Ruben Dominguez splashed in seven 3-pointers to lead Texas A&M to a dominant 95-59 win over Florida State Friday in the Battle in the Bay in Tampa, Fla.
Dominguez made 5 of 6 3-pointers in the first half and finished with a team-high 21 points, all of which came from outside the arc.
The Aggies finished 15-of-34 from 3-point range (44.1%), their third straight game shooting 44% or better from the perimeter.
USC transfer Rashaun Agee matched his career high with 17 rebounds to go with 17 points. Pop Isaacs hit three 3-pointers, finishing with 15 points.
Agee set the tone for the Aggies (6-2) on the glass. They outrebounded Florida State 60-40.
The Seminoles (5-2), who entered averaging 93.2 points per game, were held to 28.8% shooting from the floor and 22% from 3-point range (9 of 41). Kobe MaGee almost singlehandedly sparked the offense with 21 points, 18 of which came after halftime after a slow start.
Kobe MaGee finished as the only Seminole in double figures. Martin Somerville was closest with nine. Lajae Jones, Florida State’s leading scorer entering the game, was held to three points on 1-of-8 shooting while point guard Robert McCray V had 11 assists but just two points.
Friday’s game was a rout from the jump. The Aggies leapt ahead 11-0 just over two minutes into the game and led 19-3 less than five minutes in.
Texas A&M hit six of its first seven 3-point shots, with Dominguez making four of those, and finished the first half 9-of-18 from 3-point range.
After the Seminoles were able to keep the deficit around 16 points for an extended stretch, the Aggies closed the first half in a similarly strong fashion, going on a 16-4 run to take a 52-24 lead into the intermission.
Agee nearly had his double-double at the half, amassing 10 points and nine rebounds over the first 20 minutes.
Florida State finished the first half with as many made baskets as it had turnovers (nine). Cam Miles was the leading scorer at the half with five points, needing eight shots to get there.
The Seminoles went on an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 61-42 with 12:02 left, but the Aggies responded immediately with a 16-2 stretch and finished the game on a 10-2 run to grow its margin of victory.
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.
Jamichael Stillwell notched his first career UCF double-double and made two key free throws with 38 seconds to go, lifting the Knights to their third straight win by edging the feisty Oakland Golden Grizzlies 87-83 on Monday night in Orlando, Fla.
The Knights (4-1) led by four at halftime then raced out to a 15-point advantage in the second half, but the Golden Grizzlies (1-4) rallied and tied the game with eight minutes to play.
Stillwell, Themus Fulks and Riley Kugel made all six of their free throws in the final minute for the victory.
Stillwell totaled 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Kugel had 18. Jordan Burks scored 13 with seven rebounds. Fulks had 11 points, six rebounds and 10 assists.
Oakland’s Isaac Garrett had 23 points and seven rebounds. Brett White II had 21 points on 6-of 11-shooting from deep. Brody Robinson scored 20, and Tuburu Navailurua had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.
After a big road win over Texas A&M their last time out, the Knights created a 10-4 lead over the Horizon League school behind two buckets from Stillwell and three points from Fulks, but the visitors knotted it 10-all on twin 3-pointers by White.
White, a 27-year-old senior guard, helped shoot Oakland back into it. His long shot and Robinson’s at 8:06 cut it to 17-16 as the Michigan school made 4 of 8 from long range, but Kugel soon hit a pair from the stripe to reach 1,000 career points.
White’s shooting helped keep the Golden Grizzlies within striking distance in the first half, which UCF led just 44-40.
He sank 5 of 7 treys — his only shots from the floor — for his 16 points.
The Knights’ answer was Stillwell, who scored 12 first-half points on 5-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds.
Stillwell sparked a 9-0 second-half run that pushed the edge to 53-42 and continued to dominate on the glass, especially at the offensive end.
Kugel’s 3-point play at 11:20 increased the gap to 70-55, but Oakland stormed back and evened it 70-all on a 15-0 run behind Robinson’s three-point play at 8:17.
The Knights regained the lead on a 3-pointer from Kugel, then mostly held a tenuous lead from there, closing out the win at the line.
The Jimmy Butler two-show Florida reunion tour kicks off Tuesday night when the former Miami Heat standout takes center stage as the Golden State Warriors visit the Orlando Magic.
Dealt early last February from the Heat to the Warriors, Butler joined Golden State in time for both its visits to Florida last season, which came on separate Southeast excursions.
The first of the two saw him play a complementary role in new teammate Stephen Curry’s 56-point explosion in a 121-115 win at Orlando in late February. Butler had only five points in the game but tied Brandin Podziemski for game-high assist honors with seven.
Four of Butler’s assists came on Curry 3-pointers as the all-time distance-shooting king buried 12 in all, including four in a 22-point third-quarter flurry.
Butler assisted on two of the third-quarter threes then a last one that extended Golden State’s lead to 111-104 lead with 2:37 to go.
Butler himself inflicted pain upon the Magic many times during his days with the Heat, going for 20 or more points on five separate occasions, including 38 in a visit in March of 2023. He has 358 points, 93 assists and 43 steals in games at Orlando in his career.
Golden State visits Miami on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday.
Butler took time after his last visit to Orlando to describe Curry’s impact on the Warriors.
‘It makes everyone want to be great on the defensive side,’ he told reporters after the game, ‘so we can get him the ball back and watch him do something incredible. In a weird way, isn’t it kind of expected?’
Curry had 46 and 49 points last week when the Warriors, after falling at Oklahoma City, rebounded with a pair of victories at San Antonio. They then won a third in a row Sunday at New Orleans, riding Moses Moody’s 32 points to a 124-106 win.
