England captain Harry Brook said he would have liked to bowl first had he won the toss.
“See how it (the wicket) plays early on and try to adapt,” Brook said.
England has picked the same XI for the fourth straight game in the tournament, which meant Will Jacks, Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid providing it three spin options with Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer the two pace bowlers.
Later on Sunday, in a Group 1 Super Eights game, India will take on South Africa at Ahmedabad.
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Line-ups:
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (captain), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dunith Wellelage, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
New York Knicks (36-21, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (24-33, 12th in the Eastern Conference)
Chicago; Sunday, 8 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Knicks -10.5; over/under is 232.5
BOTTOM LINE: Chicago looks to end its eight-game skid when the Bulls take on New York.
The Bulls are 16-24 in conference matchups. Chicago is sixth in the league with 52.0 points in the paint led by Josh Giddey averaging 8.6.
The Knicks have gone 24-14 against Eastern Conference opponents. New York is third in the Eastern Conference scoring 117.7 points per game and is shooting 47.2%.
The Bulls' 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Knicks allow. The Knicks average 14.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.9 more makes per game than the Bulls give up.
The teams square off for the third time this season. The Knicks won the last matchup 128-116 on Nov. 3. Jalen Brunson scored 31 points to help lead the Knicks to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Anfernee Simons is scoring 14.3 points per game and averaging 2.5 rebounds for the Bulls. Matas Buzelis is averaging 15.2 points and 6.0 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Mikal Bridges is scoring 15.7 points per game and averaging 4.2 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 24.5 points and 4.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 1-9, averaging 110.2 points, 42.3 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 8.3 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.1 points per game.
Knicks: 7-3, averaging 118.7 points, 43.8 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 7.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.0 points.
INJURIES: Bulls: Anfernee Simons: day to day (wrist), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Jaden Ivey: out (knee), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).
Knicks: Miles McBride: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Philadelphia 76ers (30-26, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (35-22, sixth in the Western Conference)
Minneapolis; Sunday, 7 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Timberwolves -8.5; over/under is 237.5
BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota hosts the Philadelphia 76ers after Anthony Edwards scored 40 points in the Minnesota Timberwolves' 122-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Timberwolves have gone 20-10 at home. Minnesota is fourth in the Western Conference with 16.0 fast break points per game led by Ayo Dosunmu averaging 3.6.
The 76ers are 15-11 on the road. Philadelphia ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference shooting 35.3% from 3-point range.
The Timberwolves are shooting 48.3% from the field this season, 1.2 percentage points higher than the 47.1% the 76ers allow to opponents. The 76ers average 115.9 points per game, 1.2 more than the 114.7 the Timberwolves give up to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Naz Reid is scoring 14.3 points per game and averaging 6.4 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Edwards is averaging 29.0 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Tyrese Maxey is averaging 28.9 points, 6.7 assists and two steals for the 76ers. Kelly Oubre Jr. is averaging 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 7-3, averaging 123.2 points, 44.5 rebounds, 25.9 assists, 9.7 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.3 points per game.
76ers: 5-5, averaging 112.7 points, 41.5 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 9.0 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points.
INJURIES: Timberwolves: None listed.
76ers: Joel Embiid: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Utah Jazz (18-39, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (34-21, fourth in the Western Conference)
Houston; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Keyonte George and the Utah Jazz visit Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in Western Conference action.
The Rockets are 19-16 in Western Conference games. Houston is 14-5 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 14.4 turnovers per game.
The Jazz are 10-26 against conference opponents. Utah averages 15.5 turnovers per game and is 7-7 when winning the turnover battle.
The Rockets are shooting 47.2% from the field this season, 1.6 percentage points lower than the 48.8% the Jazz allow to opponents. The Jazz score 8.8 more points per game (118.2) than the Rockets give up to opponents (109.4).
