Category: Sports News

Coming off an impressive win against the East-leading Detroit Pistons, the Spurs traveled north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors. The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with the Spurs generating offense through fast-paced ball movement, resulting in open shots. Devin Vassell’s hot shooting continued, and Dylan Harper started six of six from the field. The Raptors’ offense came from transition threes, points off turnovers, and tough midrange jumpers from all-stars Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram.

After trailing the Raptors by two at the half, the Spurs’ shooting turned ice cold in the third quarter. The Spurs’ deficit climbed to 15 points during the third, and they were outscored by the Raptors 31-21 in the quarter. However, in the fourth quarter, the script flipped. The Spurs buckled down defensively and took the lead back. After a clutch three from Victor Wembanyama and a ridiculous behind-the-backboard floater from De’Aaron Fox, the Raptors cut their deficit to two following a goaltending call on Julian Champagnie. With 16 seconds remaining, Dylan Harper was at the free-throw line. After missing both free throws, he somehow ended up getting his own rebound and passed the ball to Fox. After Fox was fouled, he split his free throws. On the Raptors next possession, Immanuel Quickley was fouled by Harper. Quickley split his free throws, and after a timeout from the Spurs, Wemby was fouled. Wemby also split his free throws, and the Raptors had one more chance to send the game into overtime. Ingram’s three-point attempt hit the side of the backboard, and Wemby grabbed the board. After throwing it into the frontcourt, time expired. The Spurs won 110-107.

Vassell led the way with 21 points (8-13 FG, 5-6 3PT), five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. In his last two games, Dev has shot just under 67% from the field and just under 71% from three. His hot shooting has been quite the x-factor for this young, contending team. One of the more fascinating things about his game is after he gets his defender in the air on a pump fake from three, he takes one dribble into the midrange and pulls up. Moves like that seem to be a lost art in today’s NBA. After battling injuries this season, Dev’s hot streak is a great sign for the rest of the season.

De’Aaron Fox dropped 20 points (8-15 FG), two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Despite having his worst career game from the free-throw line (2-8 FT), Fox gave the team key buckets from everywhere on the court. From tough turnaround jumpers to floaters in the paint, Fox showed off his quickness and finesse against a tough Raptors squad. Fox is the only Spur that has started every game he’s played in this season, and he will look to continue to lead the team’s offensive attack along with the young guards.

Too quick for Quickley! Fox beats Quickley to the cup with a between-the-legs crossover move!

D3’AARON! Fox shows off the accuracy from the corner for three!

Made you look! Fox catches the ball on the bounce in transition and fakes out Barnes for the easy layup!

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! Fox regains his composure before going out of bounds and throws up a clutch high arcing floater from behind the backboard!

Here’s another look at the degree of difficulty!

Dylan Harper dropped 15 points (7-11 FG), seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals. As stated earlier, Dyl started hot from the field, shooting six for six. His first three highlights are all from the first quarter, scoring in unique ways. His slashing ability and handles are elite for a 19-year-old rookie; it is simply incredible. Besides his ability to score, his playmaking ability shows the potential for him to lead any offense in the league. He had himself a rookie moment late in the game, missing both of his free throws, but completely redeemed himself by grabbing his own miss for another opportunity for the team to close out the game.

HARP3R! Dyl and Keldon Johnson play the two-man game, and it results in an open three for Dyl!

STAR TYPE OF PLAY! Dyl takes Jamison Battle one-on-one with back-to-back crafty moves: a behind-the-back dribble into a hopstep for the layup off the glass for two!

FLY HIGH! After the Wemby deflection, Dyl leaks out on the fastbreak for a clear runway slam!

DEJA VU? After Fox beat Quickley to the cup earlier, Dyl splits several Raptors defenders for the easy and open layup!

Points off turnovers! After the steal by Fox in the backcourt, Dyl finds an open Carter Bryant for three!

HOW?! Dyl spins off of RJ Barrett, and drops it off between Jakob Poeltl and him for an open Luke Kornet slam!

Stephon Castle dropped 13 points, five assists, three rebounds, and a steal. After shutting down Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Steph had to guard multiple Raptors. After playing tight defense on one end, Steph dished out dimes and created offense by draining middies and threes. Even though Dyl had a more efficient game, Steph’s frame and toughness allows him to played when the team needs a stop. Coach Mitch Johnson will continue to cycle through the young guards as this team continues to gel before the playoffs.

