Category: NBA

There’s a lot of smoke around a potential LeBron James return when his current deal with the Los Angeles Lakers ends at the conclusion of this season. James once again added fuel to the fire by having some nice things to say about the Cleveland Cavaliers in the most recent episode of the Mind the Game Podcast after their moves to acquire James Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis at the trade deadline.

First, LeBron was complimentary of the team going out and getting Harden.

“They felt like they needed another playmaker, someone that’s been there, kind of been in this situation before, and they added James, perennial All-Star who’s still putting up All-Star numbers,” James said. “He gives Donovan Mitchell another, like, ball handler guy who can make shots late in the game.”

LeBron seems like he has a lot of respect for Harden. Back in June 2024, Rich Paul said that his client would accept a paycut from the Lakers if it meant he could play with an established playmaker or big man. Harden was one of the players Paul listed.

Making the move to acquire Schroder and Ellis also received the king’s blessing.

“Those pickups that they got from Sac as well,” James said. “Schroder, a former teammate of mine, you know that’s going to compete every single night, and Keon Ellis, the guy’s going to compete, make shots. Like, those guys are going to be, I think, really, really good for that team, especially in the East, where it’s a lot of bulk.”

LeBron — like seemingly every man over 35 years-old in America — has a podcast. He talks about the NBA, and Cleveland’s moves at the deadline have been mostly praised. From that perspective, his doing so isn’t newsworthy.

At the same time, LeBron has been in this business for a long time. He knows that his words have meaning, and he sees all the noise about him returning to Cleveland. If he wanted to quiet that down, he’d avoid talking about his former team — especially on his podcast, where he presumably controls what gets released.

We’ll see what happens this summer. In the meantime, James believes the Cavs are better prepared for the playoffs now.

“You’ve got to have some dogs in there, so I think they added a lot.”

WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Arsenal blew a two-goal lead at last-place Wolves on Wednesday to give a huge boost to Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.

The league leader was held to a surprise 2-2 draw at Molineux, having led 2-0 in the second half.

Teenage debutant Tom Edozie scored in the fourth minute of added time to complete Wolves' comeback.

“There was a big difference in how we played in the first half and the second half. We dropped our standards and we got punished for it,” Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka told the BBC.

The draw means Arsenal has dropped points in back-to-back games and leaves it just five ahead of second-place City, having played a game more.

With the top two still to play each other at City's Etihad Stadium, the title race is too close to call.

“(It's) time to focus on ourselves, improve our standards and improve our performances and it is in our control,” Saka said.

Arsenal has led the way for the majority of the season and one bookmaker paid out on Mikel Arteta's team winning the title after it opened up a nine-point lead earlier this month.

But Wednesday's result was the latest sign that it is feeling the pressure, having finished runner-up in each of the last three seasons. It has won just two of its last seven league games.

Having blown a lead against Brentford last week, it was even worse at a Wolves team that has won just one game all season.

Victory looked all but secured after Saka gave Arsenal the lead with a header in the fifth minute and Piero Hincapie ran through to blast in the second in the 56th.

But Wolves' fightback began with Hugo Bueno's curling shot into the top corner in the 61st.

The 19-year-old Edozie was sent on as a substitute in the 84th and his effort earned the home team only its 10th point of a campaign that looks certain to end in relegation. While it did little for Wolves' chances of survival, it may have had a major impact at the top of the standings.

“Incredibly disappointed that we gave two points away,” Arteta said. "I think we need to fault ourselves and give credit to Wolves. But what we did in the second half was nowhere near our standards that we have to play in order to win a game in the Premier League.

“When you don’t perform you can get punished, and we got punished and we have to accept the hits because that can happen when you are on top."

Arsenal plays Tottenham on Sunday. Its lead could be cut to two points before it kicks off if City wins against Newcastle on Saturday.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Well, that’s not going to help start the second half on the right foot.

The Sixers have ruled Joel Embiid out for their first game back out of the All-Star break against the Atlanta Hawks with shin soreness. While he hasn’t been ruled out for any further games, the team has released a short update.

