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Midway through the third quarter,Phoenix Sunsguard Grayson Allen was on defense near the right wing when he braced himself and threw his weight into Thunder center Chet Holmgren, who was trying to slide past Allen into the right corner. Holmgren crashed into Allen and tumbled to the court, which led to Thunder forward Jalen Williams walking over to Allen and shoving him.

"Felt like I gave a good foul within the physicality of the game and what was going on both ends, especially with the bumps on screens, some of the hits on blockouts that were happening," Allen told reporters after the game, an eventual 138-89 Oklahoma City victory. "It was straight up. He was cutting into me. Definitely a foul, but I thought it was within the physicality of the game. I think the reaction afterwards kind of played into that."

Players from each team then squared up, though officials were quick to defuse the situation and restore calm.

Grayson Allen has been ejected.pic.twitter.com/Q8bwmIDEHu

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral)December 11, 2025

Upon replay review, NBA referee James Williams announced that Allen was being administered a flagrant 2 foul, prompting Allen's ejection from the game. Williams cited windup and follow-through in assessing the flagrant foul.

Allen disagreed with Williams' assessment of the foul.

"When he said the explanation, I thought that was the description of a flagrant 1," Allen said. "They looked at it a bunch of times. I didn't feel like there was wind up. I braced myself. Definitely delivered a bump and a hard foul, but it was straight up."

Allen has had a history of physical — if not reckless — play on the court, including one incident against a Thunder player.

Back in January 2022, when Allen was a member of the Bucks, the NBA suspended him for one game without pay after he "made unnecessary and excessive contact" on current Oklahoma City guard Alex Caruso, who was then with the Bulls. During that play, Caruso was driving to the basket on a fastbreak whenAllen lunged at Caruso's armsand flung him down to the court. Allen received a flagrant 2 foul on that play and was subsequently ejected.

Caruso ended up suffering a wrist fracture on the play and missed the following 22 games, which was nearly two months.

Allen developed a reputation at Duke and early in his NBA career for making perceived dirty plays. In July 2019, during a summer league game when he was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies,Allen was ejected after he received two flagrant fouls in the span of seven seconds— both of which were against then-Celtics forward Grant Williams.

While he was at Duke, then-Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski stripped Allen of his captaincy after he tripped players out of frustration, which also led to a suspension.

Allen left Wednesday's game against the Thunder having recorded 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting and added 4 assists, 1 rebound and 1 steal.

"I just think when two really good teams are going at it and being physical, plays happen," Holmgren told reporters after the game. "I think it was officiated correctly, but it happened and then I moved on and kept trying to play the basketball game."

The Thunder went on to rout the Suns,138-89. Oklahoma City will play the winner of the other NBA Cup West Quarterfinal game Wednesday night between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA Cup West Semifinal is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13 in Las Vegas.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Grayson Allen ejected from Suns vs Thunder game for hard foul

The injury was so gruesome that the only acceptable way to watch it was through your fingers.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, dragged to the grass by a Seattle Seahawks defender on a running play last month, tried to break his fall with his left hand but ended up bending his elbow in a manner it shouldn't be bent. Writhing in pain, he lay on his back, grimacing.

Fans in the stadium were stunned, not knowing whether their star might be out for the foreseeable future.

Countless fantasy football team owners who had Daniels on their teams had their own concern: how much time he'd miss and how it would affect their seasons.

Pulling up social media, they turned to the likes of Jeff Mueller.

Mueller is among a growing number of medical professionals who have found an audience in NFL fans, fantasy football players and sports bettors, all of whom seek information about players' availability before official announcements are made.

Within minutes after an athlete goes down, the doctors post across Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok their projected injury diagnoses and how many games they envision the player to miss. Later, throughout the week, they give updates on the player's game availability. What they say may either calm nerves or lead to utter panic.

"That desire for injury information has increased over the years because fantasy football has grown with multiple avenues of playing with redraft, dynasty, best ball, guillotine and various other leagues," Mueller said. "People crave instant information and intel on topics such as injuries because it can have a big impact on their own leagues, betting, odds and other possible impacts even though we often get factual information several days later."

Mueller is a physical therapist with more than a decade of experience at a sports medicine clinic. His background — and that of seemingly every other medical professional analyzing sports injuries on social media today — has come into question when a diagnosis is made. Are theyactuallyqualified to provide accurate calls without X-rays or examining players in person?

