FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Top-seeded Taylor Fritz beat Marin Cilic in straight sets and No. 2 Ben Shelton rallied past defending champion Denis Shapovalov on Saturday night, setting up a Dallas Open final between the world's highest-ranked Americans.
Fritz had 22 aces in his 7-6(5), 7-6(3) victory, while Shelton sparked his game with a scintillating crosscourt forehand winner while facing three break points early in the second set and going on to a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) win.
The 28-year-old Fritz is ranked seventh in the world, two spots ahead of Shelton, who is coming off an Australian Open quarterfinal appearance that ended with a loss to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
Fritz, a 10-time ATP Tour champion, and Shelton split their first two meetings. Shelton has three tour titles.
“Are you guys telling me that's the final you want to see?” Shelton asked, prompting cheers from fans at the indoor football stadium that is also the practice field of the Dallas Cowboys at club headquarters. “I'm super-excited for that matchup.”
Shelton came back from a set down for the second consecutive match, after beating Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarterfinals.
The 23-year-old was down a set and facing three break points at 1-1 in the second when the crosscourt winner got him going. He later had two set points on the seventh-seeded Shapovalov's serve, and converted the second to force the deciding set.
Shelton won three of the last four points in the tiebreaker, clinching the victory with another forehand winner.
Fritz had three set points in the first tiebreaker and three match points in the second against the unseeded Cilic.
The 2024 U.S. Open finalist closed out the first with his third consecutive ace after Cilic saved two set points.
One of Cilic's eight double faults — Fritz didn't have any — gave Fritz an early opening in the second tiebreaker. Fritz won his first match point when the 2014 U.S. Open champion's service return went long.
The 37-year-old Cilic used his powerful serve to escape several tough spots in a match with 38 aces. Cilic, who was seeking his 600th career singles victory, saved all five break points against him, while Fritz didn't face any in his third victory in four meetings with Cilic.
Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson holds the winner's trophy after winning the slam dunk contest at the NBA basketball All-Star weekend festivities Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The bass thumped, the lights dimmed and Hollywood did what Hollywood does best: It oversold the moment.
At the brand-new Intuit Dome on Saturday night, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest opened like a blockbuster premiere. Each participant received a custom movie trailer introduction, complete with dramatic narration and slow-motion highlights.
Then came the dunks.
The highlight of the first round belonged to Johnson. And it wasn’t even close. AP
The four contestants — Carter Bryant of the Spurs, Jaxson Hayes of the Lakers, Keshad Johnson of the Heat and Jase Richardson of the Magic — each had two attempts in the first round. The top two would advance to the finals. Five judges sat courtside like royalty: Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, Dwight Howard, Corey Maggette and Brent Barry — men who once treated rims like their own personal property.
The highlight of the first round belonged to Johnson. And it wasn’t even close.
The Heat forward walked out dancing alongside Bay Area legend E-40 to “Tell Me When to Go,” a cultural anthem that turned the Dome into a West Coast block party.
Then Johnson did exactly that — he told us when to go. He leapt over E-40, cleared him cleanly, smiled midair like he was posing for a magazine cover and hammered it home with authority. It was swagger. It was theater. It was what this contest is supposed to be.
Then came the local favorite: Hayes, who plays center for the Lakers.
Playing in front of family and friends in his adopted city, Hayes promised excitement.
“I’m just excited. My whole family is here, and I’m excited to put on a show,” he said beforehand. He had studied old contests on YouTube, scrolled Instagram for ideas, searching for that one dunk that “gets people going.”
His first attempt didn’t.
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Hayes took off from just inside the free-throw line and finished with a one-handed slam. The judges awarded it a 44.6 — the lowest score of the first round. In a building that had just witnessed Johnson turn a dunk into a music video, Hayes’ attempt felt like a warm-up layup line drill.
Los Angeles is unforgiving when it’s underwhelmed. The murmurs were immediate.
His second dunk showed more imagination. Hayes tossed the ball to himself, caught it off the bounce, went between the legs and flushed it. It took several attempts — momentum bleeding out with each miss — but when he finally completed it, the score reflected the improvement: 47.2. His 91.8 total was enough to avoid immediate elimination, but he missed the finals by a point.
Jaxson Hayes taps it to himself & goes between the legs for his second slam in @ATT Slam Dunk
Hayes had joked earlier that if he could dunk on anyone, it would be “LeBron.” Saturday night, he couldn’t even dunk over the moment.
In a city that breathes basketball mythology, Saturday felt like a missed opportunity for the Lakers’ sixth Slam Dunk Contest participant.
The finals belonged to Bryant and Johnson, and the contrast was electric versus surgical. Johnson brought the showmanship. Bryant brought the hammer.
On his first dunk of the finals, Bryant rose, went between the legs with violent precision and detonated the rim. The judges flashed perfect 50s across the board.
