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LeBron James, the fourth-quarter king of the NBA
There was a time when many questioned LeBron James' clutch gene. The same can't be said about the 40-year-old version of the forward.
On Tuesday, James dropped 16 points (7-of-9 FG) in the fourth quarter to lift the Lakers to a 107-99 win over the Mavericks. It was the latest example of James raising his level in clutch moments, not just from a scoring standpoint, but across all facets of the game.
This season, he ranks second in points (362), first in FGM (135), second in assists (109) and 12th in rebounds (107) in the fourth quarter. Even more impressively, he's shooting an elite 42.7 percent from deep in fourth quarters, which ranks second among all players with at least 300 points in the final 12 minutes of a game.
LeBron James is the only player in the NBA this season to have 4th quarter totals of:
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) February 26, 2025
300+ PTS
100+ REB
100+ AST pic.twitter.com/fOGBlN9kE1
LeBron James is 2nd in the entire NBA this season in 4th quarter points… at 40 years old pic.twitter.com/5IAh4z0sfo
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) February 26, 2025
James' fourth-quarter exploits aren't exclusive to the ongoing season. The 40-year-old has consistently been one of the NBA's elite clutch performers in recent years.
In 2023-24, he led the league in fourth-quarter PPG (8.1) and FGM (3.0) at a shooting clip of 54 percent in the final 12 minutes.
In 2022-23, he finished third in fourth-quarter PPG (8.4) and third in assists (1.9). In 2021-22, he finished fourth in fourth-quarter PPG (8.0) and fourth in assists (1.8) at an efficient clip of 49 percent.
This season, James has also turned back the clock and turned into an above-average perimeter defender, especially in the fourth quarter. On Tuesday, for example, he did an admirable job checking Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson and stripped the ball from P.J. Washington in a critical possession in the fourth quarter. After the game, James was asked if he considers himself an All-Defensive-level player at age 40.
"Obviously, it's a collective thing," James said of the Lakers' improved defense. "I take that side of the floor very seriously. I take my matchups on the floor very seriously every single night. It's just individual pride for me. I just key in on my matchups and try to make it tough."
James' ability to shine in the clutch could be pivotal to the Lakers' chances in this year's playoffs. The team essentially has two players who shine under the brightest of lights; Luka Doncic being the other.
More must-reads:
- LeBron James Maximizing Luka Dončić’s Effectiveness
- LeBron James closes out Mavs as Luka Doncic posts triple-double in revenge game
- The 'Most NBA games played' quiz
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Malik Beasley cleared in gambling probe: Three teams that could sign the sharpshooter
While it was once a possibility that his NBA career had come to a sudden close, Malik Beasley is once again free to sign with any NBA team. After knocking down 309 three-pointers in 2024-25 and nearly inking a new three-year, $42 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, Beasley's plans for the future were quickly put on hold. In June, authorities began investigating the sharpshooter before launching an official investigation into allegations of gambling within the league. Now, nearly two months later, Beasley has been officially exonerated from this federal gambling investigation. In some ways, the damage has already been done, though. The contract Beasley once hoped to sign with Detroit is long gone after the team brought in Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson. But that doesn't mean his time with the Pistons is over. Here are three teams that could sign Beasley now that his professional future is no longer hanging in the balance. Detroit Pistons While it seems likely that the 28-year-old returns to the Pistons after a career renaissance, the most Beasley could sign for 2025-26 is $7.2 million, according to ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks. Detroit made sure to retain its final roster spot while closely monitoring Beasley's situation. But if he does decide to find a new home, it won't happen because of a massive payday. Beasley's best chance outside of Detroit is joining a bona fide contender on another "prove it" deal. At this point in the summer, free-agency money has already dried up. But that doesn't mean the nine-year veteran isn't a coveted asset for teams with championship aspirations. New York Knicks The New York Knicks are the main known team outside of Detroit that has shown significant interest in Beasley. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, New York has kept close tabs on him since the Knicks' first-round playoff bout with the Pistons. New York already shored up its guard depth in a big way with the signing of Jordan Clarkson. But the team would be delighted to add another capable scorer in Beasley, especially on a veteran's minimum deal. After using the taxpayer portion of the team's mid-level exception on Guerschon Yabusele, New York wouldn't have much to offer Beasley outside of a shot at a title. Following a year that saw him average 16.3 points on a blazing 41.3% from deep, accepting the minimum may be too tough a pill to swallow for Beasley. If not, though, he could be an underrated addition to a Knicks roster with a serious chance to bring home the city's first title in over 50 years. Oklahoma City Thunder Malik Beasley joining the Oklahoma City Thunder would be a classic example of the rich getting richer. After winning the franchise's first title last season, the Thunder don't have any notable weak spots. With reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading a talented cast of well-rounded scorers and defenders, a prominent role wouldn't be a guarantee for Beasley. But he would have the opportunity to serve in a unique role as OKC's lone experienced sharpshooter. Beasley would be the third-oldest player on an incredibly youthful Thunder squad. He wouldn't have as flashy a role as he did in Detroit last season, but Beasley would be a strong get with a coveted skill set for the reigning champs.
