The Denver Nuggets managed to overcome the loss of Aaron Gordon in the first half and beat the Houston Rockets on the road at the Toyota Center on Friday in an NBA Cup game. 

Nuggets star Nikola Jokić nearly produced a triple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Jamal Murray contributed to the victory with 26 points and 10 assists for Denver.

The Rockets held a three-point lead at halftime after a strong scoring performance from Reed Sheppard in the first half. The 2024 first-round pick scored 20 points. Sheppard was limited in the second half to just seven points, though.

Amen Thompson had 22 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

The two Western Conference teams have been tabbed by NBA experts as the teams most likely to challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Western Conference crown this season.

Here’s how Friday’s NBA Cup game between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets played out:

Nuggets-Rockets highlights

Final: Nuggets 112, Rockets 109

Jabari Smith Jr. scored a 3-pointer with 5.5 seconds left on the clock to cut into the Nuggets’ lead and make it a 1-point game at 110-109.

Smith fouled out of the game moments later on the Nuggets’ next possession. Jokić was sent to the foul line, where he managed to put the game away for the Nuggets.

3Q: Nuggets 80, Rockets 78

The Nuggets managed to keep pace with the Rockets, outscoring them 34-29 in the third quarter. Nikola Jokić has 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes of action through three quarters of play. Jamal Murray has 12 points and eight assists.

Reed Sheppard scored just four points in the third quarter after 20 in the first half. Jabari Smith Jr. has 12 points and seven rebounds for the Rockets.

Aaron Gordon out for game

The Nuggets announced that Aaron Gordon suffered a right hamstring strain in the first half and he has been ruled out for the second half.

Halftime: Rockets 49, Nuggets 46

The Rockets outscored the Nuggets 37-21 in the second quarter to take the lead at halftime.

Reed Sheppard scored 20 points in the first half for Houston. Nikola Jokić was held to just three points in the second quarter for the Nuggets.

1Q: Nuggets 25, Rockets 12

Nikola Jokić had seven points and seven rebounds for the Nuggets in the opening quarter. Peyton Watson and Jamal Murray each scored five points. Kevin Durant had six of the Rockets’ 12 points.

Nuggets lead Rockets early

The Nuggets built up a 16-8 lead with 3:50 left in the first quarter. Jamal Murray has five points for Denver.

Rockets starting lineup vs. Nuggets

Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams, Amen Thompson and Kevin Durant made up the starting lineup for the Rockets.

Nuggets starting lineup vs. Rockets

Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić started for the Nuggets.

What time is Nuggets vs. Rockets NBA Cup game today?

The Houston Rockers will host the Denver Nuggets in NBA Cup action at the Toyota Center at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 21.

How to watch Nuggets vs. Rockets in NBA Cup: TV, live streaming

The Friday, Nov. 21 NBA Cup game between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets will be live streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video.

Date: Nov. 21, 2025
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. local)
Location: Toyota Center (Houston)
TV: None
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Nikola Jokic’s hot start

The Denver Nuggets star is on an early pace to set new career highs and perhaps win his third NBA Most Valuable Player award:

Jokić last nine games stats: 34.0 PPG | 12.6 RPG | 11.3 APG | .724 2PT% | .476 3PT%
Jokić 2025-26 season stats: 29.1 PPG | 13.2 RPG | 11.1 APG — leads NBA in rebounds & assists

Alperen Sengun fueling Rockets

While Kevin Durant (25.5) tends to draw the most attention from opposing players and fans, teammate Alperen Şengün has been stuffing the stat sheets so far this season:

Şengün 2025-26 season stats: 23.4 PPG | 10.4 RPG | 8.7 APG | 45.3% FG% | .409 3PT%
Elite company: Şengün is the only player besides Jokić averaging 23+ PTS, 10+ REB, 7+ AST

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The top-10 women’s basketball matchup between No. 1 UConn and No. 9 Michigan, the first meeting between the two programs, lived up to the billing on Friday. 

The Huskies defeated the Wolverines 72-69 at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, cutting Michigan’s gutsy comeback just short. 

UConn completely dominated the first half of the contest and built up a 20 point lead by the third quarter. Just when it looked like UConn was going to cruise to its fifth win of the season, Michigan upped the pressure and completely changed the momentum of the game with an 18-2 run to close the third quarter down by four points.

