new york liberty And Marine Johannes has made it back-to-back wins to start the season by defeating the Washington Mystics 98-93 in overtime on Sunday at CareFirst Arena.

Johannes continued his hot shooting, scoring a game-high 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-13 from three-point range. He also had two assists and two steals that night.

On his part, the Liberty veteran Breanna Stewart Added 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in another all-around performance.

The pair also had stellar performances for the Liberty in their 106-75 opening win over the Connecticut Sun on Friday. Stewart had 31 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and three blocks, while Johannes added 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from long range, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

According to the Liberty, Marin Johannes became the third player in league history to make at least 10 three-pointers in her first two games of the season.

“She joins Nikki McCray (2000) as the only players in league history to start a season with consecutive games of 5+ three-pointers,” the post on X (formerly Twitter) said.

The 31-year-old French guard has stepped up in the absence of superstar Sabrina Ionescu, who is out for two weeks with a foot injury sustained in the preseason.

Johannes went undrafted in 2017 and linked up with different teams in Europe. He signed with the Liberty last season, making it his third stint with the team. He played a career-high 44 games, averaging 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.3 minutes off the bench.

Since his first foray into online journalism in 2019, Peter Okereke has written widely on entertainment, politics and pop… More about Peter Okereke

Former Michigan football coach Sharon Moore was sentenced to probation Tuesday after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor counts — trespassing and malicious use of telecommunications equipment in a domestic relationship.

The charges stemmed from a confrontation at the apartment of a female employee with whom he had an inappropriate relationship.

Prosecutors dropped more serious felony charges, including home invasion and stalking, as part of a plea agreement. Moore, 40, must pay a fine of just over $1,000, continue counseling, abstain from drugs and alcohol, surrender any firearms and have no contact with the victim.

The judge warned Moore that if he overstepped his bounds again, he would not be as lenient.

District Court Judge Cedric Simpson said in sentencing, “When I look at the totality of this situation I do not believe that imprisonment should be appropriate.” “I warn you, Mr. Moore, if there is a violation, all bets are off. I don’t like sending people to jail, but I have no problem doing it.”

Sharon Moore is sentenced to 18 months’ probation.

Former Michigan HC has no connection to Paige Shiver.

No jail time, and the judge praised Moore’s wife for sticking with him through it all

“You sir, take it lightly.” pic.twitter.com/QLxKVWqRD

– Tray Wallace (@TrayWallace) 14 April 2026

Judge saves Sharon Moore from jail sentence, praises wife he cheated on while punishing coach for spreading pain to victim

The case dates back to Dec. 10 — the same day Michigan fired Moore after he admitted to having an extramarital affair with his executive assistant.

The situation became worse after his dismissal. Moore was charged with serious criminal charges for allegedly vandalizing his mistress’s home. According to the victim, Paige Shivers – his former executive assistant and personal assistant – Moore burst into her apartment uninvited while crying, yelling and angry. He grabbed a butter knife, threatened to harm himself and attacked her with the knife, leaving her in fear for her life.

The two had been in a relationship for about two years, a fact Koch acknowledged in discussion with police on the night of the encounter. This, along with many other details, came to light following sworn testimony by a detective at a complaints authority hearing.

The judge continued to punish Moore for his actions.

“Frankly, Mr. Moore, you had no right to do what you did,” Simpson said. “I know she was in fear. It was a traumatic experience for you – it was certainly a traumatic experience for her – but you had no right to extend your pain to her.”

Shiver, who did not attend the hearing, issued a statement saying the sentence “does not reflect the harm I have suffered” and accused the university of failing to protect her from years of manipulation and harassment.

The judge praised Moore’s wife for her support and said it influenced the lenient sentence.

Simpson said, “The person who is protecting you from the full wrath of this court is the person you betrayed.” “When all the situations are happening to her, and she’s absorbing them in real time, she never once loses her focus, never once glances at you to be suspicious, never once wants anything terrible to happen to you.”

He then told Moore’s wife: “If there were more people like you in the world, I’d probably be out of a job, but the world would be a better place.”

