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  • Nick Sirianni looking for an offensive coordinator to help Eagles offense ‘evolve’

    Nick Sirianni looking for an offensive coordinator to help Eagles offense ‘evolve’

    You say you want an evolution?

    At his end-of-year news conference on Thursday afternoon with Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni explained his decision to remove Kevin Patullo from the offensive coordinator position, pointing to a need for the Eagles offense to “evolve.”

    The highest-paid offense in the NFL was stagnant for the majority of the 2025 season. A midseason spark in Weeks 7 and 8 — highlighted by under-center runs and play-action passes — was fleeting. The shotgun-heavy offense, while often capable of protecting the football and scoring in the red zone, was seldom explosive in the open field.

    Nick Sirianni’s forceful vote of confidence from Howie Roseman, and some A.J. Brown trade talk highlight Eagles press conference

    Patullo’s offense finished the season 19th in the NFL in scoring, 24th in total yards, and 13th in expected points added per play, which measures the average points added by the offense on each play. The next offensive coordinator has room for growth with a bevy of talent.

    “I think it’s important to continue to evolve as an offense and that we go out and do what’s best for this football team,” Sirianni said. “Everything I do and every decision I have to make, I have to do that — just like Howie does, just like Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie does — with the intent of [it] being the best thing for the football team.”

    Sirianni said he removed Patullo from his post in the best interest of the team, but he didn’t outright fire the 44-year-old coach. For now, Patullo remains on staff. Sirianni said he will “see how it plays out,” acknowledging that Patullo will likely have opportunities elsewhere.

    Patullo was a first-time offensive coordinator and a first-time offensive NFL play-caller. Will the pendulum swing in the other direction regarding the next offensive coordinator’s résumé? According to The Athletic, the Eagles have seasoned play-callers Brian Daboll and Mike McDaniel at the top of their candidates list.

    What is Sirianni’s criteria for an offensive coordinator hire this time around? Again, he used a familiar word to sum up his broad aspiration.

    “You’re looking to continue to evolve as an offense,” Sirianni said. “And I’m looking to bring in a guy that’s going to best help us do that.”

    Can QB whisperers Josh McCown or Cam Turner salvage Jalen Hurts as the Eagles’ new OC?

    Later, he expanded on his criteria, without giving too much of an ideal candidate profile away.

    “You always want someone that has a great vision and great conviction of things that they believe in and what they want to do,” Sirianni said. “You always want to have somebody that has the players on their mind first, and we’ll be able to attract a lot of good candidates because of the players that Howie’s assembled to be on our football team.

    “You want somebody that has great vision, great conviction in what they do, is able to coach fundamentals well, to help the players get better. Because I believe in that. That can connect with guys. Because I believe in that. That has the mental toughness, because I believe in that.”

    Ultimately, Sirianni said he wants to “find the best guy that fits the Philadelphia Eagles.” But is the best guy the one who will bring his own offense? Or is the best guy the one who will infuse his ideas within Sirianni’s scheme?

    In 2024, when the Eagles hired Kellen Moore as their new offensive coordinator, Sirianni emphasized that they would “mesh” their systems. They would continue to do the “good things,” Sirianni said, that had become staples of Eagles offenses past, all while incorporating “new ideas.”

    On Thursday, four days removed from the wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Sirianni wasn’t ready to discuss his precise degree of involvement in the 2026 Eagles offense.

    After embarrassing Kevin Patullo pile-on, Eagles must make Mike McDaniel their main OC target

    “It’s way early,” Sirianni said. “Those decisions don’t have to be made for a long time, and as the head coach, you always have to [have] oversight of everything. And again, this year, obviously, I did. I got involved more in the offense as the end of the season came, because that’s what I needed to do as the head football coach there.”

    While Sirianni will make the final decision on the next offensive coordinator, he won’t be the only person with input. He said he plans to use a variety of “resources” to inform his choice, including feedback from Jalen Hurts, among other prominent figures in the organization.

    Hurts, the 27-year-old franchise quarterback, will enter his sixth season as the starter with his seventh play-caller. Two of his offensive coordinators, Moore and Shane Steichen, departed for head coaching gigs after brief stints in the role. In the past, Hurts has expressed a desire for consistency at the position, but he acknowledged on Monday the changes didn’t stop him from winning a Super Bowl last season.

    Nick Sirianni, right, says he will seek feedback from Jalen Hurts, among others, in his choice of a new offensive coordinator.

    Regardless, the Eagles aren’t necessarily in search of a Vic Fangio-esque candidate as their next offensive coordinator — someone who has no intentions of moving on to a head-coaching job — according to Roseman.

