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Tag: season

  • NBA roundup: Luka Doncic burns Mavs, Lakers sweep NBA Cup group

    (Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

    Luka Doncic scored 35 points and dished out 11 assists against his former team and the Los Angeles Lakers finished perfect in NBA Cup group play with a 129-119 victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

    Austin Reaves scored 38 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Deandre Ayton paired 17 points with eight rebounds, and LeBron James had 13 points and seven assists in his fourth game of the season after returning from sciatica.

    Doncic improved to 3-0 against Dallas after his surprising trade from the Mavericks in February. Los Angeles, which had already advanced to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, finished 4-0 in West Group B.

    P.J. Washington amassed 22 points and nine rebounds and Anthony Davis added 12 points for the Mavericks in his first game on his former home court after he was traded to Dallas in the Doncic deal. He was making his return after missing the previous 14 games with a calf injury.

    Thunder 123, Suns 119

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points to help Oklahoma City record its 11th consecutive win, a home victory over Phoenix in an NBA Cup game that saw both teams advance.

    The win sends the Thunder to the knockout round of the NBA Cup after they went 4-0 in West Group A. The Suns, who lost for just the third time in 12 games overall, fell to 3-1 in NBA Cup action. However, they still earned a wild-card spot as the Western Conference’s best second-place team, so they will join the Thunder in the knockout round.

    Oklahoma City also improved to 19-1, becoming the fifth team in NBA history to win at least 19 games in the season’s first 20. After capturing the first nine games of the winning streak by 13 or more points, Oklahoma City has now won back-to-back tight games after beating Minnesota by eight on Wednesday.

    Spurs 139, Nuggets 136

    Devin Vassell scored 18 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter and visiting San Antonio beat Denver to win West Group C and advance to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup.

    Julian Champagnie scored 25 points — also a season high — and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Spurs. San Antonio sealed the win my making 7 of 8 free throws in the last minute.

    Jamal Murray put up 37 points for Denver, which went 2-2 in NBA Cup play. Nikola Jokic had 21 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists, and Cameron Johnson contributed a season-high 28 points.

    Hawks 130, Cavaliers 123

    Jalen Johnson produced his second triple-double of the season and Atlanta held off visiting Cleveland as both teams failed to advance in the NBA Cup.

    Johnson finished with 29 points, shooting 9-for-18 from the floor, to go with 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Atlanta has won three of its last four, while Cleveland has lost two in a row. Both teams finished 2-2 in East Group A and were eliminated from the NBA Cup. Nickeil Alexander-Walker finished with 30 points and Zaccharie Risacher had 14 points.

    Cleveland was led by Donovan Mitchell with 42 points, his 21st career game with 40-plus points. The Cavaliers got 20 points and 14 rebounds from Evan Mobley and 15 points and 10 assists from Darius Garland. Former Hawk De’Andre Hunter scored 16 in his return to Atlanta.

    Knicks 118, Bucks 109

    Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 37 points, helping New York earn a victory over visiting Milwaukee and advance to the NBA Cup knockout stage.

    Josh Hart finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and Miles McBride scored 19 for the Knicks, who won their third straight and finished atop East Group C with a 3-1 record. Mikal Bridges added 14 for New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns totaled nine points and 10 rebounds.

    Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in his return from a four-game absence caused by a thigh injury. Kyle Kuzma scored 20, AJ Green added 18, Ryan Rollins put up 13 and Myles Turner had 10 for Milwaukee, which dropped its seventh straight game.

    76ers 115, Nets 103

    Tyrese Maxey totaled 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the short-handed Philadelphia never trailed in a victory over Brooklyn in New York. The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (knee), VJ Edgecombe (calf), Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) and Trendon Watford (groin).

    Jared McCain added 20 off Philadelphia’s bench. Rookie Egor Demin posted career bests of 23 points and nine rebounds for Brooklyn.

    Both teams entered the game having already been eliminated from advancing in the NBA Cup. They finished tied at the bottom of East Group B at 1-3.

    Hornets 123, Bulls 116

    Brandon Miller’s season-high 27 points and Miles Bridges’ 22 points carried Charlotte to an NBA Cup victory over visiting Chicago, a result that snapped the Hornets’ seven-game losing streak.

    Reserve Collin Sexton poured in 21 points, LaMelo Ball had 16 points and eight assists and Kon Knueppel added 12 points for the Hornets, who finished 1-3 in East Group C of the NBA Cup.

    Coby White and Josh Giddey each scored 25 points to lead the Bulls. Chicago also went 1-3 in NBA Cup play and has lost three of its past four games overall.

    Magic 112, Pistons 109

    Desmond Bane poured in 37 points and grabbed eight rebounds as visiting Orlando edged Detroit to advance to the knockout round of the NBA Cup.

    Orlando finished 4-0 in the East Group B of the event and won for the fifth time in its past six games. The Pistons, who went 2-2 in NBA Cup action, lost for the second time in a row following their 13-game winning streak.

    Franz Wagner had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Magic. Cade Cunningham carried the Pistons with 39 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Cunningham was fouled with 4.7 seconds left but missed the first free throw and then intentionally missed the second. The Pistons got the rebound, but Duncan Robinson’s last-ditch 3-point try was blocked by Black.

    Pacers 119, Wizards 86

    Pascal Siakam amassed 24 points and 11 rebounds as Indiana cruised to a win over Washington in Indianapolis. Both teams finished 1-3 in East Group A of the NBA Cup.

    Bennedict Mathurin scored 20 points and matched his season high with four assists for the Pacers, who led by as many as 33 and won for the third time in their first 19 games.

    Alex Sarr led Washington with 24 points. The Wizards were unable to carry the momentum from Tuesday, when they snapped a 14-game losing streak with a home win over the Atlanta Hawks.

    Jazz 128, Kings 119

    Keyonte George scored 31 points, Lauri Markkanen added 28 and Utah avoided a winless round of pool play in the NBA Cup with a victory over Sacramento in Salt Lake City.

    Utah, which finished 1-3 in West Group A, snapped a four-game skid. The Jazz used a 12-2 run early in the second quarter to take a lead they never relinquished.

    Zach LaVine hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, part of a 6-of-9 period on his way to a game-high 34 points for the Kings. Sacramento ended up 0-4 in NBA Cup action.

    Grizzlies 112, Clippers 107

    Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 points and Zach Edey grabbed 19 rebounds to help Memphis rally to a win in Inglewood, Calif., in the NBA Cup finale for both teams.

    Vince Williams Jr. added 16 points and Jaylen Wells and backup Santi Aldama scored 13 points apiece as Memphis recovered from a 16-point third-quarter deficit. The Grizzlies went 3-1 in West Group B play but didn’t advance to the knockout round. Los Angeles went 2-2.

    Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points on 15-of-24 shooting but couldn’t prevent the Clippers from losing for the 12th time in the past 14 games. James Harden had 23 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for Los Angeles. Kris Dunn added 11 points, seven rebounds and five steals, and John Collins logged 10 points and seven rebounds.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Imaginarium opens for 2025 season Wednesday after earlier confusion, organizers say

    The Imaginarium holiday light show at Cal Expo opened on Wednesday following a delay and confusing announcements. The status of Imaginarium’s Utopia, billed as Northern California’s largest holiday light festival, was thrown into confusion Wednesday when a spokesperson for the event said a social media post announcing the opening after earlier delays was premature. “Several new electrical panels have been installed and are currently pending inspection,” Darla Givens told KCRA 3 two hours after Imaginarium Sacramento posted on Facebook about its reopening plans. “Once those panels are fully inspected and approved, Imaginarium will receive the green light to open. Until that process is complete, Imaginarium will remain closed.”(Previous coverage in the video above.)That process was since completed. Givens confirmed a second Facebook post that said “Cal Expo is definitely opening tonight” at 5 p.m. “The Imaginarium team has been working non-stop to install the new electrical panels,” she said. “Because this year’s footprint is three times larger than previous years, the process required extensive coordination and additional time to ensure every section of the experience is powered reliably.”Imaginarium was originally set to begin holding light shows on Friday, Nov. 21. But the opening day was called off abruptly within an hour of gates being set to open. Givens cited “unforeseen circumstances” at the time and said Saturday the delay was due to damaged electrical panels that needed to be replaced. During the closure, tickets appear to have continued being sold online. Organizers said that ticket holders could email them at imagine@imaginarium360.com to reschedule postponed dates. But some people said on Facebook they had trouble connecting with event organizers. Imaginarium aims to transform the fairgrounds into a glowing wonderland powered by more than 15 million lights. The event previously faced an opening day delay in 2023 because of severe weather. This year’s edition debuts an expanded footprint and a new entrance at Cal Expo’s Main Gate at Exposition and Heritage, which was supposed to streamline access for the season’s crowds. KCRA 3 got a tour of the attraction on Friday morning. Visitors can stroll through illuminated tunnels, step into mirror rooms, glide across a covered ice rink, snap photos with Santa, and cap the night with carnival rides and festive food and drink along Food Court Row near the waterpark.Organizers say Utopia aims to be a “perfect holiday escape,” where families and couples can make new traditions in a setting designed for dazzling photos and spirited nights out. Imaginarium traces its roots to the team behind the first U.S. Chinese Lantern Festival at Great America in 2011. The concept evolved into Global Winter Wonderland, which opened at Cal Expo in 2014, and later into Imaginarium, which organizers say is the largest holiday light festival in the country. The brand now spans multiple locations across California and Arizona.Learn more about tickets here. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    The Imaginarium holiday light show at Cal Expo opened on Wednesday following a delay and confusing announcements.

    The status of Imaginarium’s Utopia, billed as Northern California’s largest holiday light festival, was thrown into confusion Wednesday when a spokesperson for the event said a social media post announcing the opening after earlier delays was premature.

    “Several new electrical panels have been installed and are currently pending inspection,” Darla Givens told KCRA 3 two hours after Imaginarium Sacramento posted on Facebook about its reopening plans. “Once those panels are fully inspected and approved, Imaginarium will receive the green light to open. Until that process is complete, Imaginarium will remain closed.”

    (Previous coverage in the video above.)

