CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 20: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the first half of a basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on February 20, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Harden broke his thumb in Tuesday’s win over the New York Knicks. Initial X-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx. He will not be undergoing surgery at this time and is expected to play through the injury.
However, that won’t be happening on Friday as he’s still struggling to dribble according to head coach Kenny Atkinson.
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“I know this morning he was struggling a little just dribbling,” Atkinson said when asked about Harden’s thumb injury before Friday’s game in Detroit. “If you have a hard time dribbling and catching [it’s tough to play]. Jarrett Allen went through it earlier in the season. We tried to bring him back. He wanted to rush, and then we had to go back and give him some time.
“I know James is different…we got to get the feedback from James. … Theres no tougher guy in the league. No one more available. No one wants to play more.”
The plan was to have Harden go through pregame warmups and see how it goes. However, he didn’t come out for pregame warmups like usual.
Even though he won’t be playing Friday, Atkinson says that he is making progress.
“It was improved from when he first did it,” Atkinson said. “It wasn’t like, man it feels the same. It’s better than it was two days ago, so that’s a positive.
Harden has played seven games with the Cavs this season and is averaging 18.9 points and 8 assists on .494/.488/.867 shooting splits. On the season, he’s averaged 24.5 points and 8.1 assists in 51 games.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 04: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks against Duncan Robinson #55 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Rocket Arena on January 04, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be shorthanded again. That isn’t ideal when going against the best team in the conference, the Detroit Pistons.
I’ll be in the comments throughout the game sharing my thoughts. Feel free to join in on the conversation and let your voice be heard in the comments below.
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain (AP) — Carlos Espí scored twice in the dying minutes to give Levante a 2-0 win over Alaves on Friday and a vital three points in its fight to avoid relegation from La Liga.
Espí, who came through the youth ranks at the Valencia-based club, had scored only once all season but tripled his tally with a blistering late show against an Alaves side that played the last half hour with 10 men after Víctor Parada was sent off.
Espí's deflected shot in the 88th minute put Levante ahead and he then sparked jubilant scenes with almost the last kick of the game when his assured finish rounded off a counterattack.
"This has been one of my greatest nights," the 20-year old told broadcaster DAZN. "It's incredible."
The result snapped a four-game losing streak for the home side. It remained second from bottom of La Liga but has cut the gap with the fourth bottom club to four points.
Alaves was 14th but only three points clear of the relegation zone.
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PARMA, Italy (AP) — Gaetano Oristanio came on at halftime and scored a late equalizer for Parma against Cagliari in a hard-fought 1-1 home draw in Serie A on Friday.
Oristiano’s goal seven minutes from time earned Parma a point but its poor home form continued. It has won only two of its last 12 home games and has not won two in a row at Stadio Ennio Tardini since January 2020.
Still, it has taken 10 points from its last 12 and moves into 11th place, a point behind Lazio and a point ahead of Udinese.
Michael Folorunsho put Cagliari ahead 18 minutes into the second half with a stunning 30-meter strike.
The midfielder on loan from Napoli missed the last 10 games through injury and was introduced just after the hour mark. Two minutes later, he spied Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi off his line and his dipping shot from near the right touchline flew over Corvi’s head and into the far corner of the net.
The goal was Cagliari’s first since January but leaves it without a win in four games. It sits in 13th spot, six points above the relegation zone.
WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — João Gomes scored his first Premier League goal of the season and Rodrigo Gomes added a second in stoppage time to give bottom club Wolverhampton a shock 2-0 win over high-flying Aston Villa on Friday.
It was only the second win in the league for a club that remains six points adrift at the bottom of the table and is almost certain to be relegated.
However, there was no hiding the joy felt by the home players and fans who were ecstatic at beating their Midlands rival.
“You have to be pretty good to get a result like that against them,” coach Rob Edwards said.
“I’m really proud. Nights like this is why I came here. To connect with the supporters like that. I know we are in a difficult position but I love football. I love it on nights like that."
The result was a bitter blow to Villa’s Champions League aspirations and a slap in the face for coach Unai Emery, who was bidding to record his 100th victory in charge of the Birmingham club.
