Category: Basketball

Just like Willie Nelson, the Spurs are back on the road again, as their partitioned Rodeo Road trip comes to an end. They have only two opponents left before getting a lengthy home-stand, and the New York Knicks are the first team on the docket.

Technically, the Spurs are 1-0 versus the Knickerbockers, but remembering the sting of the NBA Cup Final, I think it’s safe to say that Spurs fans know better than that. Both games have had razor-thin margins, as the Knicks have served as a foil to Wemby and Company since Christmas of 2024.

One of the reasons for this is that the Knicks have size, and are consequently one of the better rebounding teams in the league (6th), which negates one of San Antonio’s advantages (3rd) over most opponents, especially as the Knicks are particularly good at offensive rebounding (5th), which is a big part of why they’re 6th in league in 2nd chance scoring.

This has been a common theme for squads that have been able to trouble the Spurs, and they’ve really cracked down on giving the opposition easy points and second chances, which is why they now rank 3rd in the league in preventing 2nd chance scoring, and in preventing opponents from scoring off of turnovers.

That the Knicks (4th) and the Spurs (5th) are also now both in the top 5 for limiting their own turnovers further confirms that neither team is likely to gain an advantage in this area.

The two teams also carry an almost identical net rating (San Antonio 4th, Knicks 5th), with the Knicks showcasing the better offense (3rd in offensive rating) and the Spurs continuing to display the superior defense (3rd in defensive rating).

So, it appears that difference will once again come down to suffocating the Knicks on the perimeter, as the Knicks rank 23rd in points in the paint, and the Spurs rank 2nd in preventing points in the paint.

And while much of modern NBA success is predicated on three-point conversion, the Knicks are a particularly nasty group of sharpshooters, ranking 4th in three-pointers made and three-point percentage, despite ranking 9th in attempts.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns adds a particularly nasty wrinkle on the defensive end, as arguably the premier stretch-five in the league, with a career percentage from 3 just decimals away from forty percent.

Towns getting hot from outside completely alters the way teams defend the Knicks, and could end up pulling Wemby away from the rim he so zealously protects from interior violation.

That being said, these are not the Spurs that the Knicks faced in the NBA Cup. They’re hotter than any team in the league right now, riding a 10-game winning streak after thumping the East-leading Pistons along the way, and they’re no longer in the prolonged shooting slump of January.

Over the last 10 games, the Spurs lead the league in scoring, +/-, offensive rating, defensive rating, net rating, assist-to-turnover ratio, True-Shooting Percentage, Limiting Free Throws, and are 2nd in Points in the Paint, FG%, and Effective FG%.

With the exception of some free-throw issues against the Toronto Raptors, they are quite literally playing their best basketball.

The Knicks, on the other hand, have been yo-yo-ing back and forth over the same stretch, as their offense seems to be experiencing a bit of the drop-off (12th) that ailed the Spurs earlier in the year, and they’ve been passed in the standings by the Jayson Tatum-less Boston Celtics.

It’s sure to be a packed house with Wemby back in the Garden (maybe he’ll get a game or two of chess in first), and both teams are still chasing teams ahead of them in the standings for the all-important playoff seeding.

If it’s anything like the last several meetings between these squads, it should be quite the show. And with minimal injuries, we should get close to the best version of both rosters.

But if I absolutely had to bet on it, I’d be sure to bet on the Spurs. There’s something brewing there.

San Antonio Spurs(43-16) vs New York Knicks (38-22)

March 1st, 2026 | 12:00 PM CT

Watch: ABC| Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Mason Plumlee – Out (Conditioning)

Knicks Injuries: Miles McBride – Out (Abdominal injury)

SINGAPORE (AP) — Australian Hannah Green has won the HSBC Women’s World Championship for a second time, holding off a fast-finishing American Auston Kim to claim a one-stroke victory on Sunday.

Green, the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner, closed with a 69, after an erratic back-nine with three birdies and three bogeys nearly opened the door for Kim.

