The first half of the NBA Cup’s quarterfinal matchups are now in the books, and both the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks are headed to Las Vegas.
Both the Magic and the Knicks won their respective games on Tuesday night, and will now square off in the semifinals in Las Vegas later this week.
Advertisement
That leads to a substantial raise, too. Each full-time player on the Magic and Knicks rosters earned a $106,187 paycheck via a pay scale that escalates with each subsequent round of the NBA Cup. The championship-winning players will earn $530,933, a nice payday by any account and a substantial raise for anyone playing on the league minimum $1.366 million salary.
Desmond Bane continues to ascend from slow start with Magic
The Miami Heat seized early control Tuesday night with a 15-0 lead over the Magic in their quarterfinal matchup to tip off the NBA Cup action.
But as tends to be the case with double-digit leads in the NBA, the advantage was not safe. Sparked by Desmond Bane, the Magic rallied to take their first lead of the game at 47-46 before halftime. By the fourth quarter, they were in full control of a 117-108 victory.
Advertisement
After scoring two first-quarter points, Bane finished with 37 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. The former Memphis sharpshooter had his best shooting night since joining the Magic this season while shooting 14 of 24 from the floor and 6 of 9 from 3.
Bane sparked Orlando’s second-quarter rally with 10 points as the Magic outscored the Heat 39-27 in the stanza. And he helped keep the Heat at bay after halftime with four 3-pointers on five attempts.
Following a rocky start to his Magic career, Tuesday’s performance marked Bane’s third 37-point effort in his past six games.
The Magic have needed the production from Bane amid injuries to their veteran stars. All-Star Paolo Banchero previously missed 10 games with a groin strain. He was back for a third straight game Tuesday night with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. But star forward Franz Wagner missed the first game of what’s projected as a multiweek absence with a high-ankle sprain.
Advertisement
Despite the injuries, the Magic are off to a 15-10 start that was good for fourth place in the East at the conclusion of Tuesday’s game and are now in position to win the NBA Cup. They’ll need continued strong play from Bane to maintain their pace.
Jalen Brunson, Knicks roll to win
The second game of the night wasn’t anywhere near as close as the first. The Toronto Raptors struggled to put up much of a fight.
The Knicks rolled to a dominant 117-101 win over the Raptors to secure their spot in the semifinals. They’ve now made it to the semifinal round of the NBA Cup for the first time after falling short in the quarterfinals in the first two years of its existence.
Advertisement
Though the Raptors came out of the gate fine, they shut down in the second quarter on Tuesday night. The Knicks surged ahead to a 17-point lead at the break of their contest at Scotiabank Arena after they held Toronto to just 13 points as a group in the second quarter. A Jamal Shead 3-pointer in the final minute before halftime was the only shot in the period that the Raptors made from outside of the restricted area. Toronto had almost nothing going.
Jalen Brunson, on the other hand, was just about perfect offensively. He dropped 26 points in the first half alone and shot 10-of-12 from the field.
That was just a hole that the Raptors never recovered from. The Knicks maintained a 15-point lead entering the final period, and then cruised to the 16-point win. Brunson finished with 35 points with six 3-pointers. Josh Hart added 21 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds. The Knicks have now won eight of their last nine, and hold a 17-7 record.
Advertisement
Brandon Ingram led the Raptors with 31 points and seven assists. Shead had 18 points, and Scottie Barnes dropped 13 points points. The loss, their fourth straight, moved the Raptors to 15-11 on the season.
Though the Knicks have been great on their home floor — they hold a 13-1 record at Madison Square Garden this season — Tuesday night was probably the best they’ve played on the road so far this year. If they can transition that out west in the coming days, they’ll be a tough to beat.
It’s another edition of Data Dump on the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast as we make the pivot from Week 14 to Week 15 in the NFL. Ray Garvin joins Matt Harmon to share 10 data points you need to know for this upcoming week.
Advertisement
(1:00) – Fantasy Fallout: Philip Rivers signs with the Colts
(14:45) – Ray’s 1st data point: Jonathan Taylor is cooling off
(21:00) – Matt’s 1st data point: Michael Wilson is heating up
(28:50) – Ray’s 2nd data point: AJ Brown is back in our fantasy lives
(36:10) – Matt’s 2nd data point: Jaxson Dart needs to show he can pass
(42:50) – Ray’s 3rd data point: Tyler Shough is… good?
(49:10) – Matt’s 3rd data point: Can we trust Chargers WRs?
(57:45) – Ray’s 4th data point: Blake Corum… league winner?
(1:02:30) – Matt’s 4th data point: Panthers RB split is a splitting headache
Advertisement
(1:05:50) – Ray’s 5th data point: Tough WR choices
(1:12:40) – Matt’s 5th data point: Bills passing game is bad
It’s another edition of Data Dump on the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast as we make the pivot from Week 14 to Week 15 in the NFL. Ray Garvin joins Matt Harmon to share 10 data points you need to know for this upcoming week.
Now that Week 14 is behind us, we’re three quarters of the way through the NFL regular season. We’ll learn the fate of every team soon enough, but for now let’s grade how each of their years have gone.
This season the Patriots made a home-run hire at head coach, figured out they have a franchise quarterback, had a great haul in free agency and the NFL Draft, and are on the doorstep of taking the AFC East crown from the Bills. How’s that for a turnaround? Sure, the Patriots have played the easiest schedule in the NFL. That shouldn’t lessen any excitement for what has been, to this point, a nearly perfect season.
Considering the Bills were heavy favorites to win the AFC East, seeing them well behind the Patriots is surprising and disappointing. Blowout losses to the Falcons and Dolphins are inexplicable. There have been too many times this season in which the defense and offense around Josh Allen have been a big letdown, though Allen has covered a lot of it up. Maybe the Bills make a postseason run, but right now a wild-card spot is not what anyone expected.