The teams square off for the third time this season. In the last matchup on Dec. 2 the Jazz won 133-125 led by 29 points from Lauri Markkanen, while Durant scored 32 points for the Rockets.
TOP PERFORMERS: Durant is averaging 26.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Rockets. Jabari Smith Jr. is averaging 16.9 points over the last 10 games.
Jusuf Nurkic is scoring 10.9 points per game and averaging 10.4 rebounds for the Jazz. Isaiah Collier is averaging 16.7 points and 3.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 6-4, averaging 105.2 points, 45.9 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.5 points per game.
Jazz: 3-7, averaging 115.9 points, 46.4 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 10.6 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.1 points.
INJURIES: Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate: day to day (knee), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).
Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: day to day (illness), Keyonte George: day to day (ankle), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: day to day (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
San Antonio Spurs (40-16, second in the Western Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (42-13, first in the Eastern Conference)
Detroit; Monday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Detroit is looking to continue its five-game win streak with a victory over San Antonio.
The Pistons are 22-6 on their home court. Detroit scores 117.6 points while outscoring opponents by 8.3 points per game.
The Spurs are 19-10 on the road. San Antonio is the NBA leader with 35.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Victor Wembanyama averaging 9.3.
The Pistons make 48.1% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.7 percentage points higher than the Spurs have allowed to their opponents (45.4%). The Spurs score 9.3 more points per game (118.6) than the Pistons allow (109.3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Ausar Thompson is scoring 10.2 points per game and averaging 5.9 rebounds for the Pistons. Cade Cunningham is averaging 26.4 points and 5.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks for the Spurs. De'Aaron Fox is averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 8-2, averaging 119.1 points, 44.9 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 11.1 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points per game.
Spurs: 9-1, averaging 124.0 points, 48.2 rebounds, 30.6 assists, 7.4 steals and 7.1 blocks per game while shooting 51.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.4 points.
INJURIES: Pistons: None listed.
Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Lindy Waters III: out (knee), Mason Plumlee: out (reconditioning).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
TAMPA — Perhaps the next game Spencer Jones plays at Steinbrenner Field, traffic will be temporarily halted on Dale Mabry Highway when the Yankees slugger comes up to bat.
That way, the cars driving by beyond the right-field fence will be shielded from baseballs flying their way.
Jones had a spring debut Saturday typical of his tantalizing potential, clobbering a mammoth home run that cleared everything in right field and left the entire stadium before striking out in his next two at-bats.
The 6-foot-7, lefty slugger has been tinkering with his mechanics once again early in camp but found the right move for his homer that was estimated to travel 408 feet, which seemed incredibly light.
“Just trying to get some good feels with the hands, get those going and use that as a trigger,” Jones said during the 20-3 win over the Tigers.
On the YES broadcast, David Cone described Jones’ swing as “almost [Shohei] Ohtani-like,” pointing to the toe tap that he was using, which Jones later indicated is something he has looked at.
“[Ohtani] is a great reference of a really good mover with a great swing,” Jones said. “He’s one of those guys that I look at some of the stuff he does and try to apply it in whichever way I can.”
Jones has also leaned on Aaron Judge, his fellow 6-foot-7 Yankee, for advice on how to make the most of his big frame.
The two spent time in big league camp talking about it last spring and have done so again this year, with Jones coming off a strong year in which he clubbed 35 home runs but struck out 179 times in 506 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.
“I think the biggest thing that I’ve noticed swing-wise is he’s just ready to hit,” said Judge, who also crushed two homers. “The minute he puts that foot down with the little toe-tap, he’s ready to hit. Maybe they might have got him with a lot of high heaters in the past or even last season. I think that’s just going to help him. He doesn’t have a big leg kick, he doesn’t have to worry about getting that down.
“That quickness, that readiness is really going to be a game-changer for him.”
Carlos Lagrange made his anticipated Grapefruit League debut and flashed his triple-digit fastball while giving up two runs (one earned) across 2 ²/₃ innings. The top pitching prospect scattered three hits and walked a pair while striking out two, both on his changeup.