“While participating in a right knee injury management program during the All-Star break, Joel Embiid reported soreness in his right shin,” the team’s release said. “Following a consultation with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.

“He will be OUT of tomorrow’s night game vs. Atlanta and will be reevaluated ahead of the team’s back-to-back this weekend. Further updates will be provided later this week.”

Joel Embiid reported soreness in his right shin. Following consultation with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.

He’s OUT tomorrow, reevaluated ahead of the back-to-back this weekend, per Sixers.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) February 18, 2026

So it would appear this shin soreness popped up in his right leg. That one hasn’t been plagued by injuries or required a number of surgeries, but it has caused Embiid problems as of late. He missed the last two games before the break with right knee soreness.

It’s especially unfortunate because the Sixers have really needed him on the court as of late, losing six of their last seven games without him in the lineup. Those last two games before the break were especially bad blowout losses, including a 49-point drubbing at home against the New York Knicks.

For more on how the Sixers front court depth can hold up behind Embiid, this very blog covered the topic earlier as a part of a second-half preview.

At least the rest of the Sixers’ injury report is clean, with only Johni Broome and MarJon Beauchamp doubtful on G-League assignments. That means Quentin Grimes is good to return — he missed the last two games before the break as well with an illness.

Former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have headlined the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year race for much of the season. In recent weeks, however, the perceived gap between the two has appeared to widen, with Flagg averaging 27.3 points per game to open February and strengthening his case as the class’s best player. Yet, scoring averages alone rarely capture a player’s true impact. Using FTN’s new NBA StatsHub, let’s take a closer look at how this year’s rookie class is actually impacting games – separating shot volume and counting stats from measurable value added.

The Top Rookies of 2025-2026

Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

FGOE: +0.7%PTOE: +0.0Team Record: 19-35 Cooper Flagg, this past summer’s No. 1 overall pick, is priced at -750 betting odds to win NBA Rookie of the Year coming out of the All-Star break. However, a closer look at NBA StatsHub metrics makes it difficult to argue that he has been the league’s most impactful rookie to date. Flagg’s +0.7% Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation ranks 122nd out of 224 players averaging at least 20 minutes per game this season. He also ranks 139th in Points Over Expectation, suggesting that his scoring production has been more volume-driven than efficiency-driven. The on/off data supports that conclusion. Dallas has been 3.1 points better per 100 possessions with Flagg off the floor this year. While he has provided a modest offensive boost (+1.9 offensive rating), he ranks last on the team in defensive rating among players with at least 200 minutes played. It’s not difficult to see Flagg’s long-term upside, but his overall impact on a 19-35 Dallas team has been less impressive than his surface-level stats indicate.

Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets

FGOE: +6.1%PTOE: +2.2Team Record: 26-29

A month ago, we examined the league’s most underrated scorers using Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation and came away wondering if Kon Knueppel could be the NBA’s next superstar. Since then, his production has only strengthened that case. Over the past month, he’s averaged 18.4 points per game while shooting 47.1% from the floor, including 41.7% from 3-point territory. He’s also converted 92.5% of his free throw attempts during that stretch – ranking ninth in the NBA among players with at least seven games played and 3.0 free throw attempts per game. Charlotte’s team success further validates Knueppel’s positive impact. Charlotte finished 19-63 last season, posting the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and the fourth-worst point differential in the league. This year, the Hornets have already surpassed that win total and remain firmly entrenched in the playoff conversation with fewer than 30 games remaining. Like many rookies, Knueppel has experienced defensive growing pains. However, his +6.1% FGOE and positive Points Over Expectation suggest that his scoring impact is not simply the product of opportunity. His ability to convert difficult shots efficiently has been a central factor in Charlotte outperforming their preseason expectations.

VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers

FGOE: -3.5%PTOE: -0.8Team Record: 30-24 VJ Edgecombe pulled into the All-Star break averaging the third-most points per game (14.9) and fourth-most assists per game (4.1) in this year’s rookie class. However, his efficiency looks more like what we would expect from a traditional rookie 42.3% shooting overall and 35.2% from 3-point territory. His relative offensive inefficiency is captured in NBA StatsHub’s advanced metrics, too, with his -3.5% Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation and -0.8 Points Over Expectation both lagging significantly behind Flagg and Knueppel. Similar to other players in their first year, Edgecombe has struggled defensively – ranking fourth worst on the 76ers in defensive rating among players to log at least 500 minutes this season. Nevertheless, the upside for Edgecombe is undeniable. He was named Rising Stars MVP after a dominant performance at NBA All-Star Weekend and will look to parlay that into a strong second-half as he looks to help Philadelphia improve their playoff position during the home stretch of the regular season.

The Takeaway

The gap between perception and production is where FTN’s NBA StatsHub proves most valuable. For years, rookie evaluation leaned heavily on scoring averages and traditional box score metrics. Now, with tools like Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation and Points Over Expectation, we can better distinguish between volume-driven production and true value creation. This year’s rookie class is filled with impact players. But when isolating sustainable shot-making and measurable offensive value, Kon Knueppel stands out — even if the betting markets don’t agree.

The Sacramento Kings are losing another one of their key players for the rest of the season.

Star center Domantas Sabonis underwent season-ending surgery on Wednesday morning to repair a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, according to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. The Kings confirmed Sabonis' surgery was successful.

Sabonis had originally torn his meniscus in November and rehabbed it before returning to the court last month, but it was ultimately decided that surgery was the best option.

The news comes just after it was reported that the Kings' leading scorer Zach Lavine had surgery on his right hand after the All-Star break; he will also miss the rest of the season.

Both Sabonis and Lavine had been at the center of trade rumors as the Kings look to rebuild, but the deadline passed with both of them staying put for now. Sacramento's 12-44 record is currently the worst in the league.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Domantas Sabonis injury update: Kings star out for season after surgery

BODO, Norway (AP) — Champions League runner-up Inter Milan became the latest scalp claimed by Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League, losing 3-1 away in the first leg of their playoff on Wednesday.

The Norwegian outsider has been the surprise story of this season’s competition after beating Manchester City at home and Atletico Madrid away to make the playoffs.

The club is located north of the Arctic Circle — which is farther north than any team in Champions League history.

Serie A leader Inter was seeking a seventh straight win in all competitions but fell behind in the 20th minute when midfielder Sondre Brunstad Fet netted with a neat finish.

Although burly striker Pio Esposito equalized with an opportunist finish 10 minutes later, the home side picked off Inter with two goals in quick succession in the second half.

Both were similar, with quick passing and unselfish assists.

For the second goal, forward Kasper Høgh rolled the ball for Jens Petter Hauge to launch a powerful shot into the top corner in the 61st.

The winger, who once had a brief spell in Serie A with AC Milan, jumped and kicked the corner flag in celebration.

The fans at the 8,000-capacity Aspmyra Stadion were cheering again three minutes later when Høgh scored the third goal after being teed up by Ole Didrik Blomberg.

The return leg is next Tuesday. ___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Cristiano Ronaldo was absent as Al Nassr advanced to the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Two on Wednesday with a 1-0 win over Arkadag FC of Turkmenistan that secured a 2-0 aggregate victory.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo, who returned last Saturday after missing three straight games amid reports of discontent with the club’s management, watched from the stands.

According to domestic media, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has yet to win a major trophy since signing with the Riyadh club in December 2022, is being rested for Saudi Pro League games and the latter stages of the AFC Champions League.

Al Nassr will face Al Wasl of the United Arab Emirates in the first leg of the quarterfinals of Asia’s second-tier competition on March 3.

In the top-tier AFC Champions League Elite, Japan and South Korea sent three and two teams respectively to the round of 16 in the eastern zone. The top eight from each of the two 12-team groups go to the next stage.

Johor Darul Tazim of Malaysia and Buriram United of Thailand also progressed, while Melbourne City became just the second Australian team to reach the round of 16 since 2016.

In the western zone, big-spending Saudi Arabian clubs dominated with Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad all finishing in the top four. Tractor of Iran placed third, while Qatar’s Al Duhail and Al Sadd advanced along with Al Wahda.