    “It’s a great compliment when guys get head coaching jobs from here, because it means we’re having tremendous success,” Roseman said. “So as much as you’d like to have continuity, and I’d like to have guys here for a long period of time, we want to win. We have an urgency to win right now. And if that comes with the ramifications that we lose good people because they’ve earned head coaching jobs, we’ll live with that.”

    Who will be the Eagles’ next offensive coordinator? Start with these eight names.

    There is no one way to be an offensive coordinator, Sirianni said. Everyone has different philosophies and visions for what it takes for an offense to be successful.

    But there is only one acceptable outcome for an evolved Eagles offense and its new coordinator moving forward.

    “It’s about finding the guy that best fits us, that gives us the best chance to get back to the top of the mountain where we ultimately want to go,” Sirianni said.

  • Subaru Park will host the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League Championship

    Subaru Park will host the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League Championship

    The Philadelphia area will become the epicenter of sports this year and host major events, including the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star game, and the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. Now, another historic event has been added to the schedule: the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League championship.

    The event will take place during the Professional Lacrosse League’s homecoming weekend for the Philadelphia Waterdogs on Aug. 14-16 at Subaru Park in Chester.

    “We’re thrilled to return to Philadelphia at Subaru Park in 2026, and make history when we crown the first WLL Champions,” said PLL cofounder and president Paul Rabil. “Philly fans have fueled some of the most legendary moments in our league’s history, and we can’t wait to see their passion for the Waterdogs and the game light up the stadium once again.”

    CJ Kirst joins his three brothers in the Premier Lacrosse League

    In the championship, the league’s four teams (New York Charging, Boston Guard, Maryland Charm, and California Palms) will compete in the 10-vs.-10 format that debuted during the 2025 WLL All-Star game.

    “Hosting both the Premier Lacrosse League and, for the first time, the Women’s Lacrosse League at Subaru Park is a powerful moment for our venue and for the region’s lacrosse fans,” said Union president Tim McDermott. “This weekend will reflect our commitment to showcasing elite competition at our best-in-class facility and creating unforgettable experiences for all who step foot in Subaru Park.”

    Before the regular season begins on May 15 in Rhode Island, all four WLL teams, and the top four PLL teams, also will play in the 2026 Championship Series from Feb. 27 to March 8 at The St. James in Springfield, Va. The competing PLL teams are the New York Atlas, Carolina Chaos, Denver Outlaws and California Redwoods.

    They will compete in the Olympic Sixes game format, which is set to return to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Fans can purchase presale tickets for the Championship Series online.

  • Will A.J. Brown and Lane Johnson be back? Those are key questions facing the Eagles and Howie Roseman.

    Will A.J. Brown and Lane Johnson be back? Those are key questions facing the Eagles and Howie Roseman.

    The main topics at the end-of-year news conference Thursday afternoon at the NovaCare Complex mainly centered on why Kevin Patullo was no longer the offensive coordinator of the Eagles, what Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman wanted in his replacement, and the evolution of the team’s offense.

    But two additional questions during the 24-minute session will have an impact on that next coordinator and the Eagles overall.

    A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia is a major offseason storyline, as is Lane Johnson’s future playing football in general.

    Nick Sirianni looking for an offensive coordinator to help Eagles offense ‘evolve’

    Brown’s frustrations this season and last have been well-documented. The star receiver expressed his frustrations with the offense and his involvement in it via cryptic social media posts, on a video game livestream, and in media interviews. He declined to make himself available to the media after the Eagles’ postseason exit, both postgame and the following day as the team cleared its lockers.

    Would Roseman be open to trading Brown, or is that a nonstarter?

    “It is hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J. is a great player,” Roseman said. “I think from my perspective, that’s what we’re going out and looking for, when we go out here in free agency and in the draft, is trying to find great players who love football, and he’s that guy. So that would be my answer.”

    It was not a yes, and it was not a no. Reading between the lines, trading Brown would require the Eagles to get a haul in return.

    A.J. Brown’s unhappiness was apparent during the 2026 season.

    There also are salary cap implications.

    Brown signed a three-year extension in 2024 that carries through the 2029 season. If the Eagles traded Brown before June 1, they would take on a dead cap hit of $43.5 million. Keeping Brown would mean a $23.4 million hit. Trading him would offer cap savings in 2027 and beyond. The Eagles have been open to taking on dead cap in the past, and Roseman has been a savant at gaming the NFL’s salary cap system to the Eagles’ advantage.

    Nick Sirianni’s forceful vote of confidence from Howie Roseman, and some A.J. Brown trade talk highlight Eagles press conference

    Johnson’s future also is a big factor in the cap math next season and beyond. The future Hall of Fame right tackle missed the final seven regular-season games as well as Sunday’s playoff loss with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. Johnson has talked publicly last season and before this season about his career timeline.

    “My goal is to play well throughout my middle to maybe my upper 30s,” Johnson, who will be 36 in May, said last March. “I love the challenge of being an older player and the routine you got to keep up with.”

    Lane Johnson’s injury-related absence in 2025 had a material effect on the offense’s production.

    That was, however, before he suffered another injury. Johnson, like Brown, was not available to reporters as the season wrapped.

    Did he give any indication to Roseman whether he’ll be back?

    “I think all those conversations that we have with our players are between us, and anything they’re doing — I’m not saying that negatively or positively — but anyone you ask about, I think that’s their business to discuss,” Roseman said. “Obviously, you’re talking about a Hall of Fame player who has been a huge, huge part of any of our success we’ve had. And when you watch him play, he’s still playing at an elite level.”

    Not a yes. Not a no.

    The ‘natural arc’

    The futures of those Eagles stars are pivotal because their status impacts how the Eagles approach free agency and the draft. They also make up a large chunk of the team’s high-priced offense.

    The Eagles are at an interesting point in the state of their roster. They have an aging and expensive offense that is underperforming relative to its cost and a young and inexpensive defense. That will change soon. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are in line for extensions. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are right behind them. The Eagles need to improve at edge rusher and have other holes to fill.

    Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni will have to balance the team’s roster needs with financial pragmatism.

    “As you get better, you have a natural arc of the team, and I think that, when you look at our team, we drafted a lot of offensive players, we re-signed a lot of offensive players,” Roseman said when asked if the team had the resources to keep the players it wants to. “We drafted a lot of defensive guys that were young and on rookie contracts. There’s natural transition in what we do … in terms of where you’re paying your guys, which side of the ball you’re paying your guys who are coming up.

    “The important thing for us is there are players we can’t lose — obviously, we’re going to do what’s best for us … but within reason — and that we want to keep around here because they’re really good players, homegrown players that are really good people, that are part of our core. With that, you’re going to have to make sacrifices. That’s on me to make sure the sacrifices we make are filled in with really good players again.”

    From Lane Johnson’s worth to a fan base’s anger, here’s what we learned about the 2025 Eagles

    ‘Not good enough’

    How would Roseman assess the 2025 season?

    “Not good enough,” he said.

    “If it doesn’t end with confetti falling on our head, I don’t feel like it’s good enough,” he added. “I know we’re not going to win the Super Bowl every year. I think I know that from a broad perspective, but I believe we can. I go into every offseason thinking we’re going to do whatever it takes to win a Super Bowl and when we fall short I look at myself. I look at the things that I could have done different and I look to improve.”

    It was not Roseman’s best offseason coming off last year’s Super Bowl. The Eagles did not get great production from their 2025 draft class, though they also had a roster without many openings. It’s worth noting that their first two picks in 2024 were All-Pro selections this season, and the jury is still out on their first two picks from the most recent drafts. They did not, however, make adequate upgrades on the edge and twice had to lure players off their couches to join the team before being forced to use a draft pick to acquire Jaelan Phillips. They don’t have obvious answers for what’s next for an aging and declining offensive line.

    They need to get younger and cheaper at some positions, but they also have the talent to try to push for another championship. Finding the next offensive coordinator is a big part of that, but roster construction is critical. Roseman’s offseason task is to balance it all.

    “You can do whatever it takes to win now and still build for the future and still have those parallel paths,” he said. “I just don’t want it to get confused that we can’t do whatever it takes to build a championship-caliber team next year and also continue to have really good players on this team for the future.”

    That work is underway.

  • Nick Sirianni’s forceful vote of confidence from Howie Roseman, and some A.J. Brown trade talk highlight Eagles news conference

    Nick Sirianni’s forceful vote of confidence from Howie Roseman, and some A.J. Brown trade talk highlight Eagles news conference

    There isn’t a whole lot of literal truth you can glean in most press conference settings. That’s especially true in the NFL, where the shield on the logo carries more than a little metaphorical weight. They are messaging platforms, not intelligence briefings. It can be frustrating. It can also be instructive, in certain moments.

    After embarrassing Kevin Patullo pile-on, Eagles must make Mike McDaniel their main OC target

    Take Howie Roseman, for instance. On Thursday afternoon, the Eagles general manager was sitting next to Nick Sirianni listening to the head coach wind down an answer to a question about the team’s search for a new offensive coordinator. As soon as Sirianni finished speaking, several reporters began talking over each other to ask the next question. But Roseman had something he wanted to add, and jumped in.

    “I’ve got a lot of things I could say about coach and the job that he’s done here,” the general manager said. “I’m incredibly proud of him. He’s shown that when we bring people in he’s open to doing whatever’s best for this football team. That’s all he cares about is winning. When he’s brought in people he’s given them the flexibility to put their own spin on things. Obviously I sit here and I feel incredibly grateful that I’m working with someone who as a head coach is elite at being a head coach, elite at building a connection with our team, elite about talking about fundamentals, game management, situational awareness, bringing the team together, holding people accountable, and when you’re looking for a head coach those are really the job descriptions.”

    The strongest votes of confidence are usually the unsolicited ones. It would be hard to interpret Roseman’s statement as anything else. Two years ago, the Eagles did Sirianni a disservice with the way they handled the fallout from their late-season collapse and one-and-done showing in the 2023 playoffs. From their decision to wait nine days to announce that Sirianni would return amid rampant speculation that his job was in jeopardy, to their external hunt for an offensive coordinator, the Eagles left the impression that the coach was being Office Spaced out of power. Not only was it an indignity, it led to an offseason full of distractions that easily could have metastasized during the Eagles’ 2-2 start to the 2024 season.

    This time, Roseman made it a point to eliminate any doubt. As he should have. The Eagles are about to embark on an offensive coordinator search that could see them bring in any of a number of big name former head coaches who have their own schemes and, potentially, their own assistant coaches. During Thursday’s press conference, there were several questions about the level of autonomy the new offensive coordinator will have, including the one that prompted Roseman’s unsolicited amicus brief. If the Eagles felt like a clarification of the record was in order, now was the time to provide it.

    Will A.J. Brown and Lane Johnson be back? Those are key questions facing the Eagles and Howie Roseman.

    It speaks volumes that Roseman took advantage of the opportunity, and that he did it forcefully. A coach needs all the political capital he can get, especially a coach who suffers from perception problems. Sirianni has brought some of those on himself with his occasional emotional regulation issues on the sidelines. But it was always a silly and unrealistic narrative to suggest he was the NFL coaching equivalent of a guy who stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. It was also willfully ignorant in a league where John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin had been two of the most successful coaches of the modern era.

    Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni are charged with finding answers after the team fell short of its Super Bowl goal.

    As for the exact nature of the Eagles coaching search, and their offseason personnel strategy, you’ll have to rely on your own deductive reasoning. There was little in the way of concrete answers from either Roseman or Sirianni regarding their vision for the Eagles offense.

    — Roseman said the Eagles won’t necessarily be targeting an OC who they think could remain with the team for an extended period of time.

    “It’s a great compliment when guys get head coaching jobs from here because it means that we’re having success,” he said.

    — Sirianni was noncommittal when asked about his role — and his current assistants’ roles — in the future offense. Which is common sense. If the Eagles hire Mike McDaniel, in whom they reportedly have some interest, they will clearly hire him to be Mike McDaniel the same way they hired Vic Fangio to be Vic Fangio. That said, in most cases, game-planning and play-calling is a far more collaborative process than a lot of people seem to think. The Eagles have always valued that collaborative spirit, especially in the wake of the Chip Kelly era.

    “I know that I want to be the head football coach and I think that’s what the team needs,” Sirianni said. “Everything that I’m doing isn’t because it’s what I want to do, it’s because it’s what’s best for the football team and I think it’s best for the football team when I’m the head football coach.“

    — Speaking of reading between the lines, I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to evaluate Roseman’s comments when asked about the possibility of trading star wideout A.J. Brown.

    “It’s hard to find great players in the NFL and A.J.’s a great player,” Roseman said. “That’s what we’re going out and looking for, when we go out in free agency and the draft, is trying to find great players who love football and he’s that guy. So that would be my answer.”

    I would qualify that wording as “careful” rather than explicit and definitive. But I do think it points to a general truth about the situation. It wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense for the Eagles to trade Brown unless they can somehow do it in a way where they replace him with an equal or better talent. The cost savings and draft pick return almost certainly won’t be enough to legitimize the move on that front. But if they can reap some sort of asset in a deal and also use the $7 million or so they’d clear with a post-June 1 move to add some other pass-catcher, it could make sense. But those are my words, not Roseman’s.

  • Phillies sign center fielder Francisco Renteria, a top international prospect, with a $4 million bonus

    Phillies sign center fielder Francisco Renteria, a top international prospect, with a $4 million bonus

    The international signing period opened Thursday, and the Phillies officially signed one of the top-ranked prospects in this year’s class.

    Venezuelan center fielder Francisco Renteria, ranked the No. 3 international prospect in 2026 by MLBPipeline, signed with the Phillies for a $4 million bonus, according to Baseball America.

    The 17-year-old Renteria’s biggest tool is his raw power, while he also has speed and athleticism. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he has experience playing against older opponents in Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Last month, he put on a show at a Venezuelan home run derby with 18 homers.

    Renteria’s bonus is the second-highest for an international prospect in the 2026 class. It is also the highest for a Phillies international amateur signing since 2015, when Dominican outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz signed for $4 million.

    Ortiz was ranked the Phillies’ No. 18 prospect in 2020, though he did not reach the majors. He ascended to triple A in 2023 but became a free agent after the season and has since played in independent leagues.

    Aroon Escobar is the highest-ranked international signee prospect in the Phillies system. The second baseman signed out of Venezuela in 2022 for $450,000 and is ranked the Phillies’ No. 5 prospect by MLBPipeline.

  • Philly is Unrivaled women’s basketball doubleheader at Xfinity Mobile Arena is sold out

    Philly is Unrivaled women’s basketball doubleheader at Xfinity Mobile Arena is sold out

    Unrivaled has sold out its upcoming Philly takeover event at Xfinity Mobile Arena, a Comcast Spectacor official confirmed to The Inquirer on Thursday.

    The 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, which launched last year in Miami, is taking its season on the road in Year 2. The first Unrivaled event outside suburban Miami will be Jan. 30 in Philadelphia.

    Xfinity Mobile Arena, which has a capacity of 21,000 and is owned by Comcast Spectacor, will be by far the biggest venue Unrivaled has played in. The league’s usual venue in Medley, Fla., Sephora Arena, was built just for Unrivaled and holds just 1,000 seats.

    The event, which features a doubleheader between four of Unrivaled’s eight teams, Breeze vs. Phantom and Rose vs. Lunar Owls, is set to bring young stars like Paige Bueckers (Breeze) and Cameron Brink (Breeze), along with Philly natives Natasha Cloud (Phantom) and Kahleah Copper (Rose), to South Philly.

    The doubleheader comes on the heels of the WNBA’s announcement in June 2025 that Philadelphia will be home to an expansion franchise, with play set to begin in 2030.

    If you missed out on purchasing, tickets are available for resale on platforms like StubHub and Ticketmaster, starting at $111.15 for the upper deck as of Thursday afternoon.

  • Flyers recall goalie Aleksei Kolosov from Lehigh Valley and move Bobby Brink to injured reserve

    Flyers recall goalie Aleksei Kolosov from Lehigh Valley and move Bobby Brink to injured reserve

    BUFFALO — What a difference 24 hours make.

    At morning skate on Wednesday at KeyBank Center, things were looking up as defenseman Jamie Drysdale was set to make his return to the lineup.

    But just a few short hours later, the injury bug resupplied its stinger and stung several times.

    Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who was a full participant at morning skate and took power-play reps with the top unit, is now listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He did not dress for warmups.

    Dan Vladař injured, Flyers’ skid reaches four after 5-2 loss to Sabres

    Then, goalie Dan Vladař suffered what looked to be a lower-body injury in the first period of the Flyers’ 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres before allowing two goals on five shots. Coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update when he spoke postgame, and according to a team source on Thursday, the team is still awaiting test results to determine the extent of the injury.

    On the first Sabres goal, it appeared that Vladař moved awkwardly when he wasn’t sure where a missed shot by Josh Doan went. He was slow to get up and was able to reset, but Rasmus Dahlin beat him from the point with Jason Zucker setting a screen on a power play.

    Losing Vladař for any amount of time would be a significant blow, especially as the Flyers jockey for playoff position in a tightly-contested Eastern Conference. The Czech goaltender has arguably been the team’s most valuable player this season, posting a 16-7-4 record and a .905 save percentage in 28 starts. Vladař is also set to play at the Olympics for his country after being named to the Czech Republic’s team last week.

    According to a team source on Thursday afternoon, the Flyers may have avoided the worst-case scenario on Ristolainen and Vladař’s injuries. While the early findings are positive, they won’t know more for a few days.

