Professional Sports

Clippers' Kawhi Leonard is back at an All

With just over two minutes left to play in the first half Friday at Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets attempted to get into their offense in front of the LA Clippers bench. Nets center Nic Claxton dribbled at the top of the key while point guard D’Angelo Russell attempted to screen for forward Ziaire Williams. […]

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4 months ago

April 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Clippers' Kawhi Leonard is back at an All

Clippers defender Kris Dunn switched off Russell and onto Williams, disrupting the handoff. The player who switched with Dunn was Kawhi Leonard, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year who was dominating the Nets in this second quarter.

Claxton tried to swing a pass over to Russell instead of trying to hand off to Williams, and Leonard knifed in and returned a steal for a breakaway slam:

To cap that first half, Leonard received a pass from Clippers All-Star point guard James Harden, who was being double-teamed near the Nets’ bench. Leonard saw Russell slowly retreating from Dunn. Unbothered by Russell’s presence, Leonard rose from 34 feet to splash a 3-pointer to effectively end the competitive portion of the Clippers’ visit to Brooklyn:

Leonard’s 31-point performance in Brooklyn required only 14 field-goal attempts and 26 minutes, 55 seconds of court time. It was Leonard’s third 30-point game of March after having none from the time he debuted with the Clippers this season on Jan. 4 through the end of February.

In the previous game at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks had an early 14-point lead. But once Leonard went into iso mode in front of Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, it was only a matter of time before that lead was toast, and Thibodeau knew it:

When it comes to 20-point games, Leonard had three in January and three in February. In March, Leonard scored at least 20 points in 12 of the 13 games he played. The exception was a 17-point performance against the Sacramento Kings that ended with his first career overtime game-winning buzzer-beater.

None of this is a surprise to Leonard. The 12 20-point games in March tie his career-best in any month. Leonard averaged 25.2 points per game in March, his most since January 2023, while making 52.1 percent of his field goals.

“Just getting healthy, I think trusting it,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said about observing Leonard’s progression throughout this season. “Understanding he can play and go all out without feeling any pain or any swelling. Just took him a minute to get back in the flow of the game. He’s been out for seven, eight months.”

Leonard attributed his increase in production to a minutes bump that saw him go from 24.2 minutes per game in January to 31.4 minutes per game in February to 36.3 minutes per game in March. But his comeback from swelling and inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee was a multi-step process.

Leonard had to return to practice after missing training camp and the start of the season to strengthen his knee. He did that in December. He had to make his on-court debut and accomplished that in January. Leonard had to show he could increase his minutes without suffering any setbacks. Other than a foot injury suffered in Milwaukee that cost him two games in February, Leonard has consistently played.

March was his loud announcement that he was ready to take the next step in his comeback, which was to approximate his All-NBA status from last season, when he earned second-team honors. In March 2024, Leonard also scored 20 points a dozen times, but his knee stiffened up before he could play any regular-season games in April. His postseason was limited to two games. And his summer was ruined by his knee issues, as Leonard lost his spot on the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Paris.

Leonard missed the preseason and the first 34 games of the 2024-25 season. Now he’s ready to do what he couldn’t do last season or any of the previous four.

“I want to get to the summer healthy,” Leonard told The Athletic after the Clippers won in Brooklyn. “So I can have a great summer and come in and have a good year overall. That’s what I’m banking on, that’s what I’m praying for. And hopefully it happens for me.”

This is a sentiment Leonard has expressed before. When Leonard repeats an expression, he means it and wants others to know he means it. After Leonard made his southpaw buzzer-beater against the Kings, he was asked about whether it was more satisfying given the fact that he’s missed so much time and opportunity over the last year.

“Nah, I’m not thinking about that,” Leonard said. “Just one game. My goal is to be healthy at the end of the season, so I can have a good summer and not worry about doing a whole rehab process again, missing training camp.”

Leonard’s upswing is coinciding with the Clippers playing some of their best basketball of the season. LA won 11 of 16 games in March, its best month of the season and its best March since going 13-2 in 2018-19. The Clippers had the 20th-ranked offense in the NBA through February this season but were ranked fifth in offensive efficiency in March. A big part of that was having a player like Leonard add volume to his superb efficiency.

