Gabon and former FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza died following a fall from the 11th floor of a building in China, the Gabonese Football Federation (FEGAFOOT) said Wednesday. He was 28.

A federation statement, posted on social network X, didn't say when the incident took place or give any more details.

Boupendza had been playing for Zheijang FC in the Chinese Super League this year. Zhejiang issued a statement saying Boupendza died at his residence.

"Now the club is fully cooperating with the relevant departments to carry out the investigation," the statement added.

Boupendza joined Major League Soccer's FC Cincinnati as a Designated Player in summer 2023 for a reported $7 million transfer fee. He made an immediate impact, scoring five goals in 10 games to help the club win the MLS Supporters' Shield as the team with the best regular-season record.

However, his contract was terminated early in August 2024.

"We are saddened to hear of the tragic passing of former FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza earlier today at his home in China," FC Cincinnati said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and teammates. He was a loved member of the FC Cincinnati family, and we offer our condolences to all who knew him.

"Rest in Peace, Aaron."

The Gabon federation said Boupendza would be "remembered as a great striker who made his mark during the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon" in 2022. He scored one goal in that tournament, the winner against Comoros, and eight in total for his country.

"[The Gabonese Football Federation] and the wider Gabonese football family offer their sincere condolences to his biological family during this difficult time," the federation said.

Bordeaux, the French team where Boupendza played early in his career, posted on X that he died "tragically."

"All our thoughts go out to his family, his loved ones and the entire football family," Bordeaux said.

After playing in the lower tiers of French soccer with Bordeaux's reserve side then Pau, Gazélec Ajaccio and Tours, Boupendza's breakthrough season came with Hatayspor in the Turkish top flight when he scored 22 goals in the 2020-21 season. Hatayspor also sent its condolences in a post on X.

The following season, he moved to Qatari club Al-Arabi then to Riyadh-based Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League. His career then took him to MLS with Cincinnati and to Rapid Bucharest, before joining Zhejiang. He had scored four league goals in six games.

"It is with great sadness that I learn of the tragic death of Aaron Boupendza, a talented center-forward who brought honor to Gabonese soccer," Gabon President Brice Oligui Nguema posted on X in French.

"I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends. May God bless his soul."

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Inter Milan reached the Champions League semifinals with a 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich after an enthralling 2-2 draw in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie at the San Siro on Wednesday.

The Italians will face Barcelona next, who they defeated at the semifinal stage in 2010 before going on to beat Bayern in the final to complete the treble, which Simone Inzaghi's side are still on course to repeat this season.

It was a far from comfortable evening for Inter, but they did just enough in a pulsating clash between the top teams from Serie A and the Bundesliga.

Bayern, who lost the first leg 2-1, were the more aggressive side from the off, with Yann Sommer saving a shot on the turn from Thomas Müller early on.

A mistake by Nicolò Barella allowed Muller to steal possession and play a pass into Michael Olise, but Alessandro Bastoni nicked the ball off his toe before he could get a shot away.

Inter came close with a Hakan Çalhanoglu curled shot from distance, but then needed some desperate defending after Konrad Laimer's pullback from the byline.

Matteo Darmian blocked down Muller's shot and Sommer saved Leroy Sané's rebound effort, and the side's went in goalless at the break.

Bayern's first attack of the second half led to Harry Kane netting his 11th goal of this season's competition.

Leon Goretzka played the ball into Kane who took his time before teeing up a shot from a wide angle which he sent through the legs of Dimarco and into the far corner.

Bayern's joy lasted all of six minutes, as Lautaro Martínez scored from a corner kick. His first headed effort came back off Joshua Kimmich and the Inter striker made no mistake with his shot from the rebound.

Inter went in search of a goal to kill off Bayern and found it within three minutes. Darmian had a shot cleared off the line by Eric Dier and from the resulting corner Benjamin Pavard powered a header past Jonas Urbig.

