Category: 6. Sports

Melbourne [Australia], August 19 (ANI): Sam Konstas knows he will need a massive run of performances in the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield if he is to hold on to his Test place for the upcoming Ashes. The young batter, however, is trying to block out the outside noise and rely on the advice of his close circle, as per ESPNcricinfo.

Konstas had a tough outing in the recent series against West Indies, managing just 50 runs in six innings. While the conditions were difficult for both teams’ top orders, it was still a disappointing return in what was his first Test series since making his debut against India last season.

After taking a short break following the West Indies tour, Konstas has resumed training with New South Wales. He is set to return to competitive action on the four-day leg of the Australia A tour of India next month. His real test will come in the domestic circuit when the Shield resumes in October.

“It’s massive, it’s going to be a big four games and I expect that,” Konstas said on the day a new four-year deal with Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL) was announced that will keep him at the club until 2029, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

“But for me, (it’s about) just being in the present moment, don’t get too fixated about the outcome and just be very process-driven in those games. Not getting too fazed about what other people say, and obviously have that inner circle that I trust,” he added.

“For me it’s just trying to best prepare, and then obviously trusting what I think is right in that current moment,” Konstas noted.

“It was my first time playing in the West Indies, and first time facing those bowlers. They bowled well and hopefully I can build from that experience,” he said.

“Adopting the right mindset, training hard, not leaving any regrets. For me, that’s the big thing, just the way I prepare, and especially with the people that I trust, having honest conversations with them when necessary and leaving it to that,” he added.

Having been fast-tracked into the national side after just 11 first-class matches, Konstas has been learning much of his craft at the highest level. The Australian management believes that although the West Indies tour was a setback, it won’t hinder his long-term progress. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

The clock is counting down and excitement is building as USA prepares to begin their Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 campaign in England.

The team named for the Opening Match will be announced by Head Coach Sione Fukofuka on Wednesday August 20th.

The Women’s Eagles squad contains several players experiencing this competition for the first time – it’s time to get to know them…

Keia Mae Sagapolu

Keia Mae Sagapolu is a tighthead prop, hailing from Tacoma, Washington. She made her USA debut in 2023 against Spain and has earned 19 caps to this point.

Sagapolu has just signed for Loughborough Lightning in the PWR, after previously being a collegiate all-American in 2022 and 2023.

In 2023, she received the MA Sorensen Award, awarded to the top women’s collegiate rugby player in the nation.

Alivia Leatherman

Alivia Leatherman is a loosehead prop from Parma, Ohio. 

Alvia plays for Trailfinders Women in England’s PWR. At only 23, she became a key part of the Trailfinders scrum last season and impressed with her power in the carry. 

Leatherman made her USA debut against Italy in 2023 and has seven caps to date. 

Paige Stathopoulos

Paige Stathopoulos is a hooker who is originally from Sandwich, Massachusetts and plays for Boston Banshees in Women’s Elite Rugby. 

Paige has played for USA 7s, Trailfinders Women and Boston University. 

She earned collegiate all-American honours in 2015, and made her USA debut in 2023 against Wales, going on to earn her first call-up to a World Cup in the 2025 squad.

Away from rugby, Stathopoulos works as a project manager.

Hope Cooper

Hope Cooper has yet to earn an international cap, but Head Coach Sione Fukofuka believes in her potential and called her up to the 2025 World Cup squad.

The hooker featured for USA pathways in both the 2019 Women’s Collegiate all-American team and the 2022 USA U23 tour of Canada.

Hope is a multi-sport athlete having competed in basketball, swimming and volleyball throughout High School.

Rachel Ehrecke

25-year-old Rachel Ehrecke is an experienced flanker who plays for Denver Onyx in Women’s Elite Rugby.

Rachel previously played for DMP Sharks, Colorado Grey Wolves and Penn State University, where she won a national championship.

Her first USA cap was against Canada in 2021, and she has gone on to make 23 appearances for her country.

Emerson Allen

Emerson Allen, 26, is a lock who will be staying in England after the World Cup as she has just signed for Leicester Tigers. 

Emerson previously represented TC Gemini in WER and has two caps to date for the USA. 

Away from rugby, Emerson enjoys crocheting and hiking, and has worked as a personal trainer at a gym in Minnesota.

Tahlia Brody

Tahlia Brody is a 30-year-old back rower with 20 caps for the USA Eagles. 

Tahlia has played for numerous clubs across the world and has just moved from Leicester Tigers to local rivals Loughborough Lightning.