    That process was since completed. Givens confirmed a second Facebook post that said “Cal Expo is definitely opening tonight” at 5 p.m.

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    “The Imaginarium team has been working non-stop to install the new electrical panels,” she said. “Because this year’s footprint is three times larger than previous years, the process required extensive coordination and additional time to ensure every section of the experience is powered reliably.”

    Imaginarium was originally set to begin holding light shows on Friday, Nov. 21. But the opening day was called off abruptly within an hour of gates being set to open.

    Givens cited “unforeseen circumstances” at the time and said Saturday the delay was due to damaged electrical panels that needed to be replaced.

    During the closure, tickets appear to have continued being sold online. Organizers said that ticket holders could email them at imagine@imaginarium360.com to reschedule postponed dates. But some people said on Facebook they had trouble connecting with event organizers.

    Imaginarium aims to transform the fairgrounds into a glowing wonderland powered by more than 15 million lights.

    The event previously faced an opening day delay in 2023 because of severe weather.

    This year’s edition debuts an expanded footprint and a new entrance at Cal Expo’s Main Gate at Exposition and Heritage, which was supposed to streamline access for the season’s crowds. KCRA 3 got a tour of the attraction on Friday morning.

    Visitors can stroll through illuminated tunnels, step into mirror rooms, glide across a covered ice rink, snap photos with Santa, and cap the night with carnival rides and festive food and drink along Food Court Row near the waterpark.

    Organizers say Utopia aims to be a “perfect holiday escape,” where families and couples can make new traditions in a setting designed for dazzling photos and spirited nights out.

    Imaginarium traces its roots to the team behind the first U.S. Chinese Lantern Festival at Great America in 2011.

    The concept evolved into Global Winter Wonderland, which opened at Cal Expo in 2014, and later into Imaginarium, which organizers say is the largest holiday light festival in the country.

    The brand now spans multiple locations across California and Arizona.

    Learn more about tickets here.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • No. 11 BYU controls own postseason destiny entering UCF matchup

    (Photo credit: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

    No. 11 BYU controls its own destiny for a spot in the Big 12 championship game, but UCF is ready to play spoiler with its own postseason berth on the line as the two teams clash Saturday afternoon in Provo, Utah.

    It’s simple for the Cougars (10-1, 7-1 Big 12): win and in.

    For the second straight week, BYU is listed as the first team out of the College Football Playoff, so the conference championship — which would be BYU’s first as a member of the Big 12 — is key for the Cougars to keep their CFP hopes alive.

    The Cougars can also punch their ticket to the title game before they even kick off if Arizona State loses to Arizona. BYU can also get in with a loss through a combination of wins by Utah and Arizona State, as well as a loss by Texas Tech.

    But the Cougars and coach Kalani Sitake are focused on handling the Knights (5-6, 2-6) and doing the dirty work themselves, especially on senior night.

    ‘I look at all these (seniors) and it’s awesome. I’m so proud of what they’ve been able to build here and the culture that’s thriving with them,’ Sitake said on Monday. ‘They’ve had a lot of wins and they’ve ushered us into the Big 12 and had some success now the last couple years. We just have to finish it strong for them.’

    BYU is coming off a 26-14 win over Cincinnati in which Big 12 leading rusher LJ Martin set a career high with 222 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.

    Martin has 1,134 rushing yards this season on nearly six yards a carry to go along with eight touchdowns.

    Bear Bachmeier’s 127 passing yards were his fewest since his first game, but he still recorded a rushing touchdown, his seventh in his last seven games. His freshman campaign has been solid, with 2,304 yards passing, 525 yards rushing and 24 total touchdowns.

    The defense for the Cougars really showed out against the Bearcats, holding them to season-lows in points and rushing yards. They forced a fumble in the red zone and took advantage of three missed field goals.

    BYU will look to continue feasting on a UCF offense that has struggled to move the ball. The Knights rank in the bottom half of the Big 12 in yards per game (386.3, 11th) and points per game (24.6, 13th).

    UCF showed some grit last weekend, overcoming a 14-point halftime deficit to secure a 17-14 victory over Oklahoma State. It was the Knights’ first win in over a month and kept their slim hopes for bowl eligibility alive.

    They did so thanks to Tayven Jackson and Dylan Wade, who connected four times for 145 yards, two touchdowns and a 50-yard throw-and-catch that set up the eventual game-winning field goal.

    Jackson, who’s been shaky as the starter, produced one of his best starts of the season. He bounced back after throwing two first-half interceptions by completing 16 of 25 passes for 271 yards and the two touchdowns.

    It’ll be a physical contest for coach Scott Frost’s bunch, who will try to claim the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2023.

    ‘It’s a good team,’ said Frost of BYU. ‘They’re probably the biggest team we’ve played up front and their linebackers are big. They just have a lot of grown men on the team because of their age and body types. That’s what they’re recruiting for. We’ve got to be ready for a physical game.’

    BYU beat UCF 37-24 last season and is 3-1 all-time against the Knights.

    –Field Level Media

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  • No. 13 Utah looking for better run defense at Kansas

    (Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images)

    Utah’s path to the College Football Playoff narrowed on Tuesday night when the Utes dropped from 12th to 13th after rallying last week for a 51-47 home win over Kansas State.

    To earn a spot in the Big 12 Conference title game and a potential berth in the CFP, Utah will have to win Friday at Kansas and then get help from three other Big 12 teams.

    Even if the Utes (9-2, 6-2) take care of business in Lawrence against the Jayhawks (5-6, 3-5), they’ll require an Arizona victory at No. 20 Arizona State on Friday night, a West Virginia upset of No. 5 Texas Tech on Saturday in Morgantown, and a UCF stunner at No. 11 BYU that same day.

    Those are some long odds but at least Utah still has a chance, thanks to Devon Dampier’s 1-yard touchdown run with 56 seconds left last week that salvaged a win on a day when it allowed a whopping 472 rushing yards.

    ‘There’s no real easy explanation to it,’ Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said about his defense’s poor performance. ‘We just did not play the run game in any way, shape or form with any consistency. It just wasn’t good. Everything we could do wrong, we did.’

    Fortunately for Utah, its offense picked up the defense by amassing 32 first downs and 551 total yards. Dampier passed for 259 yards and ran for 94 to continue another banner season. He has thrown for 1,927 yards and rushed for 637 while accounting for 26 touchdowns (19 passing).

    His performance has helped the Utes go from being one of the weakest attacks in FBS to one of strongest. They rank in the top 10 nationally in four categories — points per game (42.0), yards per game (484.5), rushing (279.6) and third-down conversions (53.1).

    ‘Outstanding,’ Whittingham said of Dampier’s latest effort. ‘Settled in and really played an excellent game.’

    While Utah tries to maintain its slim chances of a CFP berth, Kansas needs the win to become bowl-eligible. The Jayhawks missed on a chance to do that last week with a 38-14 loss at Iowa State.

    Kansas trimmed a 17-0 halftime deficit to get within 24-14 but wasn’t able to get a stop when it really needed one, which has been an issue most of the season. Its defense has allowed at least 37 points in five of the six losses.

    Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold is stressing the need for his players not to try to do too much with bowl hopes on the line.

    ‘It really goes for everyone in the building,’ he said when asked if he had to deliver that message to specific players. ‘As coaches, that’s our responsibility to help our players. There’s times when a guy tries to go make a play that’s out of his responsibility. We want to make sure we play our best football.’

    Kansas will need a big game from quarterback Jalon Daniels, who has thrown for 2,344 yards and 21 touchdowns with just four interceptions. The absence of Utes pass rusher John Henry Daley, whose 11 1/2 sacks are tied for second in FBS, should help Daniels. Daley is out for the season with a leg injury.

    The teams are tied at 2-2 in their all-time series but this is their first meeting since 1996.

    –Field Level Media

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  • NBA roundup: Lakers win 5th straight, clinch West Group B

    (Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

    Luka Doncic scored 24 of his 43 points in the first quarter and finished with 13 assists and nine rebounds as the host Los Angeles Lakers notched a 135-118 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday to clinch West Group B of the NBA Cup.

    Austin Reaves scored 18 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and collected nine rebounds for the Lakers, who won their fifth consecutive game. LeBron James added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Rui Hachimura had 13 points.

    The Lakers improved to 3-0 in NBA Cup play while the Clippers fell to 2-1. The Clippers are still in the running for a wild-card spot.

    James Harden recorded 29 points and nine assists and Kawhi Leonard and Kris Dunn scored 19 points apiece for the Clippers, who have lost 11 of their past 13 games. John Collins posted 18 points, and Ivica Zubac added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

    Wizards 132, Hawks 113

    CJ McCollum scored a season-high 46 points on 10 3-pointers, leading Washington to a rare victory over visiting Atlanta in NBA Cup group play.

    Alex Sarr had 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Corey Kispert totaled 19 points for the Wizards, who led by as many as 33 points and snapped a 14-game losing streak. Khris Middleton had 10 points and 12 assists and Bub Carrington scored 10 for Washington, which never trailed in the win.

    Kristaps Porzingis led Atlanta with 22 points, followed by Onyeka Okongwu’s 20 and Zaccharie Risacher’s 17. Dyson Daniels finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks, who had their two-game winning streak snapped. Vit Krejci tallied 10 points in the loss.

    Magic 144, 76ers 103

    Anthony Black scored a career-high 31 points to highlight Orlando’s annihilation of host Philadelphia in an NBA Cup game.

    Black scored 27 points in the first half, including a 20-point second quarter as Orlando set a franchise record for points in any quarter with 51 in the stanza. The team also set a franchise mark with 86 points in the first half. Despite continuing to play without Paolo Banchero (groin), the Magic had nine players score in double figures, including Franz Wagner (21) and Desmond Bane (15). The team compiled 82 bench points — the top total in the NBA this season.

    Tyrese Maxey scored 20 points to pace Philadelphia, while Jared McCain pitched in with 15 points. The Sixers played without Joel Embiid, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe, among others.

    –Field Level Media

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  • 76ers to face Magic while in search of a rhythm

    (Photo credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images)

    The Philadelphia 76ers will work on consistency in an effort to deliver a complete performance at home against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday in an NBA Cup East Group B contest.

