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Deadspin | Pistons host Pelicans, looking to bounce back from rare loss

Deadspin | Pistons host Pelicans, looking to bounce back from rare loss

Mar 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts after the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons had their four-game winning streak snapped by the red-hot Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. They’ll look to start a new one when they host the lowly New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.

Detroit dropped a 130-129 overtime thriller at home to the Hawks. Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren both missed shots in the final three seconds that would have extended the streak.

It was their first loss since star guard Cade Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung. Cunningham will miss his fifth straight contest on Thursday.

Detroit trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half, then climbed back by scoring the first 16 points of the second half.

“Didn’t like the way that we dug a hole in the first half, but to be able to have the conversation at halftime and come out and play the way that we did in the third quarter, fourth quarter, again, is a credit to the guys,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Obviously, we came up a point short, a bucket short. But most teams don’t even get themselves in that position. Most guys, most teams don’t even have the fortitude to dig down, collect themselves, pick themselves up off the mat, so to speak, and go out there and do what our guys did. So, no moral victories, but (I’m) proud of our guys’ effort.”

Duren, the team’s other All-Star along with Cunningham, led the way on Wednesday with 26 points and 14 rebounds.

“He’s just everywhere,” forward Ausar Thompson said. “He’s blocking shots, he’s rebounding and then he’s sprinting the floor on the offensive end and getting us easy buckets, easy steals. So, he does a lot.”

Detroit is wrapping up a four-game homestand vs. New Orleans. The Pistons (52-20), who are looking to protect their four-game lead over the Boston Celtics and lock up the top seed in the Eastern Conference, play six of their remaining nine regular-season games on the road after Thursday’s contest.

The Pelicans (25-48) have lost their last two games while putting up a good fight against two other Eastern Conference contenders. They lost at home to Cleveland 111-106 on Saturday, then began a three-game road trip with a 121-116 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Zion Williamson led them in scoring both contests, including a 22-point outing on Tuesday. Williamson is shooting 67.7% from the field this month.

“He kept us in the game,” Pelicans’ interim head coach James Borrego said of the game against the Knicks. “You felt his physicality from the first moment. He does that for us. He gives us our paint pressure, our physicality, our energy. I thought he was phenomenal.”

Dejounte Murray was held to seven points — his lowest output since returning late last month from an Achilles tear — but he recorded a season-high 12 assists.

New Orleans had won five of six games prior to the last two losses.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Borrego said. “This group is playing at a high level.”

The Pelicans haven’t had much success on the road, going 9-26.

“Our defense has to travel with us,” Borrego said. “To be a good road team, you have to take your defense on the road.”

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Pistons #host #Pelicans #bounce #rare #loss

The complete NFL schedule for each team was released on Thursday night, and now we have a full picture of how things could shape up. There isn’t a lot when it comes to who “won” with their slate of games outside of favorable bye weeks, or easy opening runs to set up the season — but there are definitely a handful of teams who really got screwed over when it comes to their schedules.

These are the four teams that got an added layer of complexity added to their seasons due to scheduling.

The Cardinals will need to reconcile two opposing aims in 2026: Establishing Mike LaFleur as a winning coach, while also trying to ensure they tank the hell out of the season so they can find their quarterback of the future in the 2027 draft, because lol no, Carson Beck isn’t the answer.

It’s all well and good to say “just tank the year, and give LaFleur a season of grace,” but that’s easier said than done when you’re trying to establish a winning culture inside a locker room. The main issue is that there’s no good place on the Arizona slate where you can find them to at least grab a few wins and prove to themselves that the path is working.

An absolutely brutal run kicks the season off due to playing in the NFC West and getting a rough schedule as a result. Look at this opponent run up to the Week 14 bye: Chargers, Seahawks, 49ers, Giants, Lions, Rams, Broncos, Cowboys, Seahawks, Rams, Chiefs, Commanders, Eagles. That is just horrific for a team trying to find a way to win. I don’t know what the Cardinals did to deserve having FIVE divisional matchups before their bye.

No. 2: Los Angeles Chargers

The big thing with the Chargers’ slate is how well rested all of their opponents will be heading into their games. This chart really tells the whole story, with Los Angeles having an incredible 24 fewer days of rest over the course of the season compared to their opponents.

Not only this, but the Chargers have a bye week that falls too early in the season. They will be off Week 7, and still have the bulk of their games ahead of them. It’s especially rough when you factor in that the rest of the AFC West got fairly beneficial schedules for 2026 and that adds more difficulty for them.

