Probably just the tempo and the speed. You can do your best to replicate those in practice, but once you get out there in a game, at the NHL level, the tempo of the play is a lot quicker. Tonight, especially early on, at times I was a little behind. As the game wore on, I thought I got a little more comfortable.
PHILADELPHIA -- Not only did the 76ers find their way to a dramatic 128-122 victory over the Houston Rockets here at Xfinity Mobile Arena Thursday night, but on the two-year anniversary of Joel Embiid scoring 70 points here against the San Antonio Spurs, the superstar center put up a 32-point triple-double.
"I said it to her this week, I said we've missed you in many ways, most of all because she just brings a little bit of color, she's got a great personality and she injects that into the environment," Hayes told ESPN's "Futbol W." "I've given her some responsibility this week and I think it's good for her. And she wants that, she's ready to take the next steps in her career. I think having her back is I hope the start of a really strong year for her."
But last season was an awful one for Duclair. He went down with a groin injury early in the season and did not fully recover. He appeared in 44 games, scoring just seven goals and 11 points. The overall year was disappointing for the Islanders, with Duclair being the whipping boy. Duclair needed to take a step back to recover physically and mentally. It seems the break, plus the change in management, helped the 30-year-old turn things around.
The striker has an extensive career of playing through the German football leagues, spending the majority of his career in the 2. Bundesliga, as well as the German top flight. However, Kleindienst has only improved with age and over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, reached new heights. Kleindienst hit his highest goal tally in the Bundesliga last season with an impressive 16 goals last season with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Leading up to the match on Wednesday, AS reports that Barcelona have received positive news at the Ciutat Esportiva. Raphinha trained with the group during the morning recovery session and will be available for the Champions League encounter in Prague. The Brazilian international did not travel to San Sebastian at the weekend to face Real Sociedad due to a heavy blow to his right leg.
The three-time Rocket Richard winner knows how good he is and he loves to show that to the fans. Whether it was his "you can't hear me reference" to the Leafs crowd or his mean-mug he gave to the Colorado Avalanche fans who were flipping him off, there's been this new demenour about him that we hadn't seen for the first 30 games.
He appeared in just five regular-season innings in 2024 and then had an All-Star-caliber start to last season destroyed by a hamstring injury that he suffered while leaping to reel in a high Pete Alonso throw while covering first base during a June game against the Colorado Rockies. With a 1.47 ERA through his first 13 starts of the year, Senga was a shell of himself upon his return after a month on the shelf.
The San Francisco 49ers are advancing to the NFC divisional, but without tight end George Kittle who suffered a torn Achilles during Sunday's game against the Eagles. The injury ended Kittle's season. The recovery will be painful and extensive, something that, according to medical experts, could take anywhere between nine to 12 months before Kittle gets back on the field.
Araujo is a part of the official Barcelona delegation that travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup. While his inclusion in the starting XI appears unlikely, there is growing confidence that he could feature among the substitutes if his positive progress continues. A much-needed return. Notably, the centre-back has had time to reset both physically and mentally following a difficult period earlier in the season.
"Joan García? Unbelievable. He was great in front of his former team's fans. He delivered a great match and kept a clean sheet." "He will give us a lot. He is delivering the performance for us now and will definitely give us a lot more," he added. "Very good to score today. Especially to celebrate the New Year with a victory, so we are extremely happy!"
It's been unfortunate for him and everyone involved so far. He can do what he loves most again: play football. He's really fit. We've been careful throughout the whole process. It happened three times. We're convinced that this is now over. With the way he plays, he'll help the team. He's left-footed, a center-back, and can also play on the left. He's a really good footballer, and we're happy for him that he's back. He'll be an important pillar for us in the coming months,
Acquired in the Matt Beaty trade with the San Diego Padres, the former infielder has flourished since taking the mound as a pitcher. Ryan went 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his only taste at the Big Leagues level. An elbow injury kept him out of action for all of 2025 - and now the North Carolina native is back healthy and hoping to provide Los Angeles with yet another elite arm.
Barcelona have endured another dramatic season under Hansi Flick but look in good shape heading into the New Year. The Catalans have had to cope without a host of key players in the first half of the season but their injury problems are easing which has helped Flick's men improve their form. Let's have a look at the highs and lows of the season so far:
After a stellar 2024 season that ended with a life-altering injury to his hip, followed by an inspiring recovery during the 2025 season, Dak is parting ways with MFR. This leaves many speculating on which team will score the American DH racer next season. Will it be Scott? Or could Dak be joining the Americans on Frameworks or Gwin Racing? Only time will tell, but one thing is sure: Norton will raise the bar for any team that is lucky enough to sign him.
Lauren, a Los Angeles yoga teacher, slipped in a lunge while teaching and injured her ankle. Because she's a practice-through-the-pain kind of yogi, she didn't even stop to assess the injury before continuing her class. When she finally got to the doctor, she discovered she would have to stay off the ankle for at least a month. For Lauren, this triggered a deep identity crisis.
There was an inkling of hope on Nov. 8 against the Portland Trail Blazers, when the 22-year-old poured on 29 points with nine rebounds, six assists and two steals on 10-of-16 shooting and 3-of-7 from deep. Though reality set in, again, followed by a pair of untimely injuries. Since his return last week against Atlanta, however, the tide is beginning to turn for the Miami Heat's 6-foot-10 wing.
"It finally got to a point where I had to sit down," Adebayo told reporters after Miami's 142-116 win, even though he wasn't active. "Sit and rest. That's really what it was. It was one of those nagging injuries. So I finally had to sit down. "It wasn't always the back. It just crept up to the back. ... It's the NBA, guys always try to play through (injuries), and when you can't, you sit down and rest."
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Matthew Tkachuk is back on the ice with the Florida Panthers, appearing at practice on Sunday for the first time this season and more than four months after he had surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle. Tkachuk has not played since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Panthers clinched their second consecutive title by again topping the Edmonton Oilers. He went through the summer trying to rehab - but eventually decided that he needed the surgery.
And Hall says that for much of her running career, "I got really used to being in this position of someone who is on the edge of a breakthrough yet never actually doing it." But looking at Hall's approach to running, and her commitment to the sport over nearly a decade of ultras, it seems like it likely wasn't a matter of if, but when her breakthrough would happen.
Sitting out last year and the times before, you don't take getting to play this game for granted. You play every game to win. You play every game with a chance to go to the playoffs or play in the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, that's not always the case, and if it's not the case when we take the field or whenever it may be, I'm thankful for the opportunity to play this game. And I'm not going to ever pass it up.