Italian comfortably beats Félix Auger-Aliassime 6-0, 6-2
Fifth man this century to hit 25 straight hard-court wins
Jannik Sinner extended his winning run on hard courts to 25 matches with a ruthless dismissal of Félix Auger-Aliassime in the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals. Playing in his first tournament since lifting his fourth grand slam title at Wimbledon, the world No 1 and defending champion powered to a 6-0, 6-2 victory against the Canadian.
Auger-Aliassime had won both his previous matches against Sinner but could offer little resistance on Thursday, with the 23-year-old Italian beginning and ending the contest with runs of six games in a row, completing victory in just 71 minutes.
Arne Slot has said Florian Wirtz must reach the standards set by Mohamed Salah to realise Liverpool’s expectations of their new record signing.
Wirtz will make his Premier League debut when the champions open the season at home to Bournemouth on Friday. Slot said the Germany international’s “adjustment went better than expected, and we already expected a lot”, but admitted a more accurate gauge would take time.
WASHINGTON — For the first time since being swept in late June by the Astros, the Phillies have a true losing streak.
They fell to a third consecutive defeat Thursday night at Nationals Park, dropping a 3-2 game to Washington in the opener of a four-game series.
The 69-52 Phillies have totaled three runs during the three-game streak. The team is now 4-3 on its 10-game road trip.
“Just probably trying to do a little bit too much,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of his club’s recent struggles pushing across runs. “We’ve got to get back to using the entire field, doing the little things. Big things will happen.
“It’s not like they’re not working at it. You can hear a bunch of hitters in the cages right now. We’ve just got to fight through it.”
Starter Jesus Luzardo dipped to 11-6 on the season. He went six-plus innings and allowed four hits and three runs. Luzardo struck out seven and walked three.
Luzardo’s sweeper was especially sharp in the early going. He notched five strikeouts over the first two innings, four on sweepers.
The sweeper is a new pitch for Luzardo this season and it’s been elite. Entering Thursday, batters had a .189 average and 43.8 percent whiff rate against it, according to Baseball Savant.
“Being able to land that thing has been big all year,” Luzardo said. “Just being able to throw it for strikes, throw it for chase, throw it in big counts, leverage counts — maybe 3-2 or 2-2 counts where most guys are looking for the fastball. … I think I went through a rough stretch where I didn’t have a really good feel for it, but lately it’s been a good weapon for me again.”
The Phillies didn’t need any loud contact against Nationals righty Brad Lord to take the lead in the third inning. Bryson Stott led off by squibbing a double over the third-base bag and Trea Turner followed with an infield single. After Kyle Schwarber struck out, Bryce Harper tapped an RBI ground ball to shortstop.
Washington tied it up an inning later. Paul DeJong cracked a first-pitch Luzardo fastball just over the left-field wall.
The Phils bounced right back with two outs in the fifth.
Turner picked up another infield hit, and this one came with a shattered bat. Schwarber then clubbed a 3-1 heater off the right-center wall and Turner scored the go-ahead run. He added a third infield knock in the seventh inning.
Luzardo’s seventh was not smooth at all.
DeJong walked, Riley Adams doubled and Daylen Lile walked. Luzardo exited and Orion Kerkering entered with no outs and the bases loaded.
“I thought I threw the ball well, felt really good going into the seventh,” Luzardo said. “Just frustrated with the way it ended, obviously, walking two guys. … The hit happens, but the walks are kind of what rubs me the wrong way about the outing.
“But besides that, I think the first six were great. We got through a good lineup, just kind of mixed and matched, kept them off balance.”
Kerkering couldn’t escape the inherited trouble. Jose Tena ripped a one-out hit to left-center through the Phillies’ drawn-in infield and the Nationals went on top.
The Phillies threatened to even the game in the top of the ninth but couldn’t manage it.
Max Kepler singled and Edmundo Sosa got him to second base with a sacrifice bunt on a 3-1 count.
“Just the fact that we wanted to tie it up, because I felt like we had more bullpen than they did,” Thomson said of the bunt decision. “And win it in extra innings if we didn’t score two in the ninth.”
Bryson Stott grounded out to first and the game ended with Turner waving at a Cole Henry sinker in on his hands.
Bohm’s rehab stint
Alec Bohm went 2 for 5 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s Thursday night game. That puts him at 3 for 17 overall with a homer and a triple in four rehab outings as he works his way back from a fractured left rib.
