Author: rb809rb

This weekend’s winter storms have shifted the schedules of multiple college basketball games and an NBA game as extreme weather is slated to affect as many as 230 million people across the Northeast, Midwest and as far south as Texas.

Forecasts are anticipating extremely cold temperatures, freezing rain, sleet and potential power outages.

Advertisement

The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets game in Charlotte will tip off at noon ET on Saturday, moving up three hours from its scheduled 3 p.m. start.

Three ACC matchups in men’s college basketball have been moved up as well. Wake Forest at Duke and North Carolina at Virginia will play at noon, while Virginia Tech at Louisville will be played at 2:15 p.m.

In the Big East, St. John’s at Xavier has also been moved up by an hour to 1:30 p.m. ET. Middle Tennessee State and Jacksonville State played Friday evening instead of the originally scheduled Saturday matchup. Towson at North Carolina A&T (noon ET) and Texas State at James Madison (1 p.m. ET) will each play earlier.

Rice at Tulsa will play on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. instead of Sunday. Rice’s women’s basketball team will also take on Tulsa on Saturday.

Advertisement

In women’s college basketball, No. 1 UConn’s game at Seton Hall was moved from Sunday to Saturday at noon ET, while No. 14 Baylor’s home contest against Houston will be played on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET instead of Sunday. George Mason’s game against Richmond was moved up three hours to 11 a.m. ET, but no fans will be permitted to attend the game.

North Carolina Central postponed two men’s and two women’s basketball games on its schedule, which featured games from Thursday to Monday.

In MLB news, the Texas Rangers have canceled their Fan Fest on Saturday because of safety concerns.

The NFL has not made scheduling changes for this weekend’s conference championship games as the storm will primarily affect regions east of the Rocky Mountains, away from both games. For the AFC championship in Denver, the high will be 23 degrees on Sunday with chances of snow flurries, according to AccuWeather. For the NFC championship in Seattle, the high will be 44 degrees on Sunday, with no rain or snow expected.

As we reach the midpoint of the 2025-26 NBA season, it’s time to hand out some hardware to the players who’ve delivered massive value to fantasy basketball managers. Whether they were early-round investments who paid off in spades or late-round fliers who turned into league-winners, these are the guys who’ve exceeded expectations and transformed fantasy rosters into championship contenders.

Fantasy Basketball MVP: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Let’s cut right to it — Tyrese Maxey is having an MVP-caliber season. The 76ers guard is the second-most rostered player on the top H2H public teams, and there’s a damn good reason why. With a preseason ADP of 17.6, Maxey has absolutely obliterated expectations by performing as a top-four player in fantasy. He’s averaging 30.2 points, 6.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game on 48/40/88 shooting splits while putting up All-NBA, career-best numbers across the board.

Advertisement

But quietly, here’s what’s been setting Maxey apart: his defense. Most haven’t realized that Maxey leads the league in total stocks, averaging 2.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. The dude is having a career year at the perfect time, and fantasy managers who snagged him in the second round are likely enjoying the view from the top.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

Cooper Flagg is doing exactly what everyone expected from the first overall pick — ballin’. The Duke product is the highest-ranked rookie across all fantasy league formats, averaging 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Yes, Dallas stinks, but that hasn’t mattered one bit for Flagg’s fantasy production.

Advertisement

The kid does everything. The stocks (2+ per game) and rebounding numbers are solid for his position and he ranks fourth in assists per game in his draft class. After Victor Wembanyama, it’s refreshing to see another No. 1 pick immediately translate to NBA success. Flagg has been a home run for fantasy managers who invested early-round capital in the rookie, and he’s only getting better as he adjusts to the NBA game.

Fantasy Breakout Player of the Year: Keyonte George, Utah Jazz

George came into the season with a 116 preseason ADP. Now, the Jazz guard is currently performing as a top-35 player in both 9-cat and points leagues, and he’s cracked the top-25 in High Score formats. The third-year breakout is real, as George ranked outside the top 200 as a rookie, hovered near 150 last season and now, he’s sitting pretty in the top 30 — just ridiculous growth from the dynamic combo guard.

