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  Tim BontempsDec 1, 2025, 12:06 AM ET

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  Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid played in his first game in three weeks Sunday night, but the star center’s return wasn’t enough as the Philadelphia 76ers lost 142-134 to the Atlanta Hawks in double overtime.

It was the first time this season that Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey played together, and Maxey shouldered most of the offensive load, finishing with 44 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds in 52 minutes. But Hawks forward Jalen Johnson answered with 41 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists to help Atlanta eke out the win.

“I think it was more about perseverance than it was poise,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “But I think when we didn’t have poise, or we made mistakes, we were able to move forward and made enough plays when it counted, and we put ourselves in a position [to win] — as did they.

“We’re just happy it went our way.”

It appeared the Hawks were in control, leading by six points with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. Embiid’s tip-in cut the Sixers’ deficit to 114-110 with 22.1 seconds left. After Johnson hit one of two free throws, Dominick Barlow made a layup, and Maxey tied the score with a 3 with 8.8 seconds left.

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“It’s not over until it’s over,” said George, who had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in 28 minutes. “We kind of just stayed in the fight.”

After Johnson missed a tying layup with 7.7 seconds left in the first overtime, Maxey — a 86.8% career foul shooter — went to the line for two free throws and a chance to give the 76ers a four-point lead with 4.6 seconds left. Instead, he missed both.

“I thought I was going to make them, and we’ll figure it out after that,” Maxey said. “But, it’s life.”

On the next possession, Johnson drove to the basket and was fouled by Barlow with 0.3 seconds remaining. 76ers coach Nick Nurse then called timeout. He said after the game that he took one of his two remaining timeouts to ice Johnson and wanted to use his final one if he made both to draw up a play to potentially win the game.

Crew chief James Capers, however, thought Nurse had challenged the call, and conducted a review. Capers initially said Philadelphia had lost the challenge and there was 1.1 left on the clock. But Nurse informed the officials he hadn’t called for a challenge, and the clock was reset to 0.3 seconds.

“There was a miscommunication amongst the officials, and we thought when [Nurse] called the timeout that he wanted to challenge the play,” Capers said in a pool report. “Because we did not have a legal challenge, we therefore could not go by what we saw on the challenge. Prior to that, the foul was committed with 0.3 on the clock.”

After the lengthy delay, Johnson hit both free throws to send the game into a second overtime.

Embiid, who played a season-high 30 minutes, didn’t play in the second overtime after missing the previous nine games because of right knee soreness. He finished with 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting.

VJ Edgecombe, who missed the previous three games because of a calf issue, scored seven points in 21 minutes and didn’t play in either overtime. George was done before the second overtime.

“That was just kind of about as much as they had, to be honest,” Nurse said.

After the game, Embiid said his knee felt good.

“I thought the first half was pretty good,” Embiid said. “When it’s been almost a month and you’ve only had about two court sessions, going up and down, it’s going to be tough.

“I’m just happy that I got a chance to play the game of basketball, build on it and go from there. … I don’t really judge myself based on shots falling. Tonight is all about how I moved laterally, jumping and all that stuff. Tonight was a good step towards that.”

Edgecombe also said he felt good despite missing the previous three games. Andre Drummond, meanwhile, played six first-half minutes before being shut down because of soreness in his right knee. On Friday night, he played 11 minutes and left after suffering a hyperextended knee against the Brooklyn Nets.

Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis sat out because of an illness. Porzingis, who is still dealing with the aftereffects of the health issues he suffered toward the end of last season with the Boston Celtics, is unlikely to play Monday at Detroit.

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The Phoenix Suns take on the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:00 PM ET in game two of tonight’s NBA doubleheader on Peacock. The action starts in Orlando at 7:30 PM ET when the Magic host the Chicago Bulls. See below for additional information on how to watch both games and follow all of the NBA action on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.

NBA: Toronto Raptors at Charlotte Hornets

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Nikola Jokić remains on top and Scottie Barnes shines

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Check out the fantasy basketball rankings update as the season enters December.

Phoenix Suns:

The Phoenix Suns were defeated 130-112 by the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. It was the team’s third loss in their last four games.