    So, with the Flyers needing a roster spot for a goalie replacement, on Thursday morning, forward Bobby Brink was placed on injured reserve. It is retroactive to Jan. 6, when Brink was injured on a blindsided hit by Anaheim Ducks forward Jansen Harkins just 2 minutes, 38 seconds into the first period.

    Brink has practiced in Philly but was not spotted on the trip to Western New York. He can come off injured reserve at any time, as it is retroactive and has been a minimum of seven days since his injury and time missed.

    The Flyers recalled goaltender Aleksei Kolosov from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Thursday.

    Aleksei Kolosov was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League to complete the Flyers’ goalie tandem with Sam Ersson in the interim. In 19 games with the Phantoms, Kolosov is 9-9-1 with a 2.54 goals-against average, .908 save percentage, and two shutouts.

    On Dec. 31, he had a 31-save shutout against rival Hershey, and he has won three of his past four starts. The shutout came during a two-game stretch in which he went 2-0-0 with a 0.50 GAA and a .984 save percentage, and was named the AHL’s Player of the Week.

    Flyers goalie prospect Aleksei Kolosov named AHL Player of the Week

    It’s a marked improvement from last season with the Phantoms, when Kolosov had an .884 save percentage in 12 games, and from his first experience in North America, when he posted .885 across two games in 2023-24. Kolosov also struggled mightily at the NHL level last season after making his NHL debut Oct. 27, 2024. His .867 save percentage across 17 games and 13 starts last year ranked dead last among the 71 goalies to make at least 10 starts.

    “He is a different player, different personality,” assistant general manager Brent Flahr told The Inquirer in December. “He’s really trying to fit in. He’s very athletic, very competitive, and he’s giving our team a chance to win down there almost every night. He’s a talented kid, so he’s got a chance to be an NHL goalie now. He just skipped a step last year. Now he’s building it back up again here, and we’ll see where it goes.”

    The Belarusian has also appeared in two games for the Flyers this season, when Ersson was placed on injured reserve in late October. On Nov. 1, he stopped all seven shots he faced against the Toronto Maple Leafs in relief of Vladař, before stopping 19 of 21 the next night in a 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.

    The Flyers play at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night (7 p.m., ESPN), and Ersson will start. He played the final two periods on Wednesday, allowing two goals on eight shots. The Swede, who is sporting a disappointing .855 save percentage on the season, has allowed at least four goals in four of his last five starts, including seven on Saturday against Tampa Bay.

    Breakaways

    On the same day that Denver Barkey was named the Phantoms’ representative to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic, the forward will return to the Flyers lineup. Barkey, who was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career on Wednesday, has one goal and three points across 11 games since being called up. He struggled in his last two games, both against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and had the puck stolen by Brayden Point ahead of Nikita Kucherov’s first goal on Saturday and Nick Paul’s goal later in the game. Nic Deslauriers will draw out of the lineup.

  • The Sixers were dominated by the Cavaliers. Nick Nurse is eager to see how they respond.

    The Sixers were dominated by the Cavaliers. Nick Nurse is eager to see how they respond.

    The 76ers relish the opportunity to play the Cleveland Cavaliers again on Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The matchup will be two days after the Sixers lost, 133-107, to the Cavaliers at the same venue. It was the Sixers’ fifth series loss in six meetings against Cleveland.

    “So, absolutely [excited] to get a chance to play them again,” Paul George said. “It’s a test for us. And, you know, see how we respond.”

    Sixers takeaways: A bad matchup, Joel Embiid’s mounting turnovers, and more from loss to Cavaliers

    Donovan Mitchell finished with a game-high 35 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists on Wednesday. The six-time All-Star has scored 35, 46, and 37 points in his last three games vs. the Sixers. And he’s averaging 28.0 points and 6.6 assists in 10 games against the Sixers (22-17) after being traded to Cleveland (23-19) from the Utah Jazz on Sept. 3, 2022.

    Meanwhile, Evan Mobley had 17 points and game highs of 13 rebounds and four blocks on Wednesday for his 15th double-double of the season. The 7-foot power forward and reigning defensive player of the year has averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in his last five games against the Sixers.

    But the All-Stars aren’t alone in their dominance.

    Cleveland had five double-figure scorers, shot 53.3% — including 18 of 44 three-pointers — in a 132-121 victory over the Sixers on Nov. 5. On Wednesday, they shot 52.6%, and made 20 of 46 three-pointers. Their 41 assists on Wednesday were the most an opposing team has posted against the Sixers this season.