Advertisement

George is posting career-highs in literally every major statistical category, averaging 23.8 points, 6.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.5 3s per game. His efficiency has improved dramatically and he’s become one of Utah’s most reliable offensive weapons. The 22-year-old guard deserves serious All-Star consideration, but even if he doesn’t make it, he’s already been a massive value for fantasy managers who took a chance on him in the double-digit rounds. This is the kind of breakout season that wins leagues.

Fantasy Defensive Player of the Year: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Hot take! While Victor Wembanyama and Alex Sarr certainly have cases for this award with their rim protection, I’m going off script and giving it to Maxey because of his availability and all-around defensive production at the season’s midpoint. He’s the only player in the league averaging at least two steals and one block per game. His defensive versatility for a guard has become genuinely special and an outlier for his position— doing Derrick White and SGA-type things on the defensive end of the floor.

Advertisement

[It’s not too late to create or join a High Score league, a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring]

Robert Covington was the last player to average 2+ steals and 1+ blocks per game back in 2018-19 and Maxey is on pace to join that exclusive club. For fantasy purposes, these defensive stats elevate Maxey into one of the most complete fantasy assets in the game.

Top Waiver Wire Pickup: Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets

Knueppel went undrafted in 72% of leagues before the season began and he’s been one of the most valuable commodities from free agency. The Hornets’ rookie is currently leading all first-year players in scoring at 19.1 points per game while shooting an absurd 49/44/89 shooting split.

Advertisement

But it’s the 3-point shooting that’s truly historic. Knueppel has already made 143 3s through 42 games and is on pace for a top-15 3-point season ever — let alone shattering Keegan Murray’s rookie record of 206. He reached 100 made 3s faster than any player in NBA history, doing it in just 29 games (12 games faster than the previous record holder).

Yes, Ryan Rollins deserves a mention here for his strong play with the Bucks, but Knueppel’s been the more consistent producer throughout the season. Plus, with Kevin Porter Jr. healthy and back in Milwaukee’s rotation, Rollins’ production has suffered. Meanwhile, Knueppel keeps getting better.

Beyond the shooting, he’s contributing decent rebounding numbers and underrated playmaking at 3.5 assists per game. He’s a solid contributor across most categories (except steals and blocks), and happens to be the sixth-most rostered player on the top public H2H teams in fantasy this season.

The Chicago White Sox likely won’t be contenders in the American League this season. And that applied before they traded Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets.

However, the team still signed one of MLB’s top strikeout relievers on Friday, reportedly inking right-hander Seranthony Dominguez to a two-year, $20 million contract. The White Sox have not officially announced the signing.

Dominguez, 31, pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays last season. Featuring a five-pitch arsenal (four-seam fastball, sweeper, splitter, sinker and curveball), he compiled a 3.16 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate of 11.35 per nine innings ranked 23rd among qualifying MLB relievers.

Advertisement

With that strikeout stuff come some control issues. Dominguez allowed a career-high 36 walks last season and tied for the MLB lead with 12 wild pitches.

[Get more Chicago news: White Sox team feed]

In the postseason, he made 12 appearances during the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series and registered a 3.18 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings.

During his seven MLB seasons, Dominguez has a career 3.50 ERA in 322 appearances with a strikeout rate of 10.6 per nine innings. He pitched his first six seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Presumably, Dominguez will be a good trade piece to offer at the deadline to contenders looking to bolster their bullpens, which would ideally allow the White Sox to add a top prospect or two. But for now, he’s part of an effort by White Sox general manager Chris Getz to strengthen the team’s roster.

Advertisement

This offseason, the White Sox have also added relievers Sean Newcomb and Anthony Kay. They surprised MLB by signing Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami and acquired infielder Luisangel Acuña in the Robert trade.

Naomi Osaka’s first two matches at the Australian Open have had everyone talking about her fashion, her handshakes, and of course, the fact that she’s now advancing to the third round. Osaka will face Australian Maddison Inglis in a match that will be broadcast in the U.S. in the wee hours of the morning Saturday. The match will begin no earlier than 5 a.m. ET, after the previous match between Novak Djokovic and Botic van de Zandschulp concludes.

Third round Australian Open tournament coverage will air on ESPN2, and the entire tournament is available to stream for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about the Osaka vs. Inglis match at the 2026 Australian Open.