How much longer will Bohm’s rehab assignment last?
“Through tomorrow for sure, and then we’ll see,” Thomson said pregame.
Pitching plans
The scheduled starters Friday night are the Phils’ Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.68 ERA) and the Nats’ MacKenzie Gore (5-12, 4.09 ERA).
With the Phillies moving to a six-man rotation for the time being, Taijuan Walker will start Saturday and Aaron Nola will return Sunday. Ranger Suarez is set to pitch Monday in Philadelphia against the Mariners.
WASHINGTON — For the first time since being swept in late June by the Astros, the Phillies have a true losing streak.
They fell to a third consecutive defeat Thursday night at Nationals Park, dropping a 3-2 game to Washington in the opener of a four-game series.
The 69-52 Phillies have totaled three runs during the three-game streak. The team is now 4-3 on its 10-game road trip.
Starter Jesus Luzardo dipped to 11-6 on the season. He went six-plus innings and allowed four hits and three runs. Luzardo struck out seven and walked three.
Luzardo’s sweeper was especially sharp in the early going. He notched five strikeouts over the first two innings, four on sweepers.
The sweeper is a new pitch for Luzardo this season and it’s been elite. Entering Thursday, batters had a .189 average and 43.8 percent whiff rate against it, according to Baseball Savant.
The Phillies didn’t need any loud contact against Nationals righty Brad Lord to take the lead in the third inning. Bryson Stott led off by squibbing a double over the third-base bag and Trea Turner followed with an infield single. After Kyle Schwarber struck out, Bryce Harper tapped an RBI ground ball to shortstop.
Washington tied it up an inning later. Paul DeJong cracked a first-pitch Luzardo fastball just over the left-field wall.
The Phils bounced right back with two outs in the fifth.
Turner picked up another infield hit, and this one came with a shattered bat. Schwarber then clubbed a 3-1 heater off the right-center wall and Turner scored the go-ahead run. He added a third infield knock in the seventh inning.
Luzardo’s seventh was not smooth at all.
DeJong walked, Riley Adams doubled and Daylen Lile walked. Luzardo exited and Orion Kerkering entered with no outs and the bases loaded.
He couldn’t escape the inherited trouble. Jose Tena ripped a one-out hit to left-center through the Phillies’ drawn-in infield and Washington went on top.
The Phillies threatened to even the game in the top of the ninth but couldn’t manage it.
Max Kepler singled and Edmundo Sosa got him to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Bryson Stott then grounded out to first and the game ended with Turner waving at a Cole Henry sinker in on his hands.
Bohm’s rehab stint
Alec Bohm went 2 for 5 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s Thursday night game. That puts him at 3 for 17 overall with a homer and a triple in four rehab outings as he works his way back from a fractured left rib.
How much longer will Bohm’s rehab assignment last?
“Through tomorrow for sure, and then we’ll see,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said pregame.
Pitching plans
The scheduled starters Friday night are the Phils’ Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.68 ERA) and the Nats’ MacKenzie Gore (5-12, 4.09 ERA).
With the Phillies moving to a six-man rotation for the time being, Taijuan Walker will start Saturday and Aaron Nola will return Sunday. Ranger Suarez is set to pitch Monday in Philadelphia against the Mariners.
Five years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks took a commanding 2–0 series lead against the St. Louis Blues in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This came after the Canucks defeated the Minnesota Wild in four games of their qualifying series in order to officially advance to the playoffs.
Vancouver had a tough task ahead of them in their first official playoff run since 2015. They were tasked with defeating the defending Stanley Cup Champions, a Blues team who had previously clawed their way back from being dead-last in the standings mid-season to defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games to clinch their first championship in franchise history. For Vancouver, winning this series would prove to those around them that their successes from the regular season weren’t just based on luck.
Game 1 was a pleasant surprise for Canucks fans. Up until the third period, Vancouver and St. Louis kept their audience on the edge of their seats. Canucks captain Bo Horvat opened the series scoring with a power play tally less than five minutes into the game. Around 10 minutes after, David Perron tied things up while also on the man-advantage, settling the score at 1–1 by the end of the first. Elias Pettersson gave Vancouver the lead on the power play once again, though his goal was quickly neutralized by one from Jaden Schwartz.