    Tyrese Maxey was shut down in the Sixers’ loss to the Cavaliers, producing only 14 points on 5 of 16 shooting.

    “It wasn’t just a win, but how we played,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Forty-one assists on 50 made baskets is kind of college basketball [numbers] the way we moved it.

    “And defensively, we were good.”

    They shut down Tyrese Maxey (14 points on 5-for-16 shooting) and VJ Edgecombe (nine points on 3-for-10) on Wednesday.

    The Cavaliers showed Maxey two defenders several times to get the ball out of his hands quickly.

    “I started off slow, kind of, energy-wise, and let them kind of box me in a little bit,” said Maxey, who had nine points on 3-for-10 at halftime. “But, yeah, sometimes you just got to make the right plays. I felt like some times I came off, and there were two or three bodies, and I just got off the ball.

    “That’s how I play basketball. If I see multiple bodies and I don’t think I have an advantage, like, somebody else on my team should have an advantage.”

    And as in the teams’ previous meeting, Wednesday’s outcome was all but decided after three quarters.

    Sixers’ Dominick Barlow leaves Cavaliers game with back contusion

    Nick Nurse is eager to see how the Sixers respond on Friday.

    “I think it’s a great test for us,” the coach said. “It’s a great test for us to see if we can snap out of the energy funk that we were in [Wednesday night] and dig in and guard something and execute something on offense because we didn’t … scheme right or execute right.”

    Sixers power forward Dominick Barlow missed most of Wednesday’s game after suffering a back contusion early in the third quarter. Barlow was expected to have an MRI on Thursday. His injury is a tough blow for the Sixers, as he is a solid glue guy who started alongside George, Joel Embiid (20 points), Edgecombe, and Maxey.

    Meanwhile, Cleveland’s Darius Garland (right foot) and Sam Merrill (right hand) also left the game because of injuries. Atkinson said he doubts that they’ll play on Friday.

    “Dom is a big piece for us, but it is, it’s another gut punch, man, that somebody else goes down,” said George, whose squad has dealt with injuries all season. “Soon as we finally start to get healthy and there’s some consistency with the starting group. It’ll be another starting group come Friday, so that has been a challenge.”

  • Memphis snaps Temple’s seven-game win streak as comeback falls short

    Memphis snaps Temple’s seven-game win streak as comeback falls short

    Memphis held on for a 55-53 victory over visiting Temple on Wednesday, snapping the Owls’ seven-game win streak.

    Down by as many as 13 points in the second half, Temple (11-6, 3-1 American) relied on free-throw shooting and timely defense to get within two points with 13 seconds left. Guard Jordan Mason got an open shot near the basket that would have tied the game, but he missed it to give Memphis (8-8, 3-1) the win.

    Guard Gavin Griffiths’ 15 points led the Owls, who had a 41-35 rebounding advantage. The game was Temple’s first since assistant coach Bill Courtney died suddenly on Tuesday at the age of 55.

    First-half struggles

    Both offenses struggled in the first half, combining for just 17 field goals.

    Temple forwards Jamai Felt and Babatunde Duradola picked up two fouls in the first, forcing them to sit for extended periods.

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    Owl guards Aiden Tobiason and Derrian Ford struggled to get into a rhythm against the pressure of Memphis, which is third in the conference in turnovers forced per game (14.3). The Tigers attacked Temple with a full-court press that set its offense out of sync and forced Tobiason and Ford into tough shots. Tobiason was 1-for-7 in the first half, and Ford was 1-for-4.

    The Tigers forced eight second-half turnovers and 14 total, a season-high for Temple.

    Guard Jordan Mason, shown during a Jan. 7 game against East Carolina, scored a season-low five points against Memphis on Wednesday.

    Cold from three

    An important factor in the Owls’ seven-game win streak was their three-point shooting. They shot over 40% from beyond the arc in every game and made at least 10 threes in three of them.

    But Temple’s three-point touch disappeared against Memphis.

    The Owls went just 1-for-13 from three and missed their final 10 attempts from deep in the first half. Griffiths, who entered shooting 41.4% from three and had 11 threes in the last two games, shot just 1 of 5 from deep in the first half.

    Temple limited its three-point attempts in the second half, going 1 for 6 as it put more of an emphasis on driving to the rim and getting to the free-throw line. That change of pace on offense helped guide the Owls back from a 13-point deficit and nearly pull off the comeback.

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    Griffiths got an open look from three with 1:44 left and Temple down by two, but he missed, part of a 1-for-8 night from long range for the junior guard of the game.

    Overall, the Owls shot just 2 for 19 from three-point range.

