Category: NBA

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Kelvin Yeboah scored in the 90th minute to rally Minnesota United to a 2-2 draw with Austin FC in a season opener on Saturday night.

Yeboah, who scored nine times in 30 appearances last year in his first full season, used an assist from defender Devin Padelford on the equalizer. Padelford subbed in for Anthony Markanich in the 78th minute.

Defender Brendan Hines-Ike staked Austin to a 1-0 lead in the 7th minute with an assist from newcomer Facundo Torres.

It was the fourth career goal for Hines-Ike in 105 appearances. Torres played for Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras last season and arrives via a reported $9.5 million transfer fee. He left Orlando City in 2024 as its all-time scorer with 37 goals and 17 assists over three seasons.

Minnesota United pulled even by halftime when second-year defender Morris Duggan used his head to score his first career goal — with an assist from Joaquín Pereyra.

Myrto Uzuni scored in the 78th minute to give Austin a 2-1 lead. Uzuni scored six times in 27 appearances last season. Defender Jon Gallagher and Robert Taylor had assists.

Drake Callender finished with four saves in his first start in goal for Minnesota United. Callender was acquired from Charlotte FC to replace Dayne St. Clair, who signed a free-agent deal with Inter Miami. Callender won two titles with Inter Miami before moving on to Charlotte.

Brad Stuver stopped two shots to begin his sixth season with Austin.

Head coach Cameron Knowles earns the draw in his first match with Minnesota United. Knowles takes over for Eric Ramsay, who left for EFL Championship side West Bromwich Albion in the offseason.

Austin is aiming for a second straight trip to the postseason under second-year coach Nico Estévez.

Up next

Minnesota United: Hosts FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

Austin: Hosts D.C. United on March 1.

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

Sophomore Sho Evans of Cleveland High missed a potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation, but he did not let that reduce his confidence. When the Cavaliers needed help in overtime on Saturday night, he delivered during a 68-64 victory over Fairfax in the City Section Open Division semifinals at L.A. Southwest College. The Cavaliers will face top-seeded Palisades in Friday's final. Palisades defeated San Pedro 71-56.

Five of Evans' seven points came in overtime, none bigger than a shot that went in with 50 seconds left while being fouled and Cleveland clinging to a 61-60 lead. He made the free throw, and that was the blow Fairfax couldn't recover from after showing feistiness and resiliency all night.

"I just had to have that shooter's mentality when you miss or make, keep shooting," Evans said. "My teammates and coaches trust me to make shots."

The biggest shot of the night in OT. Sho Evans. Three-point play. 64-60 Cleveland with 50 seconds left over Fairfax. pic.twitter.com/H7EqEoKlta

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) February 22, 2026

Charlies Adams finished with 24 points for Cleveland (20-9), which needed a free throw from Harout Posheyan with 2.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. He was fouled on an offensive rebound off a missed shot by Evans and made one of the two free throws. Fairfax kept switching from man-to-man to a trapping zone on defense, and it produced lots of Cleveland turnovers in the second half.

Ketrayl Roberson led Fairfax (20-10) with 15 points and Chris Stokes scored 13 points.

Sho Evans for lead in OT. Cleveland 61-60 pic.twitter.com/GfDC8YKl6O

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) February 22, 2026

It's going to be a difficult task for Cleveland to topple heavily favored Palisades. No City Section opponent had come closer than 21 points until San Pedro lost to the Dolphins in Saturday's semifinals by 15 points.

Freshman guard Phillip Reed continues to surpass expectations and come through in a variety of ways. He had 17 points in the first half when the Dolphins trailed early and finished with 29 points. The arrival of the Popoola twins EJ and OJ, from Detroit, gave the Dolphins size and athleticism. EJ had 14 points. Add to all that, junior guard Jack Levey is an exceptional three-point shooter.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 20
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 8
Paul George – 6
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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The Philadelphia 76ers lost their fourth straight game Saturday night, falling to a New Orleans Pelicans team that still has the second-worst record in the Western Conference even after the 126-111 victory, played one night earlier, and started DeAndre Jordan in the year of our lord 2026. To the surprise of exactly no one, the Sixers were horrendous in the third quarter, allowing the Pelicans to drop 40 points in the period, turning a double-digit lead into a deficit in the process. All the good vibes from the first half of the season are long gone at the moment, and even if Joel Embiid suits up again as early as Sunday against Minnesota, it’s pretty clear there are some glaring holes with this Philadelphia roster. So with all that doom and gloom out of the way, let’s momentarily focus on the spare positives and talk Bell Ringer.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 25 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers

Oubre, who grew up in New Orleans, had a nice homecoming to the Big Easy, shooting 7-of-15 from the field with four made threes for a team-high 25 points. The most memorable of those three-pointers was a buzzer-beater to end the first half, after which he blew a kiss to the crowd in true Kelly fashion. In addition to his shooting prowess from the perimeter, Oubre continued his attack mentality from the Atlanta game a couple nights ago, repeatedly initiating contact to get to the charity stripe; he is now 16-of-19 from the free throw line across the past two games. Really, it was a three-level scoring game for him, as Kelly also chipped in a few middies of the floater and fadeaway variety. Saturday was another good example of Oubre’s ability to scale up his usage when the team is missing some pieces.

The Nola native nails his third three at the buzzer and the Sixers take a 65-57 lead into the locker room. pic.twitter.com/ynDmwWwAkB

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 22, 2026

Jabari Walker: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 0 turnovers

Walker has replaced Trendon Watford in the rotation since signing his standard NBA contract and returning to action. He made that decision look good again on Saturday, giving the team a nice lift off the bench in his 16 minutes and recording a team-best plus-five plus-minus. Normally not a reliable outside shooter, Walker canned two of his three triples, knocking one down in transition in the first quarter and later spotting up from the corner. He also did rugged work on the glass, most evident when he battled for an offensive rebound late in the first half and finished through contact for a three-point play opportunity. With the Sixers looking to be a player or two short on a lot of nights, it’s at least good to have Jabari back in the fold.

Anyone else you felt had some nice moments in the midst of this mess? Let us know in the comments.

MIAMI (AP) — Andrew Wiggins scored 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting, Norman Powell finished with 25 and the Miami Heat beat the Memphis Grizzlies 136-120 on Saturday night.

Tyler Herro finished with 14 points, Bam Adebayo added 13, while Kasparas Jakucionis and Jaime Jacquez Jr. each scored 12 for the Heat. Miami’s Kel’el Ware had 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Powell overcame a 2-of-7 performance at the free-throw line by converting 10-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-8 on 3-pointers.

Wiggins reached 15,000 career points with his lay-up early in the third quarter.

With the game out of reach late and 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, Memphis’ Scotty Pippen Jr. charged at Miami’s Myron Gardner and shoved him near the first row. Both fell to the floor and briefly wrestled before they were separated and ejected.

After leading by five at halftime, the Heat pulled away when they outscored the Grizzlies 39-26 in the third quarter. Powell and Jakucionis each scored nine in the period. Jacquez’s bank shot with 1:19 remaining in the quarter gave the Heat their first 20-point lead at 109-89.

Despite committing 18 turnovers, the Heat finished with 36 assists.

GG Jackson scored a season-high 28 points, Jaylen Wells added 25, Pippen had 18 and Ty Jerome finished with 17 for the Grizzlies, who have lost 11 of 14.

Memphis stayed within distance in the first half by connecting on nine 3-pointers.

The Grizzlies again were without star guard Ja Morant (left elbow sprain), who missed his 13th consecutive game. Santi Aldama, Cedric Coward and Kyle Anderson are all dealing with knee issues and also sat out for Memphis.

Davion Mitchell (illness) and Nikola Jovic (back) didn’t play for the Heat.

Up next

Grizzlies: host Sacramento on Monday.

Heat: visit Milwaukee on Tuesday.

