Browsing: starting

• 

  Dave McMenaminOct 18, 2025, 02:43 AM ET

  Close

  • Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
  • Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.

LOS ANGELES — Using Friday’s preseason finale as a “dress rehearsal” for next week’s regular-season opener, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick put Gabe Vincent in the starting lineup to fill in for the injured LeBron James.

Vincent capped a strong individual training camp with 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting (4-for-5 from 3), but the Lakers lost 117-116 to the Sacramento Kings to finish the preseason 1-5.

The regular season starts Tuesday night when L.A. hosts the Golden State Warriors. Though the Vincent decision was made, there is plenty more for the Lakers to figure out in the next few days.

“We have two more practices, so we need to clean up some things,” said Luka Doncic, who scored a game-high 31 points to go with nine assists in 33 minutes.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Vincent said the coaching staff informed him about the lineup change Friday morning. If the staff was uncertain about the choice, Vincent helped his cause in the Lakers’ preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday when he scored 18 points in the first four minutes, going 5-for-5 from 3.

“I think I just bring what I’ve been doing since I’ve been here,” Vincent said when asked about his fit with the starters. “Just defending, try to defend at a high level. Playmake when I have opportunities, space the floor while Luka and [Austin Reaves] are creating themselves.”

James is not expected to return to the lineup until mid-November, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania, as he continues to recover from sciatica affecting the right side of his body.

Though Vincent will join Doncic, Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura on the court to tip off the 2025-26 season, Redick made it clear that the current starters are not permanent.

“I don’t know anything about who I’m going to be starting the rest of the season because, again, there’s injuries, and there’s things that happen throughout a year,” Redick said. “I have a pretty good idea who’s going to start Game 1, after that, I don’t know. But I do think in that lineup there’s lot of shooting around Luka and DA, and Gabe is another ball handler, another tough defender.

“I think he fits in well, but you have to take a look at every matchup we play against and have to make a decision there.”

Redick has downplayed the magnitude of his starting lineup decision repeatedly during training camp, pointing out that he used 25 different starting lineups last season.

Redick and his team sounded far more concerned about their defense after allowing 59 second-half points to a Kings team that shot 54.7% overall and 44.8% from 3.

“I think in practice we were more physical,” Doncic said. “We need to work on our physicality.”

The Lakers were without one of their more physical defenders in center Jaxson Hayes for the second half Friday. He left the game because of a right wrist contusion after finishing a lob dunk in the first quarter. Redick said X-rays on Hayes’ wrist were negative, and the Lakers will have a further update on Hayes when they practice Sunday.

Former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who had 14 points and four steals off the bench against Sacramento, vowed to help with the physicality in the meantime.

“Just follow my lead,” Smart said. “That’s really it. I’m going to try to set the tone each and every night. And just kind of piggyback off me.”

Source link

Blake Monroe has shared her perspective on why she is happy to be starting her WWE journey in the NXT brand rather than being immediately called up to the main roster. In a world where many new talents are eager to get to Raw or SmackDown as quickly as possible, she sees NXT not as a developmental stepping stone, but as a platform with a large viewership where she can build her brand, introduce herself to the fans, and utilize the resources available at the WWE Performance Center.

Speaking in a recent interview with The Ringer Wrestling, Monroe detailed her reasoning for wanting to make NXT her home.

“I mean to date, NXT has the highest viewership of any show Iâ€ve been on. I think as well, you have to consider that WWE is so huge, the amount of tv equity that Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, they have millions of followers and all of this TV equity. I know I can go toe-to-toe with them, but I feel like, why wouldnâ€t I go to NXT to continue to build my brand, continue to introduce the WWE universe.”

She continued, noting wanting to learn from the legends who are now coaching the next generation of superstars.

“They may know me, they probably donâ€t, I donâ€t think any of these kids know me or anything. Tell them who I am and also make NXT my brand because I truly feel like I am doing that and can do that. Why wouldnâ€t I take that opportunity and get that TV equity, build up myself in WWE, use the resources and be able to talk to Shawn, Matt Bloom, and all of these amazing coaches.”