Grade: C+
Josh Allen is carrying the weight for Buffalo this season. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
The Dolphins turned an F into something better by winning five of six games. Four of those games came against teams with losing records, but there was also a blowout of the Bills. Mike McDaniel might have saved his job. Tua Tagovailoa is still struggling, there is a question about what happens with Tyreek Hill after the season, and the defense and offensive line need major work. At least the Dolphins turned around a miserable season.
The Jets’ hope is in the future. The present has been bleak. Justin Fields was signed to be at least a bridge quarterback, but he was benched after nine largely ineffective starts. The Jets have put together a few wins after an 0-7 start, which quells some heat on Aaron Glenn after a horrible start to his coaching career. The team’s trades of Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner helped stock the team’s draft capital. The Jets still have to hit on those picks, but at least there’s something to look forward to.
Many Steelers fans won’t be happy with winning a bad division with a record barely above .500 and a quick playoff exit. The realistic expectation shouldn’t have been much higher than that. The future doesn’t look rosy, with another round of quarterback merry-go-round coming, but a division title is never a bad way to end a season. If the Ravens beat the Steelers for the division, the grade will drop. And offseason changes might be coming.
The record has been terrible. Look beyond that. The Browns’ rookie draft class is excellent. Defensive tackle Mason Graham, linebacker Carson Schwesinger, running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. have all been good. And yes, quarterback Shedeur Sanders might be a fifth-round steal. There have been some exciting moments amid a lot of losses.
The only thing keeping the grade from being an F is the chance the Ravens still rally and at least make the playoffs winning a weak AFC North. That wouldn’t make for a great season, but missing the playoffs would be a complete failure. The Ravens haven’t been good all season. Back-to-back home losses to the Bengals and Steelers drive home the fact that it’s unlikely to turn around. It’s likely a wasted season in Lamar Jackson’s prime.
Joe Burrow is on a Hall of Fame path. And the Bengals are about to miss the playoffs for the third straight season in his prime. Injuries cost Burrow time in two of those seasons, but the Bengals are still letting precious time with Burrow slip away with nothing to show for it. And Burrow’s injury that kept him out most of the season isn’t the reason the defense has been a flop yet again. Cincinnati might need major changes in the offseason.
Before Daniel Jones tore his Achilles, the Colts were one of the most inspiring success stories in the NFL. But a 7-1 start to the season has gone sour, and the season seems lost with Jones out for the season. If Philip Rivers or anyone else can save this team and get them to the playoffs, it will be an A+ season. That seems unlikely. We’ll still credit them for what they had built, and not punish them too much for a heartbreaking injury.
The Jaguars have made the playoffs twice since 2007. They were 4-13 last season. Assuming the Jaguars make the playoffs (NFL.com has them projected with a 97% chance), it’s a fantastic outcome in Liam Coen’s first season as head coach. There are things to work on, like a passing game that is 19th in the NFL in yards and 20th in touchdowns, but overall it’s a big success.
The Texans’ grade continues to rise. They have the best defense in football. They overcame an injury to C.J. Stroud to win five in a row to get back in the playoff mix. It’s not all perfect, but DeMeco Ryans deserves a lot of credit for rallying his team after a rough start. Houston is peaking at the right time, which is worth keeping an eye on in a flawed AFC.
Cam Ward has shown flashes of his potential. That’s about where the positive news ends. And even Ward’s highlights don’t erase the massive struggles of an offense that is 31st in points scored and 32nd in yards gained. Ward’s struggles aren’t all his fault; the supporting cast around him is one of the worst in the NFL. The Titans are already looking for a new head coach after firing Brian Callahan, and it’s a total rebuild around the quarterback.
Maybe the grade could have been a little lower because Bo Nix has followed up his strong rookie season with a bit of a step back. The offense isn’t pretty. But the results are fantastic. Yes, they had close (and fortunate) wins. Also, their two losses came with no time on the clock at the Colts and at the Chargers. They are poised to win the AFC West for the first time since 2015.
Had the Chargers’ offensive line stayed healthy, this might be the best team in football. The Chargers deserve credit for fighting through some key injuries and still be in good position to make the playoffs. Jim Harbaugh is a heck of a head coach. Justin Herbert continues to grow as a quarterback. It hasn’t been a bad season but it might end up as a massive “what if?”
Either this season was the end of the Chiefs’ dynasty, or we’ll look back on it as a weird year when Kansas City missed the playoffs amid a great run of success. Of course there’s a chance the Chiefs still make the playoffs … and they might be the favorites to win the AFC if they do. A bunch of close losses are to blame for their record. It’s not a bad team, but an unlucky one. Ultimately though, not making the playoffs is a massive disappointment.
There’s not much to like. The Raiders made four major acquisitions in the offseason in an attempt to be more competitive right away: Pete Carroll, Chip Kelly, Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty. Carroll is having his worst season as a head coach, Kelly has already been fired, Smith has been bad and is getting booed by home fans, and Jeanty has been a major disappointment as the fifth overall draft pick. The Raiders have won once since Week 1, and that was against the Titans at home. This season has been an absolute disaster.
We can’t give the Eagles a failing grade, though many of their fans might. They still are in control of the NFC East. But watching Eagles games has become a chore. The offense has been broken all season, and there’s plenty of blame to go around. It took the defense a while to come around, but now that it has the offense continues to spiral. The Eagles get a below-average grade because they look so much worse than last season.
Cowboys fans would look at missing the playoffs as a miserable failure. It wouldn’t be great, but this was a flawed team. Yet it has renewed hope after playing better following a trade for Quinnen Williams, and that could spark offseason optimism. The offense, and Dak Prescott in particular, have been good. It’s just not a great team on the way to a middling season.
There are some bright signs with some of the young players on the Giants, though Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers suffered season-ending injuries, and Jaxson Dart’s reckless style has led to him missing time too. Still, unlike some other teams with double-digit losses already, there is hope. The Giants have already fired Brian Daboll, and this should be an attractive opening.
