TEMPE — Arizona State senior guard Adam Miller was tossed in the second half of a 74-70 loss to TCU on Saturday, his second ejection over a four-game span.
Miller was called for a foul on a drive, displayed his displeasure with the call and was assessed a technical foul. Another technical foul was assessed for his reaction, and he headed for the locker room straightaway with 16:37 left in the game.
“Adam disagreed with the call, and he said things he’s not allowed to say, and I heard him say it,” coach Bobby Hurley said postgame. “So he’s gonna have to, you know, own that now.”
The game was already a bit testy, as double-technical fouls were assessed to center Shawn Phillips Jr. and his TCU counterpart, Malick Diallo, early in the first half.
Miller had four points (1-for-4 shooting), one rebound and one assist in his 20 minutes.
One possession prior to his ejection, he had a steal for a powerful dunk that ignited the crowd with his team trailing, 41-37.
ASU has had its discipline issues this season, including when BJ Freeman earned his own ejection late in a Feb. 1 matchup with Arizona for headbutting Caleb Love. Freeman also had an earlier ejection in the first Colorado matchup on Jan. 4.
Miller’s first ejection came on Feb. 4 against Kansas State for appearing to slap guard Dug McDaniel while away from the play, later earning a one-game suspension in addition to the toss.
“If we were just getting smacked by 30 every night and we were a disaster of a team, then they probably wouldn’t care enough to be issued some of these violations and some of the conduct stuff,” Hurley said. “But I believe the group truly cares and they wanna win.
“We’ve been in a lot of hard games that we haven’t been able to win, so I’m very conflicted about how I feel about it.”
Both Freeman and Miller are considered key senior leaders for the team.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ray Harrison scored 19 points as GCU beat UT Arlington 82-75 on Saturday.
Harrison added five rebounds and three assists for the Antelopes (19-6, 9-2 Western Athletic Conference).
GCU guard Makaih Williams was playing the Mavericks for the first time since transferring out from UT Arlington before this season. Aside from how he shot the ball (0-for-5 from the field), he had a strong performance with five assists, four rebounds and three steals.
Tyon Grant-Foster scored 18 points and added five assists and three blocks. JaKobe Coles shot 4-of-9 from the field, including 1-for-3 from 3-point range, and went 4-for-6 from the line to finish with 13 points, while adding eight rebounds and three steals.
Darius Burford led the Mavericks (12-14, 5-7) in scoring, finishing with 14 points, one of six in double figures. Former Eastern Arizona College wing Raysean Seamster added 12 points and six rebounds for UT Arlington. Diante Smith also put up 12 points.
GCU hosts Cal Baptist on Feb. 22 for its homecoming game, which will be followed by a rematch against UT Arlington on Feb. 27.
SCOTTSDALE — Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen described his club as one without many open seats, which is a good sign for any team.
Particularly with the position players, as most starting spots are pretty clearly marked.
Josh Naylor will take over the reins at first base, while Pavin Smith and Randal Grichuk are positioned to platoon similar to how Grichuk and Joc Pederson did so last season to great success. The rest of the infield is back from 2024, as is catcher Gabriel Moreno.
The outfield, meanwhile, is a deep position group the Diamondbacks will have to manage based on health and performance. How they balance playing time — specifically for Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas — is not something manager Torey Lovullo is thinking about this early but will come up closer to the season.
Two roles that will require camp competition to sort out are backup catcher to Moreno and utility infielder.
With full squad workouts scheduled for Monday, let’s look into some early comments that peek into the club’s thinking.
Diamondbacks position competitions
Backup catcher
Jose Herrera has built up a lot of trust in Arizona’s clubhouse, someone Lovullo called a “true Arizona Diamondback.” He’s been with the organization for nearly a dozen years and has gone back-and-forth between the majors and minors over the last three. Herrera has experienced 126 major league games in that span.