Dillon Brooks led the way for Phoenix with 27 points. In his first season with the Suns, Brooks is averaging career highs in scoring (21.5 ppg), shooting (45.1%), and steals (1.7 spg).

Devin Booker finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Royce O’Neale added 15 points.

In his first game back after missing the previous seven with a quad injury, Grayson Allen scored 10 points.

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LA Lakers:

The Lakers earned their seventh straight win, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 133-121 last night at home. Luka Doncic scored 34 points in the win — 20 of them came in the first quarter. He also had 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Austin Reaves had a big night as well, adding 33 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds.

After playing in the previous four games, LeBron James missed yesterday’s game due to left foot injury management. He is currently listed as a game-time decision for tonight.

How to watch Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers:

• When: Tonight, Monday, December 1

• Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

What other NBA games are on tonight?

How to watch Chicago Bulls vs Orlando Magic:

• When: Tonight, Monday, December 1

• Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida

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How to watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock:

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.

Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever youâ€re in the mood for.

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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

What devices does Peacock support?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.

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Welcome back to FourFourTwo’s Dating Game. Today’s question… in what year was the backpass rule introduced?

FourFourTwo’s Dating Game takes a page out of the Wordle playbook: all you have to do is enter your four-digit number guess, and the system will instantly give you feedback by lighting up the digits.

Your command of global football history is immense; whether you were naming nations or club greats, you have proven your scholarly worth. Now, it is time to take that knowledge and apply it to the specifics of British history, celebrity culture, and the ultimate global roll-call. If you are ready for a monumental, multi-faceted challenge, your next trivia workout awaits, once again, courtesy of Kwizly.

We begin by honouring the reliable marksmen who hit a unique career sweet spot. See if you can recall every Premier League player with between 80 and 100 goals? This test rewards knowledge of consistency, not just outright superstardom. Next, we look at the evolution of the national side under its current boss. Can you name every England player to play for Gareth Southgate? That requires recalling every cap from friendlies to finals.

Now for a specific look at youth and promise. Can you name the 20 youngest scorers in Premier League history? This challenge separates the dedicated history buffs from the casual viewer. For a final test of comprehensive league history, try to name every team to have ever played in the Premier League. This requires recalling the briefest of stays and the earliest participants.

Finally, for something a little more low-key and leisurely, why not tackle FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 29, with clues on poachers, predators and the Portuguese? It’s the perfect end to a day of intense quizzing. Before you click away, join the newsletter right now, and the world’s best football quizzes will be delivered straight to your inbox daily.

The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.

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Observations after Sixers lose wild double-overtime game in Embiid’s return originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

In their 19th game of the season, the Sixers had Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all available for the first time.

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They wound up playing their first double-overtime game of the season and losing it, falling to a high-drama 142-134 defeat to the Hawks at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Sixers now sit at 10-9, Atlanta at 13-8.

Tyrese Maxey had 44 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Quentin Grimes posted 28 points. Following a nine-game absence with a right knee injury, Embiid recorded 18 points, four rebounds and two assists in a season-high 30 minutes.

Jalen Johnson starred for the Hawks with 41 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 34 points.

The Sixers were still without Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).

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Atlanta was down Trae Young (right knee MCL sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness).

The Sixers will face the Wizards on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Here are observations on their double-OT loss to Atlanta:

Embiid back at it

Embiid sunk a jumper from the right elbow on the Sixers†first possession of the night.

He didnâ€t seem to struggle much with pace or physicality, although Embiidâ€s rust was evident at times. The seven-time All-Star was whistled for an early travel when he faked a dribble handoff and walked with the ball in the process.

The Hawks scored a few first-quarter floaters against Embiid in drop coverage and he didnâ€t have a good rebounding game, but his mobility generally appeared fine. For the most part, Embiid was willing and able to close out to the perimeter, accelerate on his drives and do whatever the situation dictated.

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Meanwhile, VJ Edgecombe was sharp out of the gates following a three-game absence with a left calf injury, making a transition three-pointer and fast-break layup. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called timeout at the 5:59 mark of the first quarter with his team up 14-11. Embiid and Edgecombe took a seat.