The first legs in the round of 16 are set for March 2 and 3.

—

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Houston Rockets All-Star forward Kevin Durant deflected questions about a possible social media burner account, though he did not deny the legitimacy of any claims.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Feb. 18 following a practice, Durant was asked about speculation that an account on X, formerly known as Twitter, might belong to Durant. The account handle, @gethigher77, was created in August 2021 and has just 75 followers and is following 75 other users. The account recently went private.

Over the All-Star break, screenshots emerged that showed the account openly criticizing current and former teammates of Durant.

“I know you’ve got to ask these questions, but I’m not here to get into Twitter nonsense,” Durant said. “I’m just here to focus on the season, keep it pushing, but I get why you have to ask those questions.”

More: NBA All-Star Game winners and losers: US vs World format is an upgrade

When pressed further and asked whether he had addressed the matter with his Rockets teammates, Durant once again deflected.

“My teammates know what it is,” he said. “We’ve been locked in the whole season. We enjoyed our break. We had a great practice today, and we look forward to the road trip.”

The Rockets, who are 33-20 and in a tight race near the top of the Western Conference, are set to go on a two-game trip to Charlotte and New York.

The screenshots from the @gethigher77 account led to speculation over the weekend that the tone and speech patterns were similar to messages Durant has used in the past from his verified accounts.

The images show direct messages sent from the account that seemingly disparage Rockets All-Star center Alperen Şengün and forward Jabari Smith Jr. Those direct messages are in the first person and imply that the Rockets are “this (expletive) ass team.” The messages also use offensive epithets.

“Your franchise player can’t shoot or defend,” one message reads, seemingly alluding to Şengün. “That's a wayyyyyyy bigger issue than my turnovers. Remember, these guys are your future.”

“I can’t trust Jabari to make a (expletive) shot or get a stop,” another message reads, before calling Smith a common epithet against people with a learning disability.

It’s important to stress that there has been no direct evidence tying Durant to the account and that the supposed link is, at this point, merely internet speculation.

Known to be active on his social media channels, particularly when responding to other users or trolls, Durant even said during a 2019 interview with ESPN that he used burner accounts.

“I wasn’t used to that amount of attention from playing basketball,” Durant said then. “I wanted a place where I could talk to my friends without anybody butting in on my conversations or mixing my words or taking everything out of context because I enjoyed that place.”

Previously, in 2017, Durant was seemingly caught using a burner account when a fan addressed his official account and Durant responded by speaking in the third person.

Then, in July 2023, after the launch of Threads, Durant posted a message to Twitter, saying: “On threads with the burner. Come find me.”

During a press conference Saturday, Feb. 14 at All-Star media day, Durant was asked if he was forced to give up X or video games for the rest of his life, which one he would choose.

“Damn,” Durant said then. “I’m going to go Twitter. I’m going to go Twitter, because they don’t deserve to hear this God-level talk I’m giving to them. They take it for granted, cuz.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Durant burner account: Rockets star addresses speculation

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden made headlines after his home debut by saying loyalty is overrated after joining his fourth different franchise since 2022.

“It’s basketball, the whole quote on quote loyalty thing is, I think it’s overrated,” Harden said last week.

“I think this is a business at the end of the day, and it’s a lot of money involved and a lot of decisions that have to be made. If a player isn’t producing, or if you don’t see him in your future, you know, if the front office, some of them have to do a job and want to keep their job. So they feel like they got to do what’s best keep their job, and they trade players.”

Donovan Mitchell was asked about those comments after practice on Wednesday and agreed with Harden. Loyalty in sports isn’t what it ideally should be, but many factors go into why it isn’t.

“I think as a sports fan, and as a diehard Mets fan, would I love for Jacob deGrom to still be here? Yeah,” Mitchell said. “You know, certain situations, it’s not always going [to work out]. It’s not always like that. For him to be honest with you guys and give that answer, I respect that. This is a business.”

And there are competiting interest at play, even internally.

“You can’t blame a guy for wanting to maximize his opportunity, maximize his life-changing money for his family,” Mitchell said. “On the flip side, it’s that weird side in sports where it’s like, this is a business, but there’s also the concept of, ‘Hey, I want to be here forever.’ There’s always that with every athlete.”