    Philadelphia has alternated losses and wins in each of its last nine games. And while the Sixers haven’t lost two games in a row since early November, they haven’t won two games in a row since a four-game win streak to start the season.

    Most recently, the Sixers fell to the Miami Heat 127-117 on Sunday despite 27 points from Tyrese Maxey. The dynamic guard leads the team in scoring at 33.0 points per game — second in the NBA — and has averaged a career-high 7.8 assists.

    He played through a sore shoulder against Miami, carrying his typical heavy offensive load while the team navigates injuries to Joel Embiid (knee), Kelly Oubre (knee) and VJ Edgecombe (calf).

    ‘I mean, (we do) just the best we can,’ Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. ‘We’ll plug in and do what we think we need to do. Start who we need. Who’s next in line? Try to figure out what the matchups look like, who we’re playing, all that kind of stuff, and try to make some decisions that work. Some of them do. Some of them don’t, obviously, right?’

    In addition to missing several key players, the Sixers also are slowly working Paul George and Jared McCain back into the lineup. McCain had his best game of the season against the Heat, finishing with 15 points in 26 minutes. George, however, shot 3 of 10 from the floor and 0 of 5 from 3-point range in an uninspiring 20-minute run.

    ‘I think, the guys that do play, we play to the best of our ability,’ said Andre Drummond, who filled in for Embiid with 14 points and 24 rebounds. ‘We’re playing good teams, and it’s hard to find a rhythm when we’re not knowing who we’re playing with on a nightly basis.’

    The Magic had won six of seven before falling in Boston 138-129 on Sunday in the opener of their three-game road trip.

    Jett Howard scored a season-high 30 points for Orlando, which continued to play without Paolo Banchero (groin). Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. also sat out, paving the way for the Celtics to shoot 60.2% from the floor and 45.5% from 3-point range.

    ‘I loved our team’s fight,’ Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. ‘These guys just continued to battle. Our bench was in it for them. Those guys we talk about staying ready when your number is called. … Those guys stepped up and stepped into their role and accepted whatever was asked of them tonight. They did it wholeheartedly.’

    Desmond Bane contributed 18 points, as did rookie Jase Richardson. Franz Wagner scored 15 points but was a minus-17 in 28 minutes.

    ‘I think we have to do a better job (on defense). We gave up 48 in that second quarter,’ Mosley said. ‘I think that’s what we’ve got to continue to harp on, is our defensive standard.’

    Philadelphia defeated Orlando 136-124 on Oct. 27 as Maxey scored 43 points and Edgecombe added 26. Banchero (32) and Bane (24) were the top scorers for the Magic that night.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Snow-starved California ski resorts delay openings despite powerful recent storms

    It may have felt like the recent rain would never end in Los Angeles, but the record-breaking precipitation in Southern California has failed to translate into a much-desired dumping of snow at ski resorts across the state.

    While Friday was originally set as the opening date of the Heavenly and Northstar ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area, officials said mild weather and stubbornly insufficient flurries have delayed those plans.

    Vail Resorts, which owns both resorts, has yet to announce an updated opening date. But the forecast ahead does not look promising.

    “A dry forecast is in store for the next week through Thanksgiving and Black Friday,” Open Snow wrote in its Tahoe area forecast Friday. “We could see a change in the pattern the weekend of the 29th with colder air moving in and maybe some snow. Overall, through the long-range, there are no big storms showing up, but hopefully that changes as we go deeper into December.”

    Mammoth Mountain, California’s highest-elevation ski resort, was also recently forced to delay the start of its season.

    The Sierra Nevada resort had initially announced a Nov. 14 opening date, but pushed it off as an atmospheric river storm swept across the state. While forecasters hoped the low-pressure system would blanket the slopes in Mammoth, mountainside temperatures remained too warm for serious snow.

    Disappointed skiers and snowboarders took to social media to share videos of the muddy slopes.

    Fortunately, thanks to a moderate storm earlier this week and robust use of snow machines, Mammoth was able to open for the season Thursday with around one-third of its lifts running. Nevertheless, season snowfall totals remain below average.

    Other major Golden State ski resorts are eyeing late November and early December openings. Palisades Tahoe is scheduled to open on Wednesday, just in time for Thanksgiving. Kirkwood resort, located south of Lake Tahoe, is hoping to open on Dec. 5.

    Those seeking to hit the slopes closer to Los Angeles will have to have patience. Big Bear Mountain Resort in San Bernardino County has yet to set an opening date and currently has just 1 to 2 inches of snow on the ground.

    Climate change has made the art of predicting and managing snowfall at California’s ski resorts much more challenging.

    Recent years have been characterized by extreme boom and bust cycles, going from alarmingly low-snow winters in 2020 and 2021 to extreme accumulations in the 2022-23 season, when Mammoth Mountain received a record-breaking snowfall of more than 700 inches at its main lodge.

    “We’re going through this climate whiplash of extreme drought years to extreme wet years — there are just no average years anymore,” Doug Obegi, a senior attorney at the National Resources Defense Council, said in a statement on 2023’s record-breaking season. “And we’re seeing that we are not prepared for either of those extremes.”

    Overall, snow seasons are expected to trend warmer and drier. Researchers predict that from the 2050s to 2100, rising temperatures could push average snowlines 1,300 feet to 1,600 feet higher across the Sierra Nevada compared to a century earlier.

    And extreme snow years, while welcomed by snowsport enthusiasts, come with their own challenges.

    When snow falls in extreme storms as opposed to steadily over the course of the season, it increases the risk of avalanches and can force resorts to stop running lifts due to safety concerns. Then in the spring, deep snowpacks melt faster than normal, which can lead to dangerous flooding and even worsen the upcoming fire season.

    Clara Harter

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  • Oregon Delays Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Until At Least Dec. 16 – KXL

    FILE – Fresh Dungeness crabs are displayed at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024 (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

    Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab season is being pushed back until at least December 16, state wildlife officials announced Thursday. The delay isn’t due to problems in Oregon waters—crab here met both meat quality and biotoxin standards—but because crab from Long Beach, Washington failed to meet the required 23% meat fill.

    The three West Coast states coordinate their commercial crab season openings, and most members of Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Advisory Committee supported waiting to maintain consistent fishing patterns and help stabilize the market.

    Washington will conduct another round of testing in the coming days. If Long Beach crab meets the meat fill requirement, the coastwide season will open December 16. If not, Oregon may consider a partial opening south of Cape Falcon, pending input from the fleet and the Tri-State committee.

    Whenever the season opens, Oregon boats will operate under a whale-protection advisory, urging crabbers to avoid areas where whales are feeding or migrating to reduce the risk of entanglements.

    The commercial season was originally targeted for December 1, but delays are common to ensure high-quality product and to align openings across Oregon, Washington, and California. Weekly updates will continue until a final decision is made.

    The commercial bay crab fishery will close December 1 and will reopen only if the ocean commercial season does. Meanwhile, the recreational ocean Dungeness crab season is still expected to reopen December 1, and recreational crabbing from beaches, bays, and docks remains open statewide. Officials urge crabbers to check the Shellfish Hotline or the state’s biotoxin webpage for the latest conditions.

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    Jordan Vawter

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  • Kings star C Domantas Sabonis has torn meniscus, out at least 3-4 weeks

    (Photo credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images)

    The skidding Sacramento Kings got more bad news on Thursday when MRI imaging revealed star center Domantas Sabonis has a partial meniscus tear in his left knee, the team announced.

    Sabonis, 29, will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks, the Kings said.

    A three-time All-Star, Sabonis last played on Sunday, collecting 17 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in a 123-110 road loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The team said he experienced left knee soreness following the game.

    He did not play on Wednesday at Oklahoma City, a 113-99 setback. Sacramento (3-12) has lost seven straight games, all by double digits.

    Sabonis is averaging 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 33.2 minutes in 11 games (all starts) this season. Extremely durable over his 10-year career, Sabonis was sidelined for the season opener due to a hamstring strain in the preseason and missed two games this month because of a rib issue.

    The Orlando Magic selected Sabonis with the 11th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft and traded him the same day to Oklahoma City. The Thunder dealt him to the Pacers in July 2017, and the Kings acquired him in February 2022 in a deal that sent point guard Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana.

    For his career, Sabonis has averaged 16.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 30.8 minutes in 657 regular-season games (517 starts) for the Thunder (2016-17), Pacers (2017-22) and Kings.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Lowly UCF, Oklahoma State eager to snap losing streaks

    (Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

    In the past eight weeks, UCF and Oklahoma State have combined for just one win.

    This week may be both teams’ last chance for a victory this season when they clash in Orlando on Saturday.

    The Cowboys (1-9, 0-7 Big 12) haven’t done much good this season as they fired long-time coach Mike Gundy in September and have yet to beat a FBS squad, dropping nine straight games. Oklahoma State is one of two teams in the bottom six nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense.

    Oklahoma State had a promising outing last week against Kansas State, trailing 7-6 entering the fourth quarter. But Zane Flores threw two interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter when Oklahoma State was at the Kansas State 27, in what became a 14-6 loss.

    ‘You do all the things necessary to get down there and then you turn it over, you’re not going to beat too many teams doing that,’ said interim coach Doug Meacham on Monday. ‘ … But I’m proud on a lot of levels, about a lot of different things, and wish that we could find a way to break through.’

    The Knights (4-6, 1-6) continued to struggle offensively in their 48-9 loss at No. 6 Texas Tech Saturday. UCF was held under 300 yards for the third straight game as the defense allowed a third consecutive 400-yard game.

    Quarterback Tayven Jackson struggled, passing for just 178 yards, the fifth time in his last six games he’s thrown for fewer than 200.

    Backup Davi Belfort saw some game action, but mostly was used as a threat on the ground. He had 36 rushing yards against Houston two weeks ago and had four yards with no passes attempted against the Red Raiders.

    Coach Scott Frost alluded that he may give Belfort more opportunities and use him more to mix UCF’s offense up.

    ‘Davi will continue to improve in everything he does as he gets more reps,’ Frost said Monday. ‘It hasn’t been completely fair to him to put him in the situation he’s in without having gotten a lot of reps over the course of this year … but Davi is capable of running our whole offense.’