NBC News spoke with six medical professionals with roles from orthopedic surgeon to physical therapist.

Like all content creators, the doctors can monetize injury analysis by driving traffic to their platforms. The larger the following, the higher the chance of financial gain. Some have under 10,000 followers, while others are in the hundreds of thousands across platforms.

But all treat patients first and look at NFL injuries second.

"This is my side hustle. This isn't my full-time job," said Tom Christ, a physical therapist outside Philadelphia. "So if I'm in the clinic and we get some kind of [NFL] news breaking, there's a good chance I'm not looking at my phone for three straight hours when I'm working."

Christ estimates he spends 10 to 15 hours per week on content creation, not including watching games. He says his game setup is fairly bare-bones: He watches NFL RedZone and takes in as many replays as possible if a player goes down.

"When an injury happens, I'll record it on my phone and then crop it so you don't see my walls," he joked.

Dr. Jesse Morse's routine is a bit more nuanced. A physician in family and sports medicine who specializes in injuries and musculoskeletal pain, he runs a clinic in Florida that focuses on regenerative medicine. On an NFL Sunday, he also watches RedZone but has a team of two to five people "that will be spotters for me" and alert him of any injury. They then make sure he has video of all the angles and an updated injury history of the player to best assess the situation.

Morse, who spends roughly 20 to 30 hours per week during the season analyzing football injuries, says his background and expertise allow him to have a strong indication of what occurred and the timetable for a player to return "within probably 20 seconds." His aim is to have a full breakdown online in 10 minutes.

He's quick to point out that not all injuries are created equal and that factors like previous health situations could make a diagnosis more difficult. Severity is also crucial.

Take Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, for example, who was sidelined after he was tackled by a Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman in Week 2.

The video of how he got hurt wasn't immediately clear, leading Morse to ponder a multitude of questions: "Was he walking [after getting hurt]? Was he in a scooter? Which foot was it? How did it happen? Was it a contact? Was it noncontact? Does he have an injury history of this specific injury or this area of the body? Then from there, you narrow it down to the different injuries you can have for that area."

Initially, Morse wrote that it was a "left toe injury" that was a "turf toe vs. toe fracture vs. toe dislocation." It ended up being the former. Morse then said he was "expecting Joe Burrow to miss at the minimum four weeks but [the injury could be] potentially season-ending." After Burrow had surgery, Morse wrote that "there's a small chance he's able to return in December."

Burrow got back on the field against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 27.

While fans crave instant information, the doctors say they aim to not rush out a diagnosis.

"You don't want to just get out there as fast as possible and be wrong," Christ said. "You want to be known for being accurate. So I would personally rather take my time and really evaluate the video and then put out my thoughts.'"

Dr. Nithin Natwa, a board-certified sports physician who now works at an urgent care facility in Chicago, said specific language is key. It's best for professionals to never say a player has an exact injury or will be out a certain amount of time because they are ultimately giving their best guesses.

"It's really important to be measured in the language that you use and just kind of say, 'These are possible outcomes, and it seems like it's more likely it's this one, but without having imaging results or physical exam, it could definitely be one of these less severe cases.' I try to give all the options out there."

Though they work to be as precise as possible, some other medical professionals say they aren't sure that the standard has been met.

Stephania Bellis considered a pioneer in the field. Bell, ESPN's senior writer and injury analyst, joined ESPN in the fall of 2007 after more than 17 years as a physical therapist and orthopedic clinical specialist. At that time, very few (if any) medical professionals wrote or spoke on television about sports injuries.

She initially found inspiration from members of her fantasy league.

"The guys I played fantasy football with knew (I treated athletes) and were asking me questions all the time, and that's how I started to realize that the information was probably marketable," she said. "And I saw that fantasy football was growing."

Today, she is considered one of the most trusted injury experts in sports media, co-hosting the popular "Fantasy Focus Football" podcast and making regular television appearances. The one place you won't find her, however, is on social media giving instant prognostications about injuries.

Because she doesn't have access to any imaging and isn't examining a player in person, she prefers to wait until a team releases an official update or one of ESPN's many "insiders" provides the latest.

Being right matters more to her than being first.

"The medical folks who are actually covering the teams don't love it that people are ripping off these diagnoses," she said. "They're frustrated because they're like, 'I can tell you how much more goes into it with being there, and we still don't always know.' So I understand there's an appetite for quick information, but for me, in my professional lifetime, that's just not where I'm gonna live."

