Multiple players were ejected following a scuffle during the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 146-132 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. The fracas stemmed from Spurs forward Julian Champagnie attempting to create space from defending Thunder forward Kenrich Williams by swinging his elbows.
One of the elbows appeared to have caught — or almost caught — Williams, who took exception and went chest-to-chest with Champagnie. Teammates came to both players’ aid, creating a mob of players that eventually led to a lot of pushing, shoving and shouting.
Here’s another angle, where you can clearly see Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan and Thunder forward Luguentz Dort grabbing hold of each other’s jerseys and exchanging choice words.
Fortunately no punches were thrown and nobody was injured in the melee. After the officials sorted everything out and reviewed the footage, Williams, Champagnie and Dort were all assessed technical fouls and ejected, while Sochan also received a tech but remained in the game.
Situations like this are inevitable over the course of an 82-game season, as competitive juices occasionally overflow. The NBA has steadily cracked down on even mild dust-ups like this by issuing stiff penalties in an effort to ensure that things don’t escalate to the level of danger.
While all the participants came out of this one unharmed, we’ll have to see if anyone’s bank account takes a hit via a fine from the league in the near future.
Julius Randle, after missing the last 13 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a groin injury, returned to action Sunday night and scored 20 points in 34 minutes in a 116-98 road win over the Phoenix Suns.
Randle’s return marks the latest bit of good news for Minnesota as it slowly creeps its way back towards full health. Donte DiVincenzo returned from a 19-game absence on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers, leaving only Rudy Gobert, who has missed eight straight due to a back injury and was out again against the Suns, as the last meaningful injured Minnesota player.
Those injuries have been the latest problem for Minnesota in a disappointing follow-up to last year’s trip to the Western Conference finals. The Timberwolves went 5-8 with Randle sidelined and are now 33-29 and hold the No. 8 seed in the West following Sunday’s win.
Even at full strength, it’s been a bit of a struggle for Minnesota since trading Karl-Anthony Towns. Last year’s defense, which ranked No. 1 in the league, has fallen to No. 6. Though the offense has improved in earning a No. 13 ranking thus far this season, that has been due primarily to the improvement out of Anthony Edwards. His fit with Randle, a ball-dominant forward who doesn’t shoot nearly as well as Towns, has been clunky.
Now Randle returns with a bit more than one month remaining in the season, and in that time, he’ll have to prove that he is a viable fit next to Edwards moving forward. The duo played well Sunday against a fading Phoenix team as Edwards returned from a one-game suspension to drop 44 points in the win.
Randle has a player option in his contract for next season, as does reigning Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid, who is expected to get a hefty contract in free agency this offseason. The next six weeks or so may determine the future of Minnesota’s front court.
👍 Good morning to all, but especially to … LeBRON JAMES AND STEPHEN CURRY
New Year’s Eve seems like forever ago, although the calendar tells us it was less than nine weeks ago. Back then, LeBron James and Stephen Curry were leading play-in teams, with the 18-14 Lakers holding the seventh slot and the 10th-place Warriors sitting at 16-16. That — as they say — was so 2024.
Today’s Western Conference standings finds the Lakers (37-21) in second place, just percentage points ahead of the Nuggets (39-22) after their loss to the Celtics, and the Warriors (32-28) having spent yesterday morning in sixth and this morning in seventh place. Fans (of these clubs) can thank the improvements to the trade deadline moves that brought Luka Dončić to Los Angeles (9-2 since the deadline) and Jimmy Butler to Golden State (7-3 since the deadline).
And while these moves certainly did lift the Lakers and Warriors, our Colin Ward-Henninger has a great piece breaking down just how much these moves have benefitted James and Curry personally.
Ward-Henninger: “At the trade deadline, however, both James and Curry received gifts — Luka Dončić and Jimmy Butler — that could ultimately extend their careers and further add to their seemingly unending lists of accolades. Since they began playing their new co-stars, both James and Curry have experienced significant boosts in production and efficiency, and the Lakers and Warriors look like legitimate threats in the Western Conference.” James and Dončić are settling in, and things could not be going better for the league’s oldest player. With Dončić now shouldering much of the playmaking responsibilities, the 40-year-old James has been benefitting from rest and some easy looks. And in the Bay, Curry is shooting markedly better with Butler in Golden State than he was before the trade — 51.4% vs. 43.1% on all field goals and 42.6% vs. 38.9% on 3s.
