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Deadspin | Amid ‘really good vibes,’ surging Bucks host Raptors

Deadspin | Amid ‘really good vibes,’ surging Bucks host Raptors

Feb 20, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Cam Thomas (24) dribbles against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The suddenly hot Milwaukee Bucks will return home for the first time in more than two weeks when they face the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon.

The Bucks opened their post All-Star break schedule in New Orleans, where they pulled away late to beat the Pelicans 139-118 on Friday night.

The win was Milwaukee’s third in a row and sixth in the past seven contests.

It was a balanced scoring attack for the Bucks, led by 27 points each from Ryan Rollins and newly acquired Cam Thomas in addition to 25 points and seven assists from Kevin Porter Jr.

Bobby Portis added 17 points and 11 rebounds.

“We’re just being aggressive, looking for our shots on all of our three-level scorers,” Rollins said of the guards’ ability to find the best matchup. “Some situations where you may feel like it’s an advantage that they have, we just call a quick boomerang or just give them space and let them work out.”

Thomas has made a strong first impression in his three games since being signed by the Bucks as a free agent this month after being released by the Brooklyn Nets.

In addition to his 27 points on Friday, he scored 12 in a victory over Oklahoma City on Feb. 12 and 34 in just 25 minutes in a win over Orlando they day before.

“The players and coaches embraced me as soon as I got here. Everyone was like just be you and play your game; that meant a lot to me,” said Thomas, 24. “The vibes are really good; we’re playing meaningful basketball.”

Toronto, meanwhile, got off to a good start in its post-break schedule as it took down the Bulls in Chicago 110-101 on Thursday. It was Toronto’s third win in its last four games.

Brandon Ingram led the way with 31 points and also had eight rebounds and six assists. Teammate Scottie Barnes added 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

“Usually the first game (after the break) is finding the rhythm, getting the rust off,” Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said. “What I’m really proud of is our guys staying the course during the whole game. We kept finding ways to compete.”

Ingram is averaging a team-high 22.0 points a game this season, and Barnes is next at 19.2 while leading the team in rebounds at 8.4 a game.

“I thought it was important for me to be aggressive whether the shot was going in or not and also just having a presence on the defensive side,” Ingram said. “As a leader I want to pick my spots, talk when it’s important, not just rah-rah.”

On the injury front, Toronto’s report is clear outside of Chucky Hepburn, who is out with a knee injury.

Milwaukee was without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Myles Turner (calf) in Friday’s game. Coach Doc Rivers reported that Antetokounmpo practiced but has not done any live five-on-five work. Rivers added that there is still no firm timetable for the star’s return, but “he’s close.”

This is the final matchup between Toronto and Milwaukee this season as the Raptors look for the season-series victory, having won two of the three games.

In the most recent meeting, on Dec. 18, Toronto won 111-105 behind Ingram’s 29 points.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #good #vibes #surging #Bucks #host #Raptors

Deadspin | Report: North Carolina search focuses on Billy Donovan  Apr 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan directs his team against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images   North Carolina’s coaching search is focused “solely” on Billy Donovan, The Field of 68 reported.  Donovan, who currently coaches the Chicago Bulls, led Florida to back-to-back national championships in 2006-07.  Sunday’s report said the Tar Heels are “going to go hard after him” and “expect to know more in the next 24 hours.”  Donovan, 60, has been coaching in the NBA since compiling a 467-186 record with the Gators from 1996-2015.   He is 224-253 with the Bulls (29-48 this season) after going 243-157 with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015-20.  North Carolina parted ways with Hubert Davis after last month’s first-round loss to VCU in the NCAA Tournament.   Michigan coach Dusty May and Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd are among the potential candidates who have decided to remain at their current posts.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Report #North #Carolina #search #focuses #Billy #DonovanApr 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan directs his team against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

North Carolina’s coaching search is focused “solely” on Billy Donovan, The Field of 68 reported.

Donovan, who currently coaches the Chicago Bulls, led Florida to back-to-back national championships in 2006-07.

Sunday’s report said the Tar Heels are “going to go hard after him” and “expect to know more in the next 24 hours.”


Donovan, 60, has been coaching in the NBA since compiling a 467-186 record with the Gators from 1996-2015.

He is 224-253 with the Bulls (29-48 this season) after going 243-157 with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015-20.

North Carolina parted ways with Hubert Davis after last month’s first-round loss to VCU in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan coach Dusty May and Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd are among the potential candidates who have decided to remain at their current posts.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Report #North #Carolina #search #focuses #Billy #Donovan">Deadspin | Report: North Carolina search focuses on Billy Donovan  Apr 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan directs his team against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images   North Carolina’s coaching search is focused “solely” on Billy Donovan, The Field of 68 reported.  Donovan, who currently coaches the Chicago Bulls, led Florida to back-to-back national championships in 2006-07.  Sunday’s report said the Tar Heels are “going to go hard after him” and “expect to know more in the next 24 hours.”  Donovan, 60, has been coaching in the NBA since compiling a 467-186 record with the Gators from 1996-2015.   He is 224-253 with the Bulls (29-48 this season) after going 243-157 with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015-20.  North Carolina parted ways with Hubert Davis after last month’s first-round loss to VCU in the NCAA Tournament.   Michigan coach Dusty May and Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd are among the potential candidates who have decided to remain at their current posts.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Report #North #Carolina #search #focuses #Billy #Donovan

The build-up was perfect. Shah Rukh Khan attended his first match of the season, while fans turned up in decent numbers to cheer for Kolkata Knight Riders despite the team’s recent struggles.

