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76ers' George: Podcast on pause 'to focus on here'
NEW YORK -- After the Philadelphia 76ers dropped their ninth straight game Wednesday night, a 110-105 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Paul George expounded on his recent decision to stop podcasting, saying it was about putting his full focus into "trying to get this team together."
"It was more so just to focus on here," said George, who had 25 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in 42 minutes against the Knicks, a game that saw Philadelphia rally from 19 down to take the lead late before falling short. "I haven't been the healthiest, so it's just been putting a ton of work towards getting my body as healthy as possible, and to keep focus of obviously being here and trying to turn things around here and the full focus is trying to get this team together.
"But we got to give ourselves a chance. Take it one game at a time, but we got to give ourselves a chance to see what we can do down the stretch."
Wednesday was a far different showing than Monday's absolute beatdown at the hands of the Chicago Bulls in Philadelphia, where the 76ers trailed by as many as 50 points and weren't competitive from the opening tip.
After that game, George -- who put out his last episode of "Podcast P with Paul George" earlier that morning -- said the 76ers have "shown no sign of a team that will compete. We just don't have the habits a champion, or playoff contending team, would have.
"To be honest, right now it's a little far-fetched."
While the 76ers' defeat Wednesday night extended their losing streak beyond three weeks, the performance was at least was a step in the right direction.
And for George -- who had his best game in a month -- it came after his podcast announcement, which he said he had been thinking about for some time.
"It was something that was kind of racking in my head a little bit just because of [being] new to the city, being acclimated to Philadelphia," George said. "It just came to the point where it was like, 'All right, this is the time to kind of take a step back for a second.'"
With the Brooklyn Nets losing across town to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 76ers remain ensconced in the sixth spot in the NBA's draft lottery, and 2 games back of the Bulls for the 10th and final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
If Philadelphia's pick lands in the top six in June's NBA draft, the 76ers will keep it, the result of a trade in 2020 with the Thunder. If it lands anywhere from 7-30, it will go to Oklahoma City instead.
Throughout this season, the focus for the 76ers has been on making a run and getting their big three of George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid all on the court. Now, though, it is unlikely all three will play together again this season.
Embiid was out for a second straight game Wednesday and continues to confer with doctors -- along with the 76ers -- after undergoing imaging Monday on his troublesome left knee.
An update on his status, and whether he will be shut down for the season, is expected in the coming days.
George, meanwhile, has admitted to playing through injuries, while Maxey is dealing with a right finger injury he suffered during Saturday's loss to the Nets that has impacted his ballhandling and shooting.
"It's hurting," said Maxey, who had 30 points and 5 assists against the Knicks but shot 12-for-32 from the floor, including missing all 10 of his 3-point attempts. "But I'll be fine."
Angels' Trout connects for first homer of spring
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout hit his first homer of spring training on Wednesday, a solo shot over the left-field wall as the Los Angeles Angels star tries to bounce back from several injury-filled seasons.
The 33-year-old went deep in the third inning off Cincinnati Reds reliever Bryan Shaw. Trout was the designated hitter and plans to play a majority of his games in right field, moving from center in an attempt to preserve his health.
"It felt good," Trout said. "Just having some good at-bats, seeing pitches and got a good result."
Trout played just 29 games last season and had surgery on May 3 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
He missed all but 36 games of the 2021 season with a strained right calf, and was out between July 12 and Aug. 19 in 2022 because of an injury to his upper back and ribcage. Trout broke the hamate bone in his left hand when he fouled off a pitch on July 3, 2023, missing all but one game after July 3.
Trout's last MVP season came in 2019 when he hit .291 with 45 homers and 104 RBI. He has a .299 career average with 378 homers over 14 seasons with the Angels.
Trout said his transition to right field has gone well. He's played one game at the position so far this spring training and said he's scheduled to be in right again later this week.
"Looking forward to it, getting some reads off the bat," Trout said. "It's different visuals you've got to work on and then you've got different angles on the line at different stadiums. It'll be an adjustment but I'm enjoying it."
Arenado says trip to face Yanks not a 'showcase'
TAMPA, Fla. -- St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado made the three-hour, cross-state drive to play in an exhibition game Wednesday against the New York Yankees, among the teams that may be open to acquiring him in a trade.
He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and disputed the notion the game was a "showcase" of himself to a potential suitor.
"I didn't come here for that," Arenado told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Day 3 of spring training. That wouldn't be a good day to showcase myself. I'm not ready for that."
Arenado, on the trade market because of declining production and a contract that will pay him $74 million over the next three seasons, said he was given the option to skip the trip but wanted see friends DJ LeMahieu and Paul Goldschmidt, both Yankees infielders, and an athletic trainer he knows in the area.
He said he wanted to get three at-bats, which kept him in the game for seven innings -- another February rarity for a veteran. Arenado struck out on three pitches, lined out to second and whiffed on a 1-2 count.
"My body is ready for it," he said. "I'm ready for nine. My timing [at the plate] is not."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ohtani to make spring training debut vs. Angels
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani will make his first spring training appearance of the year Friday night against his old team, the Angels.
Ohtani, 30, will be the designated hitter. Roberts has not given a timetable for Ohtani's return to the pitcher's mound other than to say he hopes it would be "sooner than later." Roberts has ruled Ohtani out for the March 18-19 season-opening series in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.
Ohtani injured his left shoulder sliding into second base during the World Series, when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games. He did not pitch last season, his first with the Dodgers, while recovering from surgery to repair a ligament in his throwing elbow.
Playing exclusively as a batter, he hit 54 home runs with 59 stolen bases -- the first person in the major league 50/50 club -- and won his third unanimous MVP award.
As a pitcher, Ohtani is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA, including a 10-5 record and 3.14 ERA in 2023 before he was injured that August.
JCR/Hondas Brabec/Campbell Team is set to return to the Mint 400 with their sights set on defending their 2024 victory.
Preston Campbells Off-Road racing win streak goes back to 2023 with wins in the:
- 2023 California 300
- 2024 Mint 400
- 2024 Vegas to Reno
- 2024 California 300
- 2025 Parker 400
The Mint 400 airs LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1.
This year plays host to the inaugural Unlimited Off-Road Racing Championship for the bikes, consisting of a three-round series including The Parker 400, Mint 400 and California 300.
Campbell leads the points chase going into the Mint 400 off his recent victory at the Parker 400. The team will race the dependable Red Rocket 2025 Honda CRF450X prepared by JCR/Honda.
Unlimited Off-Road has put together a solid effort for 2-wheels in 2025, Johnny Campbell said. Bringing the bikes back to the Parker 400 was great to see as Honda has a deep, rich history with that event.
We are looking forward to the Mint 400 which runs just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada is the oldest most popular Offroad race in the U.S.
Preston has proven solid in these type of offroad endurance events, When teamed with the two-time Dakar Rally champion, Ricky Brabec. Together they make for a formidable team.
Strong Start Puts Gustin Atop WoO Standings Entering Smoky Mountain
MARYVILLE, Tenn. Hot off his best year to date on the World of Outlaws Late Models trail, Ryan Gustin entered this year with new tools to take his performance to the next level.
He and his No. 19R squad werent far off from being championship contenders last year, picking up five wins and 18 top fives. So, to help take that next step, they brought on what they believed to be the missing ingredient new crew chief Cody Mallory.
We got to talking a little bit at the end of last year, Gustin said. He said he would do it, and thats really all it was. Hes obviously one of the best, if not the best out here I feel like, so to have him in our corner, its huge for our team.
Having worked for the likes of Scott Bloomquist, Bobby Pierce, Rocket1 Racing and several others in the past, Mallory has long had a knack for making dirt Late Models go fast. But any driver whos been through a change on the wrenches knows that it can take time for a pairing to gel and the success to start rolling in.
For Gustin and Mallory, their getting-to-know-you phase was almost nonexistent. On the opening night of the World of Outlaws season at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals, Gustin led all 35 laps around Volusia Speedway Park en route to the 11th win of his career with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.
An 18th-place showing the following night may not have been what Gustin had in mind, but he rebounded three weeks later at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals with three-straight top 10s.
Those performances were enough to put him in unfamiliar, yet comfortable territory as the World of Outlaws points leader.
The Reaper has worked with his fair share of wrenchers in his nearly two decades of dirt track racing, but none of them had ever delivered results at the national level right off the bat.
Never in a Late Model, Gustin stated. Modified stuff, weve kind of done that, but I did the majority of stuff myself on the Modified side. But these things are so technical, youve got to drive so hard and everything. He does a hell of a job making it happen where you can get up on the wheel and make it happen.
However, Mallorys addition isnt Gustins only reason for optimism in 2025. Compared to the start of Gustins first year with Todd Cooney Racing one year ago when making it to the track was an accomplishment in itself the team is entering this season far more primed for the Outlaw grind.
Were way more prepared, Gustin said. I think we got a hauler maybe two weeks before Speedweeks started last year. It was a mad dash to get everything done and get down there. Its definitely nice to have everything we need and everything where it needs to be showing up, and obviously the results show.
You aint going to win them all no matter what, but its a hell of a lot better than weve ever done [at Volusia]. Most of the time Ive been there with any team weve struggled, cant get around the place. But the boys have been working hard, Codys one of the best in the business, weve got great car owners that give us all tools we need to do our job. Hopefully we just keep on keeping on here.
The next stop on tour will take Gustin to Smoky Mountain Speedway in March, where hes had strong runs in the past. He finished fifth in the most recent World of Outlaws race at the track in 2022 a few months before its reconfiguration into a three-eighths-mile facility.
However, Gustin has been even more competitive on the smaller layout, winning with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series last April before finishing on the podium again in the tracks annual Mountain Moonshine Classic in June.
I feel really good about it, Gustin said. Since they reconfigured it, I think the worst weve ran is third, so were definitely looking forward to it.
Mac Returns To Kalitta Motorsports For 24th Season
YPSILANTI, Mich. One of the longest-running sports marketing partnerships is back for another year as Mac Tools returns to the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster for its 24th-consecutive season as its primary sponsor.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 7-9 at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Doug Kalitta will once again pilot the red and white Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel dragster, but the team will debut fresh, new livery when the season starts next week. Team Kalittas Mac Tools primary partnership, which began in 2001, spans more than two decades in a relationship that feels more like a friendship.
Mac Tools is a significant part of the long-term success Kalitta Motorsports enjoys in NHRA Drag Racing.
Our partnership with Kalitta Motorsports not only benefits our brand, but also helps promote the sport of drag racing and inspires the next generation of automotive professionals, Mac Tools president Phil Cox said. Kalitta Motorsports has been an amazing ambassador of the Mac Tools brand for more than 25 years, and we are excited to see what the new season holds for Doug Kalitta and the entire Kalitta Motorsports team.
As a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional-grade tools and equipment, Mac Tools is committed to supporting the automotive industry and the dedicated professionals who keep it running. We are proud to align ourselves with Doug Kalitta and his team they exemplify the same level of skill, precision and dedication that we strive for in our products and services.
Mac Tools is more than a corporate partner, Kalitta said. When you have a long-term relationship like we have, its more like family than partnership, and the new livery is pretty cool! It was great to bring them a championship a couple years ago, and were hungry to win another one this season. Were all really proud to represent Mac Tools and all of their distributors, and we look forward to more great times together.
STEELE, Ala. The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Summit SuperSeries World Finals, scheduled for Oct. 16-18, will take place at a new venue: Alabama Intl Dragway.
The Steele, Alabama, track boasts a long-standing relationship with IHRA, dating back to its opening. Alabama Intl Dragway hosted the IHRA Super Nationals from 1993-95, with notable winners including IHRA Hall of Fame drivers Scotty Cannon and Anthony Bertozzi.