Green tapped in for bogey at the last and a 14-under four-round total of 274 at the par-72 Sentosa Golf Club and give her another title in Singapore after also winning here in 2024.

Kim had the equal-best round of the day with a 67 on the back off six birdies and an eagle, but bogeys at the second and especially at the par-3 15th ended her charge at 13-under 275, and one shot behind a faltering Green.

Minjee Lee, who had been co-leader with Green coming into Sunday's final round, mixed three birdies with three bogeys for a frustrating even final round 72 and was tied for third with Angel Yin (71) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (68) of France at 11-under 277.

Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul, who won last week’s tournament in her native Thailand, shot 73 Sunday and was 2-under 287 and tied for 31st. She was one shot behind defending champion Lydia Ko, who had a 72.

The 72-player, no-cut tournament was the second of three stops on the LPGA’s early year Asian swing, with the final one next week at Hainan Island, China.

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

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rugby league's bid to crack into the U.S. sports market returned to Las Vegas on Saturday with its mission to convert Americans to this rugged brand of football drawing almost 50,000 fans to Allegiant stadium.

It's the third consecutive year Australia's National Rugby League has showcased the gritty sport in the entertainment capital.

How many locals showed up among the thousands of traveling fans from Australia and England on a day that saw three matches was not immediately clear, but the showcase delivered on the entertainment stakes capped by a cliffhanger between two historic rivals.

The NRL has committed until 2028 to play regular season matches in Las Vegas as part of a strategic plan to broaden an international audience for the sport and increase its sports betting revenue by playing Prime Time in the entertainment capital.

Australia has been courting the US market since 1987 when it played a State of Origin match between New South Wales and Queensland in Long Beach.

Bulldogs in derby win

A field goal in the second period of ‘golden point’ extra time by Canterbury Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton decided a brutally physical encounter against the St. George-Illawarra Dragons.

Tied at 14-14 at the end of regulation and with both teams missing chances in the first period of extra time, Crichton stepped up from 20 meters (yards) to nervelessly slot home his kick to give the Bulldogs a dramatic victory.

Crichton had earlier played in winger Jacob Kiraz for Canterbury's second try after Jacob Preston had opened the scoring for Canterbury.

The Dragons twice leveled the match with a rare try by prop Emre Guler, while Setu Tu scored acrobatically in the corner for a try on his NRL debut.

Dragons half Kyle Flanagan kicked a penalty goal in the final minutes of regulation to tie the game and force extra time.

Knights upset Cowboys

Earlier, the Newcastle Knights stunned the North Queensland Cowboys 28-18 in the NRL season opener.

The match was in the balance at 22-18 in the last 10 minutes, before Braidon Burns was penalized for a high hit on Knights star Kalyn Ponga and was sent to the sin bin by referee Ashley Klein.

Newcastle, which finished bottom of the NRL standings last season, seized on the extra man advantage with prop forward Trey Mooney barging over to seal the win.

Newcastle raced to a 12-0 lead with tries from Greg Marzhew and Fletcher Sharpe, before the Cowboys rallied after Heilum Luki and Murray Taulagi scored to level at 12-12 at half time.

Bradman Best and Dominic Young scored a quickfire double for the Knights after the break before Taulagi's second try narrowed the deficit.

Leeds thump Hull KR

Maika Sivo scored four tries as the Leeds Rhinos thumped Hull KR 56-8 in the first match at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday featuring two English clubs.

The Rhinos stormed to a 28-0 halftime lead. Converted tries to Brodie Croft, Keenan Palasia, Ryan Hall and a double to Sivo set the tone.

Leeds maintained momentum in the second half with former Parramatta Eel Sivo scoring twice more, while Croft added a second try and Cooper Jenkins crashed over twice.

Hull's only reply came through Joe Burgess, a lone consolation after their World Club Challenge win over the Brisbane Broncos last week.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Portland Trail Blazers (29-32, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (30-31, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Sunday, 6 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawks -5.5; over/under is 237.5

BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta will try to keep its three-game home win streak alive when the Hawks take on Portland.

