Fiorentina are in danger of losing Nicolo Fagioli Tottenham Hotspur in this summer.

The midfielder initially joined the Serie A team on loan from Juventus in February 2025 and made his stay permanent later that year.

He performed well this season, scoring three goals and three assists in 45 matches and attracting interest from Tottenham and other clubs.

On March 2, Game Witness Covered claims from Italy Spurs and Newcastle United initiated contacts.

Tottenham threat to La Viola

Fast forward to June and Roberto De Zerbi’s side are still interested in the 25-year-old.

is according to florence violaWho only mentioned Tottenham Hotspur in their report.

Nicolo Fagioli had an exceptional season with Fiorentina, showcasing his abilities and exceeding the club’s expectations.

La Viola’s sporting director Fabio Paratici praised him and insisted that he was a worthy player for Barcelona.

When? Corriere Della Sera Asked if Fiorentina could retain Moise Kean, he said: “I hope so. He has an important release clause, but in Europe they know his value. And I would add the name of Fagioli, a Barcelona midfielder who plays in Italy.”

The Italy international is untouchable for Fiorentina, but only up to a certain point unless they consider monstrous bids.

There are several clubs who are interested in the former Juventus player. The Italian club, who have to handle his case with care, will have to be ‘careful of Tottenham’.

The north London club is one of the contenders and their interest forces La Viola to take action. The latter have set a price of between €25-30m for Fagioli, who earns €1.8m net per year.

Spurs would not consider this a huge price and it is certainly affordable for them. There is no mention of other contenders, but the outlet concludes its report by saying ‘It could be a hot summer for Fagioli.’

Contract, price and agent information

The midfielder’s contract expires in 2028 and his value, accordingly transfer marketIs €16m.

He recently changed agents and is now represented by Branchini Associati, owned by Italian agent Giovanni Branchini.

The National Football League has made headlines in recent months for going back to its broadcast partners with staggering demands for future rights to games. This seems to be influencing what it would cost to run a 30-second ad in Super Bowl LXI.

According to Brian Steinberg of Variety.com, Disney has informed advertisers that they must pay $10 million for a 30-second ad block during next year’s Super Bowl LXI. However, advertisers are reportedly putting pressure on the price.

RELATED: NBC May Lose Rights to Sunday Night Football

Worth noting is that Disney doesn’t seem to be as effective as Fox and NBC at selling Super Bowl ad spots this time of year, according to Steinberg. Previously, other networks had sold 40 to 60 percent of their 30-second spots by May before the Super Bowl; Disney has reportedly “not made the same progress” in said efforts.

All this comes as Disney joins Fox, NBC and CBS in negotiating new TV rights contracts with the NFL due to increased interest from Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Google’s YouTube. The talks between the two sides have not been good.

CNBC’s Alexander Sherman previously reported that networks are “more comfortable” paying a rights fee increase of about 25 percent over the current deal. However, the NFL is working hard for a 100 percent increase.

As all this is going on, the Justice Department has begun investigating the NFL and whether it is using “anti-competitive tactics” to harm consumers and make games less accessible and affordable to watch.

It certainly seems like advertisers are taking the same approach in negotiations with Disney as the company is in contract negotiations with the NFL. If history is any guide, deals will be made with costs passed on to consumers.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

nottingham forest FC Porto were held to a 1-1 draw at home on Thursday night, but the reaction in Portugal suggests the Premier League side may not have been able to escape the comfort of the scoreline.

nottingham forest knew They were moving towards a bigger challenge From the beginning. But manager Francesco Farioli was clear after the match. From his perspective, Porto did enough to win – and by a margin.

The Italian coach saw his team dominate large spells of the game, yet fail to convert it into a result. That contradiction now shapes the narrative heading into the second leg at the City Ground.

“We clearly deserved to win”

Francesco Farioli did not hide his disappointment when assessing the performance.

“For everything, it is very clear that we deserved to win, and by more than a one-goal margin,” he said. “But when you miss so many chances and don’t have that killer instinct, you lose the reward and the win that he deserved.”