CARTER BRYANT WITH A 50
He needs a 47.5 on his final attempt to win @ATT Slam Dunk!
But when the moment mattered the most, Bryant faltered. Needing just 47 points to win the contest, Bryant couldn’t finish any of his attempts on his final dunk. With the clock winding down, Bryant ditched his between-the-legs, off the backboard, reverse dunk and settled for a simple 360 instead. The judges didn’t buy it, and Bryant had blown his chance to be crowned champion.
When the dust settled, it was the Johnson, the Heat forward, who stood alone as the champion, having delivered the most entertaining dunk of the night. In doing so, he proved that consistency, patience and theatrics were all that was needed to follow in the footsteps of legendary past winners like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter.
“I give all the glory to God,” Johnson, a native of Oakland, said after the contest. “Always believe in yourself.”
The NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest remains a strange beast — equal parts nostalgia and innovation, judged by men who once defined it. Saturday night proved something important: Creativity wins the crowd, but execution wins the crown.
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Josh Hubbard scored 32 points, Achor Achor scored 18, and Mississippi State ended a three-game skid by beating Ole Miss 90-78 on Saturday.
Hubbard finished 12-of-16 shooting and Achor went 6 of 8. Jayden Epps added 12 points for Mississippi State (12-13 4-8 SEC). The Bulldogs shot 57% (33 of 58).
Malik Dia tied a career-high with 32 points and reserve AJ Storr scored 21 for Ole Miss (11-14, 3-9). When he was at Bellarmine, Dia scored 32 points on Jan. 7, 2024 when the Bruins beat Drake 87-65.
The Rebels now have dropped seven straight. Mississippi State entered having lost eight of nine.
Mississippi State built a 13-3 lead and never trailed. Travis Perry made a 3-pointer with 8:13 before halftime and AJ Storr followed with a layup 30 seconds later to bring the Rebels within 24-21.
The Bulldogs countered when Jamarion Davis-Fleming threw down a dunk, Epps made a pair of foul shots and Hubbard made a 3 to stretch the margin to 10.
Storr made a layup and Dia's jump shot reduced the Ole Miss deficit to 31-26 with 4:20 remaining before halftime. Mississippi State used a 16-2 run to close the half with a 47-28 lead.
The Bulldogs led by double digits the entire second half.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke Saturday during All-Star Weekend about the league’s hot-button issues, including tanking, the lottery, expansion and the league’s pending investigation into whether the Clippers arranged a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal for Kawhi Leonard to circumvent the salary cap.
When it comes to tanking, Silver, who fined the Jazz $500,000 and the Pacers $100,000 on Thursday for recently sitting star players in games, said he believes the problem is becoming increasingly pervasive.
“We’ve got to look at some fresh thinking here,” Silver said. “What we’re doing, what we’re seeing right now is not working. There’s no question about it. Yes, is there more I can do? Have I attempted not only to respond to behavior we’ve seen but send a clear message that we’re going to be scrutinizing everything we see going forward? Absolutely.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speak during the Emirates NBA Cup trophy presentation at T-Mobile Arena. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Silver added that the NBA Competition Committee began earlier this season “reexamining the whole approach to how the draft lottery works.” When asked if there have been discussions about taking draft picks away from teams that tank instead of fining them, he didn’t hesitate.
“There is talk about every possible remedy now to stop this behavior.” Silver said.
As for expansion, when Silver was asked if reports were true about Seattle and Las Vegas being front-runners to secure new NBA franchises, Silver cautioned that nothing has been decided.
“We will make decisions in 2026,” he said. “I think in fairness to the cities, Seattle and Las Vegas in particular, I’ve been very clear, I don’t want to tease teams. I don’t want to tease cities or mislead anyone. I think we wanted to get through collective bargaining, national television deals. We’ve done that, and now we’ve turned to it as a league.
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“My sense is at the March Board of Governors meetings we’ll be having further discussions around an expansion process. We won’t be voting at the March meeting, but we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties.”
Silver also made it clear that the league isn’t necessarily looking to add two teams specifically, clarifying that an expansion “doesn’t have to be any number of teams.”
Meanwhile, the elephant in the room of All-Star Weekend is that while Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is showing off his $2 billion arena (Intuit Dome) that’s hosting the events, he and his team are being investigated regarding allegations that they circumvented the salary cap to retain Leonard by helping secure him a $28 million endorsement deal with the company Aspiration.
Ballmer and the Clippers have staunchly denied those allegations. And the NBA hired the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate the matter.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media prior to the game of the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic as part of the 2026 Berlin Games on January 15, 2026 at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany. NBAE via Getty Images
“I haven’t come to any decisions whatsoever yet on the Clippers matter,” Silver said. “… From everything I’ve been told, the Clippers have been fully cooperative. But as I said, I’m not involved day to day in the investigation.”