The Huskies showed their experience and quickly stretched their lead back to 13 points with 3:37 remaining, but the Wolverines never faltered and continued coming at the Huskies. Michigan sophomore guard Syla Swords knocked down three of her eight 3-pointers in the final minute of the contest, including a deep 3 with 13 seconds remaining to come within one point, 70-69.

What ensued next was utter chaos. Michigan fouled UConn’s Azzi Fudd with eight seconds remaining and Fudd made both her free throws to go up 72-69. Michigan’s Olivia Olson inbounded the ball to Swords, who was stripped in the backcourt by UConn’s KK Arnold. Ashlynn Shade then turned the ball over to Michigan’s McKenzie Mathurin, but the Wolverines weren’t able to get a final shot off.

UConn improves to 46-1 all-time at Mohegan Sun Arena. UConn is 136-56 all-time in games where both teams are ranked in the top 10. This was the first meeting between UConn and Michigan.

Azzi Fudd finished with a game-high 31 points, two steals and two blocks, while Sarah Strong added 16 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, four blocks and three steals. 

Swords had 29 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort, while Olson added 18 points and 10 rebounds.  

UConn vs. Michigan highlights

End of Q3: UConn 49, Michigan 45 

We have a ball game at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. 

Michigan trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, but the Wolverines went on an 18-2 run to cut their deficit to four points. UConn had six turnovers in the third quarter, which fueled Michigan’s comeback and the Wolverines outscored the Huskies 18-4 in the frame.

Syla Swords scored nine points in the third quarter and has a team-high 17 points, while Olivia Olson is up to 12 points. 

The Huskies shot 2-of-15 from the field in the third quarter. UConn has not scored since the 6:19 mark.

Halftime: UConn 45, Michigan 27

UConn guard Azzi Fudd ended the second quarter with an exclamation point after knocking down a buzzer-beating jumper to push the Huskies’ lead over Michigan to 18 points at halftime. 

The Huskies have been utterly dominant. UConn is shooting 46% from the field and 6-of-17 from the 3-point line, while holding the Wolverines to 28% from the field and 5-of-17 from 3. That’s a major feat considering the Wolverines are averaging 99.2 points per game this season, the fourth highest-scoring offense in the nation. 

Fudd has a team-high 18 points and two steals for the Huskies, while sophomore forward Sarah Strong already has a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals in 20 minutes of play. 

Michigan appeared to settle in during the second quarter, scoring 22 points in the frame compared to only five points in the first quarter, but the Wolverines are still struggling to take care of the ball with 10 total turnovers in the half. 

Michigan sophomore guard Olivia Olson leads the Wolverines with nine points (4-of-10 FG, 1-of-5 3PT), while sophomore guard Syla Swords added eight points (2-of-12 FG, 2-of-6 3PT).

UConn first meeting vs. Michigan

End of Q1: UConn 22, Michigan 5

UConn showed why it’s the top-ranked team in the nation following a dominant first-quarter performance. The Huskies came out with their foot on the gas on Friday and built a 17-point lead, while holding the Wolverines to five points through the first 10 minutes.

Michigan shot a dismal 2-of-20 from the field and 1-of-7 from the 3-point line due to the constant pressure applied by the Huskies. UConn forced Michigan into five turnovers, which the Huskies converted to five points.

Sarah Strong and Ashlynn Shade each scored six points for UConn in the first quarter. Strong is already up to nine rebounds, rounding out her stat line with three blocks, one assist and one steal in 10 minutes of play. Azzi Fudd added five points and two steals. 

Michigan’s Syla Swords has three points, while Olivia Olson added two points. 

UConn jumps to 10-3 lead vs. Michigan

The top-10 showdown between UConn and Michigan is underway at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, home of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, which is less than 30 miles from Storrs, Connecticut.

Both teams came out with early jitters and missed some shots early on, but Huskies forward Sarah Strong opened up the scoring with a layup nearly two minutes into the game. Strong has done a little bit of everything so far. She’s up to four points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block as the Huskies lead 10-3 with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter.