Rookie Adrian Del Castillo crushed the ball when he first debuted last season while Moreno was on the injured list, providing much higher offensive upside. Herrera has a career .537 OPS as a switch-hitter. Del Castillo, a left-handed bat, worked an .893 OPS in 87 MLB plate appearances last year while slashing 1.002 in Triple-A Reno.
A pretty notable wrinkle in this decision, as Hazen pointed out, is that Herrera is out of minor league options. He has to make the team or else another can claim him.
“He’s done a great job for us, he fits into our clubhouse, great balance with Gabi,” Hazen said of Herrera. “Del carried us offensively last year in so many different ways. I still want to see from Del improvement from behind the plate. It’s the hardest position to play in the game, so that comes with time.
“I thought he held his own really well last year — obviously offensively, take that aside — but even defensively. But I would like to see from a defensive standpoint him take that next step forward.”
That has been the focus for Del Castillo this winter as he strives to improve as a thrower and pitch framer.
Herrera is not quite Moreno when it comes to defensive prowess, either, as few catchers in the game are. Lovullo described Herrera as someone who can manage the staff and maintain a level of stability.
“The thing I’ve continued to say about Jose, and I told him in his one-on-one (meeting), is that when Gabi comes out of the game, Gabi has a certain set of tools that is very rare in this game, but the game doesn’t go backwards,” Lovullo said. “Jose keeps the line moving and has a very good feel for his pitchers and does a great job behind the plate.”
Lovullo said the club has a great catching situation and Herrera is going to compete, but early indications suggest he has the inside track. Del Castillo continuing to make defensive strides will push his envelope.
Rene Pinto, Aramis Garcia and Christian Cerda are the other three backstops in major league camp.
Backup infielder
The backup shortstop and utility role Kevin Newman occupied last year will be fought for in camp by newcomers and incumbents.
The Diamondbacks will need someone able to move around the infield and fill in for Eugenio Suarez at third, Geraldo Perdomo and shortstop and Ketel Marte at second base when it is time to get them off their feet. Even though this is a backup role, Newman received over 300 plate appearances due to injuries as an important floor raiser.
The Diamondbacks brought in veteran Garrett Hampson on a minor league deal, who filled a utility role with the Kansas City Royals last year by playing everywhere except catcher and doing so at a high level. His ability to play outfield is a bonus.
Blaze Alexander is another competitor, a terrific athlete who will need to show growth and stability at multiple defensive positions.
Top prospect and shortstop Jordan Lawlar may be “one of the first people hopefully we call upon,” Hazen said, but starting off in a bench role after the time he missed last year is “probably not what’s in his best interest.”
“We are going to need somebody that can move around the infield,” Hazen said before spring training. “If they can go into the outfield, that’s a bonus, kind of a two-for-one. But I think it’s more we need someone that’s going to move around the infield, second, third, short, more than outfield field at this point.”
The Diamondbacks claimed utility infielder Grae Kessinger from Houston to compete for this role and brought in non-roster invitees Ildemaro Vargas and Connor Kaiser.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia was awash in green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate its Super Bowl champions.
Swooning fans screamed and cheered Friday as MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie took turns hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the start of the team’s victory parade through the City of Brotherly Love.
Many fans camped out along the team’s parade route overnight, huddling under blankets and inside tents to secure prime spots near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the Eagles took the stage on the “Rocky” steps.
“You know I told myself that when I got drafted, that I wouldn’t come to the Rocky steps until I won a championship,” Hurts told cheering fans. “And now we’re here.”
Others decked out in Eagles jerseys climbed trees and light poles, perched themselves atop ladders and clung to a statue of Benjamin Franklin near City Hall to get a glimpse of record-setting running back Saquon Barkley and Cooper DeJean, the rookie defensive back who ran an interception into the end zone on his 22nd birthday.
“This team is special. We can’t be great without the greatness of others and that certainly applies to our fans,” said head coach Nick Sirianni.
Barkley, along with many other players, hopped off the open-air buses to walk along the parade route and exchange high-fives with fans who pressed against teetering barricades.