The Commanders went from the NFL’s final four last season to maybe not even reaching four wins this season. Jayden Daniels hasn’t just spent most of the season dealing with injuries, he has been ineffective when he has played. Washington has a very old roster, expected to compete for at least an NFC East title, and everything has been horrific.
This grade might end up as an F if the Lions miss the playoffs. And they’re in danger of it. Detroit has too much talent to not be in the postseason, and failing to qualify after a 15-2 season would make for a really long offseason. Detroit still has shown signs of potential greatness, usually when Jahmyr Gibbs has the ball, so there’s still hope to save the season.
It’s fair to point out the Bears’ soft schedule and their penchant for close wins against bad teams. It doesn’t matter that much. Having nine wins and being in position to make the playoffs in Ben Johnson’s first year as head coach is a big win. Caleb Williams is far from perfect, but the strides he is making are a good sign. If the Bears don’t make the playoffs, it would be a tough blow. But this is a growth season worth praise.
The Packers’ record is good. Losses to the Browns and at home against the Panthers were bad. Barely beating teams like the Cardinals and Giants was troubling. Let’s not forget that a few weeks ago, there was actually talk of Matt LaFleur coaching for his job. Ultimately, a 9-3-1 record and some impressive wins lately gives the Packers a pretty good grade. Just not an “A” yet.
The Vikings lost three regular-season games last season. They could more than triple that this season. The biggest issue isn’t hard to figure out: The quarterback play has been dreadful. J.J. McCarthy’s first season as a starter has been alarmingly bad, though he had a good game in Week 14. Maybe there’s time for him to salvage his season. The same can’t be said for the Vikings as a whole.
It seems like this version of the Buccaneers is worse than the past two seasons, which is bad. The Buccaneers didn’t have a loss against a losing team until Sunday, when they fell to the 3-10 Saints. Not great. Baker Mayfield’s play has slipped badly, and that’s as the rest of the offense gets healthy. Tampa Bay is still favored to win the division, but they don’t seem like much of a threat to make noise in the playoffs.
The Panthers have been very inconsistent. But they have quality wins at Green Bay and against the Rams, and are in a first-place tie in their division with four games left. Think back to the offseason and ask yourself if the Panthers would be thrilled to be in that position. It has been a long road for Carolina since David Tepper bought the team. They haven’t made the playoffs since the 2017 season. A whiff of success has been exciting.
When the Falcons traded next season’s first-round draft pick to the Rams so they could pick pass rusher James Pearce Jr., they felt they could compete for a playoff spot this season. Instead they have found weird ways to lose, Michael Penix Jr. was up and down before suffering another season-ending injury and head coach Raheem Morris might be on the hot seat. This isn’t what Atlanta expected.
The Saints have road wins over the Buccaneers and Panthers, the top two teams in the NFC South. That doesn’t erase all the losses, but at least it’s a sign that there’s some buy-in from the players to coach Kellen Moore’s culture. The roster will need a lot of work because there aren’t many good young players, and not many have emerged this season, although rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has had a few moments. It’s a lost season, but Moore has a shot to be the right fit.
The Seahawks got it right with their 2024 hire of head coach Mike Macdonald. They might have hit on a long-term quarterback in Sam Darnold too. It’s hard to find many faults with their season. Darnold has been good, Jaxon Smith-Njigba leveled up to be a superstar, Macdonald’s defense is one of the best in the NFL and the Seahawks have an argument that they’re the best team in football. Nobody saw that coming before the season started.
Back in August, the talk of the NFL was Matthew Stafford’s back injury, and what his status looked like for the season. Months later, he’s the MVP favorite and the Rams are the Super Bowl favorite. It has been a remarkable season for the team on offense and defense. When Aaron Donald retired it seemed like the Rams might dip, especially with Stafford in his late 30s. Instead, they got back on an upward trajectory. We’ll have to see if the Rams can finish this dream season in style.
The 49ers are unlikely to win the NFC West. A long playoff run might not be in their future due to defensive deficiencies. But taking a look at what they’ve overcome, being at nine wins is impressive. San Francisco dealt with injuries to Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa among others. And they’re still very close to locking up a playoff spot. What a job by Kyle Shanahan this season.
The Cardinals had high hopes and started 2-0. They’ve won once since. Many of the losses have been close, but it doesn’t matter much when you’ve lost 10 of 11. Head coach Jonathan Gannon might be in trouble. Quarterback Kyler Murray’s future with the team seems murky at best. Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hasn’t made the strides hoped for him. It has been a big step back.
With 18 seconds remaining in the third period, the Ducks were down 3-2, had just lost a faceoff back in their defensive zone and were down a man in a power play for the Pittsburgh Penguins. A half-hour later, they were celebrating one of the most bizarre wins of the season, 4-3 in a shootout.
Somehow, the Ducks managed to tie the game. It took a great play from Beckett Sennecke and a defensive breakdown for the Penguins, but the winger managed to get the puck to the net for a game-tying goal in the final second.
Advertisement
A replay:
Actually, let’s take a closer look at that.
Specifically, let’s look at it from a bird’s-eye view, in slow motion, with the clock visible. Sennecke’s shot was actually veering away from the goal inside the crease, until…
Oh no, Erik Karlsson.
The goal was officially credited as an unassisted one for Sennecke, but he definitely got an assist from the Penguins defenseman, who accidentally batted the puck into the goal with 0.1 seconds left.
The goal was held up on replay and the game went to overtime. Naturally, the Ducks ended up winning via shootout.
The Penguins found a wild way to lose to the Ducks. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)
“It hit my hand and went in. There was no question about it. How it came to be that way, I don’t really know. I haven’t watched it, but it’s definitely something that should not happen. Seventeen seconds left, up a goal and on a power play. We win the faceoff and they score a goal. This was a game that shouldn’t have happened the way that it did.”
