CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 1: Gretchen Dolan #4 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles against Oluchi Okananwa #7 of the Maryland Terrapins at State Farm Center on January 1, 2026 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — There are just a few months left before it’s basketball season. The Fighting Illini wrapped up their 2025-26 season 22-12, but they have a pretty new roster after a second-round exit to Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament.
Now, they have been working overtime this preseason with a healthier team and a few new faces.
A position-less team
Illinois is taking steps to create a solidly versatile team.
Each player is capable of playing at any position, regardless of size. A big could be at point and the shortest could be posted up in the paint.
“It’s kind of like position-less basketball, and I think you can do a lot of stuff within the offense and defense and combining both of those,” said guard Gretchen Dolan. “It really just opens everything up.”
Of course, all of the players have their own default position.
“Playing the five position, there are a lot of bigger people that I have to guard,” said forward Cearah Parchment.
Training in each role has built a deeper roster for Illinois. It makes it easier to sub in other players because everyone knows how to work each position.
“If someone gets in foul trouble, we can slide in there and have another player come in off the bench and be able to set out and guard,” said associate head coach Calamity McEntire. “It’s not just depth offensively. We’ve got some depth defensively.”
The team has spent this summer improving rebounds and box outs, especially thinking ahead to teams that dominate in terms of height. They ended the season averaging 35.6 rebounds per game but also gave up 31.7 rebounds. Defense will determine if the Fighting Illini has a successful season.
“We score a lot in transition, so if we don’t defend, we’re not getting those opportunities as well,” McEntire said.
Back on the court
After a season-ending knee injury, Dolan is officially back on the court.
“Just watching how they respond to situations individually and taking that in so that I know when I’m back on the court, I can help my teammates in a different way,” Dolan said. “I’ve always been the type of player to be a three-level scorer and to be a driver, so I think just getting back to that and my old self and not shying away from that.”
Dolan missed much of last season with a torn meniscus and underwent surgery in late February. She ended the season averaging 12.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
She’s made it past the mental struggles post-injury, so now she just needs to work on getting her physicality back.
“Really getting back to my physicality piece, like being comfortable driving and getting hit,” Dolan said.
She’s been spending this past summer regaining her strength and confidence.
“When you’re coming back from those injuries, there’s the contact piece, and not just absorbing it, but making sure you’re initiating it,” McEntire said.
Two returning point guards
Destony Jackson and Aaliyah Guyton will split point guard duties this season.
“They know the system; they know the expectations. They weren’t just it in, but they get a lot of minutes,” McEntire said. “It allows them to, not only know, but for their leadership to elevate as well.”
Jackson has been putting in the time to work on her off-ball movement, setting herself up for a quick catch and release. A slight setback in her shooting from last season came from her not being ready to shoot.
Both her and Guyton have been putting in the extra hours off the court to ready themselves for the upcoming season.
“Sometimes when point guards are coming out of high school, they aren’t taught to play off the ball a lot,” McEntire said. “Destiny and Aaliyah both are hoopers. They love to play the game, they love to work. There’s no problem with them knocking on my door and getting them to come in.”
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO -- Episode 2492 -- Pictured: (l-r) Musician Natalie Gilbert and NBA Portland Trail Blazers' coach Maurice Cheeks during an interview with host Jay Leno on May 19, 2003 -- (Photo by:Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
I saw this on X recently and had to smile. As it just so happens, I had caught Untold : Jail Blazers on Netflix. The documentary discussed the early 2000s Portland Trail Blazers and their quest for a title. It featured Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells, Damon Stoudamire, and Shawn Kemp (but for reasons unexplained not Scottie Pippen).
At the time, Maurice Cheeks was Portland’s assistant coach. He stepped up before the game on April 25, 2003 and helped a young performer sing the national anthem.
In 2003, the most hated team in the NBA did the kindest thing anyone has ever done on a basketball court.
April 25, 2003. Rose Garden, Portland. Game 3 of the first round against Dallas. The Blazers are down 2-0 and facing elimination from the moment they wake up.
On March 2025, Maurice Cheeks came back to Portland, this time as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks. They invited Natalie Zito, née Gilbert — the same singer from 2003 — to perform the national anthem again. Now 35, Zito was a season ticket holder.