At Tigers, she was a crucial figure, scoring 12 tries in 21 games.

Brody is a massive Star Wars fan.

Freda Tafuna

Aged only 21, Freda Tafuna already has 13 caps for the USA Eagles, having made her debut against Australia in 2023. 

Freda is still at college, playing for Lindenwood University, where she is captain, and a back-to-back MA Sorensen Award winner, the only player to win the award twice.

The back row is of Tongan descent and was encouraged to pick up rugby by her sister.

Cassidy Bargell

Cassidy Bargell is a 25-year-old scrum-half from Silverthorne, Colorado. 

Cassidy plays for the Boston Banshees, having studied Integrative Biology at Harvard University. 

The scrum-half has eight caps for the USA, having made her debut against South Africa in 2024.

Before making her first appearance for the Eagles, Cassidy overcame ulcerative colitis, which resulted in numerous abdominal surgeries, meaning she now lives with an ostomy.

Kristin Bitter

Kristin Bitter is a 24-year-old fly-half and centre from San Diego, California. 

She started playing rugby at 16 and has played for Dartmouth College and Denver Onyx, while she will be joining some of her compatriots in England after the tournament having recently signed for the PWR’s Leicester Tigers.

Bitter has four caps for the Eagles so far, and in her spare time enjoys surfing and fishing. 

Emily Henrich

Emily Henrich, 25, is a centre who plays for Leicester Tigers in the PWR.

Originally from Buffalo, New York, she started playing rugby aged six and made her Eagles debut at 18 against the Black Ferns.

Growing up, Emily was a nationally ranked aerial skier and won an Eastern Championships title aged 14.

Nana Fa’avesi

Joanne ‘Nana’ Fa’avesi is a double Olympian in 7s for the USA during the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. 

Nana has earned six caps for the USA in 15s, making her debut in 2016 against France, going to her first World Cup nearly ten years later. 

The 33-year-old is the youngest of seven children, and is of Tongan, Samoan and German descent. 

Erica Coulibaly

Erica Coulibaly is a promising outside back who recently made her debut for The Eagles in the lead-up to her first World Cup.

She earned her first cap against Japan after an impressive season with the WER title-winning Denver Onyx.

Erica picked up playing rugby at the University of Iowa when, during COVID, she wanted a new activity and community.

Sariah Ibarra

Sariah Ibarra is one of the youngest players to ever play a Test match, at just 19 years old when she played against Japan in 2024. 

Sariah played for New Zealand U18S 7s, having moved there to develop her rugby game. 

The full-back boarded at Hamilton Girls’ High School after moving away from her home in California, only to return when she was selected to represent the USA in both 7s and XVs.

USA Women’s Eagles Match Schedule | Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

USA v England

August 22 | 2:30 pm ET | Stadium of Light, Sunderland

Paramount+

USA v Australia

August 30 | 2:30 pm ET | York Community Stadium, York

Paramount+

USA v Samoa

September 6 | 8:30 am ET | York Community Stadium, York

CBS, Paramount+

Quarterfinals Begin September 13

LUANDA (Angola) – AfroBasket reigning champions Tunisia saw their 2025 campaign come to an abrupt end after an 87-54 loss to Cape Verde on Tuesday in Luanda.

It was Tunisia’s third loss in four games in the Angolan capital. Before the Classification Round for the Quarterfinals, Tunisia lost Nigeria, Cameroon but they trounced Madagascar 81-60 in their final Group B game.

Cape Verde came back from the locker fired up, outscoring Tunisia 22-5 in the third quarter before settling for the 33-point victory.

By the time the islanders of Cape Verde reached a 60-38 lead in the third quarter, the game was literally over although Tunisia tried to put on a fight.

With the win, Cape Verde are back in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive time, having finished fourth four years ago in Kigali, Rwanda.

Substitutes Keven Gomes, Anderson Correia, Joel Almeida made their presence for Cape Verde, contributing 14 points apiece.

Jawhar Jawadi led Tunisia in scoring with 19 points.

TURNING POINT: The Cape Verdean islanders made their intentions clear early on.

Betinho Gomes opened the scoring with a long two-point jumper, then finished a drive to give his team a 4-0 lead.

Cape Verde’s 10-0 scoring run sparked edge-to-edge dominance, giving them a 25-13 lead in the second quarter. Tunisia responded with a 6-0 run, but the three-time African champions never took the lead.

HEROES: In a relatively quiet day for Cape Verde’s starters, it was their bench that got the job done, outscoring Tunisia’s reserves 51-13.