Despite the 2–2 score heading into the third period, from then on, Vancouver took things over. A little more than five minutes into the final frame, Troy Stecher found the back of the net to score what would ultimately be the game-winning goal. Horvat got his second goal of the game three minutes after that. Finally, J.T. Miller scored Vancouver’s third power play goal of the game to help the Canucks to a final score of 5–2 in Game 1.
Game 2 was a little more nerve-wracking. Horvat opened the scoring while shorthanded, tucking home his fifth goal of the playoffs seven minutes into the first period. Tanner Pearson added to Vancouver’s goal count on the man-advantage, scoring his third of the postseason and extending the Canucks’ lead to two. Ryan O’Reilly cut the Blues’ lead to one while on the power play, sending his team into the third period with only one more goal to score.
In the third period, Pettersson scored Vancouver’s third power play goal of the game, bringing the Canucks’ lead back up to two goals. With Game 2 on the line, Sammy Blais scored with 10 minutes left to cut his team’s deficit to one, while Schwartz scored the game-tying goal with only seven seconds left in the game to send both teams to overtime.
Only a couple of days before this game, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets played in five overtime periods before Brayden Point finally scored to end the game. Luckily for Vancouver and St. Louis, neither team had to wait as long for their game to conclude. It was Horvat who was on the receiving end of an up-ice pass from Quinn Hughes, tearing away from the Blues and scoring on Jordan Binnington to end the game at 4–3 for Vancouver. This was Horvat’s sixth goal of the postseason and second of the game.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
After a disappointing 2024-25 season, the Nets are on the rebuild and hope to turn the franchise's direction around.
Brooklyn finished the regular season 26-56, the sixth-worst record in the league, but wound up with the No. 8 pick after falling in the NBA Draft Lottery. GM Sean Marksselected guard Egor Demin from BYU and then drafted guard Nolan Traoré, wing Drake Powell, guard Ben Saraf, and big man Danny Wolf to round out the first round with a record five picks.
Marks also traded for wing Michael Porter Jr. from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for three-point specialist Cam Johnson, and acquired veteran wing Terrance Mann prior to the NBA Draft. They, along with five rookies, will join some returning players like Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe. Plus, Brooklyn hopes to have scoring guard Cam Thomas on the roster as well, but he's yet to sign his qualifying offer or a contract extension with the team. It's possible he could be a sign-and-trade candidate before the season tips off.
The NBA announced the regular season schedule on Thursday, so here are a few notes on what Nets fans can look forward to in 2025-26:
-- Brooklyn opens the regular season in Charlotte against the Hornets on Wednesday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m.
-- The Nets have just two nationally televised games on the slate: home against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, Nov. 3, on Peacock and Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, against the Chicago Bulls on ESPN.
-- They'll face off against the cross-town rival Knicks four times: Nov. 9 at New York, Nov. 25 at home, Jan. 21, 2026, at The Garden, and March 20, 2026, at the Barclays Center.
-- Some notable matchups against star players and top teams around the league include: at San Antonio vs. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on Oct. 26, followed by a trip to Houston vs. the Rockets and former Net Kevin Durant on Oct. 27, and home against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 29. The Dallas Mavericks, No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, and potentially former Net Kyrie Irving (depending on injury recovery), visit Brooklyn on Feb. 24, 2026.
Here's the entire Nets' 2025-26 regular season schedule:
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is among the highest-paid players in the NHL, and is expected to be a central figure in Sweden’s hopes for success at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano - Cortina, Italy next February. In a pre-season ranking of the league’s top blueliners, the Sabres team captain was ranked seventh by NHL Network.
The 25-year-old was selected first overall in 2018 and in his seventh season with the Sabres finished fourth in the NHL in defensive scoring with 68 points (17 goals, 51 assists) in 73 games, behind Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and the other two Norris finalists, Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars, fellow Swede Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets were ranked ahead of Dahlin, who scored in double figures for the fourth year in a row last season. Jacob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes, Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators, and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers filled out the top ten.
Despite Dahlin’s offensive consistency over the last four years, the Sabres are going to need him to play equally as proficiently at the defensive end of the ice for them to challenge for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference next season, along with seeing bigger contributions from fellow top overall pick Owen Power, the recently signed Bowen Byram, and newly acquired Michael Kesselring.