Bayern, however, refused to give in, and after a short corner, Serge Gnabry floated a ball into the box and Dier's attempt at a headed cross from the byline ended up finding the net.

With 14 minutes still remaining, a nervy ending was guaranteed. Sommer made a diving save from Muller deep into added time and the hosts held on and for the first time the Germans failed to win away to Inter, and exited the competition.

Former Stanford head football coach Troy Taylor released a statement about his firing on Wednesday, taking issue with the findings of two separate workplace investigations conducted during his two years as head coach.

Taylor said he was not fired for cause and called coverage of the firing "unfair." In a statement posted on X by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Taylor acknowledged that both investigations were launched after complaints were made about his workplace behavior.

Taylor did not acknowledge any wrongdoing in his statement, although he said he had not obtained the text of the two investigation reports in which multiple complainants were quoted.

ESPN obtained copies of both investigations and was first to report on the findings. Taylor described the first investigation, concluded in mid-2023, as involving only one complaint and one complainant.

While the investigation was initially launched in response to a single complainant who alleged gender bias and "a culture problem in football," the investigation ultimately included interviews with at least 20 Stanford athletic department staffers regarding four allegations against Taylor. Three of the allegations regarding belittling and inappropriate behavior toward multiple women were deemed to have merit. The investigator did find "insufficient evidence" regarding the original complaint.

"Although I disagreed with the [first] complaint, I took it seriously and fully cooperated." Taylor said in the statement. "The [first] investigation, which I have still never seen, concluded I did not act unfairly."

Taylor called media coverage of him "unfair, wrong, and contrary to my professional record and the person that I am and have always been."

ESPN reached out to Taylor's attorney for additional comment, but did not get an immediate response. Additionally, Stanford did not immediately respond to ESPN's inquiries about Taylor's statement.

Taylor was fired in March, a week after ESPN reported findings that Taylor had bullied and belittled multiple female athletic staffers, sought to have an NCAA compliance officer removed after she warned him of rules violations and repeatedly made "inappropriate" comments to another woman about her appearance.

Andrew Luck, the team's general manager and former star quarterback, said at the time that the team needed a "reset."

"Since beginning my role as General Manager, I have been thoroughly assessing the entire Stanford football program. It has been clear that certain aspects of the program need change," Luck said in a statement. "Additionally, in recent days, there has been significant attention to Stanford investigations in previous years related to Coach Taylor."

The investigations began after multiple employees filed complaints against Taylor for what they called hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks, the reports said. The school hired Kate Weaver Patterson, of KWP Consulting & Mediation, to investigate in spring 2023.

After the first investigation, Taylor signed a warning letter on Feb. 14, 2024, acknowledging he could be fired if the conduct continued, according to the documents. Additional complaints were documented in a second investigation in the first half of 2024, but Taylor remained on the job.

The second investigation cited evidence "that this is an ongoing pattern of concerning behavior by Coach Taylor." It was conducted last June and July by Timothy O'Brien, senior counsel for the Libby, O'Brien, Kingsley & Champion law firm in Maine. O'Brien, who has advised several Division I and Power 5 programs, said in his report that he has never encountered "this palpable level of animosity and disdain" for a university compliance office.

"Even during the interview with me, when talking about compliance issues, Coach Taylor's tone was forceful and aggressive," O'Brien wrote.

He called Taylor's treatment of the team's compliance officer "inappropriate, discriminatory on the basis of her sex," saying it had a "significant negative impact" on the staffer. O'Brien concluded that Taylor retaliated against the compliance staffer by "seeking her removal from her assigned duties" after she raised concerns about NCAA rules violations related to illegal practices and player eligibility.

O'Brien outlined possible disciplinary procedures, including termination, under NCAA bylaws if an employee retaliates, "such as intimidating, threatening, or harassing an individual who has raised a claim."

Taylor had back-to-back 3-9 seasons before he was fired. He was previously the head coach at Sacramento State.