Dr. Christopher Cooketook it a step further. Cooke, an orthopedic surgeon outside Detroit who was a team doctor with the Tigers and a consultant for the Red Wings, said fans must be skeptical about what they see online.

"There's a lot of armchair doctor people out there who make comments," he said. "Not to sound too boisterous, I don't think the majority of them really know what's going on."

Cooke was in a five-year orthopedic surgery residency followed by a one-year sports medicine fellowship at Kerlan Jobe Medical Center in Los Angeles. It was there that ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction — or Tommy John surgery — was first conducted.

Cooke said experience is needed to be able to properly diagnose an injury. Otherwise, medical professionals are "at a disadvantage."

"They don't have the five years of studying the body. They don't have the hands-on experience. They've never held an ACL in their hand as they reconstructed it. It's someone who certainly could fit a role, but they're not an expert in the area."

"There's only a finite amount of people I really trust what they say," he said later. "And oftentimes these people online don't have the training to make the right comments, but they have enough knowledge to just spout out something. Oftentimes, in my opinion, they're very, very wrong."

Though most take extra caution when they make diagnoses, specifically saying a certain injury or timetable is "possible" or "likely," there are times when the medical professionals miss the mark.

After Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson injured a knee on Sept. 25, Natwa went on Instagram and said he should return in five to seven weeks. Instead, two months later, the team announced he wouldn't be back at all this season.

Dr. Tarek Souryal is an orthopedic surgeon who was a longtime team doctor for the Dallas Mavericks. While he agreed with Cooke that some online doctors may not have the proper credentials — and urged fans to be wary of diagnoses off video alone — they are knowledgeable enough for what they are being asked to give out.

"If I was using purely the video to perform surgery on Kobe Bryant, that would be extraordinarily dangerous and frankly malpractice," Souryal said. "However, if I'm looking at a video and I'm saying, 'I think he ruptured his Achilles tendon, that's what the video tape looks like it shows, and I wouldn't count on him being back in the next four to six months,' I don't think there's any harm in making that kind of speculation."

Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was arguably the biggest surprise early on in the NFL season. Jones, once the longtime New York Giants signal-caller, led Indianapolis to an 8-2 start anddrew early MVP buzz. But injuries in recent weeks led to a decline in his play, and things took a turn for the worse Sunday: He sustained a season-ending Achilles injury.

Shortly after the game, Natwa took to Instagram for a full video breakdown.

"We see him take a false step back," he says, pointing to a slo-mo replay. "It's where you start a step back and your ankle is put in an extreme acute angle, really loading the Achilles. As you're pushing off, the Achilles has an increased risk of rupturing."

Natwa said he doesn't just want to give an injury label and a timetable. His goal is to educate with longer videos, even though it may take more work. He spends around 36 hours a week on football injury analysis.

It has led to some minor fame, though not in his own house.

"Some guy saw me in a coffee shop where we live, and he recognized me," he said. "He was like, 'Oh, man, you're the fantasy doc.' And [my wife was] like, 'Oh, my God, is this that fantasy football thing that no one watches?' And the guy at the coffee shop was like, 'No, no. We all watch it. We watch his videos.' She was so annoyed."

Evan Jeffries, a physical therapist based in San Diego who breaks down injuries in all sports, not just football, has a bit more sympathy from his family.

"My kids think it's funny. They love it," he said. "They think I'm famous, and I tell them I'm definitely not famous."

For Morse — who says he earns $25,000 to $50,000 per year on average analyzing football injuries — money isn't why he does it.

"I'm a fantasy fan first, then I happen to be a doctor, and then I happen to be a specialist in sports medicine. I'm just crazy passionate about it. If you're not, you don't have the time to do this," he said. "If you were to call up any random sports medicine doctor [or] orthopedic surgeon and say, 'Hey, what happened to Jayden Daniels yesterday?' There's going to be like, 'What the hell are you talking about?'"

Team USA assembled a formidable roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off but fell just short of its ultimate goal. Some people will blame a lack of good fortune for thechampionship final overtime lossto Team Canada, while others will point to roster deficiencies and demand change.

With moreprojected rostersbeing consumed than chicken wings on NFL Sunday, we've decided to focus on five NHL players who could be omitted from the U.S. Olympic roster after making the 4 Nations team.

Stripes on the back of the white jersey

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US hockey jerseys unveiled for 2026 Olympics

Which U.S. 4 Nations players might not make the Olympic team?

5. Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson

Brock Nelson was included on the 4 Nations roster for his wealth of experience, leadership qualities and defensive wherewithal. He also played left wing.

However, Team USA has too much offensive talent to include Nelson this time around.

The Avalanche's second-line center will be an asset for his NHL team in the playoffs. Still, the 34-year-old will likely have to make way for a more productive forward, such as Jason Robertson or Utah captain Clayton Keller.

4. New York Rangers left wing J.T. Miller

J.T. Miller is more dispensable for Team USA than he was at this time last season. With 18 points in 29 games, the 32-year-old left winger's point production is down significantly.

Miller notched close to a point per game last season and averaged more than that in the previous three years. Hispoint production has regressedas much as his speed, which won't fly for a team that can assemble arguably the fastest on offer.

3. Anaheim Ducks left wing Chris Kreider

The first three players on this list are all similar archetypes: experienced power forwards who can muck it up in the corners while creating a net-front presence.

Kreider, 34, has continued to play at a high level since joining the Ducks, with 21 points in 25 games. Unfortunately for him, Team USA has younger and more productive players from which to choose.

The most apt like-for-like replacement would be Robertson or Matthew Knies.

2. New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck

Vincent Trocheck's chances of making the cut are even less likely, considering he had no points in the 4 Nations Face-Off and the centers he's up against.

The 32-year-old faces the daunting prospect of competing against Dylan Larkin, thecurrently injured Jack Hughesand 4 Nations snub Tage Thompson for the bottom two center spots. Hughes is expected back in the next month, leaving more than enough time to be ready for Italy. Thompson brings size and lots of goals.

1. Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin

Quinn Hughesis healthy and raring to go, so Team USA has one fewer spot on the blueline up for grabs.

Last season's Calder Trophy winner, Lane Hutson, is waiting in the wings, and so is Stanley Cup champion Seth Jones. With 24-year-old Jackson LaCombe impressing in Anaheim, Hanifin is seemingly the odd one out.

Hanifin's play hasn't helped his cause, with six points in 19 games and a minus-6 rating.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Olympic hockey: 5 NHL players who may have lost their spot on Team USA

Prior reports noted he had beendetainedby police, though no reason for his detainment was given.

It's the latest development in a day that had already seen Moore fired from his position as theWolverines' coach after the university found "credible evidence" he "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member."

REQUIRED READING:Michigan replaced one cheater with another, shredding its once impeccable reputation

Here are the latest updates surrounding Moore:

Sherrone Moore updates, news

All times Eastern

Sherrone Moore arrested, booked in Washtenaw County Jail

According to online court records, Moore was booked into Washtenaw County Jail at 8:30 p.m. He remained in custody as of 10:30 p.m., though no charges or booking information was immediately available.

According to a statement from Pittsfield Township Police, police responded to a location at 4:10 p.m. "for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault." The statement went on to read that the suspect in the incident was taken into custody, but did not name the individual.

Per Pittsfield Township Police, the incident "does not appear to be random in nature," and an "investigation is ongoing."

Sherrone Moore detained, per reports

Shortly after 7 p.m., reports surfaced that Moore had beendetained in Saline, Michigan, less than 10 miles south of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Reports indicated the Saline Police Department "assisted in locating and detaining" Moore before transferring him to Pittsfield Township Police.

No reason was given for his detainment, nor did Moore show up in arrest or jail records.

Sherrone Moore fired for cause from Michigan

At 4:43 p.m. ET, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel issued a statement confirming reports the Wolverines had fired Sherrone Moore "for cause."

"U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately. Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.

"Biff Poggi has been appointed head football coach in an interim capacity, effective immediately."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sherrone Moore updates, latest news on fired Michigan football coach

In aDec. 10 press conference, one reporter asked Burrow if the turf toe injury that kept the quarterbacksidelined for 10 weekshad affected "the way [he] views the game." After saying the injury didn't affect how he felt about winning, Burrow became more reflective about the bigger picture.

"If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it," said Burrow. "I have been through a lot. If it's not fun, then what am I doing it for?"

Joe Burrow's presser today felt very reflective — and at times, a bit dark:"If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it. I have been through a lot. If it's not fun, then what am I doing it for?"Later on: "There's just a lot of things going on right now."(via…pic.twitter.com/L84tVy9r5a

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate)December 10, 2025

Alonso becomes the latest fan-favorite to leave theNew York Metsafter the teamtraded outfielder Brandon Nimmoand All-Star closerEdwin Diazleft for theLos Angeles Dodgers.