Michigan sophomore guard Syla Swords got the Wolverines on the board with a 3-pointer, Michigan’s only field goal so far. Michigan is 1-of-7 from the field.

What time is Michigan vs. UConn women’s basketball?

Top-ranked UConn (4-0) faces No. 6 Michigan (4-0) in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 21, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Michigan vs. UConn: TV, streaming

Date: Friday, Nov. 21
Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut
TV: FOX
Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

UConn Huskies starting lineup

(2) KK Arnold
(12) Ashlynn Shade
(21) Sarah Strong
(22) Serah Williams
(35) Azzi Fudd

UConn women’s basketball roster

Michigan Wolverines starting lineup

Head coach: Kim Barnes Arico

(1) Olivia Olson
(3) Mila Holloway
(5) Brooke Quarles Daniels
(12) Syla Swords
(15) Ashley Sofilkanich

Michigan women’s basketball roster

Check out UConn’s championship rings

The ‘Power of Friendship’ lifted the UConn women’s basketball team to the program’s 12th national championship in April and the phrase has been commemorated forever in the team’s new bling.

Nearly seven months after the Huskies defeated South Carolina 82-59 in the 2025 NCAA championship game to win the university’s first title since 2016, Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers returned to Storrs, Connecticut, to receive the first national championship ring of her career alongside former teammates.

‘The power of friendship … is the reason that we did win it,’ said Bueckers, who helped design the ring alongside Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme. ‘We just went off of straight vibes and we stuck together through it all.’

From facing UConn to fueling them: Kayleigh Heckel’s seamless transition

STORRS, Conn. — If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

That may not be exactly how sophomore Kayleigh Heckel ended up playing for No. 1-ranked UConn, but it is true that she finished her freshman season at USC with a loss to the team she ended up joining after entering the transfer portal.

‘My last game at USC was against UConn,’ Heckel said in a video posted by UConn prior to the season. ‘The stakes were high, was the Elite Eight game, so excited to be on this side now.’ Read full story here.

UConn freshman Blanca Quiñonez latest target of Auriemma’s tough love

UConn freshman Blanca Quiñonez, who Auriemma jokes ‘leads the free world in turnovers,’ is the most recent recipient of Auriemma’s affection. The Ecuador native played in her second collegiate game Nov. 16, scoring 18 points but also turning the ball over five times.

UConn remains No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball poll

The defending champion Connecticut Huskies remain in the No. 1 spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released on Tuesday, Nov. 18. UConn looks to become the first repeat champion since winning four straight from 2013-16.

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

UConn (4-0)
South Carolina (4-0)
UCLA (5-0)
Texas (4-0)
LSU (5-0)
Maryland (5-0)
Oklahoma (4-1)
TCU (4-0)
Michigan (3-0)
Baylor (4-0)
USC (2-1)
North Carolina (3-1)
Tennessee (3-1)
Ole Miss (3-0)
Iowa State (5-0)
North Carolina State (2-2)
Vanderbilt (3-0)
Kentucky (5-0)
Louisville (3-1)
Iowa (4-0)
Oklahoma State (5-0)
West Virginia (4-0)
Notre Dame (3-1)
Duke (3-2)
Michigan State (4-0)

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Jordan Stolz made it official: He’s going to the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The American phenom locked a spot on the U.S. speed skating team with his first-place finish in the 1,000 meters on Friday, Nov. 21 at the World Cup event in Calgary, Alberta. His time of 1:06.0 was 0.63 off his own world record.

Because Stolz was a medalist at the world championships in March, winning silvers in the 500 and 1,500 meters and a bronze in the 1,000, he was eligible to secure his place on the team ahead of the Olympic trials by finishing in the top five in the same distance at two of the first four World Cups.

Stolz won the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters at the first World Cup speed skating event in Salt Lake City last weekend. That meant his next top five in any of those distances would guarantee him a trip to the Olympics.

Stolz does still need to qualify to race the 500 and 1,500 meters. He’ll race both distances Saturday, Nov. 22 and will have another 500 meters Sunday, Nov. 23.

‘It’s not something I think that hard about,’ Stolz said after winning the 1,000 meters in Salt Lake. ‘I just try and focus on (how I’m) feeling physically. Each race, trying to make it feel a little bit better, get a little more comfortable.’