It’s worth noting that Karlsson also posted two assists Tuesday, so to say he cost the Penguins the game would be inaccurate. Still, it’s a rough moment for a three-time Norris Trophy winner and the highest-paid defenseman in the league.
Advertisement
The shootout loss knocked the Penguins down to 14-7-7, good for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.
The NFL is heading back to Munich. After playing games in the German city in both 2022 and 2024, the NFL announced Wednesday it will return to Munich in both 2026 and 2028 for regular-season games.
The move is part of a multiyear partnership with both the city of Munich and FC Bayern Munich. Games will be hosted at Allianz Arena, where FC Bayern Munich plays its home games.
FC Bayern Munich confirmed the partnership, with the mayor of Munich, Verena Dietl, expressing excitement over “spreading the enthusiasm” for American football in the city.
“I’m delighted about the extension of our contract with the NFL and it once again shows the importance and strength of Munich as a sporting city. The previous games not only won the hearts of the fans, but also strengthened our successful cooperation with the NFL. Together, we’re committed to promoting American football in Germany and spreading the enthusiasm for the sport far beyond the stadiums. I’m looking forward to the upcoming games in 2026 and 2028, which will not only bring top-class sport, but also valuable impetus for grassroots sport in our city.”
The NFL has played regular-season games in Munich two other times. The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers played at Allianz Arena in 2022, with the Bucs coming out on top. Two years later, the Carolina Panthers beat the New York Giants in Munich.
Advertisement
Germany is no stranger to hosting NFL games at this point. In addition to those two contests, the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons played a regular-season game in Berlin earlier this year. The Colts won thanks to a tremendous performance from running back Jonathan Taylor.
The NFL has not announced which teams will take part in the Munich game in 2026 or 2028.
In recent years, the NFL has pushed to expand play outside the United States. The league has scheduled a number of international games each year, with six taking place during the 2025 NFL season. The NFL has played at least one game in the United Kingdom regularly since the 2007 season and has expanded international play to Brazil, Spain and Mexico, among other countries, in recent seasons.
The 2026 Munich game marks one of six international games announced by the NFL for next season. In addition to playing in Germany next year, the NFL will also play in Australia, Brazil and Mexico. The league will also play two games in the United Kingdom in 2026.
Advertisement
The league announced the Los Angeles Rams will play in the Australia game and that the Jacksonville Jaguars will appear in one of the games in the United Kingdom, but have not revealed any other teams taking part in international games next season.
Welcome to the knockout rounds of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, where eight teams — four from each conference — compete in win-or-go-home quarterfinal matchups. The winners advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas, where they’ll have the chance to compete for the right to etch their names into NBA Cup history, for the chance to hoist all 35 pounds of it, and for whatever bragging rights come along with being the third victors of this still-buffering competition.
Before the back half of our quarterfinal quartet tips off, let’s take a fresh look at the lay of the land in the West as we return to our irregularly scheduled tournament, already in progress:
Where we left off in the West
We detailed that frantic final evening of group-stage play, with three of the four quarterfinal spots still up for grabs. There was drama in Denver, where the Spurs had to roar back from an 18-point third-quarter deficit against the Nuggets to keep their hopes alive.
Thanks to monster second halves from Devin Vassell (21 of his team-high 35 after intermission) and Julian Champagnie (15 of his 25), San Antonio exploded for 80 second-half points without superstar big man Victor Wembanyama and reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, stunning Nikola Jokić and Co. to score a 139-136 win to improve to 3-1 in West Group C, eliminating Denver and Houston to secure their spot in the knockout round.
Advertisement
Things were also tight — somewhat uncharacteristically so! — in Oklahoma City, where the upstart Suns continued their pleasantly surprising strong start to the season by pushing the defending champion Thunder to the limit.
Down by as many as 15, Phoenix charged back in the fourth quarter, getting hot from long distance — Royce O’Neale and Collin Gillespie combined for five of the Suns’ six fourth-quarter triples — and cutting OKC’s lead to a single point multiple times. Time and again, though, the hosts had the answer — typically in the form of letting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander size up his man and go to work.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s chosen to celebrate winning nearly everything there was to win last season — the exception, of course, being the NBA Cup! — by coming back even better, poured in 15 of his game-high 37 points in the final seven minutes, capped by a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds left to finish off a 123-119 win. With the victory, Oklahoma City finished atop West Group A at 4-0 — and, by virtue of their +75 point differential across the four victories, with the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Advertisement
The loss dropped Phoenix to 3-1, but it didn’t knock them out of the competition. Thanks to doing what so few teams have managed this season against OKC — namely, not getting blown out — the Suns wrapped up group play with a +31 point differential, which was large enough to edge out the Memphis Grizzlies (who also went 3-1, but finished +14) for the West’s wild-card spot.
That cemented the conference’s final four, setting up a Thunder-Suns rematch in the 1-vs.-4 game, and a very intriguing matchup between the high-scoring Los Angeles Lakers — the winners of West Group B — and a Spurs team that’s gone an impressive 8-3 since losing superstar center Victor Wembanyama to a left calf strain.
What to know about Suns-Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
We should probably start with this: In case you missed it, the Thunder are, like, really good.
Advertisement
Oklahoma City enters the quarterfinals on a 15-game winning streak, and at 23-1 on the season — just the third team in NBA history to open a season with wins in 23 of its first 24 games. The other two: The 1969-70 New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship, and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who went on to set the all-time single-season record of 73 wins that OKC’s now chasing.
With Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein manning the back line, and Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace and all manner of other havoc-wreakers stationed at the point of attack, the Thunder lead the NBA in defensive efficiency to a comical degree, allowing 6.8 fewer points per 100 possessions than the second-place Rockets. That gap is the same as the one between No. 2 Houston and No. 21 Chicago.