Advertisement

How to watch Naomi Osaka vs. Maddison Inglis at the Australian Open:

Date: Saturday, January 24

Time (estimated): not before 5 a.m. ET

Location: Rod Laver Arena

TV channel: ESPN2

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo and more

When is the Naomi Osaka vs. Maddison Inglis match at the 2026 Australian Open?

The third round match between Naomi Osaka and Maddison Inglis at the Australian Open will be Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.

Naomi Osaka vs. Maddison Inglis match start time:

The match between Naomi Osaka and Maddison Inglis will start at no earlier than 5 a.m. ET. The match will begin once the previous match between Novak Djokovic and Botic van de Zandschulp is over. The women’s match will be available on ESPN Unlimited and ESPN2.

Advertisement

Australian Open channel:

In the U.S., the Australian Open will air on ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2, before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:

Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:

If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.

Don’t live in the land down under? Don’t worry, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.

9Now. Plus it’s Engadget’s pick for the best premium VPN. ExpressVPN offers three tiers of subscriptions: The Basic Plan (starting at $3.49/month), the Advanced Plan (starting at $4.49/month) and the Pro Plan (starting at $7.49/month).

ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.

Australian Open 2026 schedule:

All times Eastern

Advertisement

Saturday, January 17

• (Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 18

• (Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Monday, January 19

• (Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 20

• (Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, January 21

• (Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 22

• (Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 23

• (Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 24

• (Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 25

• (Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.

Monday, January 26

• (Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 27

• (Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, January 28

• (Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.

• (Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 29

• (Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8:00 p.m.

Friday, January 30

• (Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.

Saturday, January 31

• (Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.

Sunday, February 1

• (Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.

Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?

The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.

Men’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026

1. Carlos Alcaraz

2. Jannik Sinner

3. Alexander Zverev

4. Novak Djokovic

5. Felix Auger-Aliassime

Women’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026

1. Aryna Sabalenka

Advertisement

2. Iga Swiatek

3. Amanda Anisimova

4. Coco Gauff

5. Elena Rybakina

Australian Open prize money:

For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners of the Australian Open each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and Semi-finalists $1,250,000.

More ways to watch the 2026 Australian Open:

Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel, and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary. No strings attached.

February 22, 2026

Legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie died Friday at the age of 90, the team announced.

Brodie is a 49ers Hall of Famer and one of the most revered players in team history after spending his entire 17-year NFL career with the team. He won the NFL MVP award in 1970, made two Pro Bowls, earned Comeback Player of the Year honors in 1965 and led the league in passing touchdowns in three seasons.

“The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” 49ers owner John York said in a statement. “As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment towards his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days.

“John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.”

In 1957, Brodie was drafted third overall out of Stanford, where he was a consensus All-American in 1956. After splitting time with Y.A. Tittle for the first four seasons of his career, Brodie became the full-time starter when Tittle was traded to the New York Giants.

Advertisement

He played until 1973 but didn’t experience the same team success as other legendary 49ers QBs like Joe Montana and Steve Young, as the 49ers didn’t win their first Super Bowl title until 1982. Yet Brodie did lead the 49ers to three consecutive playoff appearances from 1970 to ‘72.

Brodie is held in high regard among fans because of his longevity, productivity and the fact that he was born and raised in the Bay Area. The team retired his jersey No. 12 in 1973. In addition to being part of the 49ers Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2009, Brodie was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

Advertisement

Brodie finished his career with 31,548 passing yards, 214 touchdowns and 224 interceptions. He’s second in franchise passing yardage behind only Montana. And only Jerry Rice played more games for the 49ers than Brodie’s 201.

In many ways, the New York Jets are back to the drawing board this offseason, their second with Aaron Glenn as head coach.

Following a 3-14 campaign, they’re parting ways with quarterbacks coach Charles London, pass game coordinator Scott Turner, defensive line coach Eric Washington and linebackers coach Aaron Curry, as well as defensive assistants Roosevelt Williams and Alonso Escalante, according to multiple reports.

Advertisement

Glenn will make over his staff in Year 2, looking to restore success to a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since it reached back-to-back AFC championship games during the 2009 and ’10 seasons.

The Jets are still in need of a viable, long-term quarterback. They rolled the dice with Justin Fields this season, and the dual threat was plagued by the same consistency issues in the passing game that he experienced with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears.

Glenn ultimately benched Fields for Tyrod Taylor nine starts in, and a combination of Taylor and undrafted rookie Brady Cook finished the season. Altogether, the group threw only two more touchdown passes (15) than interceptions (13).