The Lakers (34-21) will take on the Boston Celtics (36-19) on Sunday as they look to split the season series against their arch rivals. They will also be honoring Pat Riley by unveiling his statue outside Crypto.com Arena.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics

When: 3:30 p.m. PT, Feb. 22

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: NBC, Peacock

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It’s only right that the Lakers will face the Celtics at home on the day that they immortalize Pat Riley with a statue. It wouldn’t make sense to face any other opponent because the Celtics play such a huge role in Riley’s historic legacy. So there’s indeed more pressure for the Lakers to win this one.

The Celtics team stepping onto the court at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday is, unfortunately, a very good one. Despite their best player, Jayson Tatum, being out since the start of the season, they’re sitting nicely in second place in the Eastern Conference. This says a lot about how well-built their roster is and how much weaker the Eastern Conference is than the Western Conference.

The Lakers should expect a hard-fought game. The Celtics are a team with a top-two offense and top-eight defense. They attempt the third most 3-pointers, so expect a ton of shots from beyond the arc, specifically from Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. The Lakers’ perimeter defense will have to be ready. It’ll be interesting to see if they switch from the zone defense coverage they’ve been employing as of late.

In the last meeting between these two teams when the Lakers were blown out by the C’s, Los Angeles didn’t have Luka Dončić, LeBron James or Marcus Smart. That certainly won’t be the case on Sunday. Also note that Boston is one of the slowest-paced teams in the league, so it would be great if L.A. takes advantage of that.

Ultimately though, the Lakers will have to outplay the Celtics’ well-oiled system on both ends of the court. This means their superstars and role players all have to step up. It’s frankly unacceptable to lose to the Celtics on the day the organization honors Pat Riley, so this is a must-win game.

Let’s see if this team shows some pride and beats the Celtics on Sunday.

Notes and Updates

• The Lakers’ injury report stays clean with only Bronny James Jr. and Adou Thiero unavailable as both are currently playing for the South Bay Lakers.
• Same goes for the Celtics’ report, which only indicates Jayson Tatum (Achilles tear) as out.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

HOUSTON (AP) — Guilherme Santos scored two goals in the second half of his MLS debut to rally the Houston Dynamo to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire in a season opener on Saturday night.

Santos found the net for the first time in the 67th minute — with assists from Jack McGlynn and Ezequiel Ponce — to tie it 1-1. He scored the winner unassisted 11 minutes later off a deflection.

Santos joined the Dynamo after scoring 95 goals in 429 appearances for Brazilian Série A side Santos FC.

Hugo Cuypers picked up where he left off last season, scoring unassisted in the 31st minute to stake the Fire to a 1-0 lead. Cuypers had 17 goals in 33 appearances last season and scored 10 times in 31 appearances in 2024 — his first season in the league.

Jonathan Bond totaled two saves for the Dynamo, while Chris Brady saved two shots for the Fire.

Head coach Gregg Berhalter led Chicago to its first playoff appearance since 2017 last season.

Up next

Houston: Hosts Los Angeles FC on Saturday.

Chicago: Hosts CF Montreal on Saturday.

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

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sam Surridge scored two goals Saturday night, Warren Madrigal added a goal and two assists, and Nashville SC beat the New England Revolution 4-1 in the season opener for both teams.

Surridge opened the scoring in the sixth minute and scored on the counter-attack in the 16th to make it 2-0.

Brian Schwake made his MLS debut. The 24-year-old goalkeeper did not record a save.

Hany Mukhtar blasted a rising first-touch shot from point-blank range to give Nashville a 3-0 lead in the 39th minute and Madrigal capped the scoring in the 49th.

Leo Campana scored in the 47th minute for New England. Campana, who scored seven goals last year in an injury-plagued season, had five goals in five preseason matches.

Matt Turner had four saves for the Revolution.

Surridge, who led Nashville with 24 goals last season (tied with Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga for second in MLS), signed a contract extension through the 2027-28 season with an option for the 2028-29 season, the club announced earlier Saturday.

Coach B.J. Callaghan signed an contract extension Monday with Nashville. In 2025, his first full season with the club, Callaghan led Nashville to franchise records for single-season wins (22), longest unbeaten streak (15 games) and most goals scored (75). Nashville tied the club’s single-season points record with 54 but lost in the first round of the playoffs to eventual MLS Cup champions Inter Miami.