“Now is the moment to be together and understand how the season is going," Emery said. "We need to understand the moment we are in. We were already recovering because we drew two and won one but today we didn’t get the result we needed. It is still in our hands to reach the ambitions in the top positions.”
Both sides struggled in a dour first half but Wolves seized the initiative 16 minutes into the second period when Gomes gave it a surprise lead.
Adam Armstrong deftly cushioned a long pass right into the path of the onrushing Gomes and his superbly struck shot gave Emiliano Martínez no chance.
Villa pushed forward as the game went on and it was caught out in stoppage time when Wolves doubled its lead on the break, Rodrigo Gomes doing the damage.
Villa has won only one of its last five league games. The result leaves it 10 points behind leader Arsenal and five behind second-placed Manchester City, having played a game more than both.
Its next two matches are against the clubs immediately below it in the table, Chelsea and Manchester United.
“We need to keep playing how we are," Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers said. "We are in third for a reason, we need to not forget that. The run lately hasn’t been the same, sometimes you have to come back down to earth as you are playing good teams which you could win or lose. That is the Premier League. We need to stay focused and get back to what we know.
“We didn’t do anywhere near enough to create chances and score goals. “We controlled the game so it isn’t all doom and gloom. They took their chances and we didn’t create enough.”
STRASBOURG, France (AP) — Lens missed a chance to top Ligue 1 after it fought back from a goal down to draw at Strasbourg 1-1 on Friday.
Argentine striker Joaquin Panichelli scored for the third game in a row to put the home side ahead after 18 minutes at Stade de la Meinau.
Panichelli's 14th goal of the season tied him with Mason Greenwood at the top of the Ligue 1 goalscoring chart.
Lens fought back to equalize 17 minutes into the second half through Mamadou Sangare. A corner kick was cleared to Sangare’s feet and his first-time drive flew through a forest of legs and into the bottom corner.
It was only the second draw in the league for Lens, which was the better team in the second half but found Strasbourg goalkeeper Mike Penders in top form.
A win would have taken it a point clear of league leader and reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain but remained a point behind in second, having played a game more. PSG is at Le Havre on Saturday.
Strasbourg, meanwhile, climbed into seventh. It has lost only two of its last 14 matches in all competitions.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 29: Cole Anthony #50 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 29, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Sabina Shysh/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns mildly shook things up at the February trade deadline by sending Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis away in exchange for Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony. On the surface, it was a deal that made sense. Phoenix needed to get off some money to get under the luxury tax line, and both Richards and NHD were the expendable assets to do so. Both players seemed to fit the Suns’ style: gritty, tough, disruptive.
Reports surfaced immediately that the team had no intention of keeping Anthony long-term, however.
Still sticking with this. I expect at some point the Suns waive Cole Anthony. He will not play for Phoenix. https://t.co/jkPQphwJNt
The reasoning was simple. The Suns already had Jamaree Bouyea on a two-way contract, and the front office views him as the right fit for that specific role. Bouyea has taken advantage of the opportunity allotted to him, and while nothing is official as of yet, I would not be surprised if this were the next roster-related domino to fall.
While he played in 35 games for the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 6.7 points on 42/30/62 splits, Anthony has consistently appeared on the injury report with a “not with team” designation.
That situation reached its conclusion today. The Suns are officially waiving Cole Anthony.
The Phoenix Suns have waived guard Cole Anthony, sources tell ESPN. Anthony averaged 6.7 points in 35 games for the Bucks before being moved at the NBA trade deadline.
As Arizona Sports Suns insider John Gambadoro notes, the team was looking to see if a buyout was possible. A buyout would save the team some money if a deal could have been reached. Ultimately, that did not occur, so the organization opted to waive him.
Now that Cole Anthony has been waived (were just waiting to see if a buyout was possible) Suns will turn their attention to converting Jamaree Bouyea to a standard contract by March 4th then adding a player on a two-way contract.
This move allows the organization to convert Bouyea to a guaranteed deal while also freeing up a two-way roster spot. It remains to be seen if the Suns will fill that final opening immediately, but their track record with player development suggests they likely will.