“It’s a little bit of a dream coming true right there,” Lagrange said of wearing pinstripes and pitching in his first game in major league spring training.
The 6-foot-7, 22-year-old Lagrange has continued to impress Yankees officials and teammates with not only his stuff but his demeanor as well.
“Carlos’ potential, man, is to be a frontline starter for the New York Yankees,” Judge said.
Cam Schlittler threw a bullpen session Saturday that simulated two innings, which could be the final hurdle before he gets back to facing hitters, which he has not done since being slowed with mid-back inflammation at the start of camp.
Russell Wilson made a cameo in the Yankees clubhouse Saturday morning, walking through and shaking hands with players, some of whom were caught off guard to see the Giants quarterback.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Ariel Lassiter had the only goal of the second half and Portland beat the Columbus Crew 3-2 in a season opener on Saturday night, topping off a record-setting night for the Timbers' Diego Chará.
Lassiter scored the winner in the 88th minute on a night when Chará became the first field player in league history to make 400 starts with one club. It was the 500th MLS match for the Timbers and Chará has appeared in 427 of them as he begins his league-record 16th season with one team.
Kevin Kelsy and defender Jimer Fory had assists on Lassiter's 13th goal in 171 career appearances.
Wessam Abou Ali scored unassisted in the sixth minute to give Columbus an early lead.
Felipe Mora tied it with a goal in the 14th minute and Antony Alves Santos put Portland ahead with a goal six minutes later. Gage Guerra and Chará notched assists on Mora's goal and newcomer Cole Bassett assisted on Antony's score. Bassett came over in a trade with the Colorado Rapids.
Diego Rossi tied it 2-2 when he scored for the Crew in the 44th minute with assists from Abou Ali and Malte Amundsen.
James Pantemis finished with three saves in goal for the Timbers and Patrick Schulte turned away three shots for the Crew.
Portland: At Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
Columbus: At Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
The first few minutes felt like a track meet tilted entirely in the Spurs’ favor. Inside the friendly confines of the San Antonio Spurs’ weekend home in Austin, the Silver and Black (or teal, orange, and pink) exploded out of the gates Saturday night, racing to an early double-digit lead and would route the Sacramento Kings 139-122 at the Moody Center to close out their week in the city they call weird.
What began as a runaway turned into a test of focus before the Spurs ultimately slammed the door. The tone was set almost immediately by San Antonio’s French phenom as Victor Wembanyama erased a pair of shots in the opening minutes, igniting the crowd and fueling an 11-0 run that had Sacramento scrambling. The Spurs’ ball movement was crisp, the spacing deliberate, and the pace relentless. Keldon Johnson attacked downhill. Devin Vassell knocked down early jumpers. Every possession seemed to produce a quality look.
For a moment, it looked like a rout in the making. But the NBA rarely cooperates with easy scripts.
“I thought we did a much better job in transition defense,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “The zone was good, communication picked up. We were a lot sharper in game plan execution and being connected. When we do that, we are hard to score on sometimes.”
After building a comfortable cushion, San Antonio’s edge dulled. Turnovers crept in. Defensive rotations slowed. The Kings, playing with urgency, began to chip away. DeMar DeRozan operated patiently in the midrange, and Sacramento started turning Spurs miscues into transition points. What had been a celebration turned tense.
By the middle of the third quarter, the once-comfortable lead felt fragile. Then the Spurs rediscovered themselves to begin the final 12 minutes.
Wembanyama — steady even during the lull — calmly knocked down a three-pointer to stop the bleeding. On the next trip, he found a lane to the rim for an easy finish. A defensive stop turned into a fast-break dunk. Suddenly, the rhythm was back.
Wembanyama finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds and six assists — a stat line that underscored his impact beyond scoring. He protected the rim, initiated offense and steadied the team when its focus wavered. Around him, the supporting cast delivered. Johnson provided physicality and energy. The bench supplied timely shooting and hustle plays that kept Sacramento from mounting another serious threat.