Jordan Jaindl, who couldn’t make it to the 2018 parade after the Eagles won their first Super Bowl, wasn’t going to miss this one, bringing his wife and three daughters from Binghamton, New York. This team, he said, was the embodiment of the city.
“Their work ethic,” he said. “How they have to grind for each win. We have to grind here in Philly.”
Fans showed up with grocery carts stocked with food and booze while a few stayed warm in a hotel, sipping champagne. One group roasted a pig with the number “15” carved into the side — a final shot at Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Eagles, despite being underdogs, dominated the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, shutting them out in the first half before finishing with a 40-22 victory.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, who made an amusing gaffe when she mangled the spelling of the “Eagles” as she led a chant last month, corrected herself earlier this week by calling them the “N-F-L-C-H-A-M-P-I-O-N-S.”
She and other city leaders implored the team’s exuberant fans to stay safe and keep the mood festive for the Valentine’s Day dinner crowd.
“Do not climb any light poles,” the mayor said. “In the midst of all this beauty, all of the sacrifices this team has made to meet this moment, we don’t want it to all go by the wayside.”
Despite her admonitions, a few fans stood on top of port-a-potties and city trucks downtown.
Just weeks ago, a college student died falling from a street pole after the Eagles’ won the NFC championship game. A year ago, a shooting at Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory rally left one person dead and nearly two dozen wounded.
There was a large police presence along the Philadelphia parade route, which stretches from South Philadelphia where the Eagles play all the way to City Hall and then onto the art museum.
Dump trucks and heavy equipment blocked many of the side streets along the route. City schools closed for the parade, along with city courts and other agencies.
STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — Tyon Grant-Foster had 19 points in Grand Canyon’s 64-60 victory over Tarleton State on Thursday night.
Grant-Foster also added eight rebounds for the Antelopes (18-6, 8-2 Western Athletic Conference). Duke Brennan scored 12 points and added 14 rebounds. JaKobe Coles shot 4 of 10 from the field and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points, while adding five rebounds and three blocks.
The Texans (10-16, 5-6) were led by Dantwan Grimes, who posted 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and six steals. Jordan Mizell added 15 points, six rebounds and two steals for Tarleton State. Izzy Miles had 15 points.
GCU’s win on Thursday keeps the ‘Lopes within reach of Utah Valley (17-7, 9-1) for first place in the WAC.
Next up
Both teams play on Saturday. Grand Canyon visits UT Arlington while Tarleton State hosts Seattle.
A federal judge in district court in Arizona on Thursday dismissed claims of defamation made by former Cardinals executive Terry McDonough, his wife and daughter against the team, its law firm and public relations firm.
Judge Dominic Lanza also granted the motion to compel arbitration made by the law firm and PR firm regarding McDonough’s claims of defamation, removing them from federal court.
Last year, an NFL arbitrator ordered the Cardinals to pay nearly $3 million to McDonough for making “false and defamatory” statements about him to the media.
Jeffrey Mishkin, the arbitrator appointed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, determined Arizona defamed McDonough in a CounterPoint Statement that accused him of “extreme domestic violence” and claimed he “abandoned responsibility” for his daughter and “cut her off financially.”
McDonough’s claims for unlawful retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy were dismissed. He sought up to $125 million in total damages.
Following the decision, McDonough, his wife, Lynette, and daughter, Caroline, filed a lawsuit alleging defamation and other related claims by the defendants: the Cardinals, their external law firm (Gallagher & Kennedy) and external PR firm (Counterpoint).
Judge Lanza determined the claims were unwarranted.
“We are pleased with the federal court ruling today in which a United States District Judge dismissed all of the McDonough claims against the team,” a team spokesman said in a statement.
McDonough worked 10 seasons for Arizona’s front office, including several years as vice president of player personnel.
The book is officially closed on the Arizona Cardinals’ 2024 campaign.
You know what that means? It’s NFL mock draft season!