Lawyers for NFL draft prospect Isaiah Bond filed a lawsuit in United States District Court in Northern Texas on Tuesday against a woman who they say made false statements to the Frisco (Texas) Police Department.

Bond turned himself in last week on an outstanding sexual assault warrant. He was released after posting a $25,000 bond.

Bond's lawyers say a sexual encounter with the woman, who is unnamed in the lawsuit, was consensual. The lawsuit, which includes a defamation claim, asks for economic damages and a civil trial.

Damien Butler, Bond's agent, sent an email to all 32 NFL teams with the first page of the lawsuit attached, writing that Bond "is completely innocent of the allegations levied against him and will fight to clear his name."

After being released from jail, Bond went on social media and said the accusation against him was "patently false."

"Regarding the accusation made against me, I would appreciate the time and opportunity to defend myself and prove the claims made, patently false. I am in full cooperation with the authorities and will remain a willing and active participant in the investigation," he said in the statement. "Unfortunately, claims like these prove to be harmful to all involved, absent full review. I kindly request that all reserve judgement until the authorities provide a complete report based on truth and evidence."

In his lone season at Texas in 2024, Bond caught 34 passes for 540 yards and five touchdowns. He rushed for an additional 98 yards and a touchdown. He spent his first two seasons at Alabama, catching 65 passes for 888 yards and five touchdowns for the Crimson Tide.

ESPN's Kalyn Kahler contributed to this report.

Arsenal snuffed out any chance of a famous Real Madrid comeback to reach the Champions League semifinals after a 2-1 victory in the Bernabeu Stadium completed a 5-1 aggregate win on Wednesday.

Holders and 15-times winners Real never looked like clawing back a 3-0 deficit from last week's quarterfinal first leg and when Bukayo Saka scored for the visitors in the 65th minute their fate was effectively sealed.

Vinícius Júnior seized on a rare defensive slip a couple of minutes later to rouse the home crowd, but it proved too little too late as Carlo Ancelotti's side exited in feeble fashion.

Arsenal's superiority over the two legs was underlined in stoppage time as Gabriel Martinelli burst through to score.

They will face Paris Saint-Germain in their first Champions League semifinal since 2009.

"I think it's such a special night for this club, it's a historic night for this club," said Arsenal's Declan Rice, whose two sublime free kicks last week put his side in control.

"There was a lot of talk coming in about them coming back from the dead, they've done it so many times before. But we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we had enough to come here and win the game."

A cacophony of noise greeted kickoff with the home fans fueled by the hope of witnessing what would have been one of the greatest Champions League comebacks.

They were silenced almost immediately though as Arsenal were handed the opportunity to kill the tie when Raúl Asencio needlessly hauled down Mikel Merino from a corner and referee Francois Letexier eventually awarded a penalty after checking a pitch-side VAR monitor.

Saka opted for a Panenka-style chipped penalty though and Real keeper Thibaut Courtois clawed away the ball.

It looked like a potentially pivotal moment and when Letexier pointed to the penalty spot at the other end after Kylian Mbappé tumbled under minimal contact from Rice, Arsenal's night looked like taking a turn for the worse.

After five painstaking minutes, however, Letexier was again invited by VAR to view the monitor and to a chorus of whistles from the home fans, overturned his original decision.

That scare aside, Arsenal coped easily with Real Madrid's famed frontline who were given little to work with.

Arsenal keeper David Raya was not required to make a save before halftime as Real's predilection for hopeful crosses into the area proved easy pickings for the visiting defense.

Real's Mbappé barely had a sniff of a chance as Arsenal showed great control and Saka made up for his first-half miss with a clinical finish after being sent clear.

William Saliba gifted Real a lifeline when he was caught in possession on the edge of his area, allowing Vinícius to score, but there was never any sense of panic in the visiting ranks.

Martinelli then put the icing on the cake in added time, to send the Arsenal fans into raptures.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If Colorado two-way player Travis Hunter gets drafted by the New York Giants third overall next week, he will get his wish to play both cornerback and wide receiver at the NFL level.