“I think this was an above average night for me,” Wembanyama said of his performance. “It wasn’t amazing either. My goal is to make the standard.”
By the final minutes, the outcome was clear. The Spurs were playing loose again, knocking down shots and feeding off the crowd’s energy. Sacramento, which had shown fight earlier, ran out of answers.
The 139-122 final reflected San Antonio’s offensive firepower — but it also told a subtler story about growth. A young team that once might have unraveled during a momentum swing instead regrouped and responded with authority.
“We have less than 30 dress rehearsals left before the playoffs,” Spurs forward Harrison Barnes said of the team’s performance. “This is our first time [in the playoffs] as a group. As we’re prepping for that, it’s important to take all of the minutes seriously.”
For stretches, the Spurs looked complacent. When it mattered most, they looked composed.
And on a night that began with fireworks and briefly drifted into uncertainty, they finished with a reminder of just how dangerous they can be when locked in.
“Is it better to play the best teams, it is what we work for,” Wembanyama said. “Taking one thing at a time and the stretch we just had is very satisfying. This stretch is over and its on to the next thing. We’re going to take it one game at a time.”
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Daniel Munie scored two goals and Preston Judd added another and the San Jose Earthquakes beat Sporting Kansas City 3-0 on Saturday night in a season-opening MLS contest for both teams.
Munie and Preston Judd each scored four minutes apart just before halftime.
Off Niko Tsakiris' corner kick from the right, Judd's header was deflected by keeper John Pulskamp before Munie's left-footed tap at the 42nd minute gave San Jose it's first goal of the season.
In stoppage time at the 46th minute of the first half, Judd scored with the left boot from the center of the box with Jamar Ricketts and Tsakiris credited with assists.
Munie converted his second of the night — also from the middle of the box — at the 54th minute with Beau Leroux and Reid Roberts assisting on the play.
San Jose outshot Sporting KC 18-7 and had 15 corner kicks to three for SKC.
Sporting KC enters the 2026 season enters following a major overhaul, featuring new general manager, David Lee, and new head coach, Rafaël Wicky.
In finishing last in the Western Conference last season, Sporting KC mustered just 28 goals, which was tied for fewest in the league with Atlanta United.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
Just when you think things could not get worse injury-wise for the Suns, it always does. This team has yet to play a full game healthy this season, as the injury bug continues to lurk and strike the Suns. The latest is Dillon Brooks, who just sustained a broken hand in today’s Suns contest against the Orlando Magic.
This follows the hip strain Devin Booker suffered in the Suns’ last game, and he will be reevaluated in one week. Let’s also not forget that Jordan Goodwin also had a calf injury and had to leave this game as well, alongside Brooks.
For Brooks, this is really tough as he was one of the main energy pieces for this Suns team when overcoming the injury obstacles. With him not getting one and being out for the foreseeable future, this completely alters the Suns’ starting lineup, as he is a major component of their success. Brooks this season is averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game while shooting efficiently(44/34/86).
With him also being a key part of this defensive identity, he will truly be missed on that end as well. The Suns now have to ask big things out of Ryan Dunn and Jordan Goodwin (depending on his injury) on the defensive end to step up. Players like Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen are also going to have to step up, as they have this year with their relentlessness to fight on defense,
With the expectation that Brooks will be out for at least a month, maybe two, with this injury, the Suns will have to rely on the depth of this team to really come through. Hopefully, Booker is not out for long, and Jalen Green can find his rhythm in this offense as well. If those things succeed, the absence of Brooks will be felt, but hopefully, it will not slow this team’s momentum.
That said, Brooks is a major x-factor for this team, and he will be truly missed. I wish him a speedy recovery, as the Suns will now need the young guns to really deliver and rise to the occasion, as they have all year. Let’s hope by playoff time, the injury bug truly does leave the Valley for good!