Silver added that the situation is “enormously complex.”
“You have a company in bankruptcy (Aspiration),” Silver said. “You have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that have been needed to be interviewed.
“I will say, just in case anyone is wondering, the fact that All-Star is here this weekend has had no impact on the timeline of the investigation. Our charge to the Wachtell law firm is do the work and then come back and make recommendations to the league office, and that’s where things now stand.”
When Silver was asked to what extent he’s beholden to the CBA and the NBA’s Constitution in regard to any punishment that would be handed out for a salary cap circumvention, he was definitive.
“I am completely beholden to the constitution and the CBA,” he said. “I believe in the rule of law. I have broad powers in certain areas, but those are broad powers that are granted to me by those very documents.”
Peoria, Ariz. - February 11: Craig Stammen of the San Diego Padres speaks to the media during the first day of spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Photo by Photo by Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images via Getty Images via Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres got off to a good start with their first week of Spring Training for the 2026 season. From all reports, all the pitchers and catchers reported on time and healthy with multiple position players reporting early or on time and with no injuries noted.
While the players were meeting one another again after several months of separation, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller held his usual media scrum on the first day of availability and repeated his desire to add another bat or two and another starting pitcher to the roster.
New manager Craig Stammen made his first remarks, emphasizing communication and relationships as his early priorities. He also wasted no time in naming Luis Campusano as the second catcher to Freddy Fermin as well as designating that newly acquired bat Miguel Andujar would get work at first base along with utility player Sung-Mun Song.
Pitcher Kyle Hart will be tried as a starter to begin with but no other pitchers on the staff will be stretched out as a starter.
With super-utility man Song getting opportunities to start at first and the outfield, the team was still lacking a platoon partner for first baseman Gavin Sheets, as well as more options for the rotation.
Stammen designated Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Michael King as locks for the rotation and indicated that Randy Vasquez, though the leading candidate, would compete for the fourth spot with JP Sears, Matt Waldron, Marco Gonzales, Kyle Hart and Triston McKenzie. That group would also fill the fifth rotation spot.
Like any manager who supports his players, Stammen expressed complete faith in this group to get it done but also reminded everyone that Preller is always working and new players wouldn’t be a surprise.
None of us should be shocked that Stammen was correct. On Saturday, the day before the official first day of workouts for the whole squad, Preller signed OF/DH/1B Nick Castellanos to a one-year deal for the league minimum of $780,000 after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. This is a low risk move for the Friars and Castellanos has reportedly been working out at first base during the offseason in preparation for a move in position.
Within minutes of that report, another popped up on the internet. Right-handed starter Griffin Canning reportedly signed a one-year deal and profiles as a backend of the rotation starter. He is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury and surgery while playing for the New York Mets. Reports are that he could be ready for the start of the season.
A few hours later there was another reported signing. Right-handed starter German Marquez signed a one-year deal with the team. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023 with a difficult return and then had a stress reaction and biceps tendinitis in 2024 and 2025 with the Colorado Rockies. He seeks to get back to being the reliable back-end starter he was during the first years of his time in Colorado.
Instead of two bats and a pitcher, Preller signed two bats and two pitchers to add much needed depth to the roster. With only one 40-man roster spot available after signing Andujar, fitting all these players on the roster will require some moves before they can become official.
Minor league signings
Before all this excitement, outfielder Jake Cunningham, 23, was signed to a minor league contract and should be assigned to either Fort Wayne or San Antonio this season.
1B/DH Leandro Cedeño, 27, distinguished himself with the Venezuela winter league champions and bypassed a reported intention to play in Mexico this year by signing a minor league contact with the Padres. He played the last three seasons in the NPB.
RHP Daichi Moriki, 22, was signed to a minor league contract from the NPB. He had a 6.87 ERA over four seasons and has had command issues.
International agreement
The Padres reached a pre-agreement for the 2027 International class with RHP Yoel King, 16, from the Dominican Republic. He is considered the best pitcher in the class and will receive the highest bonus of his class. He reportedly already throws 100 mph with his fastball.
WBC updates
Padres reliever Alek Jacob was selected to pitch for Team Israel in the WBC and will also leave camp when the others leave on March 1. The Padres have regulars Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts all leaving. Relievers Mason Miller, Wandy Peralta and Yuki Matsui are also joining their WBC teams.
Padres minor league pitchers Victor Lizarraga and Omar Cruz are both joining Team Mexico as reserves for the WBC.
Padres pitcher Yu Darvish released a statement on social media stating that he will be with Samurai Japan for the WBC as an advisor for the team. Although he intends to join the Padres spring camp at some point, he will be gone helping Japan in the tournament. Reports continue that Darvish will walk away from his Padres contract after the details are worked out. He has not announced any plans beyond that.