"We would not be afraid to play him on both sides of the ball," Giants general manager Joe Schoen said Wednesday during his annual pre-draft news conference.

Schoen wouldn't specify whether New York would emphasize one position over the other for Hunter if he lands with the team. Instead, he noted the Giants are in a unique spot where they have three good receivers and are content with their secondary. That would give them options.

Hunter made it clear earlier this week that he wouldn't be OK with a team telling him he would be limited to either wide receiver or cornerback. His reaction would be harsh.

"It's never playing football again," Hunter told CBS Sports. "Because I've been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it."

One NFL general manager told ESPN that Hunter could be a Pro Bowl player at either position. He is that talented and skilled at both. The consensus among NFL sources, however, seems to be that his primary position in the league should be cornerback.

Hunter played 86% of Colorado's snaps last season, by far the highest in FBS and a pretty even split between offense and defense. Last season, Carolina Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson played 48% of his team's total snaps, the most of any NFL player.

Schoen knows that it would be "difficult" for Hunter to pull off the double dip at the NFL level. There is both the physical and mental aspects, which could be challenging.

"We're looking at the workloads and the yardage each day, and then to me what we will have to be settled is the mental part of it, because offense is very hard to learn and then the defense on a weekly basis, it's not college anymore where, 'Hey, these are our basic plays, this is our basic defense and we're going to go play Cover 3 against Kansas, we're going to play Cover 3 against Nebraska,'" Schoen said. "There's a lot more week-to-week matchup type stuff that our coaches are doing. So just how much can you handle mentally where you can go out there and execute and they can trust you to do your job."

The Giants might have no say in the decision. They first have to make sure Hunter is available. He's considered among the top options for the Cleveland Browns with the second overall pick.

In addition, the Giants will have to decide whether to bypass a quarterback with the No. 3 pick. Hunter's college teammate, Shedeur Sanders, has been linked to them throughout the process and has a private workout with the team scheduled for Thursday in Boulder, Colorado.

Schoen said the Giants are in a position where they "don't think it's mandatory" to draft a quarterback with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito on the roster. They're not going to force a pick at the most important position in football at the top of this year's draft.

If there is a blue-chip or generation talent that is available, "you don't pass on that type of player," Schoen said.

Considering Hunter is trying to do something we haven't fully seen in recent years at the NFL level, he clearly could qualify as blue-chip or generational.

"Yeah, I wouldn't doubt the kid. He's that type of athlete," Schoen said. "He's had that type of production, the number of snaps he plays in a game, doesn't sit down, goes over, gets a drink of water and gets back out on the field.

"So, he's got that type of athleticism, he's got the right mindset, he's a great kid. So, I wouldn't doubt him."

Naismith Hall of Famer Joe Dumars has officially been hired as executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, it was announced Wednesday.

Dumars -- a two-time NBA champion as a player and a title-winning executive with the Detroit Pistons -- returns to his home state of Louisiana and replaces David Griffin as the head of basketball operations for the Pelicans.

"As a Louisiana native, this is truly a full circle moment," Dumars said in a statement. "I grew up as a Saints fan and the first AAU basketball team I played on at 16 years old was based in New Orleans, so this opportunity is very special to me on a personal level. I look forward to being a part of the Pelicans organization, and building a team that proudly represents our fans on the court and in our community."

Dumars, 61, served as the chief strategy officer of the Sacramento Kings from 2019 to 2022 and had been the NBA league office's executive vice president of basketball operations since 2022.

"Joe's achievements as a renowned Hall of Fame player, NBA champion and front office executive are indisputable," Pelicans governor Gayle Benson said in a statement. "I have a great deal of respect for what Joe has already accomplished as a player and executive, but more importantly I admire his character and leadership. His vast experience and relationships throughout the NBA, along with his strong leadership qualities, will have a tremendous impact on our organization and our goal of winning an NBA championship.