As for Anthony, he now enters the market looking for his next opportunity on either a standard or two-way contract.
AUGSBURG, Germany (AP) — Rodrigo Ribeiro scored for the second game in a row and Alexis Claude-Maurice added a second with the last kick of the game as Augsburg beat Cologne 2-0 in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Six days after he scored in a 3-2 win over Wolfsburg, Ribeiro's cute backheel from a cutback by U.S. defender Noahkai Banks broke the deadlock in the 55th minute.
Claude-Maurice made sure of the win deep in stoppage time when, with all of the Cologne players in the opposition box for a last-gasp corner, he charged forward and rolled the ball into the empty net.
Augsburg’s fifth win in six games left it in ninth place, tied on points with Eintracht Frankfurt, the team above it.
Cologne was missing four players with muscle injuries, a rash of absences that coach Lukas Kwasniok said was the worst he had ever faced.
The visitor was the more physical of the two sides in a hard-fought first half and was unfortunate not to go in a goal up at the break after Eric Martel’s header came back off the crossbar.
But Augsburg — wearing a one-off shirt designed to highlight the city’s history — took its chances in the second half as it roared to a club-record-equalling eight consecutive matches unbeaten at home in the Bundesliga.
Cologne has won only one of its last six league games and remained in 12th place.
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 25: The sneakers worn by Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 25, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
BROOKLYN, NY - JANUARY 23: Danny Wolf #2 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics on January 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Brooklyn Nets (15-43) at Boston Celtics (38-20) Friday, February 27, 2025 7:30 PM ET Regular Season Game #59, Home Game #28 TV: NBCSB, YES, NBA-TV Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 101.9 FM, Serius XM TD Garden
The Celtics return home from their 3-1 western road trip to host the Brooklyn Nets. This is the 4th, and final, game between them this season. The Celtics won the first meeting 113-99 in Brooklyn on November 18. They lost the second game 113-205 at Boston on November 21. They won the 3rd game 130-126 in OT on January 23.
The Celtics have swept the series against the Nets in the last 2 seasons. The Celtics are 147-75 overall all time against the Nets and they are 77-35 when playing in Boston. The Nets are playing on the second night of back to back games, having played the Spurs at home on Thursday night. The Celtics are playing in the first game at home after 4 straight games on the road on the West coast so, even though they had a day off, they had to travel across country and may still have a bit of jet lag.
The Nets made a couple of moves at the trade deadline. They got Ochai Agbaji from Toronto as part of a 3 team trade. They also received Josh Minott from the Celtics in exchange for cash considerations. They also waived Cam Thomas after the deadline. They are still the youngest team in the league with an average age of 23.98.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 5.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1.5 games ahead of 3rd place New York , 2 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 4.5 games ahead of 5th place Toronto, 6 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 6.5 games ahead of 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 24-13 against Eastern Conference opponents and 7-5 against the Atlantic Division. They are 18-9 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Nets are 14th in the East, 28.5 games behind first place Detroit, 13 games behind 10th place Charlotte, 11.5 games behind 11th place Milwaukee, 8.5 games behind 12th place Chicago, 1 game behind 13th place Washington and 1 game ahead of 15th place Indiana. They are 11-24 against Eastern Conference opponents and 3-9 against the Atlantic Division. They are 7-22 on the road and 2-8 in their last 10 games. They have lost their last 6 games.
The Celtics are back home after a 4 game Western road trip. They went 3-1 on the trip, losing only the final game at Denver. After this game against Brooklyn, they will host Philadelphia before a game at Milwaukee. Then they are back home for games against Charlotte and Dallas before a tough 3 game road trip through Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State. Then, it is one game at Memphis before a 3 game home stand against Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Atlanta.
The Nets are playing in the 2nd of back to back games after hosting San Antonio on Thursday. They will return home to play Cleveland before heading out to play 2 games at Miami and 1 at Detroit. Then they play home vs Memphis and Detroit before playing at Atlanta and Philadelphia. Next they host Portland, Oklahoma City, and New York before a road trip through Sacramento, Portland, Golden State and the Lakers.