Sure, all of this is a relatively small sample size, but getting older veterans like James and Curry bonfide experienced playoff combatants, who’ve both taken their previous teams to the NBA Finals, should only serve as tantalizing possibilities for when the playoffs begin next month.
Honorable mentions Commanders acquire Deebo Samuel from 49ers. And don’t forget the trade grades. Offseason winners: These 10 college football programs are off to a fast start in 2025. Julius Randle scores 20 points after missing a month with groin injury. Let the games begin: Trea Turner trolls former teammate Max Scherzer by challenging a first-pitch strike. A former NFL GM thinks Matthew Golden will be the first receiver drafted. Joe Highsmith nabs first PGA Tour win despite barely making Cognizant Classic cut. Capitals wear helmet decal to honor the victims of Jan. 29 crash at Ronald Reagan Airport. Christopher Bell wins second straight race in Echopark Texas Grand Prix. Albert Pujols will manage the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Alex Ovechkin is just 11 goals from passing Wayne Gretzky.
And not such a good morning for … untitled-design-2025-03-03t033318-500.png Getty Images ELITE-LEVEL WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAMS
You like upsets? Well, you’ve come to the right place. It was a brutal weekend (or last week) for more than a couple top-flight programs. Let’s start with No. 2 UCLA, which entered the weekend with just one loss on the season, and again had no answer for JuJu Watkins (30 points) and No. 4 USC on Saturday night.
Now, you could say that a 4 beating a 2 isn’t that much of an upset, but the sequel to the Battle for Los Angeles didn’t change the narrative for host UCLA, who also lost at USC two weeks earlier. Bruins coach Cori Close was so frustrated by the mere sight of the stat sheet that she crumpled it up into a ball right there on a dais. The victory gave the Trojans’ program its first regular-season title since 1994, much to the delight of SC product Cheryl Miller … and the disgust of UCLA alum brother Reggie Miller.
Beyond that game, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Tennessee and LSU all ended their regular seasons with consecutive losses. Even worse for the Tigers, leading scorer Flau’Jae Johnson has been shut down through the SEC Tournament due to shin inflammation. (Look for Connecticut and USC to be among the beneficiaries from all of the upheaval.)
Not so honorable mentions Kansas coach Bill Self addresses racist and threatening messages that were sent to Zeke Mayo. A tussle in Spurs-Thunder leads to multiple ejections. President Donald Trump said he will issue a pardon for the late Pete Rose. The long-running legal dispute between Knicks and Raptors will be settled in July. Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) will start the season on the injured list. Jimmy Butler is being sued over alleged unpaid rent and property damage to luxury home in Miami Beach. Agent says Jordan Travis rushing back from injury caused a setback. Jalen Suggs will have knee surgery. Kentucky star Jaxson Robinson to miss rest of season with wrist injury. Has the NBA figured out the weakness of the Nuggets? Ousted Mets GM Billy Eppler reportedly lands with the Brewers. MLBPA’s Tony Clark expects there to be a work stoppage after the 2026 season. WWE Elimination Chamber: John Cena turns heel on Cody Rhodes, joins The Rock. A controversial non-knockdown aids Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who pulled a draw with Lamont Roach Jr. ⚾ MLB reviewing petition to reinstate late Pete Rose pete-rose-reds-g.jpg Getty Images Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is in the process of reviewing a petition from the family of the late Pete Rose, requesting that the game’s all-time hits leader be reinstated, according to a story from ESPN. If successful, the petition would likely pave the way for Rose, who died last September the age of 83, to presumably become eligible for election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1989, Rose was banned from the game and future consideration of admission into Cooperstown for betting on Cincinnati Reds games while he played for and managed the team. Despite staunch denials, Rose eventually admitted to his actions in his 2004 autobiography. Rose spent 19 of his 24 major-league seasons with his hometown Reds, collecting an MLB record of 4,256 hits.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the matter, posting on social media on Friday that he will be issuing “a complete pardon,” although it’s unclear how that action would alter any future baseball-related decisions since Rose was never charged with a crime relative to the betting scandal.