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Amahl Pellegrino had a goal and two assists on Saturday night to help San Diego FC beat CF Montreal 5-0 on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.
Eighteen-year-old Duran Ferree made his MLS debut and finished with two saves for San Diego.
Tomas Aviles was shown a straight red card in the 50th minute and Montreal played a man down the rest of the way.
Christopher McVey, Onni Valakari, Marcus Ingvartsen and 18-year-old Bryan each added a goal for San Diego. Valakari, Ingvartsen and Zamblé made their MLS debuts.
McVey opened the scoring in the 14th minute, bouncing a header inside the back post, and Pelligrino scored in the second minute of stoppage time to give San Diego a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Thomas Gillier stopped three shots for Montreal.
San Diego had 64% possession and outshot Montreal 12-6, 6-0 in the second half.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
One of the many reasons for the disappointing D-Backs’ 2025 season? Their dismayingly ugly defense. It felt like a constant refrain throughout the season’s broadcasts when either Steve Berthiaume or Bob Brenly would remark on how defensive errors or miscues drive a manager like Torey Lovullo crazy. That ugliness caught my eye early and never really seemed to be resolved throughout the season. Frustratingly, none of Torey’s mental anguish or pleading seemed to make much of a difference. I don’t want to overstate the problem. It’s not as if their defense was terrible – depending on your preferred metric, they were anywhere from 11th in the majors by FanGraph’s defensive rating to 24th by Baseball Reference’s defensive runs saved. But those rankings are both significant steps backwards compared to the previous year when the D-Backs were first by the latter and seventh by the former en route to an 89-73 record. Obviously, it wasn’t the only factor in their slippage between the two seasons, but now that Spring Training is upon us, the team’s defense will be under intense scrutiny – especially since none of the projected rotation members are likely to be strikeout artists and will instead depend on a stalwart defense to keep runs off the board. So what improvements can be made to make sure that comes to pass?
There was always going to be at least some defensive regression by swapping Josh Naylor for Christian Walker at first base. While Naylor isn’t bad in the field – he clocked in at 13th in the league with 1 outs above average (OAA) in 2024 – he’s nowhere near the 13 OAA that Walker produced that year. Ironically, Walker took significant steps back both offensively and defensively last year – enough that he and Naylor were on par with one another for defensive value. Now that Naylor’s found his new home in Seattle (with his distractingly cute dog), the D-Backs needed another first baseman alongside Pavin Smith – enter Carlos Santana. While Santana’s most significant offensive contributions are likely behind him in his improbably long-lasting career, he and his 8 OAA represent significant improvements defensively over Naylor – and don’t forget (like I did) that he’s just two years removed from a Gold Glove-caliber season at the cold corner. On the diagonal side of the diamond, Nolan Arenado has long been a defensive wizard at the hot corner even as his contributions at the plate continue to decline with age. Contrastingly, Eugenio Suarez has been a minus-defender at third base for most of his career – including leading the league in errors in two separate seasons. That’s perfectly fine when he’s hitting four home runs in a game, but becomes less acceptable when he posts a measly .189/.255/.428 slash line. It’s a deliberate choice by the front office to trade offense for defense while banking on the combination of Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, and Corbin Carroll to pick up the offensive slack. That’s an understandable and perhaps worthwhile exchange, but it’s a bet predicated on that aforementioned trio maintaining their respective offensive ceilings – a bet that may be in danger already given Carroll’s hamate injury.