Ivan Almeida ran the team’s offense and dished out a game-high seven assists, contributing 11 points.

STATS DON’T LIE: Cape Verde improved their shooting in the final 20 minutes after missing all eleven of their three-point attempts in the first half.

They finished 7-for-22 from deep and defeated a team that had beaten them in the 2021 AfroBasket semifinals.

One stat that really stood out was Cape Verde’s bench’s contribution. They recorded one of the largest discrepancies (51-13) between bench performances in the tournament.

BOTTOM LINE: Cape Verde’s complete domination over Tunisia left the FIBA AfroBasket vacant.

Tunisia will miss the last eight of the tournament for the first time since losing to Egypt 77–67 in the round of 16 in 2013.

It’s the first time that an AfroBasket champions fails to advance to the quarterfinals in three decades.

WHAT THEY SAID: “For us the goal was to qualify the team for the AfroBasket without any risks. Next we have the World Cup qualifications in November. It’s part of our rebuilding process. We have skilled players who will help us on this challenge.” – Tunisia head coach Mehdy Mary.

“This is a group of veterans, we are taking game by game. We are not thinking ahead of things, we are enjoying the moment.” – Cape Verde forward Ivan Almeida.

FIBA

Manchester Originals completed only the third 10-wicket victory in the history of The Hundred women’s competition as they defeated Trent Rockets at Trent Bridge.

Captain Beth Mooney hit 47 from 37 deliveries and Kathryn Bryce 61 from 45 as Originals chased their target of 112 with 18 balls to spare.

England bowlers Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Filer starred in the Rockets innings, taking 2-12 and 3-23 respectively as Originals restricted the home side to 111-7.

Ecclestone picked up two stumpings, dismissing opener Nat Wraith and her England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who top-scored for Rockets with 34.

Meanwhile Filer had Rockets skipper Ash Gardner caught by Ecclestone at long-on and then returned to remove Alana King and Ellie Threkeld in the final five balls of the innings.

The top five for Rockets all made starts but failed to push on, and the home side struggled to hit boundaries after Sciver-Brunt’s dismissal, failing to breach the ropes after the 74th ball of the innings.

The visiting openers had no such issues, with Mooney striking five fours and one six and Bryce eight fours as their record opening partnership for Originals set up a comprehensive victory.

The win moves Originals into the play-off places with four wins from six matches, while Rockets remain in sixth with four defeats from five games.

Following dismal performances of Pakistan team across all formats, three top players, including former skipper Babar Azam were demoted in the central contracts released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday.

Mohammed Rizwan, who along with Babar, were the only players in Category A last year, have been demoted to Category B, while Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood, who was in Category B last year has now been placed in Category D. Both Babar and Rizwan were also left out of Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE.

Advertisement

In fact, the PCB has not awarded the prestigious category A contracts to any player for the 2025-26 season, and has placed 10 players each in all the three categories B, C and D, marking a slight increase in the total number of centrally contracted players from 27 to 30.

Fakhar Zaman, who missed out on a central contract for the first time in eight years in 2024 amid disciplinary hearings, is back in category B.

In its official statement, the PCB pointedly stated the absence of a player in the highest band. “Notably, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle,” the statement said.

There have been promotions elsewhere, though. Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha and Shadab Khan have all been promoted to category B. Sufiyan Muqim, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris, each of whom did not have a central contract last year, have been awarded one – the first one in the cases of Muqim and Hasan.

Meanwhile, several players dropped out of the central contract list altogether, notably Aamir Jamal, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Irfan Khan Niazi and Usman Khan.

This is the final year of the landmark three-year deal the players reached with the PCB on central contracts.

Category B: Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Category C: Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel

Category D: Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim jr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, Sufyan Muqim

Maddie Phillips has been appointed captain of Brentford Women for the 2025/26 season.

Now in her third campaign with the Bees, Phillips steps into the role after winning the Player of the Year award last term.

Joining her in a leadership position is Regan Graver, who will take up the vice-captaincy.

After captaining the side for the first time in last weekend’s 1-0 win over Aylesford, Phillips – a lifelong Brentford fan – said it was an honour she didn’t see coming.

“It’s amazing, it was unexpected to be honest,” she admitted.

“It’s a really nice feeling to have that recognition from Carly [Williams] coming in as a new head coach and the votes from the players is obviously really nice to have.”

“It obviously means a lot more to me being a Brentford fan and wanting to play for the club. To be able to lead the club means a lot to me.”

