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Sonny Styles is having a LEGENDARY NFL Combine

Sonny Styles is having a LEGENDARY NFL Combine

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Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles isn’t just having a great combine by 2026 standards — he’s in the process of having one of the greatest outings of all time.

Largely seen as “the other Ohio State linebacker” next to pass rusher Arvell Reese, Styles projects to be a jack-of-all-trades defensive player in the NFL, with Fred Warner being his high-end draft comp, and his bottom end being a productive yet unremarkable player. After one day in Indianapolis, the results are trending more towards that Warner comparison, and teams are being blown away.

Already boasting ideal size at 6’5, 244 pounds, Styles is matching that frame with eye-boggling athleticism.

Pair these base metrics with Styles background as a former safety and it’s easy to see why he is the hottest name in the draft right now — the kind of player who captures the imagination with pro-ready tackling and instincts, but marrying them with someone who has the speed to rush the passer, or drop back in coverage on stunts.

Not only was Styles an elite football prospect out of high school, but he made waves in basketball as well — which explains his ludicrous jumping ability.

Piece all this together and you have an absolute unicorn. A guy who is roughly the same size as Derrick Henry, but faster than CeeDee Lamb. If the agility drills come close to matching the measurables, we have a guy who could be selected in the Top 5 now because of that potential.

If there’s a chance to grab Fred Warner in the draft, you take it — no matter how high. That’s the impact Styles is having on the combine.

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Deadspin | Scottie Scheffler makes charge with Masters-best 65 Apr 11, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Scottie Scheffler walks the third green during the third round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-Imagn Images AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Scheffler vaulted up the Masters leaderboard with a career-low round of 65 at the Masters on Saturday to sit at 7-under-par through three rounds. Scheffler’s previous low round at Augusta National was a 66 in the first round of 2024, when he went on to win his second Masters title. His chances of capturing a third in 2026 appeared very slim as he began the third round at even par, 12 shots behind leader Rory McIlroy after recording his second-highest score at Augusta National with a 74 on Friday. “I don’t feel like I’m out of the tournament,” Scheffler told CBS after the round. “It’s good to put myself back in position.” Scheffler’s charge up the leaderboard started with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, where he knocked his approach to 6 feet. He then rolled in three consecutive birdies on hole Nos. 7-9 to make his turn 5-under 31. He added another birdie on the challenging par-4 11th to begin his trip through “Amen Corner.” The momentum stalled out a bit from there, with Scheffler failing to pick up a stroke on either of the par-5s on the back nine. He did reach 7 under with a birdie on the par-3 16th and had a chance to close the gap even further, but his 8-foot birdie attempt on 17 slid right of the hole. Scheffler pulled his drive left off the 18th hole and had to punch out from under branches. Just when it appeared his career-best score at Augusta National was in jeopardy, Scheffler knocked his third shot from 101 yards to 9 inches for a tap-in par. When he walked off the course, Scheffler was in a tie for sixth, six shots behind McIlroy, who was still playing the front nine. His 65 on Saturday tied the tournament low thus far, matching the 65 McIlroy shot on Friday. Other than his 66 in 2024, Scheffler’s lowest career Masters rounds had been a 67 in the second round en route to his first title in 2022. He has also carded four rounds of 68 through 27 career rounds at Augusta National. –Derek Harper, Field Level Media #Deadspin #Scottie #Scheffler #charge #MastersbestApr 11, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Scottie Scheffler walks the third green during the third round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-Imagn Images

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Scheffler vaulted up the Masters leaderboard with a career-low round of 65 at the Masters on Saturday to sit at 7-under-par through three rounds.

Scheffler’s previous low round at Augusta National was a 66 in the first round of 2024, when he went on to win his second Masters title.

His chances of capturing a third in 2026 appeared very slim as he began the third round at even par, 12 shots behind leader Rory McIlroy after recording his second-highest score at Augusta National with a 74 on Friday.

“I don’t feel like I’m out of the tournament,” Scheffler told CBS after the round. “It’s good to put myself back in position.”


Scheffler’s charge up the leaderboard started with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, where he knocked his approach to 6 feet. He then rolled in three consecutive birdies on hole Nos. 7-9 to make his turn 5-under 31. He added another birdie on the challenging par-4 11th to begin his trip through “Amen Corner.”

The momentum stalled out a bit from there, with Scheffler failing to pick up a stroke on either of the par-5s on the back nine. He did reach 7 under with a birdie on the par-3 16th and had a chance to close the gap even further, but his 8-foot birdie attempt on 17 slid right of the hole.