The feeling of missed opportunity was reflected in Porto’s reaction. Despite the draw, the feeling internally was that Nottingham Forest were allowed to remain in the tie.

Farioli also addressed Martim Fernandes’s own goal, which briefly changed the momentum.

“It wasn’t a moment of panic. It was a mistake, and the reaction from the stadium and teammates to get him back in the game was fantastic.” he explained.

He insisted that Porto remained largely in control.

“We had good chances and we almost didn’t miss a single one. It wasn’t an ideal performance, but it was enough for us to deserve the win.”

Level 2 warning for Nottingham Forest

While the result left everything in the open, Farioli made it clear that he expects a different game in England.

“It will be different in Nottingham, they play at home. It will be different,” he said. “We have to calculate well what it could be, prepare well.”

He also pointed towards possible changes from his side.

“We’ll recover some key players and give them a chance to play in a different system. A lot of things will be different.”

This should serve as a warning to Nottingham Forest. Porto believes they were the better team in the first leg. He also hopes to arrive strongly in England.

Farioli also mentioned the wider context surrounding Forest’s squad building.

“We can’t forget that they spent €150m (£129m) in the last market,” He said, ignoring any psychological games, but underlining the level of opponent his side is facing.

disappointment and expectation

There was also a palpable emotional level throughout. Farioli acknowledged the reaction from the supporters, who had expected more after seeing Porto create several chances.

“It’s normal that frustration increases. Fans want to see the ball in the net.” He said.

Nevertheless, he praised their support throughout the match and season, as expected.

“The fans were fantastic the whole game and the whole season.”

In the end, the result on paper is positive for Vitor Pereira’s team. However, Porto’s reaction suggests they view this tie as something they should already be leading.

Forest have built their Europa League campaign on flexibility. They will need it again.

Because beyond the scoreline, Porto are arriving in England with confidence, momentum and a clear realization that they let the first leg slip away.

When the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, it changed their franchise forever.

Widely considered the best prospect since LeBron James 20 years ago, Wembley has somehow been better than advertised for the Spurs, racking up a list of accolades that could include Defensive Player of the Year and even MVP at season’s end if he’s able to meet the minimum game threshold.

But how valuable is Vembanayama in the eyes of the Spurs and talent evaluators around the NBA? Well, according to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons’ opinion on his eponymous podcast, he would prefer Wembey over all four top picks in this year’s class.

“Hypothetically, would you prefer Wemby or the top two picks in this draft? By far Wemby,” Simmons said. “Here’s a better question: Wembey or the top three picks in this draft? I’d still take Wembey. Wembey or the top four picks in the draft. I get them all. I might even take Caleb Wilson. I’d still take Wembey.”

So what would it take to pry Wembanyama away from the Spurs in terms of 2026 NBA Draft capital? Well, Simmons gave his number, keeping in mind that if he was to take home the “Alien” phone, he’d need an entire starting lineup’s worth of rookie stars.

“The answer to that is the top five picks in this draft,” Simmons said. “Now I have your attention. Now I can have Peterson and Acuff. I can have Caleb Wilson, DiBuntsa and Boozer. I have the entire starting five for Wembley. Now I’m thinking about it.”

Unfortunately for Simmons, there is no Voltron-style trade that could secure San Antonio Peterson, Acuff, Wilson, DiBantsa and Boozer, so the Spurs will have to stick with Wembanyama as their franchise cornerstone for now. Luckily, few fans in San Antonio will be bothered by that fact, because when you have a player who can become the best player to ever play the game, your future looks pretty bright.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara remained one of the most underappreciated players in the NBA on Monday against the Brooklyn Nets.

Camara led the Trail Blazers to a lopsided 134–99 win over the Nets, scoring a career-high 35 points and nine three-pointers. He made 10 of 12 shots from the field, including 9 of 11 from beyond the arc. He also had three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Portland won four of its last five assignments to improve to 36–37. They are just one game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Camara, who is in his third season in Rip City, set a new team record with his career night.

“Camara’s 35 points are the most on 12 or fewer field goal attempts in Trail Blazers history,” the team’s official account on the

He also set two milestones after getting hot from three-point range.