(Worth noting: Hartenstein will miss the quarterfinal matchup with a right soleus strain that has cost him the last five games. Also worth noting: The Thunder won all five of those games and have blown opponents out by nearly 21 points-per-100 with him off the floor this season.)
Advertisement
With Gilgeous-Alexander at the controls, Oklahoma City also features a top-five offense, despite All-NBA No. 2 offensive option Jalen Williams missing the first 19 games of the season recovering from offseason wrist surgery. Since Williams’ return — which came, coincidentally, in that group-stage-concluding win over the Suns — he’s averaging 17.8 points in 29 minutes per game with a 32-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio. And in the minutes when SGA sits — during which the Thunder’s offense had plummeted considerably — they’ve scored like a top-five offense with J-Dub on the ball.
All of which, y’know, would seem to make for pretty tough sledding for the Suns … particularly considering they’ll enter the matchup without leading scorer and assist man Devin Booker, who’s sidelined by a right groin strain. Add in the ongoing absence of Jalen Green, whom Phoenix imported from Houston in the trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Rockets, with a strained right hamstring, and it feels unlikely that Phoenix will have the firepower to go toe-to-toe with the defending champs.
And yet: “Unlikely” has kind of been the Suns’ stock in trade this season.
Advertisement
Have to deal with Wembanyama after he’s opened the season tearing everybody apart? No problem: Just tailor a picture-perfect traffic-jam gameplan to disrupt, dislodge and discombobulate him, holding him to a season-low nine points and handing the Spurs their first loss.
Trail by seven late against the Wolves? No problem: Just rip off nine straight in the final 1:19 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Lose Booker early in the first quarter of a road game against Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Austin Reaves and the Lakers? No problem: Dillon Brooks (whose usage rate has skyrocketed to Jordanian levels sans Booker this season) will just score 23 of his 33 points in the first half … and Gillespie will hit five of his eight 3-pointers in the second to stake the Suns to a blowout win.
Advertisement
It’ll likely take everything the Suns can muster to hang in with the Thunder again: stellar shot-making from Gillespie, O’Neale, Brooks and Grayson Allen; Brooks going goblin mode defensively to short-circuit his Canadian national teammate SGA; generating extra possessions on the offensive glass and by creating turnovers (hey there, Mark Williams, Jordan Goodwin and Ryan Dunn); head coach Jordan Ott coming up with a way to throw some sand into the gears of what’s been an incredibly smooth-running OKC machine.
It’s a lot to expect; the odds of getting it all to go right are astonishingly small. But the Suns have been outperforming expectations and beating the odds all season. Why stop now?
What to know about Spurs-Lakers (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
The first time these two teams played this season, the Lakers were missing James and Reaves … so Luka just went ahead and put up 35-9-13 with five steals and a pair of blocks in a come-from-behind win.
The Lakers have been on a roll since getting James back from his early-season sciatica-induced absence, going 6-1 with him in the lineup. He’s helped stabilize non-Luka stints, with L.A. outscoring opponents by 13 points in 82 minutes when LeBron and Reaves take the wheel while Dončić gets a breather, according to PBP Stats. Even while still working his way into playing shape and occasionally looking like an about-to-be-41-year-old in the process — a career-low 28% of his shot attempts have come at the rim, and he’s making them less often than at any point since his rookie season — LeBron has fit productively into the fold for head coach/erstwhile podcast partner JJ Redick.
He’s slotting into a complementary role alongside Dončić and Reaves, posting by far the lowest usage rate of his career (he’s actually fourth on the Lakers, behind Nick Smith Jr.!) and the lowest average time of possession in the 13 seasons for which Second Spectrum publishes tracking data. He’s looking comfortable working off the ball, he has a sparkling 53-to-13 assist-to-turnover ratio, and L.A. has scored like the NBA’s best offense with him on the floor.
Advertisement
And when the Lakers need him to crank it up — like they did in the fourth quarter against the 76ers on Sunday — it looks like he’s still got some gas in the tank:
There’s been a bit less gas, however, on the defensive end of the court, where the Lakers rank 20th overall in points allowed per possession — and where they’ve been worse with their big three on the floor. It’s a problem that first reared its head after Dončić arrived in California last season …
… and it’s remained one thus far this season. Lineups featuring Luka, LeBron and Reaves have been outscored by 15 points in 108 minutes, allowing 121.9 points per 100 while struggling to generate turnovers and conceding a ton of 3-pointers. That could be a problem against a Spurs team that has ranked 12th in long-distance attempts and ninth in 3-point makes per game since Wembanyama left the lineup, with Vassell, Champagnie, De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes all shooting better than 38% from beyond the arc in that span.
Advertisement
Fox — who missed the first meeting against the Lakers working his way back from an offseason hamstring injury — has been fantastic, averaging just under 26 points and seven assists per game on .614 true shooting since Wemby’s injury. Rookie Dylan Harper — who missed that first meeting, too — continues to get into the paint seemingly at will, fresh off a 22-point, six-assist performance in Monday’s win over the Pelicans. Castle, who’d been off to a phenomenal start to his sophomore season before going down with a hip injury, returned to the lineup against New Orleans, putting up 18-5-5 in 23 minutes in his return.
The Spurs, obviously, would love to have their 7-foot-infinity top gun back on the floor for this win-or-go-home contest; unfortunately, Wembanyama’s not quite ready to roll yet. Even so: A San Antonio side that now has its full complement of backcourt firepower for the first time all season could pose major problems for a Lakers defense that’s yet to prove it can consistently get stops with its own top guns on the floor.
What comes next?
The winners of the single-elimination quarterfinal games will advance to Las Vegas, where the semifinals will be held on Saturday. The championship game for the NBA Cup will take place Tuesday.
Advertisement
That championship game will be the only one in the entire tournament that won’t also count toward participants’ regular-season record and statistics. For those two teams, it will count as Game 83. The four teams that lose in the quarterfinals will each play one regular-season game against one another, too, with the games coming on Thursday, Friday, Sunday or Monday.
