SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Malik Monk scored 10 of his 32 points in the final five minutes, Devin Carter made a pair of clutch free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining and the Sacramento Kings held off the Brooklyn Nets 126-122 on Sunday night.
Monk made seven 3-pointers and went 9 for 9 from the line to help the Kings (19-53) end a two-game skid.
Carter had 16 points and five rebounds, but it was his two free throws in the final seconds that were crucial.
The Nets (17-54) had one final possession, but Nolan Traore stepped out of bounds and turned the ball over. The play was reviewed and upheld.
Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud had his 16th double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Precious Achiuwa added 14 points and 15 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 10 points and eight assists.
Ben Saraf scored 22 points for the Nets, who have lost seven straight. Ziaire Williams had 18 points and Traore finished with 17.
The Kings led 108-105 when Monk heated up. He made a pair of 3s and then sank two free throws in the final minutes.
Monk’s two free throws gave the Kings a 123-120 lead before he fouled Traore on the next possession. Traore made both free throws with 9.5 seconds left before Carter was fouled by Drake Powell and made a pair of free throws to clinch the Kings first win at home against the Nets since Dec. 11, 2023.
Arkansas coach John Calipari, who coached Monk in college at Kentucky, sat courtside. Arkansas plays in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament next week in San Jose, about 80 miles south of Sacramento..
MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 22: Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid disappointed during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 22, 2026 in Madrid Spain (Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid played out another fiery city derby on Sunday at the Bernabéu, where 77,964 fans watched a five-goal thriller that had just about everything: penalties called and not called, a second-half red card and a rally from Real Madrid, as Los Blancos came out on top by a 3-2 scoreline.
Ademola Lookman had kicked off the scoring with a fine close-range finish from Giuliano Simeone’s back-heeled flick. Vinícius Júnior (from the penalty spot) and Federico Valverde (from a costly defensive error) brought Real Madrid into the lead within 10 minutes after the second half began, but Nahuel Molina scored a piledriver to equalize roughly 25 minutes from time. Nevertheless, Vinícius scored a blistering goal to complete his brace, and the hosts withstood a Valverde red card to keep the pressure on Barcelona atop LaLiga.
For Atlético, the result keeps the Rojiblancos fourth, one point behind Villarreal with nine rounds to go. After a back-and-forth derby, here are Into the Calderón’s three takeaways.
Costly fouls and mistakes
Even though Real Madrid were able to produce a few dangerous moments in the opening half, most notably a Valverde shot that cannoned off the base of the post, Atlético looked able to weather whatever storm was thrown at them. Key moments from players such as Giuliano, Lookman and Marcos Llorente sparked transition chances and ultimately led to the Colchoneros going up by a goal.
But in the second half, individual fouls and mistakes came to define the game. Dávid Hancko’s misplaced foot gave Brahim Díaz just enough license to take a tumble in the box, and José Luis Munuera called a penalty. For Valverde’s goal, Matteo Ruggeri’s poor back pass to Josema Giménez — and the Uruguayan’s subsequent giveaway — resulted in an easy go-ahead strike. Atleti’s chance to win the derby disappeared in about three minutes.
It’s an easy out to blame the referee, though I certainly have my own reservations on how the match was called. Whether you liked the calls or not, this is the second match in a row where individual errors have been the crux to Atlético conceding goals. With the daunting schedule to come, it will be vital for Simeone’s men to cut out these errors; otherwise, silverware will elude them again.
Lightning strikes twice for Molina
This man only scores screamers. Just a week ago we were talking about Nahuel Molina’s thunderous goal against Getafe that helped propel the team to a 1-0 home win. Sunday, with the squad in search of inspiration, the Argentine once again took matters into his own feet and rocketed a shot into Andriy Lunin’s top corner to bring the game level.
Admittedly, when the former World Cup winner came on as a substitute, I was skeptical. The team had just conceded their second goal and momentum was starkly in the favor of the home side. However, Molina got on the ball in open space and loaded up another worldie of a shot to tie the match.
Though the goal was unable to be the difference maker this time, it was nonetheless an incredible highlight to an otherwise topsy-turvy match. He’s playing with a lot of verve right now, and Cholo Simeone will look favorably on his compatriot’s confidence when it comes time to pick the team against Barcelona after the FIFA break.
Partido a Partido?
As the month of March comes to a close, Atlético de Madrid now enter into the most important weeks of the season. The squad will be looking to keep their hopes of silverware alive with two Champions League games against Barcelona and a Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad. With five matches in the span of two weeks, Los Rojiblancos will be pushed to their very limit.