"While at the league, he was involved in every aspect of basketball operations and got unparalleled perspective and knowledge of the most effective personnel, strategy and tactics throughout the league. That will benefit our team immediately as we move forward."

Dumars ran the Pistons from 2000 to 2014, winning the executive of the year award in 2003 and building the 2004 championship team. He made a series of moves that propelled the Pistons to seven straight seasons of 50 wins or more from 2001-02 to 2007-08, signing Chauncey Billups, trading for Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton, and drafting Tayshaun Prince.

The Pistons have 14 50-win seasons in franchise history -- half of them coming under Dumars' leadership.

Drafted by the Pistons in 1985, Dumars spent his entire 14-year playing career as a shooting guard and defensive stopper with the franchise, winning NBA titles with the "Bad Boys" in 1989 and 1990.

"Joe brought tremendous credibility to his role at the league office and is one of the most genuine and respected people in all of basketball," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. "His exceptional playing career and tenure as an executive provided him with an elite understanding of the game and strong relationships around the NBA. We are grateful for Joe's leadership over the past three years and wish him well as he begins his new role with the Pelicans."

In New Orleans, Dumars is expected to soon immerse himself with the current basketball staff, led by well-regarded general manager Bryson Graham and coach Willie Green. In terms of the Pelicans' roster, the franchise will assuredly have candid conversations with star forward Zion Williamson on his direction with the team.

Williamson has played in just 45% of his possible games with the Pelicans since being the No. 1 pick in 2019 and has zero playoff games after he suffered injuries before both of the team's postseason appearances in 2022 and 2024.

The Pelicans finished this season at 21-61 -- the fourth-worst record in the league, ahead of only the Utah Jazz (17-65), Washington Wizards (18-64) and Charlotte Hornets (19-63).

"There is a lot of talent on this roster," Dumars said in his statement. "My vision is to build a disciplined team that is built on toughness, smart decision-making and a no-excuses mindset."

Tuesday afternoon, I opened my official NBA awards ballot and voted for my selections for all of the league's top individual honors: the seven major end-of-season awards (Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player and Clutch Player of the Year), plus the All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams.

Here's what that ballot looked like and how each pick was made (with a shoutout to the great Matt "Stats" Williams for all of the information we could want for our ballots).

Most Valuable Player

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

5. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

Just about every season, there are several deserving MVP candidates. And this year's race truly went down to the final day between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, the league's two best players, both of whom have put together unbelievable seasons.

The Thunder, behind Gilgeous-Alexander's league-leading 32.7 points per game while shooting 51.9% from the field, became the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 68 games. Jokic, of course, had a historic statistical season, finishing in the top three in points (29.6), rebounds (12.7) and assists (10.2) while shooting 57.6% overall and 41.7% from 3-point range. Truly video game stuff.

Ironically, while going back-and-forth between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic over the past several weeks, this quote from since-fired Nuggets coach Michael Malone has been weighing on my mind. "If you didn't know Nikola had won three MVPs, and I put Player A and Player B on paper ... he wins 10 times out of 10," Malone said last month.

"And if you don't think so, you guys are full of s---."

Malone's position was totally defensible. But to win a fourth MVP award in five years -- something only LeBron James and Bill Russell have done -- Jokic was going to have to do something extraordinary. And he has.

But if the race is a toss-up, like virtually every person I've talked to in the media and among players, coaches and executives believes it is, the edge should go to the leader of arguably the most dominant regular-season team in NBA history.

The Thunder set the record for point differential, outscoring opponents by over 1,000 points, and by 12.7 points per 100 possessions. They stacked 68 wins in a season in which Chet Holmgren missed 50 games and summer acquisitions Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso both missed significant chunks.

The Nuggets were nearly 20 points better with Jokic on the court. But while Oklahoma City obviously has more talent than Denver does around Jokic, the Thunder were still 11.5 points per 100 possessions worse when Gilgeous-Alexander sat. And without its engine, the NBA's No. 1 offense turns into one that would rank 22nd leaguewide.