Angry Mike Vrabel vows to find 'rats' within Patriots organization who leaked major news
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wasn't mad about how the backups performed in the team's 42-10 preseason loss to the New York Giants. He was angry that someone had leaked the news that wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk would need season-ending shoulder surgery. When asked if he had anything to add to the reports that Polk would miss the season, Vrabel didn't give the media anything aside from his unvarnished feelings. "I'd like to find out where some of these [reports] come from. Some of these rats around here. So, we'll figure that out," he added in a news conference on Thursday. Coaches and reporters are hardly the best of friends on a good day. Often, a coach will deflect if they don't want to add fuel to a report the team hasn't made official, but usually they won't deflect and promise to get the "rats" providing this information. NFL insider Jordan Schultz broke the news ahead of the Patriots' preseason finale against the Giants. According to Schultz, the decision for Polk to undergo surgery was made to ensure the 2024 second-round pick would be healthy for the 2026 season. Polk dealt with health issues throughout the offseason. It was during the second quarter of New England's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders that he took a nasty hit on a one-yard run, leading to the shoulder injury that will sideline him for 2025. Last season, Polk had a tough rookie debut, catching just 12 receptions for 87 yards and recording two touchdowns. The hope for 2025 was that he could redeem himself and become a reliable enough target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Expectations for Maye are much higher now with the return of Tom Brady's old offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. Without Polk to run routes, though, the already-thin wide receiver room is nearly devoid of talent behind veteran receiver Stefon Diggs. The Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract in the offseason. However, Diggs has brought some unwanted attention to the team through his offseason antics and is recovering from a torn ACL that ended his time with the Houston Texans. While Patriot fans should feel some hope in the direction of the team under Vrabel — a former defensive star for New England during the dynasty years — this roster is still in the midst of a rebuild. And with such a troubled roster, losses may pile up, and the team's relationship with the media could worsen if another season feels like a waste. So, Vrabel being upset by Polk's injury is fair, but what doesn't feel fair is to single out Patriots staff and players who are potentially talking to reporters as hostile to the organization. It's perhaps not surprising that Vrabel is willing to voice his frustrations, as he's shown no fear when breaking up practice scrums. Still, it's the job of any journalist to build relationships with staff and team members to gain reliable sources who can help them accurately report the news. While the "rats" moniker for those in the building talking to NFL insiders and the New England sports media will be swallowed up by all the other headlines as Week 1 nears, it's notable that Vrabel's time as head coach in New England is already off to a contentious start.