But in the end, strong winds and torrential rain had the final say as the Indian Premier League 2026 fixture between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings was washed out on Monday.

Despite predictions of rain, KKR opted to bat and was reeling at 25 for two in 3.4 overs when the showers arrived, halting play barely 17 minutes into the game at Eden Gardens.

Coming off two consecutive defeats, KKR took the field without the injured Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. In a bid to strengthen the batting, Rovman Powell and Navdeep Saini were drafted into the XI.

However, it was another disappointing start for KKR as neither Finn Allen nor Cameron Green managed to settle, both caught behind off a probing spell from Xavier Bartlett. With Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi attempting to rebuild, rain forced the players off the field.

There was initial hope of a restart as the groundstaff swiftly covered the square and outfield. But as the evening wore on, the rain intensified and powerful gusts of wind swept across the ground.

ALSO READ: RR vs MI, IPL 2026: Fast-starting Rajasthan Royals takes on Mumbai Indians’ might

Sheets of rain lashed the square, the stands gradually emptied as spectators sought shelter, and puddles began forming despite the covers remaining firmly in place.

With no improvement in conditions, match referee Javagal Srinath eventually called off the contest, with both teams sharing a point.

Coincidentally, when the two sides met at the same venue last year, that match too had been washed out, earning both teams a point each.

A year later, it was a similar story, with the unpredictable April weather once again having the final word.

Published on Apr 06, 2026

#KKR #PBKS #IPL #Kolkata #Knight #Riders #secures #point #persistent #rain #forces #washout">KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders secures first point after persistent rain forces washout  The build-up was perfect. Shah Rukh Khan attended his first match of the season, while fans turned up in decent numbers to cheer for Kolkata Knight Riders despite the team’s recent struggles.But in the end, strong winds and torrential rain had the final say as the Indian Premier League 2026 fixture between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings was washed out on Monday.Despite predictions of rain, KKR opted to bat and was reeling at 25 for two in 3.4 overs when the showers arrived, halting play barely 17 minutes into the game at Eden Gardens.Coming off two consecutive defeats, KKR took the field without the injured Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. In a bid to strengthen the batting, Rovman Powell and Navdeep Saini were drafted into the XI.However, it was another disappointing start for KKR as neither Finn Allen nor Cameron Green managed to settle, both caught behind off a probing spell from Xavier Bartlett. With Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi attempting to rebuild, rain forced the players off the field.There was initial hope of a restart as the groundstaff swiftly covered the square and outfield. But as the evening wore on, the rain intensified and powerful gusts of wind swept across the ground.ALSO READ: RR vs MI, IPL 2026: Fast-starting Rajasthan Royals takes on Mumbai Indians’ mightSheets of rain lashed the square, the stands gradually emptied as spectators sought shelter, and puddles began forming despite the covers remaining firmly in place.With no improvement in conditions, match referee Javagal Srinath eventually called off the contest, with both teams sharing a point.Coincidentally, when the two sides met at the same venue last year, that match too had been washed out, earning both teams a point each.A year later, it was a similar story, with the unpredictable April weather once again having the final word.Published on Apr 06, 2026  #KKR #PBKS #IPL #Kolkata #Knight #Riders #secures #point #persistent #rain #forces #washout

RR vs MI, IPL 2026: Fast-starting Rajasthan Royals takes on Mumbai Indians’ might

Sheets of rain lashed the square, the stands gradually emptied as spectators sought shelter, and puddles began forming despite the covers remaining firmly in place.

With no improvement in conditions, match referee Javagal Srinath eventually called off the contest, with both teams sharing a point.

Coincidentally, when the two sides met at the same venue last year, that match too had been washed out, earning both teams a point each.

A year later, it was a similar story, with the unpredictable April weather once again having the final word.

Published on Apr 06, 2026

#KKR #PBKS #IPL #Kolkata #Knight #Riders #secures #point #persistent #rain #forces #washout">KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders secures first point after persistent rain forces washout

The build-up was perfect. Shah Rukh Khan attended his first match of the season, while fans turned up in decent numbers to cheer for Kolkata Knight Riders despite the team’s recent struggles.

But in the end, strong winds and torrential rain had the final say as the Indian Premier League 2026 fixture between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings was washed out on Monday.

Despite predictions of rain, KKR opted to bat and was reeling at 25 for two in 3.4 overs when the showers arrived, halting play barely 17 minutes into the game at Eden Gardens.

Coming off two consecutive defeats, KKR took the field without the injured Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. In a bid to strengthen the batting, Rovman Powell and Navdeep Saini were drafted into the XI.

However, it was another disappointing start for KKR as neither Finn Allen nor Cameron Green managed to settle, both caught behind off a probing spell from Xavier Bartlett. With Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi attempting to rebuild, rain forced the players off the field.

There was initial hope of a restart as the groundstaff swiftly covered the square and outfield. But as the evening wore on, the rain intensified and powerful gusts of wind swept across the ground.

ALSO READ: RR vs MI, IPL 2026: Fast-starting Rajasthan Royals takes on Mumbai Indians’ might

Sheets of rain lashed the square, the stands gradually emptied as spectators sought shelter, and puddles began forming despite the covers remaining firmly in place.

With no improvement in conditions, match referee Javagal Srinath eventually called off the contest, with both teams sharing a point.

Coincidentally, when the two sides met at the same venue last year, that match too had been washed out, earning both teams a point each.

A year later, it was a similar story, with the unpredictable April weather once again having the final word.

Published on Apr 06, 2026

#KKR #PBKS #IPL #Kolkata #Knight #Riders #secures #point #persistent #rain #forces #washout

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