“Camara’s 9-for-11 (.818) three-point shooting performance marks the most made three-pointers by a @trailblazers player since February 26, 2023 (Damian Lillard) and the best three-point percentage with at least 10 three-point attempts since April 27, 2021 (Anfernee Simmons),” the Trail Blazers said.

The 25-year-old is having a breakout campaign, averaging career-best 13.0 points and 2.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals. He could make a case for a nod to the All-Defensive Team or get some votes for Most Improved Player.

Camara, who hails from Belgium, was drafted by the Phoenix Suns as the 52nd overall pick in 2023. However, he was shipped to the Trail Blazers as part of the three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

He has slowly carved out a role in Portland, building an upstart core with Denny Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Shadden Sharp and Scooter Henderson.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James is not part of any group bidding for an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas. The rumors arose when James’s Fenway Sports Group was initially reported to be considering a bid for a Las Vegas expansion team. The city, along with Seattle, has emerged as a leading candidate for one of two new NBA franchises.

Although FSG has rejected an extension that is reportedly set to cost up to $8 billion per team, James has publicly stated that he is not part of any group bidding for a Las Vegas team, according to a post on X by ESPN’s Tim McMahon.

“No, I’m not. Not at all,” James said.

LeBron, who has a net worth of more than $1.4 billion, will undoubtedly need a team of investors to take charge of an NBA franchise. However, with FSG reportedly backing out, it is now considered “less likely” that LeBron will pursue franchise ownership.

Regardless, as things stand, the NBA Board of Governors is continuing discussions, with a formal decision expected in 2026 and a potential launch timeline of the 2028-29 season. Las Vegas has emerged as a primary expansion market due to its established presence in major professional sports.

The city currently hosts teams in the NFL, NHL and WNBA, with an MLB franchise set to relocate there. The NBA has also had a consistent presence in Las Vegas through its Summer League, which has drawn more than 136,000 fans over 11 days.

Of course, LeBron James and FSG are no strangers to owning major sports teams. James’s association with the group has given him partial ownership in several franchises such as the Boston Red Sox (MLB), Liverpool FC (Premier League), RFK Racing (NASCAR), and the New England Sports Network (NESN).

The Lakers superstar and his partner Maverick Carter previously became partners in the group in 2021. However, James’ ambitions of owning an NBA franchise currently appear to be on hold, due to FSG reportedly refusing to meet the asking price.

Jack Hughes did enough to re-establish himself as a New Jersey Devils loyalist by performing in the Olympics. Then he scored the golden goal. And amid his wild success last month, when he returned, he expressed his devotion to the Devils, which certainly put everyone’s minds at ease considering the Quinn Hughes debacle earlier this year.

Now, Michael Russo explains how the Minnesota Wild GM is preparing for his next big change. Could it be Auston Matthews? More on that below, but if that’s the case, Devils fans no longer have to worry about Jack being ready to play alongside Quinn for Minnesota, if that happens.

Additionally, Hughes set a new record in New Jersey.

Elsewhere, there’s Evgeni Malkin’s contract update, Artemi Panarin’s Broadway return, and the Hockey World Cup’s three host cities.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: Amid a thrilling overtime win thanks to some heroics from Paul Cotter, Jack Hughes set a new Devils franchise record en route to a 4–3 victory over the Bruins.

In case you missed it, here’s the thrilling overtime goal by Kotter.

Here’s Paul Cotter’s hilarious insight into his shootout winner and his thought process going into the one-on-one with Joonas Korpisalo.

📺 devil’s rink report: Is Tom Fitzgerald on the hot seat, or did his comments at the 2026 NHL trade deadline feel like he’s really going nowhere? Pasha Eshghi joins me for the latest Devils Rink Report to discuss what the GM needs to do to take the heat off himself if he does indeed return next season.

Full episode here 👇🏼 Watch the full Devils Rink report here:

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

athletic ($): It’s amazing to me that the United States has won Olympic gold medals in all three of men’s, women’s, and Paralympic sledge hockey, and yet, the World Cup of Hockey will be held exclusively outside the US. In 2028, the NHL announced yesterday that the host cities will be Calgary, Edmonton and Prague.