A pretty nice feel-good story to fill your basketball-less summer.
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It's a jubilant mob scene as happy fans carry Celtics' Tommy Heinsohn (L), coach Red Auerbach (Center, with victory cigar), and big Bill Russell (R) around the basketball court at Boston Garden April 27, 1964, after the Celtics won their sixth consecutive World's Championship. They defeated the Warrior's, 105-99. The Celtics are the only pro team in history to win six consecutive championships.
NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.
After Bob Cousy’s retirement, the Boston Celtics entered the 1963-64 season with a new point guard for the first time in 13 years. K.C. Jones, with five years of experience as Cousy’s backup, was more than ready to take the reins. The Celtics were going after their sixth straight NBA title, which would set a record for longest championship run in U.S. professional sports history.
If you think that was the buzz about the team, you would be wrong, because the questions being asked by fans and media were: “Can the Celtics win again without Cousy?” “Is the dynasty over?”
That’s right, hot takes and narratives existed in the Sixties. It’s true that losing the great Cousy, who was one of the few “small men” ever to win MVP, would be an adjustment. But wasn’t it obvious that the championships began to come when Bill Russell arrived? Russell changed the league, and five straight titles should have removed all doubts. And the big man was still wearing green and white.
The Celtics players reacted to all this talk as champions should. They had won in 1963 so that Cousy could go out on top, and now they were determined to prove they could win without him. So, despite all their success, “Nobody believed in us!” essentially became their motivation for the season.
K.C. Jones, wearing jacket, was ready to succeed Bob Cousy, <br>and his teammates, from left, Tommy Heinsohn, Bill Russell and Sam Jones, all knew it. | Photo by Paul J. Maguire/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The regular season
The Celtics wasted no time in staking their claim. They began the season by winning 15 of their first 16 games, the one loss being by a single point on the road to the Cincinnati Royals. The Cs also ended the season on a 14-2 run to finish with a league-best 59-21 record.
As it turned out, Boston won the season series against every team except Cincinnati, going 5-7. This reflected how well Oscar Robertson performed throughout the 80-game schedule. The Big O averaged 31.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and a league-high 11.0 assists per game for the Royals, who finished second-best in the league at 55-25.
Robertson won the vote for MVP, ending Russell’s three-year streak. Russell did lead the league in rebounding with a career-high 24.7 average.
Celtics beef: rare. but spicy
An unusual rift occurred in January 1964 between Celtics founder/owner Walter Brown and his star power forward, Tommy Heinsohn, in his role as president of the NBA Players Association. The players union was founded in 1954 mainly through the efforts of Bob Cousy. Heinsohn succeeded him in 1958.
Walter Brown founded the Celtics in 1946. | Photo by Courtesy of NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images
The owners had promised to consider starting a pension fund for union members, but had for a long period been dragging their feet on following through. With the 1964 All-Star game scheduled for Boston Garden, Heinsohn persuaded his fellow stars to threaten a strike unless the owners took action that night. The union was leveraging that the owners would not jeopardize the national television broadcast of the game.
After some tense back-and-forth, the owners and commissioner Walter Kennedy agreed to move forward on their promises. The game went on as scheduled.
Heinsohn was no rookie at business negotiations. His other job (because players didn’t make enough money to live on from basketball) was as a successful manager in insurance sales. Heinsohn had also studied labor relations at Holy Cross and was especially knowledgeable about pensions.
Brown, perhaps the best and most player-friendly owner in the league, was livid and embarrassed that one of his Celtics instigated the episode. He called Heinsohn “the number one heel” in sports, which was a major insult in those days. The two didn’t speak again until after the season, when they put disagreements aside and buddied up again.
Two players on the roster were new to Boston. Rookie Larry Siegfried, a teammate of John Havlicek at Ohio State, was signed as a free agent. He was a Celtic for seven seasons as an all-purpose guard who could defend and shoot from outside. “Siggy” played 10 seasons in the NBA and was a double-figures scorer.
The other new Celtic was Willie Naulls, a seven-year veteran and four-time All-Star who had played with the Knicks, Hawks and Warriors. With those teams, the 6-foot-6 forward had appeared in just two playoff games. He was in Boston for three seasons and won three rings, contributing hard-nosed defense and rebounding with double-digits scoring.
Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers fights for position with Willie Naulls of the Celtics during a game at the Boston Garden. Naulls figured prominently in the Celtics breaking the unwritten quota rule. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The quota system
Black players had been competing in the NBA since 1950, when forward Chuck Cooper was drafted by Boston with the first pick of the second round (13th overall). During the Fifties and Sixties, amidst Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights movement, it was an open secret that NBA teams followed a quota system, always having at least one white player on the floor. The fear was that using five black players at once risked alienating white ticket-buyers.
The interesting thing about the 1963-64 Celtics roster was that Naulls was now Tommy Heinsohn’s backup. Sometimes, when Red Auerbach made that substitution, Naulls was on the court with Russell, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and Tom “Satch” Sanders. Five blacks. Because all Red wanted to do was win a basketball game. He couldn’t have cared less about unwritten rules.
(More on this topic in the next installment of this series.)
Eastern playoffs
With their league-best record, the Celtics once again received a bye to the Eastern finals. And their opponent was the Cincinnati Royals, who went the distance to win a best-of-five against the Philadelphia 76ers (the former Syracuse Nationals had relocated).
The Royals had won the head-to-head duel in the regular season, and they had a strong team that now included Rookie of the Year and future Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas, who played with Havlicek and Siegfried in college. Lucas was a tough power forward who averaged 17 and 17 in his first season.
The Celtics, however, had an equally good starting five, a much deeper bench, and far more postseason experience. With top defensive guard K.C. Jones now playing in place of offense-minded Cousy, Boston was in better position to hold down the Royals and their star Robertson.
This Boston squad posted a defensive rating of 83.8, which was more than five points better than the nearest challenger. They also grabbed the most rebounds (71.7) and held opponents to the lowest shooting percentage (.413) in the league.
Russell called this group “easily the best defensive team we ever had – and maybe the best of all time.”
The Celtics validated Russell’s observation by winning the series 4-1 and holding the Royals to 93.2 points per game. Cincinnati fell behind 3-0 and scored no more than 95 points in any of their losses. They had averaged 114.7 in the regular season.
NBA Finals
Boston fans mobbed the parquet after the Celtics won the 1964 NBA title, carrying Tommy Heinsohn (left), coach Red Auerbach (center) and Bill Russell around the court at Boston Garden. The Celtics became the only pro team in history to win six straight championships.
Out West, the San Francisco Warriors defeated the St. Louis Hawks, 4-3, advancing to their first Finals since the Warriors moved from Philadelphia. This meant another battle with Wilt Chamberlain, who was already 0-2 in series versus the Celtics and Bill Russell. Would the third time be the charm for Wilt?
Nope, not even close.
The matchup
Boston’s defense allowed just 105.1 points per game in the regular season, but San Francisco had the edge by allowing just 102.6. Two big reasons were Chamberlain at center and rookie Nate Thurmond at power forward. Thurmond was 6-foot-11 with a physique like a body builder. He would go on to a 14-year career in which he had 14,437 points and 14,464 rebounds.
San Francisco was directed by guards Guy Rodgers, who led the league in assists, and Al Attles, a future Warriors coach and pound-for-pound one of the toughest players the NBA had ever seen.
Games 1 and 2 were in Boston, with the Celtics winning by 12 thanks to a 32-15 second quarter, and by 23, with a 30-point lead after three quarters.
In San Francisco for Game 3, the Warriors opened with a 40-21 first quarter and never looked back – final score 115-91.
Turning point
The Warriors led 44-40 at halftime of Game 4, then the Celtics seized control with a 36-20 third quarter. Boston withstood a fourth-quarter rally by San Francisco to win, 98-95. Heinsohn and Sam Jones combined for 48 points as Boston took the commanding 3-1 lead.
It wasn’t over until…
Up 3-1 for the second year in a row, the Celtics were determined not to repeat last year’s mistake where they let Game 5 slip away and needed another trip to California to end it. This time, it was close for most of the 48 minutes, but a Russell putback dunk stopped a Warriors comeback bid and put Boston up four with about 10 seconds left. In the pre-three-point-shot era, that was a safe lead.