Maxeyâ€s foul drawing

Neither team fared well beyond the arc in the early going. Atlanta began 0 for 9 from three-point range and the Sixers opened 2 for 10.

Individually, Maxey had a subpar shooting start against Hawks defensive stalwart Dyson Daniels. He also committed four turnovers in the first half. With Daniels†knack for gliding around screens and snagging steals, it didnâ€t seem as easy as usual for Maxey to trust his instincts.

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Maxey did manage to draw seven free throws in the first half and made six. He knocked down a pair with 3.9 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Sixers a 58-57 edge.

Improved foul drawing has been a valuable piece of Maxeyâ€s superstar play early in his sixth season. Even when his jumpers arenâ€t dropping and defenses are determined to limit his space, Maxey so often finds ways to keep the scoreboard moving. Heâ€s scored at least 20 points in all 19 games.

Double-OT drama

Andre Drummond replaced Embiid in the first quarter, but he wound up playing only six minutes after suffering a right knee contusion Friday in the Sixers†victory over the Nets. Adem Bona served as Embiidâ€s backup the rest of the night.

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While he resumed his sixth man duties, Grimes started the second half in Edgecombeâ€s spot. Edgecombe logged 21 minutes in his return.

Like Maxey, Grimes drew regular free throws Sunday. Grimes reached his sixth 20-point game of the season late in the third quarter when he pump faked a corner three, drove along the baseline and jammed in a dunk. A tightly guarded Grimes three with 1.6 seconds to go in the third put the Sixers up 89-83.

Embiid entered to start the fourth quarter and the Sixers endured a major dry spell. Embiid missed two jumpers. A Maxey giveaway led to an Alexander-Walker layup. Turnovers suddenly popped up everywhere for the Sixers, who had five during a 13-0 Atlanta run.

At the 9:18 mark, Embiid subbed out. The Sixers scored no points in the fourth quarter until a Paul George driving layup with 7:37 remaining.

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Embiid returned for a final stint with 4:02 on the clock. Thanks largely to Maxey, the Sixers stayed close. His third and-one layup of the fourth quarter cut the Hawks†lead to 108-105.

Maxey didnâ€t get much offensive help down the stretch of the fourth. With the Sixers trailing by four points, Embiid dished to an open George in the corner and he missed his jumper long. Though George had an off shooting game (6 for 17 from the floor), he contributed in many other areas, tallying 16 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists in 28 minutes.

The Hawks werenâ€t smooth at all in their efforts to stamp the win and the Sixers played with the feisty spirit thatâ€s spurred their early-season comeback wins.

Dominick Barlowâ€s and-one layup with 12.7 seconds left trimmed the Sixers†deficit to 115-112. Barlow missed his free throw, but George chased down the offensive rebound and passed to Maxey, who swished a clutch long-range jumper to tie the game.

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Daniels pivoted around Embiid on the ensuing possession, but he failed to score inside. The officials didnâ€t grant Nurseâ€s timeout request with around two seconds left and George threw up an unsuccessful heave at the fourth-quarter buzzer.

George scored the first points of overtime with a couple of free throws. Neither team could gain any sort of meaningful lead in the first extra session. Johnson canned a three that gave the Hawks a 122-121 edge, but Jared McCain answered with a triple of his own.

A spinning Maxey layup pulled the Sixers ahead and he had a golden chance to ice the game with 4.3 seconds remaining. He missed both his 16th and 17th free throw attempts.

The Hawks then got the ball to Johnson. He drove baseline on Barlow, pump faked and drew a foul with 0.3 seconds left. Johnson nailed his free throws.

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The Sixers didnâ€t send Embiid out for the second overtime and instead turned to Bona at center. Maxey never subbed out after the start of the fourth quarter. The NBAâ€s minutes leader played 52.

He looked nothing like the typical exhausted player with that large a load. Maxey kept on driving hard and finishing inside in the second overtime. His lay-in tied the contest at 132 apiece.