The Hawks have gone 13-16 in home games. Atlanta averages 30.3 assists per game to lead the Eastern Conference, paced by Jalen Johnson with 7.9.

The Trail Blazers are 13-17 on the road. Portland has a 6-4 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Hawks average 117.1 points per game, 1.0 fewer point than the 118.1 the Trail Blazers give up. The Trail Blazers' 45.1% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.2 percentage points lower than the Hawks have allowed to their opponents (47.3%).

The teams play for the second time this season. In the last matchup on Jan. 16 the Trail Blazers won 117-101 led by 24 points from Shaedon Sharpe, while Onyeka Okongwu scored 26 points for the Hawks.

TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is averaging 23 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Hawks. CJ McCollum is averaging 19.3 points over the last 10 games.

Toumani Camara is scoring 13.0 points per game and averaging 5.3 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Jerami Grant is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 116.4 points, 48.1 rebounds, 28.7 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.1 points per game.

Trail Blazers: 6-4, averaging 116.6 points, 45.8 rebounds, 27.0 assists, 8.1 steals and 6.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.9 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Nickeil Alexander-Walker: day to day (foot), Jalen Johnson: day to day (hip).

Trail Blazers: Deni Avdija: day to day (back), Shaedon Sharpe: out (calf), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Sacramento Kings (14-47, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (35-24, sixth in the Western Conference)

Los Angeles; Sunday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lakers -13.5; over/under is 231.5

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles plays Sacramento in a matchup of Western Conference teams.

The Lakers are 24-15 in conference games. Los Angeles is eighth in the Western Conference at limiting opponent scoring, allowing only 115.6 points while holding opponents to 48.6% shooting.

The Kings are 10-31 in conference matchups. Sacramento is 11-21 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 13.8 turnovers per game.

The Lakers average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.3 fewer makes per game than the Kings allow (13.1). The Lakers average 110.4 points per game, 5.2 fewer points than the 115.6 the Lakers allow.

The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Kings won 124-112 in the last matchup on Jan. 13.

TOP PERFORMERS: Luka Doncic is averaging 32.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.6 assists for the Lakers. Austin Reaves is averaging 17.9 points over the last 10 games.

DeMar DeRozan is averaging 18.4 points and 3.9 assists for the Kings. Nique Clifford is averaging 1.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 5-5, averaging 112.8 points, 39.4 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.3 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.0 points per game.

Kings: 2-8, averaging 111.5 points, 43.9 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 9.3 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.9 points.

INJURIES: Lakers: Rui Hachimura: day to day (illness).

Kings: Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Dylan Cardwell: out (ankle), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Jurian Dixon and reserve Jovan Jester Jr. both scored 13 points to help UC Irvine hold off UC Santa Barbara 64-60 on Saturday night.

Dixon added six rebounds and Jester grabbed four boards with four steals for the Anteaters (20-10, 13-5 Big West Conference). Andre Henry added 12 points off the bench.

Colin Smith had 16 points and six rebounds to pace the Gauchos (18-12, 11-8). Zion Sensley added 14 points and Aidan Mahaney scored 12.

UC Irvine led 32-23 at halftime.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored a career-high 42 points and Tyrin Jones made a go-ahead layup with 12 seconds left in overtime to rally UNLV to an 85-83 victory over Nevada on Saturday night.

Gibbs-Lawhorn made 14 of 22 shots with eight 3-pointers and all six of his free throws for the Rebels (15-14, 10-8 Mountain West Conference). Jacob Bannarbie added 15 points and six rebounds, while Jones scored 12 off the bench.

Vaughn Weems scored a career-high 30 for the Wolf Pack (19-10, 11-7). Tayshawn Comer scored 15 but made only 3 of 12 shots, while Elijah Price added 10 points.

Weems had 12 points in the first half to help Nevada take a 37-35 lead into halftime. Gibbs-Lawhorn had 19 points in the second half and his 3-pointer with 37 seconds left tied it 74-all and forced OT.