Notable facts and stats
In 10 playoff games, Boston’s defense allowed 100 points or more just three times.
Sam Jones led the Celtics in scoring for the series with 21.2 points per game.
Chamberlain averaged 29.2 points; he was at 36.9 in the regular season.
John Havlicek scored 18.4 points per game in the Finals, taking over the Sixth Man role from Frank Ramsey. In the closeout game, Ramsey scored 18 points off the bench.
Clyde Lovellette, Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey all retired after the season.
Banner Years continues tomorrow with a review of the 1964-65 season and the road to winning Banner #8.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 04: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium on August 04, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Daily News | Gary Philips: Jazz Chisholm Jr. has lost himself a considerable amount of money in his pending free agency with his downright bad 2026. The Yankee second baseman has managed just a 92 wRC+ with a career high strikeout rate, and of course self-proclaimed that he’d be able to land a 50/50 season in spring training. Jazz hasn’t been the only problem with the team’s offense of course, but he’s been a major contributor — or rather, non-contributor. If nothing else he seems to at least be aware of it, but awareness is different from adjustment.
NJ.com | Adam Zagoria: Tommy John released a very sad public farewell to the Yankee franchise and fanbase over the weekend, as the 83 year old enters hospice care with bladder cancer. Dr. Chris Ahmad, the club’s head doctor, penned his own touching open letter to the man on Monday, acknowledging John’s place in baseball history and remarkable determination to return to the game despite the shortest of odds.
New York Post | Ethan Spears ($): The Yankees will not have a clear path through the AL without Aaron Judge returning and hitting like we’re used to seeing Aaron Judge hit. Cody Bellinger will also likely need to be back, patrolling left field and hitting cleanup. However, the emergence of both George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones as potential lineup-lengtheners give the club a couple more options, although relying on rookies — including one with just five games under his belt — to be reliable contributors through their first taste of MLB baseball is a risky endevor.
FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer have been contemporaries atop the “best pitchers in baseball” list over the last decade or so, and they mirrored each other in strikeout accomplishments over the weekend. Scherzer fanned the 3,516th victim of his career on Saturday, moving into the top-10 in all of baseball history, and moments later Cole sat down the 1,000th batter as a Yankee, the fastest to do so in pinstripes, needing just 139 games. Both pitchers are closer to their enshrinement in Cooperstown than they are to having lost prospect status, but we can still mark the milestones when they come.
To no one’s surprise, the star-loaded Sixers will feature in the NBA’s 2026 Christmas festivities.
The league announced Tuesday that the Sixers will visit the Lakers this year on Christmas. The game will tip off at 5 p.m. ET and be broadcast on ABC and ESPN. Other Christmas matchups include Knicks-Spurs, Celtics-Heat, Timberwolves-Thunder and Warriors-Nuggets.
The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) for the 19th consecutive year, with ABC and ESPN both televising each matchup.
Highlights include the first meeting between the Knicks and Spurs since the 2026 NBA Finals, as well as new 76er LeBron James’ return… pic.twitter.com/CgWdaaFJXN
The 2026 NBA Christmas games were revealed on Tuesday as the league began to announce portions of its regular-season schedule.
After gathering around the tree to open presents in the morning, the NBA has packed the afternoon and evening hours with star-studded matchups and iconic rivalries.
Here’s a look at the five games on the Christmas Day schedule this season:
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks
An NBA Finals rematch will kick off the holiday slate, and the defending champions will host.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will look for revenge against Jalen Brunson and the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The last time these two teams faced off, it was the Knicks raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy in San Antonio. Stakes won’t be as high this time, but a Christmas Day matchup is as important as it gets in the NBA regular season.
Watch info: 12 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
One of the NBA’s fiercest rivalries has an added twist this season, and we’ll see it play out on Christmas.
Both the Heat and Celtics were bidding for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the blockbuster trade of the offseason. Miami ended up paying more for the two-time MVP, while Boston pivoted by trading Jaylen Brown and bolstering its depth. This matchup also fits the Christmas theme better than any of the others, with red and green being these team’s primary colors.