Scheffler pulled his drive left off the 18th hole and had to punch out from under branches. Just when it appeared his career-best score at Augusta National was in jeopardy, Scheffler knocked his third shot from 101 yards to 9 inches for a tap-in par.

When he walked off the course, Scheffler was in a tie for sixth, six shots behind McIlroy, who was still playing the front nine. His 65 on Saturday tied the tournament low thus far, matching the 65 McIlroy shot on Friday.

Other than his 66 in 2024, Scheffler’s lowest career Masters rounds had been a 67 in the second round en route to his first title in 2022. He has also carded four rounds of 68 through 27 career rounds at Augusta National.


–Derek Harper, Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Scottie #Scheffler #charge #Mastersbest">Deadspin | Scottie Scheffler makes charge with Masters-best 65 Apr 11, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Scottie Scheffler walks the third green during the third round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-Imagn Images AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Scheffler vaulted up the Masters leaderboard with a career-low round of 65 at the Masters on Saturday to sit at 7-under-par through three rounds. Scheffler’s previous low round at Augusta National was a 66 in the first round of 2024, when he went on to win his second Masters title. His chances of capturing a third in 2026 appeared very slim as he began the third round at even par, 12 shots behind leader Rory McIlroy after recording his second-highest score at Augusta National with a 74 on Friday. “I don’t feel like I’m out of the tournament,” Scheffler told CBS after the round. “It’s good to put myself back in position.” Scheffler’s charge up the leaderboard started with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, where he knocked his approach to 6 feet. He then rolled in three consecutive birdies on hole Nos. 7-9 to make his turn 5-under 31. He added another birdie on the challenging par-4 11th to begin his trip through “Amen Corner.” The momentum stalled out a bit from there, with Scheffler failing to pick up a stroke on either of the par-5s on the back nine. He did reach 7 under with a birdie on the par-3 16th and had a chance to close the gap even further, but his 8-foot birdie attempt on 17 slid right of the hole. Scheffler pulled his drive left off the 18th hole and had to punch out from under branches. Just when it appeared his career-best score at Augusta National was in jeopardy, Scheffler knocked his third shot from 101 yards to 9 inches for a tap-in par. When he walked off the course, Scheffler was in a tie for sixth, six shots behind McIlroy, who was still playing the front nine. His 65 on Saturday tied the tournament low thus far, matching the 65 McIlroy shot on Friday. Other than his 66 in 2024, Scheffler’s lowest career Masters rounds had been a 67 in the second round en route to his first title in 2022. He has also carded four rounds of 68 through 27 career rounds at Augusta National. –Derek Harper, Field Level Media #Deadspin #Scottie #Scheffler #charge #Mastersbest

Two late goals, including one by Tamil Nadu’s local boy Nandhakumar Sekar, broke Chennaiyin FC’s hearts as East Bengal beat it 3-1 in its first away match, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Chennai on Saturday.

Chennaiyin had planned to turn the heat up — quite literally — on East Bengal on a sultry summer afternoon in Chennai. But East Bengal coach Oscar Bruzon and the sun both had other ideas.

With the sunlight directly falling on the home fans’ stand, Chennaiyin’s twelfth man moved for cover. So did the players, who were subjected to early high pressure by the visiting side.

And within seven minutes, East Bengal was ahead.

Elsinho lost the ball, picking up an injury in the process, and the visiting side swarmed around him. Mohammed Rashid got the ball, passed to Saul Crespo, who threaded a through ball to Edmund Lalrindika in the final third.

While several of Chennaiyin’s players kept appealing for a foul on Elsinho, Edmund took off, entering the box and beating Mohammad Nawaz for his third goal of the season. Bruzon’s men had scored the first goal in four of their six matches in ISL so far. That became five in seven.

In the 20th minute, Farukh Choudhary whipped in a cross for Irfan Yadwad, whose header rattled the frame of the goal. Three minutes later, Yadwad tried another shot, this time from outside the box, prompting Prabhsukhan Gill to make another save.

AS IT HAPPENED | CHENNAIYIN VS EAST BENGAL HIGHLIGHTS

Chennaiyin was knocking on East Bengal’s door, and, with the afternoon giving way to dusk, the home fans were out in the open with chants and cheers. And by the half-hour mark, the host side had found a voice, both on and off the field.

Laldinliana Renthlei floated in a long diagonal ball for Yadwad, who had run behind East Bengal’s high defence, and the forward dinked the ball over Gill to make it all square.