The Celtics have just Jayson Tatum on the injury report and the rumors are getting stronger as to his return to play this season. The Nets have no one on their injury list. I’ve listed their starting lineup from their game notes. This is the same starting lineup that started Thursday’s game for the Nets.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Nolan Traore
Derrick White | NBAE via Getty ImagesNolan Traore | NBAE via Getty Images
SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Egor Demin
Baylor Scheierman | Denver Post via Getty ImagesEgor Demin | NBAE via Getty Images
SF: Jaylen Brown vs Michael Porter, Jr
Jaylen Brown | Getty ImagesMichael Porter, Jr | Getty Images
PF: Sam Hauser vs Noah Clowney
Sam Hauser | NBAE via Getty ImagesNoah Clowney | Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Amare Williams Nikola Vucevic Jordan Walsh Delano Banton (10-day) John Tonje (10-day)
2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr Max Shulga
Injuries/Out Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Nets Reserves Terance Mann Josh Minott Drake Powell Ben Seraf Day’Ron Sharpe Ziaire Williams Jalen Wilson Danny Wolf
Two-Way Players EJ Liddell Tyson Etienne Chaney Johnson
Injuries/Out None
Head Coach Jordi Fernandez
Key Matchups Jaylen Brown vs Michael Porter, Jr Porter is clearly the Nets best player and is averaging 24.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1 steal per game. He is shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against Boston this season, he averaged 29 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 56.8% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the arc. In the January 21 game, he finished with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 47.4% from the field and 33.3%from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him better in this game.
Neemias Queta vs Nic Claxton Claxton is averaging 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4. 1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 59.1% from the field and 20% from three. In the first 2 games this season against the Celtics, he averaged 12.5 points, 11 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1 block while shooting 36.4% from the field with no threes. In the January 21 game, he finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds 4 assists and 1 block. In the Nets’ win over the Celtics, he put up his first career triple double. The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and be aware of him on defense as he is a good rim protector.
Honorable Mention Sam Hauser vs Noah Clowney Clowney is averaging 12.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 39.5% from the field and 32.6% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 16 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal while shooting 47.8% from the field and 40% from 3. In the January 21 game he finished with15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.
Keys to the Game Defense – As always, defense is a key to winning this, and every, game. The Celtics are 7th with a defensive rating of 111.9. The Nets are 26th in the league with a defensive rating of 117.6 In the 16 games before Wednesday’s game against Denver, the Celtics were 3rd in the league on defense. Whether it was fatigue or the altitude, the Celtics let their defense slip in the second half. They must get back to playing tough lock down defense once again in this game to give themselves the best chance of winning.
Rebound – Rebounding is also an important key to winning every game. The Celtics are 5th in the league, pulling down 46.0 rebounds per game. The Nets are 30th with 40.3 rebounds per game. It is important for the Celtics to rebound the ball to give themselves extra possessions and to prevent the Nets from getting the same along with 2nd chance points. Much of rebounding is effort and the Celtics have got to put out more effort than the Nets to grab rebounds for all 4 quarters.
Don’t Underestimate – The Celtics need to stay focused and be aggressive from start to finish. The Nets have not been playing well, but they play hard and will always try to beat the Celtics. The Celtics did underestimate them in their last meeting in Boston and ended up losing. The Nets also took the Celtics to overtime in their last game. The Celtics can’t underestimate them because they have lost 8 of their last 10 games. The Celtics should have the talent to win easily, but if they underestimate the Nets and come out with less than 100% effort, they may be surprised with another loss to them. Effort and Focus – The Celtics have to put out more effort in this game than the Nets. They also have to stay focused on taking good shots and making them. In the 2nd half against the Nuggets, whether it was the altitude or fatigue from playing in 3 games in 4 nights in 4 different cities, they lost focus and turned the ball over and had one of their worst shooting games of the season. Hopefully they can shake that off and come out strong in this game and play with effort and stay focused.
X-Factors Home Game – The Celtics need to feed off the energy of the crowd and hopefully, the Nets will be distracted by travel and the very loud crowd. The Celtics need to take losing on their home court personally and make home court advantage a strength. The first game at home after a long road trip is usually a tough one due to fatigue and jet lag. The Celtics have to shake that off and come out and play hard and take motivation from the crowd and get a win in this one.