It was pretty much a given that Stolz would make the Olympic team. He swept the sprint distances at the world championships in 2023 and 2024, and was the overall champion in each of the three races last season.

But there is something to be said for having qualification out of the way already rather than having to wait until the Olympic trials, which are Jan. 2-5 in Milwaukee, and hope nothing goes wrong.

Like what happened four years ago, when Erin Jackson came into trials as the world’s best in the 500 meters, only to slip during her race and finish third.

Jackson made the team when Brittany Bowe, who’d won the race, declined her spot for Jackson. Jackson would go on to win gold in the 500 meters at the Beijing Olympics.

U.S. Speed Skating changed its Olympic qualifying procedures as a result. In addition to world medalists being able to secure their spots with two top-five finishes, a skater who is on the podium in the same distance at two World Cups qualifies for the team.

‘If you’re able to hit those benchmarks, then you deserve to have a spot on the team,’ Bowe said in Salt Lake. ‘I think it’s a great addition to have some sense of security going into the Olympic trials if you’re podiuming consistently or you’re on the world championships podium last year. So I do love the addition.’

Heavyweight boxer Cassius Chaney was scheduled to fight Anthony Joshua but the bout was canceled.
Chaney is now serving as a sparring partner for Jake Paul ahead of Paul’s fight against Joshua.
Chaney, who is the same height as Joshua, is helping Paul prepare at his training facility in Puerto Rico.

As Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua prepare for their fight Dec. 19 in Miami, Cassius Chaney is the central figure in an unlikely twist.

Chaney, a heavyweight boxer from Baltimore, was set to fight Joshua Nov. 22 in Saudi Arabia. Now he’s in Puerto Rico, helping prepare Paul to fight Joshua.

“Things sometimes just work out in weird ways,’’ Chaney told USA TODAY Sports.

During a press conference Nov. 21, Joshua mentioned that Chaney was in Paul’s camp.

Paul chimed in, saying,“Already whooped that (butt). Sorry, Cassius.’’

But Chaney sounded only grateful this week during an interview with USA TODAY Sports. The story started less than a month ago when, according to Chaney, he was contacted by Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and offered a chance to fight the former two-time heavyweight champion from Great Britain.

But last week, Chaney said, his fight with Joshua was canceled when Paul and Anthony agreed to their fight.

 “I was disappointed and I was upset,’’’ Chaney said.

Then came the twist.

In attempt to confirm Paul and Joshua had officially agreed to fight, Chaney said he called Danny Davis, who is Paul’s cutman and someone Chaney said he knows well.

“He actually worked on my hands a lot when I was in Philadelphia training,’’ Chaney said.

According to Chaney, Davis said he talked to Paul, confirmed the fight with Joshua was official and then invited Chaney to Puerto Rico to serve as a sparring partner for Paul.

Working with Jake Paul: ‘He’s open to information’

Chaney is 6-foot-6, the same height as Joshua. He is 38, two years older than Joshua. He is 24-3 and, like Joshua, has power – 17 of his 24 victories have come by knockout.

But while Joshua won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 before he turned pro and became a two-time heavyweight champion, Chaney has fought mostly in obscurity. Now he’s joined Paul’s high-end camp. During an interview with USA TODAY Sports this week, Chaney said he’s staying in a villa on Paul’s compound.

“Every room has a bathroom, like a mini mansion or something,’’ he said. “I’m actually the only person in this house. …

“The gym is awesome. It is like state-of-the-art. They have two (boxing) rings, a recovery room upstairs, everything – weights, red-light sauna, salt bath, cold tub, massage therapist, everything.’’

Chaney said he’s also been struck by something else – Paul.

“I know I’m stronger than him, but he’s doing pull-ups easier than me,’’ Chaney said. “I know I’m stronger than him, but he’s doing the bench press a little easier than me. He works hard.

“And he’s cool, too. You can go tell him, ‘Hey, man, try this out or try that out and maybe you should try this.’ And he’s open to information. The first day the coaches told me, ‘Hey, you go tell him what you think he needs to do and that type of stuff.’ So it’s very professional and open.”

Chaney said he’s already offered advice to Paul.