‘Slender leads and high lines never sit well’ must have been one of the thoughts on Bruzon’s mind as he paced up and down in the technical area and raised his hand for the flanks to go forward.

PV Vishnu answered the call, overlapping with Edmund to get into the box.

However, a terrible miss in front of an open goal after dribbling past Nawaz only made the Spanish coach restless. Thirteen minutes later, Vishnu tried again, only to be denied by Nawaz.

His perseverance finally paid off in the last quarter of the match when East Bengal attacked on the counter. Vishnu’s cross from the left was guided into the net by Bipin Singh, seven minutes from time, sending the visiting fans into delirium.

It was East Bengal’s time now to ride the wave of support. And that support, with another quick counterattack, saw Miguel Damasceno set up Nandha to his left, who made no mistake with his first-time finish.

The win meant East Bengal leapfrogged its arch-rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant to sit third in the league standings on goal difference, while for Bruzon, it was another match against Chennaiyin, three goals scored, and finally, another win to cherish.

East Bengal will host Bengaluru FC in its next match on April 16, while Chennaiyin, which fell to third from bottom with the loss, will look to halt the in-form Sporting Club Delhi, which has won consecutive matches in the last two rounds.

Published on Apr 11, 2026

#ISL #Bipin #Nandhakumar #score #late #East #Bengal #beats #Chennaiyin">ISL 2025-26: Bipin, Nandhakumar score late as East Bengal beats Chennaiyin FC Two late goals, including one by Tamil Nadu’s local boy Nandhakumar Sekar, broke Chennaiyin FC’s hearts as East Bengal beat it 3-1 in its first away match, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Chennai on Saturday.Chennaiyin had planned to turn the heat up — quite literally — on East Bengal on a sultry summer afternoon in Chennai. But East Bengal coach Oscar Bruzon and the sun both had other ideas.With the sunlight directly falling on the home fans’ stand, Chennaiyin’s twelfth man moved for cover. So did the players, who were subjected to early high pressure by the visiting side.And within seven minutes, East Bengal was ahead.Elsinho lost the ball, picking up an injury in the process, and the visiting side swarmed around him. Mohammed Rashid got the ball, passed to Saul Crespo, who threaded a through ball to Edmund Lalrindika in the final third.While several of Chennaiyin’s players kept appealing for a foul on Elsinho, Edmund took off, entering the box and beating Mohammad Nawaz for his third goal of the season. Bruzon’s men had scored the first goal in four of their six matches in ISL so far. That became five in seven.In the 20th minute, Farukh Choudhary whipped in a cross for Irfan Yadwad, whose header rattled the frame of the goal. Three minutes later, Yadwad tried another shot, this time from outside the box, prompting Prabhsukhan Gill to make another save.AS IT HAPPENED | CHENNAIYIN VS EAST BENGAL HIGHLIGHTSChennaiyin was knocking on East Bengal’s door, and, with the afternoon giving way to dusk, the home fans were out in the open with chants and cheers. And by the half-hour mark, the host side had found a voice, both on and off the field.Laldinliana Renthlei floated in a long diagonal ball for Yadwad, who had run behind East Bengal’s high defence, and the forward dinked the ball over Gill to make it all square.‘Slender leads and high lines never sit well’ must have been one of the thoughts on Bruzon’s mind as he paced up and down in the technical area and raised his hand for the flanks to go forward.PV Vishnu answered the call, overlapping with Edmund to get into the box.However, a terrible miss in front of an open goal after dribbling past Nawaz only made the Spanish coach restless. Thirteen minutes later, Vishnu tried again, only to be denied by Nawaz.His perseverance finally paid off in the last quarter of the match when East Bengal attacked on the counter. Vishnu’s cross from the left was guided into the net by Bipin Singh, seven minutes from time, sending the visiting fans into delirium.It was East Bengal’s time now to ride the wave of support. And that support, with another quick counterattack, saw Miguel Damasceno set up Nandha to his left, who made no mistake with his first-time finish.The win meant East Bengal leapfrogged its arch-rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant to sit third in the league standings on goal difference, while for Bruzon, it was another match against Chennaiyin, three goals scored, and finally, another win to cherish.East Bengal will host Bengaluru FC in its next match on April 16, while Chennaiyin, which fell to third from bottom with the loss, will look to halt the in-form Sporting Club Delhi, which has won consecutive matches in the last two rounds.Published on Apr 11, 2026 #ISL #Bipin #Nandhakumar #score #late #East #Bengal #beats #Chennaiyin

CHENNAIYIN VS EAST BENGAL HIGHLIGHTS

Chennaiyin was knocking on East Bengal’s door, and, with the afternoon giving way to dusk, the home fans were out in the open with chants and cheers. And by the half-hour mark, the host side had found a voice, both on and off the field.