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

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Petar Musa scored two goals on Saturday night, Logan Farrington added a goal and an assist, and FC Dallas beat Toronto FC 3-2 in the season opener for both teams.

Toronto’s Djordje Mihailovic and Derrick Etienne Jr. each scored a goal.

Musa flicked a header, off a cross played by Farrington, inside the left post from the center of the area to cap the scoring in the 79th minute.

Michael Collodi had five saves for Dallas.

Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran did not record a save.

Musa opened the scoring in the ninth minute but Mihailovic answered with a goal off a perfectly-placed through ball played by Jonathan Osorio in the 15th to make it 1-1.

Farrington cut back to evade two defenders and then slipped a shot from the center of the area inside the right post to give Dallas a 2-1 lead in the 38th minute.

Etienne put away the rebound of a shot by Dániel Sallói to make it 2-2 in the 67th.

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

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) — Rondale Moore, the NFL receiver who had season-ending training camp knee injuries in each of the last two years after a standout college career at Purdue and a promising start with the Arizona Cardinals, was found dead Saturday, authorities said. He was 25.

Police said Moore died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. Moore was found dead in the garage of a property in his hometown of New Albany, police chief Todd Bailey said. The death remains under investigation.

Floyd County Coroner Matthew Tomlin also confirmed Moore’s death. He said an autopsy would be conducted on Sunday.

After being traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, Moore dislocated his right knee during training camp and never played for them. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, but he blew out his left knee while returning a punt in their first exhibition game and spent another full season on injured reserve. Moore was so distraught after immediately realizing the seriousness of that injury that he slammed his hand down on a cart so hard the sound was audible throughout the stadium.

The Vikings said they had spoken with Moore's family to offer condolences and support.

“I am devastated by the news of Rondale’s death. While Rondale had been a member of the Vikings for a short time, he was someone we came to know well and care about deeply," coach Kevin O'Connell said in a statement distributed by the team. “He was a humble, soft-spoken, and respectful young man who was proud of his Indiana roots. As a player, he was disciplined, dedicated and resilient despite facing adversity multiple times as injuries sidelined him throughout his career. We are all heartbroken by the fact he won’t continue to live out his NFL dream and we won’t all have a chance to watch him flourish.”

In a statement, the Cardinals said they were “devastated and heartbroken.”

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, teammates, and everyone who loved him and had the privilege of knowing such a special person,” the team said in a social media post.

Moore grew up in New Albany, just across the Indiana border from Louisville, Kentucky, and was a first team All-American as a freshman at Purdue in 2018.

“Rondale Moore was a complete joy to coach. The ultimate competitor who wouldn’t back down from any challenge. Rondale had a work ethic unmatched by anyone. A great teammate that would come through in any situation. We all loved Rondale; we loved his smile and his competitive edge that always wanted to please everyone he came in contact," Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said on social media. Brohm was the coach at Purdue when Moore played there.

Drafted in the second round by the Cardinals in 2021, Moore had 1,201 receiving yards and three touchdowns plus 249 rushing yards and one score over three seasons. He served as their primary returner for kickoffs and punts as a rookie before injuries pushed him away from that role.

“Can’t even begin to fathom or process this," former Cardinals teammate J.J. Watt said on social media. “There’s just no way. Way too soon. Way too special. So much left to give. Rest in peace Rondale.”

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

Sometimes it seems like a really hot start is the worst thing that can happen to the Spurs. After the Spurs started the game on an 11-0 run the Spurs let up a bit and let the Kings back into the game. They got complacent, and the Kings fed off of the Spurs lack of energy and lazy turnovers. They came out of the locker room after halftime and gave the Spurs a tough time by playing tough and chippy, and just working harder. The Spurs finally took control of the game with a 12-0 run that spanned the last minute of the third quarter and the first minute of the fourth. The Spurs overcame a game effort from DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, and Maxime Raynaud with an incredible performance from Victor Wembanyama on both ends of the floor with four blocks and 28 points and nice games from Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De’Aaron Fox. Keldon Johnson brought energy off the bench, keeping the Spurs in the game when the rest of the team seemed to be trying to coast through without expending too much effort. That turned out to be good enough to beat the sad sack Kings, who seemed to be competitive with the Silver and Black until they weren’t, as the Spurs were able to beat them by playing at top efficiency for about 8 minutes of game time spanning the third and fourth quarter, turning a close game into an Austin blowout. That kind of effort won’t be good enough to beat the Pistons on Monday night, and I’m sure that’s going to be Mitch Johnson’s message to the team after the game.