Source link

Max Scherzer was exceptional and the Blue Jays†offense exploded for the second straight game as Toronto won 8-3 last night and evened the Best of 7 American League Championship series against the Seattle Mariners at two games apiece.

The veteran Scherzer allowed two runs over 5.2 innings in his first appearance in almost a month. The Jays†bats hit Luis Castillo and the Mariners†bullpen hard, racking up 11 hits. After driving in a couple runs in Game 3, Andres Gimenez drove in four more last night to pace the Toronto attack that has now accounted for 29 hits and 21 runs the last two games.

Seattle turns to Bryce Miller today to try and turn the series back around while the Jays counter with Kevin Gausman.

Lets dive into the numbers and try to find an advantage or two.

Weâ€ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Blue Jays at Mariners – ALCS Game 5

• Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
• Time: 6:08PM EST
• Site: T-Mobile Park
• City: Seattle, WA
• Network/Streaming: FS1

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Blue Jays at the Mariners – ALCS Game 5

The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:

• Moneyline: Toronto Blue Jays (-115), Seattle Mariners (-105)
• Spread: Blue Jays -1.5 (+152)
• Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Blue Jays at Mariners – ALCS Game 5

• Pitching matchup for October 17, 2025: Kevin Gausman vs. Bryce Miller
  • Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA)
    Last outing: 10/12 vs. Seattle – 5.2IP, 2ER, 3H, 1 BB, 5Ks
    Gausman has struck out 5 or more in 8 of his last 9 starts
  • Mariners: Bryce Miller (4-6, 5.68 ERA)
    Last outing: 10/12 at Toronto – 6IP, 1ER, 2H, 3BB, 3Ks
    Miller has not struck out more than 4 in any of his last 5 starts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Blue Jays at Mariners

• Cal Raleigh is 8-17 (.471) with 4 HRs against Kevin Gausman in his career
• Eugenio Suarez has struck out 8 times in 24 career ABs against Gausman
• Toronto as a team is hitting .204 against Bryce Miller
• George Springer is 2-9 (.222) with both hits being HRs in his career against Miller

If youâ€re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonightâ€s Game 5 between the Blue Jays and the Mariners

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Fridayâ€s game between the Blue Jays and the Mariners:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Seattle Mariners at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Sports.

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Source link

The latest season of Netflix’s “Starting 5” was released Thursday, offering new perspectives on memorable moments from the 2024-25 campaign.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

The series followed Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, then-Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, LA Clippers guard James Harden and Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.

Each star had his own challenges last season, all revealed by Netflix’s behind-the-scenes access.

“The Netflix people are driving me nuts,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said at one point. “They’re everywhere, you know, and it’s a pain in the ass.”

Durant dealt with injuries and trade talk that nearly sent him to the Golden State Warriors. Haliburton fought through a midseason slump after limited action at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Brown’s knee injury was a setback for the Celtics in their pursuit of winning back-to-back titles. Harden embarked on another season seeking a championship, while Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistency fueled the Thunder’s NBA title aspirations.

The outcome brought two of the season’s stars to the biggest stage: Game 7 of the Finals.

Here are the top takeaways from Season 2 of “Starting 5.”

Trade to Houston still hurts Harden, Durant

The early days of the Oklahoma City Thunder paired two of the game’s top scorers on one team: Durant and Harden. They were teammates for three seasons before the Thunder dealt Harden to the Houston Rockets in 2012, propelling the guard to All-Star and MVP heights.

Even though the trade happened over a decade ago, emotions are still raw for Durant and Harden, who won Sixth Man of the Year that season. Alongside Russell Westbrook, the Thunder were coming off a Finals run in which they lost in five games to the Miami Heat.

Unable to reach a contract extension, Oklahoma City traded Harden. He explained that it “wasn’t about no real money. It was a couple million dollars.”

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook played together in Oklahoma City for three seasons. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Durant admitted he didn’t know what was going on with Harden’s contract negotiations until the very end and “never thought there was a possibility he was leaving.” He also expressed anger about the reaction leaguewide, with players posting congratulatory messages for Harden on social media.

“I was like, ‘Shut the f— up. Y’all just was f—ing scared. Y’all knew we was on the way.” Durant said.