🚨 The 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 schedule awaiting Atlético Madrid! 🤯📅
📅 22 March: Real Madrid vs. Atlético (La Liga) 📅 4 April: Atlético vs. Barcelona (La Liga) 📅 8 April: Barcelona vs. Atlético (UCL) 📅 12 April: Sevilla vs. Atlético (La Liga) 📅 14 April: Atlético vs.… pic.twitter.com/jm7HEiQXHV
April begins with a league match against Barcelona at home. After picking up yellow cards in today’s derby, Simeone will be without Marcos Llorente and Johnny Cardoso for that game. The extra rest for these two could be a blessing in disguise, as their Champions League bout against the same side is just four days later. How will Simeone and the coaching staff opt to rotate the team as they get deeper into the month of April? Deciding who to rest or who to start will be a huge factor in the team’s success.
If today’s derby has presented anything, it’s the two sides of Atlético Madrid. At one moment, the squad can be hampered by careless errors or inconsistency, but in another they can flash their ability to challenge some of the strongest sides in Europe. Game by game in a decisive two weeks, we will see if that quality rises to the surface in the season’s most important fixtures.
The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.
Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.
To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.
And for today’s article, we will continue with the 10th of 13 people to wear the No. 45 jersey, big man alum Mikki Moore. After ending his college career at Nebraska, Moore would go unselected in the 1997 NBA Draft, instead playing in the D-League (as the G League was then known as) and abroad until he signed with the Detroit Pistons in 1999.
The Orangeburg, South Carolina native played the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Pistons. He also played for the Boston Celtics, and Atlanta Hawks before he signed with the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets in 2003 for his first stint with the team that lasted until he was cut in 2004.
In between, he played for the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, and Seattle SuperSonics. Dealt by the latter back to New Jersey in 2006, that ended when he signed with the Sacramento Kings in 2007. During his time suiting up for the Nets, Moore wore only jersey No. 45 and put up 9.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.
To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.
With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.
And for today’s article, we will continue with the fourth of 21 who wore the No. 10, guard alum Dirk Minniefield. After ending his college career at Kentucky, Minniefield was picked up with the 33rd overall selection of the 1983 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lexington, Kentucky native would play the first two seasons of his pro career in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA — that era’s version of the G League) instead after being traded and cut by Dallas and the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets respectively.
He would sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1985 before he was dealt to the Houston Rockets in 1986. His stay with the team lasted until he signed with the Golden State Warriors in 1987.
During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Minniefield wore only jersey No. XXX and put up 7.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
Pyrotechnics took hold of Benchmark International Arena during No. 1 Florida and No. 9 Iowa’s Round of 32 tilt.
The action on the floor proved feisty, with both sides exchanging bruising blows in the first half. The Hawkeyes found the target on a number of occasions, only for the Gators to respond in kind. Iowa opened up a 10-point advantage ahead of the break, but by the time the halftime horn sounded, its advantage stood at just two.
On the sidelines, a war of words brewed between the teams’ two head coaches — Florida’s Todd Golden and Iowa’s Ben McCollum. Video of a heated confrontation between the pair danced across social media, adding a little more intensity to a matchup already teeming with it.
Golden and McCollum confronted one another partway through the first-half of Sunday’s game.
The verbal sparring session appeared to originate from an on-court dustup between Florida’s Alex Condon and Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras. The two wrestled with one another for the ball, prompting officials to give both players a technical foul.
The assessment of the double technical appeared to spark something in Golden and McCollum, who directed venom at one another during the official timeout. McCollum had to be physically restrained from coming after Golden, who stood stoically on the other sideline.
— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) March 22, 2026
It’s unclear quite what was said between Golden and McCollum. The decision to assess Condon a technical foul did not seem to go over well in the Golden camp, however.
Todd Golden in reaction to the double technical call following the scuffle between Alvaro Folgueiras and Alex Condon:
SURPRISE, AZ – OCTOBER 24: A general view of Goodyear Ballpark during the game between the Peoria Javelinas and the Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Thursday, October 24, 2024 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves and have 33 players in camp.
Optioned to Triple-A Reno:
LHP Philip Abner
Reassigned to Minor League camp:
C Aramis Garcia
INF Jacob Amaya
The first of these is a bit of a surprise. Only yesterday, I was noting how Abner seemed to have the inside track for left-handers job, after the recent meltdowns of Brandyn Garcia. Now, it seems either it’s Garcia’s job, or the Diamondbacks will be going without a left-handed option out of the pen.