“For him to come back and do what he’s doing now, we knew he would get to this level,” Lue said of Leonard. “And when he did, we’re a different team. You can see that right now.”

The Clippers return home having already achieved an organizational goal.

In September, when president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was declaring Leonard out on a “month-to-month” basis just ahead of training camp, he mentioned how the Clippers have the NBA’s longest active streak of consecutive winning seasons. Frank also alluded to the 2021-22 season that saw the Clippers go 42-40 despite Leonard being out the entire year due to ACL surgery and Paul George missing more than half of the season.

Even with Leonard having to watch the first two and a half months of this season, the Clippers were able to achieve their 14th consecutive season with a winning record before March ended. Leonard contributed to that, but he is also wary of the fact that the Clippers have had solid regular seasons that have led to disappointing postseason results due to his inability to complete a postseason under Lue.

“You can tell that this organization wants to be competitive,” Leonard said in Brooklyn. “Unfortunately, things have happened to me … but it’s always a blessing to have a winning season. These guys have been playing great all year to put us in this position. I’m pretty sure our front office enjoys this.”

Now the Clippers start a five-game homestand while in the middle of a stretch of five games in seven days. LA will host an extremely short-handed New Orleans Pelicans team before a back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers will have consecutive days off, then their final back-to-back of the season against the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. The final two games of the season are on the road, where the Clippers will look to complete regular-season sweeps of the Kings and the Golden State Warriors.

LA (43-32) is in the middle of the Play-In Tournament conversation in the Western Conference standings. That record is good enough for eighth place in the West but is tied in the loss column with the Minnesota Timberwolves (44-32) and the free-falling Memphis Grizzlies (44-32), while being a game behind the fifth-place Warriors (44-31).

It’s a place the Clippers don’t want to be. They have experience losing two games in the Play-In Tournament and losing their playoff spot to a team that had six more losses than them in the regular season. That happened in 2022, but that team didn’t have Leonard, who is healthy now.

“I’ve been pushing to play every game, more minutes,” Leonard said. “You know, I’ve had an unfortunate past. And I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to … get to this offseason healthy. That’s my main focus right now.”

(Photo of Kawhi Leonard: Katsanis / Getty Images)

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Chinese Embassy Hosts Student Pickleball Delegation

Local students who went to China this spring for a “pickleball diplomacy” trip will be guests at the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. Xie Feng, Ambassador of China to the U.S., will welcome the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students. In April, about 30 student-athletes went to China for a 12-day, 3-city pickleball […]

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1 day ago

July 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Chinese Embassy Hosts Student Pickleball Delegation

Local students who went to China this spring for a “pickleball diplomacy” trip will be guests at the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.

Xie Feng, Ambassador of China to the U.S., will welcome the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students.

In April, about 30 student-athletes went to China for a 12-day, 3-city pickleball tour in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing.

Students made lifelong friends and became ambassadors for “pickleball diplomacy,” which mirrors the phrase “ping-pong diplomacy” that described the exchange of table tennis players between the U.S. and China in the 1970s.

“The people that I met are definitely my favorite part,” rising junior Haley Corkery told MCM earlier this month. “I still keep in contact with some of them today and I think that’s just something that will last forever.”

Earlier this month, the students premiered a documentary from their travels.

MCM attended the documentary premiere at the Washington, D.C. home of Chinese dignitaries who also hosted the students in Beijing. The documentary, filmed by MCPS-TV, is available on the MCPS YouTube Channel in both English and Chinese.

Watch MCM’s coverage from the premiere:

The students’ trip to China got the attention of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who responded to a letter of gratitude from MCPS Systemwide Athletics Director Dr. Jeffrey Sullivan.

College Sports

Teaser of Unbroken

Published

1 day ago

July 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The official teaser for the upcoming documentary Unbroken: The Unmukt Chand Story is finally out, reigniting interest in one of Indian cricket’s most intriguing “what could have been” narratives. Directed by Raghav Khanna, best known for his acclaimed Netflix special Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli, the documentary offers a rare, emotional deep-dive into the life of Unmukt Chand, who once stood on the brink of cricketing superstardom.