‘I told him that when he’s trying to throw his overhand right, he has to keep his eyes up,” Chaney told USA TODAY Sports. ‘Instead of dropping his head down, he’s looking for the overhand, but sometimes he drops his head down and he doesn’t see where the punch is going.

‘It’s better to see where the punch is going when he’s throwing it, so he knows if it lands or not. And he can tell if I’m throwing a punch back.”

Assessing Jake Paul’s skills: ‘He knows what he’s doing’

Although Paul is a significant underdog for his fight with Joshua, Chaney expressed hope for his new boss.

He complimented Paul for his boxing IQ and his athleticism.

“Jake, he knows what he’s doing,’’ Chaney said. “He’s definitely strong, but he has to be crafty and stay elusive.’’

While working with Paul, Chaney said, he realized he wasn’t truly prepared for the fight with Joshua that fell through. He said he thinks he had the power to drop Joshua but that watching Paul train has revealed more Chaney could have done during his own training regimen.

“For the resources we had, we were making it work,’’ Chaney said of his abbreviated training camp. “But you come down here and I get into the strength and conditioning with (Paul) and I’m like, ‘Yo, hold on.’

“This is what I need to be doing.’’

So what’s next for Chaney?

“I haven’t heard I’m going to be a millionaire so much in my life since the last three weeks,’’ he said. “So I’m like, maybe somebody knows something I don’t know, or people know something I don’t know.

“But one of the main things I’ve heard when I came down here straight up, you got to give yourself the best chance you can give yourself. And I’m happy I came down here getting to see the stuff that I need. You know what I mean?’’

Anthony Joshua towered over Jake Paul. The moment underscored the massive size difference between the two men.

It was their first face off, and it had all the looks of a monumental mismatch waiting to happen, with the 6-foot-6 Joshua and the 6-1 Paul set to fight in an eight-round heavyweight bout Dec. 19 in Miami.

But during a press conference held at the same place they’ll fight – the Kaseya Center in Miami – Paul on Nov. 21 cited “delusional optimism’’ as he prepares for an eight-round heavyweight bout against the former two-time heavyweight champion from Great Britain.

“All of these things I’ve gotten to where I’m at today (are) because of delusional optimism,’’ Paul said. “And so it’s delusion until it’s not, because look at where we’re sitting today.

“No one ever thought that this would be possible, that we would be here when I first started boxing, and no one thinks I’m going to win. So join the list and be ready to be shocked.’’

Joshua expressed respect for Paul, who made his pro debut in January 2020 and is now 12-1 with seven knockouts. But Joshua, who is 28-4 with 25 knockouts, surely knows he will be the biggest challenge yet in Paul’s boxing career.

“If I’m going to be honest, I’m going to break his face, I’m going to break his body up, I’m going to stomp all over him,’’ Joshua said.

Paul indicated he would welcome punishment from Joshua.

“I want him to cut me up,’’ Paul said. “I want him to break my face, but guess what? He’s going to have to kill me to stop me and I’m ready to die. Seriously. Ready to die in the ring to win this fight.’’

The weight issue

Joshua must weigh no more than 245 pounds at weigh-in, according to the fight rules as announced by Most Valuable Promotions, which is partnering with Netflix.

That’s about 100 pounds more than Gervonta Davis was expected to weigh in for his fight against Paul. The fight was canceled amid legal issues stemming from a lawsuit filed against Davis.

Joshua, asked how much he expected to weigh by the time of the fight without a rehydration clause in place, said he’s focused on 245 pounds.

 “Anything else is a bonus after that,’’ said Joshua, who has weighed in at 250 pounds or more for his last five fights.

Paul, who was required to weigh in at no more than 195 pounds for his fight against Davis, said he expects to weigh between 215 and 225 pounds for the fight against Joshua.

“Man, I was cutting down for Gervonta, so it’s been a little tough getting back up and some strength for this,’’ Paul said.

But Paul also rejected the notion that his being smaller than Joshua will put him at a disadvantage.

“Look, he’s one of the best heavyweights ever,’’ Paul said of Joshua. “But I believe that fighting a smaller man is oftentimes harder as a heavyweight because of the speed difference and because of the foot speed, because of the angles, because the head being off of the center.