The Orlando visit is a reunion of sorts for Moody as well. He played his final two prep seasons at Montverde Academy near Orlando, where he joined Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Day’Ron Sharpe on a 25-0 club in 2020.
The Magic has won three of their last four, seeing a winning streak come to an end in a 117-113 overtime loss at Houston on Sunday night.
The head-to-head with Golden State will be the first for Desmond Bane since he was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies via trade in June. He’s averaged 22.3 points over the last four games, connecting on multiple 3-pointers in each of the last three.
Bane faced the Warriors 22 times during his days with Memphis, including in the 2022 playoffs, when he outshot Curry 48.5% to 32.9% on 3-pointers in the Grizzlies’ 4-2 loss to the eventual champs in the Western semifinals.
With star Paolo Banchero out for a second straight game with a groin injury, Bane found the ball in his hands with a chance to play hero at the end of regulation at Houston. However, he had his driving attempt blocked by Alperen Sengun with five seconds left and later wished he had it to do over again.
‘Something that we’ve talked about — getting the last shot of the game. I went a little bit too fast,’ he admitted to reporters. ‘We had our opportunities. Hopefully we learn from those moments and become better because of it.’
Ethan Sanchez kicked a tiebreaking 22-yard field goal with 2:31 left and the Houston defense allowed just three second-half points as the Cougars came from 10 points down to defeat UCF 30-27 on Friday in Orlando.
Conner Weigman, despite throwing three interceptions, helped Houston (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) rebound after a rough loss to West Virginia a week ago. The quarterback produced 223 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-31 passing and added 82 yards on 22 carries. Amare Thomas had five receptions for 103 yards and a TD.
Sanchez’s game-winner came on a 15-play, 62-yard drive that lasted 7:51.
Phillip Dunnam nabbed all three interceptions of Weigman to become the first player in school history to pick off three passes in one game.
UCF (4-5, 1-5) had four of its six second-half drives end in punts, and not a single one went more than 28 yards.
Knights quarterback Tayven Jackson completed 15 of his 29 passes but for only 136 yards and an interception.
Jackson was benched on the final drive of the game for Davi Belfort, who had a pass intercepted by Kentrell Webb in the end zone with 11 seconds left, sealing the outcome.
Houston’s Dean Connors scored the lone touchdown of the second half on a 9-yard pass from Weigman to tie the game 24-24 with 7:38 left in the third.
The teams then traded field goals, a 54-yarder from Noe Ruelas and a 30-yarder from Sanchez, before the eventual game-winner.
Ruelas kicked off the scoring with a 37-yard field goal with 4:17 left in the first.
Myles Montgomery capitalized off of a Houston muffed punt with a 1-yard run to extend the lead to 10-0 with 9:39 left in the half.
Weigman found his favorite target streaking down the sideline, and Thomas went untouched into the end zone for a 64-yard score to cut it to 10-7 in the middle of the second quarter.
Just 1:16 later, Houston struck again as Latreveon McCutchin picked off a Jackson pass and returned it 45 yards for the Cougars’ first lead of the night.
UCF responded with Jaden Nixon rushing 15 yards for a 17-14 lead with 2:05 remaining in the half.
Weigman then threw his own pick-six as Dunnam returned it 43 yards to extend the lead to 10 with 96 seconds left before the break.
Houston salvaged a 40-yard field goal with no time left to cut the deficit to 24-17 at the half.
Hugo Cuypers recorded a second-half brace and the Chicago Fire picked up their first playoff win in 16 years with a dominating 3-1 triumph over Orlando City in an Eastern Conference wild-card match on Wednesday night in Bridgeview, Ill.
Brian Gutierrez also scored for the eighth-seeded Fire, who ended the longest playoff-victory drought in MLS history. It also was Chicago’s first postseason match since 2017.
The Fire advance to play the top-seeded Philadelphia Union. Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round series is Sunday at Chester, Pa.
Tyrese Spicer scored the lone goal for ninth-seeded Orlando City, who struggled on offense. The Fire outshot the Lions 25-7 and had a 9-4 edge in shots on target.
Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady registered three saves, while Lions counterpart Pedro Gallese had six stops.
The Fire broke a scoreless tie with two goals early in the second half.
In the 48th minute, Jonathan Dean sent a cross to the left side and Gutierrez collected the ball. Gutierrez then booted a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net.
Three minutes later, Gutierrez had another opportunity, but his right-footed shot hit the right goalpost.
In the 57th minute, the ball came toward Cuypers, who hit it forward. He rushed after it and Gallese came out to kick it away, but the ball smacked off Cuypers’ shin and bounced into the net to give the Fire a 2-0 advantage.
Orlando City had a good chance in the 60th minute, but a left-footed blast by Marco Pasalic was stopped by Brady.
Gallese made a solid save on Jonathan Bamba’s left-footed shot in the 66th minute and the ball went directly to Gutierrez. With the net open, Gutierrez hit the right goalpost to miss his opportunity for the brace.
Cuypers got his brace two minutes later when he drilled a right-footed shot past Gallese.
Orlando spoiled Brady’s shutout bid in the 89th minute. Spicer advanced in and took a left-footed shot that hit off the goalie’s hands and went into the top of the net.
Chicago controlled the first half and had a 9-1 advantage in shots.
The Fire had a big opportunity in the 36th minute when Cuypers broke in and a sliding Gallese knocked aside his left-footed shot.
Orlando City took their first shot in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Rodrigo Schlegel sent a header wide left.
Green Bay struggled to put Cincinnati away but got the win
byWes Hodkiewicz&Mike Spofford
GREEN BAY The Packers survived a back-and-forth second half with the Bengals to post a 27-18 victory on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The win improves Green Bay to 3-1-1 on the season while Cincinnati drops to 2-4.