Harden echoed a similar sentiment.

“Overall, I was mad as hell, too,” he said. “Cause I got the call, and it’s like, then there was loss. These are my dawgs, like you see what we just did these last three years? It was like, ‘we’re gonna win a championship next year.’ … I was hurt. It was sad, for real.”

Durant said he liked playing with Harden and he misses it. However, he pointed out that he, Harden and Westbrook all maximized their potential, which is most important.

Haliburton considered taking a break from Pacers

Prior to leading the Pacers on a surprising NBA Finals run, Haliburton found himself in a dark place early in the 2024-25 season. His confidence took a hit after he played in just three games for Team USA in the Paris Olympics.

The All-Star guard struggled in November and December, averaging 18.1 points and nine assists on 44% shooting from the field as Indiana entered 2025 with a 16-18 record.

“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt as negative about myself as I did in November and December,” Haliburton said. “Yeah, I was definitely in a dark time.”

What’s Trending?

• Tyran Stokes aims to join LeBron, Iverson and more
• A full guide each team’s NHL goalie mask for the 2025-26 season
• Is there a Taylor Swift curse on Purdue?
• Vladdy tilts ALDS Game 2 with grand slam
• Archaeologist Daniel Jones? Colts’ QB embracing ‘Indiana Jones’ nickname

His fiancée, Jade Jones, could tell Haliburton was feeling pressure from his play and was struggling to identify the root cause of his slump.

The highest-paid player on the Pacers, Haliburton said players such as himself are only evaluated on whether they can impact their respective team to win games. If they don’t, it’s next man up.

“It got to the point where I was like, ‘Should I kind of step away for a little bit just for our group? Would that be more beneficial?'” Haliburton said. “I know that if I’m not right, that our team isn’t gonna be right.”

A conversion with his trainer, renowned NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen, aided Haliburton’s turnaround. He also returned to Paris in late January with the Pacers facing the San Antonio Spurs.

This time, Haliburton performed. He dropped 28 points in Indiana’s 136-98 win, and the rest was history.

SGA, Chris Paul brotherhood on full display

Gilgeous-Alexander and Paul developed a strong bond in the one season they spent as teammates with the Thunder in 2019-20. The 2025 MVP called Paul a mentor and friend, and he leaned on him for advice.

After Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon nailed a game winner against the Thunder in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series, Gilgeous-Alexander FaceTimed Paul when he got home. The two reviewed moments from the game.

Paul also attended Game 2 of Oklahoma City’s Western Conference finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gilgeous-Alexander received his MVP award that night as Paul sat courtside next to Gilgeous-Alexander’s wife.

The Thunder guard playfully put Paul in a chokehold after the game, saying, “Now you stuck. Now you don’t know what to do. Now what?”

“Ima just chop your wrist off. It’s gonna be with me,” Paul replied, and the 12-time All-Star went to Gilgeous-Alexander’s house for dinner afterward.

The wild NBA Finals Game 1 ending told by the players

Haliburton and the Pacers’ shocking comebacks were a huge storyline of the postseason, and “Starting 5.” There may not have been a single comeback with larger ramifications than Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Thunder seemed to be in cruise control, holding a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. However, Indiana was in a position it had seen before that postseason and slowly walked Oklahoma City down — something Haliburton said the Pacers tried to do in each of their other comeback wins.

Indiana, down one with less than 10 seconds remaining, had the ball after Gilgeous-Alexander missed a jumper.

“They get the rebound come down, don’t call a timeout. [Haliburton] gets it to his right hand. He loves his right hand. That’s where he goes,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained.

Haliburton then dribbled toward the right wing and rose up for a go-ahead jumper.

“It felt like slow motion. Like the ball’s in the air forever. I’m just like, ‘It’s going in,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

“I didn’t even know how to react, so I just yell,” Haliburton said, as the Pacers stole Game 1.

Raw reactions after Haliburton tears Achilles in Game 7

The improbable Game 1 comeback set up the best two words in a playoff series: Game 7.

Unfortunately, Haliburton’s outing ended prematurely due to a torn Achilles just halfway through the first quarter. Netflix mic’d Haliburton up during the game and followed him to the locker room.