“And so all of that power is great and he’s knocked people out. I just have to avoid that one shot for eight rounds and I believe that I can do that.”

Lane Kiffin’s future with Mississippi football is up in the air during the Rebels’ bye week.

After meeting with Kiffin on Friday, Nov. 21, Mississippi athletic director Keith Carter released a statement on his personal X account (formerly Twitter), updating fans about the status of the head coach of the likely College Football Playoff-bound Rebels.

‘Coach Kiffin and I have had many pointed and positive conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting with Chancellor (Glenn F.) Boyce,’ Carter wrote in his statement. ‘While we discuss next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is most important ― our sixth-ranked team that is poised to finish the regular season in historic fashion.

‘Despite the outside noise, Coach Kiffin is focused on preparing our team for the Egg Bowl, and together, we want to ensure that our players and coaches can fully concentrate on next Friday’s game. This team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and it’s imperative they feel the support of the Ole Miss family in the week ahead.

‘An announcement on Coach Kiffin’s future is expected the Saturday following the game.’

Kiffin is reportedly the top candidate for both the LSU and Florida head coaching positions. The Tigers fired Brian Kelly on Nov. 21, following a loss to Texas A&M, while the Gators fired Billy Napier on Oct. 19, following a win over Mississippi State. LSU is preparing to offer Kiffin a $90 million deal, Yahoo! Sports reported.

The Rebels are on their bye week, but take on rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Friday, Nov. 28. A decision on Kiffin’s future is expected the next day, on Saturday, Nov. 29.

Heavyweight boxer Cassius Chaney was scheduled to fight Anthony Joshua but the bout was canceled.
Chaney is now serving as a sparring partner for Jake Paul ahead of Paul’s fight against Joshua.
Chaney, who is the same height as Joshua, is helping Paul prepare at his training facility in Puerto Rico.

As Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua prepare for their fight Dec. 19 in Miami, Cassius Chaney is the central figure in an unlikely twist.

Chaney, a heavyweight boxer from Baltimore, was set to fight Joshua Nov. 22 in Saudi Arabia. Now he’s in Puerto Rico, helping prepare Paul to fight Joshua.

“Things sometimes just work out in weird ways,’’ Chaney told USA TODAY Sports.

During a press conference Nov. 21, Joshua mentioned that Chaney was in Paul’s camp.

Paul chimed in, saying,“Already whooped that (butt). Sorry, Cassius.’’

But Chaney sounded only grateful this week during an interview with USA TODAY Sports. The story started less than a month ago when, according to Chaney, he was contacted by Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and offered a chance to fight the former two-time heavyweight champion from Great Britain.

But last week, Chaney said, his fight with Joshua was canceled when Paul and Anthony agreed to their fight.

 “I was disappointed and I was upset,’’’ Chaney said.

Then came the twist.

In attempt to confirm Paul and Joshua had officially agreed to fight, Chaney said he called Danny Davis, who is Paul’s cutman and someone Chaney said he knows well.

“He actually worked on my hands a lot when I was in Philadelphia training,’’ Chaney said.

According to Chaney, Davis said he talked to Paul, confirmed the fight with Joshua was official and then invited Chaney to Puerto Rico to serve as a sparring partner for Paul.

Working with Jake Paul: ‘He’s open to information’

Chaney is 6-foot-6, the same height as Joshua. He is 38, two years older than Joshua. He is 24-3 and, like Joshua, has power – 17 of his 24 victories have come by knockout.

But while Joshua won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 before he turned pro and became a two-time heavyweight champion, Chaney has fought mostly in obscurity. Now he’s joined Paul’s high-end camp. During an interview with USA TODAY Sports this week, Chaney said he’s staying in a villa on Paul’s compound.

“Every room has a bathroom, like a mini mansion or something,’’ he said. “I’m actually the only person in this house. …

“The gym is awesome. It is like state-of-the-art. They have two (boxing) rings, a recovery room upstairs, everything – weights, red-light sauna, salt bath, cold tub, massage therapist, everything.’’

Chaney said he’s also been struck by something else – Paul.

“I know I’m stronger than him, but he’s doing pull-ups easier than me,’’ Chaney said. “I know I’m stronger than him, but he’s doing the bench press a little easier than me. He works hard.