Some of the game’s best
Miller, Morejon and Adam were all named as top 10 relievers by MLB Network. They join Machado as the No. 5 ranked third baseman, Tatis Jr. as the No. 6 right fielder and Jackson Merrill as the No. 5 center fielder. All three were rated higher in fan poles than the official rankings by MLB Network.
Jhonny Brito update
Manager Craig Stammen was asked in his Saturday morning media scrum about the progress of RHP Jhonny Brito, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Stammen said he is throwing off a mound and has had no setbacks yet. He will not be available any earlier than mid-season and it could be later than that.
MLB media
The Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings are officially joining MLB media for their broadcast rights, terminating their agreement with FanDuel Sports Network. The Tigers will be broadcast by MLB starting this season while the Red Wings have this season left on the FanDuel Network and will join MLB as their media partner starting in the 2026-2027 season. Although not yet official, there could be 14 to 16 teams with MLB as their broadcast partners for the new season.
Bryant produced a perfect score on his first dunk attempt of the final round, but couldn’t complete his initial dunk on his second attempt, which made the difference in the contest.
Johnson showed a level of confidence and showmanship with his dunks and dancing on the court as a representative of the Bay Area.
Keshad Johnson NBA stats
Johnson has averaged 2.9 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 37 games played during his two seasons with the Miami Heat. Johnson has also competed in the G-League.
When was Keshad Johnson drafted?
Johnson went undrafted in 2024. He signed a two-way contract with the Heat on July 1, 2024. His contract was converted from a two-way contract to a regular contract by Miami on Dec. 26, 2024.
Where did Keshad Johnson go to college?
Johnson spent the first four seasons of his college career with San Diego State, from 2019 to 2023. He decided to transfer to Arizona for his final season of eligibility. He started the last 107 games he played in college career.
Keshad Johnson college stats
Johnson averaged 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and one assist per game in 149 games played during his college career.
Where did Keshad Johnson go to high school?
The forward went to San Leandro High School, just south of Oakland, California.
A second-year forward out of Arizona, Johnson was crowned champion of the slam dunk Contest. An Oakland native, Johnson represented for the Bay Area from his introduction to every dunk, which was followed by a little dance.
"First and foremost, thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for allowing me to be here. Everybody's journey is different," Johnson said. "So all the kids out there, keep dreaming. Have crazy faith. Crazy faith, not just regular faith. Have crazy faith. Anything can happen."
Johnson danced his way to victory with showstopping dunks, showing an array of moves and love to California along the way.
"I just came out here and showed the people who Showtime was. We had all the legends out. I'm from California, brought my own Bay Area swag to L.A. We're all one. It's for the whole West Coast right here, baby," Johnson said. "In the Bay, we do it a little different, you know, we got our own little swag. So I had to bring the legend E-40 out, you know? And do my little thizz, do my little smeeze, put on, you know. And I'm also taking this back to the 305, in Miami too."
Johnson said it's a blessing to be in his shoes.
"I would just say like the blessing that God give me, it's abundant," he said. "They keep flooding, they keep flooding, and it's really beyond, beyond my comprehension. So that's why I just have to take a second and really thank Him. I'm speechless right now. It's the Lord. I give it all credit to the Lord, all glory to God."
Check out the highlights from the 2026 slam dunk contest, including all dunks and scores from the competition.
The dunk competition order in the first round went as followed:
Carter Bryant, San Antonio Spurs
Jase Richardson, Orlando Magic
Keshad Johnson, Miami Heat
Jaxson Hayes, Los Angeles Lakers
Check out some of the dunks and highlights from Saturday's slam dunk showcase:
NBA Slam Dunk Contest: First Round
Spurs guard and Southern California-native Carter Bryant got things going as he walked on to the floor with "Still Dre" by Dr. Dre playing in the background.
His first dunk was an ode to Vince Carter, as Bryant pulled out a 360-degree windmill jam.
He scored a 45.6 on the first dunk.
Riverside’s Carter Bryant walks out to Still Dre
On the first try he went up, down, and around on a 360 windmill, earning a 45.6 from the judges
Keshad Johnson represented for the Bay Area, the Oakland native bringing out legendary rapper E-40, as they were giggin' and going dumb to 40 Water's "Tell Me When To Go."
For his dunk choice, Johnson brought out a rock-the-cradle, Dr. J-esque type dunk as he leaped over E-40, while displaying the hand over the head, Karl "Mailman" Malone style.
To cap his dunk, he gave the fans his best dougie. He scored a 47.4 for the dunk, not the dance.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes seemed a little nervous and had a less-than-impressive first dunk, but he was saved by Dwight Howard, a judge, who gave a generous 47 score to keep the fellow big man in contention.