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SAN FRANCISCO — If they hadn’t already, the Warriors can probably kiss any hopes they had of avoiding the play-in tournament goodbye.

Golden State looked listless, lackadaisical and downright lost at times Saturday night against the team it would have to chase down to secure anything higher than the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.

The Warriors quickly fell into a double-digit hole against the Lakers and never recovered in a lopsided 129-101 loss. In front of a national television audience, they fell behind by as many as 32 points — 17 just in the first quarter — and never cut the deficit to single digits.

The loss means the Warriors trail the Lakers by 4.5 games with 22 to play and would need to win their final meeting April 9 just to even the season series at two games apiece.

“It’s a lot. It’s a lot to make up in 22 games,” coach Steve Kerr acknowledged.

Steph Curry (knee) missed his 10th consecutive game, Kristaps Porzingis (illness) was ruled out shortly before tipoff and what was left of the Warriors’ starting five crumbled against the Lakers’ Big 3.

LeBron James (22 points, nine assists, seven rebounds), Luka Doncic (26 points, eight assists, six rebounds) and Austin Reaves (18 points) had all checked out for the final time by the midpoint of the fourth quarter and still individually bested the Warriors’ top scorer, Gui Santos (14).

Rookie Will Richard added to the Warriors’ injury woes, rolling his ankle and leaving the game in the second quarter.

Only more miles will be required to be put on the Warriors’ aging and ailing group the further they fall in the standings. As the No. 8 seed as it currently stands, they would need to either beat the seventh-seeded Suns on the road or prevail in a second play-in contest against the Trail Blazers or Clippers, who have the Nos. 9 and 10 spots all but locked down.

After the loss, the Warriors trail the Suns by three games for the No. 7 seed with a 2.5-game cushion on the Blazers in the No. 9 spot.

“We don’t even talk about it,” Kerr said. “That’s not anything that is worth discussing because we just have to try to go out there and win and see what happens.”

The Warriors emerged from the play-in last season to upset the Rockets in the first round. But the veteran group said the pedal-to-the-metal final two months of the season, including the play-in win, caught up to them as Curry went down injured and they lost to the Timberwolves in five games the following round.

Making matters more complicated, Golden State is already without Jimmy Butler for the rest of the season and is unsure when Curry will be cleared to return. The team is set to provide an update on his right knee Sunday, but Curry reportedly suffered a setback over the All-Star break and the ailment commonly known as runner’s knee already has a varying timetable.

In an interview with ESPN during the game, Curry said he expects it is “going to be a little longer” before he is cleared to return. Golden State hosts the Clippers on Monday.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealander Daniel Hillier held off a late charge from Australian Lucas Herbert Sunday to defend his overnight lead and to win the 105th New Zealand Open by two shots.

Hillier also overcame strong winds and cold conditions to post a final round 67 for a 22-under four-round total of 262 at the par-72 Millbrook Resort. Herbert shot 67, finishing 20 under at 264.

The winner of the New Zealand Open receives automatic entry to The Open Championship but as Hillier already has qualified that prize passes to Herbert who will now play at Royal Birkdale from July 16.

Hillier, who was married earlier this week, led by one shot at 18 under coming into the final round. He made birdie, birdie, par, eagle, birdie to finish his third round and to seize the outright lead.

Hillier turned at 20-under Sunday, a shot ahead of Herbert who had just birdied the 10th hole. Hillier bogeyed the 10th and again saw his lead cut to one shot, but made birdies at the 11th and 12th holes to reestablish his lead.

Herbert had a chance to chip in on the par-three final hole to put pressure on the leader but his shot from off the green slid past the hole. Hillier was able to make par and was showered by champagne on the 18th green.

He became the first New Zealander since 2017 to win his national open.

“This is the second-best day of my life after my wedding earlier in the week,” Hillier said. "It was a lot more stressful coming down the stretch.