No one else could chip in for the Sixers†offense and Atlanta capitalized on defensive breakdowns. Johnson buried two deep jumpers to lift the Hawks to a six-point lead. The Sixers couldnâ€t conjure any of the magic theyâ€d found at the end of regulation and ultimately dipped to 2-1 this season in overtime games.

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LOS ANGELES — The challenge for Kevin Lankinen to jump back into a National Hockey League goal crease and start after four days without practising or playing was surely less than whatever the Vancouver Canuck has been dealing with at home this week.

With his desperate team facing the second half of back-to-back road games Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings, Lankinen flew back from a personal leave for family reasons and stopped 21 of the first 22 shots he faced before a broken play in overtime gave him no chance against Adrian Kempe in the Canucks†2-1 loss.

After only a morning skate with a few teammates, Lankinen played after four days off — and after minor-league callup Nikita Tolopilo was in goal for the first two games of a road trip in which the Canucks are 1-1-1 heading to Tuesdayâ€s finale against the dominant Colorado Avalanche.

Coach Adam Foote announced Lankinenâ€s return earlier Saturday, and general manager Patrik Allvin said he believes the goalie will finish the trip with his teammates.

“All I want to say is I’m just really thankful to Adam and Patrik for offering me some time to stay with my family when they need me the most,†Lankinen said. “So I’m really thankful for that.

“I felt good out there. And that’s what hockey is about — youâ€ve got to be able to perform. And I was happy to help the team. Itâ€s too bad we couldn’t get the win.â€

After playing a low-event road game and allowing the Kings single-digit high-danger scoring chances, the Canucks surrendered a couple of two-on-ones in overtime. In the aftermath of the second rush, Quinton Byfield heeled his shot from the slot, but the puck went straight to Kempe, who was able to settle it and fire it into a semi-open net as Lankinen and teammates Elias Pettersson and Kiefer Sherwood tried frantically to get in front of the shot.

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Cooper Flagg is the future of the Dallas Mavericks. He might as well be the present too.

With a 35-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, the phenom joined LeBron James as the only 18-year-olds to ever post a 30-point game in the NBA. Flagg did it at 18 years and 343 days old, James did it the first of three times at 18 years and 334 days old.

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However, Flagg is the only player to ever hit 35 points at that age. He finished Saturday’s 114-110 win with 13-of-22 shooting plus eight rebounds and two assists.

This comes only one day after Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to post 10 assists in a game, reaching the milestone against James and the Lakers. So he set an NBA milestone for most points and most assists at his age in each leg of a back-to-back.

Following the firing of general manager Nico Harrison — a tacit admission the Luka DonÄić-Anthony Davis trade was indeed a franchise-handicapping disaster — there is little doubt that developing Flagg into a superstar is now the first and second priority for the Mavericks, whose record still sits at 6-15.

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The Mavericks lucked into Flagg, one of the most hyped NBA Draft prospects since James, by winning the lottery last spring. The team drafted him rather than trade the pick, as some thought they might consider since they wanted to contend this season, and handed him starting point guard duties out of the gate due to a lack of guard depth.

Cooper Flagg is starting to look as advertised. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)

Being an 18-year-old in the NBA is difficult. Being an 18-year-old primary ballhandler is even worse, especially when your team styles itself as a contender. It was a somewhat rough start for Flagg, who averaged 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 turnovers while shooting 40.3% from the field and 27.3% from 3-point range.

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In the 10 games since then, however, Flagg is averaging 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.0 turnovers while shooting 51.3% from the field and 23.7% from deep. Those are still pretty small samples, but a teenager trending up like that after his first taste of NBA action ain’t nothing.

The fact that Flagg is even in the NBA at this age is an accomplishment, made possible by reclassifying in high school and entering Duke as a 17-year-old. Developing into an effective starter at this age isn’t something we’ve ever seen outside of James, which is very good company to have when you’re a do-everything player like Flagg.

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The good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that they picked up a point in the standings and stopped their three-game regulation losing skid on Saturday evening against the Boston Bruins.

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The bad news is that it was their fourth straight game without a victory, as they were beaten by a 4-3 final score in a shootout at TD Garden.