Laldinliana Renthlei floated in a long diagonal ball for Yadwad, who had run behind East Bengal’s high defence, and the forward dinked the ball over Gill to make it all square.

‘Slender leads and high lines never sit well’ must have been one of the thoughts on Bruzon’s mind as he paced up and down in the technical area and raised his hand for the flanks to go forward.

PV Vishnu answered the call, overlapping with Edmund to get into the box.

However, a terrible miss in front of an open goal after dribbling past Nawaz only made the Spanish coach restless. Thirteen minutes later, Vishnu tried again, only to be denied by Nawaz.

His perseverance finally paid off in the last quarter of the match when East Bengal attacked on the counter. Vishnu’s cross from the left was guided into the net by Bipin Singh, seven minutes from time, sending the visiting fans into delirium.

It was East Bengal’s time now to ride the wave of support. And that support, with another quick counterattack, saw Miguel Damasceno set up Nandha to his left, who made no mistake with his first-time finish.

The win meant East Bengal leapfrogged its arch-rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant to sit third in the league standings on goal difference, while for Bruzon, it was another match against Chennaiyin, three goals scored, and finally, another win to cherish.

East Bengal will host Bengaluru FC in its next match on April 16, while Chennaiyin, which fell to third from bottom with the loss, will look to halt the in-form Sporting Club Delhi, which has won consecutive matches in the last two rounds.

Published on Apr 11, 2026

#ISL #Bipin #Nandhakumar #score #late #East #Bengal #beats #Chennaiyin">ISL 2025-26: Bipin, Nandhakumar score late as East Bengal beats Chennaiyin FC

Two late goals, including one by Tamil Nadu’s local boy Nandhakumar Sekar, broke Chennaiyin FC’s hearts as East Bengal beat it 3-1 in its first away match, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Chennai on Saturday.

Chennaiyin had planned to turn the heat up — quite literally — on East Bengal on a sultry summer afternoon in Chennai. But East Bengal coach Oscar Bruzon and the sun both had other ideas.

With the sunlight directly falling on the home fans’ stand, Chennaiyin’s twelfth man moved for cover. So did the players, who were subjected to early high pressure by the visiting side.

And within seven minutes, East Bengal was ahead.

Elsinho lost the ball, picking up an injury in the process, and the visiting side swarmed around him. Mohammed Rashid got the ball, passed to Saul Crespo, who threaded a through ball to Edmund Lalrindika in the final third.

While several of Chennaiyin’s players kept appealing for a foul on Elsinho, Edmund took off, entering the box and beating Mohammad Nawaz for his third goal of the season. Bruzon’s men had scored the first goal in four of their six matches in ISL so far. That became five in seven.

In the 20th minute, Farukh Choudhary whipped in a cross for Irfan Yadwad, whose header rattled the frame of the goal. Three minutes later, Yadwad tried another shot, this time from outside the box, prompting Prabhsukhan Gill to make another save.

AS IT HAPPENED | CHENNAIYIN VS EAST BENGAL HIGHLIGHTS

Chennaiyin was knocking on East Bengal’s door, and, with the afternoon giving way to dusk, the home fans were out in the open with chants and cheers. And by the half-hour mark, the host side had found a voice, both on and off the field.

Laldinliana Renthlei floated in a long diagonal ball for Yadwad, who had run behind East Bengal’s high defence, and the forward dinked the ball over Gill to make it all square.

‘Slender leads and high lines never sit well’ must have been one of the thoughts on Bruzon’s mind as he paced up and down in the technical area and raised his hand for the flanks to go forward.

PV Vishnu answered the call, overlapping with Edmund to get into the box.

However, a terrible miss in front of an open goal after dribbling past Nawaz only made the Spanish coach restless. Thirteen minutes later, Vishnu tried again, only to be denied by Nawaz.

His perseverance finally paid off in the last quarter of the match when East Bengal attacked on the counter. Vishnu’s cross from the left was guided into the net by Bipin Singh, seven minutes from time, sending the visiting fans into delirium.

It was East Bengal’s time now to ride the wave of support. And that support, with another quick counterattack, saw Miguel Damasceno set up Nandha to his left, who made no mistake with his first-time finish.

