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Good morning to all, but especially to …
THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
It may have been a small victory, but at this point, the 76ers will take any win they can get. Joel Embiid returned from a 15-game absence due to foot and knee issues and had a triple-double (29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) in a 118-116 win over the Mavericks.
- Embiid scored a go-ahead layup with 22 seconds left and “looked comfortable, confident and light on his feet,” James Herbert writes.
- Tyrese Maxey had 33 points for Philadelphia, which, at 20-29 this season, is 11th in the East and one spot out of the play-in tournament. Paul George (finger) missed his fifth straight game.
- Dallas was without recently acquired Anthony Davis, but Max Christie scored 15 points off the bench in his team debut, an encouraging sign.
This wasn’t the teams’ only interaction Tuesday: The Mavericks sent Quentin Grimes and Philadelphia’s own 2025 second-round pick to the 76ers for Caleb Martin as Dallas’ roster overhaul continued. Sam Quinn graded the trade and gave Philadelphia solid marks.
- Quinn: “This swap gets Philadelphia back under the first apron. Now, they are within range of ducking the luxury tax altogether with another move, so shedding that extra salary this season does hold some value for them. But getting younger also means a great deal as well. … The 76ers did well to snag a pretty good second-round pick out of a deal that made plenty of sense for them without one.”
Honorable mentions
- The Lakers introduced Luka Doncic (who could return Saturday), and Rob Pelinka addressed what’s next for Los Angeles at center after Davis’ departure.
- Speaking of Davis, here’s how he fits with Dallas.
- Alex Ovechkin inches closer to Wayne Gretzky.
- Donovan Mitchell had a huge dunk over Kristaps Porzingis, but the Celtics beat the Cavaliers, 112-105, behind a monster fourth quarter from Derrick White.
- D’Angelo Russell for the win!!!
- Zack Martin is nearing a decision on retirement.
- J.J. McCarthy wants a “fair opportunity” to be the Vikings‘ starter, no matter what happens with Sam Darnold.
- Mason Crosby called it a career.
- Super Bowl reporter Jameis Winston did not disappoint.
- Our research team assembled its favorite stats from this NFL season.
- Xavier Worthy has high hopes for Arch Manning.
- Jim Knowles is locked in on helping Penn State get over the hump and win a national championship.
- Who has the edge in the Alabama quarterback battle?
- The Big 12 revealed its 2025 football schedule. Here are nine key games.
- Louisville elevated Deion Branch to wide receivers coach.
- Here are the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game rosters.
- It’ll be a Big Ten showdown — UCLA (21-0) vs. Ohio State (20-1) — in Los Angeles tonight.
And not such a good morning for …
SPRING GAMES
Remember spring games? Those games that provided fun for fans and insight for teams with the season still months away?
Well, they’re likely going the way of the dodo: extinct. Last year, Lane Kiffin turned Ole Miss‘ spring game into pretty much everything other than football. Matt Rhule doesn’t plan to have Nebraska play a spring game this year, even with Cornhusker fans among the most faithful (and rabid) fan bases, certainly anxious to get any taste of what’s to come from their team.
Why? Blame NIL and the transfer portal, John Talty writes.
- Talty: “Texas learned the hard way in spring 2023 when Maalik Murphy‘s strong showing in the Longhorns’ scrimmage led to tampering from SEC programs. They managed to keep him with NIL dollars, but he still transferred to Duke after the season. … Kiffin, ever the innovator, didn’t just avoid the problem — he embraced a solution that might soon become the new normal. Coaches might not go full Kiffin and roll out Joey Chestnut to dominate a hot dog-eating contest, but many will take steps to avoid exposing their rosters in the way spring games traditionally have.”
This was an insightful look at an emerging trend, one that’s a major bummer.
Not so honorable mentions
- Patrick Mahomes was not happy with the Doncic trade.
- Kyrie Irving is in “grieving process” after the Doncic trade.
- Davis was “in shock” and left in the dark leading up to the trade.
- Dwyane Wade believes NBA owners wanted the Doncic trade for “billionaire business” reasons.