Observations

• The Knicks vs the Rockets is on national TV at the same time as the Spurs game, and if I wasn’t doing this recap, I might be watching that game live to see how Sochan is doing on his new team and watching the Spurs later. Hopefully Jeremy is going to have a good game and the Rockets lose.
• The Orlando/Phoenix game went to double overtime, and the Suns won the game on a buzzer beater 113-110.
• The Spurs were sharp out of the gate, going on an 11-0 with three quick blocks by Victor and a big energy advantage as they got to every loose ball to start the game.
• Avery Johnson was on the mic for the play-by-play, and it was great to hear his voice. He seems to relate well to Sean Elliott and Jacob Tobey, and it seemed like they were having a lot of fun.
• I can see why Wemby’s nickname is ‘The Alien.’ His skill level is on a different planet than the guys he played against on the Kings. It doesn’t seem fair.
• Maxime Raynaud looks like he’s going to be a nice player for Sacramento. He’s long and has good ball skills for a seven footer.
• Precious Achiuwa has bounced around the league a bit, but he looks good on the court as a role player for the Kings.
• After the torrid start, the Spurs execution and energy waned a bit in the second half of the first quarter, and the Kings used turnovers from the home team to cut the lead to just four at the end of the first quarter, trailing 31-35, with DeRozan scoring the last 4 points for the visitors.
• The Spurs case of the turnovers continued into the second quarter, as they Kings started the second quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 3 point lead at 40-37. The Spurs played a little better after a timeout, but the Kings had woken up, and the defensive intensity bothered the home team, and DeRozan was able to do his foul merchant magic to keep Sacramento close. They Spurs took advantage of a nice bounce of a deflected pass to Keldon to take a late lead, and led 73-65 going into the locker room, despite racking up 10 turnovers.
• Jacob Tobey said at one point that the crowd was having fun in the Frost Bank Center, which is understandable, since the Frost Bank Center logo was on the playing surface, which was transported from San Antonio and installed into the Moody Center for the game.
• The Kings came out of the locker room on a mission, and that mission was to end their 15 game losing streak with a road victory against one of the best teams in the league. Russ Westbrook got a little chippy and earned himself a tech early, and that energy infected his teammates, as they fought hard against the complacent Spurs. The sharpness that the Spurs exhibited at the start of the contest was gone, and this was going to be a test of wills. The Spurs were going to have to fight hard to win this game. The refs were allowing a lot of contact, so the Silver and Black was going to need to match the physicality of the Kings to win the game.
• After a back-and forth third quarter, the Spurs finished on a 7-0 run to lead 105-94. They scored the first 5 of the fourth, and the Kings, who had been resolute all game, seemed to finally break. When the Spurs took a 26 point lead halfway through the final quarter, the white flag was up, and the Spurs put in Olynyk and Bryant, as the Spurs rested Wemby and most of the starters. Stanley Umude got some run, and it was a treat for the Austin crowd as the Spurs won 139-122 to win both games of the Austin series, with Dylan Harper banging the drum for the Silver and Black after the game.

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The Spurs are headed to Detroit to face the Pistons, who are currently leading the Eastern Conference standings and are in a virtual tie with the Thunder for the best record in the league, with one few loss and two fewer wins. The Spurs have played well against the top team in the west, with a 4-1 record against OKC, and Monday they’ll get a chance to see how well they do against the east’s best.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Taliah Scott made all 11 of her foul shots and scored 22, reserve Marcayla Johnson added 12 points and 15th-ranked Baylor beat Arizona 74-60 on Saturday.