The Packers led 10-0 at halftime with their defense dominating a Bengals offense led by new QB Joe Flacco. But Cincinnati was a totally different offense in the second half, keeping the Bengals in the game.
A touchdown after a drive of 10 minutes to start the third quarter made it a 10-7 game, but the Packers answered with a TD of their own. Then a Bengals field goal was answered by another Packers TD for a 14-point lead at 24-10.
Cincinnati kept fighting, with WR Ja’Marr Chase making a circus catch for a TD, which was followed by a two-point conversion to make it 24-18. The Packers responded yet again, driving for a field goal for a two-score lead again, with rookie WRMatthew Goldencatching a huge third-down conversion.
The see-saw affair finally ended in the last minute when Bengals K Evan McPherson missed a 56-yard field goal wide right with 41 seconds left and the Packers kneeled it out.
For Green Bay, RBJosh Jacobshad 18 carries for 93 yards and two TDs, plus five catches for 57 yards for 150 yards from scrimmage. QBJordan Lovewas 19-of-26 for 259 yards with one TD, one INT and a 101.3 passer rating. Golden had three catches for 86 yards, WRRomeo Doubshad five receptions for 55 yards, and TETucker Krafthad two catches for 43 yards and a TD.
For Cincinnati, Flacco was 29-of-45 for 219 yards with two TDs and a 90.9 rating. Chase had 10 catches for 94 yards and a score, while WR Tee Higgins added five catches for 62 yards. RB Chase Brown had nine carries for 42 yards.
Here’s a recap of all the action:
Packers and Bengals scoreless after the first quarter
Cincinnati won the opening coin toss and elected to defer.Zach Tom,Rasheed WalkerandAaron Banksall started on the offensive line after being questionable.Jordan MorganandSean Rhyanopened in a rotation right guard before Morgan took over on an every down basis.
AfterSavion Williamsreturned the kickoff to the Green Bay 34, Romeo Doubs came free in the middle of the field for a 21-yard gain on the Packers’ first offensive play.
Jordan Love converted on the next two first downs with his free a scramble on third-and-7 and a sneak on fourth-and-1 to the Cincinnati 24.
Josh Jacobs was stopped for a 2-yard loss on second-and-3 from the Bengals’ 7 and Cincinnati safety Geno Stone ended the scoring threat when he intercepted Love off a tipped pass and returned it to the Bengals’ 36.
Javon Bullardsniffed out a sweep to Ja’Marr Chase for a 3-yard loss on first down, leading to a Bengals three-and-out. Green Bay started at its 4-yard line after a holding penalty on the punt.
The Packers converted the initial first down with a 9-yard pass toDontayvion Wicksand a 7-yard Jacobs run to the Green Bay 20.
Matthew Golden gained eight yards on pitch to the flat before pushing the Packers across midfield on a 20-yard pass to Matthew Golden. Golden then gained eight yards on a sweep for the first down at the Cincinnati 29.
Packers lead Bengals 10-0 at halftime
The second quarter began withLucas Havrisikkicking for an injuredBrandon McManus(right quadricep) making a 43-yard field goal to put the Packers up 3-0 over Cincinnati with 14 minutes, 15 seconds left in the second quarter.
Cincinnati gained a first down on a 14-yard pass to Tee Higgins, but that’s all the Bengals could muster.Karl Brookssniffed out a screen to Chase Brown, causing Joe Flacco to dirt the ball on first down and Flacco was pressured into two incompletions.
The Packers took over at their 16 after Cincinnati punted. Green Bay went three-and-out afterEmanuel Wilsonlost four yards on a third-and-2 pass from Love.
A 56-yard punt fromDaniel Whelanplaced the Bengals at their 37 after a 13-yard Charlie Jones return. Green Bay’s defense forced another three-and-out afterKeisean Nixontackled Tanner Hudson for a 2-yard loss on a third-and-2 pass.
Starting at their 20 after touchback, the Packers converted the initial first down with a 6-yard pass to Wicks before Love fired a 35-yard pass to Golden over Cam Taylor-Britt on third-and-10.
Love then found an open Jacobs on a checkdown that the Pro Bowl running back extended for 29 yards to the Cincinnati 6.
A defensive holding penalty on Taylor-Britt moved the Packers three yards closer. Jacobs scored on a 3-yard run on the next play to extend Green Bay’s lead to 10-0 with 4:05 left in the first half.
Despite starting at their 40 after a personal foul penalty, the Bengals was forced to punt after losing two yards on another three-and-out with less than three minutes left in the half.
The first half reached the two-minute warning after a 24-yard pass to Tucker Kraft down the seam and a 12-yard Jacobs run to the Cincinnati 47. The drive stalled after a third-and-5 pass to Doubs fell incomplete. The Bengals started at their own 7 after a fair catch on Whelan’s 35-yard punt.
Cincinnati ran a two-minute and sent Evan McPherson out for a 67-yard field goal with one second left. His first kick bounced through the uprights but Head Coach Matt LaFleur was credited for the timeout. The next fell short to end the half.
Trey Hendrickson went to the locker room with a back injury and is questionable.
Packers lead Bengals 10-7 after three quarters
Cincinnati moved the ball on its first possession of the second half, converting three third-and-short scenarios to push the ball to the Green Bay 25. A 13-yard pass to Tee Higgins set up first-and-goal at the Packers’ 1 but a false start on Noah Fant during no-huddle pushed Cincinnati back.
On second-and-goal,Lukas Van Nessbeat left Orlando Brown for a sack of Flacco for a loss of six yards. Cincinnati used its first timeout.
Hudson picked up eight yards on a check down and then caught a 2-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-goal to cut Green Bay’s lead to 10-7 with 4:46 left in the third quarter. The 17-play, 78-yard drive lasted 10:14.