TOUGH! Steph fights off the tough defense from Barnes and pulls up from midrange for the deuce!

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF! Steph dribbles up the court and speeds past Barnes and Poeltl for the sky-high jam!

AREA 51! Steph finds Wemby cutting off the slip-screen for the lob connection!

Victor Wembanyama dropped 12 points, eight rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and a steal. Vic struggled from the field (3-12 FG, 1-6 3PT) as the Raptors played him physically. Despite the offensive struggles, Vic locked down the paint defensively. From his five blocks, one of them came off a Barnes three-point attempt. Despite missing several games earlier in the year, Vic leads the league in total blocks with 254. He still has an opportunity to qualify for awards this season, as there are 24 games left in the season. He can only afford to miss three more games. If he qualifies, it’s safe to say he will win his first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award, alongside making All-NBA 1st Team and All-Defensive 1st Team.

Hook, line, and sinker! Vic baits Barnes by having his back turned to the dunk attempt, just for him to quickly turn and block the dunk! The sequence results in a Champagnie three!

Wemby dime! On the fastbreak, Wemby throws a leading bounce pass to KJ who finishes through contact at the rim!

Throw it up to the sky! The Spurs catch the Raptors falling asleep on defense as Julian finds a cutting Wemby for the alley-oop!

TOO EASY! Wemby blocks Collin Murray-Boyles’ shot WITHOUT JUMPING!

Too open to miss! In transition, Vic catches the pass from Fox and almost immediately passes it to a wide open Julian in the corner for the trey!

Here’s all five of Wemby’s ridiculous blocks, including one in the clutch!

This game had a chance to get ugly in the third, but the resilience of this young team continues to power through adversity during this win streak! Hammering home the philosophy of getting stops first, and then the offense will come, powered the silver and black’s comeback. Even though the result was a win, one thing that this team will be sure to practice before the next game: FREE THROWS. The team shot 13-23 from the line and missed key ones in the final minute that would have clinched the win earlier. Nonetheless, the win streak now stands at 10 before the quick turnaround to Brooklyn.

Finally, here are the full game higlights.

The Spurs travel to Brooklyn on a SEGABABA to take on the Nets at 6:30 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.

The Utah Jazz will play in front of their fans for the first time in two weeks on Thursday night. Unfortunately for Jazz fans, it might not be a star-studded affair, as Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George are both listed as questionable for the game against New Orleans. With both player likely out, and the Jazz’s latest blockbuster acquisition Jaren Jackson Jr. out for the season, Thursday night’s squad will be a shell of a peak Jazz roster.

The Pelicans (17-42) have just one less win than the Jazz (18-40), so this game has become one of the most important games of the season for Utah, who is trying to lock up a top-eight draft pick. The Pelicans do not own their own 2026 first-round pick, so a win does not hurt any greater tanking plans for them.

Injury Report

Utah Jazz:

Keyonte George — Questionable (right ankle sprain)

Lauri Markkanen — Questionable (right ankle sprain, right hip impingement)

Jaren Jackson Jr. — OUT (left knee surgery)

Vince Williams — OUT (left ACL tear)

Jusuf Nurkic — OUT (nose surgery)

New Orleans Pelicans:

Yves Misi — OUT (left calf strain)

Try Murphy III — OUT (right shoulder contusion)

How to watch

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT

When: 7 p.m. MT

Channel: KJZZ, SEG+

Radio: 97.5 FM 1280 AM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA football oversight committee is recommending emergency legislation to protect the transfer portal window by issuing penalties for schools and coaches who circumvent the rules.

The committee on Wednesday proposed the legislation to penalize schools who add players who did not make public their interest in transferring during the January transfer portal window.

The proposed legislation would become effective immediately if approved at the Division I cabinet meeting in April.

Among the proposed penalties, the head coach who accepts a transfer who did not properly enter the January portal would be prohibited from all recruiting, on-field coaching and team meetings for six games.

The school accepting the transfer would be fined 20% of its football budget. Also, the school would lose five roster spots for the following season, even if the coach who accepted the transfer is no longer employed.

Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said it is important to enforce the transfer portal window rule.

“Attempts to circumvent the transfer window process is an issue for the sport," Brooks said in a statement released by the NCAA. "We want to let everyone know that this is not going to be allowed, and the committee wants to protect the transfer window that has been established.”