CFB Week 0 winners, losers: Fourth-down decisions loom large in ranked Big 12 showdown
The 2025 college football regular season kicked off on Saturday, headlined by a ranked Big 12 matchup across the pond in Ireland. With Week 0 in the books, here are our winners and losers from the first weekend of the college football season. Winner: Going for it on fourth down with a chance to win the game Arguably, two fourth-down decisions were the most consequential in Associated Press No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones' 24-21 win over Big 12 rival No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats. Let's start with the good. With 2:26 remaining in the fourth and facing a fourth-and-3 from Kansas State's 16-yard line, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell elected to keep his offense on the field instead of kicking a field goal and taking a six-point lead. The decision was correct on multiple fronts. By settling for a field-goal attempt, Campbell would have given Kansas State, which had no timeouts, over two minutes to score a possible winning touchdown. The risk of failing to convert was offset by allowing Kansas State the ability to extend the game with a field goal as opposed to needing a touchdown to win. And again, if the Wildcats got in the end zone, would it really have mattered if Iowa State lost by one instead of four points? The Cyclones didn't have to worry about that. Instead, quarterback Rocco Becht found running back Carson Hansen, who picked up the first down, allowing Iowa State to run out the clock. Loser: Going for it on fourth from your own 30-yard line in a three-point game Conversely, Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman's fourth-down call from his own 30-yard line with 8:19 remaining was much less excusable. While his defense had just allowed two long scoring drives, putting them on the field with only 30 yards to defend was setting the unit up to fail. As much of a rhythm as Iowa State's offense may have found, it also had three three-and-outs and two fumbles to that point, so we're not exactly talking about 2019 LSU here. Rather than forcing the Cyclones to drive the field, Klieman handed them a golden scoring opportunity. Winner: Kansas State defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi It wasn't all bad for the Wildcats. Osunsanmi, a junior edge-rusher, established himself as a name to watch in the Big 12 with two first-quarter sacks. The class of 2022 recruit had 3.5 sacks all of last season and could eclipse that early in 2025. Loser: Dan Mullen trading the studio for the sideline The former Mississippi State and Florida head coach returned to the sideline on Saturday for his first game leading the UNLV Rebels. While he notched a win against FCS Idaho State, it didn't come easily. UNLV trailed, 31-24, in the fourth, before scoring 14 unanswered points in a 38-31 win. For someone who most recently spent his Saturdays in the fall watching games as an ESPN analyst, his new job is already exceptionally more pressure-inducing. Just wait until the Rebels play FBS competition. Winner: Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels This is the Daniels that was promised. After breaking through in 2022 when Kansas snapped a 13-year bowl drought, Daniels was limited to three games in 2023 due to injury. Last season, he was healthy for the Jayhawks' disappointing 5-7 campaign and threw a Big 12-high 12 interceptions. He was outstanding in a 31-7 win over Fresno State, going 18-of-20 for 176 yards and three touchdowns while adding 47 yards rushing. If this is the Daniels that Kansas gets all season, it could make serious noise. Loser: Refs' judging of Clay Patterson's dance moves Stanford defensive lineman Clay Patterson celebrated a 12-yard sack late in the first half against Hawai'i by breaking out a TikTok dance, which officials apparently weren't fond of, hitting him with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, resulting in an automatic first down. It's another reminder that no one despises fun more than college football referees. But until they discover a sense of humor, it would be best for Patterson to save his moves for TikTok.
Kansas State HC defends controversial fourth-down call, blames field conditions in Ireland
Despite facing backlash on social media for the result, No. 17 Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman would go for it again on 4th-and-1 from the KSU 30-yard line with 8:19 remaining in the fourth quarter. The No. 22 Iowa State defense stopped quarterback Avery Johnson's run, and the Cyclones offense would score a touchdown four plays later to take a 24-14 lead. Chris Vannini of The Athletic thought the officials made a poor spot on the run, believing KSU earned a first down. However, the officials did not reverse the call after the replay. Following the game, Klieman told the media that the field conditions at Aviva Stadium played a role in the official's decision because rain washed away the line markers at the rugby/soccer stadium, despite crews repainting them at halftime. "The review was not going to help because you couldn't see the lines out there," Klieman said, via Wyatt D. Wheeler of the Topeka Capital-Journal. "It didn't matter. Give them credit; they made the stop. I was hoping we'd get the stop; they ended up scoring, and we ended up scoring right away again. They did a nice job getting a drive." The decision to go for the fourth-down conversion was the turning point in the game as it handed ISU a short field on offense during a contest where points were hard to come by. Klieman doubled down on his choice to go for it. "They just made a couple more plays than us on fourth down," Klieman said. "We didn't... I would do the same thing again based on how the game was going with us struggling to slow those guys down on 4th-and-1-and-a-half." The loss hurt KSU's standing in the Top 25 and record in the Big 12. The Wildcats have only one remaining Top 25 team (Texas Tech) on their schedule to impress the College Football Playoff committee.
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