New head coach Carly Williams was full of praise for Phillips and the leadership she has already shown, as well as her potential with the armband.

“Maddie is someone that leads by example, she is an effective communicator and wants to do her best by the team and herself, always striving for high standards,” said Williams.

“As a club we feel that Maddie has the qualities and potential to be a great leader for the 2025/26 season, and I look forward to supporting her as she transitions into this role.

“Maddie shows good levels of humility, she is approachable and is well respected on and off the pitch by staff and players.”

While the captaincy will be an important role as the Bees step into tier five, the defender said it would require a group effort this season.

“To be honest it didn’t feel any different, it just felt like a normal game. I think all of us get stuck in and we all work together to get through and get the win,” explained Phillips.

“Obviously there’s an element of pressure to it as well which I definitely feel, it’s a big job.

“We need to work together as a group and that leadership comes from all of the players, not just one, so I think that’s really important going into this year that we build on that.”

Phillips has replaced Mollie Holmes in the role, who retired following last season’s league triumph and subsequent promotion.

She said she would take plenty from Holmes’ leadership style into her own captaincy.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill from Mollie, she did so many amazing things as captain,” Phillips continued. “If I can be half the captain that she was then I’ll be happy.

“Mollie was a really approachable person, she was a people person, she loved everyone, she got on with everyone, she was someone you could really go to for anything.

“On the pitch, she was so calm and she would control the game in that aspect. I want to take her composure, especially on the pitch, but also the sort of person she was off the pitch and the culture she created in the group.”

Real Madrid’s odds are on fire going into a season debut against Osasuna. Vegas is either overlooking Real’s top-half opponent, or Los Blancos are about to look “real” great in La Liga’s contest today.

* The bonus code GOALBET can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way.

How to Claim the bet365 bonus code offer

Legal soccer gamblers can claim bet365 bonus offer if currently living in the states of AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, and VA.

Just go with the easy steps below to get bet365’s promo code offer:

1. Choose up to a $1,000 first bet safety net, orbet $5 to get the $150 bonus offer
2. Register for your account with the bonus code GOALBET
3. Make a first deposit of at least $10 for either sportsbook bonus offer
4. The first bet safety net needs a cash bet of any size, while the Bet-and-Get promo needs at least a $5 bet to qualify.
5. Bonus funds are available for seven days.

* The bonus code GOALBET can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way.

For those with the safety net offer, if your first bet loses, bet365 will match your stake (up to $1,000) in bonuses. If your bet wins, then you get the profits from the win, and keep your original deposit.  

What can you use your bet365 bonus code on today?

The bet365 bonus code can be used to make house-money picks on today’s Real Madrid home game against visiting Osasuna, a drastic underdog in the moneyline odds available at bet365.

Real Madrid was getting a reputation as an old pros’ team that warmed up to its weekly calendar in steady fashion. Forget that. Los Blancos are prohibitive (-400) bet365 favorites to beat Osasuna, a top-half club last season, in each team’s La Liga debut at 3 p.m. EST today on ESPN Deportes.

Osasuna is not a flash-in-the-pan, nor is it a promoted top-level team. But promoted teams are priced at brave odds to win their early-season La Liga matchups compared to Osasuna’s poor (-1100) line to pull off an upset in Madrid in Round 1. Only two visiting strikers are drawing better than (+600) player-proposition odds to score against Los Blancos, a (-2) favorite on the sportsbook’s spread.

It’s curious that Real is such a popular opening-day pick, because the club has come across insecure a number of times this summer. Real Madrid assailed La Liga’s headquarters to postpone its league debut as long as possible; there’s no chance that August 19 was the date that Real had in mind.

Then there was July’s other administrative row, when Los Blancos protested Barca being allowed to schedule its opening game in Miami. Imagine if NFL teams went so berserk over Brazil’s dates.  

Real’s summer lineup isn’t boosted with many marquee transfers, either. Manager Xabi Alonso has spoken with regret about Los Blancos running out of money after spending $176 million on its roster. But oh, what a collection of talent all those millions has purchased. Kylian Mbappé, Vini Jr., and Jude Bellingham are just three attackers who’re helping the O/U line to a healthy (3) today.

Mbappé leads prop betting with an expensive (-170) line to score, while Vini Jr. only draws (+105) bet365 odds in the same market. Forward Ante Budimir leads Osasuna’s scoring props at (+260).  