“This has been the absolute best week of my life. To break the Kiwi drought was very special. I've been dreaming of this a long time. I knew I had the game to do it but it was just a matter of not getting ahead of myself.”

Five-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Na of the United States shot a final round 72 to finish in a tie for 19th place.

Na has spent the last four years on the LIV tour but has decided to return to traditional tours in 2026 and made the New Zealand Open the first tournament on his return.

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

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — João Klauss scored two goals two minutes apart in the first 13 minutes — after a score by Lucas Sanabria — and the Los Angeles Galaxy cruised to a 3-0 victory over Charlotte FC on Saturday night.

Sanabria gave the Galaxy (1-0-1) the lead in the 8th minute with an unassisted goal. Sanabria had two goals in 21 appearances as a rookie last season.

Klauss took a pass from Gabriel Pec and scored in the 11th minute, then scored unassisted two minutes later for a three-goal lead. Pec's first assist this season gives him 24 through his first 64 matches.

Klauss scored the lone goal in a 1-1 season-opening draw with visiting New York City FC. He came over in a cash-for-player trade with St. Louis City in the hopes he'd help ease the loss of superstar Riqui Puig for a second straight season after complications from a torn ACL. So far, so good for the 29-year-old forward with 28 goals in 81 career appearances.

Novak Micovic needed to make just one save to notch his fourth clean sheet in his 26th career start for the Galaxy.

Kristijan Kahlina saved eight shots for Charlotte (0-1-1), which was coming off a 1-1 draw at St. Louis City on a goal by Pep Biel — one of 11 players in the league with double-digit goals and assists last season.

Up next

Charlotte: Hosts Austin FC on Saturday.

Los Angeles: At Colorado Rapids on Saturday.

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

The Lakers took an important step toward capturing the Pacific Division title, one of the NBA’s most prestigious awards.

Jokes aside, it is interesting how little divisions matter in the NBA. Because so many teams make the playoffs, the divisions are kind of useless. In the past, division winners were guaranteed home court advantage, but that would make the current seventh-seed Magic and the Lakers the third seeds in the conferences.

The problem doesn’t have a clear solution, but outside of local rivalries, there isn’t much juice to these divisional games and never has been. Should the league make any changes? Should division standings have more of an impact on playoff seeding?

It feels like those games should matter more, but it’s unclear what that solution should be.

Anyway, the Lakers completely dominated in this one, as a team should when facing a Warriors side without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler or Kristaps Porzingis.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Marcus Smart

29 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 foul, 3-6 FG, 2-4 3PT, +25

A very professional approach to this one from the team and Smart, who took this game seriously from the start with a strong defensive effort that helped them to an early lead.

Grade: B+

LeBron James

28 minutes, 22 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 7-13 FG, 4-6 3PT, 4-5 FT, +26

LeBron was sorely overdue for a good shooting night from three. In fact, he’s due for a whole lot of them in the stretch run of the season.

LeBron can't miss from three 🎯

Already cashed four times in the first half on ABC 🔥 pic.twitter.com/643tZL7Yus

— ESPN (@espn) March 1, 2026

Grade: A

Deandre Ayton

20 minutes, 4 points, 10 rebounds, 2-5 FG, 0-2 FT, +14

The dominant win really overshadowed another poor showing from Ayton. I won’t harp on it too long to bring down the vibes, but there’s a growing argument for Hayes to take his starting spot.

Grade: C-

Austin Reaves

28 minutes, 18 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 7-11 FG, 2-4 3PT, 2-2 FT, +22

Reaves also needed a good game and had that in the first half. He was aggressive in attacking the rim and looked much closer to the version of Austin that opened the season.

Grade: A-

Luka Dončić

29 minutes, 26 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 9-17 FG, 4-9 3PT, 4-4 FT, +26

The Lakers led big in the first half despite Luka being largely a non-factor. He rectified that by hitting everything in the first four minutes of the third quarter. It was a very happy birthday for Luka.