    The Knights beat the Cowboys the last time they matched up, a 45-3 romp in 2023.

    –Field Level Media

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  • A new virus variant and lagging vaccinations may mean the US is in for a severe flu season

    The United States may be heading into its second severe flu season in a row, driven by a mutated strain called subclade K that’s behind early surges in the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.Last winter’s season was extreme, too. The U.S. had its highest rates of flu hospitalizations in nearly 15 years. At least 280 children died of influenza, the highest number since pediatric death numbers were required to be shared in 2004.Now, with a new variant in the mix, experts say we’re on track for a repeat. And with flu vaccinations down and holiday travel on the way, they worry that things may look much worse in the weeks ahead.The good news: Early analysis shows that this season’s flu shots offer some protection against being hospitalized with this variant, especially for kids. The bad news is that many Americans appear to be skipping their flu vaccines this year. New data from prescription data company IQVIA shows that vaccinations are down compared to where they usually are at this point in the year.A new playerFlu activity is low but rising quickly in the United States, according to the latest FluView report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Most of the flu viruses identified this season have been an A strain called H3N2, and half of those have come from subclade K, a variant that was responsible for a rougher-than-normal flu season this summer in the Southern Hemisphere.That variant wasn’t a major player when scientists decided which strains should be in the annual flu shots, so the vaccines cover a related but slightly different group of viruses.”It’s not like we’re expecting to get complete loss of protection for the vaccine, but perhaps we might expect a little bit of a drop-off if this is the virus that sort of dominates the season, and early indications are that’s probably going to be the case,” said Dr. Richard Webby, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for studies on the ecology of influenza in animals and birds at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Early analysis by the U.K. Health Security Agency shows that subclade K has seven gene changes on a key segment of the virus. Those mutations change the shape of this region, making it harder for the body’s defenses to recognize.”That’s the predominant thing that our immune system targets with antibodies, and that’s also pretty much what’s in the vaccine,” said Dr. Adam Lauring, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Michigan Medical School.UKHSA scientists found that the current flu vaccines are still providing decent protection against subclade K viruses. Vaccination cut the odds of an emergency department visit or hospitalization for the flu by almost 75% in children. The effectiveness for adults, even those over 65, was lower, about 30% to 40% against needing to visit the hospital or ER.But the scientists offer a caveat: These results are from early in the season, before the protection from seasonal flu vaccines has had time to wane or wear off. The findings are posted in a recent preprint study, which means it was published ahead of scrutiny from outside experts.Still, some protection is better than no protection, and while subclade K is expected to dominate the season, it won’t be the only flu strain circulating. No one gets to pick what they’re exposed to. Lauring said his daughter has just recovered from the flu, but it was a B-type strain.At the same time this new variant has emerged, flu vaccinations appear to be down in the U.S. According to IQVIA, about 64% of all flu vaccinations were administered at retail pharmacies, which administered roughly 26.5 million flu shots between August and the end of October. That’s more than 2 million fewer shots than the 28.7 million given over the same time frame in 2024.”I’m not surprised,” said Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, who directs the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health. Vaccine skepticism expressed by leaders of the US Department of Health and Human Services has “injected chaos into the whole vaccination system,” she said.”There’s been a lot of attention on really non-issues,” like vaccine ingredients and separating shots, that she thinks “at the best, left people confused but possibly at the worst have left people worried about getting vaccinated,” she added.Flu vaccinations have also fallen in Australia, where subclade K was the predominant virus this year. As a result, flu hit a record, with more than 443,000 cases. Flu season in the Southern Hemisphere typically runs from May to July, so infectious disease experts often look to those countries for a preview of what might be on the way to North America.”What they saw in Australia is that they had a bad season. And so it’s concerning for you and us, what’s coming,” said Dr. Earl Rubin, director of the infectious disease division at the Montreal Children’s Hospital in Canada.’This is the time we start to see the rise’It’s difficult to say whether subclade K actually makes a person sicker than other flu strains, but if it drives more cases, it will certainly drive hospitalizations too, Rubin said.”When you look at severity, the more cases you have, if the same percentage get hospitalized, obviously you’re going to have more hospitalization if you have more cases. So it sometimes will look like the severity is also worse,” he said.Lab testing data has begun to show an uptick in flu cases.”This is the time we start to see the rise,” said Dr. Allison McMullen, a clinical microbiologist at BioMerieux, which makes the BioFire test, a popular diagnostic tool for respiratory pathogens.The company anonymously compiles its test results into a syndromic surveillance tool, which can offer a glimpse of what bugs are making people sick at any given time. At the beginning of the month, less than 1% of tests were positive for type A flu. Now it’s 2.4% – still low numbers but going up briskly, which aligns with the CDC trend.”We’re going to start seeing heavy holiday travel before we know it,” McMullen added. “With the rising cases that we’re seeing the U.K. and Japan, it can definitely be a bellwether for what we’re going to see in North America.”Signals are also rising in wastewater, said Dr. Marlene Wolfe, an assistant professor of environmental health at Emory University. In October, 18% of samples in the WastewaterSCAN network — an academically led wastewater monitoring program based at Stanford University, in partnership with Emory — were positive for type A flu, Wolfe said. In November, that number had risen to 40%.”Flu is something where, when it’s not in season, we don’t detect it very frequently in wastewater,” Wolfe said. COVID, on the other hand, can be detected pretty much all the time, which makes it challenging to know if it’s going up or down, she said.The scientists can set a threshold for when they can declare that a specific area is in flu season, Wolfe says. So far, just four of the 147 sites they monitor in 40 states have reached that threshold. Those sites are in the Northeast — in Maine and Vermont — in Iowa and in Hawaii.”I am concerned, I guess, that we could have a big flu season this year based on what we’re seeing in other parts of the world, and particularly Europe and elsewhere,” Michigan’s Lauring said.”It’s not too late. Go and get your flu shot,” Lauring advised. “And be alert that it’s out there.”

    The United States may be heading into its second severe flu season in a row, driven by a mutated strain called subclade K that’s behind early surges in the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.

    Last winter’s season was extreme, too. The U.S. had its highest rates of flu hospitalizations in nearly 15 years. At least 280 children died of influenza, the highest number since pediatric death numbers were required to be shared in 2004.

    Now, with a new variant in the mix, experts say we’re on track for a repeat. And with flu vaccinations down and holiday travel on the way, they worry that things may look much worse in the weeks ahead.

    The good news: Early analysis shows that this season’s flu shots offer some protection against being hospitalized with this variant, especially for kids. The bad news is that many Americans appear to be skipping their flu vaccines this year. New data from prescription data company IQVIA shows that vaccinations are down compared to where they usually are at this point in the year.

    A new player

    Flu activity is low but rising quickly in the United States, according to the latest FluView report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Most of the flu viruses identified this season have been an A strain called H3N2, and half of those have come from subclade K, a variant that was responsible for a rougher-than-normal flu season this summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

    That variant wasn’t a major player when scientists decided which strains should be in the annual flu shots, so the vaccines cover a related but slightly different group of viruses.

    “It’s not like we’re expecting to get complete loss of protection for the vaccine, but perhaps we might expect a little bit of a drop-off if this is the virus that sort of dominates the season, and early indications are that’s probably going to be the case,” said Dr. Richard Webby, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for studies on the ecology of influenza in animals and birds at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

    Early analysis by the U.K. Health Security Agency shows that subclade K has seven gene changes on a key segment of the virus. Those mutations change the shape of this region, making it harder for the body’s defenses to recognize.

    “That’s the predominant thing that our immune system targets with antibodies, and that’s also pretty much what’s in the vaccine,” said Dr. Adam Lauring, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Michigan Medical School.

    UKHSA scientists found that the current flu vaccines are still providing decent protection against subclade K viruses. Vaccination cut the odds of an emergency department visit or hospitalization for the flu by almost 75% in children. The effectiveness for adults, even those over 65, was lower, about 30% to 40% against needing to visit the hospital or ER.

    But the scientists offer a caveat: These results are from early in the season, before the protection from seasonal flu vaccines has had time to wane or wear off. The findings are posted in a recent preprint study, which means it was published ahead of scrutiny from outside experts.

    Still, some protection is better than no protection, and while subclade K is expected to dominate the season, it won’t be the only flu strain circulating. No one gets to pick what they’re exposed to. Lauring said his daughter has just recovered from the flu, but it was a B-type strain.

    At the same time this new variant has emerged, flu vaccinations appear to be down in the U.S. According to IQVIA, about 64% of all flu vaccinations were administered at retail pharmacies, which administered roughly 26.5 million flu shots between August and the end of October. That’s more than 2 million fewer shots than the 28.7 million given over the same time frame in 2024.

    “I’m not surprised,” said Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, who directs the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health. Vaccine skepticism expressed by leaders of the US Department of Health and Human Services has “injected chaos into the whole vaccination system,” she said.

    “There’s been a lot of attention on really non-issues,” like vaccine ingredients and separating shots, that she thinks “at the best, left people confused but possibly at the worst have left people worried about getting vaccinated,” she added.

    Flu vaccinations have also fallen in Australia, where subclade K was the predominant virus this year. As a result, flu hit a record, with more than 443,000 cases. Flu season in the Southern Hemisphere typically runs from May to July, so infectious disease experts often look to those countries for a preview of what might be on the way to North America.

    “What they saw in Australia is that they had a bad season. And so it’s concerning for you and us, what’s coming,” said Dr. Earl Rubin, director of the infectious disease division at the Montreal Children’s Hospital in Canada.

    ‘This is the time we start to see the rise’

    It’s difficult to say whether subclade K actually makes a person sicker than other flu strains, but if it drives more cases, it will certainly drive hospitalizations too, Rubin said.

    “When you look at severity, the more cases you have, if the same percentage get hospitalized, obviously you’re going to have more hospitalization if you have more cases. So it sometimes will look like the severity is also worse,” he said.

    Lab testing data has begun to show an uptick in flu cases.

    “This is the time we start to see the rise,” said Dr. Allison McMullen, a clinical microbiologist at BioMerieux, which makes the BioFire test, a popular diagnostic tool for respiratory pathogens.