More confirmed ($): Perhaps Devils fans will feel relieved if this happens. Could Minnesota Wild GM Bill Geering pursue Auston Matthews this summer? It appears Guerin is preparing for his next superstar swing, and something has to give in Toronto. Of course, that would put Jack Hughes out of the Wild’s reach, and Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has no desire to move their franchise face in any way. More from Michael Russo.

pittsburgh hockey now: Evgeni Malkin doesn’t seem concerned at all about a potential next contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. here’s why.

Forever Blueshirts: In his return to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers, Artemi Panarin provided an assist in the Los Angeles Kings’ 4–1 win.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Paul Couture is the New Jersey Devils’ best player and they have a goaltender across from them.

Hosting the Boston Bruins at the Prudential Center, Cotter scored the overtime winner, which also capped a three assist night for Jack Hughes, a new record holder for the Devils.

Just four minutes into the first period, the Devils’ defense was caught sleeping and the Bruins made them pay.

Henri Jokiharju’s shot from the point was blocked by Jacob Markstrom. However, the puck bounced off David Pastrnak, who was standing at the net-front the entire time, collected the loose puck, and slid it between Markstrom’s five-hole to give the Bruins a 1–0 lead.

The Bruins dominated the puck throughout the first period. About four minutes after the Bruins’ goal, Brandon Dillon and Mark Kastelic dropped mitts after New Jersey created tension in front of the net. Each got five minutes of majors to fight.

Boston kept the pressure on New Jersey, and eventually doubled their lead when Pavel Zacha finished off a stray chance headed by Viktor Arvidsson to make the game 2–0.

The Devils got off to a fast start in the second period and scored within the first minute of puck drop. Jack forced a turnover on neutral territory and began moving toward the Boston area. The Devils star fed Connor Brown, who was already behind the Boughton defense, provoking him for a breakaway, and he lowered the blocker side to cut the Devils’ deficit to 2–1.

Jack’s primary assist set a Devils franchise record, as he is now the fastest player to reach 400 points for New Jersey, reaching the milestone in 414 games.

The Devils remained all-out in the middle frame as they tried to erase their first period deficit. New Jersey’s top line continued to give the Bruins defense headaches. With just over eight minutes gone in the period, the Jacks made a quick move up the ice, feeding Brown in the middle of the ice, who then passed the puck to Jesper Bratt for a one-time chance in the right circle to tie the game at 2–2.

Just three minutes into the third period the Devils immediately took a 3-2 lead. Maxim Tsyplyakov drove to the net with the puck on his backhand, and fired it into the slot for Paul Cotter who scored.

Still, Pastrnak responded immediately by pulling off a slick toe-up of his own, and slid the puck to Markstrom, who the Bruins forward knocked out of position to restore the tie at three.

There was a barrage of penalties between the Devils and Bruins, starting with Kastelic’s hard hit on Cotter. Bruins forward Johnathan Kovacevic stepped up to drop the gloves, forcing Kastelic to fight for the second time on Monday.

New Jersey then committed three minor penalties, and Boston was whistled for one. Still, neither team took advantage.

The Devils and Bruins needed overtime, and the exciting period almost turned into a shootout.

However, Jack collected a loose puck in the neutral zone and pushed it to Cotter, drawing a streak across the ice. On a breakaway, Cotter scored the overtime winner to solidify the Devils’ second win in as many games.

Markstrom stopped 19 pucks on 22 shots to earn his 20th win of the season.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

The 2025-26 season has not been great for Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green on the injury front. After missing a total of 21 games over the first four seasons of his career (including a total of zero for the last two campaigns), Green has missed 48 games this season due to hamstring problems. But it looks like Green is putting those injury troubles in the rearview mirror.

On Friday night, despite the Suns’ 122-115 loss to the Toronto Raptors in which he lost offensive fire in the clutch, Green made himself a peach of a ballgame. The fifth-year guard recorded a team-high 34 points on 13-25 shooting from the field (8-16 from beyond the arc) with five rebounds, four assists and one steal, and in doing so, he scored 30 points in two consecutive games for the first time this season.