Lineup Update:
CF – Barrosa 2B – Vargas C – Moreno 1B – Smith LF – Waldschmidt DH – McLaughlin 3B – Soler RF – Ortiz SS – Clark SP – Curtiss
The finale of the Cactus League today, with the remaining games tomorrow and Tuesday being on the hallowed (artificial) turf of Chase Field. John Curtiss gets the start, to be followed by LHP Brandyn Garcia, RHP Juan Morillo, RHP Taylor Rashi, RHP Shawn Dubin and, uh, according to the D-backs team notes anyway, RHP John Curtiss again. I presume the Curtiss start is to avoid a divisional rival getting experience late in spring against a recognized starting pitcher. This game was originally going to be broadcast on Arizona Sports, but the team notes make no mention of this. The change in start time from an afternoon game may have screwed things up there.
After advancing through the first round, Texas Tech faces Alabama on Sunday in the 2026 NCAA Tournament with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
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The NCAA Tournament continues on Sunday, as teams look to advance to the Sweet 16, setting the stage for another day of dramatic finishes. With eyes set on a national title, the tournament always promises the chaos and excitement that make March Madness one of the best events to follow in sports.
In this Midwest Region second‑round clash, No. 4 Alabama travels on the momentum of a decisive 90–70 first‑round victory over Hofstra, where senior leadership and depth shone through once the Tide took control, while No. 5 Texas Tech enters after a 91–71 rout of Akron that highlighted its efficiency and cohesion on both ends.
Alabama’s athleticism and ability to score in transition will face a structured Texas Tech attack that prides itself on shot selection and rebounding balance, setting up a battle of contrasting styles as both teams vie for a Sweet 16 berth.
Watch every matchup during the 2026 NCAA Tournament on DIRECTV.
Games throughout the tournament are broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, with DIRECTV packages providing access to all four networks, so viewers can stream every round live.
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SURPRISE, AZ – OCTOBER 24: A general view of Goodyear Ballpark during the game between the Peoria Javelinas and the Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Thursday, October 24, 2024 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves and have 33 players in camp.
Optioned to Triple-A Reno:
LHP Philip Abner
Reassigned to Minor League camp:
C Aramis Garcia
INF Jacob Amaya
The first of these is a bit of a surprise. Only yesterday, I was noting how Abner seemed to have the inside track for left-handers job, after the recent meltdowns of Brandyn Garcia. Now, it seems either it’s Garcia’s job, or the Diamondbacks will be going without a left-handed option out of the pen.
Lineup Update:
CF – Barrosa 2B – Vargas C – Moreno 1B – Smith LF – Waldschmidt DH – McLaughlin 3B – Soler RF – Ortiz SS – Clark SP – Curtiss
The finale of the Cactus League today, with the remaining games tomorrow and Tuesday being on the hallowed (artificial) turf of Chase Field. John Curtiss gets the start, to be followed by LHP Brandyn Garcia, RHP Juan Morillo, RHP Taylor Rashi, RHP Shawn Dubin and, uh, according to the D-backs team notes anyway, RHP John Curtiss again. I presume the Curtiss start is to avoid a divisional rival getting experience late in spring against a recognized starting pitcher. This game was originally going to be broadcast on Arizona Sports, but the team notes make no mention of this. The change in start time from an afternoon game may have screwed things up there.
Feb 26, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Tyler Glasnow makes his final start before the regular season as the Dodgers visit the Angels.
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a new six-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez.
The deal announced Sunday for last season’s NL Cy Young Award runner-up begins in 2027 and will run through 2032 with a club option for 2033.
Terms were not immediately available.
Sánchez had been pitching under a $22.5 million, four-year contract that was through 2028.
He went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 32 starts last season and struck out a career-high 212 batters. He’s 30-21 overall in four full big league seasons.
Originally signed by the Tampa Bay Rays as an amateur free agent in 2013, Sánchez was acquired in a trade by the Phillies on Nov. 20, 2019, for infielder Curtis Mead.
Mead played in just 41 games for the Chicago White Sox last season while Sánchez has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in baseball and helped key the Phillies’ run to consecutive NL East titles in 2024 and 2025.
The Phillies want to keep their postseason run going — four straight appearances headed into 2026 — and have locked up all veteran members of their staff to long-term deals.
Jesús Luzardo earlier this month finalized a $135 million, five-year contract that starts in 2027. Zack Wheeler has a $126 million deal through the 2027 and Aaron Nola a $172 million, seven-year agreement through 2030. Rookie Andrew Painter is under team control through 2031 and earned the fifth starter spot in the rotation.