Mitchell has seen how this dynamic works, even if he personally hasn’t changed teams as much as Harden has.

There were reports that Mitchell was open to being traded from the Utah Jazz back in 2022. It was also clear that this was something that the Jazz felt was in their best interest after they weren’t able to advance out of the second round with their team built around Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

“This season wasn’t very much fun this year,” Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said a few months before the team traded Mitchell. “This draft wasn’t fun. Free agency wasn’t very much fun. You’re over the tax, no draft picks, and our team loses in the first round. It wasn’t fun for us. We want it to be fun for our fans and our players, but we just haven’t had much flexibility to do anything over the last little while.”

Whether or not this was ultimately the right move for Utah is up for debate. What isn’t, is the fact that they felt that their core wasn’t good enough to win, and it was time to move on.

In many instances, it’s in the team’s and the player’s best interest to open up a new chapter. And in the NBA, things can change quickly, as Darius Garland found out.

“You look at my situation in Utah,” Mitchell said, “you go from being the one seed and the next thing you know (he snaps), it’s like that. It just happens. With DG, it was the same thing. The Jimmy Butler situation, the Dame [Lillard] situation, there’s other situations. It’s so fragile. Everything is so fragile. One day could be great, the next day (snaps again) can be like that.”

Some of Harden’s exits have been messy and seemingly not as mutually beneficial as you’d ideally like. That’s part of Harden’s complicated legacy and the business of sports.

“I don’t know his exact experience,” Mitchell said. “All I know, is pretty much what you guys know. But I do know there’s certain things that can kind of skew that. … Not just speaking of him, but as a whole in sports.

“So I really respect the fact that he was honest. I think a lot of guys relate to that. I think it also gives fans a unique insight on like, hey, there’s so much love here for sure, but there’s also things that can get in the way.”

Green Bay men's basketball coach Doug Gottlieb has been suspended by the Horizon League for his postgame comments about referees.

The Horizon League announced it was suspending Gottlieb for one game for his comments following a 75-72 loss to in-state rival Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Sunday, Feb. 15. As a result, he will miss the Phoenix's matchup against Oakland on Friday, Feb. 20.

March Madness bracket tracker: Who's in, out on NCAA Tournament bubble

March Sadness: College basketball's 10 most disappointing teams

"The Horizon League is suspending Green Bay men's basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb for violating the League's Operating Regulations on Sunday, Feb. 15," the league wrote in a statement shared on X.

The post also added that it considers the matter closed and will have no further comment.

League Statement on Disciplinary Action#OurHorizon 🌇| #HLMBB 🏀 pic.twitter.com/JcQpbtsuyg

— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) February 18, 2026

Shortly after the league announced the discipline, Gottlieb took to his own personal X (formerly Twitter) account to apologize for his actions.

"I'd like to apologize to the Horizon League and the officials for my disparaging comments following Sunday's game," Gottlieb wrote. "I understand and appreciate how difficult their job is, and respect what they do for the sport of basketball. I will be better moving forward."

pic.twitter.com/6yLtZ0KpFY

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) February 18, 2026

Gottlieb was upset about a foul call against his best player, CJ O'Hara, which was his fourth and came with 4:25 left in the game. The Phoenix led by four at the time, but the foul changed the direction of the game.

Later on, Gottlieb was further angered by a no-call for a foul when his player drove to the hoop for a potential game-winning shot with just a few seconds remaining.

"You had the exact same play at both ends on the last play of the game," Gottlieb said to reporters, pausing momentarily to aggressively slam his fists onto the table.

"The exact same [expletive] play!" he yelled, "The exact same play!"

Following UWGB’s loss to UW-Milwaukee on Sunday, 75-72, Doug Gottlieb gave an intense postgame speech on the late second half technical foul. Full story in comments. pic.twitter.com/MsOxU8LNYz

— WFRV Local 5 (@WFRVLocal5) February 16, 2026

Gottlieb also took exception to a technical foul he was hit with, with just under seven minutes left in the game.