Alonso, who originally was seeking a seven-year contract and badly wanted to return to the Mets, departed when it was clear New York didn't want to offer more than three years. And once teams started making offers for more than that, the Mets never budged or submitted a formal offer.

Alonso is one of the premier power hitters in the game with 264 homers since coming up with the Mets, including 38 home runs and 126 RBIs last season. He also has played at least 160 games in each of the past three seasons.

Alonso's $31.6 million average salary is now the highest for a first baseman in baseball history.

The Orioles met with Alonso in person on Tuesday, and once Schwarber's five-year, $150 million deal became official with thePhillies, agent Scott Boras used his deal to inform the Orioles to establish the baseline of Alonso's deal.

"Right-handed power is a commodity," agent Scott Boras said Tuesday of Alonso. "Guy who can play on the dirt is a commodity. All the teams we met with, not one doesn't want Pete to play first base, I think because of his digs and what he does, there's a lot said about his defense. But we're learning it's very positive, because they don't have many first basemen who can play every day in the field and carry the offensive thrust of it."

It was the latest blow for the Mets who are now being re-made in president David Stearns' style, showing there's no room for sentimentality.

"I'm very optimistic about where our offseason is headed," Stearns said Tuesday. "We've certainly got work to do, but there are a lot of good players out there, and I'm confident that we're really going to like where our team is once we get to opening day."

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Pete Alonso contract is gut-punch for New York Mets fans

EDITOR'S NOTE:This story contains some graphic images.

A Washington state man was attacked by a patrol dog while being detained by Customs and Border Patrol agents last month as his wife and young children looked on, said Senator Patty Murray, who is calling for the man's release.

The man, Wilmer Toledo-Martinez, was "violently attacked and dragged away," Murray said.

The senator posted images of Toledo-Martinez and the bloody wounds along his arm, back and side on social media.

The November 14 incident in Vancouver, Washington, occurred as the Trump administration's nationwide crackdown on immigration has led to an escalation in federal agents' tactics on the ground.

Toledo-Martinez, 28, resisted arrest and tried to flee during the encounter with agents, the Department of Homeland Security said in apost on Xin response to Sen. Murray's comments.

He was described by DHS as undocumented and having prior arrests for being in possession of a loaded firearm. His attorney, Olia Catala, said two previous charges were dropped and the other two are going to be dropped soon.

Additionally, Catala says her client was not resisting.

Video of the encounter taken by Toledo-Martinez's wife and provided to CNN by Catala shows the aftermath of the dog attack, when an agent asks the wife to back up or he will be "bit again."

A man wearing a yellow vest can be seen in the video among the agents taking Toledo-Martinez into custody.

It is unclear what led to the dog attack or Toledo-Martinez being detained, and the attack was not caught on camera. There was no warrant for the detainment, Catala said.

Toledo-Martinez, who is originally from Mexico, had just returned home from dropping off his child at school when he heard a knock on the door, according to the attorney. Upon opening the door, he was met by a man wearing a yellow vest who Catala alleges told her client he'd hit Toledo-Martinez's parked car.

He then asked Toledo-Martinez to step out and verify that the affected car belonged to him, according to Catala.

Once outside, the man asked Toledo-Martinez for his name, Catala said. Unaware he was speaking with a federal agent, Toledo-Martinez told the man he was going back inside to get his ID and insurance information, the attorney said.

The next thing he knew, the dog was on top of him and biting him, Catala said.

According to Catala, Toledo-Martinez only knew he was speaking with a federal agent after he was detained.

"We're federal agents from Homeland Security, you understand that?" one agent says in the video.

In the video, the wife is heard asking the agents if her car was hit. "So did you hit my car so I can at least let my insurance know," she asks. One of the agents responds "No" repeatedly, the video shows.

One of the agents says in the video that Toledo-Martinez needs to get medical attention and will be taken to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland.

DHS did not respond to specific questions related to the incident, including the allegations made by Catala.

Toledo-Martinez is still experiencing pain where he was bitten and he has not seen a doctor for days, Murray saidin responseto DHS' post on the incident Tuesday. Additionally, his vision is blurry, his arm is numb and he is having difficulty breathing, the senator said Toledo-Martinez's family shared with her.

"I strongly reiterate my call for his immediate release so he can receive the medical care he needs," Murray said in the post. "ICE will not let him see a doctor and are callously dismissing his concerns."

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