Making the quarterfinals guarantees every player on the participating teams a payout; to the winners, though, go greater spoils, with the tournament champion taking home the biggest bank.
For the inaugural in-season tournament, the prize pool operated in nice round numbers: $50,000 for each player on teams that lose in the quarterfinals; $100,000 for players on teams that lose in the semifinals; $200,000 for players on the team that loses in the final game; and a crisp $500,000 for everyone on the team that hoists the NBA Cup. The math has changed a bit year-over-year, thanks to a passage in the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players union stipulating that those prize payouts rise by a “growth factor” tied to any increase in the basketball-related income (BRI) that the league generates.
Advertisement
BRI has gone up over the past two seasons; thus, so have the payouts:
Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning.
🚨 Headlines
⚾️ MLB Draft Lottery: The White Sox won the MLB Draft lottery, earning the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft after entering the night with the best odds of any team. The Rays, Twins, Giants and Pirates round out the top five.
Advertisement
⚽️ Messi wins MVP: Lionel Messi won his second straight MLS MVP, becoming the first player in league history to win the award in consecutive seasons and just the second to win the award multiple times, period.
⚾️ MLB Winter Meetings: Kyle Schwarber is signing a five-year, $150 million deal to stay in Philly and Edwin Díaz is joining the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million deal, giving the two-time defending champs the best reliever on the market.
🏈 Rivers returns to Indy: The Colts signed Philip Rivers to their practice squad as a potential replacement for Daniel Jones (Achilles). Rivers, 44, hasn’t played since 2020, when he led the Colts to the playoffs in his 17th NFL season.
⚽️ USMNT to face Senegal: The Americans will play Senegal in Charlotte on May 31 in their penultimate World Cup tuneup. Their other three tuneups will come in Atlanta in late March (against Belgium and Portugal) and in Chicago in early June (against Germany).
🎓 Private equity has arrived on campus
(Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
College sports’ rapid transformation from amateur endeavor to professional industry has taken another leap forward in the wake of Tuesday’s news: private equity has officially arrived on campus.
Advertisement
A landmark deal: The University of Utah is finalizing a first-of-its-kind agreement with PE firm Otro Capital to create a for-profit entity that will operate the university’s athletics business and is expected to generate upwards of $500 million in capital, reports Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
The venture is centered around the creation of Utah Brands & Entertainment LLC — a private, independent offshoot of the athletic department whose primary goal is to generate more revenue across areas including ticketing, concessions, corporate sales and sponsorships.
In a fascinating wrinkle, the university — which retains majority ownership of the new entity — is allowing prominent donors to purchase a stake, essentially formalizing their status as boosters. Indeed, the $500 million figure includes both Otro’s nine-figure cash infusion and commitments from donors.
The big picture: The early NIL era was heralded as the culmination of a decades-long fight against the myth of amateurism. Turns out it was just the beginning, with schools now set to share revenue directly with athletes and enlist outside capital partners — like Utah is doing — to help navigate this brave new world.
Here’s Ross:
The emergence of private equity in college sports is a long time coming. For the last two years, as university athletic departments face mounting financial stressors, dozens of schools pursued private capital or equity deals, including conferences as a whole — most notably the Big 12 and Big Ten. However, when these projects reached the finish line, they were stymied for various reasons.
Advertisement
For instance, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has twice presented such a deal before his presidential board. Big Ten officials nearly reached the point of a vote on a $2.4 billion capital deal before at least two schools — USC and Michigan — scuttled the project.
Yormark’s pursuit of a capital deal caught the attention of Harlan and Utah administrators, who, more than two years ago, began the process that resulted in the potential deal with Otro.
Looking ahead: There are only so many more ways to continue closing the gap between college and pro sports, and one of the biggest — collective bargaining — may be on its way. Athletes.Org released a detailed framework on Monday for what a college sports CBA could look like, and dozens of athletic directors are meeting this week at an annual conference in Las Vegas where collective bargaining will be a main topic of conversation.
🏈 NFL power rankings
(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)
The top of our NFL power rankings held steady this week outside of two scorching-hot newcomers to the top 10, which replaced two reeling teams.
Advertisement
Moving in: The Texans (8-5) jumped seven spots to No. 7 (and climbed into the AFC playoff picture) after winning their fifth straight game behind the league’s best defense. The Chargers (9-4) jumped three spots to No. 10 after winning five of their last six and gutting out Monday’s overtime victory against Philly.
Moving out: Speaking of the Eagles (8-5), they fell five spots to No. 12 after Jalen Hurts’ five-turnover performance resulted in their third straight loss. The Colts (8-5), meanwhile, fell 12 spots to No. 22 after losing their third straight game, losing Daniel Jones for the season and losing their grip on a playoff spot.
🇺🇸 Orlando, Florida — The Magic overcame a game-opening 15-0 deficit to beat the Heat, 117-108, and advance to the NBA Cup semifinals. Desmond Bane (37-6-5) led the way for Orlando, scoring exactly 37 points for the third time in his last six games.
Advertisement
The nightcap: The Knicks also advanced after cruising past the Raptors, 117-101, behind Jalen Brunson (35-3-4) and Josh Hart (21-6-4).
Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates his game-winner. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
🇮🇹 Milan, Italy — Liverpool beat Inter Milan, 1-0, on an 88th-minute penalty to climb into the top eight of the Champions League table three-quarters of the way through the league phase.
Elsewhere: Tottenham beat Slavia Prague, 3-0, on two penalties and an own goal; Atalanta came back to beat Chelsea, 2-1; Barcelona beat Frankfurt, 2-1, on a brace from Jules Koundé in a three-minute span.