Green scored 36 points in the win over the Indiana Pacers last night, and he’s looking healthy to the extent that he’s doing so despite being down two sets in a row to the Suns. This suggests that the team is not too concerned about the long-term stability of his hamstring.

His latest effort may end in defeat, but gaining a foothold late in the season helps Green at least cover for the absence of Dillon Brooks, who has been an offensive cornerstone for the Suns all season.

Suns are in the running for a spot in the Western Conference

As things stand, the Suns will be faced with the incredible task of becoming one of the best teams in the West by making it through the play-in tournament. Currently their record is 39-28, but that puts them in seventh place in the standings.

There will be no rest for these tired Suns, as their next three games will be against extremely tough opposition. On Monday, they face the Boston Celtics, followed by games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs.

Zion Williamson has been dealing with injuries for quite some time and has once heard of NBA trade chatter. But the New Orleans Pelicans were trending for another reason on Wednesday: via a stunning windmill dunk over the Toronto Raptors.

Williamson ran down the court on a fastbreak and headed for the rebound alone. The former top overall NBA draft pick did not settle for a layoff. Instead he threw it down in epic, rim-rattling fashion.

zion windmill pic.twitter.com/8h4hLFbiDT

– Pelican Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) 12 March 2026

Williamson sets social media website X, formerly Twitter, on fire with his jams.

What Rotowire posted on the site was “reminiscing about his days at Duke”.

One fan started reacting after seeing Williamson enter the 2027 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Another fan commented how Williamson caused an earthquake in New Orleans.

Brandon Ingram praises Pelicans’ Zion Williamson

Another person reacted to Williamson’s big night: Raptors’ Brandon Ingram.

Except fellow ex-Duke Blue Devils shared nothing but high praise for Williamson.

“It was good to talk to him because we’ve been together for a while and we wanted to build something that could lead to a championship,” Ingram shared via Will Guillory of The Athletic. “Just meeting him and seeing where he is in his career. I’m happy for him that he’s healthy and he’s out on the basketball floor doing what he loves.”

The NBA world often sees superstars battling injuries. He even suffered an illness in early March, ending his 35-game playing streak with the Pelicans.

But Ingram doesn’t appear to be a player struggling with injuries.

Ingram said, “He’s a generational talent. Nobody can do what Zion does on the basketball field.”

Williamson suffered an ankle injury at the beginning of the month. But that ankle seemed like an afterthought after throwing a windmill.

Everything Michael Jordan touches turns to gold, even beyond his playing years. Their NASCAR team is off to a historic start, which is just one example of this.

This dynamic was evident at a recent auction, where his historic first cover on Sports Illustrated sold for a record $229,360, according to Black Enterprise’s Cedric ‘Big CED’ Thornton.

This cover is from 1983 when Jordan was at the University of North Carolina. This includes him and his Carolina teammate Sam Perkins. Ultimately, the record sale came through a Goldin auction.

The sale surpassed the previous record set by another Sports Illustrated cover featuring Jordan in 1984, which sold for $126,000 in 2023.

$229,360: Record sale of Michael Jordan’s first Sports Illustrated cover, grade 9.6 @PSAcardThrough @goldinco.

The result is the highest ever for any rated magazine and the highest for any magazine or comic held by PSA.

PSA began grading the category last July. pic.twitter.com/6CPFK7TqpU

– Ben Burrows (@BenMBurrows) 8 March 2026

Furthermore, the auction described the cover as a launch pad for everything else.

“Before Jordan’s 1984-85 Star rookie cards. Before his 1986-87 Flyer RCs. Before his “Star Is Born” debut SI cover in a Bulls uniform. Yes, before any of those iconic MJ masterpieces, when His Airness still wore Converse at UNC, there was this Sports Illustrated issue, with this “No. 1″ cover, which featured Jordan Marked the beginning of the billion-dollar business of collectibles.”

In 1983, North Carolina began the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Last year, they won the NCAA Championship 63–62 over Georgetown, culminating in Jordan’s winning basket in the final seconds of the game.