In 2012, Unmukt Chand led India to a sensational victory in the ICC U-19 World Cup, drawing comparisons to legends like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. Touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, his graceful batting and calm leadership had fans and selectors alike pegging him as a future international star. But soon after, the spotlight dimmed. Opportunities dried up. And Unmukt, once a household name, seemed to vanish from the scene.

Unbroken traces this fall from grace — not as a sob story, but as a powerful journey of transformation. The documentary follows Chand’s struggle with selection setbacks, mental health battles, and ultimately, his bold move to the USA, where he restarted his career far from the frenzied expectations of Indian cricket. It is a story of second chances — of grit, perseverance, and rebuilding a life driven by love for the game.

Produced by Riverland Entertainment and Tudip Entertainment, the film promises a raw, personal perspective that goes beyond the headlines, highlighting both the cruelty of fame and the quiet strength of resilience. With a September 2025 release lined up, Unbroken: The Unmukt Chand Story could become one of the most talked-about sports documentaries of the year.

Check Out The Trailer:-

College Sports

Defending UAC Champs Start 2025 Fall Camp

Colin Martinek Football 7/30/2025 11:22:00 PM Evan Nemec Story Links The number of the day was 114. That’s the amount of plays ACU ran during the team portion of the first practice of fall camp on Wednesday — significantly surpassing last year’s first-day total of 82 plays. “It was a good day,” ACU head coach […]

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2 days ago

July 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Defending UAC Champs Start 2025 Fall Camp

Football fall camp day 1 running back drill

Colin Martinek

Football
7/30/2025 11:22:00 PM

Evan Nemec

The number of the day was 114. That’s the amount of plays ACU ran during the team portion of the first practice of fall camp on Wednesday — significantly surpassing last year’s first-day total of 82 plays.

“It was a good day,” ACU head coach Keith Patterson said. “We ran a lot more plays than what we did a year ago. I really liked the way the practice went.”

During the team meeting the day before the first practice — which is traditionally called ‘report day’ — Patterson acknowledged that term doesn’t mean much considering these players have been working out on campus nearly all summer. But, there are still 43 new players on the roster — including 26 transferring from FBS programs — so it is necessary to start with the basics.

“Last year’s team we had so many guys who had been involved with the team for three, four, and five years. They knew the way things worked,” said Patterson. “With the fluidity in college football there is a lot of change on staff and people’s rosters. You have to go back to square one and teach your players about the history of your program, what we believe and the values of our program.”

The Wildcats went 9-5 in 2024 with a United Athletic Conference championship and an appearance in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

Fifty-one players return from that team, including nine total starters. Those returners have an important responsibility.

“They’ve got to help onboard the newcomers. They’ve got to be able to help those guys acclimate. The faster they can do that, the faster we begin to become a winning football team.”

Six of those returning starters are on defense with three in the secondary: Jordan Mukes, Dorian Plumley, and Tyson Williams. Mukes said more guys will step up.

“It started with summer workouts. We bought in together,” said Mukes, a senior cornerback who started all 14 games last season. “Everybody understood the standard and the goal we’re trying to reach. Seeing the first practice and the intensity, I think they understand it.”

“I think we’ve turned what was, I’m not going to say a weak spot but we gave up some explosive plays last year in some of our key games,” said Patterson. “I think we’ve addressed that not only with the players we have coming back led by Dorian Plumley, Jordan Mukes, and Tyson Williams. We have to build around them, and I think we’ve brought in the talent to do that.”

In 2024, people outside of the program did not expect much out of ACU. The Wildcats were picked sixth in the Preseason UAC Coaches Poll. But after winning the league, ACU was voted second in this year’s preseason poll.

“[Coach Patterson] tells us all the time that was last year,” said Mukes. “We’re still the conference champions, but we still have to show everybody what we can do, and play championship defense from the beginning to the end.”

One thing the Wildcats’ fourth-year head coach mentioned when addressing the full team after the first practice was establishing this team’s identity. Patterson is fine not knowing right now exactly what identity will be. By the end of fall camp, though, he should have a clear picture.