    The company anonymously compiles its test results into a syndromic surveillance tool, which can offer a glimpse of what bugs are making people sick at any given time. At the beginning of the month, less than 1% of tests were positive for type A flu. Now it’s 2.4% – still low numbers but going up briskly, which aligns with the CDC trend.

    “We’re going to start seeing heavy holiday travel before we know it,” McMullen added. “With the rising cases that we’re seeing the U.K. and Japan, it can definitely be a bellwether for what we’re going to see in North America.”

    Signals are also rising in wastewater, said Dr. Marlene Wolfe, an assistant professor of environmental health at Emory University. In October, 18% of samples in the WastewaterSCAN network — an academically led wastewater monitoring program based at Stanford University, in partnership with Emory — were positive for type A flu, Wolfe said. In November, that number had risen to 40%.

    “Flu is something where, when it’s not in season, we don’t detect it very frequently in wastewater,” Wolfe said. COVID, on the other hand, can be detected pretty much all the time, which makes it challenging to know if it’s going up or down, she said.

    The scientists can set a threshold for when they can declare that a specific area is in flu season, Wolfe says. So far, just four of the 147 sites they monitor in 40 states have reached that threshold. Those sites are in the Northeast — in Maine and Vermont — in Iowa and in Hawaii.

    “I am concerned, I guess, that we could have a big flu season this year based on what we’re seeing in other parts of the world, and particularly Europe and elsewhere,” Michigan’s Lauring said.

    “It’s not too late. Go and get your flu shot,” Lauring advised. “And be alert that it’s out there.”

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  • Hot coaching commodity Lane Kiffin has a tough decision 12 years after USC fired him

    Twelve years ago, coach Lane Kiffin was humiliated, fired by USC athletic director Pat Haden on an airport tarmac at 3 a.m. moments after the Trojans had flown in from Phoenix after getting crushed by Arizona State, 62-41.

    OK, so maybe it wasn’t the tarmac, maybe that’s just Trojan lore, maybe the abrupt firing took place in a small room next to the runway.

    Either way, the memory has been burned in Kiffin’s heart and mind, helping motivate him to increased success on the field and seemingly heartfelt balance in his personal life.

    Now the tables have turned. Kiffin, 50, has led Ole Miss to a No. 5 national ranking and 10-1 record, the fourth year in the last five the Rebels have won at least 10 games. He seemingly shed the reputation for aloofness and me-first attitude that dogged him as a failed NFL head coach at age 32 and as an Alabama assistant let go by Nick Saban days before a national title game for focusing too much on his next job.

    Yet, here we are again, Kiffin apparently contemplating the unthinkable. Would he really abandon Ole Miss on the eve of the College Football Playoff for Florida or Louisiana State, fellow SEC schools and established national powers hunting for head coaches?

    A young fan shows his support for Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin during the second half of a game against Florida in Oxford, Miss., on Nov. 15, 2025.

    (Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press)

    Kiffin’s ex-wife Layla — they are on friendly terms — and 17-year-old son Knox recently were flown on private jets to Gainesville, Fla., and Baton Rouge, La., presumably to check out the livability and vibes of the potential next entry on Kiffin’s resume.

    Ole Miss is well aware of Kiffin’s impending decision and clearly want to know the answer ahead of the Rebels’ regular-season finale Nov. 28 against Mississippi State. Kiffin, however, denied rumors that Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter had given him an ultimatum to decide before then.

    “Yeah, that’s absolutely not true,” Kiffin told “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN on Tuesday. “There has been no ultimatum, anything like that at all. And so I don’t know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there. Like I said, man, we’re having a blast. I love it here.”

    In fairness to Kiffin, the urgency to decide now rather than at season’s end is a function of today’s college football recruiting calendar and transfer portal. The high school signing period begins Dec. 3 and the transfer portal opens Jan. 2.

    The first round of the CFP will be Dec. 19 and 20. The quarterfinals are on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Florida and LSU can’t wait that long to hire a coach.

    What should he do? Most seasoned pundits believe he should not budge.

    “Kiffin should stay and see the season out; attempt to win, try to reach the Final Four or beyond, make the memories, and forge the deep bonds that coaching is supposed to be about,” longtime columnist Dan Wetzel wrote for ESPN.

    Reasons to jump to LSU or Florida are that both schools are in talent-rich states with massive fan bases and deep tradition. The ceiling is higher and the stands fuller than in Oxford, Miss. Also, coaches at those established SEC powers tend to dig in for years. Who knows when a similar opportunity will present itself?

    Kiffin’s quandary is understandable. Old Miss administrators, however, vividly recall 2022 when Kiffin was courted by Auburn and allowed the issue to linger and sabotage a potentially great season. The Rebels were 8-1 when the rumors began and then lost four in a row.

    Nobody at Ole Miss wants another collapse because Kiffin — again — had a wandering eye. His decision is difficult, and won’t wait.

    Steve Henson

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  • 7-year-old snowboarder aims for sixth 100-day season

    With Killington Resort officially open in Vermont, skiers and riders were excited to kick off their season on Thursday. Among them was Harley Ruffle, a 7-year-old who has gained thousands of followers on social media with his journey on a snowboard.Harley Ruffle is only 7 years old, but he has already completed five seasons of snowboarding for at least 100 days. His quick progress already has him riding with professionals. He first picked up a snowboard at only 2 years old. His family was at a ski shop for his older brother, but ended up leaving with another rider. Harley’s mom, Jill Ruffle, said she turned around and Harley had strapped himself into a mini snowboard. “We brought him into the store in a stroller and he’s on snow, balancing on a snowboard with absolutely zero problems,” she said. From then on, snowboarding was all he wanted to do. Harley is homeschooled and started going to the mountain as much as possible to practice. His mom said that while he began riding with the Killington Mountain School last season, he started with no formal training. She said right away she noticed Harley’s ability to quickly pick up new skills. He landed his first front flip at just 4 years old. “I just try it, and most of the time I get it,” Harley said. Since he began snowboarding, Harley has made it to the mountain a total of 678 days. One season, he was out for 172 days. Now, he is hoping for his sixth 100-day season this year. “That wasn’t something we set out to happen. It was just, again, his passion led to that,” said Jill Ruffle. Harley’s mom began posting videos of him riding several years ago to document his snowboarding journey. Since then, he’s gained over 26,000 followers and sponsors who have supported his progress, providing him with equipment and more. “He’s a goofy, happy little snowboarder,” she said. “I think they want to end up where — you know, see where he ends up on his journey.”Harley’s family has built a community through his snowboarding. He became family friends with professional snowboarders who enjoy riding with him. “Ever since I’ve known him, I swear it was before he could even talk, he was on a snowboard, you know, just smiling, doing his thing,” said professional rider Zeb Powell. Harley said he is happy to begin another season on the slopes. He said he has been waiting to get in his first runs for weeks, and with another year starting, he’s aiming for another 100 days on the mountain.

    With Killington Resort officially open in Vermont, skiers and riders were excited to kick off their season on Thursday. Among them was Harley Ruffle, a 7-year-old who has gained thousands of followers on social media with his journey on a snowboard.

    Harley Ruffle is only 7 years old, but he has already completed five seasons of snowboarding for at least 100 days. His quick progress already has him riding with professionals.

    He first picked up a snowboard at only 2 years old. His family was at a ski shop for his older brother, but ended up leaving with another rider. Harley’s mom, Jill Ruffle, said she turned around and Harley had strapped himself into a mini snowboard.

    “We brought him into the store in a stroller and he’s on snow, balancing on a snowboard with absolutely zero problems,” she said.

    From then on, snowboarding was all he wanted to do. Harley is homeschooled and started going to the mountain as much as possible to practice. His mom said that while he began riding with the Killington Mountain School last season, he started with no formal training. She said right away she noticed Harley’s ability to quickly pick up new skills. He landed his first front flip at just 4 years old.

    “I just try it, and most of the time I get it,” Harley said.

    Since he began snowboarding, Harley has made it to the mountain a total of 678 days. One season, he was out for 172 days. Now, he is hoping for his sixth 100-day season this year.

    “That wasn’t something we set out to happen. It was just, again, his passion led to that,” said Jill Ruffle.

    Harley’s mom began posting videos of him riding several years ago to document his snowboarding journey. Since then, he’s gained over 26,000 followers and sponsors who have supported his progress, providing him with equipment and more.

    “He’s a goofy, happy little snowboarder,” she said. “I think they want to end up where — you know, see where he ends up on his journey.”

    Harley’s family has built a community through his snowboarding. He became family friends with professional snowboarders who enjoy riding with him.

    “Ever since I’ve known him, I swear it was before he could even talk, he was on a snowboard, you know, just smiling, doing his thing,” said professional rider Zeb Powell.

    Harley said he is happy to begin another season on the slopes. He said he has been waiting to get in his first runs for weeks, and with another year starting, he’s aiming for another 100 days on the mountain.

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  • Hartenstein has 33 points and 19 rebounds to help the Thunder rout the Kings

    Isaiah Hartenstein had a career-high 33 points and 19 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings 132-101 on Friday night.The 7-foot Hartenstein made 14 of 17 shots and had three assists and three blocks.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 30 points to help the Thunder (9-1) bounce back two nights after suffering their only loss of the season in Portland.Cason Wallace scored 15 points and Isaiah Joe added 13 as the Thunder won their first game of the NBA Cup tournament.Oklahoma City led by 23 and took advantage of the absence of Sacramento big man Domantas Sabonis, outscoring the Kings 60-34 in the paint. Sabonis sat out his second consecutive game with sore ribs.Sacramento’s Russell Westbrook, who spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Thunder and is the franchise’s leading scorer, had 24 points and nine assists against his former team.The Thunder beat the Kings for the second time in 11 days, having won 107-101 in Oklahoma City on Oct. 28.In that game the Kings had a healthy Sabonis while the Thunder played without Chet Holmgren.It was a complete reverse this time. Sabonis watched from the bench in street clothes while Holmgren had 10 points and seven rebounds.The Kings trailed by 11 midway through the first quarter but Monk made a pair of 3s in the final two minutes as Sacramento rallied to lead 32-30.Hartenstein helped the Thunder regain the lead in the second quarter. He scored 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting and exchanged words with Kings center Drew Eubanks after a three-point play in the second quarter.Up nextThunder: At Memphis on Sunday night.Kings: Host Minnesota on Sunday night.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    Isaiah Hartenstein had a career-high 33 points and 19 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings 132-101 on Friday night.