As for the rest of the ballot, Antetokounmpo was an easy pick in the third spot, and this will be a seventh straight season he has been inside the top four. There was a time when you could argue Tatum should be third, but Antetokounmpo's closing kick over the past couple months -- particularly after Milwaukee lost Damian Lillard to a blood clot issue in his calf -- pushed him ahead of Tatum.

There was a massive gap between Tatum and a host of players who merited consideration for the fifth spot, with the choice ultimately coming down to Brunson and Donovan Mitchell. In the end, Brunson gets the fifth spot for his clutch-time heroics, which may lead to some other hardware for the Knicks captain.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers

2. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

3. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

Through the All-Star break, the only debate about DPOY was who would finish second to Victor Wembanyama. But once the San Antonio Spurs phenom was lost for the season because of his deep vein thrombosis diagnosis, it broke open the race, with several players -- the three listed, plus Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Dyson Daniels, Amen Thompson and Luguentz Dort -- all likely to get votes and perhaps all of them getting at least one first-place selection.

It ended up being a discussion between Zubac and Mobley. The Clippers have been one of the best defensive teams in the league, ranking third in defensive rating. Zubac has been in the middle of all of it, allowing the lowest shot quality as the contesting defender among players contesting at least 700 shots this season, per GenuisIQ tracking data. Mobley, on the other hand, might be the league's most versatile defender. He's the only player to defend guards, forwards and centers for at least 900 half-court matchups this season, providing the kind of Swiss Army knife teams covet in today's pace-and-space dominated game.

Ultimately, the edge went to Zubac. He played nine more games and an extra 500 minutes than Mobley. And his massive presence in the paint powered the Clippers to that top-five defensive rating, which was just enough to surpass the Cavs' All-Star big man.

Like Mobley, Jackson's versatility is his biggest calling card, with Memphis' defense being more than four points per 100 worse with him on the bench. Jackson is the only player besides Mobley to defend guards, forwards and centers each for at least 800 possessions this season while being the only player to have at least 75 steals and 100 blocks.

Coach of the Year

1. Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland Cavaliers

2. J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons

3. Ime Udoka, Houston Rockets

The top two names have been in place for weeks, but I flip-flopped on them repeatedly since mid-March. The Pistons more than tripling their win total since last season is a remarkable accomplishment, and Bickerstaff has done a fantastic job getting defensive buy-in from his young roster.

But the hardest jump to make in the NBA -- for both player and team -- is not going from awful to good; it's going from good to great. The Cavaliers went from a team that was expected to be in the mix for home-court advantage in the first round to having home court throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, winning 64 games and seeing massive improvement from players across the roster.

The other two coaches who merit first-place votes are Udoka -- he guided a team I thought would be fighting for a play-in spot to the second seed in the Western Conference -- and LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. The Clippers have flown under the radar all season, but Lue has done a remarkable job with this group while once again dealing with uncertainty surrounding Kawhi Leonard's availability. Lue should get votes for this award, and it was painful leaving him off the ballot.

Rookie of the Year

1. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks

2. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs

3. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies

Let's just say this year's race isn't like last year's, when Wembanyama and Holmgren were both hugely impactful as rookies and would have both been runaway winners for the award in just about any season over the past 20 years.

This season's choice boiled down to Castle, who has taken on a bigger individual role in San Antonio, or Risacher, who has carved an effective role on a team competing for a playoff spot. I went with the latter, as Risacher -- the top pick in last year's draft -- has averaged 14 points and shot 50% from the field and 40% from 3-point range since Jan. 1.

Wells, a second-round pick who became a starter for another playoff hopeful in the Memphis Grizzlies, checked in third. (Speaking of Wells, it was good to see he was OK after an incredibly scary fall that saw him suffer a season-ending broken wrist last week against the Charlotte Hornets.)

Most Improved Player

1. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

2. Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers

3. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers

Frankly, I wish this award didn't exist. Back in 1986, when the NBA retired the Comeback Player of the Year award, then-deputy commissioner Russ Granik said, "We phased it out because it became very difficult to determine with any kind of clarity exactly what the requirements were."