No. 3: San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers’ have two international games, kicking off in Australia against the Rams, then heading to Mexico City later in the season. That would be difficult enough with irregular travel adding to the challenges of playing in the NFC West, but San Francisco also had a brutal run after their game against the Vikings in Mexico City, which comes at a critical time when they will be eyeing the playoffs.

From Week 13 until the end of the season here are their opponents in order: Seahawks, Giants, Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, Eagles, Cardinals.

The only gimme on the slate is Arizona, with so many tough games coming on the road to the playoffs. It’s incredibly easy to hit a skid, lose confidence, and limp into the playoffs at best. In addition, the 49ers have some brutal travel with their trip to Australia, as well as heading cross-country to New York and Atlanta. Overall this was just a brutal lineup of games.

This has much less to do with the fact that the Bears face the toughest strength of schedule in the NFL, and far more to do with their game scheduling. Across the 17 game regular season we see Chicago play five games in primetime, two with 4:25 p.m. ET kickoffs, and they play on both holidays. This means that over half the season sees Chicago moving around days, slots, and zones — which is really difficult when you’re trying to build routine and consistency.

Obviously, Ben Johnson is the kind of coach who can get solid performances out of his players, but there’s no doubt this is a tricky way to operate in a season with all the pressure of national games, the attention they bring, and changing up preparation from week to week. Throw that in with a tough opponent slate and it might be tricky for the Bears to have as much success this season.

#NFL #teams #royally #screwed #schedule">4 NFL teams who got royally screwed over by the schedule  The complete NFL schedule for each team was released on Thursday night, and now we have a full picture of how things could shape up. There isn’t a lot when it comes to who “won” with their slate of games outside of favorable bye weeks, or easy opening runs to set up the season — but there are definitely a handful of teams who really got screwed over when it comes to their schedules.These are the four teams that got an added layer of complexity added to their seasons due to scheduling.The Cardinals will need to reconcile two opposing aims in 2026: Establishing Mike LaFleur as a winning coach, while also trying to ensure they tank the hell out of the season so they can find their quarterback of the future in the 2027 draft, because lol no, Carson Beck isn’t the answer.It’s all well and good to say “just tank the year, and give LaFleur a season of grace,” but that’s easier said than done when you’re trying to establish a winning culture inside a locker room. The main issue is that there’s no good place on the Arizona slate where you can find them to at least grab a few wins and prove to themselves that the path is working.An absolutely brutal run kicks the season off due to playing in the NFC West and getting a rough schedule as a result. Look at this opponent run up to the Week 14 bye: Chargers, Seahawks, 49ers, Giants, Lions, Rams, Broncos, Cowboys, Seahawks, Rams, Chiefs, Commanders, Eagles. That is just horrific for a team trying to find a way to win. I don’t know what the Cardinals did to deserve having FIVE divisional matchups before their bye.No. 2: Los Angeles ChargersThe big thing with the Chargers’ slate is how well rested all of their opponents will be heading into their games. This chart really tells the whole story, with Los Angeles having an incredible 24 fewer days of rest over the course of the season compared to their opponents.Not only this, but the Chargers have a bye week that falls too early in the season. They will be off Week 7, and still have the bulk of their games ahead of them. It’s especially rough when you factor in that the rest of the AFC West got fairly beneficial schedules for 2026 and that adds more difficulty for them.No. 3: San Francisco 49ersThe 49ers’ have two international games, kicking off in Australia against the Rams, then heading to Mexico City later in the season. That would be difficult enough with irregular travel adding to the challenges of playing in the NFC West, but San Francisco also had a brutal run after their game against the Vikings in Mexico City, which comes at a critical time when they will be eyeing the playoffs.From Week 13 until the end of the season here are their opponents in order: Seahawks, Giants, Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, Eagles, Cardinals.The only gimme on the slate is Arizona, with so many tough games coming on the road to the playoffs. It’s incredibly easy to hit a skid, lose confidence, and limp into the playoffs at best. In addition, the 49ers have some brutal travel with their trip to Australia, as well as heading cross-country to New York and Atlanta. Overall this was just a brutal lineup of games.This has much less to do with the fact that the Bears face the toughest strength of schedule in the NFL, and far more to do with their game scheduling. Across the 17 game regular season we see Chicago play five games in primetime, two with 4:25 p.m. ET kickoffs, and they play on both holidays. This means that over half the season sees Chicago moving around days, slots, and zones — which is really difficult when you’re trying to build routine and consistency.Obviously, Ben Johnson is the kind of coach who can get solid performances out of his players, but there’s no doubt this is a tricky way to operate in a season with all the pressure of national games, the attention they bring, and changing up preparation from week to week. Throw that in with a tough opponent slate and it might be tricky for the Bears to have as much success this season.  #NFL #teams #royally #screwed #schedule

Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, the country’s media reported.