Subsequently, Jordan became College Player of the Year twice in 1983 and 1984. Although he never won another national championship, Jordan left his mark on Chapel Hill.

In 1984, he declared for the NBA draft and won a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. That year, the Bulls drafted him as the third pick in one of the most consequential drafts in NBA history.

Michael Jordan parted ways with Sports Illustrated in 1994

In 1994, Jordan was playing minor league baseball. At the time, many criticized his decision to step away from basketball at the peak of his career and try a sport he had not played since adolescence.

One of them was Sports Illustrated.

The breaking point was their March 1994 cover story titled “Bag It, Michael”, written by Steve Wolf. Essentially, Wolf said that Jordan and the Birmingham Barons were disrespecting the game.

From that moment on, Jordan never spoke to Sports Illustrated.

Luka Doncic always wears his heart on his sleeve in every minute he spends on the hardwood, and that was certainly the case during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 110-97 win over the New York Knicks at home on Sunday.

While everything ended well and in good spirits for the Lakers, Doncic had some distinct moments of frustration towards the officiating – even appearing to point money towards the referees at one point, indicating they were on his opponents’ payroll.

Doncic isn’t the most skilled defensive player, so when he tries, he wants to get the least amount of reward. With about 4:30 remaining in the third quarter of Sunday’s game, he tried to charge rookie forward Mohamed Diarra on a three-on-two fastbreak, but the officials did not blow their whistle. He made the above provocative gesture immediately after that no-call.

Immediately after the game, the Lakers star made it known He told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he faced two charges that night – one that counted, and one that didn’t.

(Fast forward to 0:20 of the video.)

Official fee charged? 1. But records show Luca faced 2 charges (according to him ???).

Now how can the Lakers turn what they showed against New York into a consistent defensive identity?

Fun post-game interview with Luca pic.twitter.com/qd96xgVsYO

– Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) 8 March 2026

Charges and blocks can be some of the most blatant calls in basketball, so there is always uncertainty in such games. But let’s say: Doncic is at least willing to put his body on the line in keeping with the Lakers’ defensive principles.

Luka Doncic leads Lakers to big win without LeBron James

LeBron James has been battling arthritis, which kept him out of the Lakers’ lineup on Sunday. not to worry; The Lakers still won comfortably, with Doncic recording 35 points and Austin Reaves supporting him with his 25 points.

The Lakers did a good job of forcing turnovers (the Knicks had 18 on the night), and they also kept them quiet from beyond the arc, allowing only eight triples on the night.

LOS ANGELES – When JJ Redick was first hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, he was compared to the great Pat Riley. Redick’s path to coaching followed a similar story, in that he went straight into broadcasting after retirement and had no prior coaching experience before joining the Lakers staff in 1979.

Before the Lakers’ game against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, Pat Riley was honored with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, the latest in a long list of franchise legends immortalized outside the Lakers’ home arena.

During his pregame press conference, JJ Redick talked about Riley’s influence on coaching, along with comparisons to the legendary Lakers coach.

Redick said, “I didn’t think much about the comparisons at the time. I think Pat kind of set the standard for modern NBA coaches. I’ve always looked at the NBA as two different eras.” “You can make the demarcation point right at the time of the merger or right in 80-81 when Dallas joined as the 23rd team.”

“And that, to me, is the beginning of the modern NBA. And that’s right when the ’80s Lakers run started,” Redick continued. “Pat set the standard for what a modern NBA coach should be.”

Redick is in the second year of his four-year contract, which he signed as head coach of the Lakers through the 2024 offseason. In his first year, he led the Lakers to a 50–32 record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture.

In comparison, Riley led the Lakers to a 50–21 record after taking over as head coach during the 1981–82 season. His overall record was 57–25. The Lakers would win the title that year, starting a streak of eight consecutive NBA Finals appearances with a total of four championships.

Pat Riley’s thoughts on JJ Redick

Pat Riley’s final two seasons as head coach coincided with the first two seasons of JJ Redick’s NBA career. But even after returning to an officiating role with the Miami Heat, he had to worry about game-planning for Redick.

