NBA News

HOUSTON (AP) — Mike Trout homered to launch what he hopes will be a bounce-back year, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a season-opening 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday. Trout also walked three times and played center field for the first time since April 2024. The three-time MVP played 130 games last season, his most since 2019 …

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Kevin McGonigle got four hits and drove in two runs in his auspicious major league debut during the Detroit Tigers’ 8-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday. The 21-year-old McGonigle hit a two-run double with the bases loaded on the first big league pitch he saw in the first inning. He had a second …

CINCINNATI (AP) — Garrett Crochet allowed only three hits in six innings, Ceddanne Rafaela hit an RBI single in the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox got their first opening day shutout since 2015, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Thursday. Roman Anthony had three hits for the Red Sox, who had their 11th opening day shutout — with …

PHOENIX (AP) — Lydia Ko opened with four straight birdies and never stopping rolling Thursday until she closed out the best round of her LPGA Tour career with two more birdies for a 12-under 60 on a day of extreme low scoring in the Ford Championship. Defending champion Hyo Joo Kim had a 61, making it the first time since …

Earlier this week, we asked Cleveland Cavaliers fans if they would be in favor of trading Evan Mobley for Giannis Antetokounmpo after it was reported last Friday that Mobley was the type of player the Milwaukee Bucks would want in return for a possible Giannis deal. The comment section for the survey prompt was pretty contentious. It isn’t surprising that …

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Vladyslav Heraskevych was shunned by the Olympics, then invited to the United Nations. He never expected that would happen. The Ukrainian skeleton athlete was not allowed to compete at the Milan Cortina Games because of his plan to wear a helmet paying tribute to some of those killed following Russia’s invasion of his country. He spoke …

The NBA is caught up in the decline of cable television regional sports networks and it’s hitting the league’s bottom line. The NBA sent a memo to teams this week stating that next year’s salary cap would be $165 million, which is $1 million lower than previously projected, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. Last September, the league told teams to …

In today’s Dub Hub: Gui Santos delivered a special performance in the Golden State Warriors’ 109–106 win over the Brooklyn Nets, finishing with a career-high 31 points in his return to the starting lineup. Santos made the most of his opportunity, shooting 11-of-16 from the field and 4-of-6 from three while recording the first 30-point performance of his NBA career. …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Our NBA player prop projections are set for tonight’s showdown between the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets, with the model pinpointing several standout opportunities. Advertisement By analyzing the data and comparing it to current market lines, we’ve uncovered the bets with the highest …

WASHINGTON (AP) — Duke coach Jon Scheyer said point guard Caleb Foster will try to play in Friday night’s Sweet 16 matchup against St. John’s. Foster broke his right foot in Duke’s regular-season finale and missed the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the top-seeded Blue Devils. He was on the court Thursday during the portion of practice …

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Skenes didn’t even get through the first inning on opening day. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner gave up five runs and got only two outs Thursday against the New York Mets, putting the Pittsburgh Pirates in an early hole at Citi Field. Advertisement Hurt by shoddy defense from Oneil Cruz in center field, …

CHICAGO, IL. — Yaxel Lendeborg will have a little extra motivation against Alabama in the Sweet 16. Lendeborg played for the University of Alabama-Birmingham for two years in 2023-24 and 2024-25 before entering the NCAA Transfer Portal at the conclusion of last season. When he entered, he had hoped to stay in-state to play for Nate Oats and the Crimson …

Tom Brady revealed in an interview released on Thursday that he considered coming out of retirement, but the National Football League wasn’t particularly receptive to the idea. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion and minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, was asked in a recent interview with CNBC if he’s looked into the rules regarding a minority owner returning …

For the first time in more than two decades, the NBA appears to be on the verge of expansion, with the league’s Board of Governors voting to explore the potential addition of new franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas, reportedly in time for the 2028-29 NBA season. On one hand, there’s still an awful lot that needs to happen between …

Kevin O’Connor & Tom Haberstroh break down the surprisingly fiery NBA Wednesday, giving their thoughts on Jaylen Brown’s best SGA impression, the historic overtime collapse of the Houston Rockets vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves and the return of Joel Embiid & Paul George to the 76ers. Advertisement They react to Adam Silver’s recent press conference with big questions about tanking and …

The NBA Playoffs are nearly underway. Don’t believe me? Well, the play-in tournament is set for April 14. That’s less than three weeks from now. Yeah, the season has flown by, yet shockingly, there are still tons of teams yet to fully clinch a spot in the playoffs. In fact, in the Eastern Conference, only the top-seeded Detroit Pistons have …

CHICAGO, IL. — Nate Oats’ name continues to circulate for the North Carolina men’s basketball head coach job opening. However, don’t expect the seventh-year Crimson Tide coach to jump to the Tar Heels opening, or any other one, for that matter. Oats candidly answered questions about his future with Alabama on Thursday, March 26, one day before the Crimson Tide …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. With March Madness in full swing, we’ve got a light NBA slate tonight, but there’s still a spotlight on the race for Eastern Conference playoff seeding. Advertisement Look no further than the New York Knicks’ visit to the Charlotte Hornets, with LaMelo Ball …

Tonight’s Sweet 16 game between Houston and Illinois will be a home game for the Cougars, but UH players don’t expect that to matter much. “Last year we played Purdue in Indiana. It doesn’t really give you too much of an advantage, honestly,” Cougars guard Milos Uzan said. “Every team here is good, and, yeah, it doesn’t really give you …

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams developed a knack for pulling out dramatic, game-winning plays late in games during the 2025 NFL season. Due to his fourth-quarter excellence, Williams embraced the nickname “Iceman,” a moniker that seemed to accurately describe the ice in his veins during the game’s biggest moment. Turns out, there already was an “Iceman” in sports, and he’s …

This isn’t the first time Billy Donovan’s name has come up when a major college program went looking for a new head coach. He is the man who led Florida to back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007, and he’s a logical person for those schools to reach out to, even if Donovan had another job as head coach of …

PRAGUE (AP) — Ilia Malinin bounced back from misfiring at the Milan-Cortina Olympics by leading after the short program at the figure skating world championships on Thursday. With a new haircut Malinin presented all that the spectators expected from the defending two-time world champion at O2 Arena. Advertisement He will go to Saturday’s free skate with a massive lead of …

Iowa State men’s basketball could be getting a key member of its offense back for its Sweet 16 game of the Men’s NCAA Tournament. Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday, March 25 that Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson has seen “pretty significant progress” with his recovery from an ankle injury and that he is a game-time …

LSU men’s basketball appears to be making a coaching change and bringing back a former head coach. The Tigers, according to multiple reports, are planning to officially part ways with LSU coach Matt McMahon and bring back former Tigers coach Will Wade, who was fired by the athletic department for cause just four seasons ago and finished his first season …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference face off at Spectrum Center tonight as the Charlotte Hornets host the New York Knicks. Advertisement Charlotte has been white-hot from beyond the arc, and my Knicks vs. Hornets predictions expect the home team …