Hayes scored the lowest on his first dunk so he was the first to land a second dunk. For his second choice, he decided to spice things up a bit.
The Lakers' seventh-year center went with a self-toss, tap to himself before going for an East Bay, between-the-legs funk dunk. He was awarded a 47.2 on the second dunk.
Jaxson Hayes taps it to himself & goes between the legs for his second slam in @ATT Slam Dunk 😤
Bryant, on his second dunk, gave the crowd a self-toss, windmill jam where he nearly saw inside of the rim he was so high. He earned a 49.2 on the dunk. He advanced to the final round.
Johnson, who earned the nickname "Flight 305," scored a 45.4 on his second dunk, which was a reverse cradle, two-hand slam. He advanced to the final round with the jam.
Johnson "squabbled up" after the dunk, this dance being more LA-inspired, fitting for the site of All-Star weekend.
Keshad Johnson’s second dunk moves him into the FINAL!
Johnson opened the final round with a self-toss, between-the-legs reverse dunk. He scored a nearly-perfect, 49.6 score for his first dunk of the final round.
His dance afterwards, just a little smeeze dance, another ode to the Bay Area.
Bryant, in the final round, answered Johnson's opening dunk with a jaw-dropping jam of his own. Bryant brought out the self-toss, between-the-legs at the front of the rim.
He was given a perfect 50 for the action.
CARTER BRYANT WITH A 50 🔥
He needs a 47.5 on his final attempt to win @ATT Slam Dunk!
Johnson, for his final dunk attempt, responded with a one-handed windmill from just inside the free throw line. He got a 47.8 score which put him in position to secure the win.
It was Bryant's contest to win but multiple misses in the final round as time ticked down led to his demise. He attempted a between-the-legs self-toss, 180-degree reverse two-hand jam. He never made it.
He wouldn't go without a jam, finishing with a 360-degree slam as the dunk clock wound down. He earned a 43 for it.
Unaware of the rules, Bryant could've allowed time to expire and chose one dunk to attempt.
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard hoists the trophy after tying the record with his third three-point title Saturday at Intuit Dome. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
On a holiday celebrating love and affection, thousands of enthusiastic basketball fans showed up at Intuit Dome to cheer for their favorite NBA players in a trifecta of skills competitions on the eve of the league’s 75th annual All-Star Game.
Getting Saturday off to a scintillating start was the three-point contest — one of All-Star Weekend’s most coveted prizes since Larry Bird won the initial contest in 1986 as well as the next two.
Portland’s Damian Lillard joined Bird and Craig Hodges (1990-92) as the only three-time winners with a stunning exhibition in the final round, ending up with a score of 29 — two better than runner-up and 2018 champion Devin Booker of Phoenix. Lillard equaled the best final-round score, set by Karl-Anthony Towns in 2022.
“I came out here excited to do it,” said Lillard, a nine-time All-Star who is sitting out this season after surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon last April. “I can’t say I knew I’d win but I came in confident. This is my sixth time doing it … this felt like a game to me.”
Lillard went second in the finals and watched anxiously from the bench as it looked like Booker would overtake him before missing his last three shots from the corner.
“At the end I was at his mercy but it worked out,” said Lillard, who won with 26 points in 2023 and 2024. “I was once a fan too — as a kid I went to the All-Star Game in Oakland— and fans want to see their guys. That’s what made me want to be a part of it.”
In the first round, eight players had 70 seconds to shoot 27 balls from five designated spots on the court. Booker posted the highest score (30) and also making the finals with 27 points each were Lillard and Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel. Donovan Mitchell (24), Norman Powell (23), Jamal Murray (18), Tyrese Maxey (17) and Bobby Portis Jr. (15) were eliminated.
Next up was the shooting stars competition, which returned to All-Star Weekend after a 10-year hiatus and featured four teams, each consisting of two current NBA players and one retired “legend.”
Jalen Brunson, Towns and Allan Houston led Team Knicks to a 47-38 triumph over Team Cameron, made up of Duke alums Jalen Johnson, Knueppel and Corey Maggette, a former Clipper.
“This was cool and the game’s become more and more international,” said Brunson, who got passes from his dad, Rick, a New York assistant coach. “Basketball is a universal language. Winning’s always fun, not just beating a team from Duke.”
In the semifinals, Team Knicks beat Team Harper (Dylan Harper of San Antonio, Ron Harper Jr. of Boston and their father, five-time NBA champion Ron Harper) while Team Cameron beat Team All-Star (Scottie Barnes of Toronto, Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City and three-time All-Star Richard Hamilton).
From left, Rick Brunson, Allan Houston, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns hold the winners' trophies after the shooting stars competition. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Was it a case of the old guy carrying the young guys?
“He did his job,” Towns joked about Houston, who played for the Knicks from 1996 to 2005 and serves as general manager of their G League team.