🏀 St. John’s wins first outright Big East crown in 40 years untitled-design-2025-03-03t044501-126.png Getty Images The St. John’s faithful were partying like it was 1985 at Madison Square Garden Saturday, and for good reason given the Red Storm earned the school’s first outright Big East title since the 1984-85 season. Behind their physical brand of ball, Rick Pitino’s squad put the clamps down on Seton Hall for a comfortable 71-61 victory.
After the game, red and white confetti rained down upon the jubilant fans and the coach, who donned a white suit for the occasion. Some might say that such a look in New York City in early March is “a choice,” but given that Pitino has collected more wins in back-to-back seasons than any other coach since 1999-2000, I say let the man whatever he wants. As for delving into more of the on-court action, let’s kick it to our Kyle Boone.
Boone: “The way they have won has been textbook Pitino with defense and a veer away from relying on 3-pointers even as basketball has more broadly accepted and leaned into firing from distance. Following the win the Johnnies rank No. 3 in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com and have the second worst 3-point percentage and second-lowest 3-point rate among major conference teams.” And here’s more men’s college basketball content from the weekend:
Bracketology | Tomorrow’s Top 25 Today | Top 25 And 1 | Texas Tech tops Kansas … at Kansas! | Tennessee buzzer-beater downs Alabama
🏈 Final thoughts off NFL Combine 2025 NFL Scouting Combine Getty Images Another combine is in the books, but our NFL crew has it all broken down for you. Here’s a quick snapshot:
Complete combine takeaways Results including 40-yard times and winners and losers from every position Travis Hunter reveals third position he can play NFL Draft rumors, with the Giants and Jets supposedly looking to deal for the top pick Cowboys free agency rumors And one player’s ankle looks more like a softball. Yikes! 📺 What we’re watching Monday 🏀 Wake Forest at No. 2 Duke (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN 🏒 Islanders at Rangers, 7 p.m. on NHL Network 🏀 Unrivaled, 7:30 p.m. on TNT 🏀 Rockets at Thunder, 8 p.m. on NBA TV 🏀 Pistons at Jazz, 9 p.m. on NBA TV 🏀 Kansas at No. 4 Houston (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN
The Los Angeles Lakers’ most recent 113-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night improved their record to 15-12, with the team maintaining possession of the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
In a game where the future Hall-of-Fame tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis shot a combined 36.5% from the field, Austin Reaves was the one who stepped up by scoring 25 points while shooting 50% from the floor and connecting on three of his seven attempts from distance.
Matching up against a tough squad in the West despite what their 13-15 record may indicate, Reaves’ contributions were desperately needed against Sacramento’s superstar duo of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
In the aftermath of their victory and seeing the impact Reaves had on the outcome, the Lakers may have been given some indirect motivation to scour the trade market for an even more solid third star to pair with James and Davis.
While Los Angeles could begin a search for a borderline superstar to help lead the team back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2020, a recently developing story around the Oklahoma City Thunder could see the current No. 1 seed in the Western Conference deal their secondary scoring option, Jalen Williams.
In light of this news, the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka could be tempted to pick up the phone to contact the Thunder and inquire about their rising superstar and former Clutch Player of the Year candidate playing in just his third season.
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has firmly established himself as an MVP candidate, but whether he has a true co-star remains unclear,” wrote Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor Thursday morning.
“Jalen Williams has shown brilliant flashes but fell short in critical moments last season, averaging 17 points on only 50.8% true shooting in Oklahoma City’s second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks.”
“The fact Williams is already this good — 21/6/5 with versatile defense — gives him obvious All-Star potential. But can Williams grow into a more consistent star-level talent by this spring?”
Williams’ 21.3 points and 5.9 rebounds on a 55.2% effective field goal percentage are wonderful figures for a 23-year-old forward with plenty of defensive upside, but Oklahoma City’s presumed concerns with his ability to contribute in a postseason atmosphere could lead to an eventual trade.
With James and Davis in front of him as the first and second options on any given night, Williams would be able to grow into arguably the best No. 3 option on a contending team in the entire league.
In a deal for Williams, the Lakers would likely have to exchange Reaves and prospects like Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino paired with plenty of draft compensation.