Officiating – The officiating is always an x-factor. Some referees call the game tight and others let them play. Some favor the home team and others call it evenly. Some refs just seem to have an agenda that doesn’t fit the events on the court. At times they miss important calls that change the momentum of the game. The Celtics need to play well enough not to leave the game in the hands of the officials at the end and they can’t let bad calls take away from their focus.
Feb 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) dunks the ball against LA Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
This topic is a little random, but I was somewhat inspired by various podcasts and articles that talk about players that aren’t what they used to be or haven’t lived up to our expectations. I don’t know if he’s the first to come up with this, but a common phrase that Keith Smith likes to use is “he’s more name than game at this point.”
The examples that I can think of off the top of my head are mostly older players that were once very good to great but Father Time has caught up with them. Guys like Brook Lopez, Joe Ingles, and Kevin Love. Some might put Al Horford in that category, but honestly I don’t want to. Actually, I think Nikola Vučević has been trending in this direction for a year or more.
Then there’s a similar type of player that maybe was ranked highly in the draft, showed some promise early on, or flashes in his career, but just haven’t panned out as anyone would have hoped. Sometimes related to injury, and sometimes just not panning out. Maybe that falls under the “bust” category, but not always. Think guys like DeAndre Ayton, Duncan Robinson, Dejounte Murray, or Jalen Green.
So who am I forgetting? Who would you call overrated or over the hill or whatever? Who’s more name than game these days?
PHILADELPHIA - MAY 24: Doug Collins speaks with the media after being named the new coach of the Philadelphia 76ers during the press conference on May 24, 2010 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey’s ascension as the next superstar Sixers perimeter player continues to crystalize. On Thursday night in a win over the Miami Heat, the 25-year-old All-Star set the franchise record for made three-point shots, moving ahead of Allen Iverson’s total of 885. Maxey has his whole career in front of him, one that hopefully includes him wearing Sixers red, white and blue for the entirety of it. If all goes as well as Philadelphia hopes, the sharpshooting guard will make this an unbreakable record for the franchise.
The fact that Maxey was able to break this record so quickly into his NBA life is a testament to his skill when launching it up from deep, but also speaks to how weird and inept the Sixers franchise has been when it comes to three-point shooting and how long they were in the basketball Stone Age.
Iverson, who played before the NBA’s analytical and three-point revolution, was never a great shooter from deep. He shot just 30.9 percent from three during his decade-plus stint in Philly. He was just chucking them up while mixing in his crafty driving and ability to live at the free throw line as an undersized superhero.
Previously second in made threes was Robert Covington, initially a Process-era afterthought who carved out an 11-year NBA career. Those Sixers teams, after Sam Hinkie came to power and installed Brett Brown as head coach, finally caught up to the fact that three points are worth more than two. Novel idea! No one was hoisting more shots from beyond the arc during that time than Covington, who did so for some tremendously bad teams in addition to some pretty damn compelling ones.
Before that though? Before Hinkie, after years spent with Daryl Morey in Houston as the Rockets became the league’s most analytically inclined organization, came to Philly? It was as if the team was scared to shoot threes.
I became a full-on NBA nerd, consuming podcasts and all that, during Doug Collins’ tenure. Do you know how hard it was to be a 17-year-old basketball dork who was watching teams like San Antonio flourish, pushing the sport into the next generation, while the laughably irrelevant Sixers preached an offensive philosophy built around long-2s and general junk nonsense? Don’t even get me started on whatever they were doing when Eddie Jordan was running the show with his Princeton offense in 2010 too!
All the credit in the world to Maxey. Again, he should make this total skyrocket with any future Sixer unable to close in on it. I do hope, however, someone like VJ Edgecombe and whatever future role players that the team surrounds the backcourt duo with are up for the task of rewriting this sad record book as it stands currently.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons dismissed assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis on Friday, just hours before he was named as a suspect in a sexual assault case.
The dismissal came shortly after the Falcons said they were looking into allegations that surfaced on social media.