There are plenty of shapes Arizona’s No. 16 overall pick can take given the team’s needs.
Does Arizona focus on a pass rusher? Does it trade the selection altogether for added draft capital? Maybe some premium veteran talent?
There’s definitely a lot of ways this can go, making for an eventful — and potentially chaotic — pre-draft season.
But don’t you worry! To help keep your head from spinning, our annual Arizona Sports Mock Draft Tracker is back up and running.
Here you’ll find a boatload of mocks from analysts around the NFL, leading up to the first round of the draft.
2025 Arizona Sports NFL Mock Draft Tracker: Who will the Arizona pick?
Player
Position
School
Mocked to Arizona (number of times)
James Pearce
EDGE
Tennessee
13
Jalon Walker
LB/EDGE
Georgia
10
Derrick Harmon
DT
Oregon
8
Kenneth Grant
DL
Michigan
7
Mykel Williams
EDGE
Georgia
4
Mike Green
EDGE
Marshall
4
Tyler Booker
OG
Alabama
3
Shemar Stewart
DL
Texas A&M
3
Walter Nolen
DL
Ole Miss
3
Josh Simmons
OT
Ohio State
2
Armand Membou
OT
Missouri
2
Benjamin Morrison
CB
Notre Dame
1
Princely Umanmielen
EDGE
Ole Miss
1
Nic Scourton
EDGE
Texas A&M
1
Luther Burden III
WR
Missouri
1
Kelvin Banks
OT
Texas
1
Trade
—
—
1
Jahdae Barron
CB
Texas
1
Matthew Golden
WR
Texas
1
Feb. 12
FTN (Mike Randle) Mike Randle’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 — Grant
Feb. 11
Pro Football Network (Owain Jones) Browns Select Abdul Carter as Myles Garrett’s Replacement, Ashton Jeanty Goes Top 10, and More — Pearce
NFL.com (Chad Reuter) Jets make deal for quarterback in one of five first-round trades — The Broncos send the No. 20 overall pick and a third- and sixth-round selection to the Cardinals in exchange for the No. 16 pick and fifth-rounder.
33rd Team (Kyle Crabbs) Post-Super Bowl Predictions For Entire First Round — Grant
CBS Sports (Mike Renner) Browns, Giants pass on Shedeur Sanders; Chiefs get Patrick Mahomes protection — Stewart
Feb. 10
SB Nation (Joseph Acosta) New No. 1 pick to Titans shapes post-Super Bowl projection — Harmon
USA Today (Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz) Could Abdul Carter threaten for top spot with first-round order set? — Nolen
The Athletic (Nick Baumgardner) After Super Bowl LIX, how might first three rounds look? — Green
Feb. 9
Pro Football Network (Ian Cummings) Cam Ward Goes First Overall, Ashton Jeanty Joins Tom Brady — Pearce
PFF (Trevor Sikkema) Abdul Carter goes No. 1, Chiefs target the trenches — Pearce
The Draft Network (Ryan Fowler) NFL Mock Draft 2025: Super Bowl LIX Edition — Golden
Feb. 8
Covers (Andrew Caley) 2025 NFL Mock Draft Version 1: Titans Grab Miami QB Cam Ward at No. 1 — Walker
Feb. 7
NFL Network (Cynthia Frelund) 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Shedeur Sanders to Saints; Steelers among 5 teams to go WR — Pearce
CBS Sports (Tom Fornelli) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Every NFC East club addresses offense except Eagles; Ashton Jeanty falls to surprise team — Pearce
Pro Football Network (Marco Enriquez) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Browns Replace Myles Garrett, Giants Land Shedeur Sanders, Bears Add to Their Offense — Walker
Feb. 6
CBS Sports (Josh Edwards) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders trade up to secure a QB, Colorado star lands in the Big Apple — Nolen
Feb. 4
Pro Football Network (Reese Decker) 3-Round 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Shedeur Sanders Heads to Broadway, Browns Get Their QB, and Raiders Add a Blue-Chip and a QB — Pearce
Feb. 3
For The Win (Christian D’Andrea) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Shedeur Sanders, welcome to Cleveland — Pearce
Pro Football Focus (Mason Cameron) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Penn State’s Abdul Carter goes No. 1, Browns select QB Cam Ward at No. 2 — Walker
NFL Network (Lance Zierlein) Lance Zierlein 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Giants land Travis Hunter; Bengals add WR for Joe Burrow — Booker
CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson) 2025 NFL mock draft: Browns select Mason Graham to shore up D-line; Giants pick Shedeur Sanders at No. 3 — Stewart
Feb. 2