“Anytime you have a quarterback competition and trying to find out who’s going to step up to replace the production we had at receiver, you really don’t know. We probably won’t know for a couple of weeks. That’s the beautiful thing about it – the unknown,” said Patterson.

“We can come out here every day, focus on getting better, and if we’ll do that every day, by the end of the season we’ll be a good football team.”

ACU continues fall camp through the late August with the first game on Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

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UFC

[embedded content] “Waiting for the next one” is where Rafael Fiziev is at, after picking up an important win at home in Azerbaijan. Lightweight Fiziev (13-4) returned to the win column for the first time since 2022 with a unanimous decision victory over Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC Baku last month. The card was the promotion’s […]

Published

2 days ago

July 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“Waiting for the next one” is where Rafael Fiziev is at, after picking up an important win at home in Azerbaijan.

Lightweight Fiziev (13-4) returned to the win column for the first time since 2022 with a unanimous decision victory over Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC Baku last month. The card was the promotion’s debut in Fiziev’s native Azerbaijan.

“Win is win, it’s always good. Last couple years, I had three losses, I missed that feeling,” he told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview. “Having a win in my home, in my land, in my city, that’s more than I can wish. So good.”

It wasn’t just three losses, but injuries also weighing on Fiziev. That was a rocky road for the talented lightweight, one that was hard to contend with. “It’s my life. Because I love fighting. I’ve fought since 11 years old. For me, this life, I don’t see myself in other ways. I just know, okay, now I have injuries, now I have a bad time, but I will heal, I will come back.”

In particular, Fiziev maintained his faith in his abilities. “I believe in my power. I can be a top five, I can be a champion, I can fight with top guys and I can give them a good fight, and I’m not an easy guy. I always know that. If we can say this motivated me, this is my motivation.”

While Fiziev had floated the idea of a move to 145lbs, especially after coming in low for his second fight with Justin Gaethje, it appears featherweight is off the table. “Now I gained my weight more, my muscles’ come back. With a good camp, I have big muscles. I cannot go to 145, so 155 for me, it’s a good one.”

What’s up next is a question. He was once booked against Dan Hooker, which is a fight he’d gladly accept again. “I don’t think he’s agreed for this fight now,” noted Fiziev, indicating the fight may not materialize any time soon. There are other names, however. “Now [Beneil] Dariush has come back to the win [column],” he pointed out. At the same time, Fiziev isn’t eager to call out any names, because they rarely agree to fight him.

“In my career, I count only one guy who says yes. Two guys, maybe. First one is [Rafael] dos Anjos, and second one is [Justin] Gaethje. I called them both and they said ‘yes, let’s do this fight.’ But other guys, it’s always like, I called somebody, but UFC gives me some different guy. I called Dan Hooker, I’m ready to fight him if he’s ready. Dariush. I don’t know who doesn’t have a fight now. Gamrot. Who’s ready to fight? If UFC gives me somebody, I’m happy to fight with them. But I can’t say now, some names, like ‘aww I want to fight this guy.’”

“[Mateusz] Gamrot last time he said yes, then after a few days he started to call out Paddy Pimblett. Like ‘hey Paddy let’s fight,’” added Fiziev. “This business sometimes, [you’re] going crazy.”

Still, with luck we’ll be seeing Rafael Fiziev back in action by the end of the year.

High School Sports

Kentucky Basketball Offers 7

Mark Pope‘s coaching staff is casting a wider net following the summer evaluation period. In recent days, we’ve seen a wave of offers extended to players in the 2027 recruiting class. On Tuesday night, Kentucky officially entered the fray for a 7-footer in the class of 2026. Ethan Taylor shared on social media that he’s […]

Published

2 days ago

July 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Mark Pope‘s coaching staff is casting a wider net following the summer evaluation period. In recent days, we’ve seen a wave of offers extended to players in the 2027 recruiting class. On Tuesday night, Kentucky officially entered the fray for a 7-footer in the class of 2026.

Ethan Taylor shared on social media that he’s received a scholarship offer from the Wildcats. It’s the center’s 15th scholarship offer so far. Oklahoma, Florida State, Kansas State, Missouri, and Kansas are the schools generating the most buzz early in his recruitment.