Shooting stars was a regular feature from 2004 to 2015 and originally featured an NBA player, a WNBA player and a retired player on each team shooting from four locations. This year, each team had 70 seconds to score points by shooting from seven areas worth anywhere from two to four points.
Rounding out the Valentine’s Day festivities was the crowd-pleasing slam-dunk contest, showcasing the individuality and athleticism of its four first-time participants: Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio forward Carter Bryant, Miami forward Keshad Johnson and Orlando rookie guard Jase Richardson.
Johnson, who measured a 42-inch vertical leap at the 2024 draft combine, ultimately raised the gold trophy following a final round total of 97.4. He made a side-to-side move at the rim on his penultimate attempt, then sprinted the length of the court and soared for a windmill jam on his last effort.
“Everyone make some noise,” the jubilant Johnson told the roomful of reporters afterward. “It’s a dream. I beat the odds. Every year I watched the dunk contest and I learned from all the people before me.”
Slam dunk winner Keshad Johnson goes between the legs while dunking. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Bryant settled for second with 93 despite a perfect score of 50 after he bounced the ball off the floor, under his leg for a one-handed stuff that drew thunderous applause on his first try before making a less-difficult 360-degree shot with time running out on his second attempt.
“I really wanted him to finish that last one,” Johnson said. “Both of us are from U of A [Arizona], so we wanted to put on a show and we did.”
In the opening round all four players attempted two dunks, receiving a score between 40 and 50 per try. Bryant (94.8) and Johnson (92.8) qualified for the final dunk-off, in which both got two more attempts.
“Dunking is an art and it’s kind of hard to come up with new stuff,” said Johnson, an Oakland native who leaped over Bay Area rapper E-40 on his first dunk. “My goal is to just be myself and put my own flavor in it.”
Spurred on by the hometown crowd, Hayes was third at 91.8 while Richardson, the son of two-time winner Jason Richardson, was last at 88.8.
Judging were former champions Nate Robinson, Dominique Wilkins, Brent Barry, former Lakers center Dwight Howard and fans on the NBA app.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes rises for a tomahawk dunk. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Julius Irving won the first dunk contest in 1976, the year before the ABA-NBA merger. Robinson (2006, 2009, 2010) and Mac McClung are the only three-time winners. McClung, the previous champion and only player to win three years in a row, announced in January he would not defend his title.
That opened the door for a new winner in Johnson.
“Being undrafted and in the G League and being the underdogs at San Diego State… I’ve learned how to dream dreams,” said Johnson, who keyed the Aztecs' surprising run to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 in 2023 before transferring to Arizona. “I’m so grateful to be here. I’m from Oakland, the West Coast is home to me and I felt like the fans were with me.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nate Ament scored 22 points, including nine of Tennessee's last 11 points, and the Volunteers defeated LSU 73-63 on Saturday night.
The game was tied six times, the last at 50-all before Ja’Kobi Gillespie buried two 3-pointers and J.P. Estrella scored on three tip-ins to send Tennessee to a 62-53 lead with seven minutes left.
Marquel Sutton scored seven points to get LSU within 64-60 two minutes later, but Ament closed out the win with a jumper and five free throws.
Ament was just 6-of-19 shootings but 10 of 11 from the line. He had nine rebounds. This was the freshman's sixth 20-point game in the last nine.
Estrella had 16 points and nine rebounds and Gillespie scored 12 for the Volunteers (18-7, 8-4 SEC).
Sutton and Jalen Reece each scored 15 points, Pablo Tamba 13, and Michael Nwoko 10 for LSU (14-11, 2-10).
A 12-3 run gave Tennessee a 21-10 lead midway through the first half and the Vols' largest lead was 31-19 after two Ethan Burge 3s. A three-point play by Nwoko and a 3 by from Tamba helped LSU get within 35-29 at the half.
The Tigers made three 3s in the first four minutes of the second half and took their first lead of the game when Sutton hit two free throws and followed up a minute later with a dunk for a 44-41 advantage.
Tennessee has won five straight in the series.
LSU coach Matt McMahon announced on Saturday that point guard DJ Thomas Jr. will have surgery on his left-foot and will miss the rest of the season.
This spring, the hard-throwing 22-year-old will get a chance to show the Yankees up close why he has begun to climb onto many of those Top 100 prospect lists.
Lagrange is a few days into his first big league camp and, judging by his first bullpen session, Saturday, there will be plenty of eyes on him as long as he is here.
A 6-foot-7 frame with a big arm that can reach triple digits will do that.
“We’re excited about him, for good reason,” manager Aaron Boone said. “His size obviously stands out. But just the downhill he creates with obviously a huge fastball, really good changeup and then the slider and the sweeper. For him, it’s just a matter of continuing to get better with the command and strike throwing.