Johnson scored 10 of her points in the first half, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs scored 10 and Bella Fontleroy grabbed 10 rebounds for the Bears (23-6, 12-4 Big 12), who were coming off a 31-point road loss against No. 20 Texas Tech on Wednesday.

Reserve Noelani Cornfield and Daniah Trammell each scored 11 points and Molly Ladwig 10 for Arizona (11-16, 2-14).

The Wildcats entered with a four-game losing streak and had dropped 10 of 11. Despite their struggles, they turned a 10-8 lead just past the midway mark of the first quarter into a 10-point lead with a 12-4 run in less than three minutes.

Arizona led 22-15 after the first period and had eight players enter the scoring column before halftime.

Baylor responded in the second quarter,outscoring Arizona 23-8. Scott's 3-pointer with 3:08 before halftime put Baylor up 31-28 and the Bears went to the break up 38-30.

Fontleroy's jumper with 8:56 made it 42-31 and Arizona led by double digits for nearly all the second half.

Up Next

Arizona: Hosts Houston on Tuesday.

Baylor: Hosts Kansas State on Monday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Teenager Julian Hall scored two goals in the first half and 30-year-old rookie goalkeeper Kevin Horvath made them stand up as the New York Red Bulls beat Orlando City 2-1 in a season opener on Saturday night.

Cade Cowell passed to Emil Forsberg, who maintained possession through traffic before setting up Hall for a tap-in in the 8th minute. Hall took a pass from 16-year-old rookie Adri Mehmeti and scored in the 40th minute to give New York a 2-0 lead at halftime.

It was the fifth career goal for Hall, who won't turn 18 until March 24. He scored once in 26 appearances last season and twice in 11 appearances in 2024.

Horvath, a member of the U.S. men's national team, totaled six saves and lost his clean sheet in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time on a goal by Tiago Souza. Horvath replaces Carlos Coronel, who left to play in Brazil after five seasons with the Red Bulls. Souza subbed in for Tyrese Spicer in the 76th minute of his MLS debut.

Maxime Crépeau finished with 11 saves in his first start in goal for Orlando City after two seasons with the Portland Timbers. Crépeau, who made his 200th career start, replaces longtime starter Pedro Gallese — who signed with Colombia’s Deportivo Cali after his contract expired.

Orlando City’s Wilder Cartagena hobbled off and was replaced by 19-year-old Colin Guske in the 14th minute. Guske played 13 minutes in five appearances last season.

Up next

New York: Hosts the New England Revolution on Saturday.

Orlando City: Hosts Inter Miami on March 1.

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

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Aziel Jackson scored a goal in his debut for Vancouver and the Whitecaps beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Saturday in the season opener for both teams.

Yohei Takaoka had two saves for Vancouver.

Jackson opened the scoring in the 57th minute. Tate Johnson played a cross from the left side that deflected off defender DeAndre Yedlin to Jackson for a volley from the center of the area.

Vancouver, coming off its first Western Conference title and 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the MLS Cup championship, played its 500th match in the MLS regular season.

Rafael Cabral, the only RSL player to start and finish every match (across all competitions), had four saves.

The Whitecaps are 16-15-5 in the MLS regular season against Salt Lake, 13-5-1 at home.

Thomas Müller hit the right post with a shot from outside the area in the 16th minute and, moments later, Brian White's shot from the center of the area sailed over the crossbar.

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

Even if Joel Embiid does return for their next game, it’s time to raise some alarm bells.

The Sixers lost their fourth game in a row, embarrassingly falling 126-111 to the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night.

Tyrese Maxey again ended up with game-high 27 despite a crooked shooting night, going 9-of-23 from the floor along with seven assists.VJ Edgecombe put up 14 points and five rebounds on 5-of-14 shooting off a strong first half.

Kelly Oubre Jr. had a solid scoring night in his home state, finishing with 25 points shooting 7-of-15 from the floor while Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 21.