The Pacers star — who had nine points before exiting — explained he wanted to heat check a 3-pointer, but didn’t like the opportunity. Therefore, he swung the ball, knowing it would rotate back to him with the intention of attacking his defender, Gilgeous-Alexander. However, when he went to drive to the basket, the injury occurred.

“I knew what it was,” Haliburton said.

“I turn around and look to see who’s on the floor, I was like, ‘Oh s—, no way.’ And then I seen him screaming,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

The first five minutes of Starting 5 Season 2? Absolute CINEMA ðŸ¿

Premiering on Netflix in 10 HOURS. pic.twitter.com/FWv797eBRl

— Netflix (@netflix) October 15, 2025

Haliburton revealed that he wanted to walk off, recalling that Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant walked off when he tore his Achilles.

“I can walk off. Like, it’s possible. So I was like, ‘Get me up, I’m gonna walk off.’ It felt like just dead weight at the end of my leg,” he said. “I think that’s when I became overcome with emotion just because that’s when the reality really set in.”

Haliburton broke down in tears in the locker room with Jones, his father and his mother by his side. He got his ankle wrapped in ice and watched the rest of the game in the trainer’s room, saying to the TV: “Make it worth it, at least.”

With Indiana leading at halftime, Haliburton revealed that his biggest regret was not giving a halftime speech to the team. Oklahoma City ended up winning 103-91 to claim the championship.

Source link

• 

  Jorge CastilloOct 16, 2025, 09:12 AM ET

  Close

  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

NEW YORK — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he still views Anthony Volpe, who is coming off a disappointing season, as New York’s starting shortstop for 2026 once the former top prospect recovers from shoulder surgery.

“I believe in the player still. I think we believe in the player,” Cashman said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t play with, on any level, all aspects of roster assessments. He’s 24 years old. I don’t think the New York stage is too big for him. It’s just still finding his way.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Volpe won’t swing a bat for at least four months and will be unable to dive on his surgically repaired left shoulder for six months.

Cashman added that the Yankees hope Volpe will be ready “sometime in April; maybe, worst-case scenario, May.” The Yankees open the 2026 season in San Francisco against the Giants on March 25.

Volpe failed to take the next step in his third major league season, batting just .212 with a .663 OPS while declining on defense in 153 games during the regular season. He owns a .222 batting average and .662 OPS for his career.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Yankees team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad performed the arthroscopic procedure to repair a partially torn labrum in Volpe’s left shoulder Tuesday, less than a week after the end of his disappointing 2025 season.

But Cashman, who was adamant during the season that he did not believe the injury was a factor in Volpe’s lackluster performance, said the required surgical cleanup was more “severe” than the pre-surgery MRI showed.

“I personally think now, I’m certainly leaning more into that, yes, it was affecting him,” Cashman said. “Because ultimately, he had to have a surgery. None of that was really on the table in-season.”

Volpe initially suffered the injury in early May and often wore a wrap to treat the shoulder after games. He never went on the injured list over the next five-plus months, but he received two cortisone shots — one during the All-Star break in July and another in September — to quell the pain.

Volpe didn’t start in six straight games to recover from the injection in September, but he returned to his role as the every-day shortstop for the final 10 regular-season games and into the postseason. He went 4-for-11 in the three-game American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, but finished the year 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts in the four-game AL Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

In September, days after Volpe was given the second cortisone shot, Cashman said that surgery was not recommended but that that could change. Cashman said Thursday that he doesn’t believe Volpe was “misleading anybody” in his communication with the training staff and team decision-makers about the shoulder injury.

A Gold Glove winner in 2023, Volpe also committed 19 errors this season — tied for the third most in the majors.

“I think the injury probably contributed to the performance season that he wound up having, more so than we would have thought based on our intimate involvement with him and our medical staff and how that played out,” Cashman said. “The facts are the facts: He had to have a surgery that’s going to take him down.”

The Yankees named a then-21-year-old Volpe, a lifelong Yankees fan born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, their Opening Day shortstop in 2023 amid great expectations as the organization’s top prospect.