Buffalo athletic director Mark Alnutt, the chair of the oversight committee, said “significant penalties” are needed to enforce the transfer rule.

“We felt this was appropriate to place an emphasis on this rule with where we are in Division I football,” Alnutt said. "We have a window for student-athletes to notify their school when they would like to enter the transfer portal. If there is movement without going through the process as it is legislated, the committee felt there needed to be significant penalties.”

The committee also voted to eliminate the annual limit on official recruiting visits.

The transfer rule and compensation for players through name, image and likeness contracts have created other issues. The University of Cincinnati is suing its former quarterback, Brendan Sorsby, following his transfer to Texas Tech. Cincinnati is accusing Sorsby of breaching his NIL contract, which the school says was signed in July 2025 to cover the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Cincinnati says the contract included a $1 million buyout if Sorsby transferred.

Sorsby received the most lucrative deal of the portal period — a reported $5 million — to return to his home state for his final season.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

LONDON (AP) — The Premier League is launching a Netflix-style direct-to-customer streaming platform from next season, chief executive Richard Masters said Thursday.

Premier League Plus will be launched initially in Singapore and, if successful, could be “replicated all around the world.”

“It’s a very long, considered process, carefully chosen,” Masters said at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in London. “For the first time the Premier League is going to have its own customers. It’s going to have to deal with promotion, pricing, churn, distribution, all of those things, we’re looking to build a business.

“We’re also looking to learn, to see how that might be replicated all around the world."

The new platform could eventually transform the way fans consume the most popular league in the world, which says it has a global audience of 1.87 billion people and is watched in 189 countries.

It had long-been rumored that the league would launch a “Premflix” platform. It has previously always sold its rights to independent broadcasters such as Sky Sports in England and NBC in the United States.

It is also opening a new Premier League Studios production hub in London.

“What we do with Premier League Plus in Singapore is really about learning as well as building the business," Masters said. "If it goes well, it may be replicated. You don’t want to predict further than that I think at this stage.”

___

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

___

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

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Our NBA player prop projections are back for tonight’s primetime showdown, and the model has highlighted a few plays that really stand out.

We crunched the numbers, matched our projections against the market, and zeroed in on the spots with real value.

For these Lakers vs. Suns predictions, it’s not guesswork — it’s data-driven.

If you’re putting together your card, these are the NBA picks the model likes most for Thursday, February 26.

Lakers vs Suns computer picks for February 26

Lakers	Suns
Reaves o19.5 points -120	Green u20.5 points +102
Ayton o7.5 rebounds +100	Gillespie o3.5 3-pointers +110
Doncic u7.5 assists +100	O'Neale o4.5 rebounds  +102

Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout!

Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!

Learn more about this feature and all of bet365's offerings with our comprehensive bet365 review!

Sign Up Now atimg src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/2/bet365.svg" alt="bet365" width="100" height="28" style="vertical-align: middle;"

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Lakers computer picks

Austin Reaves Over 19.5 points (-120)

Projection: 20.4 points

Even though Austin Reaves has gone Over 19.5 points in just two of his last 10 games, the offensive environment still helps his outlook. The Los Angeles Lakers have averaged a strong 119.0 points per game on the road over their last five, the ninth-highest mark in the league.

Meanwhile, opposing starting shooting guards have been getting to the line consistently against the Phoenix Suns, averaging 3.4 free-throw attempts per game over the last 10 — a trend that opens the door for extra scoring opportunities.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet reaves Now at bet365!/span

Deandre Ayton Over 7.5 rebounds (+100)

Projection: 8.6 rebounds

Deandre Ayton has cleared the 7.5 rebounds line in four of his last 10, and this matchup gives him a real chance to build on that. 

Facing the Suns sets up well for volume on the glass. Phoenix’s offensive style leans on perimeter shooting and mid-range looks, which naturally creates more rebound chances for opposing bigs when shots don’t fall.

That means Ayton should have consistent opportunities to clean up misses on the defensive end.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet ayton Now at bet365!/span

Luka Doncic Under 7.5 assists (+100)

Projection: 7.5 assists

Although Luka Dončić has gone Over this 7.5 assists line in six of his last 10 games, the pace setup isn’t doing him many favors tonight.