I’m not sure how helping someone avoid accountability for terrorizing their mistress translates into a better world.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

Josh Hart came to Mikal Bridges’ defense as Mikal Bridges struggled with shooting issues during the New York Knicks’ 2025-26 campaign.

Bridges is going through the eighth season of his NBA career, his second with the Knicks. This campaign has been different for the star wing as he is taking fewer shots per game. Since the All-Star break, entering Sunday’s win over the Washington Wizards, he was averaging just 10.4 points on 40.6 percent shooting and 31.3 percent from downtown.

Hart spoke to the New York Post about Bridges’ effectiveness on the court this season. He supports his star teammate, believing in his ability to persevere and continue to make big plays in big games.

“He’s doing what he’s asked. And I’ve said this before – when you’re a guy who’s been [with the Brooklyn Nets] When you’re the No. 1 guy and he’s calling those plays for you,” Hart said.

“Last year, there weren’t many plays called for him. This year, there’s probably even less plays called for him. So obviously there’s a mental hurdle that he has to overcome and that’s something where some of us can help him. I think he gets some unfair criticism because he’s doing what he’s asked. And if we sit there and say, shoot 15 shots a game, he’ll be efficient and he can do that. But that’s not the case. Asked him.”

Josh Hart, what’s next for the Knicks

Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges know it will take a lot to lead the Knicks to success, especially when they are competing for a title.

New York has a 47–25 record on the season and is in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, while trailing the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.

With six consecutive wins, the Knicks will continue to prepare for their next match at home. They will host the New Orleans Pelicans as tip-off takes place on March 24 at 7:30 pm ET.

On Thursday evening, the Houston Rockets lost their second consecutive game, once again, to the Los Angeles Lakers at home. It was another tough performance from the Rockets’ offense, which scored only 24 points in the final frame.

Tari Eason once again struggled beyond the arc In this game, the lead is 0-3. In fact, Eason is just 1-28 on three-pointers in the month of March, good for an astonishing 3.6 percent.

The pain of Terry Eason’s 3pt shot (2026) https://t.co/M9DTjJd2f3 pic.twitter.com/bqyUX2pq36

– Div B (@statcenter) 19 March 2026

Eason’s last lead from three-point range came on March 5 in a loss to the Golden State Warriors. Eason was once regarded as an elite spot-up shooter, and he’s still averaging over 37 percent from beyond the arc on the season, showing how well he was shooting the ball from that range before his current epic slump.

However, if he and the Rockets want to turn things around going into the playoffs, he will need to rediscover that shooting touch sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, it was a second disappointing home defeat for the Rockets against the Lakers, leaving them completely behind the eight ball in their quest to clinch the third seed in the Western Conference, which Los Angeles is currently chasing.

The Rockets are now 41-27 on the season, and their offensive troubles in the clutch are certainly not going to ease fans’ concerns about their chances of postseason success.

It was also another quiet game for Kevin Durant, scoring 18 points on only 11 shot attempts, with the Lakers’ suddenly superior defense once again stifling him.

Houston will look to bounce back their winning streak when they next face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday evening.

The Los Angeles Lakers took care of business against the New York Knicks on Sunday despite missing LeBron James due to left elbow and left foot injuries.

The Lakers won a hard-fought 110–97 victory and improved to 39–25. The Knicks were held under 100 points for only the second time in 13 games, underscoring the Lakers’ commitment to defense.

Marcus Smart expressed the Purple and Gold’s determination against New York. Although he shot poorly with 1 of 10 field goals, including 0 of 5 from three-point range, he was weak on defense.

Spectrum Sportsnet’s Mike Bresnahan stressed that Smart’s value may not be easily seen, but he can set the tone even without scoring. he registered a game-high plus-27 Despite only making one basket vs. the Knicks.

“Marcus Smart, 1 of 10, I don’t even care about that. (Especially) when you’re plus-27 despite a terrible shooting night,” Bresnahan said.

“There was a lot of aggressiveness on his part, and that’s why the Lakers went out and got him. They needed that toughness on the perimeter.”