Watch info: 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers
Welcome home (?), LeBron James.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer will make his return to Los Angeles on Christmas. After eight years with the Lakers, James signed with the Sixers this summer — joining Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on a loaded roster. Los Angeles retooled by adding Walker Kessler and Quentin Grimes around Luka Doncic. James is the headliner here, though, as he’ll play in his record 21st Christmas Day game.
Watch info: 5 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
Two Western Conference contenders will kick off the nightcap in Minneapolis.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are the main attractions for these teams, but both squads are deep. The Wolves added LaMelo Ball over the offseason, while the Thunder dealt away several role players to give more opportunities to their young talent. This game could surely be a preview of a future playoff series.
Watch info: 8 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors
To wrap things up, two of the league’s biggest stars will face off.
Steph Curry and the Warriors will host Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in the final game of the day. Both of these players and teams have been staples of your Christmas viewing for years. Curry will play in his 13th Christmas game, compared to Jokic’s seventh. Last year on the holiday, the Joker dropped an absurd statline of 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in a Denver win.
From trading Jaylen Brown to welcoming in a handful of veteran players, it’s been an offseason of significant change for the Boston Celtics.
And with everyone eager to see how everything comes together for the Celtics in the 2026-27 season, we now know when they’ll make their debut.
The NBA announced that the Celtics will play the Pistons in Detroit on Tuesday, October 20th.
Interestingly, the weekday game will tip off at 3 p.m. ET on NBC & Peacock, with the league rolling out a full slate of games for its opening day.
The Celtics lost their opener a year ago in what proved to be a sign of postseason results to come, losing at home against the Philadelphia 76ers by a 117-116 final score.
That actually was the start of an 0-3 stretch to begin the season, part of a rocky opening month that had the Celtics at 8-8 through early November. They then went 15-4 through early January, en route to finishing with a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the East. In the playoffs though, the Celtics led a 3-1 lead over the Sixers slip away, leading to a first-round exit.
The Celtics will surely be on a mission to improve come playoff time next season, and nobody knows how successful they may be. We do now, however, have the official start date for the journey.
Also announced on Tuesday, the Celtics will host the World Champion New York Knicks on Friday, October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. at TD Garden. On Christmas Day at 2:30 p.m., Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat will come to Boston .
The full NBA schedule will be released Thursday, August 13th.
From trading Jaylen Brown to welcoming in a handful of veteran players, it’s been an offseason of significant change for the Boston Celtics.
And with everyone eager to see how everything comes together for the Celtics in the 2026-27 season, we now know when they’ll make their debut.
The NBA announced that the Celtics will play the Pistons in Detroit on Tuesday, October 20th.
Interestingly, the weekday game will tip off at 3 p.m. ET on NBC & Peacock, with the league rolling out a full slate of games for its opening day.
The Celtics lost their opener a year ago in what proved to be a sign of postseason results to come, losing at home against the Philadelphia 76ers by a 117-116 final score.
That actually was the start of an 0-3 stretch to begin the season, part of a rocky opening month that had the Celtics at 8-8 through early November. They then went 15-4 through early January, en route to finishing with a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the East. In the playoffs though, the Celtics led a 3-1 lead over the Sixers slip away, leading to a first-round exit.
The Celtics will surely be on a mission to improve come playoff time next season, and nobody knows how successful they may be. We do now, however, have the official start date for the journey.
Also announced on Tuesday, the Celtics will host the World Champion New York Knicks on Friday, October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. at TD Garden. On Christmas Day at 2:30 p.m., Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat will come to Boston .
The full NBA schedule will be released Thursday, August 13th.
LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the new-look Sixers will head to Madison Square Garden for their season opener.
The NBA announced Tuesday morning that the Sixers will visit the Knicks on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET as part of its opening night. NBC and Peacock will broadcast the matchup.
The 2026-27 NBA regular season will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 20 with an NBC/Peacock tripleheader.
• Celtics @ Pistons: The East’s top two teams in the 2025-26 regular season
• 76ers @ Knicks: New York begins its title defense as LeBron James and Jaylen Brown make their… pic.twitter.com/Mv9kNrtusi
The Sixers’ second nationally televised opening-week game will come on Oct. 22. They’ll face the Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena for their home opener. ESPN will have the broadcast.
