Category: Sport

The NBA fined Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green $25,000 for using profanity while playfully interrupting a live on-court interview after a 115-101 road win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

Right on cue, as Suns guard Collin Gillespie mentioned how his teammates have been finding him during his third-year breakout, he was flanked by Green and another Phoenix guard, Jordan Goodwin.

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Green came in with an uplifting roar, followed by an encouraging dap and a loud, “Yeah!”

As Goodwin exited the frame, Green hung around and said, “They can’t f*** with you!” to Gillespie, who was visibly surprised by the profanity.

So much so that a smiling Gillespie even said, “Oh, my God. On live TV, bro?”

The interviewer chimed in, “It’s a family show!”

Green responded with a “I don’t care” before dapping up Gillespie once more and then walking off as Gillespie called him “my dawg.”

Gillespie, who went undrafted out of Villanova in 2022, is a microcosm of the Suns’ unexpected success this season. The guard has exceeded expectations, doubling his minutes from the season prior and posting 13.9 points, 5.1 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while becoming a major contributor to a Suns team that’s 19-13 and seventh in a crowded Western Conference table.

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Phoenix carried the highest payroll in league history last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019-2020. The Suns are off to a better start this time around, without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

First-year head coach Jordan Ott has his group scratching and clawing and, at the same time, jelling.

And that’s continued to happen in the absence of Green, who has been recovering from a right hamstring strain that he aggravated early last month in just his second game of the season.

The Suns acquired the 23-year-old Green from the Houston Rockets in the Durant trade this past offseason. Defensive pest Dillon Brooks landed in Phoenix because of that deal, too.

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Brooks is currently second on the Suns in scoring with 21.5 points per game, behind only four-time All-Star Devin Booker.

Once finally healthy, Green is expected to form an effective duo with Booker in the backcourt. He averaged 20.1 points per game in his four seasons with the Rockets, who selected him No. 2 overall in the 2021 draft.

For now, lesser-known players are stepping up to fill the void — like Gillespie.

And Green seems to be loving it.

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Happy New Year’s Eve-Eve from The Dunker Spot!

Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones discuss the hot play of the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and surprisingly-plucky Brooklyn Nets. Next, they check in on the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.

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Finally, the guys react to the first return of All-Star voting. There may be a rant included.

If you ever have NBA or WNBA questions, email us at dunkerspot@yahoo.com.

(1:44) — How to evaluate this stage of the NBA season

(7:33) — Los Angeles Clippers

(21:21) — Miami Heat

(27:21) — Quick check-in on the Pistons’ offense

(30:08) — Brooklyn Nets

(36:54) — San Antonio Spurs

(43:18) — Oklahoma City Thunder

(47:40) — Cleveland Cavaliers

(50:34) — Quick Atlanta Hawks disappointment

(52:18) — First All-Star returns are out

(01:10:46) Free Throws

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In the final Big Number episode of 2025, Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine discuss the major implications of the Nikola Jokic knee injury and how it affects both the NBA’s MVP race, as well as the Denver Nuggets’ playoff chances.

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Then, they take a look at some of the most trade-eligible players for the new year, leading with Anthony Davis, who despite being one of the most effective players while on the court, still provides question marks on his ability to stay on it. They also look into some other question marks around the league: how good can the Michael Porter Jr trade haul be? Should Zach LaVine get traded, and where to?

Finally, the Trae Young fiasco in Atlanta is picked apart – what should the Hawks do? Is waiving the former superstar guard on the table? That and more on today’s Big Number.

(01:08) The Big Number: 4 – minimum number of weeks Jokic misses with knee injury

(19:08) The Little Numbers: 1.5 – Anthony Davis’ estimated plus minus

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(21:03) New team, new year: potential landing spots for Anthony Davis

(24:06) The Little Numbers: 13 – players avg. 25+ points on .600 true shooting percentage

(26:16) New team, new year: will Michael Porter Jr. have a new team in 2026?

(28:51) The Little Numbers: 10 – Zach LaVine 3-point attempts per possession

(38:18) The Little Numbers: 126.2 – Hawks’ defensive rating with Trae Young

(49:06) Should the Hawks waive Trae Young?

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Will Matthew Stafford remain the MVP favorite after a disappointing showing on MNF? Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano, Jori Epstein and Frank Schwab break down the Los Angeles Rams’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons that saw Stafford throw 3 picks. Plus, is it really that surprising that Trevon Diggs was released by the Dallas Cowboys? The crew closes things out with one last look at Frank’s playoff projections before discussing their “One More Thing.”

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(6:34) – Falcons upset Rams on MNF

(23:11) – Cowboys release Trevon Diggs

(32:53) – Should playoff teams sit starters in Week 18?