The Lakers have been the eighth-slowest visiting team in the NBA this season, and the Suns have played at the most sluggish tempo in the league over their last five games — a combination that should lead to fewer possessions and fewer playmaking opportunities overall.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet doncic Now at bet365!/span

---

Suns computer picks

Jalen Green Under 20.5 points (+102)

Projection: 20.1 points

From a scoring standpoint, the Suns have struggled at home, averaging just 108.5 points per game over their last 20 — the lowest mark in the league in that span.

On the other side, opposing starting shooting guards have averaged only 11.7 field-goal attempts per game against the Lakers this season, the sixth-fewest in the NBA. 

That makes this a tough spot for Jalen Green, who has gone Under 20.5 points in nine of his last 10 games.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Green Now at bet365!/span

Collin Gillespie Over 3.5 3-pointers (+110)

Projection: 4.0 3-pointers

With the Suns leading the league in offensive rebounding over the last five games, those extra possessions can create more scoring chances and provide a boost for Collin Gillespie, who has gone Over this three-point line in three of his last 10.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet gILLESPIE Now at bet365!/span

Royce O'Neale Over 4.5 rebounds (+102)

Projection: 5.1 rebounds

As mentioned, the Suns have seen a surge in offensive rebounding over the past few games, and Royce O'Neale has been a big part of that push.

After clearing the 4.5 rebounds line in five of his last 10, he’s in a good spot to keep contributing on the glass.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet o'neale Now at bet365!/span

How to watch Lakers vs Suns tonight

Location	Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ
Date	Thursday, February 26, 2026
Tip-off	9:00 p.m. ET
TV	Spectrum SportsNet, AZFS

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

MORE NBA PICKS

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It’s a jam-packed night of NBA action with 10 games on the schedule, and I’ve sorted through the NBA odds to bring you my favorite player props.

They include plays for a couple of red-hot shooters, the Hornets Kon Knueppel and the Timberwolves Anthony Edwards.

Those and more NBA picks for Thursday, February 26 below.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Kon Knueppel	Over 18.5 Points	-105
Marvin Bagley III	Double-double	+145
Anthony Edwards	Over 3.5 Threes Made	-120

Prop #1: Kon Knueppel Over 18.5 Points

-105 at bet365

The buzz around the Charlotte Hornets is for real, and Kon Kneuppel is a big reason why.

The Hornets' rookie is in one of those shooting rhythms he was known for at Duke, and I’m betting he stays hot against the Indiana Pacers. Knueppel is putting up 22.8 points while shooting 50% from 3-point range over his last eight games.

At this point, everyone knows the Pacers’ struggles, and they rank 23rd in opponent effective field goal percentage.

Knueppel has topped this number in six of his last eight games, and in both matchups against the Pacers this season.

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast-Charlotte, FanDuel Sports Network Indiana

Prop #2: Marvin Bagley III Double-double

+145 at bet365

With the seemingly endless injuries for the Dallas Mavericks, they have started to give Marvin Bagley III a run, and he’s making the most of it.

The veteran big man has put up 15, 12, and 22 points in his last three games while averaging 9.7 rebounds, and tonight, Bagley gets a juicy matchup against the Sacramento Kings.

With Domantas Sabonis out, the Kings have basically no interior presence. Sacramento ranks 28th in both rebounding rate and opponent points in the paint per game.

At this price, I love Bagley to record his third double-double in his last four games.

• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSCA, KFAA

Prop #3: Anthony Edwards Over 3.5 Threes Made

-120 at bet365

Anthony Edwards returns to the site of his All-Star Game MVP performance when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Los Angeles Clippers.

Edwards has carried that momentum into the second half, averaging 34 points and shooting 38.3% from three-point range, and I like him to keep cooking the Clippers.

Los Angeles is a little banged up heading into this matchup. Darius Garland is still out, and Kawhi Leonard and John Collins are both questionable, and the Clippers already struggled defending the perimeter.

L.A. ranks 25th in opponent three-point shooting percentage, and Ant has drained four or more threes in four of his last five games overall.

• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Prime Video

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

More of the same. The Brooklyn Nets came home following a three game road trip to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Brooklyn lost their fifth game in a row as the Mavs came away with a 123-114 win. In the race that most everyone cares about, the Nets are third. Either way, these games will draw plenty of interest down the stretch.