ESPN will begin its 2026-27 NBA regular-season game coverage with opening-week doubleheaders on Wednesday, Oct. 21 and Thursday, Oct. 22.
• Oct. 21: Team debuts for Miami’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Minnesota’s LaMelo Ball
Of course, James is a native of Akron, Ohio and considered a return to Cleveland this offseason. Gansey served in the Cavs’ front office before shifting to Philadelphia.
The Warriors will begin their 2026-27 NBA season against the same team, in the same city, on the exact same day as they did last year.
Golden State, for the second consecutive year, will face off against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena, the NBA announced on Tuesday.
The first four days of the 2026-27 NBA regular season will feature nine national games across NBC/Peacock, ESPN and Prime Video.
The Warriors vs. Lakers game will be one of nine primetime opening-week matchups, with the season officially getting underway with three marquee games on Tuesday.
Golden State and Los Angeles are coming off very, very different offseasons.
Polar opposites, in fact.
The Lakers were extremely busy this summer, adding a whopping nine new veteran players to their roster, either via free agency or trade, while the Warriors added, at the time of this writing, … zero new veteran players.
While Golden State appears to be running it back this season with, essentially, the same roster as last season, their Pacific Division rivals, still led by superstar guard Luka Dončić, will look dramatically different with their new additions and the loss of 22-time All-Star LeBron James.
After beating the Lakers in Game 1 last season, but then losing the three remaining matchups, the Warriors once again will look to steal the opening-night bout on the road, but might need to notch another victory or two against Los Angeles throughout the season to keep pace with its rival in the standings.
Basketball is still more than two months away, but it’s time to start planning ahead.
The 2026-27 NBA opening night games, which will air on NBC and Peacock, were revealed on Tuesday as the league began to announce portions of its regular-season schedule.
As is tradition, the NBA has two prime-time matchups on the slate for opening night — including the defending champion raising a banner and three other title contenders taking the court. However, this year, there is an additional midday matchup to open the season.
Here’s a look at the three games for this year’s NBA Tip-Off:
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
The NBA season will begin a bit earlier than usual, with the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons battling in a matinee matchup.
The teams were the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference standings last season, with the Pistons vaulting to the No. 1 seed and the Celtics coming in at No. 2.
Watch info: 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
Two Atlantic division foes will face off on the first day of the season, and this game has added stakes.
For Philadelphia, the city hopes this game will mark the beginning of their own title run. The Sixers were the most aggressive team over the offseason, trading away Paul George for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James. So, while this is a second-round rematch from last year’s playoffs, this game will look completely different than it did in May.
Watch info: 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
The most tightly-contested series of last season’s playoffs will be revisited on opening night.
The Spurs, fresh off a disappointing Finals loss to the Knicks, will begin their quest to defend the Western Conference title and get over the hump. San Antonio gave Victor Wembanyama some extra help over the offseason — notably Tobias Harris. But the 2026-27 campaign will hinge on internal improvement for young rising stars like Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
Oklahoma City will be out for revenge immediately, considering San Antonio took Game 7 on the Thunder’s home court and ended their repeat bid. Sam Presti had a busy offseason rebalancing the roster and shedding salary, cutting ties with key role players in Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, is aiming to be the fourth player in NBA history to win three straight MVPs (Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird).
Basketball is still more than two months away, but it’s time to start planning ahead.
The 2026-27 NBA opening night games, which will air on NBC and Peacock, were revealed on Tuesday as the league began to announce portions of its regular-season schedule.
As is tradition, the NBA has two prime-time matchups on the slate for opening night — including the defending champion raising a banner and three other title contenders taking the court. However, this year, there is an additional midday matchup to open the season.
Here’s a look at the three games for this year’s NBA Tip-Off:
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
The NBA season will begin a bit earlier than usual, with the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons battling in a matinee matchup.
The teams were the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference standings last season, with the Pistons vaulting to the No. 1 seed and the Celtics coming in at No. 2.
Watch info: 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
Two Atlantic division foes will face off on the first day of the season, and this game has added stakes.
For Philadelphia, the city hopes this game will mark the beginning of their own title run. The Sixers were the most aggressive team over the offseason, trading away Paul George for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James. So, while this is a second-round rematch from last year’s playoffs, this game will look completely different than it did in May.