Our Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list has a total of: • 19 total All-Star Game appearances • 9 All-Rookie team honors • 6 James Norris Memorial Trophies • 2 Calder Trophies • 2 Conn Smythe Trophies • 9 Stanley Cups
Kawhi Leonard and James Harden return to lead the Clippers through their 2025-26 schedule. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac and Chris Paul are poised to lead the Clippers through a 2025-26 schedule that opens on the road but closes with four of its final six games at the Intuit Dome.
2025-26 Clippers schedule
OCTOBER
22: at Utah, 6; 24: vs. Phoenix, 7:30; 26: vs. Portland, 6; 28: at Golden State, 8; 31: vs. New Orleans, 7:30.
NOVEMBER
3: vs. Miami, 7:30; 4: vs. Oklahoma City, 8; 6: at Phoenix, 7:30; 8: vs. Phoenix, 7:30; 10: vs. Atlanta, 7:30; 12: vs. Denver, 7:30; 14: at Dallas, 5:30; 16: at Boston, 12:30; 17: at Philadelphia, 4; 20: at Orlando, 4; 22: at Charlotte, 10 a.m.; 23: at Cleveland, 3; 25: at Lakers, 8; 28: vs. Memphis, 7; 29: vs. Dallas, 7.
DECEMBER
1: at Miami, 4:30; 3: at Atlanta, 4:30; 5: at Memphis, 5; 6: at Minnesota, 5; 17: at Oklahoma City, 5; 20: vs. Lakers, 7:30; 23: vs. Houston, 8; 26: at Portland, 7; 28: vs. Detroit, 6; 30: vs. Sacramento, 8.
JANUARY
1: vs. Utah, 7:30; 3: vs. Boston, 7:30; 5: vs. Golden State, 7; 7: at New York, 4:30; 9: at Brooklyn, 4:30; 10: at Detroit, 4:30; 12: vs. Charlotte, 7:30; 14: vs. Washington, 7:30; 16: at Toronto, 4:30; 19: at Washington, noon; 20: at Chicago, 5; 22: vs. Lakers, 7; 25: vs. Brooklyn, 6; 27: at Utah, 7; 30; 30: at Denver, 7.
FEBRUARY
1: at Phoenix, 5; 2: vs. Philadelphia, 7:30; 4: vs. Cleveland, 7:30; 6: at Sacramento, 7; 8: at Minnesota, noon; 10: at Houston, 5; 11: at Houston, 5; 19: vs. Denver, 7:30; 20: at Lakers, 7; 22: vs. Orlando, 6; 26: vs. Minnesota, 7.
MARCH
1: vs. New Orleans, 6; 2: at Golden State, 7; 4: vs. Indiana, 7:30; 6: at San Antonio, 6:30; 7: at Memphis, 5; 9: vs. New York, 7; 11: vs. Minnesota, 7:30; 13: vs. Chicago, 7:30; 14: vs. Sacramento, 7:30; 16: vs. San Antonio, 7:30; 18: at New Orleans, 5; 19: at New Orleans, 5; 21: at Dallas, 5:30; 23: vs. Milwaukee, 7:30; 25: vs. Toronto, 7:30; 27: at Indiana, 4; 29: at Milwaukee, 12:30; 31: vs. Portland, 8.
APRIL
2: vs. San Antonio, 7:30; 5: at Sacramento, 6; 7: vs. Dallas, 7:30; 8: vs. Oklahoma City, 7; 10: at Portland, 7; 12: vs. Golden State, 5:30.
Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza met with reporters ahead of Thursday's rubber game with the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.
Here's what the second-year manager had to say...
Frankie Montas available out of the bullpen
Mendoza confirmed that Thursday night's game will mark the first time that starter-turned-reliever Frankie Montas will be available to pitch out of the bullpen, given the fact that he would be pitching on his standard four days rest.
And while the club anticipates using him in a Paul Blackburn-esque role as a long man, Mendoza made it clear that life in the bullpen isn't always that straightforward.
"That’s the one thing when we were talking to him, we’ll do our best to give him more time to get loose, but life in the bullpen, things happen fast," Mendoza said. "Right now, his spot is in the bullpen and whenever we call his name, we’re counting on him. So, he’s going to play a big role for us up there, and he’ll step out."
"He’s on regular rest," Mendoza said later. "…Probably a multi-inning guy, like the long man out of the bullpen, but you never know. Things happen, and who knows if we play extra innings and he’s pitching because of where we’re at. As of right now, I see him more in the Blackburn role, length, but there are going to be days that, depending on where we’re at bullpen-wise, he might be asked to pitch multiple innings."