More info on bet365’s bonus code

bet365 promo offer	Bet $5 or more, get $150 in sports bonuses
bet365 promo code	Click this link and sign up using the code GOALBET
bet365 promo offer terms and conditions	New customers only, 21+ (18+ in KY). Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Available in AZ, CO, NJ, IA, IL, KS, KY, IN, LA, NC, VA, PA, TN, OH only. Bet $5 and Get $150 in Sports Bonuses at bet365. Registration required. A deposit (minimum $10) is required to participate in this offer. You must claim the offer via the bet365 app, within 30 days of registering your account. Once released, your Sports Bonuses will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable.T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.

* The bonus code GOALBET can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way.

bet365 promo offer	Get a first bet safety net up to $1,000 in sports bonuses.
bet365 promo code	Click this link and sign up using the code GOALBET
bet365 promo offer terms and conditions	New players only, 21+ (18+ in KY). Gambling Problem? Call or Text 1-800-GAMBLER. Available in AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA only. Place a qualifying bet of up to $1000 to be eligible for a matched refund in Sports Bonuses if your qualifying bet loses. A deposit (minimum $10) is required to participate in this offer. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Registration required.

* The bonus code GOALBET can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way.

Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall have made a big decision regarding leaving the UK on a permanent basis.

Amid Zara and her husband Mike Tindall’s Australia trip, the GB News has reported the royal couple do not have a permanent base in Australia and have no imminent plans to move abroad.

Previously, speaking to Australian Women’s Weekly in 2019, King Charles niece had suggested that relocating to Australia one day could be on the cards.

Zara Tindall had said, “Probably not while I’m still competing. It would be a little bit hard commuting. But after that, yes, I think if an opportunity came up, we’d definitely think about it.”

Mike Tindall, a former England rugby player had added: “It’s not a rushed lifestyle. I think it’s a great place and we enjoy it so much.”

The couple recently shared photos and videos from Australia trip.

Sharing their loved-up photo on Instagram, they said, “We had the chance to spend a few days on Hamilton Island this week – despite all the times we have been to Australia we have never been here before and it’s been amazing.”

“It’s our first time being out on the water in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park too and it really was unreal, Queensland definitely has it all. Made some incredible memories.”

Zara and Mike tied the knot in 2011 after dating for eight years.

Vekić explains, “After having such a good run at Wimbledon I had a lot of confidence going to the Olympics. I was very tired and not thinking too much, just playing my game. Every time before the clay season starts, I always [ask], ‘Okay, what can I change, what can I add?’, I’m overthinking and then I lose my head a little bit.”

Then suddenly, everything clicked. The Croatian overcame former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu before stunning second seed and another Grand Slam winner in Coco Gauff in the third round. Though played on Court Philippe-Chatrier, this was not an extension of the French Open by any means.

“The conditions were a little bit different than Roland-Garros,” the silver medallist explains of how the clay conditions benefitted her. “It was a lot warmer, the balls were different, everything helped a little – and playing for your country it’s different as well.”

Vekić will be 32 by the time of the next Games in LA 2028, still three years away. “That’s very far, let’s see about LA,” she responds to the possibility of competing at a third Olympic Games, having debuted at Tokyo 2020 back in 2021.

She knows that she will be even more invested in her fashion endeavours by then, from the Olympic flame to her own flame. “I have my own brand of candles and diffusers,” she concludes, “I don’t have a lot of time for that, but it’s something I’ll definitely focus on after my career.”

Opening Night on NBC & Peacock (Oct. 21):

Rockets at Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET): The 2024-25 season saw Oklahoma City set the record for regular-season point differential (+12.9), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win Kia NBA MVP and, ultimately, hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. To open 2025-26, OKC will collect more hardware as it will receive championship rings and raise its title banner before tipping off the new season.

Waiting on the other side will be Kevin Durant and the new-look Rockets. Houston ended a four-year playoff drought last season by finishing right behind OKC as the No. 2 seed … and then traded for one of the league’s all-time great scorers this summer to take the next step. Can Gilgeous-Alexander and the champs pick up where they left off, or will Durant and the Rockets make an Opening Night statement?

Warriors at Lakers (10 p.m. ET): To tip off an NBA record 23rd season for No. 23, LeBron James will face Stephen Curry, marking the latest chapter in a legendary rivalry that’s produced four NBA Finals matchups and countless regular-season classics.

That includes last year, which saw an epic Christmas Day finish before James (37.5 points per game) and Curry (37 ppg) combined for 74.5 ppg in their last two matchups as Los Angeles won the season series, 3-1.

