Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr added 25, but the Sixers would ultimately lose their fourth straight game following a 126-111 loss on Saturday night.
The Sixers still remain sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Jordan Poole highlighted a 23-point performance with five three-pointers, as the Pelicans outscored Philadelphia 60-35 during the final 21 minutes.
Zion Williamson added 21 points, Saddiq Bey had 20, and 17-year veteran center DeAndre Jordan grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked four shots.
The Sixers led from late in the first quarter until the final two minutes of the third, and by as many as 11 points. But the Pelicans chipped away, and Jeremiah Fears’ free throws put New Orleans back in the lead at 91-89 in the third quarter.
VJ Edgecombe scored 14 for Philadelphia, which shot 31.4% in the second half, missing 21 of 24 three-point attempts.
Karlo Matkovic followed with a corner three and hit three free throws after being fouled on another deep shot. That gave him nine points — starting with his cutting dunk as he was fouled — during a 40-point period for the Pelicans.
New Orleans surged to a 97-91 lead by the end of three quarters and opened the fourth quarter on a 23-8 run, capped by Poole’s three which made the score 120-99 with 5:20 left.
New Orleans remained comfortably in front from there, with Poole’s virtually squelching any chance of a late Sixers comeback.
The Sixers will look to rebound on a back-to-back to take on Minnesota on Sunday night (7 p.m., NBCSP).
MINNEAPOLIS — The NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed on Saturday afternoon following another fatal shooting by a federal officer in Minneapolis.
The game was rescheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Timberwolves and Warriors are also scheduled to play on Monday night.
The league announced the decision was made to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community” after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed in a confrontation with officers on a street in a commercial district less than two miles from Target Center, the downtown arena where the Timberwolves play.
On Saturday, Sixers legend Charles Barkley, on the panel for ESPN’s telecast of Saturday’s Sixers-Knicks thriller commented on the situation, saying: “It’s gonna end bad, it’s already ended badly twice,” in reference to Pretti and the killing of Renee Good on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis at the hands of officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Charles Barkley after NBA announced the postponement of the Timberwolves/Warriors game tonight:
"It’s scary…It’s sad….Somebody's gotta step up and be adults.…Two people have died for no reason, and it's just sad." pic.twitter.com/MItheb9vBj
With the crowd of protesters growing around the shooting site on Saturday, the Minnesota National Guard was assisting local police to try to keep the peace.
The Minnesota Twins were holding their annual winter fan festival at Target Field, across the street from Target Center, and ended the event an hour early for the “expedited departure” of all guests.
Thousands of people marched through downtown on Friday with the air temperature well below zero in protest of the presence and tactics of the federal force that swelled to about 3,000 officers in the Twin Cities area this month as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Two weeks ago, 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot in her car as she drove away from a group of officers following a confrontation. The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Good before their game the following night.
Editor’s note: Updated to reflect that the ban, for now, does not affect travel or business visas.
The State Department will suspend processing visas for people from dozens of countries, according to a person familiar with the matter, in what marks one of the Trump administration’s most extreme moves in its immigration crackdown.
A department memo says the US is freezing visa processing indefinitely for 75 countries, including Brazil and Nigeria, according to the person, who asked not to be identified discussing a document that hasn’t been made public. Citizens from some of the included countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia already have little chance of getting a visa. But the move will be a shock for people coming from other nations on the list.
Fox News Digital reported the move earlier Wednesday. The move shuts the door to new travelers to the US for more than a third of the world’s nearly 200 countries, upending work and vacation plans. It comes about five months before the US co-hosts the World Cup, when hundreds of thousands of overseas visitors are expected.
According to the U.S. Department of State, the ban will not affect tourist or business visas, which are classified as non-immigrant visas.
The move comes after Trump threatened further visa restrictions after an Afghan national shot two National Guard troops in Washington late last year. He’s also moved to end deportation protections for Somalis amid a broader deportation push in Minnesota, home to thousands of people from the country.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement Wednesday.
According to the Fox report, consular officers have been directed to refuse visa applications until screening and vetting procedures are reassessed. The pause goes into effect Jan. 21, it said.
The Trump administration had already imposed far stricter rules on top of a visa-screening process that has for years been among the most stringent in the world. Last year, the administration ordered officers to scrutinize applicants’ social-media profiles for signs of anti-US views.
On Saturday, the Atlanta Falcons named former longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to the newly created role of president of football.
Ryan, the Exton native and Penn Charter graduate, is now tasked with leading the search for the Falcons’ new coach and general manager. Each new hire will report directly to Ryan, who will leave his role as NFL analyst with CBS.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank on Thursday confirmed the team’s interest in Ryan. The team interviewed candidates for only two days before hiring Ryan.
“Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today,” Ryan said in a statement released by the team. “While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home.”