The opponent tonight is the hottest team in the NBA. If everything holds up, the San Antonio Spurs will have homecourt advantage in a playoff series for the first time in a decade once the NBA playoffs start this spring. They’ve been on a huge tear recently and pushed their winning streak up to ten games with a gritty win over the Toronto Raptors last night. The Spurs are now two games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the one seed and best record in the NBA. Wow.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 7:30 PM.

Injuries

All clear for the Nets. This is the third time in the past eight games that the Nets have had a clean injury slate. Also, it’s possible that we will see Josh Minott, the 6’8” 3-and-D candidate acquired from Boston at the deadline make his Nets debut. He’s been with Long Island along with Ben Saraf who’s staying out in Uniondale for this one, as are the Nets three two-ways.

Mason Plumlee is out.

The game

San Antonio won the first meeting back in October.

The Spurs are on the back end of a back-to-back while the Nets are on the front end of a back-to-back. As the beat of the NBA season rolls on.

Egor Dёmin is working through a slump. He’s shot under 40 percent from the field in six out of the last eight games, and the stress of the NBA season is starting to take its toll. He recently spoke about the transition to the NBA and gave some interesting answers:

“This is something I’m really trying to focus on a lot, just trying to get better at this, from the standpoint of toughness: mental, more than physical, because the physical part. I can’t really do more than I’m able, than my ability. So this is something I’m working on in the lifting room; trying to get stronger, looking at my nutrition.

“[The trainers] make my body stronger. But right now, it’s really about my mental, physicality, where I can resist every single player on the court. And I’m looking for that state of mind where, ‘No, I’m not going to step away from you,’ which obviously it happens sometimes. Sometimes it’s not as good. And that’s a process.”

He’ll get a great test against De’Aaron Fox. Fox missed the first meeting between these two teams. He’s been terrific for the Spurs and as usual, is hell on wheels getting to the rim. He’s one of the league leaders in drives and is shooting 70 percent on shots inside of three feet. Being able to consistently break defenders down off the dribble and create great shots on the inside takes on even more importance in postseason settings, and Fox is eager to get back into the playoffs to showcase what he can do.

Michael Porter Jr mentioned rebounding in postgame on Tuesday, and if the Nets want to pull off the upset, they’re going to need to be better on that end. They’ve been outrebounded in each of their past four games and by double-digits in three of them. The Spurs are seventh in the league in rebounds, but with this being the second leg of the b2b, maybe they’ll be a bit more tired than usual. The Nets need all the help they can get if they want to get back in the win column.

Player to watch: Victor Wembanyama

So technically, Victor is in a slump. The big guy has shot 9-of-28 over the past two games. However, when you do everything else well, you can live with some misses from the field. He’s blocked at least four shots in four consecutive games and is on track to do that again tonight. Even when he’s not obliterating teams on offense, his mere presence presents matchup nightmares for opponents and creates a myriad of challenges. From Jeje Gomez of Pounding the Rock:

The opponents will make adjustments, but as you said, they can only do so much. If they sell out trying to stop Wemby, we now know that the Spurs can simply play through Wemby by using his gravity instead of giving him the ball, which makes a lot of counters simply obsolete. The bigger question is whether the supporting cast can consistently deliver as they did against the Pistons. The ball handlers should be fine. The room to drive was always there, and all three see it. We are well past the stage when only Tre Jones realized that the entire defense was geared toward stopping Wemby. The shooters are the potential issue, but the fact that they were all ready to fire away or move the ball is a good sign.

This team is coming together at an insane speed. There’s a lot of room for growth, which is crazy to say of a group that might end up with the best record in the West, but it’s so fun to watch it happen in real time. The Pistons game really seemed like a breakthrough moment, and even if Victor occasionally goes back to forcing things at times, I do believe he understands that he can have a massive positive effect without having to drop 30 by driving into traffic and hitting off-balance shots. I’m excited to see if they can continue to have these mini leaps before the playoffs, because if they do, we might enjoy a deep playoff run sooner than expected.

For a lot of the Spurs, this represents their first real crack at contention. It’ll be exciting to see how they continue to build from here.

Nic Claxton will have his hands full.

From the Vault

Ric Flair turned 77 years old yesterday. Let’s revisit two of the Nature Boy’s greatest matches

More reading: Pounding the Rock, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• San Antonio Spurs Game Notes – San Antonio Spurs
• San Antonio plays Brooklyn on 10-game win streak – AP
• Michael Porter Jr.’s four-game dip doesn’t rewrite season with Nets ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News