Embiid (shin soreness) missed his fourth straight game while the Pelicans were down Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• Somehow this was an even clunkier start than the game prior, with it taking nearly three minutes to record the game’s first field goal. The Sixers were only able to parlay ugly shot attempts into free throws, starting the game on an 8-0 run. Not that it was smooth sailing from the liner either, with Dominick Barlow bricking two in a row there after sinking his first two attempts.
• Edgecombe had a mini burst of aggression, hoisting up two threes in a row, but it was Oubre who was getting up the most shots for the Sixers early. He knocked down a three and was able to get to his push shot on a drive. Quentin Grimes got things going a bit when he knocked down two of his first three three-point attempts.

Could use more of this from Q pic.twitter.com/VZoudeqTSw

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 22, 2026

• Sticking with bench contributions, Adem Bona gave the Sixers good energy upon checking into the game, blocking one shot and altering a couple more. He wasn’t able to complete his shift though after picking up two fouls. Grimes padded out his quarter nicely at the line. Maxey appeared to finally get his first field goal with a three at the buzzer, but he didn’t get it off in time and the Sixers had to settle for a five-point lead after one.

Second Quarter

• The Sixers opened the quarter with their cleanest stretch of the game so far offensively, even if they weren’t able to sustain it. Edgecombe was feeling comfortable with his turnaround jumper, hitting another one to start the second. Cam Payne drilled a three for his first points back as a Sixer (again) but missed his next two attempts.
• New Orleans found a groove offensively as well, with Williamson going to work in the post at will. Just as the Sixers appeared to weather that storm, the game was halted by referee nonsense. After Andre Drummond got T’d up for a hard foul on Derik Queen, the Sixers got called for a delay of game as it took a long time for play to resume. Even the official scorers were confused, according to the Sixers’ broadcast.
• Once that dust settled the Sixers were able to find their footing with an Oubre three halting the Pelicans’ momentum. Edgecombe continued to have success putting the ball on the floor, drawing a foul on one of those turnaround jumpers and finishing a pretty layup with his left hand a few possessions later. Maxey finally got some jumpers to fall and had a nifty and-1 drive himself. This quarter ended with a Sixers three as well, though Oubre got it off in time, giving the Sixers an eight-point lead at the break.

Midrange cookin pic.twitter.com/6i35urOnn4

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 22, 2026

Third Quarter

• In a rare change of pace, the Sixers were able to keep that momentum to open the second half, at least on the offensive end of the floor. Oubre continued to get to that push shot with ease, Maxey got another basket running that give-and-go, and Barlow made his presence felt in transition. With Williamson and Queen still having success on the interior though the Sixers weren’t able to extend their lead any further.

Dom doing Dom stuff pic.twitter.com/A9gORAv0Kx

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 22, 2026

• After that strong start, the third quarter woes reared their ugly head as the Pelicans ripped off a 10-0 run. Maxey was able to halt that with a contested three in transition, and a quick timeout from New Orleans stopped the momentum of both teams.
• For all his struggles, the Sixers offense really stalled out as Maxey went to the bench and they fell cold from three. Bona got a putback and Jabari Walker hit a three, but the Sixers went without a field goal for the final 2:45 of the quarter. Edgecombe was able to rush up and get to the line right before the quarter ended, but his pair of free throws only pulled the Sixers within six after the Pelicans’ run.

Fourth Quarter

• Despite Maxey’s return to the floor, the Sixers’ offense continued to look woefully inept. Once this team gets cold they just look like they’ve run out of ideas, making everything look really uninspired. Meanwhile, New Orleans’ offense wasn’t lighting the world on fire, but they were competent enough to keep extending their lead.
• As the Pelicans continued to drain three after three the Sixers’ offense continued to look like a chicken with its head cut off, falling into a 20-point deficit. Maxey started to play with the required urgency to start a comeback, but he still was ice cold.
• A steal leading to an Oubre three showed the briefest signs of a fake comeback, but the Sixers didn’t even have that in them. All it did was ensure that Maxey and Edgecombe would once again eclipse 35 minutes. Shots weren’t falling, but this was an embarrassing no-show effort from the Sixers in the second half.