But the 2019 first-round draft pick has been one of the worst regulars since debuting in the majors that year. His 85 wRC+ is tied for 100th among 103 players with at least 1,500 plate appearances over the last three seasons. His .222 batting average and .283 on-base percentage rank last.

For now, at least, the Yankees plan to continue with Volpe as their starting shortstop once he recovers.

Jose Caballero filled in periodically for Volpe at shortstop over the final two months of the season, and the Yankees also could use Oswaldo Cabrera at the position.

“The offense is really in line with what he’s done the first two years,” Boone said. “It’s looked a lot of different ways, but you look up and it’s been kind of that same OPS. Whether the average has been lower, there’s been more power in some years.

“For him to become that front-line shortstop, [his hitting] has got to improve. He understands that. We understand that. He’s 24 years old.”

Source link

After dominating performances from Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first two games of the National League Championship series, the Dodgers and the Brewers have flown west for at least Games 3 and 4 at Chavez Ravine with Los Angeles in control of the series leading two games to none.

Pat Murphy is undecided or at least has yet to announce who his starting pitcher will be tonight. The Dodgers will send Tyler Glasnow to the bump.

Snell and Yamamoto combined in Games 1 and 2 to pitch 17 innings, giving up just one run, four hits, and one home run while striking out 17 Milwaukee Brewers. The consecutive starts of at least eight innings in a postseason series by Snell and Yamamoto were the first since Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum did it for the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series.

Obviously, the Brewers need to find a way to get their offense on track if they are to climb back into this series. They have just five hits and have scored just two runs through two games. Jackson Chourio is the sparkplug for the Brewers†offense. He did go yard against Yamamoto to lead off Game 2, but he is just 1-7 in the series after going 8-18 against the Cubs in the Division series. The obvious statement is Milwaukee needs Chourio and his mates to reach base early and often tonight before Glasnow can gain his footing.

Lets dive into Game 3 of the NLCS matchup between the Brewers and the Dodgers and find a sweat or two.

Weâ€ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Brewers at Dodgers – NLCS Game 3

• Date: Thursday, October 16, 2025
• Time: 6:08PM EST
• Site: Dodger Stadium
• City: Los Angeles, CA
• Network/Streaming: TBS

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Brewers at the Dodgers – NLCS Game 3

The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:

• Moneyline: Brewers (+163), Dodgers (-201)
• Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (+104)
• Total: 7.5 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Dodgers – NLCS Game 3

• Pitching matchup for October 16, 2025: TBD vs. Tyler Glasnow
  • Brewers: TBD
    Pitching has not been the issue for the Brewers as Milwaukee hurlers have allowed seven runs over the first two games of the NLCS
  • Dodgers: Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19 ERA)
    Last outing: 10/9 vs. Philadelphia – 6IP, 0ER, 2H, 3BB, 8Ks
    Glasnow has yet to allow a run in 7.2 innings of work in his first two postseason appearances this season

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Dodgers – NLCS Game 3

• Christian Yelich is 0-13 over the last 4 games of the playoffs
• William Contreras is 0-7 in this series and 1-16 over the last 4 games of the playoffs
• Shohei Ohtani is 1-16 over his last 4 games and 2-25 over his last 6
• Teoscar Hernandez is 10-34 in the playoffs this season including 4 HRs
• Freddie Freeman is 3-10 in this series

If youâ€re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonightâ€s Game 3 between the Brewers and the Dodgers

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursdayâ€s game between the Brewers and the Dodgers:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Milwaukee Brewers at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page fromNBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Source link

If Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has decided Cooper Flagg will begin the regular season as the starting point guard, he isn’t saying it publicly.

Following the Mavs’ 121-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in their preseason finale on Wednesday, Kidd was noncommittal when discussing Flagg’s position going forward while also praising the “incredible job” the rookie has done:

“He’s got to keep an index of who got shots, what was the last shot, and that’ll come with reps. But I think [Flagg] has done an incredible job of handling the situation of running the team. And the other thing that I think that is going unnoticed is that his teammates enjoy him running the team.”

Flagg started at the point in Dallas’ final two preseason games. He was used at forward in the first two games, with D’Angelo Russell running the point in matchups against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets.