The Draft Network (Justin Melo) NFL Mock Draft 2025: Post-Senior Bowl — Green
Pro Football Network (Jacob Infante) Titans Surprise and Pass on QB, Raiders Land Shedeur Sanders in Dream Scenario, and More — Walker
Feb. 1
For The Numbers (Jeff Ratcliffe) Jeff Ratcliffe’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 — Grant
Jan. 31
NFL.com (Eric Edholm) Eric Edholm 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders to New York! A top-five tight end? — Williams
Jan. 30
RotoBaller (Matt Donnelly) 2025 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 – Pre-Senior Bowl Mock for First Round — Walker
CBS Sports (Josh Edwards) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Titans punt on taking QB in first round; Patriots, Raiders select skill players in top 10 — Pearce
Arizona Republic (Theo Mackie) NFL mock draft 2025: Tennessee Titans aim for a top QB at No. 1, Penn State star moves up — Green
Pro Football Network (staff) Titans Make Massive Deal To Shake Up Round 1, Shedeur Sanders Slides, Ashton Jeanty Cracks Top 10 — Pearce
Jan. 29
Yahoo! Sports (Nate Tice and Charles McDonald) 2025 NFL mock draft 5.0: Titans take ‘generational’ talent, while QBs go 2-3 and Jets get a steal — Walker
NFL.com (Bucky Brooks) Bucky Brooks 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Titans take Shedeur Sanders at No. 1; Ashton Jeanty to Dallas — Pearce
Jan. 28
The Athletic (Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman) How many QBs in Rounds 1-2? Could Abdul Carter be Titans’ top pick? — Harmon
Pro Football Network (staff) Shedeur Sanders Lands in Tennessee, Ashton Jeanty New RB1 for the Cowboys — Grant
Jan. 27
CBS Sports (Josh Edwards) Commanders invest in protecting Jayden Daniels; Cowboys get Dak Prescott a new playmaker — Pearce
Pro Football Focus (Max Chadwick) Travis Hunter goes No. 1, Cam Ward joins Browns and more — Membou
The 33rd Team (Kyle Crabbs) Updated Predictions For Every First-Round Pick — Simmons
NFL Network (Daniel Jeremiah) – Daniel Jeremiah 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Titans boost defense with first pick; Giants, Raiders select QBs — Walker
Pro Football Network (staff) – 7-Round NFL Mock Draft With Trades: Shedeur Sanders Finds His New Home, Shavon Revel Drafted in Top 15, and More — Booker
Jan. 24
Pro Football Network (staff) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Titans and Giants Find QBs of the Future in Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, Abdul Carter Slips — Burden
247 Sports (Brad Crawford) – Shedeur Sanders slips, Abdul Carter rises in latest CBS Sports projection — Harmon
Yahoo! Sports (Nate Tice and Charles McDonald) – Packers bolster defense after wild-card loss while Raiders make big move for QB — Walker
The Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer) – Quinn Ewers lands with Steelers; Packers, Chargers, Bucs add other CFP stars –Williams
CBS Sports (Mike Renner) – Giants pass on QB as Shedeur Sanders falls out of top 5; Cowboys address offense — Harmon
Pro Football Network (Alan Goldsher) – Abdul Carter to the Giants, Travis Hunter Falls, a Run on EDGEs — Scourton
SB Nation (Joseph Acosta) NFL mock draft 2025: Updated projection with Titans taking new QB at No. 1 overall — Harmon
Jan. 10
Pro Football Network (Reese Decker) – Tennessee Titans Make a Splash, Cleveland Browns Replace Deshaun Watson, Abdul Carter Makes Jaguars Defense Terrifying — Harmon
Jan. 9
NBC Sports (Connor Rogers) – Cam Ward jumps to No. 1 ahead of Travis Hunter — Green
CBS Sports (Josh Edwards) – Travis Hunter Jr. sandwiched by quarterback selections in top five picks — Stewart
Jan. 8
Fox Sports (Ben Arthur and Henry McKenna) – Who should take Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward? — Morrison
CBS Sports (Chris Trapasso) – Browns make draft-day trade for QB; team takes a chance on Jalen Milroe in top 10 — Umanmielen
Jan. 7
Yahoo! Sports (Nate Tice and Charles McDonald) – Raiders make big move for QB after firing Antonio Pierce — Walker
The Phoenix Suns fought like hell in Wednesday’s 119-111 loss to the Houston Rockets, an admirable effort while so shorthanded but still a performance when their key problems persisted.