The win meant East Bengal leapfrogged its arch-rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant to sit third in the league standings on goal difference, while for Bruzon, it was another match against Chennaiyin, three goals scored, and finally, another win to cherish.

East Bengal will host Bengaluru FC in its next match on April 16, while Chennaiyin, which fell to third from bottom with the loss, will look to halt the in-form Sporting Club Delhi, which has won consecutive matches in the last two rounds.

Published on Apr 11, 2026

#ISL #Bipin #Nandhakumar #score #late #East #Bengal #beats #Chennaiyin
Deadspin | Raptors strive to secure top-six playoff spot in clash vs. Nets Dec 21, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) reacts after making a shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images The Toronto Raptors can clinch a top-six playoff spot with a win on Sunday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets in the teams’ regular-season finale. The Raptors (45-36) dropped to sixth — the final guaranteed playoff spot — in the Eastern Conference on Friday night with a 112-95 road loss to the New York Knicks. Toronto could finish fifth if it beats the Nets and if both the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic lose. “All antennas are up, one game to go, the final of the season,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We’ve got to find the best focus, the best version of ourselves. We have to be at the peak of our performance for that game.” The Raptors have won two of three against the Nets (20-61) this season. The Nets’ win over the Raptors came in their most recent meeting, 96-81, on Dec. 21. The Nets have dropped two games in a row, most recently a 125-108 road loss to Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. The losses followed two straight wins. Tyson Etienne led the Nets with a career-best 23 points, shooting 6-for-12 from 3-point range. Malachi Smith had 19 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. He was 5-for-7 from long range. If the Raptors finish sixth, they would face the third-seeded Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, a difficult draw. The Knicks have defeated the Raptors in 13 consecutive games, including five times this season. As for the Nets, they sit third in the lottery standings. “This year was rough obviously,” said Nets center Nic Claxton, who did not play Friday because of a sprained finger. “So we’ve got (one more game), we flush that out, we get back to the drawing board this summer, and we go from there. Obviously, everybody, we want to be in a winning situation. We all want to win, so that’s what we’re striving to get back to. And whatever we need to do to get back to that process as quickly as we can, that’s what we’ll do.” The Raptors could have clinched at least a sixth-place finish by winning Friday. Their downfall was the second quarter, when they were outscored 29-15. “I thought we were there the whole game, competing,” Rajakovic said. “We had a couple of opportunities to get completely back in the game. Unfortunately, the ball bounced their way tonight. I thought the first quarter was very, very competitive. I thought defensively we did a very good job. On offense we can do a better job of setting screens, freeing up teammates so we can create some flow on the offensive end.” Toronto played without Immanuel Quickley (foot injury management), Collin Murray-Boyles (neck sprain) and RJ Barrett (sore right knee). Barrett was a late scratch. Reserve Sandro Mamukelashvili led Toronto scoring with 17 points. Brandon Ingram scored 16, and Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter recorded 15 points apiece. Rajakovic reached 100 total wins with the Raptors with a victory over Miami on Thursday. Ingram has been a key player this season in the Raptors’ improvement, and he credited Rajakovic. “He holds me accountable on and off the floor,” Ingram said. “He tells me what I need to do, whether I want to hear it or not. He’s made me a better defender. He’s made me care about that side of the basketball more, and on the offensive end, he just wants the best for me, and he’s there to communicate.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Raptors #strive #secure #topsix #playoff #spot #clash #NetsDec 21, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) reacts after making a shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors can clinch a top-six playoff spot with a win on Sunday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets in the teams’ regular-season finale.

The Raptors (45-36) dropped to sixth — the final guaranteed playoff spot — in the Eastern Conference on Friday night with a 112-95 road loss to the New York Knicks.

Toronto could finish fifth if it beats the Nets and if both the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic lose.

“All antennas are up, one game to go, the final of the season,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We’ve got to find the best focus, the best version of ourselves. We have to be at the peak of our performance for that game.”

The Raptors have won two of three against the Nets (20-61) this season. The Nets’ win over the Raptors came in their most recent meeting, 96-81, on Dec. 21.

The Nets have dropped two games in a row, most recently a 125-108 road loss to Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. The losses followed two straight wins.

Tyson Etienne led the Nets with a career-best 23 points, shooting 6-for-12 from 3-point range. Malachi Smith had 19 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. He was 5-for-7 from long range.

If the Raptors finish sixth, they would face the third-seeded Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, a difficult draw. The Knicks have defeated the Raptors in 13 consecutive games, including five times this season.


As for the Nets, they sit third in the lottery standings.