Calgary goalkeeper Eric Tu dives into the pile of teddy bears. (Leah Hennel/Getty Images)
🇨🇦 Calgary, Canada — Fans of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen showered the ice with 26,828 stuffed animals on Sunday during the team’s 30th annual Teddy Bear Toss, which remains one of the great traditions in sports.
Advertisement
Teddies for charity: Since their inaugural 1995 toss — triggered by the team’s first goal in each annual game — the Hitmen have collected 508,300 teddy bears, which they then donate to local hospitals and charities.
🏀 Wilson named TIME Athlete of the Year
(Kanya Iwana/TIME)
Aces superstar A’ja Wilson was named TIME’s Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, becoming the second straight WNBA player to earn that honor after Caitlin Clark in 2024.
Unmatched résumé: Wilson won her record fourth WNBA MVP in 2025 after leading Vegas to their third title in four years. She also won her second straight scoring title, second WNBA Finals MVP and third DPOY, all while being a “culture shifter” whose impact merely begins on the court.
Advertisement
While refusing to relinquish her supremacy on the basketball court, Wilson has managed to extend her power far beyond the field of play, a trick that only a precious few athletes can pull off. LeBron. Ali. Serena. A’ja. “A’ja isn’t a rising star anymore,” says philanthropist Melinda French Gates, whose publishing imprint released Wilson’s best-selling memoir, Dear Black Girls, in 2024. “She’s at the center of her own solar system.”
OKC beat Phoenix, 123-119, late last month. (Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
🏀 NBA Cup Quarterfinals
The knockout round of the in-season tournament continues tonight with two Western Conference matchups. First up, the historically-hot Thunder host the Suns (7:30pm ET, Prime). Then it’s Spurs at Lakers in the nightcap (10pm, Prime).
Advertisement
Best start ever? OKC (23-1) is one win away from matching the 2015-16 Warriors for the best 25-game start in NBA history.
⚽️ Real Madrid vs. Manchester City
Today’s Champions League slate is headlined by a heavyweight clash between 2023 champion City and 2024 champion Madrid (3pm, Paramount+), both of whom currently sit second in their respective domestic leagues.
Best of the rest: Defending champion PSG visits Athletic Club (3pm, Paramount+) and Premier League leader Arsenal, the lone undefeated team in Champions League play, visits Club Brugge (3pm, Paramount+).
🏈 Overtime Nationals
Powerhouse programs Corner Canyon (Utah) and St. Frances Academy (Maryland) will go head-to-head tonight (7pm, ESPN2) in the inaugural Overtime Nationals High School Football Championship at Baltimore’s Under Armour Stadium.
Advertisement
What’s at stake: In addition to owning the title of National Champion, the winner of the game will also receive a $250,000 donation to their school.
More to watch:
🏒 NHL: Rangers at Blackhawks (7:30pm, TNT); Kings at Kraken (10pm, TNT) … Connor Bedard is thriving (40 points, sixth-most in the league), but Chicago has lost eight of 10.
🏀 NCAAW: No. 11 Iowa at No. 10 Iowa State (7pm, ESPN) … The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last nine games in the Cy-Hawk Series.
🏒 Women’s Hockey: USA vs. Canada (7pm, NHL) … Edmonton hosts Game 3 of the Rivalry Series after the Americans won the first two games at home.
⚽️ Women’s Champions League: Barcelona vs. Benfica (12:45pm, Paramount+) … One of five matches to close out the penultimate Matchday of the group stage.
With the back-to-back AL Cy Young set to hit free agency next fall, Detroit must act aggressively this offseason to try to build a legitimate World Series contender for what might well be Skubal’s final year with the team.
After seven straight years of reaching at least the AFC Championship, the Chiefs are 6-7 and looking like a good bet to miss the playoffs entirely. Maybe that’s just the medicine they need after coasting for so long on Patrick Mahomes’ arm and Steve Spagnuolo’s game-planning.
The Greek Freak hasn’t formally requested a trade yet, but it certainly seems like we might be heading that way. So it feels prudent to gauge what each team could theoretically offer the Bucks for their two-time MVP.
Trivia answer: Kenley Jansen (334 saves)
Advertisement
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
The true do-or-die time has come for the Kansas City Chiefs. They could be eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15.
Before the season, the Chiefs missing the playoffs seemed very unlikely. The thought of them having three meaningless games at the end of the season was inconceivable. But with a loss to the Chargers it’s possible the Chiefs can be officially eliminated in Week 15. There are multiple ways in which it could happen, but the cleanest is if the Bills, Jaguars and Texans win in addition to the Chargers beating the Chiefs.
Advertisement
Even if the Chiefs aren’t mathematically eliminated after a loss this week, the odds of them making the playoffs would be microscopic. It’s not like they have a great shot even with a win. According to NFL.com, their playoff odds would rise from 12% to 19% by beating the Chargers.
On the other hand, the Chargers’ playoff odds would rise to 93% with a win. It has been a very good season for them, overcoming injuries to put themselves in great position for a playoff spot. One of their biggest wins came in Week 1, when they knocked off the Chiefs in Brazil. Winning Sunday would clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs, though that probably won’t be necessary.
(Yahoo Sports/Grant Thomas)
The Chargers overcoming injuries for a 9-4 start is commendable, but the story of the NFL season has been the Chiefs and their dip to a 6-7 record with four games remaining. For those hoping to see the Chiefs officially out of the postseason picture, Sunday could be the day.
Advertisement
Here are the other Week 15 games that will have the biggest impact on the playoff picture:
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Had we known three months ago this Week 15 game would be a potential clincher for the AFC East championship, it would not have made sense. The Bills were expected to win the division by multiple games.
But there was a twist. It’s the Patriots, at 11-2, who can clinch the AFC East with a win over the 9-4 Bills. The Patriots already beat the Bills in Buffalo this season, part of a 10-game winning streak. It seems like an AFC East title is almost inevitable for the Patriots, so aside from the celebration of ending the Bills’ streak of five division titles in a row, the win might be more important in the race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Patriots and Broncos are tied for the top spot, and each of those teams has a tough game on Sunday.