Van Ness was injured after the sack with a foot injury and is questionable. Hendrickson also was ruled out.
The Packers started at their 34 after a 32-yard Williams return. An 8-yard pass to Doubs on a slant gave Green Bay the initial first down. An 11-yard Jacobs run moved the Packers across midfield.
Green Bay moved to the Cincinnati 29 on a 12-yard pass to Doubs underneath.Luke Musgrave’s 7-yard catch and a Jacobs 5-yard run gave the Packers a first down at the Bengals’ 17.
It was announced Wicks has an ankle injury and is questionable to return.
Packers outlast Bengals 27-18, improve to 3-1-1
The third quarter began with Jacobs powering up the middle for a 14-yard touchdown to push the Packers’ lead to 17-7 with 14:56 left in regulation.
Flacco opened with an 18-yard pass to Chase. On third-and-6, Flacco avoided an unblockedBarryn Sorrellto find Tee Higgins for seven yards and the first down. Higgins caught a 19-yard pass on the next play
The drive stalled at the Green Bay 27 and Cincinnati settled for a 45-yard McPherson field goal to cut the Packers’ lead to 17-10 with 10:43 remaining.
Bo Meltonn returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards to the Green Bay 38. Doubs caught a 15-yard pass on first down. Love scrambled for four yards on third-and-2 to the Bengals’ 35.
The Packers moved into the red zone with a 16-yard Jacobs run and Kraft torpedoed into the end zone on a 19-yard touchdown to put the Packers ahead 24-10 with 7:33 left.
Bullard exited to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion.
Flacco and the Bengals pushed the ball down the field again beforeCarrington Valentinedeflected a third-and-5 pass to Chase at the Green Bay 19.
On fourth down, Flacco connected with Chase for the 19-yard touchdown with 4:11 remaining. The Bengals made it 24-16 after a pass from Flacco to Brown for the two-point conversion.
The Packers started again at their 38 after a 36-yard Williams return. On third-and-8, Golden came free for a 31-yard completion to the Bengals’ 29. Cincinnati used its second timeout with 2:19 left after a 3-yard Jacobs run. Love scrambled on a bootleg for five yards to reach the two-minute warning.
Love and Golden couldn’t connect on fourth-and-2, but Havrisik was good from 39 to give Green Bay a two-score lead, 27-18, with 1:52 remaining.
Cincinnati worked the ball up to the Green Bay 38 before sending out McPherson for a 56-yard field goal on first down with 46 seconds left. He missed wide right and Love kneeled out the win.
(Photo credit: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Coming off a win over then-No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday, its first over a ranked team in head coach Scott Satterfield’s tenure, Cincinnati is on the cusp of the AP Top 25.
Cincinnati (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) is 2-0 in the Big 12 for the first time in three seasons as a Power Four program, and expectations are rising both inside and outside the program as it prepares to host UCF on Saturday.
The Bearcats, for starters, are one of three teams in the country to allow only one sack through six weeks. Their offensive line has been named the Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week three times, including for their performance this past week, when they paved the way for the Bearcats’ 260 rushing yards and 474 total yards in a 38-30 upset.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby has thrown for 12 touchdowns and just one interception this season, with that one interception coming against Nebraska in Week 1. He’s also rushed for 291 yards and five touchdowns.
‘This offensive line group is special. I believe that,’ Bearcats center Gavin Gerhardt said. ‘We have gotten better as time moves on.’
‘It starts with (offensive line) Coach (Nic) Cardwell. I don’t think there is a better offensive line coach in the country. I have had three offensive line coaches in my career, but Coach Cardwell is the best offensive line coach for many reasons.’
Cincinnati’s offensive line will face a stiff test against the visiting Knights.
UCF (3-2, 0-2 Big 12) boasts a strong defensive front, which has recorded nine sacks and 29 tackles for loss through five games. The Knights are coming off a 27-20 home loss to Kansas, where they were stuffed on three straight runs from the 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Tayven Jackson left with an injury in the third quarter and was wearing a sling on the sideline later in the game. This was one week after he left UCF’s game against Kansas State with a sprained left shoulder joint.
If Jackson can’t go Saturday, it will be Cam Fancher at quarterback for the Knights.
‘This team is good enough to win some of these games, and we just have to be much better in all phases, and more consistent,’ head coach Scott Frost said. ‘We’re awfully close to where we need to be to win some of these games. We haven’t done it yet.’
The winner of Saturday’s game will take the lead in the all-time series, 6-5. Cincinnati won last year’s meeting 19-13 on the road. Its last home win against UCF was in 2021, the same season Cincinnati went to the College Football Playoff.
Orlando City and the Columbus Crew will meet in Central Florida on Saturday night in a match that will be critical for both teams’ playoff positioning.
All nine Eastern Conference MLS Cup Playoff participants have already been finalized more than two weeks ahead of the final day of regular-season play on Oct. 18.
But both seventh-place Orlando (14-7-10, 52 points) and ninth-place Columbus (13-8-11, 50 points) are still fighting to avoid the East wild-card game, which will be between the teams finishing in eighth and ninth.
For much of the season, Columbus looked on track to be competing for the higher East positions.
But after a stretch of only one win and six points earned in the last seven matches, manager Wilfried Nancy’s side would face a must-win wild-card match on the road if the postseason began now. With only two games left on the schedule, Nancy is trying to impart to his team that it still has the quality of the side that took 24 points from its first 11 games.
‘We are qualified for the playoffs,’ Nancy said, ‘because of the way we started the season. And this we have to think about it. … We are qualified because we had the best start of the season in the club’s history. So they can not forget that.’
Nancy also suggested leading scorer Diego Rossi is questionable this week after missing the last three matches.