Marcus Smart sets the tone defensively in win over Knicks, finishing at +27 🔒@Mike_Bresnahan ‘Access Sportsnet: Breaks Down His Impact on the Lakers’. pic.twitter.com/O8eoeYXjJx

– Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) 10 March 2026

The 32-year-old Smart, who also had three rebounds, four assists and two steals, faced criticism for attempting back-to-back three-pointers instead of passing the ball to James or Luka Doncic during a key stretch in Thursday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.

However, Smart never lacks confidence, even in pressure-filled moments. Bresnahan said the former Defensive Player of the Year has regained his feeling with the Lakers.

“He’s healthy, and I’ll keep saying that because I think he’s been good for years. We didn’t get to see that the last two years. He was working hard in Memphis (Grizzlies), and then he got traded to the (Washington) Wizards,” Bresnahan said.

“It’s good to see him healthy and playing like the old Marcus Smart on defense.”

The Lakers signed Smart to a two-year, $11 million contract in the offseason. He had a slow start, but has since carved out a regular starting role due to his overall impact.

The Brooklyn Nets sent rookie forward Drake Powell to the G League in the first round on Friday amid a prolonged shooting decline. Powell, the No. 19 pick in the 2025 draft, was a bright spot for Brooklyn for a long time early this season.

The North Carolina product has continued to make a defensive impact at the NBA level using his seven-foot wingspan and elite athleticism. He has also been shown to encourage increasingly aggressive aggressive flashes. Powell averaged 6.4 points on 46.0 percent shooting from the field and 32.4 percent from three in 16.9 minutes per game in his first 30 appearances.

However, lately he has been struggling to find his rhythm offensively.

Nets send Drake Powell to G League, call up Ben Saraf amid extended slump

Powell is averaging 5.2 points on 35.4 percent shooting from the field and 20.9 percent from three in 19.1 minutes per game over his last 17 appearances. The Nets have used the G League to get extended reps from their NBA-record five rookie first-round picks throughout this season.

After struggling during the preseason and his first regular season NBA performance, the Nets sent Nolan Traoré to Long Island for a long time. After impressive performances in the G League, the French floor general re-joined Brooklyn and has since become the team’s full-time starting point guard.

With Powell in Long Island, rookie Ben Saraf could see extended minutes in the Nets’ rotation. Brooklyn called up Saraf on Friday after spending an extended period in the G League. Although he has struggled during his NBA appearances, the Israeli point guard has averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists on .423/.373/.759 shooting splits in 15 outings with Long Island.

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson played an integral role in his team winning the Shooting Stars competition, an event that marked his spectacular return to the NBA All-Star Saturday after an 11-year hiatus, but there was one thing that was dampening his excitement. And he shares a last name.

After Brunson, fellow 2026 All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and fan favorite Allen Houston led the Knicks to victory, No. 11 took the opportunity to deliver a verbal jab at the celebrity passer, who is also his father and coach. New York assistant and former NBA player Rick Brunson was roasted during the trophy presentation.

When asked if he was enjoying, the younger Brunson decided to lie down next to his old man.

“No, whenever I’m with him, it’s never fun,” he told NBC Sports reporter Ashley Shahahmadi via the BrickCenterX account. “It was a passer, I wouldn’t call it a ‘celebrity’ passer, but he did his job.”

Jalen Brunson on whether he’s still enjoying:

“No.” pic.twitter.com/ZdyPZTXdv9

– BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) 14 February 2026

Team Knicks is your shooting stars champion

He ensured victory by scoring 47 points in the second round.

(via @nba)pic.twitter.com/SdpYtHt6Zj

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 14 February 2026

The Brunson men spend so much time together in the locker room and on the road, so one can assume they regularly engage in some old-fashioned ribbing. Ultimately, everyone did their job effectively enough to lead New York to the win. The Knicks trio scored 47 points in the final round to defeat Team Cameron, which included former Duke stars Jalen Johnson, Kon Knueppel and Corey Maggette.

Jalen Brunson will continue to be an important part of the festivities, as he is set to be an All-Star Game star for the second year in a row. Since his father won’t be on the court during the action, one can only hope that the 29-year-old will have some fun before leaving the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.