    The 7-foot Hartenstein made 14 of 17 shots and had three assists and three blocks.

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 30 points to help the Thunder (9-1) bounce back two nights after suffering their only loss of the season in Portland.

    Cason Wallace scored 15 points and Isaiah Joe added 13 as the Thunder won their first game of the NBA Cup tournament.

    Oklahoma City led by 23 and took advantage of the absence of Sacramento big man Domantas Sabonis, outscoring the Kings 60-34 in the paint. Sabonis sat out his second consecutive game with sore ribs.

    Sacramento’s Russell Westbrook, who spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Thunder and is the franchise’s leading scorer, had 24 points and nine assists against his former team.

    The Thunder beat the Kings for the second time in 11 days, having won 107-101 in Oklahoma City on Oct. 28.

    In that game the Kings had a healthy Sabonis while the Thunder played without Chet Holmgren.

    It was a complete reverse this time. Sabonis watched from the bench in street clothes while Holmgren had 10 points and seven rebounds.

    The Kings trailed by 11 midway through the first quarter but Monk made a pair of 3s in the final two minutes as Sacramento rallied to lead 32-30.

    Hartenstein helped the Thunder regain the lead in the second quarter. He scored 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting and exchanged words with Kings center Drew Eubanks after a three-point play in the second quarter.

    Up next

    Thunder: At Memphis on Sunday night.

    Kings: Host Minnesota on Sunday night.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • NWSL Playoff Preview | Orlando Pride looks ahead to Seattle Reign

    The Orlando Pride have grown familiar with dealing with pressure. After concluding a historic 2024 season, which saw the Pride claim both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship, the pressure of being the underdogs amid the record-breaking season was there. As Orlando prepares for a second consecutive playoff appearance on Friday against the Seattle Reign, the pressure to win the whole thing and repeat as champions is also there. “I think last year we were still the underdogs even though we were killing it,” Pride left back Carson Pickett told WESH 2 this week. “Every game that we won, it wasn’t a shock for us, but a shock for other people when we won the shield, and people thought we might not win the championship.” The Pride culminated the 2024 season with a historic double, winning the NWSL Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular season record, and NWSL Championship after defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 in the league final. The NWSL Championship was the first major league title for the City of Orlando. But following a topsy-turvy 2025 season, which saw the Pride battle through player injuries and winless runs, Orlando (11-8-7, 40 points) made it back to the postseason after finishing fourth in the standings. “This year there’s huge pressure to repeat,” said Pickett. “Everyone wants to go back-to-back, everyone wants to double down on what they’ve done, and to become a winning club you have to do it multiple times.” To get back in the postseason picture, though, the Pride had to deal with a period of adversity this season. Star forward Barbra Banda was placed in August on the season-ending injury list after suffering a full-thickness avulsion of her right adductor longus.And that happened amid a winless run that went nine games, and saw Orlando fall in the standings to seventh place in the standings. The Pride signed Jacquie Ovalle for a record $1.5 million transfer fee from Tigres UANL during the summer. The 9-game winless skid snapped when Orlando came back to defeat the San Diego Wave 2-1 on the road on Sept. 26. That was followed by a draw and win before a come-from-behind 3-2 victory against the Washington Spirit on Oct. 18 at Audi Field. Orlando Pride head coach Seb Hines credits his players’ resiliency toward the latter part of the regular season for getting the team back into the playoff picture for a second consecutive year. “Last year was a really unique year, and it will be very difficult to emulate that season again,” Hines told WESH 2. “To replicate that was close to impossible, but our objective was always to get into the postseason and know once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen.” Match DetailsOrlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign Location: Inter&Co Stadium Kickoff time: 8 p.m. ETBroadcast: Prime Mike Gramajo is an Assignment Editor and Sportswriter at WESH 2, who has covered the Orlando soccer scene since 2012. You can follow his coverage over on X and Instagram.

    The Orlando Pride have grown familiar with dealing with pressure.

    After concluding a historic 2024 season, which saw the Pride claim both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship, the pressure of being the underdogs amid the record-breaking season was there.

    As Orlando prepares for a second consecutive playoff appearance on Friday against the Seattle Reign, the pressure to win the whole thing and repeat as champions is also there.

    “I think last year we were still the underdogs even though we were killing it,” Pride left back Carson Pickett told WESH 2 this week. “Every game that we won, it wasn’t a shock for us, but a shock for other people when we won the shield, and people thought we might not win the championship.”

    The Pride culminated the 2024 season with a historic double, winning the NWSL Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular season record, and NWSL Championship after defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 in the league final.

    The NWSL Championship was the first major league title for the City of Orlando.

    But following a topsy-turvy 2025 season, which saw the Pride battle through player injuries and winless runs, Orlando (11-8-7, 40 points) made it back to the postseason after finishing fourth in the standings.

    “This year there’s huge pressure to repeat,” said Pickett. “Everyone wants to go back-to-back, everyone wants to double down on what they’ve done, and to become a winning club you have to do it multiple times.”

    To get back in the postseason picture, though, the Pride had to deal with a period of adversity this season.

    Star forward Barbra Banda was placed in August on the season-ending injury list after suffering a full-thickness avulsion of her right adductor longus.

    And that happened amid a winless run that went nine games, and saw Orlando fall in the standings to seventh place in the standings.

    The Pride signed Jacquie Ovalle for a record $1.5 million transfer fee from Tigres UANL during the summer.

    The 9-game winless skid snapped when Orlando came back to defeat the San Diego Wave 2-1 on the road on Sept. 26. That was followed by a draw and win before a come-from-behind 3-2 victory against the Washington Spirit on Oct. 18 at Audi Field.

    Orlando Pride head coach Seb Hines credits his players’ resiliency toward the latter part of the regular season for getting the team back into the playoff picture for a second consecutive year.

    “Last year was a really unique year, and it will be very difficult to emulate that season again,” Hines told WESH 2. “To replicate that was close to impossible, but our objective was always to get into the postseason and know once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen.”

    Match Details

    Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign

    Location: Inter&Co Stadium

    Kickoff time: 8 p.m. ET

    Broadcast: Prime

    Mike Gramajo is an Assignment Editor and Sportswriter at WESH 2, who has covered the Orlando soccer scene since 2012. You can follow his coverage over on X and Instagram.

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  • UCF escapes pesky Hofstra for four-point win

    (Photo credit: Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images)

    Riley Kugel scored 19 points for host UCF, which held off upset-minded Hofstra to earn an 82-78 win in the season opener for both schools Monday night in Orlando, Fla.

    Jordan Burks had 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds for UCF, which didn’t return anyone who scored for the team last season. Kugel transferred to the Knights from Mississippi State while Burks arrived from Georgetown.

    Themus Fulks, a transfer from Milwaukee, added 16 points with eight assists and hit the tiebreaking long 2-pointer that gave the Knights the lead for good at 66-64 with 7:38 left.

    Another Milwaukee transfer, Jamichael Stillwell, finished with 10 points.

    The Knights were 22 of 36 from the foul line, including 17 of 23 in the second half.

    Cruz Davis scored 17 points while true freshman Preston Edmead had 16 points and a team-high six assists for Hofstra, a member of the Coastal Athletic Association.

    German Plotnikov finished with 13 points for the Pride. Silas Sunday added 10 points and six rebounds.

    Hofstra took a 16-7 lead to open the game before UCF went on a 29-11 run to take its biggest lead at 36-27.

    The Pride scored the final five points of the first half to begin a 30-18 run that ended with Joshua DeCady’s layup and Edmead’s free throw to put the visitors ahead 57-54 with 10:47 to go.

    UCF scored 10 of the next 14 points before Edmead tied the game for the final time with a 3-pointer with 8:10 left. The Knights expanded their lead to eight points twice, the last at 79-71, before Hofstra got within three points twice in the final minute.

    UCF’s Devan Cambridge missed a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left, but Burks pulled down the rebound and Fulks iced the win by sinking his second free throw six seconds later.

    –Field Level Media

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  • MLB free-agent tracker: Sluggers Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker and Kyle Schwarber head the list

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    Kyle Schwarber, 33, DH, 4.7, 19.9: Schwarber is a premier slugger with 187 home runs in four seasons with Philadelphia, where he also was an exceptional clubhouse leader. He is pretty much restricted to designated hitter and is approaching an age where offensive production might decline. He still merits a lucrative multi-year deal, although going longer than four years at a $30 million average annual value (AAV) might be inviting buyer’s remorse by 2030.

    Kyle Tucker, 29, OF, 4.5, 27.3: Although his 2025 bWAR was lower than that of Bellinger and Schwarber, Tucker might have the highest sticker price in this free-agent class. The average of projections from 20 ESPN experts is 10 years and $391.5 million for a $38.8 million AAV. The Dodgers are considered a prime suitor because of their deep pockets and need for a productive corner outfielder.

    Eugenio Suárez, 34, 3B, 3.6, 26.8: A drop of nearly one win above replacement from the top three free agents — Bellinger, Schwarber and Tucker — still puts Suárez in an enviable position. Splitting the season between the Diamondbacks and Mariners, Suarez tied a career high with 49 home runs and drove in 118 runs.

    Alex Bregman, 32, 3B, 3.5, 43.1: Even though Bregman’s bWAR was slightly lower than that of Suárez, he should command a larger deal because he’s younger and more well-rounded. Bregman missed 44 games because of injury in his single season in Bosto but put up solid numbers. His average bWAR over his 10-year career is 4.3.

    Trent Grisham, 29, OF, 3.5, 14.6: Grisham is an enigma, a first-round draft pick who blossomed with the Padres only to crater and bat under .200 three years in a row. He rebounded in 2025, swatting a career-high 34 home runs with the Yankees. Grisham also has two Gold Gloves in center field.