Nothing changing with Clay Holmes' role
With Clay Holmes' season innings count now at 126.0, the righty is closing in on doubling his previous career best of 70.0 innings in 2021. And while there was never a doubt that Holmes would blow past his previous innings numbers, given that this is his first full season as a starter, some signs of fatigue are beginning to show.
Holmes has pitched to a 5.79 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP over his last seven starts, and he has not made it past the sixth inning since June 7.
Still, Mendoza believes that Holmes is in a good place physically, noting that he checks in with he training staff after every outing, as does every other starter.
"He continues to check those boxes, and in talking to him, he keeps saying he’s fine," Mendoza said. "The numbers and everything keep saying that he’s in a good place. We will continue to monitor it, but nothing differently."
So Holmes will remain in the starting rotation?
"Yeah," Mendoza said. "I mean, he’s going to keep getting opportunities."
Louis Rees-Zammit has sealed his return to rugby from American football after signing for Bristol. The 24-year-old, who has been capped 32 times by Wales, announced in January 2024 that he was quitting rugby to join the NFL’s international player pathway program. He signed for the Kansas City Chiefs and then the Jacksonville Jaguars, but failed to make a breakthrough and has opted to return to his roots.
Rees-Zammit said on the club website: “Bristol Bears was the obvious choice for me. I want to get fans out of their seats, create exciting moments and help people fall in love with the game. I’m excited to return to rugby at a club that demands those values.”
A federal investigation into alleged point shaving and game fixing in college basketball is nearing its end, Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde and Michael Rosenberg reported. The inquiry is focused on “Southern Schools,” according to SI. Investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania conducted interviews with players suspected of influencing their […]
LeBron James, center, and Luka Doncic are set to lead the Lakers through an NBA schedule that includes the season opener and a Christmas game at home. (LM Otero / Associated Press)
As LeBron James enters his record-setting 23rd NBA season and superstar Luka Doncic returns for his first full season in L.A., the Lakers are tied with the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks for the most nationally televised games in the league.
The NBA announced the regular season schedule Thursday, and the Lakers’ slate highlights the league’s growing number of broadcast partners. The Lakers open the season at home against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21 on NBC, have ABC/ESPN’s 5 p.m. prime-time slot against the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day and will welcome a familiar face back to Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 28 on Prime.
Anthony Davis’ return to L.A. with the Dallas Mavericks at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28 will wrap up NBA Cup group play. The former Lakers star forward was injured during what was going to be his return to L.A. last season after he was sent to the Mavericks in a shocking trade.
Now in its third year, the NBA Cup will begin on Oct. 31 with the Lakers playing at Memphis in West Group B that also includes the New Orleans Pelicans, the Clippers and the Mavericks. The Lakers have their second group game at New Orleans on Nov. 14 before playing the Clippers on Nov. 25 in Inglewood, where the game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. PST on NBC, the latest starting time for any in-season tournament game.
The NBA released only 80 of 82 regular-season games for each team as the final two games in December will be announced based on NBA Cup standings. The knockout rounds for the tournament begin Dec. 9.
The Lakers’ annual Grammy trip will have a hometown interlude as the two-week-long road trip includes a game at the Clippers on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. But the meeting in Inglewood doesn’t necessarily ease the travel load as it is the second of the nine-game trip, sandwiched between games at Denver (Jan. 20) and Dallas (Jan. 24).
After returning from the trip, the Lakers have an eight-game home stand, highlighted by a Feb. 22 game against the Boston Celtics, when the franchise will unveil a Pat Riley statue outside Crypto.com Arena, the team announced Thursday. The coach of the Showtime Lakers, who guided the team to four NBA championships, will be the 14th statue in the arena's Star Plaza.
The Lakers begin training camp Sept. 29 before playing six preseason games, beginning in Palm Springs on Oct. 3 against the Suns. The slate also includes a game against the Mavericks in Las Vegas on Oct. 15.
21: Golden State, 7; 24: Minnesota, 7; 26: at Sacramento, 6; 27: Portland, 7:30; 29: at Minnesota, 6:30; 31: at Memphis, 6:30.