Although Riley has been employed by the Heat organization since 1995, he still keeps an eye on his old team, and believes they hit a home run with Redick Hires.

“I love JJ, I really do. I competed against him, my teams competed against him,” Riley said during a media availability session before the game. “Sometimes I look back and I miss that time. And I look at JJ and I think they picked the right person. I think there’s just that quality about him that goes beyond that.”

While not identical to the roster Riley was working with when he first became head coach of the Lakers, Redick had to integrate the talents of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves together. Riley believes the Lakers have a good team and the organization has put Redick in a position to succeed.

“They have a great team right here for that [Luka] Doncic and [Austin] With Reeves and obviously LeBron,” Riley said. “I think Rob [Pelinka]. . .And the new ownership will build the team to compliment those players, but they have a great opportunity. I think JJ will be a good coach for them.

The Orlando Magic had a stellar performance coming out of the All-Star break, posting a 131–94 win over the Sacramento Kings while setting a franchise record for 3-pointers.

Orlando connected on 27 of his 50 attempts from beyond the arc, showcasing ball movement, spacing and confidence all night. Leading the charge was Paolo Banchero, who imposed his will early and finished with 30 points, six assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block in 32 minutes. He shot 10 of 21 from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line.

After the game, Banchero pointed to execution and belief as keys to the record-setting performance.

“Yeah, it’s a good, good way to start this back half of the season after the break by getting a three-point record,” Banchero said. “That’s a good sign and yeah, I think we did a good job like I said, finding the advantage and then playing from there and finding the open man.”

He credited the team’s scoring ability from long range.

“I think we did a good job of letting the defense react to what we were doing and then getting a guy open, finding that guy, and then whoever it was – stepping into their shot and hitting it with confidence,” Banchero said. “I thought guys didn’t shy away from threes today. When they’re open, guys let it fly, including me, you know, just being confident in the shot, staying with the results and today they were hitting at a high level.”

Paolo Banchero’s aggression, defense fuel franchise 3-point night vs. Kings

Banchero also emphasized his mindset entering the competition.

“I’m just trying to come out, impose my will, be aggressive,” he said. “As you said, there are a lot of important games coming up, so I think everybody on the team understands that just coming out, doing whatever we have to do to win these games.”

Head coach Jamahl Mosley paired offensive explosion with defensive intensity.

“I really think it was our defense that was making some early, easy offensive looks,” Mosley said. “We were able to get down low, attack the basket, and then we were able to spray out for set three on legs. I thought our guys did a great job of sharing it out, moving it up, trusting the pass and just trusting our teammates.”

Mosley credited preparation and spacing for the franchise milestone.

“I thought it was great,” he said. “I think the guys did a great job in practice yesterday, understanding what shots we were going to get against this team. Our coaches did a great job of setting these guys up in the right situations, in the right spots, and guys were confident and comfortable and ready to get their feet wet and make shots.”

Magical Defense Increases Stealing Process as West Coast Tour Continues

He also praised Banchero’s tenacity.

Mosley said, “I like how he settled into the game, started being very aggressive early on, started getting down low, attacking the basket when she was open, stepping into a shot, letting people know how they were guarding him.” “I thought they did a great job of finding teammates, but overall on our team I think we did a great job of trusting our defense to carry our offense, and that’s why the ball was bouncing the way it was.”

The defensive pressure was evident in the box score. The Magic recorded 13 steals in Sacramento. The team’s PR account shared that this is the fifth consecutive game in which Orlando has recorded at least 10 steals, the third-longest in franchise history. The longest streak of games with 10 or more steals is seven, set from January 29 to February 18, 1994.

The activity at that end helped promote transition opportunities and early attack, reinforcing Mosley’s emphasis on creating rhythm and confidence in defence.

With the win, Orlando improved to 29–25, and moved within a half game of the sixth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers (30–25) in the Eastern Conference. The Magic continue their West Coast trip against the Phoenix Suns (32-24) on Saturday at 5:00 PM ET on NBA TV.