NBA: Orlando wins thanks to Wagner Gala
Outstanding, efficient, ice-cold: Franz Wagner led the Orlando Magic to their next victory in the NBA with a basketball gala. The German world champion scored his career high of 37 points in a duel against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers – and, above all, decided the game with a converted three-pointer 2.5 seconds before the end. The 119:118 meant the Magic’s tenth win in their 17th game of the season.
The team from Florida once again owed their seventh success in the last eight games to Wagner’s fantastic performance. In addition to the 37 points, the Berliner also had five rebounds and eleven assists. His older brother Moritz also recorded a strong 19 points, while rookie Tristan Da Silva had twelve.
Anthony Davis became the tragic hero for the Lakers. The star center became the best point collector of the evening with 39 points, but he missed two free throws immediately before Wagner’s final throw. LeBron James scored 31 points.
NHL: Draisaitl goal is not enough for the Oilers
Despite a lightning goal from German ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl, the Edmonton Oilers suffered their next defeat in the NHL. After an assist from his co-star Connor McDavid, Draisaitl gave his team the lead against the Minnesota Wild after just 27 seconds, but the Canadians still lost 3-5 and suffered their third defeat in the last four games.
While the Oilers are still at the bottom of the play-off places with 22 points, things are going very well for Draisaitl personally. With 15 goals this season, the Cologne player is tied for first place in the league.
Striker Tim Stützle and the Ottawa Senators also lost again. It was a close 2:3 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Drake Batherson’s goal in the final third, for which the German provided an assist, was no longer enough to catch up. Ottawa remains second to last in the Eastern Conference.
Moritz Seider and Lukas Reichel, however, had reason to celebrate. Defender Seider won 2-1 with the Detroit Red Wings against the New York Islanders and was on the ice for almost 25 minutes. Reichel ended the three-game winless streak of the bottom-placed Chicago Blackhawks with a 3-1 win against champion Florida Panthers, but remained without a scorer point in nine minutes of ice time. Nico Sturm was missing again in the San Jose Sharks’ 2:3 loss to the St. Louis Blues due to an upper body injury.
NFL: Cleveland surprises in the snow against Pittsburgh
The Cleveland Browns caused a surprise in the NFL and won the rival duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team led by quarterback Jameis Winston ended the Steelers’ five-game winning streak with a 24:19, and both teams had to deal with a heavy snowstorm during the second half.
The favorite from Pittsburgh, led by veteran Russell Wilson as quarterback, turned the game around in the final quarter with two touchdowns in a row. With less than a minute on the clock, running back Nick Chubb decisively ran the ball into the end zone.
However, the result initially changes little regarding the standings in the AFC North, in which both teams play. While Cleveland improved to a record of 3:8 in last place, the Steelers (8:3) remain in first place, which automatically entitles them to participate in the play-offs.
NHL: Hunt for Gretzky has to wait – Ovechkin is out
Ice hockey star Alexander Ovetschkin (39) is slowed down by an injury in his hunt for Wayne Gretzky’s record in the NHL. The Russian suffered a fracture in his left fibula at the beginning of the week, which has now been revealed by further examinations. Ovechkin will be out for four to six weeks.
The 39-year-old, who has been in the NHL since 2005, had had an outstanding start to the season, with 15 goals in 18 games leading the league-wide list at the time of his absence. With a total of 868 career goals, all scored for the Washington Capitals, he is only 27 away from breaking the “all-time” record of the legendary Canadian Gretzky (894).
However, he now has to wait an unusually long time to resume this hunt: Ovechkin is likely to miss at least 13 games, possibly all 19 games by the end of the year. The Russian has never been absent for that long in his career and has only missed a total of 59 NHL games.
MLB: Ohtani voted MVP
Superstar Shohei Ohtani from the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers has once again been named Major League Baseball (MLB) most valuable player. The Japanese received the award for the second time in a row, for the third time in four years and for the first time as a National League player. He won his previous MVP trophies as a player for the Los Angeles Angels in the American League.
“It was a complete team success. “I couldn’t have received this award if it weren’t for my teammates,” Ohtani said of his honor. He is the second player to win MVP honors in both leagues. Previously, only Frank Robinson (1961 with Cincinnati/1966 with Baltimore) had achieved this. The MLB honors two players with the MVP award every season; in the American League, Aaron Judge from the World Series loser New York Yankees was elected for the second time after 2022. Both elections were unanimous.
The 30-year-old Ohtani moved to the Dodgers last season and signed a ten-year contract worth $700 million. Ohtani is particularly valuable because he can be used as a pitcher and as a batter, but due to an injury he only appeared as a hitter in 2024.
After burglaries involving NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, the league has sent a security warning to its teams. According to US media, the NFL advised teams that the homes of professional athletes from various leagues had recently become “increasingly the target of break-ins by organized and capable groups.” Mahomes and Taylor Swift’s friend Kelce were burglarized in October.
According to US media, the FBI is said to have informed the NFL about security precautions last week. Players should not report on social media when they leave their house or show expensive items. The thieves are said to have concentrated on houses in remote areas and primarily searched bedrooms and wardrobes.
Nowitzki about his children: “They all play tennis”
Dirk Nowitzki apparently didn’t manage to pass on his passion for basketball to his children. As the 2011 NBA champion said in an RTL/ntv interview, “everyone plays tennis, the boys still play soccer, our daughter still does gymnastics and volleyball. But in tennis everyone is there. They do it quite well and it’s fun.”
Nowitzki’s children slowly became aware that their father was one of the most successful basketball players in Germany and an NBA all-star. “They have now understood it. When we go to the Dallas Mavericks game together, of course my children also see my statue and make jokes,” said the 46-year-old.
His three children Malaika (born in 2013), Max (2015) and Morris (2016) didn’t always think he was cool. “My eldest daughter used to be really uncomfortable. When I took her to school, she asked me to stay outside. She also started crying once when I was asked to take pictures.”
So Nowitzki’s children don’t necessarily have to follow in their father’s big footsteps – nor do they have to share his adopted home of the USA in the future. “We want to raise ‘global citizens’ who will then be able to make a decision at some point in the future about where they feel comfortable and want to live,” said Nowitzki.