NOVEMBER
2: Miami. 6:30; 3: at Portland, 7; 5: San Antonio, 7; 8: at Atlanta, 5; 10: at Charlotte, 4; 12: at Oklahoma City, 6:30; 14: New at Orleans, 5; 15: at Milwaukee, 5; 18: Utah, 7:30; 23: at Utah, 5; 25: at Clippers, 8; 28: Dallas, 7; 30: New Orleans, 6:30.
DECEMBER
1: Phoenix, 7; 4: at Toronto, 4:30; 5: at Boston, 4; 7: at Philadelphia, 4:30; 18: at Utah, 6; 20: at Clippers, 7:30; 23: at Phoenix, 6; 25: Houston, 5; 28: Sacramento, 6:30; 30: Detroit, 7:30.
JANUARY
2: Memphis, 7:30, 4: Memphis, 6:30; 6: at New Orleans, 5; 7: at San Antonio, 4:30; 9: Milwaukee, 7:30; 12: at Sacramento, 7; 13: Atlanta, 7:30; 15: Charlotte, 7:30; 17: at Portland, 7; 18: Toronto, 6:30; 20: at Denver, 7; 22: at Clippers, 7; 24: at Dallas, 5:30; 26: at Chicago, 5; 28: at Cleveland, 4; 30: at Washington, 4.
FEBRUARY
1: at New York, 4; 3: at Brooklyn, 4:30; 5: Philadelphia, 7; 7: Golden State, 5:30; 9: Oklahoma City, 7; 10: San Antonio, 7:30; 12: Dallas, 7; 20: Clippers, 7; 22: Boston, 3:30; 24: Orlando, 7:30; 26: at Phoenix, 6; 28: at Golden State, 5:30.
MARCH
1: Sacramento, 6:30; 3: New Orleans, 7:30; 5: at Denver, 7; 6: Indiana, 7:30; 8: New York, 12:30; 10: Minnesota, 8; 12: Chicago, 7:30; 14: Denver, 5:30; 16: at Houston, 6; 18: at Houston, 6:30; 19: at Miami, 5; 21: at Orlando, 4; 23: at Detroit, 4; 25: at Indiana, 4; 27: Brooklyn, 7:30; 30: Washington, 7; 31: Cleveland, 7:30.
APRIL
2: at Oklahoma City, 4:30; 5: at Dallas, 4:30; 7: Oklahoma City, 7:30; 9: at Golden State, 7; 10: Phoenix, 7:30; 12: Utah, 5:30.
At long last, most of the 2025-26 NBA regular season schedule is known.
All 30 teams know 80 of their 82 games, with the two exceptions being the contests played after the conclusion of the NBA Cup group stage. During that "open" week, all teams are guaranteed two games, and the two teams that reach the NBA Cup final will play a third game that does not count toward official league records/stats or fantasy basketball results.
Because of the uncertainty caused by the NBA Cup, Yahoo! leagues will once again feature two "combo" weeks, one of which will bookend All-Star Weekend.
Below is a breakdown of the 2025-26 regular season schedule from a fantasy standpoint.
Five teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-backs
Charlotte, Denver, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington are scheduled to play 16 back-to-backs, which is especially notable for the 76ers. Not only did the team's "big three" of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George all see their 2024-25 seasons end prematurely due to injury, but so did guard Jared McCain. In Embiid's case, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said Thursday that he was unsure if the center would be a full go when training camp opens in late September. Injury management days can significantly impact fantasy basketball, and one would assume that there may be a few of those days in the cards for Embiid, given his injury history.
The Hornets will play five back-to-back games in October and November, beginning with games against Philadelphia and Washington on October 25-26. Will LaMelo Ball, who has not hit 50 games played since the 2021-22 season, be allowed to play back-to-backs immediately, or will the Hornets look to manage his workload early on? Charlotte added Collin Sexton via trade and re-signed Tre Mann, two players who will be of added interest in fantasy leagues if Ball is not playing back-to-backs immediately.
However, there is a silver lining in the 76ers’ scheduling “cloud.”
According to Positive Residual’s scheduling data, the 76ers are one of three teams with 14 games in which they'll have the advantage from a rest standpoint, with Utah and Sacramento being the others. Toronto and Detroit will have the rest advantage for 13 games. On the other side of the coin are the Warriors, who have 14 games in which they'll be at a disadvantage regarding rest. Eight teams, including the 76ers, Timberwolves, and Nuggets, will be at a disadvantage for 12 games.
The Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers are among the teams that will play 15 back-to-backs
The Warriors and Clippers have two of the older cores in the NBA, with the latter being the oldest based on average age. The good news for Los Angeles is that Kawhi Leonard has been able to focus on sharpening his skills this summer instead of recovering from another injury. Will that impact his usage once the regular season begins, or will he and the Clippers continue prioritizing him being fresh for the postseason? Similar questions can be asked of James Harden and Chris Paul, even if they don't have the same injury concerns as Leonard.
Golden State will have Jimmy Butler on board from the start, which should help from a chemistry standpoint. However, he, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are all 35 or older heading into the 2025-26 season. And this doesn't consider the expected addition of Al Horford, as the 39-year-old has to wait for the Warriors to reach a solution with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga (De'Anthony Melton is also on hold). Miami and Portland are also scheduled to play 15 back-to-backs, two teams that don't hold the same age concerns as the Warriors and Clippers.
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Indiana, Minnesota and Oklahoma City play a league-low 13 back-to-backs
This group includes the reigning champs, two expected contenders in Houston and Minnesota, a Hawks team that hopes to work its way into the mix, and the Celtics and Pacers, who appear to be headed for a "bridge year" with Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton recovering from Achilles tendon tears. The Hawks and Rockets will get some help schedule-wise, as they're working in Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Durant, respectively. Both players have struggled with injuries in recent seasons, but KD did play 62 games for the Suns last season (and 75 the year prior).
The two “double weeks” are December 8-21 and February 9-22.
In Yahoo! public leagues, there are two instances in which two game weeks will count as one from a scoring standpoint. The first occurs in December due to the need to finalize schedules after NBA Cup group play concludes. For the first part of that "week," only two games will count for each team, including the two that reach the NBA Cup final. Once again, that game will not count toward official records, stats or fantasy scoring. The other double week sandwiches the All-Star break, with All-Star Weekend scheduled for February 13-15 in Los Angeles. Among the teams that will play a back-to-back immediately out of the break are Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver and LA Clippers.
Five teams have a five-game week, including the Lakers and 76ers.
The Lakers (Week 13), Heat (Week 14), 76ers (Week 21), Suns and Wizards (Week 22) all have a week in which they're scheduled to play five games. The latter three teams stand to impact fantasy basketball the most, as weeks 21 and 22 will likely be playoff weeks for many leagues. Philadelphia will be a team of interest due to the injury history of the team's star players, most notably Embiid and George. The Lakers' five-game week concludes on January 18 with a home game against the Raptors before the team embarks on an eight-game road trip. Miami will be on a five-game road trip out west when it plays its "loaded" week, beginning with a January 19-20 back-to-back against the Warriors and Kings.
If, for some reason, your league includes April’s entire schedule, the Knicks and Trail Blazers are the teams to avoid.
Twenty-eight of the 30 teams will play either six or seven games in April, but the Knicks and Trail Blazers only play five. Given how many teams have handled their rosters in recent seasons, there's no need for a fantasy league to include April. But, in case your league does, New York and Portland's role players are at a disadvantage due to the schedule. Also of note for April is that the entire league will play on April 10 and 12, the final two game days of the regular season. Games on Sunday, April 12 will begin at either 6 pm Eastern (seven Eastern Conference matchups) or 8:30 pm Eastern (seven Western Conference games and one interconference matchup).
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games.
The Sabres continued their practice of selecting goalies, but after taking Topias Leinonen in 2022, Scott Ratzlaff in 2023, and Ryerson Leenders in 2024, the club selected a pair of netminders at the 2025 NHL Draft. With their seventh round pick, they took Belarusian Yevgeni Prokhorov, who has a longer development window in the KHL, but with the second to two fourth-round picks, Buffalo selected QMJHL goalie Samuel Meloche.
The 18-year-old broke into the Q with Rouyn-Noranda as a 16-year-old, and leading into his draft year played 51 games for the Huskies, posting an excellent 30-14-6 record. In the playoffs, he went 8-3-2, leading Rouyn-Noranda to the QMJHL semi-final, where they lost to Moncton in a four-game sweep.
Elite Prospects said that Meloche had an ”ability to stay composed, even when things broke down in front of him rather frequently, and that his “play reading and composure pair well with his athleticism. He’s able to make up for rare mistakes in save selection with quick, explosive reflexes” and is “one of the better puckhandling goalies in this draft.”
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Kurt Helin