"I need the new commissioner of the Horizon League to explain to me what a technical foul is when I don't leave the box, I don't curse, I'm not demonstrative," Gottlieb said. "There was nothing, nothing that should have been called a technical foul. I know when I earn one. I did not earn one.

"The CJ play, we're up [four] points, that dramatically changed the [trajectory] of the game."

For the game, Milwaukee shot 37 free throws, while Green Bay shot 19, despite drawing only five more fouls. 

"All we ask is that there's a fair game. That's what we ask," Gottlieb said. "CJ O'Hara goes and gets an offensive rebound, their player dives at his legs and CJ gets called for a foul. I need [Jill Bodensteiner] at the league, our new commissioner, to explain to me the disparity in the officiating. That's what I need explained to me."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Doug Gottlieb suspended by Horizon League after Green Bay coach's rant

It’s been a long season full of recurring injuries for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Soon, hopefully, they can put those concerns behind them and finish the final 27 games strong. That means getting multiple key players such as Evan Mobley, Dean Wade and Max Strus back on the court.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson says those guys are starting to ramp up towards a return.

“All are trending very positive,” said Atkinson. “Dean and Evan are trending toward playing tomorrow. They went through a full practice today and looked good.”

Getting back Mobley and Wade would give this surging team another boost. They both bring tremendous value defensively and should pair well offensively with newcomer James Harden. There’s an entire pick-and-roll game to develop between Harden and Mobley, while Wade should benefit from catch-and-shoot attempts in the corner off Harden’s drive-and-kicks.

As for Strus, the timeline is still murky.

“Max is progressing,” said Atkinson. “Did a pretty high-level workout today, no contact still, but he’s starting to ramp up. Don’t get too excited, but he’s doing a lot more, so that’s good news.”

Strus has not played yet this season after suffering a foot injury in August. It was announced in January that Strus would miss at least another month with the injury.

The Cavs have missed Strus for his ability to space the floor and get hot in a hurry. He’s one of the streakiest three-point shooters in the league, and that’s led to some of the most entertaining games of the last few years for Cleveland. They’d love to have him back, not only for his volume shooting, but for the connective tissue he brings to both ends of the floor. Strus is a competitor that raises the floor for everyone.

For now, Cavs fans can at least look forward to Mobley and Wade returning soon. Cleveland is back from the All-Star break tomorrow as they host the Brooklyn Nets.

LONDON (AP) — Real Madrid set up a Clasico against three-time champion Barcelona in the women's Champions League quarterfinals by beating Paris FC 2-0 on Wednesday.

Striker Naomie Feller opened the scoring and Melween N’Dongala put through her own net as Madrid advanced 5-2 on aggregate, having won the first leg in Paris 3-2.

Later Wednesday, defending champion Arsenal protects a 4-0 lead when it hosts Belgian side OH Leuven. Qualification for the London club would set up a quarterfinal with rival Chelsea.

Early red card

Paris' cause was made harder when defender Théa Greboval was sent off in the fifth minute for pulling back Feller as she ran through on goal.

Still, the visitors came close to taking a 19th-minute lead at Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano when Océane Picard’s low shot from 20 meters was well saved by goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez.

Attacking midfielder Caroline Weir missed a chance to put Madrid ahead from the penalty spot in the 36th after Picard handled a cross. Goalkeeper Mylène Chavas, playing against her former club, pushed away the spot kick with both hands.

Feller broke Paris' resistance in the 54th when she volleyed in from close range following a fine cross from right back Eva Navarro, who also set up the second goal midway through the second half when her cross led to N’Dongala's own goal from near the penalty spot.

The revamped women’s Champions League format has followed the men’s competition, with an opening league phase of six rounds instead of eight.

The top four in the 18-team league phase — Barcelona, Lyon, Chelsea and Bayern Munich — advanced directly to the quarters and teams placed fifth to 12th went into the playoffs.

To come

In Thursday's second legs, Juventus hosts two-time champion Wolfsburg with the score 2-2 while Manchester United defends a 3-0 lead at home to Atletico Madrid.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer