03172026 SPORTS

SPORTS

‘The

Bionic Man’ ready for the World Indoors

• Decathlete Kendrick Thompson confident he has potential to get on podium in World Indoors debut • Team Bahamas ‘small but very powerful’

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunmedia.net

VERSATILE Kendrick

“The Bionic Man” Thompson is confident that he has the potential to get on the podium in his debut at the 2026 World Indoor Championships this weekend. Thompson, the national decathlon record holder, is one of five Bahamians selected to compete in the 21st edition of the championships that will run from Friday to Sunday, March 20-22 , at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena Toruń in Kujawsko, Poland.

Thompson, 28, will be making his initial appearance in the men's heptathlon that will begin on Friday and end on Saturday. He will be joined by another newcomer in Tahj Brown, who will contest the men's 60m hurdles that started with the preliminaries on Saturday and ends in the final on Sunday.  Brown is a freshman at Liberty University. The RM Bailey graduate is coming off his victory in the men's 60 metre hurdles in 7.70 seconds at the Conference USA National Indoor Championships.

Teixeira and Gervasini emerge as the overall winners at Jaws Beach

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RODIGO Teixeira and Ilaria Gervasini emerged as the overall male and female winners of the Bahamas Triathlon's 2026 FYP sponsored Olympic, sprint and relay competition on Sunday at Jaws Beach. In the sprint distance, Lauchlan Menzies and Mia Van der Riet were the respective winners. MeanwhileMenzies teamed up with Aaron Horton and Blair Thompson to form the Trio of Trouble as they walked away with the relay sprint distance title.

Bahamas Triathlon association holds the FyPsponsored Olympic, sprint and relay competition

Grant Menzies, one of the organisers of the event, said it was a good fundraiser for the BTA, headed by Lori Roach. He noted that they were appreciative of the 60 participants who came from out of town to participate.

"It was a nice warm day with some gentle breeze," Menzies said. "We had a good time and everybody indicated that they enjoyed the event, even those who tried some new events for the first time.

"The competition was good. The athletes who

came in performed very well. But we also had some local competitors, who also performed well." The event also served as a prelude to the Potcakeman Triathlon, which is next on the calendar for April 19, and serve as a qualifier for the CARIFTA Games and then there's the National Triathlon Championships, set for May 16-17. Both events will take place at Jaws Beach.

Teixeira, 48, clocked two hours, 15 minutes and 34 seconds to win the overall

title in the standard distance event combining the swim, bike and run competition. Jonathan Desjardins, 32, was second in 2:27.50 and Marc Saulnier, 46, was third in 2:27.53.

Gervasini, 47, was 15th overall in the field in 3:01.07 as she took the female standard distance title over Sienna Culmer-Mackey, 20, who was 17th in 3:20.27.

In the various age groups for the standard distance, the top finishers were as

At 19 years old, Brown is the youngest among 47 entrants representing 34 different nations in the men's 60 hurdles. He is tied for No. 31 nationally this season, including third among freshmen. He also ranks No. 2 behind All-American Jovaine Atkinson on the Flames' all-time 60 hurdles chart. This is Brown's second global trip on a national team for The Bahamas, having competed at the 2024 World Athletics Under-20 Championships

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net

OLE Miss’ improbable run through the SEC Tournament finally came to an end in the semifinals, but not before Ambrozino “AJ” Storr delivered one of the most memorable stretches of basketball of his season.

The senior guard was at the centre of the Rebels’ late surge in Nashville, helping power the No. 15 seed through three straight upset wins before Arkansas finally stopped the run with a 93-90 overtime victory in the semifinals this past weekend.   Storr’s play throughout the week was a major reason Ole Miss suddenly looked like one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament. The 6-foot-5 guard consistently stepped up in big moments, delivering scoring bursts and clutch plays that kept the Rebels alive deep into the bracket.

For the season, Storr has been one of Ole Miss’ most reliable offensive weapons, averaging 15.2  points per game while shooting 44.2 per cent from the field, along with 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.   The Rebels opened the tournament with a strong 76-66 win over Texas. Teammate Malik Dia led the scoring, but Storr added 18 points and helped control the tempo as Ole Miss secured the opening-round upset.   Ole Miss followed that performance with another upset in the second round, defeating Georgia 76-72. Storr led the way offensively, finishing with 19 points as the Rebels built a large lead before holding off a late Bulldogs comeback.   The biggest win of the run came in the quarterfinals against second-seeded Alabama.

Storr scored 17 points as Ole Miss pulled off a stunning 80-79 victory. The Rebels relied on their aggressive defence and timely shot-making to survive Alabama’s late push, securing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets and sending the team to the

Senior guard

Ambrozino ‘AJ’

Storr has ‘one of the most memorable stretches of basketball’

semifinals. By that point, Storr had firmly established himself as the driving force behind the Rebels’ tournament momentum.

The semifinal matchup with Arkansas turned into one of the most dramatic games of the entire tournament.

With Ole Miss trailing late in regulation, Storr delivered one of the tournament’s most clutch moments. He drove to the basket and scored a layup with just 1.1 seconds remaining, tying the game at 79 and forcing overtime.

The Razorbacks eventually pulled away in the extra period to win 93-90, ending the Rebels’ remarkable run and advancing to the SEC championship game but, even in defeat, Storr’s impact was undeniable.

Winning this game and the conference championship game would have bought Storr and the Rebels a ticket to the NCAA tournament and made them the first bidstealer from a high-major conference to enter the NCAA Tournament with a win percentage below .500. “Out there playing as hard as we can, knowing if we lose our season will be over, and taking that mentality out there,” said Storr.

“I’m a senior, so my next loss could be my last game in my college career, so playing with that mentality and going out there and having fun with my teammates.”

Throughout the tournament, he consistently created offence by attacking the rim and hit key shots when Ole Miss needed them most. His ability to score in isolation and in

transition gave the Rebels a steady offensive option against some of the SEC’s top teams. It was the kind of performance that highlighted why Storr has been such an important piece

Local Sports Calendar

Bethel Way and head east and return to Clifford Park.

BBSF

ELECTIONS POSTPONED

& FIELD

THE Bahamas Scholastic Athletic Association (BSAA) Track & Field Championships 2026 came to an exciting conclusion on Friday after two days of outstanding competition at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. Student-athletes from small schools across the country showcased incredible talent, determination and sportsmanship while proudly representing their schools. After all events were completed, the final overall standings are:

• Noble Preparatory Academy – 808 pts

• Genesis Academy – 692

pts

• Teleos Christian School –559 pts

• Kingsway Academy – 545

pts

• Akhepran International School – 401 pts

Special congratulations to Noble Preparatory Academy for capturing the BSAA Small Schools Track & Field championship title. Congratulations to all participating schools, athletes, coaches and supporters who made this championship a tremendous success. Your hard work, dedication and sportsmanship truly embodied the spirit of competition.

THE Women Walk 2026 - Prayer March in Solidarity Against Domestic Violence and Child Abuse is scheduled for 7:30am Saturday from Clifford Park East and travel to Bay Street and back to Clifford Park East. Last year’s event brought together hundreds of participants who filled the streets of downtown New Providence in a powerful display of unity and faith, including Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles as they stood against child abuse and domestic violence.

Women Walk is a faith-centred prayer walk which brings together women, men, families, churches and community partners to stand in unity through prayer and praise. The walk begins and ends at Clifford Park. Participants are requested to be in place by 7:30am for an 8am departure time.

The walk route leaves Clifford Park onto Marcus Bethel Way to West Bay Street (headed West) to Marlborough Street to Navy Lion Road and headed west to Bay Street to Parliament Street, head west to Shirley Street to Duke Street, head east to Cumberland Street to Marlborough Street, head east to West Bay Street to Marcus

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation’s election of officers, which was scheduled for Saturday, was postponed until 10am on Saturday, March 28, at its office at the Bahamas Baptist University/College, Jean Street.

FUNERAL

RAY MINUS

SR

THE funeral service for the late Kermit Lorenzo Minus “Ray Sr” will be held 1pm Saturday, March 21, at St Gregory’s Anglican Church, Carmichael Road. His body will then be interred in the church’s gravesite. The Repass will be at the church’s activity centre.

BASKETBALL

IBC BAHAMAS

GBYL

THE International Basketball Academy’s Grassroots Youth Basketball League is officially open for registration for the 2026 season.

According to coach Denycko Bowles, the GBYL is where young athletes build skill, confidence, discipline, and love for the game. “Whether your child is just starting out or already serious about basketball, this league is designed to develop players the right way from the ground up,” Bowles said.

of the Ole Miss roster all season. Storr, 22, who previously played at Wisconsin before transferring, has built a reputation as a dynamic scorer capable of taking over games. His

The GBYL is open to girls and boys from ages four to 20 years.

The league showcase is scheduled for March 28, the Draft Day is March 29 and the season tip-off will be on April 11.

League categories include 8U | 10U | 12U | 14U | 16U | 18U | 20U. The league fee is $150. Spots fill quickly every season, so Bowles is asking persons to secure your athlete’s place early. Interested persons can register at https://forms. gle/7VPvW9h86ixvPowZ9 SPECIAL OLYMPICS AWARENESS WALK

SPECIAL Olympics Bahamas is scheduled to hold its Awareness Walk on Saturday, March 28, starting at 9am at the Western Esplanade.

The route will leave from the Western Esplanade, turn south onto Nassau Street to Poinciana Drive, continue south to University Drive and ending at the entrance of the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre’s Legends Walk of Fame.

Individuals and groups/ organisations are invited to participate. Registration is now open.

Persons can enter the QR code, open the link, complete the applicable Individual OR Group

scoring ability was on full display during the SEC Tournament as he helped guide the Rebels through a stretch few expected.

Despite entering the tournament as the No. 15 seed,

Registration Form, submit along with their donation and they are all set to go.

BAAA

FINAL CARIFTA

TRIALS

THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations will hold its final CARIFTA trials from March 20-22 at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The trials will follow the same format at the CARIFTA Games, scheduled for the Easter holiday in Grenada. The BAAA is allowing the athletes to get accustomed to the same racing conditions at CARIFTA.

General admission for the public is $12 per day, but there is a three-day pass of $24. Children under-12 will be charged $8 per day with their three-day pass being $20. The VIP stand is $20 per day or the three-day package is $58.

GOLF

FLAMINGO

GOLF INSTALLATION

THE newly elected executive board of the Flamingos Women’s Golf Classic will hold its installation of officers at 5pm on Friday, March 27, under the theme: “Leading with grace and style in every swing.”

The installation will take place at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Nine-Hole Golf Course and Driving

belief

the week, and

Range at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The dress code is Golf Clic. Refreshments will be served following the installation.

To RSVP persons are urged to email flamingoswomengolf@gmail.com

GOLF

REGISTRATION FOR TOP CLASS SESSIONS

THE opening session of the Top Classic Golf Institute got underway on Saturday at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s NineHole Driving Range. The event will end on Saturday, April 11. There will be one hour per session beginning at 8 am and will run every hour on the hour until the final session for each day kicks off at 4pm.

The class size will be a maximum of four students per class.

Fees are determined by the number of students and includes four students = 30.00 P/S; 3 Students = 40.00 P/S; 2 Students = 60.00 P/S and 1 Student = 120.00.

Coach Vernon Lockhart and JP Michielson will conduct the sessions.

To register, golfers are urged to contact administrator Agatha Mona DeLancy 819-3184 or email her at delancyagatha6@gmail.com for more information.

How to watch and what to watch in the men’s basketball tournament

By The Associated Press

LET the madness begin!

March Madness arrived Sunday evening when the NCAA released its 68-team tournament bracket, sending hundreds of thousands of fans scrambling to study college basketball before filling out their brackets before firstround games begin Thursday.

Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida are the favourites. Miami (Ohio) made it. Indiana, Oklahoma and Auburn didn't.

If you like the tourney at 68 teams, enjoy the moment! Discussions continue on whether to expand the field by at least four teams and possibly more. And keep an eye out for the NCAA punishing teams that fail to provide player availability reports. Fines begin at $10,000.

The betting favourites According to BetMGM Sportsbook, Michigan (plus-325) is a slight favourite to win the national championship over Duke (plus-333) despite the Wolverines' 80-72 loss to Purdue in Sunday's Big Ten tourney title game.

Michigan and Duke are followed by Arizona (plus-425), defending champion Florida (plus-600) and last year's national runner-up, Houston (plus1,000). UConn, which won back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024, is fifth at plus-1,800.

ARIZONA’s Jaden Bradley celebrates after making the game-winning shot at the buzzer to defeat Iowa State during an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Friday, March 13, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida earned the No. 1 seeds in the four respective regions. Food for thought: Michigan State in 2000 was the last Big Ten team to win the national championship, which was played that year in Indianapolis, the site of this year’s Final Four. But remember: Three of Duke’s five national championships (1991, 2010 and 2015) were won in Indianapolis while Arizona captured its only national title in Indy in 1997. Florida also won the first of back-to-back national championships in 2006 — in Indy. Games to watch No. 2 seed Purdue (27-8) vs. No. 15 Queens (21-13), Friday, West Region. The Big Ten tourney champs and No. 1 team in the AP preseason poll faces a firsttime NCAA tourney entrant and has a history of early departures against smaller-school teams. Purdue guard Braden Smith needs two assists to break Bobby Hurley’s Division I career record (1,076).

No. 5 seed Wisconsin (24-10) vs. No. 12 High Point (30-4), Thursday, West Region. Showtime! The Big South tourney champs are tied for the third-highest scoring average in Division I (90.0 points). Wisconsin isn’t far behind at 83.5 points (30th). The fact it’s a five-12 matchup could be a fun upset pick. No. 11 seed Miami (Ohio) (31-1) vs. No. 11 SMU (20-13), Wednesday, First Four. Some bracketologists thought the Mustangs didn’t belong while others thought the lack of schedule strength and quality wins should leave Miami out. Instead, both teams now have a chance to prove they belong. No. 7 Miami (Florida) (25-8) vs. 10 Missouri (20-12), Friday, West Region.

The Hurricanes got a tough draw against a lower seeded foe that will play just about 90 minutes away from its campus. Sure, Missouri has lost three straight. But a home-like crowd could make this an upset special.

How to watch

Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired and here is the schedule. Games will be telecast either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS will broadcast the Final Four and national title game this year. The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.

Who is playing The 31 conference tourney winners received automatic bids into the field. Twelve selection committee members chose the remaining 37 at-large teams, leaving some of the missing teams miffed as usual.

When the Madness begins

After this week's First Four games, first- and second-round games will be played Thursday and Saturday in Buffalo, New York; Greenville, South Carolina; Portland, Oregon and Oklahoma City. Games played Friday and Sunday will be in Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis and Tampa, Florida.

Sweet 16 games will be played March 26-29 in Houston (South), Washington (East), Chicago (Midwest) and San Jose, California (West).

The Final Four is Saturday, April 4, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the title game the night of Monday, April 6, at 8:30pm Eastern.

March Madness:

How to watch and what to watch in women’s

NCAA Tournament

UCONN guard KK Arnold (2), forward Sarah Strong (21) and guard Azzi Fudd (35) react from

in the semifinals of the Big East tournament, Sunday, March 8, 2026, in

By The Associated Press

TOP-ranked UConn and the other favourites in women’s college basketball can’t wait for March Madness to begin.

The Huskies are the defending champion and the last time they didn’t win another one the next year was way back in 2000. UConn won three straight titles in 2002-04, back-toback crowns in 2009-10 and four in a row from 2013-16.

UConn will seek its 13th national championship.

Fellow No. 1 seeds UCLA, Texas and South Carolina will be the biggest challengers as the annual tradition

that is the NCAA Tournament opens the door for thousands of fans to fill out brackets and take a shot at winning the office pool. For the first time, the NCAA will punish teams that do not provide player availability reports. Fines start at $10,000. And if you like the tourney at 68 teams, enjoy the moment! Discussions continue on whether to expand the field by at least four teams and possibly more.

The betting favourites According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the favourites to win the national championship are UConn (minus-275), UCLA (plus-550), Texas (plus-650) and South Carolina (plus900). LSU (plus-1700) is the next on the list.

James Madison (26-8) vs. Kentucky (23-10), Saturday, 2:30pm. James Madison owns a 12-game winning streak.

23rd in the most recent AP rankings. How to watch the tournament

Games to watch South Dakota State (27-6) vs. Washington (2110), Friday, 2:30pm Eastern. South Dakota State avanced to the round of 32 as a No. 10 seed last year and tries to do it as an 11th seed this time. The Jackrabbits have won 10 straight. Tennessee (16-13) vs. N.C. State (20-10), Friday, 8pm. N.C. State won 80-77 at Tennessee in the season opener for both teams. Now they meet again. The Lady Vols enter the NCAA Tournament on a seven-game skid.

In its last two NCAA Tournament first-round games, Kentucky got upset by Princeton in 2022 and edged Liberty 79-78 last year. Princeton (26-3) vs. Oklahoma State (23-9), Saturday, 7:30pm. For the second straight season, Oklahoma State has a first-round matchup with a mid-major programme in the Top 25. After losing to South Dakota State last year, the Cowboys must deal with a Princeton team that was

Every game of the women’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule — on ESPN’s networks and streaming services. The championship game will be aired on ABC for a fourth straight season. Who is playing There were 31 automatic bids for league tournament champions. The selection committee then picked 37 at-large teams. The full field was revealed Sunday.

When the Madness begins The First Four matchups are Wednesday and Thursday. The first- and second-round games Friday and Saturday are on these 16 campuses across the country. The second week of the tournament will take place at two sites: Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, California.

The Sweet 16 matchups will take place March 27-28, with regional finals March 29-30.

The Final Four in Phoenix on Friday, April 3, begins at 7pm Eastern and the championship game begns at 3:30pm Eastern on Sunday, April 5.

OLYMPIC Triathlon Overall Female

1. Illaria Gervasini

2. Sienna Culmer-Mackey Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

Team Bahamas

Teixeira and Gervasini

win Bahamas Triathlon Association’s Olympic, sprint and relay competition

TRIATHLON - from Page E1

follows:

Male 14-19 - Quant Rolle, 16, 3:00.42

Male 20-29 - Kabir Mathur, 26, 2:28.23

Male 30-39 - Felix Larocque, 37, 2:29.36; Frank Graffam, 37, 2:31.25; Jack Pagan, 36, 2:38.46

Male 40-49 - Jonathan Pepin, 48, 2:38.02

Male 50-59 - Bertoldo Simone, 50, 2:31.00; Sebastian Gagnon, 50, 2:35.25; Ragil Cordova, 54, 2:52.02

Male 60-69 - Herman Cayaban, 62, 4:22.19

Sprint Distance winners are as follows: Overall male - Lauchlan Menzies, 15, 1:13.16; Jorge

Marcos, 41, 1:20.17; Martin Polleri, 35, 1:26.55

Overall female - Mia Van der Riet, 15, 1:23.20; Sophie Brueckner, 13, 1:28.33; Ella Brueckner, 15, 1:28.39

Male 12-19 - Ta-Naj Pratt, 16, 1:27.09; Kaalen Ferguson, 15, 1:27.22; Maximilian van der Riet, 12, 1:28.13

Male 20-29 - Alexa Dean, 25, 1:48.39

Male 40-49 - Jorge Pablos, 46, 1:36.04

Relay sprint distance  Lauhlan Menzies, Aaron Horton, Blair Thompson - Trio of Trouble - 1:14.40; Lyall Menzies, Frasr Menzies, Kyle Murray - Splash, Flash and Dash - 1:19.41; Ella Breuckner, Ella Breuckner, Tessa KnowlesDouble Threat - 1:27.31.

RELAY WINNERS

Sweat, Years and Beers

Malcolm Menzies, Jamie Johnston, Ben Fox

‘small but a very powerful one’ heading into the World Indoor Championships this weekend

in Lima, Peru, where he was 47th overall in the men’s 110m hurdles in 14.28. Two-time defending champion and world record holder Devynne Charlton, 30, will head the female list of three 60m hurdlers, including Charisma Taylor, 26, and Denisha Cartwright, 26, all of whom will also double up in competition on Saturday and Sunday.

Last year in Nanjing, China, where Charlton secured the only medal for Team Bahamas in the women’s hurdles with her repeat victory, Cartwright was 11th overall in 8.08 in the semifinals.

While Taylor didn’t make the trip to China, she did join Charlton and Cartwright at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Charlton was the only one to advance to the women’s 100m hurdles final in which she placed sixth in a season’s best of 12.49. Taylor was 24th overall in the preliminaries in 12.98 and Cartwright was 40th in 13.50.

The trio also competed together on the team that represented The Bahamas at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, where Charlton was sixth in the

final in 12.56. Taylor was third in her heat of the semifinal in a personal best of 12.63, but she didn’t make the final. Cartwright made it to the repechage round where she placed seventh in her heat in 13.45. The trio are back together again and are looking forward to making their presence felt in Poland this weekend for Team Bahamas.  Bernard Rolle will travel as the head coach, while Nicholas Morley will serve as the physiotherapist. Thompson, coming off his first meet for the year where he got a third place finish on February 22 at the USA Indoor Combined Events Championships at the Fall Creek Pavilion in Indianapolis, Indiana, said he’s looking forward to the trip to Poland.

“I feel really good. I haven’t tried to do any indoor meets this year because it’s an off year, but I really wanted to go to the Worlds to see how it feels,” said Thompson before he made his trek to Poland yesterday.

“My body is feeling kind of good, better than it was last week when I competed in my first meet, so I’m really excited about competing in my first World Indoors.”

Going in as number five on the list of qualifiers for the heptathlon, Thompson said he’s confident that if everything goes according to his plan, he should get on the podium at the end of the competition. “It should be quite easier than outdoors,” said Thompson.

Thompson also represented The Bahamas at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, last year where he was eighth overall in the men’s decathlon.

Having posted his lifetime achievement of 5,963 points, which trails the national record of 6,340 points that is currently held by Ken Mullings in the 60m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1,000m combined.

“I felt I had the potential to do much better at the US Nationals, but it has given me the incentive to go out there and compete even harder to get on the podium in Poland,” Thompson said. “The 60m hurdles, the long jump and the high jump

are my strongest events,” Thompson said. “I’m a little concerned about the pole vault because the plane I’m going on could not take my poles, so I have to borrow some from one of my friends who is going as well.

“That’s my only concern. But once I get my rhythm going, I should do very well. The other events, I know I can fare pretty well in them, so I’m not worried about them as I am about the pole vault.”

In preparation for World Indoors, Thompson spent the past month training in Dallas with four decathlon training partners.

“My preparation has been good. That’s why I am so confident that I will be able to do very very well at Worlds and to be able to come back home with a medal.

“I’ve been working on all of my events that I need to work on, sharpening them up. So I feel that I’ve put in the necessary work to get ready for this meet.”

As for Team Bahamas, Thompson said the five-member team, led by Charlton, should do very well with the coaching staff going with them.

“It’s a small team, but I think it’s a very powerful one,” Thompson said.

“The heptathlon is a lot harder than the other events, so I’m just happy that I was able to get in.

“I feel pretty good being one of the top five qualifiers, I just need to go out there and execute the things that I’ve been doing in practice and hopefully everything will go as planned.”

Once he gets some sleep and gets acclimatised to the conditions in Poland, he will do his best and try to return home with a medal.

He encouraged the Bahamian public to continue to pray for him and the rest of Team Bahamas.

While the heptathlon indoors comprises seven events, the decathlon outdoors is made up of 10 events split evenly over the two days of competition.

While this is his first shot indoors, Thompson is eager to compete just as he did when he returned outdoors in 2025. He had to sit out 2024 and missed the Olympic Games after he survived a boat accident and a shark bite.

On his return in 2025, he was given the nickname “The Bionic Man” by BAAA president Drumeco Archer because of his rapid recovery.

Thunder use balanced attack to win 8th straight, beat Timberwolves 116-103

By The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and 10 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-103 on Sunday for their eighth straight win.

Gilgeous-Alexander barely extended his record streak of games with at least 20 points to 128. He had just 10 points heading into the fourth, and he re-entered the game with 7:10 left after resting.

He scored on a stepback against Anthony Edwards with 1:46 remaining and was fouled to reach 19 points. With the crowd standing and chanting “M-V-P!” he drained the free throw to keep the streak alive and push himself further past Wilt Chamberlain’s old mark of 126.

Chet Holmgren had 21 points and nine rebounds and Isaiah Joe added 20 points for the Thunder, who improved to a league-best 53-15.

Julius Randle scored 32 points and Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves.

The Thunder forced 22 turnovers while committing just seven. Oklahoma City attempted 101 shots while Minnesota tried 77.

MAVERICKS 130, CAVALIERS 120 CLEVELAND (AP) — Cooper Flagg scored 27 points, Naji Marshall added 25 and Dallas bounced back from a 33-point loss to Cleveland two days ago to defeat the Cavaliers. The Mavericks, who were routed 138-105 on Friday night, pulled away in the second half to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Cavaliers.

P.J. Washington had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas, which won for just the second time in 11 games. It was the 12th time this season Flagg has scored at least 27 points. The top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was 10 of 17 from the field and also had 10 assists and six rebounds in 33 minutes.

RAPTORS 119, PISTONS 108 TORONTO (AP) — Brandon Ingram had a game-high 34 points and Toronto defeated Detroit. RJ Barrett added 27 points and six rebounds for Toronto, which has won back-to-back games. The win helped the Raptors hang on to sixth in the Eastern Conference. Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes each had a double-double. Poeltl

finished with 21 points and a season-high 18 rebounds while Barnes added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto. Cade Cunningham had 33 points and nine assists as the first-place Pistons had their three-game win streak snapped.

BUCKS 134, PACERS 123

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and pulled down 14 rebounds before leaving the game with an

injury, and Milwaukee beat Indiana.

Antetokounmpo landed awkwardly as he completed a dunk late in the third quarter. He briefly remained in the game and dunked again on Milwaukee’s next possession. He got fouled the possession after that and attempted a pair of free throws before heading to the locker room.

Antetokounmpo also had eight assists while Bobby Portis scored 29 points and

added 10 rebounds. Ryan Rollins shot 8 for 12, including 3 for 5 from beyond the 3-point line, to finish with 20 points, seven assists and three steals.

Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers with 32 points. Indiana also got 16 points and two blocks from Jay Huff.

KNICKS 110, WARRIORS 107

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson had 30 points and nine assists, and New York rallied from a 21-point deficit against a patchwork Golden State lineup to beat the Warriors.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, while OG Anunoby and Jordan Clarkson both had 14 points. The Knicks took a while to wake up in their return home from a five-game road trip before eventually picking up their third straight victory. The Knicks led briefly in the opening minutes of the game and then not again until the final minutes of the third quarter after back-toback baskets by Brunson. Brandin Podziemski scored 25 points for the Warriors, who had Stephen Curry and most of their recognizable names on the bench in their season-high fifth straight loss. Quentin Post had a career-high 22

and Gui Santos finished with 20. Curry missed his 17th straight game with right knee pain and inflammation. Younger brother Seth Curry is out at least a week with a left groin strain and veteran forward Al Horford has a left calf strain that will also sideline him at least a week.

KINGS 116, JAZZ 111

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 41 points and had 11 assists to help Sacramento hold off Utah.

DeRozan, who passed Hall of Famer Tim Duncan last week for 18th place on the NBA’s career scoring list, was 11 of 21 from the floor while reaching 40 points for the first time since Feb. 2, 2025. It’s the 417th time he has scored 20 or more points while shooting at least 50 percent.

Precious Achiuwa added 20 points and 11 rebounds in the matchup of the two worst teams in the Western Conference. Killian Hayes, who signed an extension with Sacramento earlier in the day, had 16 points and eight assists. Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden each scored 10. Cody Williams scored 34 points for the Jazz (20-48).