    Bo Bichette, 28, SS, 3.4, 20.8: Bichette showed his toughness by playing effectively in the World Series despite a lingering knee injury. Bichette can flat-out hit, accumulating more than 175 hits in four of the last five seasons with above-average power. He also plays a premium position and will turn only 28 in March, meaning he could command a contract exceeded only by that of Tucker.

    Toronto Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette hits a three-run home run during Game 7 of the World Series, Nov. 1, 2025, in Toronto.

    (Ashley Landis/AP)

    Pete Alonso, 31, 1B, 3.4, 23.3: Alonso was disappointed by the tepid interest in him as a free agent last offseason, re-signing with the Mets on a one-year, $30-million deal with a player option. He’s expected to test the market again after once again posting the glittering power numbers that have made him a fan favorite in New York for seven years.

    Josh Naylor, 28, 1B, 3.1, 8.4: The 5-foot-10, 235-pound left-handed slugger produced well in 2025 while splitting the season between the Diamondbacks and Mariners, batting a career-high .295 and hitting precisely 20 home runs for the third time in five seasons.

    Gleyber Torres, 29, 2B, 2.9, 18.7: Torres needed to restore his value after taking a one-year deal with the Tigers following a ho-hum 2024 season with the Yankees. He did so incrementally and should land a measured multi-year deal this time around.

    J.T. Realmuto, 35, C, 2.6, 38.8: Realmuto is recognized as one of the top-hitting catchers in baseball, and he’s clearly the top free-agent backstop, proving in 2025 that he can still catch upward of 130 games while putting up solid offensive numbers. Still, he will be 35 on opening day and his .700 OPS was his lowest in a decade.

    Jorge Polanco, 32, 2B, 2.6, 20.7: Polanco hit 26 home runs and posted an .821 OPS, the switch-hitter’s best season since 2021 when he hit 33 homers and drove in 98 runs. Chronic knee problems have put his shortstop days behind him and cut into his range at second or third base, but the bat still plays.

    Mike Yastrzemski, 35, OF, 2.6, 16.8: Although the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski posted his best OPS (.839) since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he might be entertaining only contract offers of one year at $10 million or so.

    Ryan O’Hearn, 31, 1B/DH, 2.4, 3.1: O’Hearn is an accomplished left-handed hitter coming off a season split between the Orioles and Padres. He can expect a large raise from the $3.5 million he made in 2025, perhaps tripling it.

    Marcell Ozuna, 35, OF/DH, 1.6, 29.5: Ozuna is a proven power bat who has exceeded 20 home runs in nine seasons and led the NL with 18 homers and 56 RBIs in pandemic-shortened 2020. After tremendous 2023 and 2024 seasons in which he totaled 79 homers and 204 RBIs, Ozuna slipped in 2025, batting .232 with 21 home runs while battling hip pain.

    Luis Arráez, 29, 1B, 1.3, 16.5: Arráez doesn’t get much love from bWAR or fWAR, but he sure can hit, leading all major leaguers with a .317 lifetime average. He led the NL with 181 hits in 2025, but because he doesn’t hit for power or walk much, his OPS was a pedestrian .719. The three-time batting champion should continue to be paid about $14 million a year, with the question becoming for how long.

    Paul Goldschmidt, 38, 1B, 1.2, 63.8: Goldschmidt boasts the highest career bWAR of any free-agent hitter and he has made it clear that he is not ready to retire. His productivity, however, is trending downward, especially his power. With only 10 homers and 45 RBIs in 534 plate appearances with the Yankees last season, Goldschmidt is no longer an elite hitter.

    Victor Caratini, 32, C, 0.9, 4.3: Catchers are at a premium in this free-agent class and Caratini is one of the few with a potent bat and ability to play more than 100 games in a season. He most recently delivered on a two-year, $12-million deal with the Astros and could land a similar contract because of the scarcity of backstops.

    Steve Henson

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  • After blowout loss, Pistons try to rebound vs. struggling Magic

    (Photo credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images)

    J.B. Bickerstaff isn’t concerned about one bad outing. The Detroit Pistons coach saw his team get blown out by Cleveland on Monday.

    The Pistons will host the struggling Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

    The Cavaliers, who had the Eastern Conference’s best record last season, rolled to a 116-95 victory over host Detroit.

    ‘They’re a good defensive team. We just had a rough night (Monday),’ Bickerstaff said. ‘We turned the ball over 26 times. It’s hard moving your offense when you’re turning the basketball over. But it’s one night — we’ll be better.’

    The Pistons’ star player, Cade Cunningham, was limited to 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting and also committed five turnovers. Cunningham, who was listed as probable with a left hip contusion, averages 23 points and nine assists after Detroit’s first four games.

    ‘(The Cavaliers) got a ton of size, and they do a great job of shrinking the floor and make you play in crowded spaces,’ Bickerstaff said. ‘I’ve got to do a better job of helping (Cunningham) in those situations, create more space for him in those situations. But again, we’re early in the season. We’ll continue to build from it.’

    The game got away from Detroit early. The Cavs scored the last 11 points of the first quarter and led by 22 at halftime. The Pistons, who defeated the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics prior to Monday’s contest, never threatened in the second half.

    ‘Some of the shots don’t go in, a part of it is just trying to stay process-driven in those stretches and make sure you’re trying to generate the right looks, playing the right way,’ Pistons wing Duncan Robinson said. ‘Sometimes there’s going to be stretches where it doesn’t go in, but that’s where you’ve got to buckle down defensively and get stops.’

    The Magic have won eight of their last nine meetings with the Pistons. They’ll look to keep that trend going in order to end a three-game slide.

    Following a season-opening win over the Miami Heat, Orlando has lost to the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers. The host Sixers shot 49.5% from the field and committed just seven turnovers while defeating the Magic 136-124 on Monday.

    Magic forward Paolo Banchero’s 32-point outing was wasted in the process. Orlando shot 54.9% from the field, but defense lapses led to its demise. The Magic gave up 130 or more points for the first time since Jan. 29, 2024, in a 131-129 loss at Dallas.

    ‘Definitely not what we’re used to. Hasn’t been very good, giving up a lot of points,’ Banchero said of the defense. ‘But that’s kind of what you give up when you speed the pace up. Teams are able to get out and run, and (it) causes crossmatches and miscommunications and stuff like that. So, we’ve just got to figure it out.’

    The Magic, which opened a five-game road trip on Monday, especially need to do a better job regarding their backcourt defense. Sixers starting guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined for 69 points and 15 assists.

    ‘Give them credit, they’ve got some guards that can go out and attack and get downhill and space the floor,’ Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. ‘But we have to do better, mixing in how physical we are with defending without fouling.’

    –Field Level Media

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  • NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic’s triple-double leads Nuggets in home opener

    (Photo credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images)

    Jamal Murray had 23 points, Nikola Jokic notched his second straight triple-double to start the season and the Nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns 133-111 on Saturday night in Denver’s home opener.

    Christian Braun scored 20 points and Aaron Gordon had 17 points two nights after posting a career-high 50 for Denver, which had seven players score in double figures and shot 51.2% (43 of 84) from the field.

    Jokic finished with 14 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds. He took just eight shots, making five, and didn’t attempt a field goal until a goaltending call on Phoenix with 2:26 left in the second quarter. His first shot attempt was a free throw with 4:18 left in the first half.

    Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points, Grayson Allen scored 17 and Dillon Brooks had 15. Phoenix shot just 43.2% (38 of 88) from the field.

    Thunder 117, Hawks 100

    Chet Holmgren overcame back soreness that almost kept him out to produce a double-double and help Oklahoma City remain unbeaten with a win in Atlanta.

    Holmgren was listed as questionable on the pregame injury report and spent time rubbing his back during dead-ball situations. But he played through discomfort to score a season-high 31 points and grab 11 rebounds. He was 8-for-12 shooting from the floor (6-for-8 on 3-pointers).

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 of his 30 points in the third quarter. Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the team with 17 points. Trae Young scored 15 points and had 10 assists, his league-best 22nd straight game with at least 15 points and five assists.

    Bulls 110, Magic 98

    Josh Giddey scored a team-high 21 points, five reserves combined for 58 more and Chicago held off host Orlando to win back-to-back games to start the season.

    Jalen Smith and Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls bench crew with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Starters Nikola Vucevic (15 points) and Tre Jones (13), and reserves Patrick Williams (12) and Kevin Huerter (11) made it seven players — including four backups — in double figures.

    Despite 7-for-21 shooting, Paolo Banchero was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points for the Magic, who lost at home for the second consecutive night. Orlando went just 3-for-24 from beyond the arc.

    76ers 125, Hornets 121

    Quentin Grimes had 24 points off the bench and drilled a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 15 seconds left to lift host Philadelphia over Charlotte for the 76ers’ second straight win to open the season.

    After trailing by 10 points with less than six minutes left, the 76ers finished the game on a 23-9 run. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 28 points and nine assists, while Joel Embiid added 20 points.

    LaMelo Ball had 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for Charlotte, while Collin Sexton added 21 points. Rookies Ryan Kalkbrenner and Kon Knueppel scored 14 points apiece, while Sion James had 10 points off the bench for the Hornets.

    Grizzlies 128, Pacers 103

    Rookie Cedric Coward erupted for 27 points behind a torrid 3-point shooting effort as Memphis rolled past visiting Indiana.

    In just his third NBA game, Coward knocked down all six of his 3-point attempts off the bench. Ja Morant added 19 points and eight assists, anchoring a clean offensive game which saw the Grizzlies commit just four turnovers.