"We are aware of allegations regarding LaTroy Lewis," the Falcons said in a statement before making the move to fire Lewis. “We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”
A direct message seeking comment was sent to Lewis on social media.
The allegations date to Lewis' time at the University of Michigan, where he served as a graduate assistant for the 2022 season before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach for the next two seasons.
“The Ann Arbor Police Department was just recently made aware of allegations regarding a sexual assault reported to have occurred on December 5, 2024,” Ann Arbor Police spokesman Chris Page said. "The suspect in this investigation is LaTroy Lewis.
“The AAPD Detective Bureau launched an immediate investigation into the incident. This investigation remains active and ongoing.”
Karen Truszkowski, the attorney of the woman accusing Lewis of sexual assault, said her client filed an incident report with Ann Arbor police and requested a protective order against Lewis.
The woman and Lewis connected on a dating app in July 2024, and she claims his behavior became aggressive via text message and phone calls, according to Truszkowski. They met for the first time at an Ann Arbor hotel in December 2024, when she told police Lewis that raped her, according to Truszkowski.
The Milford (Michigan) Police Department responded the next month to a 911 call from the woman's neighbors, who heard raised voices, according to Truszkowski. The attorney said her client and Lewis told the police that their argument was not physical.
Truszkowski said her client told Milford police that Lewis was a coach at Michigan, saying she didn't want to talk about it. She was afraid to tell the police at the time that Lewis had physically abused her, according to Truszkowski.
A request was sent to Ann Arbor Police to obtain the police report and protection order tied to the allegations against Lewis that were published on social media by podcast host Justin Spiro.
Lewis coached under former Michigan coaches Sherrone Moore and Jim Harbaugh. Moore was fired in December after having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and charged with three crimes, including felony home invasion and stalking.
“As we have noted, the university launched an investigation of the circumstances and conduct leading to Sherrone Moore’s firing, as well as a broader culture review of the athletic department,” Michigan spokesman Paul Corliss said Friday. “We continue to urge anyone with relevant information to reach out to the law firm conducting the investigation.
“The work is ongoing, and we will be able to share more when it is completed.”
The 32-year-old Lewis, who is from Akron, Ohio, was a standout linebacker at Tennessee and played in two NFL games with the Houston Texans during the 2017 season.
Lewis was hired by the Falcons earlier this month after he spent the 2025 season as Toledo’s defensive line coach.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 07: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The 76ers defeated the Suns 109-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
According to Arizona Sports’ insider John Gambadoro, Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker is set to return to the lineup either on Tuesday or Thursday of next week against the Kings or Bulls.
This development arrives at a critical time for a team that’s been searching for offensive rhythm and a semblance of perimeter consistency. They get their engine back!
Devin Booker is progressing well from a hip strain and trending towards being back after this four-day break – Likely either Sacramento on Tuesday or Chicago on Thursday.
Booker’s return should hopefully allow Jalen Green to settle into the role we all envisioned him being in, rather than having to be “the guy”. In the last four games he’s missed, Phoenix has gone 1-3, and their offense has fallen off a cliff outside of last night’s game, which probably says more about the Lakers’ defense than the Suns’ offense.
Booker missed significant time previously this season, but with Brooks, Allen, Gillespie, and Goodwin available (mostly) during that stretch, it was easier to survive. Now, without Brooks, the margin for key guards being absent is razor-thin.
As for Goodwin, his projected return being about a week behind offers another layer of reinforcement. His defensive edge and point-of-attack pressure have also been missed, particularly in matchups where Phoenix has struggled to contain dribble penetration.
The Next 6 Games
March 3 @ Sacramento Kings
March 5 vs Chicago Bulls
March 6 vs New Orleans Pelicans
March 8 vs Charlotte Hornets
March 10 @ Milwaukee Bucks
March 12 @ Indiana Pacers
The Suns' next 6 games. Presents a great opportunity to make up some ground, especially with Devin Booker returning. pic.twitter.com/HVikU2e4Ry
They have an unusual number of days off as their next game isn’t until Tuesday, giving them time to reset and recover. The schedule lightens up, and they get their star back. It’s time to make up some ground!