Regardless of the role he was playing, Flagg looked comfortable on the court in all four preseason games. He averaged 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in just under 22 minutes per game in the preseason.

The Mavs have challenged Flagg by letting him run the offense going back to the Summer League.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted Kidd became intrigued with the idea of using the No. 1 pick at the point when studying his tape from Duke because he saw echoes of Grant Hill’s game in the film.

Hill, like Flagg, had a traditional forward body with the ball-handling skill to lead an offense. The Detroit Pistons legend averaged at least five assists per game in each of his first seven seasons.

The Mavericks signed Russell in free agency to be a stop-gap point guard while they wait for Kyrie Irving to return from a torn ACL. He is a capable starter and also has experience coming off the bench.

Flagg could be one of the smaller starters in this Mavs lineup when everyone is healthy. The other players on the court with him will be Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II.

Given the size that Dallas can put on the court, if Flagg can run the offense right out of the gate, this team could be very difficult to stop.

We will find out what role Kidd has in mind for Flagg very soon. The Mavs will tipoff the regular season against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 22.

Source link

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama named former franchise legend Tim Duncan as part of the best NBA starting lineup of all time.

Wembanyama listed the Hall of Famer alongside LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal when describing his all-time starting five at the 12:40 mark of Tuesday’s episode of LOL Network’s Cold As Balls with Kevin Hart.

The episode aired after Wembanyama debated in September on a live Q&A broadcast on the Spurs’ Instagram whether Duncan or Kobe Bryant would be ranked higher on the NBA’s all-time list.

Duncan, who won two MVP awards and five NBA titles during his legendary 19-year career with the Spurs, has reportedly been involved in Wembanyama’s development since the franchise drafted the star in 2023.

Wembanyama, who missed the end of the 2024-25 season following the diagnosis of a blood clot in his right shoulder in February, has reportedly gained both height and weight while training for his return. ESPN’s Michael C. Wright reports that he has also “added upper- and lower-body strength” ahead of his age-22 campaign.

The 7-foot-4 center will look to follow in Duncan’s footsteps by leading the Spurs back to postseason contention, starting with next Wednesday’s season opener against the host Dallas Mavericks.

Source link

October 10, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Isaac Kingham and Rachael Iles are the top seeds trying to stay ahead of the chasing pack when the inaugural National Series gets under way next weekend.

The competition provides a regular high-quality competitive opportunity for the top cohort in each youth age-group – Under-13, Cadet (U15) and Junior (U19).

There are multiple divisions of eight players in each age/gender category, played in a round-robin format, with two promotion and two relegation places in each division after each round, and the winner of the final round being crowned National Series champion.

Iles (pictured above) and Kingham will head the respective girls†and boys’ divisions in the Under-19 age group.

The top seeds in the Under-15 age group are Theo Kniep and Amber Lemmon, while the Under-13s are headed by Lusio Wen and Phoebe Oâ€Brien.

The Under-13s and Under-19 competitions will take place at Grantham College and all rounds of the Under-15s will be at Nottingham TTC. These venues were selected following an open tender earlier this year.

The series will be played over three rounds:

• 18 & 19 October
• 15 & 16 November
• 24 & 25 January, 2026

The girls†divisions will take place on the Saturday, with the boys playing on the Sunday.

Keep an eye on our social media channels next week for details of how to watch selected highlights from the competition – and the results and league standings will appear on our website next week.

Click below to see the starting divisions in each category.

Under-19 Girls | Under-19 Boys
Under-15 Girls | Under-15 Boys
Under-13 Girls | Under-13 Boys

Source link

Image credit:
Bubba Chandler (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)

In conjunction with the Baseball America study published today on the connection between fastball velocity and career longevity, we’re continuing our deep dive into velocity with a look at the newest wave in MLB’s ever-rising fastball arms race.

Below, you can find velocity data for all 105 rookie starting pitchers in 2025. While Jacob Misiorowski and Bubba Chandler averaged 99 mph or higher, they don’t even rank among the top five in velocity delta among those pitchers considered in our study. This is because the average fastball velocity was so much lower in the late 2000s and early 2010s than it is now.