Bruins forward Casey Mittelstadt scored the only goal in the shootout after neither team was able to find the back of the net during overtime, while Jeremy Swayman stopped attempts from Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat.

Connor Geekie scored both goals in regulation for the Bruins, who were playing without both top forward David Pastrnak and defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings will lament that they were unsuccessful on all five power-play opportunities they had during the contest, including one in overtime.

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Geekie’s two goals put him into a first place tie with Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL lead with 20. He tallied in the second period after a scoreless opening 20 minutes of play, deflecting a shot past Cam Talbot following a turnover by Ben Chiarot.

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Lucas Raymond scored a similar goal in the early goings of the third period, deflecting home a shot-pass from Dylan Larkin to knot the score at one. But following a Chiarot high-sticking penalty, Geekie restored the Boston lead with a one-timed shot from the face-off circle past the glove of Talbot.

The Red Wings drew even late in regulation with Talbot on the bench after a nifty feed from Kane to Michael Rasmussen, who had a tap-in for his second goal in as many games.

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Talbot stopped 17 of 19 shots, while Swayman countered with 24 saves. Both teams will meet again on Tuesday evening at Little Caesars Arena.

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Welcome back to FourFourTwo’s Dating Game. Today’s question… in what year was Luis Suarez born?

FourFourTwo’s Dating Game takes a page out of the Wordle playbook: all you have to do is enter your four-digit number guess, and the system will instantly give you feedback by lighting up the digits.

Your command of global football history is immense; whether you were naming nations or club greats, you have proven your scholarly worth. Now, it is time to take that knowledge and apply it to the specifics of British history, celebrity culture, and the ultimate global roll-call. If you are ready for a monumental, multi-faceted challenge, your next trivia workout awaits, once again, courtesy of Kwizly.

We begin with an epic test of global football history. Can you name every country to compete at a FIFA World Cup? This requires charting the course of the world’s biggest tournament across its entire existence. Next, we look at national team heroics: try to name every British or Irish player to have scored at an international tournament since 1992. This rewards knowledge of the home nations’ modern era.

Now for a specific slice of Scottish nostalgia. Travel back to France ’98 and try to recall the Scotland line-up from their last World Cup game in 1998. This is a great test of mid-90s team sheets. For a final, wonderfully niche challenge, prove you know your celebrity crossover: try to name every footballer or manager to have appeared on I’m a Celebrity? This is the definition of niche trivia.

Finally, for something a little more low-key and leisurely, why not tackle FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 28, with clues on statistics, statues and serial starters? It’s the perfect way to finish a day of intense quizzing. Before you click away, join the newsletter right now, and the world’s best football quizzes will be delivered straight to your inbox daily.

The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.

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It’s FourFourTwo’s Dating Game. Today’s question… in what year was FIFA founded?

FourFourTwo’s Dating Game takes a page out of the Wordle playbook: all you have to do is enter your four-digit number guess, and the system will instantly give you feedback by lighting up the digits.

Now, it is time to pivot from FIFA to the ultimate global spectacle and some wonderfully specific Premier League history. If you are ready to expand your mind across decades and borders, your next set of detailed challenges awaits, once again, courtesy of Kwizly.

We begin with an epic test of global football history. Can you name every country to compete at a FIFA World Cup? This requires charting the course of the world’s biggest tournament across its entire existence. Next, we turn our attention to the men who stood tall between the sticks. How well do you know the finest shot-stoppers? Try to get 20 questions right in our big goalkeeper quiz.

Now for a glorious, specific test of geographical niche. Can you recall the 20 Swedish players with the most Premier League appearances? This rewards knowledge of a great footballing nation. For a challenging rivalry test, prove your knowledge of the Tyne-Wear derby by answering whether these players played for Newcastle, Sunderland, both or neither.

Finally, for something a little more low-key and leisurely, why not tackle FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 28, with clues on statistics, statues and serial starters? It’s the perfect end to a day of intense quizzing. If you’re serious about your trivia, sign up to the newsletter right now: the world’s best football quizzes land in your inbox every morning like clockwork.