Watch info: 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
The most tightly-contested series of last season’s playoffs will be revisited on opening night.
The Spurs, fresh off a disappointing Finals loss to the Knicks, will begin their quest to defend the Western Conference title and get over the hump. San Antonio gave Victor Wembanyama some extra help over the offseason — notably Tobias Harris. But the 2026-27 campaign will hinge on internal improvement for young rising stars like Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
Oklahoma City will be out for revenge immediately, considering San Antonio took Game 7 on the Thunder’s home court and ended their repeat bid. Sam Presti had a busy offseason rebalancing the roster and shedding salary, cutting ties with key role players in Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, is aiming to be the fourth player in NBA history to win three straight MVPs (Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird).
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 10: Jonny DeLuca #21 of the Tampa Bay Rays is congratulated by Junior Caminero #13 after he scored against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on August 10, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Yankees sitting idle, and at first pitch, the Red Sox losing a one-run game to the Blue Jays, tonight felt like the perfect opportunity to gain ground on both teams in the AL East pennant race.
Two pitches in from West Sacramento, Yandy Diaz launched Jacob Lopez’s offering atop the visiting clubhouse at Sutter Health Park.
Diaz’s 16th round-tripper of the season also gave him sole possession of sixth all-time on the Rays’ home run leaderboard. 1-0, Tampa Bay.
Newly-acquired right-hander Freddy Peralta had the honor of taking the mound first at the launchpad of the American League.
In the bottom of the first, things got shaky as Peralta had a nearly 30-pitch first inning that included a Tyler Soderstrom double, as well as a Soderstrom steal of home.
From the second through the fifth inning, other than a Jonny DeLuca single, the Rays offense went stone cold.
In the bottom of the fifth, Zack Gelof homered to bring the score to 3-1 Athletics.
In the seventh, DeLuca and Chandler Simpson reach base on singles that traveled no more than 40 feet from home plate. Nick Fortes drove in DeLuca with an RBI groundout, and the Rays draw within 3-2.
Right-hander Chris Roycroft entered after Freddy Peralta’s quality start, and surrendered three runs to push the Athletics’ lead to four runs. 6-2 Sacramento.
Within four pitches, in the top of the eighth, Diaz and Jonathan Aranda single, and Diaz signaled for Caminero to calm down from second base as Caminero has been pressing recently with runners in scoring position.
On the very first pitch of the at-bat, Caminero launched one into the West Sacramento sky to cut the deficit to one.
DeLuca and Simpson would steal second and third, Nick Fortes would draw a walk, and Taylor Walls delivered with a two-run go-ahead double to bring the Rays to 8-6.
Tampa Bay would send twelve men to the plate and score eight unanswered runs, their biggest offensive inning of the season.
Tyler Wells and Kevin Kelly pitched the eighth and ninth innings, with Wells allowing one hit and one walk, and Kelly delivering a scoreless frame.
The Rays win 10-6, and sit atop the AL East with a six game lead over the Yankees and an eight game lead over the Red Sox. Tomorrow’s probable pitchers are Nick Martinez and Mason Barnett, and first pitch is 9:40 EST from Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA.
Former Olympic super-heavyweight champion takes satisfaction from changing British boxing for the better, but still wants to train a world champion
“I was the Olympic champion, and I was the next big thing, but the system had to win,” Audley Harrison says as he reflects on his rise and fall as a fighter who changed so much in British boxing while failing to fulfil his grandest ambitions in the ring. Harrison had once been considered a likely successor to Lennox Lewis, the undisputed world heavyweight champion, but he became a figure of ridicule mocked as “Fraudley Harrison”.
He retired in 2013 with a modest 31‑7 record and having never come close to winning the world title many thought would be his inevitable glory when he took gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. But Harrison dragged British boxing fleetingly into the mainstream and ripped up the old traditions of the fight game by managing and promoting himself.
In this week’s Injury Report, starting pitchers took some hits across baseball. The Rays lost Griffin Jax to an elbow injury. Nathan Eovaldi also went down with elbow inflammation. And Hunter Greene’s season is over as he’s set to undergo elbow surgery. Meanwhile, the Dodgers will welcome back Blake Snell on Tuesday against the Royals. All that and more as we highlight all of the most relevant injury news around baseball.