While the roster changes above should, on paper at least, improve the team’s defense, they alone likely still won’t allow the team to reach the heights they hit during that 2023-24 stretch. For that to happen, they’ll likely need some growth from some of their existing players – particularly the younger ones that are still looking to fully establish themselves. In my mind, this dynamic particularly applies to Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno. Last season was undoubtedly Perdomo’s unexpected (for me at least) breakout from solid major leaguer to legitimate star. And while he was good in the field, checking in at 16th for defensive WAR among shortstops last year and accumulating 5 OAA, there might still be room for improvement as he continues to gain confidence and additional comfort at the position. There probably isn’t as much room for improvement for Moreno who has been an absolute beast defensively since coming over from the Blue Jays in the 2022-23 offseason. For the young Venezuelan, it has more to do with his durability and ability to stay on the field as he’s played in 100 or more games just once – back in his inaugural season with the team. Obviously, catching is an inherently difficult and physically taxing position and the number of catchers who exceed that threshold isn’t incredibly long, but it is important. Sadly, Moreno has been absolutely snakebitten (pun intended) with injuries, losing time due to shoulder inflammation (three weeks), a thumb sprain (ten days), an adductor strain (six weeks), and last year’s finger fracture that ultimately cost him two-plus months of playing time. When he’s on the field, he can be a dynamic game changer with his bat and his arm cutting down baserunners – it’s just the first part that has been a struggle.
Nearly 42 minutes into Friday’s game against the Clippers, Marcus Smart hadn’t even taken a shot or scored a point. In true Smart fashion, he proceeded to hit back-to-back baskets and score all seven of his points in the final 6:32 of the game.
While Luka Dončić took a lot of the focus for his own late-game performance, both Smart and Deandre Ayton drew the praise from head coach JJ Redick for their contributions in the win.
“I thought Smart and [Ayton], in that fourth quarter, were really difference makers for us,” Redick said. “Smart was fantastic on defense all night and then, seven minutes left in the fourth or whatever it was and he hasn’t taken a shot and we come out of a timeout, he makes a three and then he makes another one and then he gets the and one…Just huge stuff from him, leadership in the huddles, all that.
“Then DA was great and very engaged and just was able to execute our defensive game plan at a really high level.”
Smart is not unfamiliar with big moments and big games and performed as such on Friday. After being a relative non-factor offensively for much of the game, Smart had some of the biggest shots of the night down the stretch.
“I thought Smart stayed ready,” LeBron James said. “I thought he was professional. Didn’t shoot the ball at all pretty much throughout the first three quarters and then in the fourth quarter hit big time shots.”
For Ayton, this comment is especially poignant as he has had struggles when he’s been healthy of late. He’s had a stretch of games in which he did not close fourth quarters with the team opting for either Jaxson Hayes or a smallball lineup.
Seeing him bounceback in the first game out of the All-Star break is encouraging. The best version of the Lakers involves Ayton at his best. While he wasn’t at his best necessarily on Friday, he was playing at a high level, hopefully the first of many such games to end the regular season.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Themus Fulks scored 24 points and made his only two foul shots of the night with three seconds left and UCF beat Utah 73-71 on Saturday night.
Jordan Burks added 14 points for UCF (19-7, 8-6 Big 12) which shot 53% (30 of 57) including 44% (7 of 16) from 3-point range. The Knights have won two straight following a three-game losing streak.
Terrence Brown scored 21 points, Don McHenry scored 19 points and Keanu Dawes 15 and grabbed 12 rebounds for Utah (10-17, 2-12).
McHenry tied it at 68-all with a 3-pointer with 56 seconds left before Burks countered with a 3 with 31 seconds remaining. On Utah's next possession, Jamichael Stillwell fouled McHenry on a 3-point attempt who then went to the foul line and sank all three free throws with 13 seconds remaining.
UCF ran its record against Utah to 4-0.
It was the first time the Knights ever played Utah in Salt Lake City. Each previous matchup was either at home or neutral territory.
Before Saturday, the last matchup between the two was in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship last year when the Knights won 87-72.
No Big 12 team has missed the NCAA Tournament after finishing above .500 in conference play since 2009.
UCF: Plays Monday at 23rd-ranked BYU.
Utah: Hosts sixth-ranked Iowa State on Tuesday.
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