I would argue the same applies to this award. What constitutes the most improvement? What matters the most? It's always an award that a dozen players can make a case for, and it has tended to default, as Lakers coach JJ Redick said recently, to young, highly drafted players who make a leap.

That is how the top of my ballot has played out this season, with Mobley getting the top spot. Going from little to no All-Star buzz last year to an All-NBA pick this season makes him worthy of the honor.

Zubac has had a remarkable season at both ends for the Clippers, seeing massive jumps in virtually every category -- including, most importantly, minutes per game, as he's been asked to take on a significantly bigger load and has done so with aplomb. Reaves, meanwhile, has not only shined after Luka Doncic arrived with the Lakers, but he has been a massive reason for the Lakers' second-half surge to the West's third seed.

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics

2. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves

3. Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons

This was one of the easiest decisions on the ballot. Pritchard has been, at worst, the third-most consistent player on the Celtics (behind Tatum and Derrick White), giving this team terrific energy and production off the bench. As a 40% 3-point shooter on nearly eight attempts per game, he has repeatedly sparked Boston wins throughout the year and has been my clear Sixth Man leader for months.

The last two spots could go in a few directions, with Alexander-Walker, Beasley and two Cavaliers -- De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome -- being the final contenders. Hunter has arguably had his best season, first with the Atlanta Hawks and now the Cavaliers after a midseason trade. Hunter has cleaned up his shot profile and scored a career-high 17 points per game.

Jerome, on the other hand, is one of the best stories across the entire league, going from missing virtually all of last season because of injuries to averaging 12.5 points on 51.6% shooting overall and 43.6% from 3.

But my votes for second and third went elsewhere. Alexander-Walker has been an unsung hero for Minnesota as a two-way weapon able to operate on and off the ball as the Timberwolves dealt with injuries to Donte DiVincenzo and Mike Conley during the year. Alexander-Walker shot 38.1% from deep and has been a good defender who can close games.

My third spot went to Beasley, who is seventh in the league with more than nine attempts per game, and at 41.6% he's the only player inside the top 20 in attempts to also shoot 40% for the season. Beasley's career year has played a major role in Detroit's surge.

Clutch Player of the Year

1. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

3. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

While I considered putting LeBron James on here, these three guys were the pretty clear choices for me, and in this order. Brunson's 5.6 points per game in the clutch this season are the third most in a season in the past 25 years for players who played in at least 20 clutch games, and he consistently was pulling out close games for New York while sporting the league's highest usage rate in the clutch.

Jokic, like in just about any other situation, excelled here, ranking inside the top five in clutch points and assists, while Young led in total points and assists in the fourth quarter and was the first player in almost 30 years (since John Stockton in 1997) to have at least 200 fourth-quarter assists in a season.

All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams

All-NBA First Team

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

All-NBA Second Team

• Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

All-NBA Third Team

• James Harden, LA Clippers

• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

• Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

I gave my reasoning behind my first-team All-NBA ballot at the top of this piece when I filled out my MVP ballot, so we'll move on to the rest of the ballot here.

We've spent enough time talking about Mobley, too, whose terrific season made him an easy choice alongside Mitchell. The fact we are talking about LeBron, as the league's oldest player, and Stephen Curry, as one of 13 players in the league over 37, as top-10 players in the league at this stage of their careers is remarkable.

The final second-team spot, after some deliberation, went to Edwards, a two-way force whose remarkable improvement as a 3-point shooter -- he made a league-high 320 triples on more than 39% shooting -- could be a game-breaking development as his young career progresses.

If there was any doubt about whether Harden deserves to be an All-NBA selection this season, his performance Sunday -- 39 points and 10 assists on 13-for-23 shooting, including scoring 12 of LA's 13 overtime points in the playoff-clinching win over Golden State -- showed how essential he's been to the Clippers. Cunningham's breakthrough season in Detroit made him an easy pick for a spot here, with the same being said for Towns in his first season as a Knick and Williams for the league-leading Thunder.