(47:52) – Frank’s Playoff Projections

(56:45) – NFL coaching hot seats

(1:05:54) – One More Thing

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Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Josh Giddey’s career season will be put on pause for a significant amount of time.

The guard has suffered a left hamstring strain and will miss at least a few weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Even a three-week absence would mean 12 games missed.

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Giddey sustained the injury early in the third quarter of the Bulls’ 136-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. A seemingly benign play ended in him grabbing at his hamstring and gingerly walking off the court.

The Bulls currently sit at 15-17, good for ninth in the Eastern Conference, and many of those wins are attributable to a breakout performance from Giddey so far this season. At 23 years old, he is averaging career highs across the board and ranks third in the NBA in assists per game with nine, behind only Nikola Jokić (11) and Cade Cunningham (9.6).

That effort landed Giddey in 14th place in the most recent round of NBA All-Star voting in the Eastern Conference. He has been a true do-everything player for Chicago this season, and now it will have to figure out what to do for at least a dozen games without him.

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Before the season, the Bulls made a long-term investment in Giddey with a four-year, $100 million contract in restricted free agency.

Luke Altmyer was an unstoppable force Tuesday night in the Music City Bowl.

Nothing was getting in the way of a milestone victory in his 35th and final start as Illinois’ quarterback: not Tennessee’s 94-yard, go-ahead kickoff return touchdown in the fourth quarter, and especially not an official who found himself in the path of the redshirt senior earlier in the night.

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Altmyer incidentally trucked that ref on a 14-yard run during a third-quarter touchdown drive, and he responded with another touchdown drive after the pixie dust settled from the Volunteers’ special-teams magic.

Altmyer, once an Ole Miss transfer who ended up authoring a three-season legacy at Illinois, already led all active FBS quarterbacks with six career game-winning drives in the final minute or overtime. The Starkville, Mississippi, native had one more in him, as David Olano made a 29-yard field goal as time expired.

With the 30-28 victory, the Fighting Illini (9-4, 5-4 Big Ten) recorded back-to-back nine-plus-win seasons for the first time in program history. They won 10 games in 2024, and Altmyer picked up where he left off to stitch together an impressive 2025 campaign.

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Tennessee (8-5, 4-4 SEC) suffered another gut-wrenching defeat in a season that also included one-score losses to Georgia and Oklahoma, a pair of College Football Playoff teams.

Altmyer threw for 196 yards and a score and ran for 54 yards and a score. He clocks out with 23 wins at Illinois, tied with Jack Trudeau for the second-most victories recorded by a Fighting Illini quarterback. Kurt Kittner is atop that list with 24.

Illinois took a 10-7 lead into the half and went up two scores early in the third quarter, thanks to a strip-sack and fumble recovery.

Fighting Illini outside linebacker Joe Barna flew off the edge, wrapped up Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and jarred the ball loose.

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It bounced toward the end zone, and Illinois’ Leon Lowery Jr. hopped on it for the touchdown after defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. got a crack at collecting the loose change.

Tennessee entered averaging 40.8 points per game. The Volunteers’ offense had a lot more to offer, starting with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with the first of running back DeSean Bishop’s two rushing touchdowns. That rebuttal made it 17-14.

Then came Altmyer’s bowling ball run that knocked over a ref as if he was a pin. Soon after, he paired a 15-yard dart to tight end Tanner Arkin with a 2-yard zone-read touchdown run.

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Tennessee’s next counterpunch was even more methodical. The Vols patiently hummed to the tune of a 14-play, 79-yard touchdown drive that featured a third-and-15 connection between Aguilar and wide receiver Mike Matthews.

Things got rocky for the Illini when Tennessee went on top with 4:58 to go. Following a 28-yard Illinois field goal, true Volunteers freshman wideout Joakim Dodson muffed the ensuing kickoff before quickly redeeming himself with a recovery, a couple moves and a sprint down the left sideline for a touchdown that put his team ahead 28-27.

Altmyer was unfazed, though.

He used his legs for key pickups. And he quarterbacked an offense that executed in short-yardage at the most critical of times.

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Lined up as a fullback, tight end Jordan Anderson plowed forward for 13 yards on a gotta-have-it fourth-and-1. Later in the drive, 255-pound running back Kaden Feagin picked up three yards on third-and-1 deep in Tennessee territory.

That conversion allowed Illinois to chew clock and wait for the game-winning field goal.

Illinois didn’t make a run to the CFP like some thought Bret Bielema’s crew might after turning heads last season. But it did beat an ACC champion in Duke and a ranked USC team as well as Tennessee while making program history.