Houston scored 28 points off Phoenix’s 18 turnovers. Tyus Jones had a career-high six of them, the majority of which came on passes to Kevin Durant that were free points the other way. Durant’s shot-making was sublime, but he had seven of his own to go with 37 points (15-for-22) and nine assists. The Suns were +5 in his 42 minutes.
Jones has gone through some rough struggles in each of the last two months, especially on defense where teams have been relentless hunting him. While he’s being asked to not play a role he ever has as an off-ball offensive player, he has to make shots and take care of the ball like anyone else in those spots. The logical decision is to move Jones to the bench but that is when things get awkward, with the potential guarantees the Suns made him to bring him in on a veteran’s minimum contract coming into the fold.
The Rockets also won second-chance points 19-14, areas where Phoenix continues to not finish possessions and lose focus for other easy opportunities.
The Suns were without their three best guards, making any semblance of offensive rhythm a monumental task.
Devin Booker played 26 straight games to start the year before missing five and then was at 22 in a row prior to getting ruled out for Wednesday’s last game before the All-Star break due to a low back contusion. Booker was bracing for contact after landing with both feet on a finish around the rim on Tuesday, and when falling afterward, landed on his back.
This is the eighth patch of games Bradley Beal has been out for, now at four fixtures in a row due to a sprain in his left big toe. With 53 games played last year and 37 this season, Beal has missed 35% of his possible games for Phoenix since arriving. It might be worse that none of this is due to a serious long-term injury and instead smaller nagging stuff. For reference and those saying to your screen, “What did you expect?”, Beal played 79% of his possible games for the Washington Wizards in 11 seasons.
Grayson Allen has had a bothersome left knee for the past two seasons and sees it flare up from time to time. He was listed as probable for Tuesday’s loss and logged just 20 minutes, so it was reasonable to expect he wasn’t going to suit up in Houston.
For the Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr. (right metacarpal fracture) and Fred VanVleet (right ankle strain) remain out.
This was not as lopsided of a matchup coming in as you’d think.
Houston snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday in a deplorable basketball contest against the Toronto Raptors. For the standard sports trope of “they sure look like they could use the break coming up,” that is the Rockets. Head coach Ime Udoka has criticized his team over this stretch, at one point saying they looked like one of the softest teams in the league.
VanVleet is not having a good year but Houston’s offense is completely aimless without him. While Jalen Green and Amen Thompson are two highly talented players, there is no rhythm or consistent ball movement when playing through the pair.
Across the opening 8:35 during which Houston scored 22 points, only five of those came when it was not via a foul, offensive rebound, turnover or in transition. The Rockets’ half-court offense was as bad as expected and this is how they’ve made up for it all year. Phoenix shot over 50% in that opening burst but had just a two-point lead, the game script in many Suns losses the last two years.