Orlando’s trajectory has been the reverse, with the Lions at one point winning four straight league games through July and August.
More recently, the team has used stoppage-time goals from Duncan McGuire and Alex Freeman, respectively, to earn dramatic late results in a 3-2 home win over Nashville on Sept. 20 and a 1-1 draw at FC Cincinnati last Sunday.
Orlando City have also won three in a row at home and could move as high as fifth with a fourth consecutive home victory and other favorable results Saturday. Orlando also has a match in hand on Charlotte and Nashville, the current fifth- and sixth-place sides.
‘It’s something that at the beginning of the season was a challenge, but now we have that record that inspires us,’ Orlando manager Oscar Pareja said of that recent home form. ‘The boys were talking about it … how important the game is, but how important it is to play it in front of our people.’
Alyssa Thomas had 23 points and 10 assists, Satou Sabally scored 21 points and the host Phoenix Mercury advanced to the WNBA Finals with an 86-81 comeback victory over the game but crippled Minnesota Lynx in Game 4 of their semifinal series Sunday night.
DeWanna Bonner had 11 of her 13 points and all three of her 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, when the Mercury outscored the Lynx 31-13 to overcome a 68-55 deficit and advance to the finals for the first time since falling to the Chicago Sky in 2021.
The Lynx played without star center Napheesa Collier, who suffered a left ankle injury in the final seconds of the Mercury’s 84-76 victory in Game 3 on Friday and watched the game from the bench in a walking boot.
Minnesota’s Kayla McBride had 14 of her playoff career-high 31 points when the Lynx took the upper hand in the third quarter but could not hold on. Courtney Williams had 20 points and Jessica Shepard had career playoff-high 14 points while starting for Collier.
The finals are to begin Friday, with the first two games at the site of the higher seed. The fourth-seeded Mercury knocked off the top-seeded Lynx in their best-of-five series. The second-seeded Las Vegas Aces and the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever meet in Game 5 of their series Tuesday.
The WNBA Finals will be a best-of-seven for the first time in league history. Phoenix last won a championship in 2014.
The Mercury scored 19 of the first 21 points in the fourth period, and the second of Bonner’s two 3-pointers gave them a 72-70 lead with 3:39 remaining.
McBride and Bonner traded 3-pointers as the Mercury stayed ahead 77-73. McBride’s sixth three made it 77-76 with 1:04 remaining but Bonner followed with two free throws for a 79-76 lead with 42 seconds left.
After a McBride miss, Thomas made a driving layup for an 81-76 lead with 27 seconds left. The Lynx later got within three on Natasha Hiedeman’s 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining before Kahleah Copper closed the scoring with two free throws.
Associate head coach Eric Thibault coached the Lynx while head coach Cheryl Reeve served a one-game suspension for her conduct and comments toward the officials during and after Game 3.
Thomas was two rebounds short of her second playoff triple-double.
The Mercury had outscored 21-9 in the fourth quarter of the Game 3.
The Mercury trailed by 14 in the first quarter, drew even at 38 at halftime and did not lead until Copper’s 3-pointer on their first possession of the second half.
The Lynx put together another spurt including two threes from McBride for 55-45 lead midway through the third.
Sabally had 24, 23 and 21 points in the final three games of the series, all Mercury wins.
Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith and Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson were named WNBA Co-Defensive Players of the Year on Thursday.
Both players received 29 votes from a national panel of 72 media members.
This marks the third time that Wilson has won the award. She also received the honor in 2022 and 2023.
The 6-foot-4 Smith ranked third in blocked shots (80) and tied for 10th in steals (55) while helping Minnesota rack up the league’s best regular-season record (34-10) and rank second in scoring defense (76.7).
Smith was a WNBA All-Defensive Second Team choice last season and figures to be a first-teamer this time around.
Smith, 29, also averaged 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 42 games (all starts).
Wilson ranked second in blocks (92) and third in steals (64) while again being a stellar force at both ends of the floor.
Wilson has been a WNBA All-Defensive First Team choice three times and also has one second-team nod. She’ll soon be adding another All-Defense honor to her resume.
Wilson, 29, also ranked second in rebounding (10.2) in 40 games and her performances fueled Las Vegas’ 16-game winning streak to end the regular season.
Wilson also is in the running to win her fourth career MVP award. She led the league with a 23.4 scoring average.
Seattle Storm guard Gabby Williams was third with nine votes. Williams racked up 99 steals, tied for second most in WNBA history with Tamika Catchings (2009) and one behind record-holder Teresa Weatherspoon (100 in 1998).
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas received three votes and Lynx forward Napheesa Collier got two votes.
The top two teams in the WNBA meet Thursday night with the Minnesota Lynx visiting the Las Vegas Aces.
The Lynx (32-8) own the league’s best record, but the Aces (26-14) are the hottest team, riding a 12-game winning streak.
Minnesota won the first three meetings vs. Las Vegas, including a 111-58 victory Aug. 2 in the most recent matchup. Kayla McBride poured in 24 points for Minnesota in that game.
Las Vegas hasn’t lost since, tying the franchise record for longest winning streak. Three of the last six outcomes have come by double-figure margins.
‘This team is etching out their presence,’ Aces coach Becky Hammon said.
Thursday night’s game features the two leading scorers in the WNBA.
A’ja Wilson has reached the 30-point mark in six of the Aces’ last nine games. She also has led the team in rebounding 10 times during the winning streak.
Most recently, the Aces swept three games on a road trip by winning at Washington, Chicago and Atlanta. Las Vegas is coming off a seven-day layoff.
‘That ability to kick it up an extra notch, we’ve really been able to do that on the defensive end, and it’s winning us games,’ Hammond said.