The status of multiple 49ers Pro Bowlers is unclear as San Francisco prepares for Saturday’s showdown against the Seattle Seahawks.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan provided injury updates on players ahead of a Tuesday walkthrough, including Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.

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Williams and McCaffrey didn’t participate in the walkthrough, which is normal for both veterans for the first practice session of the week. But they both have injury designations.

McCaffrey was listed on the practice report with a previously undisclosed back injury. Shanahan declined to clarify when the injury surfaced, but told reporters “it’s just stiff.”

McCaffrey added the injury is “not serious,” indicating his playing status for Saturday’s game is not at risk. Considering his injury history, it’s a situation worth monitoring for the rest of the week.

Williams, meanwhile, is dealing with a hamstring injury he sustained on the first possession of San Francisco’s win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Shanahan told reporters Williams has not been ruled out for Saturday’s game.

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“We’re not sure how long,” Shanahan said when asked how long Williams would be sidelined. “We’ll give him a shot this week. We’ll see.”

Kittle, meanwhile, was back at practice as a limited participant with a sprained ankle. His participation was an encouraging sign for the 49ers after he missed Sunday’s game with the injury he sustained the previous Monday night in a win over the Colts.

Shanahan, however, wasn’t ready to declare Kittle ready to face Seattle.

“I wouldn’t assume that,” Shanahan said when asked if Kittle has a good chance to play. “We’re barely moving today. It’s a walkthrough. With the short week we’ve got, we won’t be doing much all week.”

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While McCaffrey sounds on track to play, the status of Williams and Kittle is less clear. With the No. 1 seed and the first-round playoff bye that comes with it at stake, expect all of them to play Saturday if there’s any way they can go.

The Philadelphia 76ers keep looking like they have something on their hands with rookie VJ Edgecombe.

The third overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft continued a clutch run to open his career with a game-winning 3-pointer in overtime against the Memphis Grizzlies, snapping a six-game losing streak for Philadelphia. The 20-year-old had five points at halftime and finished with 25.

Edgecombe already entered the game shooting 61.9% from the field and 55.6% from deep in clutch situations, with the Sixers outscoring teams by 43 points in 75 minutes with him on the floor. This wasn’t the first time he saved them from a crushing loss.

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The effort was buttressed by 34-point nights from both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Embiid also had 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks, while Maxey had 12 assists and 2 steals. Those two and Edgecombe combined to either make or assist on 40 of Philadelphia’s 51 baskets.

The game had previously been shaping up to be Ja Morant’s night. The All-Star point guard finished the night with 40 points on 16-of-22 shooting and almost singlehandedly dragged Memphis to overtime.

Edgecombe wasn’t the only rookie to come up big either, as Cedric Coward, the draft’s 11th overall pick, continued a strong rookie year with 28 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists. You can probably bet on seeing him and Edgecombe in the NBA for a long time.

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It’s a special edition of the pod with Ray Garvin and Matt Harmon as the two put a bow on the 2025 fantasy season. Harmon and Garvin share 10 fantasy lessons they learned from the 2025 season in hopes of remembering and using for future fantasy seasons. The two also reveal the top 25 ‘league winners’ In Yahoo Fantasy leagues this year and note the biggest takeaways from the list.

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(1:30) – Revealing the top 25 ‘league winners’ and lessons learned from it

(26:00) – Data Dump: 10 lessons to learn from the 2025 fantasy season

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TCU cornerback Channing Canada seemed pretty sure he had just successfully defended USC wide receiver Jaden Richardson. Then the field judge gave him the bad news.

On an end zone heave from Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava seemingly destined to bounce out-of-bounds, Richardson delivered a late contender for catch of the year honors with a one-handed snag in the Alamo Bowl. It was the first touchdown of his two-year career at USC.

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Check it out for yourself:

In fairness to Canada, who confidently delivered the incomplete gesture, it sure looked like the pass was incomplete. The official, however, saw Richardson get his left foot down just as the ball arrived.

The result was a go-ahead touchdown for USC, who entered the game 9-3 and looking for reasons for optimism after a second year in the Big Ten.

Richardson, a redshirt senior, joined the program as a transfer from Tufts in 2024 and entered bowl season seventh on the team in receiving yards with 117. He was a secondary part of the Trojans’ offense at best for most of the season, but Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon and No. 2 receiver J’Kobi Lane opted to skip the Alamo Bowl, leaving behind plenty of targets.

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Richardson certainly made the most of what he got, as did true freshman Tanook Hines, who had 163 receiving yards on six catches.

Unfortunately, one group that did not step up was the USC defense, which blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter then allowed TCU’s game-winning score in a 30-27 overtime loss.