The Jets finished dead last in the NFL with 140.3 passing yards per game. For reference, the Cleveland Browns were 31st in that department, with 165.1 yards per contest through the air.

Advertisement

New York has the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the Jets and other quarterback-needy teams, they’re faced with a relatively thin crop of prospects at the position, especially now that Oregon’s Dante Moore is returning to school for the 2026 season.

Not only will the Jets have to come up with a better plan under center, but they’ll also have to create more havoc on defense next season. Glenn, who picked off 41 passes as an NFL cornerback and oversaw a Detroit Lions defense that was top-10 in takeaways his final season as defensive coordinator, is well aware.

New York forced a measly four turnovers this season. Its division rival, the New England Patriots, generated five last week while advancing to the AFC championship. The Jets also became the first NFL team to finish a season without a single defensive interception, at least since those were first counted as a stat in 1933.

After New York ranked 29th in scoring offense and 31st in scoring defense, it’s no surprise Glenn is reportedly making staff changes on both sides of the ball.

Former Colorado left tackle Jordan Seaton announced Friday night on Instagram that he’s transferring to LSU. Seaton was the Rivals industry ranking’s No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2024 recruiting class and one of Colorado’s highest-rated signees in program history.

Deion Sanders reeled him in, and Seaton wound up starting 22 games as the Buffaloes’ blind-side protector over the past two seasons.

The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Seaton will now join Lane Kiffin at LSU, where the former Ole Miss head coach is looking to return the Tigers to the College Football Playoff after a six-season drought.

Advertisement

Seaton, a Washington, D.C., native and a product of IMG Academy in Florida, has two years of eligibility remaining. That said, he’s considered a potential first-round prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.

After arriving at Colorado as a five-star prospect, he immediately found his way into the starting lineup, where he blocked for current Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Seaton was sidelined for the final three games of his sophomore season, but he still earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. In his nine games during the 2025 campaign, he allowed only seven pressures and two sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Along the way, he went six straight games without giving up a single pressure, per PFF.

Advertisement

It’s worth noting, though, that in both of his seasons at Colorado, the Buffs’ rushing attack ranked outside the top 100 nationally.

Still, his skill set is undeniable, as was his value in the portal. He’s LSU’s latest pickup, and he’s poised to block for former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt.

Kevin Durant scored 32 points, leading the Houston Rockets to a 111-104 road win over the Detroit Pistons in a matchup of top NBA playoff contenders on Friday night.

Durant reached the 30-point mark for the second consecutive game and the third time in his past five games.

Advertisement

After the two teams were tied at 52 at halftime, the Rockets outscored the Pistons 34-20 in the third quarter with Reed Sheppard tallying 10 points during the surge.

Detroit went on an 11-1 run powered by five points from Isaiah Stewart during the first two minutes of the fourth. That closed the margin to 87-83. But a 3-pointer by Jabari Smith Jr. steadied Houston and Alperen Şengün followed with a jumper to restore the lead to 92-83.

The Pistons cut the deficit to 94-91 on 3-pointers from Ronald Holland II and Daniss Jenkins. But the Rockets again kept Detroit at a distance with Amen Thompson and Durant knocking down jumpers to stop another Pistons run. A corner 3-pointer from Josh Okogie with 5:19 remaining in the fourth quarter was effectively the knockout blow, giving Houston a 101-93 lead. Detroit could not cut the deficit to below six points from there.

Şengün added 19 points for the Rockets while Sheppard finished with 18. Thompson scored 15 points with nine rebounds, and Smith grabbed 10 boards.

Advertisement

The Pistons got only 12 points from Cade Cunningham, who shot 5 of 13 (including 0 for 4 on 3s) from the floor. The All-Star starter tallied eight assists, but countered that with a game-high six turnovers. Jalen Duran led Detroit with 18 points, also grabbing 7 rebounds. Stewart scored 16 off the bench, while Holland added 13.

With the win, Houston rebounded from an overtime loss at Philadelphia on Thursday and finished a two-game road trip. The Rockets (27-16) have won five of their past seven games to keep a hold on the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings. The Phoenix Suns fell to the No. 5 seed with Friday’s 110-103 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Advertisement

Up next for the Rockets is a two-game homestand, playing host to the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs (31-14).