The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.

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On the morning after the big feast, with tryptophan still coursing through my veins, I woke early to indulge in a form of consumption the pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving would not have recognized: live-streaming golf on a personal device.

What a difference a few decades make.

More than 40 years ago, in an era when Vin Scully still called the shots, I’d tuned into the inaugural Skins Game on a small black-and-white in my college dorm room, fiddling with rabbit-ears for better reception. Now the event was playing on my laptop, beamed through the ether on a platform owned — fittingly for Black Friday — by the largest online retailer in the world.

Sports is commerce and commerce is sport. Always has been. That was plain enough in 1983, when Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player pegged it at Desert Mountain in Arizona. That maiden Skins had its sponsors, its signage, its corporate imprint. But compared with Friday’s iteration — the 2025 Capital One Skins Game — it felt as quaint as a trip to the mall. The entire purse back then was $360,000 — about one-fourth of what the final hole was worth this time around — and the whole enterprise had the air of holiday escapism. You tuned in for the golf but also for the desert sun and the banter among four aging legends. Though that first Skins was taped, edited, and aired over two days, it still gave you the sense of stumbling onto something unscripted in the lull before December.

Then it went away. After 2008, the event disappeared for 17 years, a hiatus long enough to skip an entire generation of fans. The decision to bring it back marked a departure from so much televised golf these days, which, with its TGLs and YouTube influencer tourneys, aims so openly at younger generations. This Skins was more like a nod to greybeards, a gentle stroll down memory lane.

The broadcast leaned into that nostalgia. It opened with highlights from the inaugural edition — retro graphics, Sansabelts, a silver-haired Arnold Palmer — as if inviting us to remember not just the four-man competition but the era that framed it. Interviews with players from generations past punctuated the coverage. Annika Sorenstam rang in to remember when. So did Fred Couples, who relayed an endearingly out-of-time moment by revealing he’d offered to handle 1st-tee introductions until he realized the event was in Florida, not Palm Springs.

If anything, all the backward glancing helped to throw the present into sharper relief. Couples summed it up best: in this event, you’re not really worried about how you play. All you’re paying attention to is the money. As a fan, you could prioritize the moolah, too, by placing a live wager on the action. DraftKings had cameos during commercial breaks.

None of which was reason to begrudge this year’s cast. Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Keegan Bradley are immensely likable players still in their primes, still capable of putting on shot-making shows. There was a bit of that. Bradley played steadiest and walked off with the most skins. A rusty Schauffele was shut out but won the entertainment category with a droll sense of humor and a dead-on, impromptu Sam Burns impression.

For all its throwback content, the event also had some recent history to draw from in the form of the Ryder Cup, which added a dash of spice to the banter. Lowry couldn’t resist a playful jab at Bradley: “I have just spent the last few months breaking Keegan Bradley’s heart,” he said after draining a birdie putt to halve the 2nd hole. Every viewer knew the context, no matter their age.

The commentary, meanwhile, was mostly syrupy, appropriate for a televised confection, though it could have done without some of the sugar-coating. Peter Jacobsen, an affable presence and a veteran of many hit-and-giggles himself, tried to talk up the intensity of the nerves, as if this were the Masters and not a light-hearted payday. As if Fleetwood hadn’t winged in last minute from his home in Dubai and teed it up without bothering with a practice round.

On top of any jet lag, he had to get up early to make his tee time, not because golf fans were clamoring for dawn-patrol skins, but because the event needed to clear out before the Bears-Eagles game kicked off. Even big-money fourball matches are chicken feed compared to the economic force of the NFL.

Do I sound like an old grump?

I don’t mean to. Mostly, what I’m feeling is melancholy, which shouldn’t be a shocker. In helping us recapture the way things used to be, nostalgia also highlights what we feel we’ve lost. I’m not naive. I don’t believe the early ’80s was an age of innocence, or that Jack and Arnie weren’t also in it for the money. Was the world back then really all that different than as it today? Probably not. But I’d seen less of it. Come to think of it, maybe what I was missing most was my own youth, something no amount of skins could ever buy me back.