    The Pacers got little consistent offense outside of Bennedict Mathurin, who finished with 26 points before exiting with a sore right foot. Aaron Nesmith added 15 while Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin each scored 13.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Sabonis’ clutch put-back lifts Kings over Jazz in thriller

    Domantas Sabonis wasn’t supposed to return on Friday night–not yet. But the Sacramento Kings are sure glad he did.Sabonis, who was thought to be unavailable until Sunday’s game against Los Angeles, was cleared from a hamstring strain early on Friday that resulted in him becoming available against the Utah Jazz.(Video Above: Fan excitement builds at Sacramento Kings home opener)In what was Sacramento’s home-opener, Sabonis’ clutch put-back basket during the final seconds of regulation delivered the Kings a 105-104 win–their first of the 2025-26 season.Sabonis’ late-game heroics went hand-in-hand with a clutch final stop by veteran guard Dennis Schroder, who put the clamps on Jazz guard Keyonte George’s game-winning attempt that came up empty to finish off the winning effort.It wasn’t a beautiful game from Sacramento, but they did enough in crunch time to come away with a win that–even in game two of 82–they felt like they needed.The upcoming schedule is daunting, and the Kings need to stack wins when they can. Friday’s home-opener sent fans home with smiles on their faces, and that’s the most important thing for Sacramento (1-1).Kings vs. Jazz recap & takeawaysAfter a sluggish start that included falling into an immediate six-point hole, Sacramento bounced back thanks to a red-hot start from Zach LaVine.LaVine, who scored 30 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field during Wednesday’s season-opening loss in Phoenix, scored 15 points on five-of-eight shooting (two-of-four from three-point range) over just seven minutes in the first quarter to ignite the Kings’ offense.Ball movement was crisp early, as Sacramento handed out nine assists on the first 11 made baskets to take control heading into the second quarter.After shooting 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep during the first quarter, the Kings’ offense struggled in the second, allowing Utah to stop the bleeding and keep things close. Sacramento shot just 32 percent from the field in the second, while LaVine went scoreless in the period.The Kings’ offense still appears to be a work in progress, as the ball-movement from the first quarter disappeared in the second (two assists and three turnovers). Still, Sacramento took a three-point lead into the second half as they looked to secure their first win of the 2025-26 season.After going scoreless in the second quarter, LaVine got involved in the offense again as play entered the second half.A sputtering Kings offense leaned on the star guard as LaVine scored nine points in the period to help Sacramento re-establish a lead, with Malik Monk continuing his strong start following Wednesday’s 19-point outing in Phoenix by scoring nine points of his own in the third to aid his teammate.Monk and Russell Westbrook brought energy off the bench to breathe life into the Kings’ offense, with Monk’s buzzer-beating, step-back triple sending a packed crowd into a frenzy as Sacramento took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.While Utah’s three-point shooting was abysmal for the majority of the night, things shifted the other direction during the second half for the Jazz.After going six-for-21 (28%) from downtown during the first half, Utah opened up the fourth quarter by knocking down three of its first six attempts to keep Sacramento close.All-Star big Lauri Markkanen was a problem for an undersized Kings defense, and while he punished the Kings’ interior defense, supporting cast members Kyle Filipowski, Bryce Sensabaugh, and rookie Walter Clayton Jr. applied pressure from the perimeter to regain the lead with less than eight minutes to go.LaVine, Westbrook, and Dennis Schroder all had big plays in crunch time, but Utah wouldn’t go away.Westbrook’s foul on Markkanen with 28.1 to go allowed the Jazz to take a 104-103 lead, but Sacramento would answer in thrilling fashion as Domantas Sabonis corralled his own miss and went back up to give the Kings a one-point lead with 5.2 seconds remaining.Sabonis missed his and-one free-throw, giving Utah a chance to win on the final possession. Schroder did a solid job contesting Utah guard Keyonte George’s game-winning attempt, and the shot missed everything as Golden 1 Center erupted simultaneously as the final horn sounded.It wasn’t pretty, but a gritty finish that culminated with timely baskets and stops on the defensive end gave Sacramento its first Beam of the 2025-26 season. Sabonis Makes His DebutWhile he was originally scheduled to be re-evaluated on Saturday, Domantas Sabonis (hamstring strain) made his season debut on Friday night.Sabonis, who is known for playing through injuries, sat during Wednesday’s season-opening loss in Phoenix. After missing just one game, the three-time defending NBA rebound champion logged a practice session on Thursday before being cleared to return to the hardwood against Utah.Sacramento will conclude its brief two-game home stand on Sunday afternoon when it faces Luka Doncic and the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center.Westbrook Lights The BeamRussell Westbrook is already on his way to becoming a fan-favorite among Sacramento Kings fans.Westbrook, who made his home debut on Friday, was a sparkplug during the win, scoring seven points and handing out four assists to go along with one steal over 17 minutes.The future Hall of Famer was tasked with defending the seven-footer Markkanen at times, and his hustle plays didn’t go unnoticed–especially his triple in the fourth quarter that kept Utah from expanding on a four-point lead with less than five minutes to go.Westbrook told reporters after the game that until joining Sacramento last week, he hadn’t played five-on-five since May, when he was playing for Denver in the NBA Playoffs.Following the game, Westbrook made his way over to the scorer’s table, where he lit the first beam of the 2025-26 season.“Been looking forward to doing that since I’ve been here,” Westbrook said of the beam lighting.This story first appeared on Sactown Sports. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    Domantas Sabonis wasn’t supposed to return on Friday night–not yet. But the Sacramento Kings are sure glad he did.

    Sabonis, who was thought to be unavailable until Sunday’s game against Los Angeles, was cleared from a hamstring strain early on Friday that resulted in him becoming available against the Utah Jazz.

    (Video Above: Fan excitement builds at Sacramento Kings home opener)

    In what was Sacramento’s home-opener, Sabonis’ clutch put-back basket during the final seconds of regulation delivered the Kings a 105-104 win–their first of the 2025-26 season.

    Sabonis’ late-game heroics went hand-in-hand with a clutch final stop by veteran guard Dennis Schroder, who put the clamps on Jazz guard Keyonte George’s game-winning attempt that came up empty to finish off the winning effort.

    It wasn’t a beautiful game from Sacramento, but they did enough in crunch time to come away with a win that–even in game two of 82–they felt like they needed.

    The upcoming schedule is daunting, and the Kings need to stack wins when they can. Friday’s home-opener sent fans home with smiles on their faces, and that’s the most important thing for Sacramento (1-1).

    Kings vs. Jazz recap & takeaways

    After a sluggish start that included falling into an immediate six-point hole, Sacramento bounced back thanks to a red-hot start from Zach LaVine.

    LaVine, who scored 30 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field during Wednesday’s season-opening loss in Phoenix, scored 15 points on five-of-eight shooting (two-of-four from three-point range) over just seven minutes in the first quarter to ignite the Kings’ offense.

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    Ball movement was crisp early, as Sacramento handed out nine assists on the first 11 made baskets to take control heading into the second quarter.

    After shooting 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep during the first quarter, the Kings’ offense struggled in the second, allowing Utah to stop the bleeding and keep things close. Sacramento shot just 32 percent from the field in the second, while LaVine went scoreless in the period.

    The Kings’ offense still appears to be a work in progress, as the ball-movement from the first quarter disappeared in the second (two assists and three turnovers). Still, Sacramento took a three-point lead into the second half as they looked to secure their first win of the 2025-26 season.

    SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 24: Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings goes up for a shot on Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center on October 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

    After going scoreless in the second quarter, LaVine got involved in the offense again as play entered the second half.

    A sputtering Kings offense leaned on the star guard as LaVine scored nine points in the period to help Sacramento re-establish a lead, with Malik Monk continuing his strong start following Wednesday’s 19-point outing in Phoenix by scoring nine points of his own in the third to aid his teammate.

    Monk and Russell Westbrook brought energy off the bench to breathe life into the Kings’ offense, with Monk’s buzzer-beating, step-back triple sending a packed crowd into a frenzy as Sacramento took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.

    While Utah’s three-point shooting was abysmal for the majority of the night, things shifted the other direction during the second half for the Jazz.

    After going six-for-21 (28%) from downtown during the first half, Utah opened up the fourth quarter by knocking down three of its first six attempts to keep Sacramento close.

    SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 24: Dennis Schröder #17, Zach Lavine #8 and Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings react after they beat the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center on October 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

    All-Star big Lauri Markkanen was a problem for an undersized Kings defense, and while he punished the Kings’ interior defense, supporting cast members Kyle Filipowski, Bryce Sensabaugh, and rookie Walter Clayton Jr. applied pressure from the perimeter to regain the lead with less than eight minutes to go.

    LaVine, Westbrook, and Dennis Schroder all had big plays in crunch time, but Utah wouldn’t go away.

    Westbrook’s foul on Markkanen with 28.1 to go allowed the Jazz to take a 104-103 lead, but Sacramento would answer in thrilling fashion as Domantas Sabonis corralled his own miss and went back up to give the Kings a one-point lead with 5.2 seconds remaining.

    SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 24: Zach Lavine #8 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz during the second half at Golden 1 Center on October 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

    Sabonis missed his and-one free-throw, giving Utah a chance to win on the final possession. Schroder did a solid job contesting Utah guard Keyonte George’s game-winning attempt, and the shot missed everything as Golden 1 Center erupted simultaneously as the final horn sounded.

    It wasn’t pretty, but a gritty finish that culminated with timely baskets and stops on the defensive end gave Sacramento its first Beam of the 2025-26 season.

    Sabonis Makes His Debut

    While he was originally scheduled to be re-evaluated on Saturday, Domantas Sabonis (hamstring strain) made his season debut on Friday night.

    Sabonis, who is known for playing through injuries, sat during Wednesday’s season-opening loss in Phoenix. After missing just one game, the three-time defending NBA rebound champion logged a practice session on Thursday before being cleared to return to the hardwood against Utah.

    Sacramento will conclude its brief two-game home stand on Sunday afternoon when it faces Luka Doncic and the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center.

    Westbrook Lights The Beam

    Russell Westbrook is already on his way to becoming a fan-favorite among Sacramento Kings fans.

    Westbrook, who made his home debut on Friday, was a sparkplug during the win, scoring seven points and handing out four assists to go along with one steal over 17 minutes.

    The future Hall of Famer was tasked with defending the seven-footer Markkanen at times, and his hustle plays didn’t go unnoticed–especially his triple in the fourth quarter that kept Utah from expanding on a four-point lead with less than five minutes to go.

    Westbrook told reporters after the game that until joining Sacramento last week, he hadn’t played five-on-five since May, when he was playing for Denver in the NBA Playoffs.

    Following the game, Westbrook made his way over to the scorer’s table, where he lit the first beam of the 2025-26 season.

    “Been looking forward to doing that since I’ve been here,” Westbrook said of the beam lighting.

    This story first appeared on Sactown Sports.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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