Ryan was the Falcons’ starting quarterback from 2008-21 and was named the 2016 NFL MVP after leading the team to the Super Bowl. He holds most of the team’s major passing records, including yards, touchdown passes and completions, and he retired following one season with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Falcons have scheduled a news conference with Ryan on Tuesday.
Blank said Thursday he believed Ryan was qualified for the job despite his lack of front-office experience because of his high football IQ. Blank said in a statement Saturday that Ryan’s “leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history.”
Added Blank: “I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship-caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”
The Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot last weekend, hours after the completion of an 8-9 season. It was the team’s eighth consecutive losing season. It will be Ryan’s challenge to help direct the team to its first playoff appearance since 2017.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank, left, has appointed former quarterback and Exton native Matt Ryan as the team’s president of football on Saturday.
Ryan acknowledges there will be an adjustment in his new job.
“My history with this team speaks for itself, and I’m really grateful for it, and the great relationship I’ve been lucky to have with Arthur and his family,” Ryan said. “I also recognize this side of football is not where I’ve come up. I’ve played, I’ve commented, but I haven’t directly operated. I think I’m humble enough to recognize there will be some baptism by fire, but I’m ready for that.
“I know I’ve got great resources and partners throughout this organization and I’m fortunate to have mentors across the league. That said, I do understand the weight of a role like this — I’ve lived it. I have confidence in the perspective my years as a player and a team leader give me. This is not a new table; it’s just a new seat.”
Michael Zanoni scored 23 points Wednesday to lift Penn to an 80-61 victory against New Jersey Institute of Technology at the Palestra.
AJ Levine posted seven steals for Penn, which put the game away with a 17-0 run early in the second half. Levin’s seven steals were the most by a Quakers player since Ibby Jaaber had seven against Navy on Dec. 7, 2006.
Zanoni made 8 of 15 shots including 5 of 11 from beyond the arc for the Quakers (7-6). Levine scored 19 points and added five rebounds. Augustus Gerhart made 6 of 8 shots and finished with 16 points, adding nine rebounds.
David Bolden tallied 18 points to lead the Highlanders (5-10).
The Quakers will begin Ivy League play on Monday at 7 p.m. in a road game against Princeton.
A 29-point night from Penn’s TJ Power pushed the Quakers past Big Five foe La Salle in a 73-71 win in the Cathedral Classic on Saturday.
Power scored 19 of his total in the second half and had six rebounds for the Quakers (5-2). Ethan Roberts shot 3 of 14 from the field, including 1 for 4 from three-point range, and went 5-for-9 from the line to add 12 points. Jay Jones had 7 points and shot 2-of-2 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line.
Justin Archer finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Explorers (3-5). La Salle also got 12 points and four assists from Ashton Walker. Jaeden Marshall had 12 points.
Power scored 10 points in the first half and Penn went into halftime trailing 44-38. Penn trailed by 15 points early in the second half then took the lead on a three-pointer from Ethan Roberts with 4 minutes left.
Both teams are back in action on Sunday in the final day of the Classic with La Salle taking on Merrimack at noon, while Penn closes out with Hofstra at 2:30 p.m.
Fresh off a bye week, unbeaten Ohio State remained No. 1 in the Associated Press college football Top 25 on Sunday. The Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will host Penn State on Saturday at noon (Fox29).
The Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4) also are coming off a bye week. They have lost four straight, including a 25-24 defeat at Iowa in the debut of interim coach Terry Smith, who has replaced the fired James Franklin.
The Big 12 has five teams in the Top 25 for the first time this season, Vanderbilt earned its highest ranking in 88 years and LSU dropped out of poll following its third loss in four games.
The top six was unchanged, with Ohio State holding the No. 1 spot for a ninth straight week followed by Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, and Oregon.
The idle Buckeyes received 53 first-place votes and the Hoosiers got 11, six more than last week. Texas A&M was No. 1 on one ballot.
No. 7 Mississippi and No. 8 Georgia Tech swapped spots, as did No. 9 Vanderbilt and Miami, which is tied at No. 10 with BYU.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia dives over the Missouri defense for a touchdown during on Saturday.
The Big 12’s five ranked teams are BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 22 Houston and No. 24 Utah. The Big 12 last had five Top 25 teams in the Sept. 22, 2024, poll.
Houston, which knocked off then-No. 24 Arizona State 24-16 for its first road win against a ranked opponent since 2017, is in the Top 25 for the first time since the first two polls in 2022.
Vanderbilt’s 17-10 win over then-No. 15 Missouri gave the Commodores a 7-1 start for the first time since 1941 and, at No. 9, its highest ranking since it was No. 7 for one week in 1937. Vandy has a program-record three regular-season wins over Top 25 opponents.
LSU was ranked as high as No. 3 for three weeks in September and in the top 10 for the first five polls. Road losses to Mississippi and Vanderbilt and this weekend’s 24-point home loss against Texas A&M put the Tigers on the outside looking in.
It’s the second straight year the Tigers have taken a fast fall. They were No. 8 a year ago and dropped out after three straight losses.
In and out
No. 22 Houston, at 7-1, has its best start since 2021, two years before it joined the Big 12. None of the Cougars’ four remaining regular-season games are against ranked opponents.
No. 23 Southern California, which was idle following its 34-24 loss at Notre Dame, faces a challenging game at Nebraska.
No. 24 Utah hammered Colorado 53-7 with Byrd Ficklin starting in place of injured quarterback Devon Dampier and leading an offense that rushed for 422 of its 587 total yards.
No. 25 Memphis rebounded from its loss to UAB with a 34-31 win over South Florida to pull into a four-way tie for third place in the American behind Navy and Tulane.
South Florida (18), LSU (20), Illinois (23) and Arizona State (24) dropped out.
Poll points
The last time Texas A&M received a first-place vote was Oct. 11, 2015.
No. 12 Notre Dame appeared in its 900th poll, tied for fourth-most all-time.
No. 15 Virginia has its highest ranking since it was No. 10 on Nov. 7, 2004.
The top six were unchanged for the first time since Nov. 12, 2023, when the top eight stood pat.
Ranked vs. ranked
No. 9 Vanderbilt (7-1, 3-1 SEC) at No. 20 Texas (6-2, 3-1): Status of Texas QB Arch Manning uncertain after he banged his head on the turf on the first play of overtime in the win over Mississippi State.
No. 17 Cincinnati (7-1, 5-0 Big 12) at No. 24 Utah (6-2, 3-2): Bearcats are on a seven-game win streak. Utes in a must-win situation the rest of season to stay in Big 12 race.
No. 18 Oklahoma (6-2, 2-2 SEC) at No. 14 Tennessee (6-2, 3-2): Sooners’ best-in-the-SEC defense gave up a bevy of big plays to Mississippi and now face one of the most explosive offenses in the country.
Quentin Grimes’ clutch three-pointer with 14 seconds left led the Sixers to a 125-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
It was the most clutch point in a 24-point night for Grimes. Tyrese Maxey scored 28 to lead the Sixers, who improved to 2-0. Joel Embiid, who scored 20 points and added two rebounds before departing due to minute restrictions. . VJ Edgecombe had 15 points coming off of a record-setting 34-point performance in the opener against Boston.
LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 27 points and Collin Sexton had 21.
The Hornets lost Brandon Miller in the first half to left shoulder soreness. Miller grabbed his shoulder in pain and ran to the locker room after he was hurt on a play in the second quarter. He scored four points in nine minutes.
The Hornets led by 10 points at the end of the third quarter and blew the lead even with Embiid out of the game in the final frame. Embiid is still on his minutes restriction as he returns from knee surgery. He used up his 20 allotted minutes by the end of the third quarter.
Embiid scored four points on 1-of-9 shooting against Boston and did not play the final 9-plus minutes as Maxey and Edgecombe led them to victory. The 2023 NBA MVP and a two-time league scoring champion, Embiid was limited to 19 games last season because of a sprained left foot, a sinus fracture and arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Against the Hornets, Embiid hit a trio of three-pointers and scored 16 points in the first half and showed — while his return to true All-Star form may take time — he’s still going to be the difference-maker for a Sixers team that has never been close to as good without him as they are with the 7-footer.
Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula dislocated his left ankle and will have an MRI exam Sunday, coach Eli Drinkwitz said Saturday after the No. 15-ranked Tigers’ 17-10 loss to No. 10 Vanderbilt.
Following the injury, the Tigers turned to freshman Matt Zollers. Zollers entered the game having completed all six of his pass attempts for a total of just 40 yards and a touchdown. He also has a rushing touchdown this season.
The former Spring-Ford standout gave Missouri a chance until time expired, throwing a 6-yard TD pass to Jude James, tying the game at 10-10 early in the fourth quarter. Zoller moved the Tigers down the field and connected with Kevin Coleman Jr. for a 36-yard pass as time expired, only to have the receiver ruled on review short of the goal line.
Zollers would finish 14 of 23 for 138 yards passing.
As for Pribula, the former Penn State quarterback, Drinkwitz said he didn’t have any broken bones but needed his ankle popped back into joint.
“Don’t have a timetable for his return, but it could be a while,” Drinkwitz said.
Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula is driven off the field after being injured during the second half of the Tigers’ game against Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Pribula was hurt early in the third quarter, running out of the shotgun on fourth-and-goal at the Vanderbilt 2. Miles Capers and Bryan Longwell stopped Pribula after a 1-yard gain with 11 minutes, 15 seconds left in the third quarter. One defender landed on Pribula’s ankle as he was folded backward from defenders coming the other direction.
The quarterback didn’t get up, and trainers quickly brought a bag out and placed an air cast over his left ankle. Then he was put on a cart and taken for further treatment.
“He’s a guy that’s been such a playmaker for them, and outside of defending him was so much fun to watch on film,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. ”And so we just hope for the best prognosis, and speedy recovery.”