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Griffin Jax (elbow)
This one is a tough blow to the Rays. Jax was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday against the Mariners with right elbow soreness and placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow discomfort. The 31-year-old right-hander will get a second opinion, something that rarely foretells anything good. Jax has strived since moving from the bullpen and into the starting rotation, with a 3.16 ERA across 82 2/3 innings as a starter. Keep a lookout for an update in the coming days, but fantasy managers should probably be prepared to be without Jax the rest of the way. Michael Grove was recalled to take his spot on the active roster.
The Brewers reclaim the top spot while the Mariners and Guardians are trending in the wrong direction.
D.J. Short
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Nathan Eovaldi (elbow)
Another brutal blow to fantasy managers, and one that seemingly came out of nowhere. Eovaldi was placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday with right posterior elbow inflammation. This comes just days after he allowed one run across 5 1/3 innings against the Orioles on Friday. Look out for an update on Eovaldi’s status in the next day or two.
Devin Williams (shoulder)
After he was deemed unavailable to pitch last Wednesday due to arm fatigue, Williams returned to the mound on Friday and gave up two runs in a non-save situation against the Pirates. On Monday, the Mets placed the 31-year-old right-hander on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. There’s no timeline for a return. Williams’ first season with the Mets has been nothing short of a disappointment, with a 4.66 ERA and 1.66 WHIP across 38 2/3 innings. Despite strong underlying skills, he just hasn’t been able to find success in New York, posting a 4.79 ERA with the Yankees in 2025. With Williams on the shelf, the Mets could turn to Daniel Duarte and Kodai Senga to close out games.
Hunter Greene (elbow)
Greene didn’t make his season debut until July 4 following surgery in March to have bone chips removed from his right elbow. Five starts in, he landed back on the 15-day injured list last week with right elbow soreness. After a visit with renowned surgeon Dr. Neal El Attrache, Greene was diagnosed with a partially torn right UCL and scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery. Depending on the extent of the injury and type of surgery, the injury could also cost him part of 2027.
Joe Ryan (glute)
Ryan underwent evaluation for a lower-body injury following his start against the Royals last Tuesday in which he allowed four runs in a loss. He was diagnosed with a mild left glute strain and placed on the 15-day injured list. The issue had apparently been bothering him, and helps explain the 16 runs allowed over his last three starts. Still, it’s a big blow to the Twins rotation, but the team is hopeful that Ryan will just need a couple of weeks off before he’s ready to return. Zebby Matthews was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to fill his spot in the rotation.
Adley Rutschman (wrist)
Rutschman is expected to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday for his anticipated Red Sox debut against the Blue Jays. The 28-year-old catcher joined Boston in a major intradivisional trade with the rival Orioles at the trade deadline. He’s been on the injured list since July 20 with wrist inflammation. His return will push Connor Wong to a reserve role.
Cooper Pratt (hamstring)
Pratt had been dealing with a hamstring issue for a few days before he was held out of Sunday’s lineup against the Twins. After further evaluation, the 21-year-old shortstop was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. We still don’t know the results of Pratt’s MRI or how much time he’s expected to miss. He’s been a solid contributor since taking over as the team’s starting shortstop, hitting .272/.352/.368 with two homers and 10 steals across 159 plate appearances. His absence should open the door for Joey Ortiz to step in for more playing time.
Trey Yesavage (knee)
Yesavage was pulled from his start last Tuesday against the Astros in the second inning with left knee discomfort. The next day, he was placed on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation. Blue Jays manager John Schneider reported last Thursday that Yesavage was dealing with a meniscus injury and was set to see a specialist. He apparently met with doctors on Monday, so we could probably expect an update in the next day or two. If surgery is on the table, it could mean an end to the season for the 23-year-old right-hander.
Blake Snell (elbow)
Not all news on the pitching front is bad this week. Snell is set to return to the Dodgers’ rotation on Tuesday for a start against the Royals. He’s been out since May 9, his only start of the season, after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. The 33-year-old left-hander could be the most impactful pitcher coming off the injured list for the final stretch.
D.J. Short