- Michael Jordan‘s son, Marcus Jordan, was arrested on several charges — DUI, cocaine possession and resisting arrest without violence.
- Madison Square Garden says Charles Oakley‘s attorney obscured the facts surrounding his 2017 arrest at a Knicks game.
- Isaac Trotter explores what’s wrong with North Carolina in his 10 Trends. Also, Hubert Davis is hiring a GM, saying the “old model” doesn’t work.
- Could Caleb Love‘s All-Big 12 chances be hurt by beef with an opposing coach?
- Tucker DeVries (shoulder) is done for the season.
- Ohio State has a lot to replace.
- Johntay Cook II was arrested on property theft charges.
NBA trade deadline: Bold predictions for Kevin Durant, others
It’s already been the most dramatic trade deadline in NBA history, and there could be more to come: Kevin Durant‘s and Jimmy Butler‘s futures remain very much up in the air with the deadline one day away, and we’re keeping track of all the latest developments right here.
With rumors flying all over the place, our NBA writers made bold predictions on what will happen between now and tomorrow afternoon, and that includes Brad Botkin predicting Durant’s future …
- Botkin: “Warriors reunite with Kevin Durant — He would be joining the club under completely different circumstances this time. In 2016, he was overkill. Now he can be the savior. The Warriors definitely needed him before, but this time they need him. Like oxygen. … Golden State is desperate and reportedly one of the teams hot after Durant. There’s smoke. With a little effort, maybe we can will this thing into a full-on bonfire.”
Here’s more:
- LeBron James initially thought the Doncic trade was a hoax, but said he has no issue with team’s direction.
- Why Lonzo Ball is the role player winning teams should want.
- Dennis Schroder compared the trade deadline to “modern slavery” and weighed in on the Doncic trade.
Super Bowl 59 preview: Where Patrick Mahomes-Andy Reid duo ranks all-time
In today’s NFL, no great coach is complete without a great quarterback, and no great quarterback can thrive without a great head coach. No one has exemplified it better than Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. They are a perfect fit and one of the greatest duos of all time. How great? Jordan Dajani ranked the top QB/coach duos of all time, and while I won’t give away where Mahomes and Reid rank, I think Jordan is spot-on in his analysis.
(Oh yeah, and the duo isn’t ending any time soon. Reid confirmed he’ll return next season.)
But even the best QB/coach duos need more. And I loved Jared Dubin’s look at how Kansas City continues to reload its secondary through the draft.
- Dubin: “Kansas City had 10 draft picks in 2022, and used FIVE of them on defensive backs: first-round cornerback Trent McDuffie, second-round safety Bryan Cook, fourth-round corner Joshua Williams and seventh-round corners Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson. … Three years later, McDuffie is one of the small handful of the NFL’s best corners. Cook is a starter next to Justin Reid at safety. Watson had the best year of his career when he wasn’t out with an injury, and his return coincided with Kansas City’s defense showing late-season improvement after a mid-year lull against the pass.”
Here’s more:
- Saquon Barkley nearly joined this team.
- What a journey for Zack Baun.
- Here’s how DeAndre Hopkins will honor his late father.
- Top 10 pending free agents in the Super Bowl
- The NFL Referees Association called the idea that the Chiefs are favored “insulting and preposterous.”
- What will Kendrick Lamar perform at halftime?
- Donald Trump is expected to be the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl.
What we’re watching Wednesday
Oregon at No. 24 Michigan (M), 6:30 p.m. on BTN
Spurs at Hawks, 7 p.m. on ESPN
No. 2 Duke at Syracuse (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
No. 15 Missouri at No. 4 Tennessee (M), 7 p.m. on SEC Network
Bruins at Rangers, 7 p.m. on TNT/truTV
No. 23 Illinois at Rutgers (M), 8:30 p.m. on BTN
Suns at Thunder, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
No. 8 Ohio State at No. 1 UCLA (W), 9:30 p.m. on Peacock
Oilers at Blackhawks, 9:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