While plenty of teams have been speculated as desired destinations for Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler to land before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets are the latest to enter the fray.
Sporting a 14-11 record and maintaining possession of the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, the Nuggets could look to facilitate a blockbuster deal to acquire the six-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Team selection with hopes of keeping their title contention hopes alive.
A deal for another star that could assist their three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić would be especially helpful as the Serbian center is in the midst of a possible fourth MVP campaign, averaging 31.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists.
New reports have indicated that the Nuggets should still be considered a possible landing spot for the 35-year-old averaging 19.2 points on a career-best 55.2% shooting clip from the field and that the team could throw their offensively talented small forward Michael Porter Jr. into potential negotiations.
“Butler, who faced off against the Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals, would be the ideal type of player for Denver to add next to Jokic and Murray as that third star to elevate them in what is a loaded Western Conference,” wrote ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel on Friday afternoon.
“If there is one dark horse team that makes the most sense to trade for Butler, it’s the Nuggets, especially if they are serious about discussing Porter’s future.”
The acquisition of Butler would drastically improve the Nuggets’ chances of winning a title in 2024-25, as the former Most Improved Player award winner and 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP has led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances this decade.
Butler’s reputation as an elite two-way force would also immediately contribute to the improvement of Denver’s current No. 16 ranked 113.4 defensive rating.
In a possible deal to bring in Butler, Denver would have to give up Porter Jr., who is in the midst of a career season with averages of 18.4 points and 7.1 rebounds on a 59.5% effective field goal percentage.
Porter Jr. would be shipped to Miami in order to make the deal work financially, but he’d also be a great building block for the future for a Heat team that would be pressing the reset button by parting ways with Butler.
The 26-year-old Porter Jr. would likely be paired with several of Denver’s prospects like Peyton Watson, Christian Braun or Julian Strawther in a trade along with plenty of first-round draft compensation to help Miami begin their rebuild.
The Miami Heat, amid a 13-11 record, are in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference but are expected to trade away Jimmy Butler before he enters free agency this offseason. Under Pat Riley, the Heat simply refuse to tank and rebuild, so a trade for a winning player to replace Butler is a sensible assumption for fans to make.
However, if they decide to keep Butler and let him play out his contract in South Beach, they have a very clear area of need to address: a point guard who can get the ball to their scorers and create by himself.
Between Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro, Miami doesn’t have a traditional floor general on their roster. Herro’s continued improvement makes him an unlikely trade candidate, so bringing in a player who can complement him, Butler and Bam Adebayo is a must.
Should they hold onto Butler, the Heat have been linked to the Sacramento Kings and All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, who is averaging 26.2 points, 6.1 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting a solid 48% from the floor.
According to Fadeaway World’s Cholo Magsino on Friday, Miami could offer Terry Rozier, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick for Fox.
Parting ways with Jaquez Jr. is a big ask, and he could be replaced in the deal with Josh Richardson. Notably, the Stepien rule prevents the Heat from trading consecutive draft picks and they don’t own their pick in 2027, so the 2028 pick would have to be a swap.
Still, with those slight modifications, the Kings might be interested in making a deal, especially if Fox makes it clear he is not interested in an extension.
Even if Butler doesn’t re-sign with the Heat, a tandem of Adebayo and Fox should be enough for Miami to remain a playoff team for years to come.
Starting yesterday, Dec. 19, the official voting for the NBA All-Star game opened up. With a variety of dates listed as opportunities for fans to select their favorite players for the game, numerous teams hope to send their star players to the massive event.
For the Oklahoma City Thunder, they have one frontrunner for the game in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a potential first-timer in Jalen Williams. But how have the Thunder faired in years prior? Here is a look at Oklahoma City’s history during the All-Star game.
Highlights: Jerzy Robinson leads Sierra Canyon over Vanden in high school girls basketball
Five total OKC Thunder players have been All-Stars With the franchise leaving Seattle and forming in Oklahoma City in 2008, there hasn’t been too much time for the Thunder to be rooted in NBA history, especially compared to other teams. However, in their short existence, they have managed to send five players to the All-Star game, all of which make up the franchise’s 20 total All-Star selections:
Out off all of these All-Star selections, when it came to being a starter, OKC members were voted eight total times.