But Phoenix halted those types of giveaways to Houston in the second quarter, and all it took was a brief spurt offensively at the end of the half to lead by six.
Durant reignited to begin his heater to open the second half and extend the lead to 11 before the Suns’ bad habits emerged expeditiously. Houston went on a 13-1 run in 2:32 to reclaim the lead.
Take away both of those back-breaking stretches in the beginning quarters of each half that were totally self-inflicted and the Suns would have been up over 20.
For the second straight quarter, though, Phoenix put up a giant spurt at the end of a period to snatch it. This one was 11-2 to go up eight entering the fourth quarter.
With Durant at 32 minutes and having played 43 the night prior, the question would be how long the Suns could afford to be without him on the floor. Phoenix missed a few jump shots and the Rockets got comfortable shots to immediately go on a 6-0 run in under 90 seconds. A Suns timeout was called and Durant checked back in.
If the Suns weren’t on the second game of a back-to-back, that would have been fine and they would have been able to grind out a closely contested finish. But the cracks were going to start, erm, cracking further to make things easier for Houston if it just kept trying to win in its usual areas.
Back-to-back Phoenix turnovers put Houston up three with under eight minutes remaining, its largest lead of the game since the mid-second quarter.
Another live-ball turnover two minutes later got the Rockets back ahead by three before a Bol Bol 3 tied it up. But then he committed goaltending and traveled, which led to a Green pull-up 3 out of a timeout to see the Houston lead grow to five at 3:28 remaining.
Durant missed an iso baseline fallaway and Houston’s Alperen Sengun bullied his way into free throws, only to whiff on both. Durant found a driving lane for a dunk to make it a one-score game but Dillon Brooks drilled a 3 to officially put the Suns into catch-up territory they are not equipped to survive in.
Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer went with two-way contract members in Collin Gillespie and TyTy Washington Jr. as part of a nine-man rotation. Gillespie provided nine points and three assists while Washington added 11 points, four rebounds and three assists. Both guys played well.
Houston’s Tari Eason had 25 points (11-of-16) with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. He was one of five Rockets starters with at least 17 points. Durant was the only Suns starter to go beyond 15.
The Rockets own by far the worst assist percentage in the NBA and amounted to 32 assists in this game, while the Suns had just 25. Phoenix’s 26 3-pont attempts to Houston’s 42 was further indicative of that gap.
“Defense wins championships.” The Philadelphia Eagles proved just that in Super Bowl LIX behind an impressive 40-22 beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rattling quarterback Patrick Mahomes through four full quarters of action, Philadelphia left no doubt that it was the superior team on Sunday.
The showing also left little doubt in what the Arizona Cardinals must accomplish this offseason if they hope to continue their upward trend with a postseason berth in Year 3 of the current regime.
While offensive line and a vertical deep threat are among positions of need for Arizona ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, upgrading the team’s defensive front sits well above the rest.
As Arizona Sports’ Ron Wolfley likes to say, “the game is won at the line of scrimmage.”
He’s not wrong. The Eagles defense only helped solidify that with this one massive stat against a tough Chiefs offense:
Across Mahomes’ 42 dropbacks on Sunday, Philadelphia racked up 16 pressures and six sacks without a single blitz. Per Next Gen Stats, that’s only the fourth instance a defense didn’t blitz in a game in the Next Gen Stats era.
This wasn’t accomplished by some massive free agent overhaul, either.
The Eagles’ main contributors up front — Josh Sweat (2018), Milton Williams (2021), Jordan Davis (2023) and Jalyx Hunt (2024) — all came over as draft picks in recent years. They accounted for all six of Philadelphia’s sacks on Sunday. And that’s before mentioning cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell (2024) and Cooper DeJean (2024).
For the Cardinals to continue their positive trajectory, it’s all about using those lottery tickets we all call draft picks much like the Eagles did to bolster the front.
It’s not like Arizona hasn’t already begun that process, either.