Other champions included Top Fuel drivers Clayton Harris and Rhonda Hartman, Pro Mod standout Tommy Mauney and Pro Stock legend Roy Hill.
The venue features both one-eighth-mile and quarter-mile track configurations, earning it the well-deserved tagline, Where Records Fall.
Spanning 100 acres, the facility includes asphalt pit areas, 10,000-seat bleachers, concessions, restrooms, and trackside RV lots. One of its most significant advantages is its convenient location between Gadsden and Birmingham, just off Interstate 59 at Exit 174.
Alabama International is a fantastic location centrally positioned and, in the South, which gives us an advantage with the weather, IHRA President Rich Schaefer said. Of course, weather is always a factor, but temperature isnt a concern here.
Its an outstanding IHRA track in an ideal spot.
For the past three years, Holly Springs Motorsports Park in Mississippi hosted the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. The move isnt a reflection on the previous venue but rather an effort to refresh the event and highlight IHRAs premier national championship in bracket racing.
Holly Springs has been a great partner, and Im sure it will continue to be, along with (track co-owner) Dominic Blasco and his team, Schaefer noted. This decision wasnt about their performance or anything theyve done in the past. We just wanted to rotate the location and ensure the World Finals werent held at the same venue as a Division Finals.
The updated schedule also benefits racers who qualify for both the IHRA and WDRA World Finals. The WDRA Finals are set for Oct. 25-27 at Montgomery Intl Dragway, just two hours south of Alabama Intl Dragway.
Having the WDRA Finals so close is a huge advantage. Some racers qualify for both series by competing at different home tracks, Schaefer said. A racer can compete for an IHRA World Championship at Alabama International, then either stay in Alabama or head home before returning for the WDRA Finals.
Its a great opportunity and a cost-saving option for many competitors.
Reports: Sens' Tkachuk, Norris, Pinto out vs. Jets
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and fellow forwards Josh Norris and Shane Pinto will sit out Ottawa's home game against the white-hot Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, multiple media outlets reported.
All three players participated in the Senators' optional skate Wednesday morning before the team attempts to slow the high-octane Jets, who have won a franchise-record 10 in a row.
Tkachuk sustained a lower-body injury while playing for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He sat out Saturday's 5-2 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa's fourth straight defeat.
Tkachuk, 25, leads the Senators with 21 goals in 56 games this season and is third in points with 44.
Norris, 25, has been out since Feb. 3 with an upper-body injury. He has 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 50 games this season.
Pinto, 24, has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since Feb. 4. He has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 46 games.
Also on Wednesday, the Senators recalled forwards Angus Crookshank and Jan Jenik from Belleville of the American Hockey League.
Avs' Nichushkin, out since Dec. 31, returns Wed.
DENVER -- Valeri Nichushkin returns to the Colorado Avalanche lineup Wednesday night for the first time in nearly two months after recovering from a lower-body injury.
The Russian forward will try to spark a sputtering Avalanche offense that's scored two goals in back-to-back losses since coming back from the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
The game against the New Jersey Devils will be Nichushkin's first since Dec. 31.
"You can't underestimate how much he means to this team," defenseman Cale Makar said after Wednesday's morning skate. "It will be a huge addition for us. Hopefully he's back to Valeri form. He looks pretty good out there."
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said there will be no restrictions with Nichushkin. He also will help out on special teams.
The 29-year-old Nichushkin had 11 goals and six assists in 21 games before getting hurt. He missed the opening 17 games of the season after being suspended last May and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Colorado is 209-74-27 with Nichushkin in the lineup.
"In regard to the power forwards, you can say he's the best in the world," forward Logan O'Connor said. "Just a big-body forward out there for us. ... It's going to be massive to have back in the lineup."
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Nichushkin can help out trying to score gritty goals in front of the net -- an area where the Avalanche have struggled at times. It was the forte of captain Gabriel Landeskog, but he hasn't played since the Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2022 due to a lingering knee injury.
"There are so many things he does with that frame of his," forward Jonathan Drouin said of Nichushkin. "He's a beast and we're going to need him."
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