“The Iranian national football team… departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey, to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the Tasnim news agency reported.

It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.

On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also be completing visa applications for the US while in Turkey.

The team’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US which paused 40 days of war that began on February 28.

The US cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 1980 following the Islamic Revolution and the hostage crisis at the American embassy.

Iran hopes to play two friendlies in Antalya.

The side has already confirmed one match, against Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.

READ: Preliminary Iran squad for FIFA World Cup 2026—Sardar Azmoun left out

“No visas have been issued yet,” Mehdi Taj, the Iran football federation head, told Iranian media on Thursday.

Taj said players were expected to undergo fingerprinting in Turkey as part of the visa process but wished to avoid a trip of more than 380 kilometres from Antalya to Ankara.

On Saturday, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the Iranian federation, describing it as excellent and constructive.

Taj also described Saturday’s meeting as “positive and constructive” without going into details.

When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

The team, which is in Group G, is due to kick off its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.

Published on May 18, 2026

#Irans #World #Cup #football #team #leaves #Turkey #reports">Iran’s World Cup football team leaves for Turkey – reports  Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, the country’s media reported.“The Iranian national football team… departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey, to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the        Tasnim news agency reported.It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also be completing visa applications for the US while in Turkey.The team’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US which paused 40 days of war that began on February 28.The US cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 1980 following the Islamic Revolution and the hostage crisis at the American embassy.Iran hopes to play two friendlies in Antalya.The side has already confirmed one match, against Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.READ: Preliminary Iran squad for FIFA World Cup 2026—Sardar Azmoun left out“No visas have been issued yet,” Mehdi Taj, the Iran football federation head, told Iranian media on Thursday.Taj said players were expected to undergo fingerprinting in Turkey as part of the visa process but wished to avoid a trip of more than 380 kilometres from Antalya to Ankara.On Saturday, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the Iranian federation, describing it as excellent and constructive.Taj also described Saturday’s meeting as “positive and constructive” without going into details.When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona.The team, which is in Group G, is due to kick off its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.Published on May 18, 2026  #Irans #World #Cup #football #team #leaves #Turkey #reports

Preliminary Iran squad for FIFA World Cup 2026—Sardar Azmoun left out

“No visas have been issued yet,” Mehdi Taj, the Iran football federation head, told Iranian media on Thursday.

Taj said players were expected to undergo fingerprinting in Turkey as part of the visa process but wished to avoid a trip of more than 380 kilometres from Antalya to Ankara.

On Saturday, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the Iranian federation, describing it as excellent and constructive.

Taj also described Saturday’s meeting as “positive and constructive” without going into details.

When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

The team, which is in Group G, is due to kick off its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.

Published on May 18, 2026

#Irans #World #Cup #football #team #leaves #Turkey #reports">Iran’s World Cup football team leaves for Turkey – reports

Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, the country’s media reported.

“The Iranian national football team… departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey, to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the Tasnim news agency reported.

It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.

On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also be completing visa applications for the US while in Turkey.

The team’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US which paused 40 days of war that began on February 28.

The US cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 1980 following the Islamic Revolution and the hostage crisis at the American embassy.

Iran hopes to play two friendlies in Antalya.

The side has already confirmed one match, against Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.

READ: Preliminary Iran squad for FIFA World Cup 2026—Sardar Azmoun left out

“No visas have been issued yet,” Mehdi Taj, the Iran football federation head, told Iranian media on Thursday.

Taj said players were expected to undergo fingerprinting in Turkey as part of the visa process but wished to avoid a trip of more than 380 kilometres from Antalya to Ankara.

On Saturday, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the Iranian federation, describing it as excellent and constructive.

Taj also described Saturday’s meeting as “positive and constructive” without going into details.

When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

The team, which is in Group G, is due to kick off its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.

Published on May 18, 2026

#Irans #World #Cup #football #team #leaves #Turkey #reports

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