“This year was rough obviously,” said Nets center Nic Claxton, who did not play Friday because of a sprained finger. “So we’ve got (one more game), we flush that out, we get back to the drawing board this summer, and we go from there. Obviously, everybody, we want to be in a winning situation. We all want to win, so that’s what we’re striving to get back to. And whatever we need to do to get back to that process as quickly as we can, that’s what we’ll do.”

The Raptors could have clinched at least a sixth-place finish by winning Friday. Their downfall was the second quarter, when they were outscored 29-15.

“I thought we were there the whole game, competing,” Rajakovic said. “We had a couple of opportunities to get completely back in the game. Unfortunately, the ball bounced their way tonight. I thought the first quarter was very, very competitive. I thought defensively we did a very good job. On offense we can do a better job of setting screens, freeing up teammates so we can create some flow on the offensive end.”

Toronto played without Immanuel Quickley (foot injury management), Collin Murray-Boyles (neck sprain) and RJ Barrett (sore right knee). Barrett was a late scratch.

Reserve Sandro Mamukelashvili led Toronto scoring with 17 points. Brandon Ingram scored 16, and Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter recorded 15 points apiece.

Rajakovic reached 100 total wins with the Raptors with a victory over Miami on Thursday.

Ingram has been a key player this season in the Raptors’ improvement, and he credited Rajakovic.

“He holds me accountable on and off the floor,” Ingram said. “He tells me what I need to do, whether I want to hear it or not. He’s made me a better defender. He’s made me care about that side of the basketball more, and on the offensive end, he just wants the best for me, and he’s there to communicate.”


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Raptors #strive #secure #topsix #playoff #spot #clash #Nets">Deadspin | Raptors strive to secure top-six playoff spot in clash vs. Nets Dec 21, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) reacts after making a shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images The Toronto Raptors can clinch a top-six playoff spot with a win on Sunday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets in the teams’ regular-season finale. The Raptors (45-36) dropped to sixth — the final guaranteed playoff spot — in the Eastern Conference on Friday night with a 112-95 road loss to the New York Knicks. Toronto could finish fifth if it beats the Nets and if both the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic lose. “All antennas are up, one game to go, the final of the season,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We’ve got to find the best focus, the best version of ourselves. We have to be at the peak of our performance for that game.” The Raptors have won two of three against the Nets (20-61) this season. The Nets’ win over the Raptors came in their most recent meeting, 96-81, on Dec. 21. The Nets have dropped two games in a row, most recently a 125-108 road loss to Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. The losses followed two straight wins. Tyson Etienne led the Nets with a career-best 23 points, shooting 6-for-12 from 3-point range. Malachi Smith had 19 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. He was 5-for-7 from long range. If the Raptors finish sixth, they would face the third-seeded Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, a difficult draw. The Knicks have defeated the Raptors in 13 consecutive games, including five times this season. As for the Nets, they sit third in the lottery standings. “This year was rough obviously,” said Nets center Nic Claxton, who did not play Friday because of a sprained finger. “So we’ve got (one more game), we flush that out, we get back to the drawing board this summer, and we go from there. Obviously, everybody, we want to be in a winning situation. We all want to win, so that’s what we’re striving to get back to. And whatever we need to do to get back to that process as quickly as we can, that’s what we’ll do.” The Raptors could have clinched at least a sixth-place finish by winning Friday. Their downfall was the second quarter, when they were outscored 29-15. “I thought we were there the whole game, competing,” Rajakovic said. “We had a couple of opportunities to get completely back in the game. Unfortunately, the ball bounced their way tonight. I thought the first quarter was very, very competitive. I thought defensively we did a very good job. On offense we can do a better job of setting screens, freeing up teammates so we can create some flow on the offensive end.” Toronto played without Immanuel Quickley (foot injury management), Collin Murray-Boyles (neck sprain) and RJ Barrett (sore right knee). Barrett was a late scratch. Reserve Sandro Mamukelashvili led Toronto scoring with 17 points. Brandon Ingram scored 16, and Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter recorded 15 points apiece. Rajakovic reached 100 total wins with the Raptors with a victory over Miami on Thursday. Ingram has been a key player this season in the Raptors’ improvement, and he credited Rajakovic. “He holds me accountable on and off the floor,” Ingram said. “He tells me what I need to do, whether I want to hear it or not. He’s made me a better defender. He’s made me care about that side of the basketball more, and on the offensive end, he just wants the best for me, and he’s there to communicate.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Raptors #strive #secure #topsix #playoff #spot #clash #Nets

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