Sports
Doncic in Wilt’s club after another 40-point night
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After Austin Reaves carried the Lakers as their solo star all week, Luka Doncic returned Friday to take the baton back with another 40-point performance in Los Angeles’ 117-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Doncic, who missed the previous three games with a sprained finger on his left hand and a lower left leg contusion that he thought might keep him out until at least Sunday, flew to Memphis separately to join the team Thursday and went on to pour in a game-high 44 points.
It was Doncic’s third straight 40-point game after scoring 43 on opening night against Golden State followed by 49 against Minnesota, becoming the only player in NBA history other than Wilt Chamberlain to top the 40-point plateau in three straight games to begin his season. (Chamberlain did it twice — seven straight games in 1962-63 and five straight in 1961-62).
“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when asked about being included in such rare company with the basketball legend. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that’s the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it’s going to be scoring, sometimes other things.”
He did other things, too, leading L.A. with 12 rebounds and six assists as the Lakers fought back from a 15-point second-half deficit to win their first NBA Cup group play game, but it was the scoring that was most impressive — especially because of the other luminaries he joined.
Only Chamberlain, Doncic and Michael Jordan in 1986-87 scored 125 points or more in their first three games to start a season; Doncic has 136.
And, by averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more in any three-game span.
Doncic was asked if he could become the only player other than Chamberlain to average 40 for a season.
“That’s going to be tough,” Doncic said. “Sometimes they’re going to double me more. Sometimes I won’t be able to score that much. I had I think three or four shots that were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. So … I’ve got to work on that. But that’s tough. I don’t know.”
When told that Reaves didn’t think it was crazy, saying after the Lakers’ home win over Minnesota that he thought 40 was within Doncic’s reach, Doncic said with a smile, “Austin’s stupid.”
Reaves averaged 40 points on 50% shooting (41.4% from 3) with 10 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in the three games that Doncic missed, with LeBron James (sciatica) also sidelined. After Friday’s win, he had more praise for Doncic, and a critique of himself.
“His ability to get us off to hot starts is big for us because, if you come out and he has 15 in the first, we’re going to score, I would assume, 30 [points],” Reaves said of Doncic, who leads the league in first-quarter scoring, averaging 13 points. “Unless everybody else is shooting bricks like I was tonight.”
Reaves started the game 2-for-9 but finished as the Lakers’ second-leading scorer with 21 points.
L.A. also got big contributions from Marcus Smart, who was in the starting lineup after a two-game absence because of a right quad injury and put up 12 points, four assists and two steals; and Jake LaRavia, who had 13 points, five rebounds and three steals against his former team.
Deandre Ayton had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first half but didn’t play after halftime because of what coach JJ Redick called “middle back spasms.” Ayton spent the third quarter in the locker room trying to get loose and said he would have returned to the game in the fourth quarter if called upon, but L.A. was able to hold on without him.
Ayton said he expects to be available when the Lakers host the Miami Heat on Sunday.
That will be another opportunity for Doncic to score 40 and another chance for his teammates to find ways to describe what they are seeing from their teammate.
“Fantasticness,” Smart said, making up his own word for what Doncic is doing this season. “It’s been great to watch.”
Pakistan left-arm spinner Noman Ali completed 100 Test wickets, becoming the oldest player in history to reach the milestone during the first Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
He claimed the milestone by dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz, joining an elite group of Pakistan bowlers and becoming the ninth spinner and 20th overall to achieve the feat.
The left-arm spinner also picked up the crucial wickets of Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Taijul Islam.
At 39 years and 217 days, Noman became the oldest player in Test history to reach the 100-wicket milestone. He surpassed former England spinner Bobby Peel, who reached the mark in 1896 at the age of 39 years and 180 days.
The 39-year-old also reached another landmark by becoming the joint fourth-fastest Pakistan bowler to claim 100 Test wickets, achieving the feat in his 22nd Test match.
England great George Lohmann holds the world record for the fastest to 100 Test wickets, having reached the milestone in just 16 matches, while several Pakistan bowlers also feature among the quickest to the landmark.
Oldest players to reach 100 Test wickets
- Noman Ali (Pakistan) – 39y 217d
- Bobby Peel (England) – 39y 180d
- Ray Illingworth (England) – 39y 30d
- Clarrie Grimmett (Australia) – 39y 22d
- Sydney Barnes (England) – 38y 310d
Fastest Pakistani bowlers to 100 Test wickets
- Yasir Shah – 17 matches
- Saeed Ajmal – 19 matches
- Waqar Younis – 20 matches
- Mohammad Asif – 20 matches
- Noman Ali – 22 matches*
- Fazal Mahmood – 22 matches
- Saqlain Mushtaq – 23 matches
Sports
Craig Morton, quarterback who led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance, dead at 83
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Craig Morton, who was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame, died on Saturday. He was 83.
Morton was critical in helping the Broncos reach their first-ever playoff appearance, ultimately getting them to Super Bowl XII during the 1977 campaign.