Advertisement
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos
The Broncos have a great shot to win the division. DVOA’s projections have them at a 91.6% chance to win the AFC West. But Denver also doesn’t want to open the door for the Chargers to make a late push. The Broncos also are pushing for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and this week could provide more clarity in that race.
Denver will have a challenge with the Packers, who took over first place in the NFC North with a win over the Bears in Week 14. The Packers have only an outside shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and a Week 16 game at Chicago should practically decide the NFC North championship. Perhaps Green Bay might get caught looking ahead a bit.
Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams
It seems like the Lions and Bears are destined to meet in Week 18 with one NFC playoff spot on the line. There’s a long way to go before then, and a win over the Rams would put Detroit in better position to push for a playoff spot. The problem is the Lions haven’t had a two-game winning streak since Week 5. Detroit is coming off a win over Dallas in Week 14.
Advertisement
The Rams are in a tough spot this week. The Lions are a quality team. But Los Angeles’ game of the season comes four days later when they play at the Seahawks in Seattle on a Thursday night. The Rams and Seahawks are tied atop the NFC West at 10-3. Like the Packers, maybe the Rams will be looking ahead a bit.
Due to Jones’ injury last week, the Seahawks suddenly found themselves with a much easier game in Week 15, before their Rams showdown. If the Seahawks can beat a shorthanded Colts team at home on Sunday, then follow that up with a win over the Rams on Thursday, they would have the inside track to win the NFC West and also get the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They’ll be rooting for a Lions win Sunday as well.
At 6-7, the team has some work to do if it’s hoping for another Super Bowl run. It’s a surprising result considering many expected the Chiefs to be a championship-caliber team coming into the season.
“It’s been a tough f***ing go-around for the past two days. You put in all this f***ing work in hopes that it pays off and right now it just, for whatever f***ing reason, man, it’s little things. It’s, I dunno. Discipline.
“I feel like I’ve always had the answers in years past, and this year I just can’t find them. And I keep thinking if I show up to work and put in the work, and I fix the issues through my practice habits and through perfecting the game plan and my fundamentals and what I’m being taught and go out there and try and play my ass off for my guys next to me, it’s all going to come together like it has in years past. And this year it’s just not, man.”
That’s a surprisingly bleak comment from a player who has generally provided excitement and energy to the Chiefs throughout his career. Kelce is the type to get fired up and motivate others. He was unable to do that here, a sign the Chiefs’ struggles are perhaps more legitimate than people realize.
Kelce was adamant that he’s going to keep working hard to try and turn the season around, but he admitted looking at the playoff picture was “a tough reality.”
Advertisement
While the Chiefs can still rally to claim a postseason spot, the team can also be eliminated in Week 15. It would take a lot for that to happen, but wins by the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Texans, combined with the Chiefs loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, could get it done.
If that does happen, it would mark the first time since 2014 the Chiefs failed to make the playoffs. The team has played in the postseason in every year of Patrick Mahomes’ career. Kelce has missed the playoffs just once over his 13 years in the NFL.
At 36, it’s unclear how many more seasons Kelce has left in the league. After a bit of a down year last season, Kelce has seen his numbers tick up in 2025. But the veteran made at least one crucial mistake in the team’s loss to the Texans, bobbling a pass that was intercepted as the Chiefs were trying to make a comeback.
Advertisement
Kelce admonished himself on “New Heights,” calling the result of the play a “s***ty feeling.”
With the season winding down, the Chiefs are going to have to win some tough games if they hope to reach the playoffs. After the 9-4 Chargers come to town in Week 15, the Chiefs will take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 16. The AFC West-leading Denver Broncos are on tap for Week 17, with the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders on the schedule in the final week of the regular season.
While two of those teams have a combined four wins this season, the other two are among the best in the AFC. If the Chiefs are going to make the playoffs, they’ll have to prove they can beat the best the AFC has to offer.
A television drama about the gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is in development by Starz, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The show will tell “the inside story of Shohei Ohtani’s translator Ippei Mizuhara, who journeys from unemployed drifter to international icon only to find himself tangled in a gambling scandal that rocked the sports world.” That’s one way to describe what federal prosecutors and IRS agents described as a years-long run of fraud and theft, all at the expense of his close friend.
Advertisement
It will also touch on the relationship between Mizuhara and Ohtani, which dates back to Ohtani’s rookie season with Japan’s Nippon-Ham Fighters when he was 18 years old.
In June, Mizuhara began serving a 57-month prison sentence for stealing nearly $17 million to pay off gambling debts while employed by Ohtani, which he was ordered to pay in restitution. Mizuhara, 40, was charged with bank fraud and tax fraud, for which he faced up to 33 years in prison.
While working with Ohtani, Mizuhara reportedly ran up $40.3 million in net losses from 19,000 wagers made with bookmaker Mathew Bowyer during a period between December 2021 and January 2024.
As Ohtani’s interpreter, de facto handler and friend since the Los Angeles Dodgers star came to the U.S. in 2018, Mizuhara covered his losses by secretly withdrawing funds from the bank account that received his client’s MLB salary until it all fell apart after the Dodgers’ 2024 season opener.
Advertisement
Mizuhara went to great lengths to preserve his access to both Ohtani and his money, including impersonating him while calling a bank to send his bookie a six-figure wire transfer. Foreign players often depend on their interpreters for more than just baseball, and Mizuhara’s influence reached the point that Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, spoke to his client only through Mizuhara, granting him a high degree of control over Ohtani’s finances.
Alex Convery, who wrote the 2023 movie “Air” about Michael Jordan’s relationship with Nike, will be the showrunner and writer. “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” director Justin Lin will serve as the show’s director. Sportswriter Albert Chen is a co-executive producer.
No details about a potential release date were announced.