The 7-foot, 230-pound athlete plays prep school basketball at Link Academy in Kansas. A four-star prospect, he’s the second-ranked center in the 2026 class and No. 23 overall player, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

It’s been a solid summer for Taylor. Despite only playing 16 minutes a game in the Peach Jam, the Big Man averaged 9.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. A few weeks prior, he was a standout at the NBPA Top 100 camp.

“Ethan Taylor has a lot of upside with his size, and continued upward trajectory of his game,” said Rivals’ Jaime Shaw. “He rebounded his area well and finished plays around the basket. He also showed interesting passing ability. Still growing into his frame as he continues to add strength, there is a pretty high upside for him.”

Mark Pope’s first full high school recruiting class features a talented 7-footer from the state of Kentucky, Malachi Moreno. The Commonwealth doesn’t regularly produce 7-footers. He’ll have to look elsewhere to find space-eaters in the paint. Taylor is a target that fits the bill.

Want more Kentucky Basketball Recruiting? Join KSR+

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy Kentucky basketball offseason, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.

Professional Sports

Salt Papi receives advice from former UFC champion on how to defeat 'creative' Tony …

Influencer boxing promotion Misfits will host a double main event on August 30th, when three former UFC fighters step inside the boxing ring. The final fight of the night in Manchester will see former UFC champion Luke Rockhold take on fellow former MMA fighter Darren Till, who recently praised Jake Paul. In the co-main event […]

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3 days ago

July 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Salt Papi receives advice from former UFC champion on how to defeat 'creative' Tony ...

Influencer boxing promotion Misfits will host a double main event on August 30th, when three former UFC fighters step inside the boxing ring.

The final fight of the night in Manchester will see former UFC champion Luke Rockhold take on fellow former MMA fighter Darren Till, who recently praised Jake Paul.

In the co-main event of Misfits 22, influencer-boxer Nathaniel Bustamante, better known as Salt Papi, will return to the ring as he takes on UFC veteran Tony Ferguson.

Ferguson, 41, will be the most experienced fighter that Salt Papi has faced, as the Filipino has now received advice from Rockhold ahead of the fight.

Luke Rockhold sitting down in changing room prior to fight — Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC

Luke Rockhold breaks down how Salt Papi can defeat Tony Ferguson

When Salt Papi competes against Ferguson, it will be his seventh outing under the Misfits banner, an organization partially run by former Logan Paul rival, KSI.

With an exhibition boxing record of 6-2, Salt Papi is considered to be one of the brightest stars in the influencer boxer scene. However, Ferguson will be a new test for the 31-year-old.

Ahead of the fight, Salt Papi was able to get some advice from Rockhold on how he can beat his fellow former-UFC star, Ferguson.

Rockhold told Salt Papi, [Use your] Jab, movement. Obviously, Tony’s got his crazy movement, so take your time. Take your time and flow. Find the rhythm.”

Although Rockhold said that Ferguson is ‘creative’, the former MMA middleweight champion added, “He doesn’t have the shoulders, do you know what I mean?”

The former UFC star then gave credit to Salt Papi by saying, “He’s got shoulders, he’s got looseness. That’s a difference in boxing.”

Although Rockhold said he ‘loves’ Ferguson, he seemingly leaned towards Salt Papi when asked for a prediction on the fight.

Tony Ferguson will be making his boxing debut in first post-UFC appearance

When Ferguson steps into the ring on August 30th, it will be his first time competing in a boxing match.

The former interim UFC lightweight title holder ended his run in the MMA organization with eight consecutive losses, having previously been undefeated for eight years.

As a UFC fighter, Ferguson was considered to be well-rounded in both striking and grappling aspects in his MMA career. His 25-11 MMA record includes 11 knockout and nine submission wins.

During his losing streak, Ferguson was able to achieve knockdowns over the likes of Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler with single-shot punches. Some fans may perceive this as a promising sign ahead of his boxing debut.

As for Salt Papi, five of his six wins have come by way of knockout. His last win came in November 2024, via stoppage.