Dante Stills has exceeded expectations and carved out a nice rotational role for himself these past two seasons. Only Zaven Collins had more sacks for Arizona this season with five, compared to Stills’ 4.5.
2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson saw his rookie season delayed due to a calf injury and the passing of his mother but had flashes across a six-game sample size.
Still, reinforcements are needed for a defense that came in 28th in pass-rush win rate (33%) and 20th in run-stop win rate (30%). The NFL Draft, which is shaping up to have tons of interior defensive line depth, is a great starting point.
But for as much as Arizona needs to hit on young defenders in the draft, general manager Monti Ossenfort must take a swing or two in free agency or via trade.
Myles Garrett might be the biggest fish in the acquisition pond this offseason (and for good reason) but he’s far from the only defender Arizona should be keeping tabs on, especially after what we all watched Sweat and Williams do to Mahomes and the Chiefs offensive line.
Adding either would be an instant upgrade while also giving head coach Jonathan Gannon a familiar face from his defensive coordinator days in Philadelphia. In addition to Sweat’s championship showing, the pass rusher racked up eight sacks, nine tackles for loss and 15 QB hits across 16 regular season games. Milton chipped in 5.0, seven TFLs and 10 QB hits in 17 games.
And with $67.8 million in effective cap space as of Tuesday, according to OverTheCap, Arizona has money to spend in 2025. That being said, Sweat and Williams are likely going to command a big number. Think four-year, $80 million range.
The potential overpay might be worth it, though, after seeing what defensive coordinator Nick Rallis was able to conjure up as the season progressed. Despite being at a talent deficit defensively, Rallis saw the unit improve as the season went behind his creativity and players stepping up into roles.
Can you imagine getting a guy like Sweat or Williams for Rallis to throw into the mix? I can just see the added turnovers — something Arizona must improve upon after registering 17 in 2024 — caused by their ruckus in the backfield now.
The benefits go beyond the defense
Not only would adding a game wrecker like Sweat or Williams improve Arizona’s defense, it could also have an impact on the offense.
With Mahomes and the Chiefs in check, quarterback Jalen Hurts didn’t have to put the team on his back, play hero ball or force things.
Instead, he served as an All-Star point guard picking and choosing his moments while the defense did its thing.
Complementary football was on display at its finest on Sunday.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has talked time and time again about not having to be Superman. Now, he’s still got to pull his weight offensively heading into Year 7 but getting him some help on the other side of the football could do wonders for the signal caller and unit as a whole.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Arizona missed a desperation heave at the buzzer, and Dug McDaniel scored a season-high 24 points to lead Kansas State past No. 13 Arizona 73-70 on Tuesday night for its sixth straight victory — four against ranked opponents.
The loss ended Arizona’s six-game winning streak. It falls out of pace with No. 6 Houston for first place in the conference, but a matchup between the two sides will come on Saturday in Tucson.
David N’Guessan had 16 points and seven rebounds for the resurgent K-State (13-11, 7-6 Big 12), who lost six in a row right before this winning streak. C.J. Jones added 10 points, and McDaniel finished with five steals, four rebounds and three assists.
KJ Lewis led his team (17-7, 11-2) with 15 points off the bench. He bullied K-State’s Max Jones into a turnover and took it the other way to give his team the lead midway through the second half, but it wasn’t able to sustain.
Jaden Bradley had 13 points, Henri Veesaar scored 12 and Tobe Awaka added 10 for Arizona, which lost for only the second time since Dec. 14.
It shot 9.1% as a team from 3, with Caleb Love’s 0-for-7 night standing out. Love surpassed 2,500 career points with six (3-for-15 shooting) on the night.
Arizona caught a break late in the first half with a goaltending call from about 90 seconds earlier getting reversed at a timeout when it was clear as day that freshman forward Carter Bryant hit the ball off the backboard. However, when Arizona took a seven-point advantage shortly after for its largest lead of the game, K-State responded with a 13-0 run to take a six-point lead at the break.