Since losing three of five games, Minnesota has posted back-to-back victories with blowouts of Connecticut and Dallas. In Monday’s 96-71 domination of visiting Dallas, Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman became the fifth pair of teammates in WNBA history with 15 or more points and nine or more assists in a game.
‘I feel like me and Courtney are like a dynamic duo,’ said Hiedeman, whose 20 points and 10 assists resulted in her first double-double.
Meanwhile, Lynx forward Napheesa Collier is averaging a league-leading 23.5 points per game — barely ahead of Wilson (23.4)
Minnesota guard DiJonai Carrington played only 10 minutes against Dallas because of a shoulder ailment.
‘I know this is something she deals with,’ Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said.
The Lynx have wrapped up the league’s best regular-season record, while the Aces are assured of a spot in the playoffs. But with two other teams with the same record as Las Vegas entering Wednesday, there’s still quite a bit at stake for the Aces in terms of postseason seeding.
Johan Oviedo struck out six batters over five innings and combined with three relievers on a three-hitter, leading the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon.
Oviedo (1-0) picked up his first win since Sept. 21, 2023 while making his second start of this season after coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Oviedo lasted only one inning and allowed two runs on two hits in his first outing on Aug. 4 before being optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. He fared much better on Wednesday, yielding one run on two hits and one walk before exiting after 75 pitches.
Kyle Nicolas, Isaac Mattson and Dennis Santana combined to allow only one hit over four scoreless innings. Santana retired the side in the ninth inning to record his ninth save.
Oviedo’s only costly mistake came against the first batter he faced: George Springer.
Springer capped a 10-pitch at-bat by belting his 21st homer of the season to give Toronto the early advantage.
Oviedo recovered and finished off the first inning on 22 pitches after retiring the next three batters in order, including strikeouts of Bo Bichette and Alejandro Kirk.
Pittsburgh answered immediately with a two-out rally in the bottom of the first, ignited by Bryan Reynolds’ double off Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt (11-7). Spencer Horwitz walked and Tommy Pham doubled down the left-field line to drive in both runners and give the Pirates the cushion they needed to win for the third time in four games and take two of three from the American League East division leaders.
The loss was the Blue Jays’ third in their past four games and squandered a quality start from Bassitt, who struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings. He also allowed six hits and walked two batters.
Bichette had the other two hits in the game for Toronto.
In order to make room for Oviedo on the roster, the Pirates optioned left-hander Evan Sisk to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Just in time for Halloween, Agatha All Along concluded its nine-episode run with a two-part finale that featured dueling witches, Death incarnate, and one sarcastic, purple ghost.
On Wednesday night, the WandaVision spinoff released its eighth and ninth episodes simultaneously, as Agatha Harkness and the remnants of her coven reach the end of the Witches’ Road at last. And almost all of them get what they desired the most when they first set off on their perilous journey: Jen reclaims her powers after discovering that it was Agatha who bound her 100 years earlier; with Agatha’s help, Billy locates Tommy’s soul and places it in the body of a drowning boy. Only Agatha is left empty-handed, as she returns to her home in Westview as powerless as ever, demanding her “prize” from Rio as if she’s just been cheated in a carnival game.
Instead of an action-packed final episode, as per MCU tradition, it’s the penultimate installment that features a climactic final battle between Agatha and Rio, the latter of whom is the very personification of Death. Billy, wearing his full Wiccan costume for the first time, arrives to save Agatha from Rio just in time, and he even lends her a bit of his power. But Agatha ultimately gives herself up to her former lover with a literal kiss of Death in order to allow Billy his second chance at life.
More crucial than the war of the witches is the series-altering twist that the eighth episode offers: Billy creates the Witches’ Road. Much like Wanda Maximoff, Billy can use his Chaos Magic to turn his fantasies into a reality. Although he didn’t realize what he was doing at the time, Billy transformed the imagery that decorates his bedroom—much of it composed of famous witches from pop culture—into an actual Witches’ Road, bringing the ballad to life.
While the penultimate episode is a standout in an entertaining season of MCU TV, the finale itself is disappointing by comparison. “Maiden Mother Crone” goes all the way back to 1750 to tell the tale of Agatha Harkness and how her son, Nicholas Scratch, was taken from her. The finale shows a softer side of Agatha as she loves and cares for her only child during his brief time on Earth, but it also skips some of the more interesting aspects of her backstory, such as how she became lovers with Death, how she obtained the Darkhold, and even how she became pregnant with Nick in the first place, the last of which remains an untold story in the comics as well. (Really, it feels like we were robbed of a meet-cute between Agatha and Death. Aubrey Plaza is left mostly on the sideline in the finale, as Agatha All Along fails to expand on her character in any compelling way after revealing Rio to be as important a figure as Death.)
Agatha All Along ultimately sacrifices a deeper look into Agatha’s origins and her relationship with Rio in order to allow enough time to set up the next step in Billy Maximoff’s journey, with the ghost of Agatha Harkness now serving as his guide. But creator Jac Schaeffer still pulled off another strong MCU series to build off of the success of WandaVision and carve out a new corner of the cinematic universe that revolved around magic and witchcraft.
As the last live-action Marvel Studios project of 2024 comes to a close, let’s break down some of the biggest moments from the show’s two-part finale and examine how Agatha All Along sets up the future of magic in the MCU.
The Truth about the Witches’ Road
At the end of the eighth episode, Agatha All Along reveals the truth about the Witches’ Road and its creator, Billy. When Wiccan returns home after a very eventful 24 hours, he looks around his bedroom and begins to recognize objects that represent the trials that he and the rest of Agatha’s coven faced on the Witches’ Road. He sees a poster of Lorna Wu, a figurine of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz (and the upcoming Wicked), a Ouija board, and other pieces of evidence that signify that his interests served as the inspiration for the Witches’ Road’s designs. And to drive the point home, Agatha All Along weaves in brief flashbacks from the preceding episodes, in which Agatha drew attention to the fact that she already knew that Billy was responsible for creating the Road.