Over the past 16 seasons, the Thunder have had an All-Star in 13 total seasons and seven total season with two All-Stars.
MORE: NBA All-Star Game voting, explained: How to vote for starters, 3-for-1 days, key dates to know for 2025
With the 2024-25 NBA All-Star game taking place Feb. 16 in Golden State at the Chase Center, Oklahoma City has the chance to make it 14 seasons with an All-Star appearance and a potential eighth season with two All-Star appearances.
While the Minnesota Timberwolves have been playing improved basketball over the past couple of weeks, there is still a move that needs to be made.
The other teams in the Western Conference are getting better every day. Some of the younger teams that weren’t expected to take the next stride have already hit theirs, like the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.
If the Wolves want to contend in the West against those teams and especially the Oklahoma City Thunder, they need to make a move prior to the trade deadline that shakes things up a bit. In their last game against the New York Knicks, they were booed by their hometown crowd.
There is a trade that could improve two teams in different ways. In a trade with the Miami Heat, the Wolves could send Julius Randle to the Heat along with several future draft picks, for guard Tyler Herro and forward Kevin Love.
After spending the past couple seasons in Miami surrounded by trade rumors, it is unlikely they will trade Herro this season. He is having the best year of his career, averaging 24 points. But could it be a fluke? He hasn’t played at this level any other season in his career, and it could be the perfect time to finally move him if Miami doesn’t believe he is the future face of the franchise. If the Wolves want to make this offer more enticing, they’ll have to add some major future draft capital.
A frontcourt of Bam Adebayo and Randle could really spread the floor for Jimmy Butler and help the offensive flow under coach Erik Spoelstra.
Much like Minnesota, the Heat will be scratching and crawling their way to secure a playoff spot as well. They both can become antsy and want to make a move. This move not only fits both of their team’s needs, but also reunites veteran Love back in Minnesota to finish his career where he started.
Earlier in the week, the Milwaukee Bucks took home the NBA Cup championship and each player was awarded with $500,000.
The team did not celebrate with the supplied champagne as the NBA Cup is not their ultimate goal. To better their chances of reaching the NBA Finals in June, a complement to Brook Lopez is needed.
In a recent report, NBA insider Jake Fischer noted the Bucks’ willingness to make a depth move.
“There’s a rather robust trade market coalescing for centers this winter. With many names and situations to monitor…Milwaukee has made calls to explore ways to add more of a lob threat to complement Brook Lopez, according to league sources,” Fischer wrote.
While lob threats are not abundantly available, the ailing Philadelphia 76ers could make Andre Drummond expendable due to their poor performance. It could be argued that another stretch big would be more beneficial than a lob threat who clogs the paint, though. This is where Guerschon Yabusele could play a role as a small-ball five. The former first-round pick has experienced an NBA resurgence after standing out in the Olympics this offseason and has most likely priced himself out of Philadelphia next year.
A deal involving Drummond and Yabusele heading to Milwaukee could resemble the following: Bucks receive: Andre Drummond, Guerschon Yabusele, KJ Martin, Reggie Jackson
Sixers receive: AJ Johnson, MarJon Beauchamp, Pat Connaughton, Delon Wright, 2031 first and second round picks
Martin and Jackson are included to match salaries, but come with their own strengths. Jackson has a long-standing relationship with Drummond and would replace Wright’s role while Martin is a swing at a young athlete who has shown he belongs on an NBA court.
For Philly, Connaughton and Wright’s contracts serve as salary-matchers while the draft capital can be consolidated for win-now assets. Additionally, Johnson and Beauchamp are unproven first-round picks who have earned minimal NBA opportunity. If the Sixers decide to tank, this duo could see more run in an attempt to recoup the draft capital used in their selections.
Fischer also mentioned Lopez’s trade market, writing, “…the Bucks’ incumbent center has generated no shortage of trade interest since last summer.”
It would be wildly irresponsible for Milwaukee’s front office to move Lopez as they are in the market for a center themselves. The space that the 36-year old stretch five creates with his range is arguably unmatched by any other center in the league. Thus, his value is highest alongside MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