Yankees prospect Carlos Lagrange throws a pitch during his Feb. 14, 2026 bullpen session. Charles Wenzelberg
“And on top of it, just one of those kids over there that you get really great makeup reports on. He’s a leader, takes initiative. He’s got a lot of the intangibles as well as obviously a ton of talent.”
Lagrange is coming off a big year for his development, when he stayed healthy and pitched to a 3.53 ERA with 168 strikeouts across 120 innings across High-A and Double-A.
The right-hander also made some strides with his command, which has been his bugaboo (and remains a work in progress) since the Yankees signed him as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic.
He walked just 12 batters in 41 ²/₃ innings at High-A before walking 50 in 78 ¹/₃ innings at Double-A.
The Yankees want to give him every opportunity to remain a starter, though some scouts believe he will eventually end up in the bullpen, which is also where he could make a more immediate impact in The Bronx — perhaps as early as this season.
“I want to show I can compete,” Lagrange said. “Try to help my teammates and the team, do whatever they want.”
General manager Brian Cashman has mentioned Lagrange (among others, including fellow top prospect Elmer Rodríguez) multiple times when talking about the pitching depth the Yankees have that could help fill spots in the bullpen.
Asked specifically Friday whether he would be comfortable with Lagrange or Rodriguez pitching in a relief role this season, he did not rule it out.
“It’s easy to always say you want to keep guys staying in the starting rotation and stay on their turn and be depth and continue their journey to build innings as they’re developing, but at the same time, you got to rob Peter to pay Paul at times and do that balancing act where you got to service the major league club,” Cashman said. “A lot of major league starters historically break in out of the pen, too, when they get their feet wet.”
When the clock ran out on the Yankees' 2025 season, it wasn't long before Carlos Rodon went under the knife to shave down a bone spur and remove loose bodies from his elbow.
The procedure was a surprise to many in the industry, but the southpaw revealed to the media after Saturday's workout that he had been managing the pain in his elbow through the season.
“It was fun every day to challenge myself to go pitch,” Rodon said. “Did it hurt sometimes pitching? Sure, but I’d rather go out there and compete. I was throwing well, so I couldn’t just say, ‘Oh, I can’t pitch.’ It was manageable."
A big reason why the announcement of the surgery came as a surprise was that Rodon enjoyed his best season as a Yankee in 2025. He pitched to an 18-9 record and a 3.09 ERA, en route to his third All-Star selection. Rodon said he's had aches in his elbow for three or four years, describing it as "chronic" and that had gotten worse over time.
However, Rodon said he decided to undergo surgery because he noticed his velocity dip as the season went along.
Post-surgery, Rodon said his arm felt like it "got ran over by a bus" but he has since received two PRP injections. The most recent came about 10 days ago.
Despite those feelings, Rodon is on the mend and has already thrown a few bullpen sessions this spring. On Saturday, he threw off a mound for the first time since that second PRP injection and he is just working on upping his velocity, and that it's a slow progression.
Manager Aaron Boone said that Rodon's range of motion in his left arm is right where they want it to be after his latest bullpen, which was an issue a season ago. In fact, by the time the season ended, Rodon admitted he could barely button his shirt due.
Rodon, who had Tommy John surgery as a member of the Giants in 2019, didn't worry about his elbow issues in 2025. He knew he could be serviceable and that he wanted to be there for his team.
“Being a guy that’s been on the injured list a good part of his career, missing that time sucks,” Rodon said. “Not being able to compete, it’s hard. I’d rather be pitching. If I think I can pitch at 80 percent, or whatever it is, and help the team win and I could do that, I’m gonna do that because that’s what I was brought here to do.”
So, now that he's thrown five or six bullpens, when can Rodon get into a spring training game? He said he hopes sooner rather than later. When asked if April was a possibility, the 33-year-old said with a laugh, "that would be great."
Rodon will likely miss the start of the season, but he won't be alone as the Yankees won't have Gerrit Cole (Tommy John rehab) and Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John) to start the year as well.
"His range of motion is right where they would want it to be" @NikiLattarulo breaks down day four of Spring Training, including an update on Carlos Rodón's progression after receiving a PRP injection in his elbow and when to expect him back: pic.twitter.com/81NZoOCVW9
The right-handed pitcher has agreed to a deal with the Padres on Saturday, according to multiple reports.
The 29-year-old, who is working to come back after rupturing his left Achilles last summer, is expected to add to much-needed depth to San Diego’s starting rotation.
Griffin Canning pitches in the first inning of the Mets’ win over the Braes on June 26, 2025 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Terms of the contract are not yet known.
The deal, which has yet to be confirmed by the club, was followed by a one-year contract with starting pitcher Germán Márquez, according to ESPN.