After going 12-2 during the season, and getting wins in the playoffs over the Pittsburgh Steelers and then-Oakland Raiders, Morton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Denver Broncos quarterback Craig Morton stands on the sidelines with both hands on his hips. (GETTY)
“Craig Morton is unbelievable,” fellow Ring of Famer Haven Moses said after the Broncos won the AFC Championship in 1978, per the New York Times. “To me, he’s the most valuable player in the National Football League.”
Morton also won Sporting News Player of the Year, the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year and the NFL UPI MVP in 1977.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of #BroncosROF quarterback Craig Morton, who died on Saturday at the age of 83,” the Broncos posted on social media.
Morton also led the Broncos to two different division titles and three playoff berths during his six seasons with the franchise. He finished his career in Denver with 11,895 passing yards, which marked the most in franchise history at the time.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Quarterback Craig Morton #7 of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during an NFL game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., circa 1978. Morton played for the Broncos from 1977 to 1982. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
Morton also led the Broncos with pass attempts (1,594) and completions (907). But Morton’s time with the Broncos was the latter half of his NFL career.
He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965, the fifth overall pick out of Cal. Morton spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Cowboys, where he threw for 10,279 yards with 80 touchdowns and 73 interceptions. He went 32-14-1 in his time with Dallas.
Then, during the 1974 season, Morton was moved to the New York Giants, a division rival of the Cowboys. He went 1-6 in his first seven starts that year and wouldn’t find much success in New York across three seasons.
Quarterback Craig Morton #7 of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during an NFL game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., circa 1978. Morton played for the Broncos from 1977 to 1982. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
For his career, Morton threw for 27,908 yards with 183 touchdowns. He owned an 81-62-1 record across 207 games.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza’s year couldn’t have been more perfect.
He led his Hoosiers to an unblemished 16-0 season, captured the national championship in historic fashion and won the 2025 Heisman before being selected first in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Raiders.
Now that the path is clear for a new athlete to leave NYC in December holding the Heisman, who will it be?
Here are the way-too-early odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 5.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
2026 Heisman Trophy Winner
CJ Carr (Notre Dame): +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Arch Manning (Texas): +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Julian Sayin (Ohio State): +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Dante Moore (Oregon): +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss): +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Josh Hoover (TCU): +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Darian Mensah (Miami, FL): +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State): +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Gunner Stockton (Georgia): +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Sam Leavitt (Arizona State): +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Marcel Reed (Texas A&M): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Jayden Maiava (USC): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
John Mateer (Oklahoma): +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Here’s more on a few of the names on the 2026 Heisman oddsboard:
The Favorites: Carr and Manning are tied at +750 to win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the 2026 regular season. And the latter is no stranger to Heisman talk. He opened as the favorite for the 2025 Heisman at several books and right before the season kicked off, bettors were hammering Manning’s futures. The excitement over Manning was short-lived once his Longhorns went 4-2 to begin the season. If he is at least named a finalist, he would follow in the footsteps of his uncles and his grandfather, as both Peyton and Eli Manning, and their dad Archie, were Heisman finalists during their college careers.
Arch Manning is an early favorite to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy.
Ones to Watch: Ohio State teammates Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are two players to watch for next season’s Heisman — especially because they were both in the conversation to win the award most of 2025. Sayin, in fact, was a Heisman finalist and finished fourth in the race with eight first-place votes. Smith didn’t make the trip to New York but finished sixth in the tally. FOX Sports college football writer RJ Young projects that both Smith and Sayin — as well as Manning — will be in the running in 2026.
Ohio State’s Julian Sayin could make another trip to NYC — but this time as the winner.
Heisman in Troy?: Could Maiava bring the hardware back to SC from NYC? Based on the early odds, he could have at least a slight chance. If the Trojans’ QB wins the most coveted individual award in college football, he’d be the first USC player since Caleb Williams (2022) to do so. Maiava finished the 2025 season with 3,711 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, as his squad ended the year with a 9-4 record.
German exports rises 0.5% in March, imports up 5.1% MoM: Destatis
These Discounted Pool-Cleaning Robots Free Up Time for Actually Swimming
From buying less gold to cashing in old reserves: How bullion industry plans to cut India’s import bill – The Times of India
-
Politics1 week agoIran weighs US reply delivered via Pakistan as Trump signals opposition to deal terms
-
Tech1 week agoDHS Demanded Google Surrender Data on Canadian’s Activity, Location Over Anti-ICE Posts
-
Business1 week agoHeineken to invest £44.5m in hundreds of pubs creating 850 jobs
-
Entertainment1 week agoJelly Roll reacts to daughter Bailee Ann’s major life milestone
-
Business1 week agoHeineken plans huge investment in hundreds of UK pubs ahead of World Cup
-
Politics1 week agoIranian envoy reaffirms Pakistan’s ‘central role’ in ongoing talks with US
-
Tech4 days ago‘Orbs,’ ‘Saucers,’ and ‘Flashes’ on the Moon: Pentagon Drops New UFO Files
-
Tech4 days agoA new frontier: Identity stack evolves for agentic systems | Computer Weekly