    Uncharacteristic play from Mason

    Mason has been a revelation for Temple’s offense since transferring in from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

    He typically provides the Owls with a steady hand at point guard and excels at finding open teammates and directing traffic. His play was a major factor in Temple’s win streak as he scored in double figures in every game, including a double-double with 15 points and 12 assists against UTSA on Jan. 3.

    But against Memphis, Mason shot just 2 of 9 for a season-low five points. He also committed a season-high five turnovers with three assists.

    Next

    Temple will host another top team in the American in Florida Atlantic (11-6, 3-1) on Sunday (noon, ESPNU).

  • St. Joe’s pushes past St. Bonaventure to extend winning streak to three games

    St. Joe’s pushes past St. Bonaventure to extend winning streak to three games

    In the waning minutes, St. Joseph’s allowed St. Bonaventure to take a one-point lead, after the Hawks carried a double-digit lead in the first half, which had the crowd at Hagan Arena roaring on Wednesday night.

    Then guard Darryl Simmons II launched a three-pointer, hoping to give the Bonnies (11-6,0-4) a four-point lead with 36 seconds remaining, but the ball clanked off the rim. Hawks guard Dasear Haskins grabbed the rebound.

    He threw the ball to guard Jaiden Glover-Toscano, who finished with a game-high 23 points. Glover-Toscano made a layup and free-throw to reclaim a two-point lead.

    Hawks coach Steve Donahue reacts with the crowd after his team’s 68-64 win against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday.

    However, there was still time, and Simmons wanted redemption. He had an open three-pointer, but Glover-Toscano swatted the ball away to seal the Hawks’ 68-64 victory to extend their winning streak to three games after starting off conference play 0-2.

    “I was really just trying to win,” Glover-Toscano said. “I was hungry. The whole team was hungry.”

    The Hawks (11-7, 3-2 Atlantic-10) will visit Virginia Commonwealth University (12-6, 3-2) on Monday (3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

    Push the pace

    A dunk by Haskins to open the game showed St. Bonaventure how the first half was going to go.

    The Hawks’ offense, which made 14 of 27 attempts (51.85%) in the first half, had the Bonnies on their toes. St. Joe’s had nine fast break points in the first off of forced turnovers.

    St. Joe’s guard Derek Simpson finished with 11 points and five rebounds against St. Bonaveture.

    The Hawks also had eight players contribute in scoring.

    However, the Hawks’ speed led to sloppiness. They gave the ball up nine times, allowing the Bonnies to catch up after establishing an 11-point lead, it’s largest of the game. St. Joe’s entered the half up, 35-28. .

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    Going cold

    Entering Wednesday, St. Joe’s ranked last in the Atlantic-10 in three-point percentage (27.7%). Against St. Bonaventure, it showed in the first 30 minutes, where the Hawks made 4 of 11 three-pointers.

    St. Joe’s went cold in the second half, while the Bonnies began to heat up.

    First it was forward Frank Mitchell, who finished with a team-high 22 points. He got St. Bonaventure within five points before the end of the first half.

    St. Bonaventure guard Cayden Charles (24) reacts after making a three-point basket on Wednesday.

    The Hawks contained Mitchell in the second, but Simmons and guard Cayden Charles stepped to add 14 and 17 points, respectively.

    The Bonnies bounced back from shooting 11 of 33 in the first to going 14-for-34 in the second, as the Hawks went 9-for-28 in the final frame.

    St. Joe’s hoops standout Deuce Jones II is no longer a member of the team, Hawks say

    “I just didn’t think we were gritty enough in the first half, even though we were ahead,” said coach Steve Donahue. “I thought we weren’t making shots in the second half, but we were grittier. We got loose balls, and we made it really hard for them to score.”

    Battling back

    Despite being down four points with about three minutes remaining, St. Joe’s battled back.

    After Simmons made a miracle floater to push the Bonnies’ lead to four, Haskins knocked down a three-pointer to cut it to one.

    But, it was Glover-Toscano who took over.

    Before he got his go ahead and-one layup, he knocked down back-to-back shots that tied the game at 64.

    Jaiden Glover-Toscano helped propel St. Joe’s to a victory over St. Bonaventure on Wednesday.

    Derek Simpson also connected on crucial free throws, while Haskins, who finished with a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds), grabbed key defensive rebounds.

    “They showed great resilience,” Donahue said. “I thought six weeks ago, this group would have hung their heads and we’re not going to be able to do it, type of attitude. I don’t have to say it now, they know what it’s about.”