LUKA DONCIC DRAINS FOUR TRIPLES IN A ROW ON HIS BIRTHDAY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DZGhCWeBfb

— ESPN (@espn) March 1, 2026

Grade: A

Luke Kennard

27 minutes, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 6-10 FG, 4-7 3PT, +14

This was pretty safely Kennard’s best game as a Laker, and not just because he hit four threes. His ability to attack closeouts and finish at the rim remains a valuable asset.

Grade: A

Jaxson Hayes

15 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 3-4 FG, +18

Even if Hayes only played a short amount, it’s amazing how much different — and better — the offense looks with a center willing to roll hard to the rim and is a legitimate lob threat.

Grade: B

Jake LaRavia

27 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 6-10 FG, 3-6 3PT, 0-3 FT, +14

A lot of role players had good games for the Lakers with LaRavia among them. Some of his stats came in garbage time, but he was also hitting shots when it mattered, including the three that emptied the benches for both teams.

Grade: A-

Jarred Vanderbilt

12 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, -7

I appreciate Vando’s desire to posterize someone in garbage time. After he failed once, he kept at it and got one.

Grade: C+

Maxi Kleber

13 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 2-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, -4

Another player who did most of his damage in garbage time. He had a nice finish over Draymond before then, though.

Grade: B+

Dalton Knecht, Kobe Bufkin

Two guys who saw some garbage time run. Bufkin got up five shots in six minutes. Admirable.

JJ Redick

A strong showing from JJ, but it was against the Warriors. Everyone should look good against the Warriors.

Grade: A

Saturday’s inactives: Rui Hachimura, Drew Timme, Nick Smith Jr., Bronny James, Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) — Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has another potential injury to deal with after leaving New Orleans’ game at Utah in the second quarter Saturday night.

The Pelicans announced Williamson would not return due to an injury to his right ankle in a game New Orleans went on to win 115-105.

Interim coach James Borrego said Williams “tweaked the ankle,” but didn't have an immediate update on severity of the injury. “Hopefully, it's nothing serious, and we'll have him back out there very soon,” Borrego said.

It’s the latest setback for the oft-injured player who had already missed 16 games this season due to various ailments. The game against Utah was the two-time All-Star’s 35th straight — an NBA career-best for Williamson — dating to Dec. 11, after he sat out five games with a right hip adductor strain.

Williamson had four points, two assists and a rebound in 11 minutes of playing time against Utah.

Selected by the Pelicans with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft out of Duke, Williams has been limited to playing just 258 of 543 potential regular-season games, and never more than 25 in a row before this most recent stretch. He also missed the entire 2021-22 season with a broken right foot.

The Pelicans’ lineup was already depleted in playing without small forward Trey Murphy (right shoulder), center Yves Missi (left calf) and guard Dejounte Murray (reconditioning).

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 24 points as New Orleans beat the Jazz 115-105 on Saturday night to complete a two-game sweep in Utah after Pelicans star Zion Williamson left the game with an ankle injury.

Williamson left early in the second quarter with a right ankle injury and didn’t return. He had four points, two assists and a rebound in 11 minutes.

Pelicans interim coach James Borrego said only that Williams “tweaked” his ankle. He said he would get more information and hoped it was nothing serious.

Bey, coming off a 42-point performance in Thursday's 129-118 win of the Pelicans, shot 7 for 16 from the field and 3 for 8 from long distance, and was helped by 7-for-10 shooting from the line.

Jeremiah Fears and Bryce McGowens each scored 18 points, Herbert Jones scored 10 of his 17 points in the first half and Jordan Poole added 11. Fears chipped in 11 rebounds and five assists as New Orleans won its fourth straight and for the sixth time in eight games.

Isaiah Collier's 21 points led Utah, which lost its fifth straight. Keyonte George, who was back in the lineup after missing 10 games with ankle sprains, scored 17. Elijah Harkless scored 14, Ace Bailey had 13, Kyle Filipowski added 12 and Brice Sensabaugh 10.