Read More About Velocity

In the table below, you’ll find both raw average fastball numbers and a corresponding “velocity delta,” which simply illustrates how each pitcher compared to league average for same-handed MLB starters this season.

Average Fastball Velocity For All 105 Rookie Starting Pitchers In 2025

PitcherAVG FB
VELOVELOCITY
DELTAPITCH
HANDJacob Misiorowski99.24.9RBubba Chandler99.04.7RRyan Zeferjahn98.74.4RGrant Taylor98.64.3RChase Burns98.44.1RCam Schlittler98.03.7RChase Dollander97.83.5RPayton Tolle96.03.2LLuis Morales97.33.0RDavid Morgan97.33.0RJack Leiter97.02.7RCade Cavalli97.02.7RBraxton Ashcraft96.92.6RTroy Melton96.62.3RCarson Seymour96.62.3RBen Casparius96.62.3RJackson Jobe96.11.8RMick Abel96.11.8RSean Reynolds96.11.8RRoki Sasaki961.7RDidier Fuentes961.7RBrandon Sproat961.7RChase Petty961.7RJustin Wrobleski94.41.6LHurston Waldrep95.91.6RJayden Murray95.91.6RShane Smith95.71.4RCade Horton95.71.4RKumar Rocker95.71.4RRichard Fitts95.71.4RJack Perkins95.71.4RAJ Smith-Shawver95.61.3RBlade Tidwell95.61.3RMike Burrows95.51.2RBraydon Fisher95.51.2RHunter Dobbins95.41.1REaston Lucas93.70.9LConnelly Early93.70.9LJonah Tong95.20.9RCaden Dana95.20.9RNolan McLean95.10.8RLake Bachar950.7RDietrich Enns93.20.4LMike Vasil94.70.4RTrey Yesavage94.70.4RRyan Rolison93.10.3LAdam Mazur94.60.3RTravis Adams94.60.3RRobert Gasser930.2LBradley Blalock94.50.2RJonathan Bowlan94.50.2RJack Dreyer92.90.1LBrad Lord94.40.1RAnthony Veneziano92.80LMcCade Brown94.30RMason Barnett94.30RVictor Mederos94.30RSean Burke94.2-0.1RCarson Whisenhunt92.6-0.2LChad Patrick94.1-0.2RPaxton Schultz94.1-0.2RRyan Gusto94-0.3RGrant Holman94-0.3RParker Messick92.4-0.4LAJ Blubaugh93.9-0.4RNoah Cameron92.3-0.5LBrandon Young93.8-0.5RElvin Rodríguez93.8-0.5RYoendrys Gómez93.7-0.6RBrady Basso92-0.8LGunnar Hoglund93.5-0.8RSam Aldegheri91.9-0.9LJustin Sterner93.4-0.9RWill Warren93.3-1RJ.T. Ginn93.3-1RJoey Cantillo91.7-1.1LBrandon Walter91.7-1.1LRyan Bergert93.2-1.1RKai-Wei Teng93.1-1.2RChayce McDermott93.1-1.2RIan Seymour91.4-1.4LLogan Henderson92.9-1.4RJustin Hagenman92.9-1.4RColton Gordon91.3-1.5LTomoyuki Sugano92.8-1.5RLogan Evans92.8-1.5RTrevor McDonald92.8-1.5RAndrew Alvarez91.2-1.6LCade Gibson91.1-1.7LShinnosuke Ogasawara90.9-1.9LMichael McGreevy92.4-1.9RTanner Gordon92.3-2RJacob Lopez90.7-2.1LKyle Hart90.5-2.3LBrandon Eisert90.4-2.4LLuis F. Castillo91.9-2.4RSawyer Gipson-Long91.9-2.4RMitch Farris90.3-2.5LThomas Harrington91.8-2.5RCarson Palmquist90.2-2.6LPierson Ohl91.5-2.8RConnor Gillispie91.2-3.1RCaleb Boushley91.2-3.1RDoug Nikhazy89.6-3.2LAllan Winans89.6-4.7RSource: Baseball Savant

Source link