“And he’s cool, too. You can go tell him, ‘Hey, man, try this out or try that out and maybe you should try this.’ And he’s open to information. The first day the coaches told me, ‘Hey, you go tell him what you think he needs to do and that type of stuff.’ So it’s very professional and open.”

Chaney said he’s already offered advice to Paul.

‘I told him that when he’s trying to throw his overhand right, he has to keep his eyes up,” Chaney told USA TODAY Sports. ‘Instead of dropping his head down, he’s looking for the overhand, but sometimes he drops his head down and he doesn’t see where the punch is going.

‘It’s better to see where the punch is going when he’s throwing it, so he knows if it lands or not. And he can tell if I’m throwing a punch back.”

Assessing Jake Paul’s skills: ‘He knows what he’s doing’

Although Paul is a significant underdog for his fight with Joshua, Chaney expressed hope for his new boss.

He complimented Paul for his boxing IQ and his athleticism.

“Jake, he knows what he’s doing,’’ Chaney said. “He’s definitely strong, but he has to be crafty and stay elusive.’’

While working with Paul, Chaney said, he realized he wasn’t truly prepared for the fight with Joshua that fell through. He said he thinks he had the power to drop Joshua but that watching Paul train has revealed more Chaney could have done during his own training regimen.

“For the resources we had, we were making it work,’’ Chaney said of his abbreviated training camp. “But you come down here and I get into the strength and conditioning with (Paul) and I’m like, ‘Yo, hold on.’

“This is what I need to be doing.’’

So what’s next for Chaney?

“I haven’t heard I’m going to be a millionaire so much in my life since the last three weeks,’’ he said. “So I’m like, maybe somebody knows something I don’t know, or people know something I don’t know.

“But one of the main things I’ve heard when I came down here straight up, you got to give yourself the best chance you can give yourself. And I’m happy I came down here getting to see the stuff that I need. You know what I mean?’’

The NCAA rescinded its previously approved rule change on Friday, Nov. 21, that allowed student-athletes and athletics staff to sports bet on professional sports.

The NCAA had at least two-thirds of its Division I schools vote to rescind the rule change, which occurred after a 30-day procedural period, according to the announcement. The ban on professional sports betting remains in place for Division I, II and III, along with every sport in which the NCAA sponsors a championship.

Betting on college sports was still banned for student-athletes, even before the ruling was rescinded.

The initial ruling allowing professional sports betting was adopted by Division I on Oct. 8 and received approval from Division II and III on Oct. 22.

The original news release after the NCAA allowed professional sports betting noted the ruling ‘is not an endorsement of sports betting, particularly for student-athletes.’

The rescinded rule change also comes the same day the NCAA Committee of Infractions issued three infractions related to sports betting to three former players and coaches at Temple. Hysier Miller, a former Temple guard, bet on college sports, professional sports and even parlays involving the Owls.

Miller was deemed permanently ineligible. Camren Wynter and Jaylen Bond, a special assistant and a graduate assistant, were also involved, and were issued one-year show-cause orders.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama are just two of the NBA’s stars missing games due to injuries, a problem that appears to be worsening.
Players are running faster and farther than ever before, putting additional strain on their bodies.
Teams may be taking a more cautious approach, resting players with minor injuries to prevent more serious ones.

It was early in the season, but Giannis Antetokounmpo was playing MVP-caliber basketball. Victor Wembanyama, too.

Yet, Antetokounmpo tweaked his groin and Wembanyama strained his calf, and both their teams, the Milwaukee Bucks and San Antoino Spurs, played their respective games Thursday night without them.

Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama are just two of the NBA’s stars suffering time lost to injury, a problem that appears to be worsening. Names like Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis have also littered the list and point to a larger question: does the NBA have an injury problem, and what might be causing it?

Much like the discussion around Achilles ruptures, the dominant causes for this rash of injuries appear to be multi-factorial and tough to pin down. In conversations with people around the league, however, speed and pace are mentioned most often, though the reality is likely more nuanced.

Physiques have changed over the past few decades, with players bulking muscle and shedding body fat with an emphasis on speed. This, coupled with the constant and abrupt starting and stopping of explosive movements may be putting extra strain on muscles and tendons.