That left one final spot, for which I debated four players: Haliburton, Jackson, Zubac and Darius Garland. The latter two both had great seasons, but the choice came down to a Haliburton and Jackson. The Pacers had a slow start with a second-half surge; Memphis was the opposite. In the end, Jackson's two-way play -- and being more consistent during the season -- made him the choice over Haliburton.

All-Defense First Team

• Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

• Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets

• Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers

• Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

• Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

Three of these names here were on my DPOY ballot. As for the other two spots, I included two backcourt-type players and three frontcourt-type players, as was the format before the league made All-Defensive selections positionless in 2023-24.

Daniels had the most steals in a season in a generation, while Thompson, an incredible defensive weapon who can guard just about any position, showed his on-ball prowess by helping Houston hold Stephen Curry to just three points in a matchup last week.

All-Defense Second Team

• Derrick White, Boston Celtics

• Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

• Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

Gobert and Green were easy choices, as they both remain excellent defenders into their mid-30s. Dort, meanwhile, consistently takes the top assignments for Oklahoma City and should earn his first All-Defense selection.

That left three players for two spots: White, Williams and Portland Trail Blazers wing Toumani Camara, who has become an elite stopper in his second NBA season. I opted to reward Williams and White, two versatile two-way players for teams with the best chances to reach the Finals.

All-Rookie First Team

• Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks

• Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs

• Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies

• Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat

• Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

After my Rookie of the Year top three, Ware and Edey round out my top five.

Ware nearly averaged a double-double on almost 55% shooting over the final 2 months, while Edey provided a solid presence in the paint for Memphis all season long, despite playing just 21.5 minutes per game.

All-Rookie Second Team

• Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans

• Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers

• Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards

• Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns

• Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls

Missi has been one of the more consistent players on the Pelicans all season, while Clingan was an impactful rookie center for Portland and averaged 10 rebounds and more than two blocks per game as a starter. Sarr still has a long way to go as a shooter but improved as the season went along and showed flashes of the player the Wizards hope he can be.

Dunn was a solid wing defender for the Suns whose long-term ceiling will be determined by his 3-point shot, which started off hot and waned considerably as the year progressed. With the final spot, I went with Buzelis, who is starting for Chicago and has shown flashes of elite two-way play during the Bulls' 10-3 close to the season.

A day after he was struck in the face by a pitch, Washington Nationals third baseman Paul DeJong was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a fractured nose.

To fill DeJong's roster spot, Washington recalled infielder Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester.

In the top of the sixth inning of Tuesday's 3-0 Nationals victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates, DeJong was hit in the nose by a 92.7 mph fastball from Pirates starter Mitch Keller.

DeJong, 31, immediately went down and was attended to by team trainers for a few moments. He then walked off the field and into the dugout holding a towel to his face.

A nine-year veteran, DeJong is hitting .204 with two RBIs in 16 games this season, his first with the Nationals.

He is a .228 hitter with 140 home runs and 402 RBIs in 884 career games with the St. Louis Cardinals (2017-23), Toronto Blue Jays (2023), San Francisco Giants (2023), Chicago White Sox (2024), Kansas City Royals (2024) and Nationals.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Veteran umpire Hunter Wendelstedt had to leave the game in Minnesota on Wednesday after he was struck in the face behind first base by a line drive foul ball.

Wendelstedt instantly hit the ground after he took a direct hit from the line smash off the bat of New York Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor in the seventh inning. Both Taylor and Twins right-hander Louis Varland winced immediately after seeing where the ball hit Wendelstedt, who is in his 28th major league season as an umpire.

The 53-year-old Wendelstedt was down for a minute while being tended to by Twins medical staff and was able to slowly walk off on his own, pressing a towel against the left side of his head. Second base umpire Adam Hamari moved to first on the three-man crew for the remainder of the game.