In WandaVision, Wanda turned the sitcoms she watched as a child with her family into a safe haven for her to cope with her grief as an adult. In Agatha All Along, Billy was desperate to both find his brother Tommy and escape the clutches of the Salem Seven, and so he used Chaos Magic to create a world of his own without any real intention or formal training in witchcraft—just as his mother did.
The (presumed) series finale goes a step further to explore the origins of the famed “Ballad of the Witches’ Road” and its original songwriters: Nicholas and Agatha. (Not to be confused with the song’s actual Oscar-winning songwriters, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who cowrote the “Agatha All Along” bop in WandaVision as well.) Back in the 18th century, the duo would lure witches into Agatha’s web, allowing her to both feast off of their power and pile up bodies for Death as she tried to buy as much time with her son as possible. All the while, they would sing and develop the song that would grow into the ballad. And when Nick finally died of natural causes, Agatha kept the tradition alive for centuries, using the song—and the fable of the Witches’ Road—to prey on other witches.
In the series finale, Agatha returns in spirit form to explain all this to the confused Billy, who is just coming to terms with the fact that he’s essentially responsible for the deaths of Alice, Lilia, and Sharon Davis (even if Agatha will never remember the latter’s name). “Unlike your mother … sorry. Wanda … You actually did something interesting with your power,” Agatha tells Billy.
“You’re making fun of me,” he replies. “This is just one of your tricks.”
“The ballad was the trick,” Agatha says. “It was just a con to lure other gullible witches. The song doesn’t mean anything, it never did. The Road wasn’t real until you made it real.”
The reveal of the Witches’ Road’s true nature stands as the biggest twist of the season, while also creating a clever thematic connection to WandaVision that echoes that series’ narrative structure without simply recycling it. WandaVision was a mystery box of a series that forced the viewer to question everything from the pilot’s opening moments, whereas Agatha All Along packaged its greatest mystery in secret, using Teen’s (not-so-mysterious) identity as a smokescreen. And just as WandaVision paid homage to decades of sitcom history by switching its TV inspirations from week to week, Agatha All Along used its various trials to celebrate classic fantasy and horror films. In the end, the Witches’ Road was Billy’s version of the Westview Hex, as the fledgling superhero continues to take after his mother without even realizing it.
Agatha the (Unfriendly) Ghost
Agatha Harkness is no more. But her spirit is very much alive.
After showing up in Billy’s room in the final moments of the eighth episode, Agatha returns in the finale in all her ghostly glory. True to form, one of her first moves as a specter is to try to slap Billy across the face. Twice. Even in death, Agatha is one of the most unserious protagonists ever to grace the MCU. And, thankfully, her story isn’t over quite yet.
While the silliness of her return dampens the dramatic impact of her death, Agatha now assumes a role her character has often held in the comics: spirit guide to a powerful witch. (And her brown hair has even turned a silverish white to match her comic book look in full.) In the comics, Agatha has died, become a ghost, returned to life, and died again. And just as she does in life, in death she trains the Scarlet Witch in the ways of witchcraft.
Vision and theScarlet Witch (1985) no. 3Marvel Comics
In Agatha All Along, Billy attempts to banish Agatha’s spirit before sealing off the door to the Witches’ Road that remains in Agatha’s basement in Westview. (It’s hard to blame him for wanting to get rid of a sassy ghost who’s trying to spirit slap him.) But Billy submits to Agatha’s pleas to spare her when she finally confesses that she isn’t prepared to enter the afterlife and face her son. And so the pair agree to form a new coven of two and embark on a quest to find Tommy.
It’s always possible that Agatha will eventually find a way to return to life, giving Kathryn Hahn’s purple witch another chance to shine in the spotlight. But at least for now, she returns to the supporting role that she often plays for Wanda in the comics, accompanying Wanda’s son as his much-needed mentor and witchcraft teacher. It feels as if Agatha All Along left a lot on the table with a character whose layers were only just beginning to be peeled back, but as long as Hahn is fine reprising her role in its new, ghostly form, there may still be time to learn more about the notorious Agatha Harkness.
Finding Tommy and the Future of Billy Maximoff
As Agatha All Along revealed at the end of Episode 6, Billy’s decision to travel the Witches’ Road—and, really, to create it—was driven by his desire to find his long-lost brother Tommy. In the penultimate episode, Agatha helps Billy use his powers to finally locate Tommy’s soul and find it a new home, just as Billy did with William Kaplan on the day he died in the car crash. Billy finds a boy who’s been pushed into a pool in a prank taken too far, moments away from drowning to death. He can sense that “there’s no one to love him” and that “he’s got no one,” possibly alluding to the character’s fractured home life and experience growing up in juvenile halls in the comics, in stark contrast to Billy’s upbringing with two loving parents. Now, Billy and Agatha just need to find the boy who will soon become Tommy Shepherd.
In true MCU fashion, Agatha All Along ends with Agatha providing the audience with a tease: “Let’s go find Tommy.” Without any official announcement of a direct follow-up to Agatha All Along, it remains to be seen when or how the continuation of this story will take shape, but the path has been laid for it—starting even before this series began.
Marvel Studios has been slowly assembling its team of Young Avengers across its TV shows and films for years, with 2023’s The Marvelsfinally confirming the upcoming project’s existence and the teen supergroup’s first three members: Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), and Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton). Wiccan and Speed (Tommy’s superhero alter-ego) are prominent members of the Young Avengers in the comics, and it seems like only a matter of time before they join the rest of the MCU’s next generation of superheroes.