The 30-year-old Marquez will be looking to have a bounce-back season after struggling with a 6.70 ERA in 2025 with the Rockies.
On top of the Padres’ pitching moves, an offense-boosting one-year deal was made on Saturday with veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos, who was released by the Phillies after four seasons on Thursday.
Canning was a second-round draft pick by the Angels in 2017 and made his debut two years later.
Nevertheless, with a 4.78 ERA across five seasons, he never lived up to high expectations.
Griffin Canning is helped from the field after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury on June 26, 2025 at Citi Field. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
And in 2024, he went 6-13 with a 5.19 ERA in 31 starts before getting dealt to the Braves as part of a Jorge Soler salary dump. But Canning was non-tendered by Atlanta, and the Mets eventually grabbed him.
Team Knicks took home the Shooting Stars victory on a thrilling last-second shot by Jalen Brunson to beat Team Cameron on Saturday night at NBA All-Star Weekend.
The trio of Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and NBA legend Allan Houston put up 47 points after Brunson and Houston drained two half-court shots in the final seconds, beating Team Cameron's 38 points in the competition's first showing at the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities.
The contest consisted of shots from various spots on the court, including a layup, from the elbow and a few three-point shots.
DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 03: North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Tre Holloman (#5) dribbles the ball as SMU Mustangs guard B.J. Edwards (#0) applies pressure during the ACC college basketball game between the SMU Mustangs and the North Carolina State Wolfpack on February 3, 2026, at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, TX. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Game Summary:
I would guess Miami got pretty much what they wanted in the first half, other than making free throws. McNeil was 0-1, Williams had 5 points, and Copeland was driving to the basket a lot and only had 2 assists. Rebounding was a nightmare to watch, Miami had 11 offensive rebounds and led total rebounds 20-13.
The second half was very similar, however Paul McNeil got hot and while the Wolfpack wasn’t doing a lot well, they were scoring and slowing the Hurricanes enough to maintain a lead. Then the Wolfpack just gave the game away.
With 1:07 left, Lubin grabbed a rare offensive rebound and put it back in for a 76-69 Pack lead. NC State would not score again. Lubin turned it over, then Holloman turned it over, Copeland fouled with 27 seconds, but they missed, then Copeland got fouled with 17 seconds left and missed the front end of the 1 & 1, and with NC State holding a 2-point lead, at the 3 second mark Williams fouled the 3PT shooter. Washington made all three free throws for the final score, 77-76.
Teams
eFG%
TO%
OR%
FTR
Wolfpack
57.3%
15.9%
28.6%
27.3%
Miami
50.0%
14.1%
48.8%
29.9%
Overall Takeaways:
The Pack had this game won, and gave it away in the final minute
Miami had 20 offensive rebounds resulting in 12 more FG attempts
Coach Wade Post Game Comments
Individual Highlights
Matt Able had one of his better games and tied for the scoring lead with Lubin with 17
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Australia has won the New Zealand leg of the SailGP series, though racing was overshadowed by a crash involving New Zealand and France on Saturday which left a sailor from each team with serious injuries.
Driver Tom Slingsby steered the Australian Flying Roos to victory in the three-boat final Sunday ahead of Spain and Britain. Britain won the first event of the series in Perth, Australia and now shares the overall series lead with the Australians.
Organizers decided to break the fleet into two groups for racing on the second day Sunday because of expected high winds. For the first time in SailGP history 13 boats took part in racing Saturday and congestion on a narrow course might have been a factor in the crash which saw the New Zealand and French boats extensively damaged.
Louis Sinclair, a “grinder” who works the winches on the New Zealand boat, suffered compound fractures to both legs when the New Zealand Black Foils and France collided at almost 90 kmh (56 mph).
‘Successful surgery’
In a statement Sunday, the New Zealand team said "Sinclair has had successful surgery on his right leg overnight after injuries suffered during yesterday’s collision with France.
“The medical team involved in Sinclair’s treatment have been fantastic and are pleased with the results of the surgery and are positive about his ongoing recovery.”
Team New Zealand said “a comprehensive review of yesterday’s incident will be conducted in coordination with SailGP.”
France strategist Manon Audinet also was injured in the crash. The French team said Audinet suffered abdominal injuries.
“She was thrown forward on impact and actually broke the steering wheel of the French boat,” a team statement said. “The entire Team France has Manon Audinet and Louis Sinclair in their thoughts and stands fully alongside them during this time.”
Racing against the clock
New Zealand and France now face a tight schedule to repair their boats in time for the next leg of the series in Sydney in two weeks time. France suffered damage to one hull but the New Zealand boat seems to be far more extensively damaged.
Racing on Sunday took place in gusty conditions ahead of an impending thunderstorm and the highest speed recorded by any of the matching 50-foot catamarans was 101.99 kmh (63 mph).