The Pelicans used a 15-0 run to close out the second quarter for a 25-point lead at 65-40 at the break. New Orleans shot 50% (22 for 44) from the field in the first half, while the Jazz sent 14 for 52 (27%).

Utah cut its deficit to 16 points after three quarters and scored the first nine points of the fourth to close within seven. New Orleans then went on an 8-0 run to restore a comfortable advantage and was never threatened again.

For New Orleans, Trey Murphy III missed his fifth straight game due to a right shoulder injury. Dejounte Murray (return to competition conditioning) and Yves Missi (left calf strain) were also out.

The Jazz were missing Jaren Jackson Jr. (left knee), Walker Kessler (left shoulder), Lauri Markkanen (hip), Jusuf Nurkic (nose) and Vince Williams Jr. (left knee).

Up next

Pelicans: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Jazz: Host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The Utah Jazz successfully lose yet another must-lose tank-off game vs the New Orleans Pelicans, with the final score of 105-115.

The Pelicans have nothing to lose since their pick goes to the Atlanta Hawks this year, but with this loss, the Utah Jazz and Pelicans are now tied for the 5th-best odds in landing a top-3 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Despite the return of Keyonte George, this was one of the ugliest losses of the season, and I don’t mean ugly as in “oh, we’re playing our bench,” I mean that the Jazz just could not buy a bucket at all — there was a lid on the rim (34% FG as a team). However, the Jazz had a nice late scoring run in an attempt to come back into the game after being down by 20+ points — it was fun, but it didn’t amount to anything greater.

It was nice to see Keyonte out there again; it felt like a breath of fresh air considering the basketball we’ve been witnessing recently. He ended the game with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and no turnovers! Great to see the kid out there, and I’m looking forward to watching him ball out as we get closer to the end of the season.

It is always a joy to watch Elijah Harkless. He brings the intensity and grit that’s a sight for sore eyes, and something we haven’t seen on the Jazz in a while. He ended the game with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and he led the team in plus-minus! Could we see him be a rotation player for the Jazz next season?

For the Pelicans, even after Saddiq Bey dropped 42 on us the other night, the Jazz seemingly did not learn their lesson, as he was the New Orleans Pelicans’ highest scorer with 24 points. The Utah Jazz’s defensive issues will be somewhat resolved next season as they’ll have a loaded defensive frontcourt duo in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler, but as far as the youth we are trying to develop, and some of the returning players next year (contractually speaking), we’ve really got to trim the fat & consolidate in return for some positive defenders. Out of the 8 draft picks the Jazz have selected in the previous 3 drafts, and out of the ones the Jazz have kept, I’d say that the Jazz don’t really have an impactful defensive player. Now, barring development, the hope is that Ace Bailey provides net positive value on defense, especially with him being a top 5 pick.

NBA DRAFT CONTENT SOON!

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Thomas Müller scored twice and Brian White added a goal in a 22-minute span of the first half and Yohei Takaoka finished with a second straight clean sheet in the Vancouver Whitecaps' 3-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night.

Müller ignited the Whitecaps with a penalty-kick goal in the 25th minute, then made it 2-0 with a goal 12 minutes later. White capped the scoring two minutes into stoppage time with an unassisted netter. It was White's 80th career goal for Vancouver in all competitions.

Müller's PK came after Toronto's Walker Zimmerman fouled Aziel Jackson. His second goal came with assists from Mathias Laborda and Sebastian Berhalter in the 37th minute.

Takaoka finished with three saves for the Whitecaps (2-0-0) — one-week after a two-save effort led to a 1-0 victory over visiting Real Salt Lake to begin the season. Jackson scored the lone goal.

Luka Gavran saved two shots for Toronto in his 18th career start. Toronto lost 3-2 to FC Dallas in its opener, beginning with two road matches for a fourth straight season.

The Whitecaps are 5-0-4 in their last nine matchups with Toronto, which hasn't won in Vancouver since March 2017.

Up next

Vancouver: At Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Toronto: At FC Cincinnati on Sunday.

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