Furthermore, the prototype for forwards and centers has changed; they’re being asked to handle the ball and push transition, to stretch the floor with perimeter shooting. Essentially, they’re being asked to play like guards in the bodies of bigs.

And coaches, by and large, have determined that fast break points are the easiest way to gain an edge.

“I’m very concerned,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday, Nov. 19. “It’s dramatic, the pace difference is dramatic. I think across the league, everybody understands now it’s just easier to score if you beat the opponent down the floor, get out in transition. But when everybody is doing that, the game is much higher-paced, and everyone has to cover out to 25 feet because everybody can shoot 3s.

“We have all the data: players are running faster and further than ever before, so we’re trying to do the best we can to protect them, but we basically have a game every other night and it’s not an easy thing to do.”

Kerr added that the Warriors training staff believes the cumulative wear and tear, pace and the speed at which players are moving all factor in to this rash of injuries across the NBA.

Pace, distance, weight all play a role

The rise in pace, or possessions per 48 minutes, is often blamed as the primary cause for injuries, though this needs more context.

It’s true that pace has been steadily increasing since the record lows of the late 1990s (88.9; set in 1998-99). Yet, the pace in the modern game is nowhere near record highs.

Through Wednesday’s games, NBA games were averaging a pace of 100.5, which is up notably over last season (98.8), but comparable to the 2019-20 season (100.3), which concluded in the bubble in Orlando.

Yet, this season does not come close to touching the league’s record pace, which was an absurd 127.7, set in 1960-61 – a season in which there were 79 games played.

In fact, from 1956 through 1973, the average pace in NBA never dipped below 110.

One significant difference from that record 1960-61 season, however, is that the average player weight has increased in the modern NBA.

The other issue is distance traveled and speed. Though the NBA’s tracking data on both spans back to only the 2013-14 season, players are traveling more distance and at faster speeds than ever recorded.

According to NBA data, entering Tuesday night’s games, players were moving at an average speed of 4.43 miles per hour and each game was seeing players travel an average of 34.3 miles – the highest totals recorded since the league started tracking those data.

Cautious approach could pay dividends

One last factor in the question about games lost to injury is that teams may be wary about rushing players back from soft-tissue injuries like calf and hamstring strains, fearing the risk of more significant injuries. A study published in March found that calf strains and plantar fasciitis, could be precursors to Achilles ruptures, especially when players returned to the floor quicker from those ailments than the general NBA population did.

The NBA’s player health and safety staff are in constant contact with all teams, sharing data and findings. The league has advocated the use of imagining and scanning results to surveil the health of tendons and muscle tissue.

Teams may be opting to be more proactive, resting players at the first signs of discomfort or injury, rather than waiting for more serious diagnoses.

On Monday, Nov. 17, the Spurs announced that Wembanyama underwent an MRI that revealed the left calf strain. The Spurs said the injury took place in San Antonio’s loss Friday, Nov. 14 against the Warriors – a game Wembanyama not only finished, but one in which he played very well (26 points and 12 rebounds) and didn’t appear to be slowed by injury.

The NCAA rescinded its previously approved rule change on Friday, Nov. 21, that allowed student-athletes and athletics staff to sports bet on professional sports.

The NCAA had at least two-thirds of its Division I schools vote to rescind the rule change, which occurred after a 30-day procedural period, according to the announcement. The ban on professional sports betting remains in place for Division I, II and III, along with every sport in which the NCAA sponsors a championship.

Betting on college sports was still banned for student-athletes, even before the ruling was rescinded.

The initial ruling allowing professional sports betting was adopted by Division I on Oct. 8 and received approval from Division II and III on Oct. 22.

The original news release after the NCAA allowed professional sports betting noted the ruling ‘is not an endorsement of sports betting, particularly for student-athletes.’

The rescinded rule change also comes the same day the NCAA Committee of Infractions issued three infractions related to sports betting to three former players and coaches at Temple. Hysier Miller, a former Temple guard, bet on college sports, professional sports and even parlays involving the Owls.

Miller was deemed permanently ineligible. Camren Wynter and Jaylen Bond, a special assistant and a graduate assistant, were also involved, and were issued one-year show-cause orders.