Given the trajectory of Billy’s story in the MCU, it appears increasingly likely that Marvel Studios could adapt a popular storyline in the comics, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. While the 2010-2012 miniseries by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung bears the name of the Young Avengers’ parent group in its title, it’s really a story about the Young Avengers, with Billy at its center as he struggles to control his powerful, reality-altering abilities. Billy, Tommy, and Co. search for Wanda Maximoff, who had been missing since she lost control of her powers and who rewrote the entire Marvel universe in the House of M series, not unlike what she did to Westview in WandaVision. In Children’s Crusade, Billy and Tommy reunite with their mother for the first time since their souls occupied new bodies and they became superheroes.
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade (2010) no. 6Marvel Comics
While the context would have to be significantly changed to fit within the greater MCU narrative, Marvel Studios could adapt elements of The Children’s Crusade to center either on Billy searching for Tommy, or on the Young Avengers as they attempt to resurrect Wanda after her apparent death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. What with Wanda’s obvious connections to the world of Agatha All Along and its leading characters, many viewers expected that Elizabeth Olsen would reprise her role as the Scarlet Witch for the show’s grand finale. But such a star-studded return would have surely overshadowed a story that belonged to Agatha and her pet-turned-student Billy, and Marvel can now save that tale for when the timing is right.
Whatever journey lies ahead for Billy and the soon-to-be-reborn Tommy, it’s also unclear whether Schaeffer will have a direct part in shaping it. With Schaeffer busy with Agatha All Along, Marvel Studios tapped another showrunner to lead the second WandaVision spinoff, Vision Quest, across the finish line. And Schaeffer recently told Deadline that there isn’t anything else in development with her and the powerhouse studio: “I’m not working on anything right now for Marvel, but it is my hope that there will be more for [Billy], both because I’m such an admirer of Joe [Locke], and because I think the character is really interesting.”
Given the success of Agatha All Along, which received strong reviews and promising viewership numbers that increased as the series went on, it would be a mistake on Marvel’s part to simply let Schaeffer go after she created two of Marvel’s most popular streaming titles, especially considering the scarcity of consistency and creative direction across the vast majority of Marvel Television’s shows. Schaeffer has proven that she is exactly the kind of filmmaker that the studio needs to lean on as it continues to revamp its approach to storytelling on the small screen.
Agatha All Along may not have had the most satisfying conclusion when it came to its protagonist, but by repackaging much of what worked in WandaVision in a clever way, Marvel added another quality entry to its TV library. And by expanding on the untapped world of witchcraft, using some incredible practical sets and effects to capture it, Agatha All Along became the latest Marvel project to demonstrate that not every MCU project has to look or feel the same in style or substance. Including Billy, the ghost of Agatha, and Jen Kale—who’s flying off into the sunset somewhere—there are now even more witches in a world full of superheroes, as the supernatural continues to find a place in a multiverse that is still (somehow) only scratching the surface of how dynamic and diverse it is in the comics.
Although nostalgia may be in for now, Marvel Studios will need to continue to innovate if it hopes to survive the superhero fatigue that has contributed to its dwindling box office and streaming numbers in recent years, especially as James Gunn’s DCU reboot looms. If Schaeffer and Hahn can turn a minor comic book character like Agatha—and one catchy jingle—into another streaming hit, there are still plenty of narrative avenues Marvel can capitalize on that don’t rely on a mutant or returning star to carry the company.
Me just ranting. Well my day has been a complete **** show. A ******* tourists rat bastard dog just killed 7 of my lambs and tore off the faces of three ewes. And now I have to get more ******* paperwork and legal **** to get compensation from the owner for the cost of the dead lambs. **** MY LIFE.
CHICAGO — A child was killed and three others, including an infant, were injured in a crash along DuSable Lake Shore Drive on Sunday afternoon.
According to Chicago police, the deadly crash unfolded just before 5:20 p.m. in the 5300 block of Lake Shore Drive.
Authorities say the driver of a Chevy Malibu, a 31-year-old man, was traveling along the roadway when he lost control of the vehicle and struck several objects.
Amid the crash, a 3-year-old girl suffered life-threatening injuries. She was later taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Three others, including a 9-month-old girl, a 9-year-old girl and a 25-year-old woman, were all taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Currently, it is unclear why the driver lost control of the car.
Authorteis have not yet identifeied any of the vicitms.
It’s time for a jam-packed episode of House of R! Mal and Jo break down the electrifying trailer for the new Star Wars show, The Acolyte (06:12). Then they dive into their first episode of House of Reads as they enter da book club and talk about The Three-Body Problem (41:53). Later they bring on Zach Kram to discuss all of the spoiler-filled goodness that might come in the new TV adaptation (63:27).
Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson Guest: Zach Kram Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopal Social: Jomi Adeniran
The defendant, now 20 and with continuing interim name suppression, appeared before Judge Kathryn Maxwell in Auckland District Court this morning as she mused over his unusually substantive criminal history for someone so young.
He has spent some of his time since the March 5, 2022, shooting remanded in a maximum security jail cell, where he has at times spent 23 hours per day in lockdown.
“You have to take some responsibility, though, of course, for that difficulty on remand,” the judge said, blaming the difficult conditions on “how you are acting in prison”.
The defendant was ordered to serve a sentence of five years and seven months for three counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm with a firearm and a concurrent six-month sentence for receiving $1700 worth of stolen goods as the result of an unrelated road rage incident.
He was 18 when arrested last year for the shooting, which took place around 2am on a Saturday on central Auckland’s Fort St, where some businesses catering to the nightclub scene remained open.
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