Detroit drops to 32-11 with the defeat. The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Pistons. But they have still won eight of their last 11 games.

The Pistons play the Sacramento Kings (12-34) on Sunday before beginning a three-game Western road trip versus the Golden State Warriors (25-21) on Tuesday.

Blades Brown is a name to get familiar with. It’s a pretty memorable name as it is.

At 18 years old, Brown captured a bit of history by carding a 60 on Friday in the second round of the American Express. And he had a short putt for a shot at a 59 on his final hole of the day.

But even after coming painfully close to joining the extremely rare sub-60 club, he still became the youngest player to shoot a 60 or better on the PGA Tour and set a course record at Nicklaus Tournament Course in La Quinta, California.

“The putt didn’t drop on hole No. 9 but lowest round of the PGA Tour for me and a lot of positives to bring into the weekend,” Brown told Golf Channel afterward.

The 12-under round puts his two-day total at 17-under and tied for first place with none other than world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Brown’s world ranking is 485, but you’ll have to forgive the teenager who just turned pro a year ago and played a mere eight PGA events in 2025.

Advertisement

“Scottie is obviously an unbelievable player, and to have my name next to his name on the leaderboard — we’re halfway there so I got a lot of golf to go, but this weekend I’m just going to focus on executing the shots I can and see what happens,” Brown said.

This also continues a whirlwind week for Brown, who flew into California late Wednesday after finishing four rounds at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour.

That means Saturday will be his seventh straight day of playing a round of competitive golf. Such is life as a young player trying to earn full-time PGA status.

Brown started turning heads in the golf world when, at 16, he became the youngest player ever to earn medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur. A year later, the Tennessee native chose to join the pro ranks despite fielding several offers from college teams.

Advertisement

It appears he can more than hold his own with the big boys.

Brown and Scheffler won’t be paired up Saturday because the American Express has an unusual three-round cut, which means the leaders won’t be paired up until the final round Sunday.

Either way, Brown is sure to invite a lot of attention over the weekend. He tees off at 11:52 a.m. ET Saturday. TV coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET Saturday on the Golf Channel.

Amid a tough season for the reigning Eastern Conference champions, the Indiana Pacers showed some fight in earning a road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA Finals rematch on Friday night, 117-114. The victory was just Indiana’s third on the road this season.

The Thunder went down despite 47 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who shot 17 for 28 from the floor and hit all 12 of his free throws. Friday’s game was SGA’s fifth 40-point effort of the season. Chet Holmgren scored 25 points with 13 rebounds. But Kenrich Williams (12) and Cason Wallace (10) were the only other OKC players to reach double figures.

Advertisement

Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell. That allowed the Pacers to use a smaller lineup which allowed them to play faster.

Indiana built an 82-71 lead with 4:09 remaining in the third quarter, but the Thunder cut the margin to 86-85 just before the end of the frame. Oklahoma City could never take the lead during the fourth quarter, though did trim the Pacers’ lead to 94-91 at the seven-minute mark.

An Andrew Nembhard 3-pointer appeared to be the decisive blow, giving Indiana a 113-103 lead. But the Thunder rallied with a 9-0 run to come within one point with 24 seconds remaining in regulation. Through the remaining 10 seconds, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jarace Walker traded free throws and set up an opportunity for Oklahoma City to tie the game with six seconds left.

Advertisement

However, the Pacers’ defense forced the Thunder to get the ball to Isaiah Joe for a 3-point attempt. He missed the shot and Indiana held on for arguably its biggest win of the season.

Nembhard scored 27 points (hitting 4-of-7 3-pointers) with 11 assists and 7 rebounds to lead Indiana to just its 11th win of the season, breaking a three-game losing streak. Walker followed with a career-best 26 points and Pascal Siakam added 21.

Facing their NBA Finals opponent from last season brings out the best in the Pacers, who lost their season opener to the Thunder but took the reigning NBA champions to double overtime before a 141-135 defeat. Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 55 points in that matchup.

Advertisement

With their ninth loss of the season, the Thunder would now have to go undefeated to match the Golden State Warriors’ 73 wins during the 2015-16 campaign. A 26-3 start that had Oklahoma City on track for a historic season now appears to be a footnote.