Adding to the intrigue? Both teams enter 2025-26 with last year’s midseason additions fully integrated. Luka Dončić looks to take the Lakers over the top, while Jimmy Butler III brings his two-way intensity to the Bay.

---

Christmas 2025 on ABC & ESPN:

Cavaliers at Knicks (Noon ET): Where else to begin Christmas Day but at the World’s most famous arena? Five 2025 All-Stars headline this matchup of East powers as Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns lead the Knicks against Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and the Cavs as both teams eye a championship run.

New York made the deeper playoff run last spring, but still couldn’t solve Cleveland in the regular season, going 0-4 against the East’s top seed. The Knicks get two early chances to flip the script on the national stage, first in both teams’ season-opener on Oct. 22 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and again under the holiday spotlight.

Spurs at Thunder (2:30 p.m. ET): Fresh off an NBA title, the Thunder are back playing on Christmas for the first time since 2018. Their matchup? Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and the rising Spurs.

In his Christmas debut last year, Wembanyama put on a show by breaking the Spurs’ Christmas scoring record with 42 points (he also had 18 rebounds and four blocks). Fox, an eight-year veteran and 2023 All-Star, will be seeing his first Dec. 25 action. What will he and Wembanyama have in store against Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champs?

Mavericks at Warriors (5 p.m. ET): Klay Thompson’s first return to the Bay last November produced an instant classic, with him and Curry combining for 11 3-pointers. One month later, the two teams faced off again, combining for an NBA-record 48 triples.

This year, Thompson heads back to Golden State for a holiday homecoming, leading a new-look Mavs squad alongside rookie Cooper Flagg and veteran Anthony Davis. Will we see more fireworks?

Rockets at Lakers (8 p.m. ET): Only two active players rank in the top 10 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list: LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Fans get a Christmas treat as the two legends face off in primetime in their 44th career matchup.

James, the all-time scoring leader, is 19-10 in the regular-season record against Durant (but Durant is 9-5 in their postseason matchups). Adding to the intrigue, Dončić is slated to make his Lakers Christmas debut, with rising Rockets star Amen Thompson potentially tasked with guarding him.

Timberwolves at Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET): One is a highlight waiting to happen. The other is an offensive tactician. To close out Christmas Day, they’ll meet, as Anthony Edwards’ Wolves visit Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets.

Edwards and Jokić offer contrasting yet highly effective styles. However, Minnesota has held the upper hand in this budding rivalry, winning the teams’ 2024 Western Conference semifinals matchup in seven games before sweeping last year’s regular-season series. Can the Nuggets turn the tide, or will the Wolves continue their recent dominance?

---

NBA on MLK Day on NBC & Peacock (Jan. 19)

Bucks at Hawks (1 p.m. ET, Peacock): Milwaukee and Atlanta met five times last season, including in the 2024 NBA Emirates Cup semifinals, which saw the Bucks advance en route to winning the Cup. Now, both teams have retooled around their stars in hopes of making a playoff push.

Giannis Antetokounmpo leads a revamped Milwaukee roster, which added Myles Turner in the offseason and parted ways with Damian Lillard. Atlanta has surrounded Trae Young with three key additions (Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard) and MLK Day will mark the first meeting of the two East contenders this season, giving fans a glimpse into how each team’s offseason moves have fared.

Thunder at Cavaliers (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock): Last season’s top regular-season teams meet for the first time. They split two of the most anticipated matchups of 2024-25, with Cleveland winning a 129-122 thriller on Jan. 8 before OKC responded emphatically eight days later.

Fast forward 12 months and the two heavyweights — still loaded with star power — face off again, offering a first look at how this version of last season’s top seeds stack up.

Mavericks at Knicks (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock): The last time Flagg took the floor at Madison Square Garden was in February, when he posted 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists to lead Duke past Illinois, 110-67. 

Now comes his NBA debut at the MSG and a far tougher blue-and-orange clad test in the New York Knicks, who can send three high-level wings at him (Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby). Flagg won’t be the only No. 1 pick in action either, as former Kentucky bigs Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns battle inside.

Celtics at Pistons (8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock): Detroit didn’t just double its win total from 2023-24 last season — it tripled it. A playoff team in 2024-25, the Pistons will host the Celtics in primetime to close out MLK Day.

It’s an Eastern Conference clash between a perennial contender and a potential rising power … and both teams will look different this season. Can the Celtics stay atop the East with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) sidelined? And will Detroit maintain its momentum with the additions of Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert?